In 2035, cancer survivors and their renowned doctor attempt to stop the fringe group which commandeered advanced medical technology and manipulated unwitting patients in a quest for a perfect, programmable world of humans.

SYNOPSIS:

In 2035, the use of nanites in clinical trials has a cure for cancer in sight. These technological wonders can replicate and be reprogrammed, creating a formidable treatment for many cancers, a mission Dr. Benton and his associates have traversed their entire careers. A fringe group, the Defenders, sub-programs the otherwise innocuous nanites in a clinical trial, manipulating recipients into testing an untraceable network with an ominous goal in mind. Chemo brain, a type of memory loss common to cancer patients, becomes the curtain hiding this surreptitious activity. Odd memories arise among a diverse group of cancer survivors, and suspicions grow when strange digital messages not only arrive but suddenly disappear.

The cancer center's communications app comes under scrutiny as the number of cryptic messages increases, eventually revealing the truth behind reported memory issues in patients. Ordo Solutions, the nanite provider, is also responsible for the app's existence and uses it for far more than simple communications between patients and their doctors. As separate groups race to find answers, these patients and their doctor become unlikely heroes in preventing the global release of memory-altering mini-bots during the launch of a popular new commercial sweetener, Nuvalose.

Randy, the nanite geek who quietly discovered the plot by his employer months earlier, eventually joins Dr. Benton and the survivors, whose curious memories sparked the intensive search for answers. An illicit nanite batch, 213A, noted as defective and reportedly destroyed in research paperwork, is the catalyst they discover. Randy kept the "defective" batch hidden and toyed with its sub-programming, releasing small amounts to specific patients in an attempt to preserve their memories and thus reveal the Defenders' plan.

Eventually, the Defenders lose the cat and mouse game just before the nanites are released through the Nuvalose shipments. All is good. However, Randy has been playing both sides for months, having also used his re-programmed nanites on his fellow Ordo employees as soon as he discovered the scheme. Randy needs only one second to release the nanites into the highly promoted sugar solution and ship out the tainted Nuvalose. The world would then begin a radical transformation over time, exactly what the Defenders had been working towards. Except Randy will now be the only one who will remember the cost of that second.