World & Timeline
World & Timeline
When: 2003 — an analog/digital border era: landlines and scanners still matter; cell coverage is unreliable; local TV is SD 4:3. Where: Yuba Ridge, a fictional Sierra town at ~4,000 ft, consistent with Sierra County geography.
- Climate arc: patchy snow → thaw → frost return at resolution.
- Fog discipline: knee‑ to waist‑high; acts as soft matte for beams; breath always visible.
- Sound travel: cold air collapses distance; echoes arrive out of sync between ridgelines.
- Technology ecology: fragile grid; outages are normal and summon maintenance behavior the owl learns to exploit.
Principal Geography
- Liv & Mason’s Property: house + porch + detached barn; ~70 yards of clearing between structures (final arena).
- Cold Creek Tower: 150‑ft lattice with FAA beacon; constant generator hum; site of Mason’s death.
- FR‑12: shoulderless, fog‑prone lifeline; its closure isolates Liv.
- Town Core: diner, general store, sheriff’s office, community hall, sodium pools of light.