At the age of thirty-five, Lewis has devoted himself to the study of the most powerful force on Earth: earthquakes. He is the foremost expert in the field of seismology; and when he predicts a gigantic quake, everyone prepares for disaster. But to his relief and dismay, the quake never occurs, and suddenly Crane is the subject of ridicule from scientists around the world. Then he discovers a mistake in his calculations, and realizes that the "Big One" is just around the corner. The clock is ticking as he attempts to convince theworld that this time, catastrophe is certain.