Computer scientist Pamela Sasser leads the quiet life of a university professor until her research discovers a bug in the new Perseus computer chip. The Perseus is manufactured by a corporation that is owned by billionaire presidential candidate Preston Sinclaire and is at the heart of thousands of commercial and military systems, including the Palo Verde nuclear plant. When the bug causes a massive nuclear meltdown, killing thousands and leaving a legacy of radiation illness and cancer to millions more, only Sasser can prove what happened. Her knowledge pits her against one of the most powerful enemies in the world. But when her would-be assassin learns her secret, he too becomes a target. Now the two must run together, evading military hit teams and corporate killers, to expose the secrets of Sinclaire and the Perseus before the bug surfaces again.