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Proceedings of the 28th International Symposium on Advancement of Construction Management and Real Estate (Lecture Notes in Operations Research)
by Dezhi Li Patrick X. W. Zou Jingfeng Yuan Qian Wang Yi PengThis book presents the proceedings of CRIOCM 2023, sharing the latest developments in real estate and construction management around the globe. The conference was organized by the Chinese Research Institute of Construction Management (CRIOCM) and Southeast University. Written by international academics and professionals, the proceedings discuss the latest achievements, research findings and advances in frontier disciplines in the field of construction management and real estate, covering a wide range of topics, including new theory and practice of engineering management, smart construction and maintenance, green low-carbon building and sustainable development, big data and blockchain, construction and real estate economy, real estate finance and investment, real estate management and housing policy, innovative theory and practice of urban governance, land use and urban planning, and other related issues. The discussions provide valuable insights into the implementation of advanced construction project management and real estate market in China and abroad. The book offers an outstanding resource for academics and professionals.
Issues of Terrorism in the Post-Coronavirus Era (Advanced Sciences and Technologies for Security Applications)
by Richard J. Chasdi Yair SharanThis edited compilation was written in the latter part of the Coronavirus pandemic of 2020, a watershed event in world history that illustrated wide-ranging systems and structural vulnerabilities worldwide. The book provides a framework for thinking about the environmental context of unconventional political conflict and intrinsic issues of continuity and change; it highlights significant potential terror threats, trajectories, and potential inflection points for consideration by policymakers, security experts, and counterterrorism practitioners. The book focuses on unfolding threats that will affect our security worldwide, including the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, the continuously evolving condition of environmental degradation and global warming, the probability of increased “enhanced terrorism” use, future technologies like gene editing and “Crisper,” and more. The book frames empirical links between the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, terrorism, and other international system factors within the context of our contemporary globalized world, to scope out basic uncertainties, and the subtleties and nuances of complexity that pose challenges and opportunities for policymakers. It discusses looming challenges to decisionmakers who must attempt to counter terror and crime and their expected convergence in the coming era. The use of novel foresight tools in the context of anticipatory defense, science communication methodologies, knowledge sharing, its dissemination, and management to overcome threat potential is presented. As one of the first books to delve into post-coronavirus consequences and to examine the linkages between these wide-ranging impacts, Issues of Terrorism in the Post-Coronavirus Era provides essential food for thought for decision-makers, policymakers, academics, global business leaders, students, and lay readers who are concerned about the future of humankind.
Human Aspects of Information Security and Assurance: 18th IFIP WG 11.12 International Symposium, HAISA 2024, Skövde, Sweden, July 9–11, 2024, Proceedings, Part II (IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology #722)
by Nathan Clarke Steven FurnellThe two-volume set IFIP AICT 721 +722 constitutes the proceedings of the 18th IFIP WG 11.12 International Symposium on Human Aspects of Information Security and Assurance, HAISA 2024, held in Skövde, Sweden, in July 9–11, 2024. The 39 full papers presented were carefully reviewed and selected from 55 submissions. The papers are organized in the following topical sections: Part I - Management and Risk; Social Engineering; Technical Attacks and Defenses; Usable Security. Part II - Awareness and Education; Privacy.
Magic Casement (A Man of His Word #1)
by Dave DuncanThe Man of His Word series debut—a novel &“with enough fresh ideas to allow it to sit unashamedly alongside the great fantasy books of recent times&” (Fantasy Book Review). &“Duncan&’s unique concept of goblins, fauns, and imps adds a new twist to this imaginative fantasy adventure&” as Princess Inosolan is forced to leave behind her carefree childhood—as well as her dear friend, the stableboy Rap (Library Journal). Now of marriageable age, she is sent to a finishing school to hone the skills that all noble ladies should possess. Mystery, menace, and the gods appear in short order, as Inos and Rap begin to discover their magical powers, even as Inos is courted by a charming man with motives far more dangerous than the eye—and heart—can see . . . &“Magic Casement has a charm and vibrant sense of humor. . . . If it&’s traditional fantasy adventure with a bit of nudge-nudge wink-wink you&’re after, Dave Duncan is your go-to guy.&” —SFReviews.net
Young Blood
by Brian M. StablefordA vampire who calls himself Maldureve comes out of the shadowy borderlands of existence in response to the unvoiced desires of philosophy student Anne Charet. By choosing to see him she gives him substance; after feeding him, she too begins to hunger for blood. Maldureve becomes Anne's lover and mentor but he cannot protect her against his own enemies, mysterious creatures of light who call themselves owls because they believe that theirs is the highest wisdom of all. Anne's boyfriend, psychologist Gil Molari, worries about her health and state of mind, although he knows nothing about his supernatural rival. His anxiety is magnified when he becomes convinced that one of the mind-altering viruses with which he works has escaped from the laboratory. Gil refuses to believe in Maldureve but his refusal to believe cannot save him from becoming the victim of a fierce hunger that he cannot satisfy, which drives him in the end to an unendurable extreme. Anne believes that her experiences are entirely real; Gil believes that his are the products of an infectious madness. Whichever of them is right, they are both in deadly danger, and so is everyone around them. Once they have started on their strange journey, there is no way back. But what can possibly lie ahead of them, when death itself no longer seems to be an end?
