Cut off from the crumbling civilization outside its walls, the first Federal University and Research Complex is facing problems of its own. Mysterious power outages, disrupted communications, and a rash of illness among the guards are only the beginning. Soon FURC Security Chief Anthony Nelson and his small, mostly inexperienced staff are overwhelmed by the hacking of the local network, the contamination of the food supply, and a seemingly impossible murder. And Lt. Katherine Miles can't help. She's far from the FURC on a secret mission and unable to warn them—if she can make it back at all, she'll be bringing even more trouble with her…