Zeb
Zeb is Toby's lover. He grew up with a rather authoritarian father who demonstrated utter disregard for the environment. When he couldn't stand any longer to watch his dad corrupt the earth through his influence as a preacher, he devises a scheme to ruin his father. He drains the family bank accounts. Then Toby and his brother run away from home and assume false identities in order to hide from the inevitable repercussions. In his adult life, Toby narrowly escapes destruction time and time again after the huge natural disaster. He is a survivor.
Adam One
He is Zeb's brother. Separated for years, he finally encounters Zeb once more after the disaster. They finalize their rejection of their father's philosophy by founding God's Gardeners, a community dedicated to the peaceful cultivation and preservation of the natural environment as aligned with religious values.
Toby
Toby helps found the survivors' camp and is quickly recognized as a leader. She is communally-oriented, eager to help people at any personal cost. She falls in love with Zeb and they have a relationship.
Ren
After the disaster, Ren sticks with Toby. They're old friends, along with Jimmy, and get along well. She helps them found the survivor's camp as well as to maintain order in an otherwise chaotic environment.
Jimmy
Jimmy is another old friend of Toby and Ren's. He is the big ideas man who garners interest in establishing a camp for survivors. Maintaining a certain degree of "us vs. them," he is the one to make decisions about who can remain and who must be exiled. He possesses no sympathy for the sociopaths involved with Painball.
Amanda Payne
Amanda thought she had finally found safety with Toby and Ren when she is violently attacked. The others cannot save her. She becomes the inspiration and poster-child for their new camp, which is designed to preserve life through community engagement and mutual protection.