Prologue
In the middle of a clear summer afternoon, darkness inside suddenly reigns. Without warning, an entire facility has been rendered helpless. Confusion soon takes over. Panic spreads.
What happened to the power? When will it come back?
Shouts for help begin to fill the building. Staff members bang on the electronic doors that granted them admittance into their labs earlier that day; they are now locked shut for good. Others turn to the reinforced double-pane security windows for relief, but they too refuse to budge or break.
There is no way out.
Without central air, midsummer temperatures quickly skyrocket inside. The heavy, stagnating air becomes stifling. Claustrophobia sets in. Refrigerators and freezers fail. Food spoils. Water no longer runs. There is no relief in sight.
The building has become a sweltering death trap.
Raw panic takes over. The natural reaction is to call for help, but all electronics have been permanently destroyed. Lights remain dark. Computers are fried. Hard drives are wiped clean. Cell phones are dead. Landlines are inoperable. Email and social media are a distant memory.
Communication with the outside world is now impossible.
Something silent and unassuming destroyed the company that day. Only the victims inside the building knew what happened. It will be too late before anybody else finds out. The facility’s dirty little secret will remain unknown long enough for staff members to succumb to the tormenting conditions inside.
The plan has succeeded. Isaac’s company…and his dreams…are no more. EIS has finally been terminated, and the slow death of its staff was nothing more than collateral damage.
The boss is pleased. He laughs…and laughs…and laughs…
