The story of the titular 'Quave' concerns a group of politically motivated hackers work out of a converted apartment in Queens, New York, and after failing to hack a bank with a traditional virus, decide to create something entirely new – a virus that becomes more than just a virus – a virus that becomes its own functioning entity.
Over the course of the novel, Quave grows stronger. It has the potential to solve global warming, cure cancer, but it has equal potential to destroy mankind. The group of hackers must decide whether to let Quave continue to run free or destroy their own creation. Which leads to another, more terrifying, question – at this point, do they even have the ability to destroy it?