_Forced death at the tip of a needle instigates a system-wide uproar.

_The people of Archet are instructed by the Legacy to receive mandatory vaccinations. Brielle and her brother Ander carry exempt status due to their hyper-sensitivity to medicines. When Brielle's name comes up, she reports to the medical center to explain the situation, but they process her anyway. Once she is released, she suffers a violent reaction, including hallucinations. Her brother’s friend, Killian Lockhart, rescues her from a band of unsympathetic Zeniths and gets her to safety.

Ander, who works in a Legacy laboratory, discovers the horrifying truth behind the vaccinations—they are meant to exterminate the population as a means of Legacy control. He scrambles to come up with an antidote for Brielle. The right combination eludes him because the vaccine has already dissolved into his sister’s bloodstream. Her condition deteriorates, and Kalen spirits them to a private location to buy them time to work on the antidote.

Zeniths raid the residence, and the three are placed in a work camp outside the city. Plagued with illness and looming death, Brielle will have to fight for her life in order to become a voice for her people.