Rick Lockmann had never met Caroline Denaro in the flesh. It was meeting her out of it that nearly killed him. Her touch was as potent as her plea for help.

Now, it's not only Denaro who needs help. She's infected Rick with more than a feeling of horror - she's given him a potentially-lethal dose of virus. A virus that's unknown to medical science, but that Rick soon begins to recognise. After all, he's seen it often enough in his lab - where he identifies plant diseases.

Rick learns that survival isn't enough when a virus is bioengineered - when it's the accidental by-product of experiments blending plant and animal genes. Survival is only the beginning. He has yet to salvage a life from the terrifying side-effects of the infection. Then he must decide how far he's willing to go to stop the spread of the disease, and whether he's still human enough to make sacrifices for his race.