Close to the Knives: A Memoir of Disintegration (Canons Ser. #58)
by David WojnarowiczThe &“fierce, erotic, haunting, truthful&” memoirs of an extraordinary artist, activist, and iconoclast who lit up late-twentieth-century New York (Dennis Cooper).One of the New York Times&’ &“50 Best Memoirs of the Past 50 Years&” David Wojnarowicz&’s brief but eventful life was not easy. From a suburban adolescence marked by neglect, drugs, prostitution, and abuse to a squalid life on the streets of New York City, to fame—and infamy—as an activist and controversial visual artist whose work was lambasted in the halls of Congress, all before his early death from AIDS at age thirty-seven, Wojnarowicz seemed to be at war with a homophobic &“establishment&” and the world itself. Yet what emerged from the darkness was a truly extraordinary artist and human being—an angry young man of remarkable poetic sensibilities who was inordinately sympathetic to those who, like him, lived and struggled outside society&’s boundaries.Close to the Knives is his searing yet strangely beautiful account told in a collection of powerful essays. An author whom reviewers have compared to Kerouac and Genet, David Wojnarowicz mesmerizes, horrifies, and delights in equal measure with his unabashed honesty. At once savage and funny, poignant and sexy, compassionate and unforgiving, his words and stories cut like knives, leaving indelible marks on all who read them.
Showstopper!: The Breakneck Race to Create Windows NT and the Next Generation at Microsoft
by G. Pascal ZacharyThis &“inside account captures the energy—and the madness—of the software giant&’s race to develop a critical new program. . . . Gripping&” (Fortune Magazine).Showstopper is the dramatic, inside story of the creation of Windows NT, told by Wall Street Journal reporter G. Pascal Zachary. Driven by the legendary David Cutler, a picked band of software engineers sacrifices almost everything in their lives to build a new, stable, operating system aimed at giving Microsoft a platform for growth through the next decade of development in the computing business. Comparable in many ways to the Pulitzer Prize–winning book The Soul of a New Machine by Tracy Kidder, Showstopper gets deep inside the process of software development, the lives and motivations of coders and the pressure to succeed coupled with the drive for originality and perfection that can pull a diverse team together to create a program consisting of many hundreds of thousands of lines of code.
Things Invisible to See: A Novel
by Nancy WillardThe first novel by Newbery Award–winning author Nancy Willard: A stunning story of magic and miracles, and a testament to the enduring power of faith and love Ben and Willie Harkissian are twin brothers (think Cain and Abel, Jacob and Esau) growing up in Ann Arbor, Michigan, on the eve of World War II. A baseball launched into the October sky sets in motion a series of events that transforms many lives. Ben leaves for the front and faces death—figuratively as well as literally. Left behind is Clare Bishop, who has been paralyzed from the waist down. But in exchange she receives some very special gifts. She can see the future, be at one with animals, and chat with Death. Willie Harkissian remains in Michigan as well, though his relationship with his brother will never be the same.A love story interrupted by war, this is also a novel about discovering the ordinary in the extraordinary and finding the miraculous in everyday life.
Gringa
by Sandra ScofieldThis is a novel about Abilene Painter, a young woman with a drab Texas past whose fate leads her to Mexico. Here she becomes the mistress of a powerful bullfighter and rancher, Antonio Velez. Abilene is a study in the pathology of passivity, a woman who has never thought she&’s had real choices. She toys with risk, playing games with men who belong to Tonio. It is also 1968, a time of student uprisings and massive demonstrations in Mexico City. Abilene, seduced by the danger, walks a fine line.
Lightfall: A Novel
by Paul MonetteIn the village of Pitts Landing, true evil can linger for centuries It all started with the desperate urging of an internal voice, born from a pulse-pounding nightmare: Run. With that, Iris Ammons felt impelled to leave behind her husband, her children, her job, and her idyllic life. Her motive was never clear to her, just a notion that her entire life had become unfamiliar and that she had to get to the West Coast and the mystical village of Pitts Landing. Similarly focused on the town is its devilishly charismatic cult leader Michael Roman. Michael cuts a bloody swath through his followers in order to get to the secret at the heart of the village. As the coincidences pile up and the omens stack on top of one another like the bodies of Michael&’s disciples, he and Iris find themselves at the center of a mystery that stretches back for generations and has effects that could be felt for centuries to come.Lightfall is an erotic horror epic from gifted National Book Award winner Paul Monette, a master of combining thrills with intense emotion, no matter what the genre. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Paul Monette including rare images and never-before-seen documents from the Paul Monette papers of the UCLA Library Special Collections.
Brightness Falls from the Air: Up The Walls Of The World And Brightness Falls From The Air
by James Tiptree Jr.They have gathered now on Damien and are about to witness the last rising of a man-made nova. They are sixteen humans in a distant world about to be enveloped by an eruption of violence—horror and murder, oddly complemented by a bizarre, unforgiving love. But justice is not all that they&’re about to find. Judgment is coming, and the sixteen unsuspecting ones are on the threshold of the murdered star.
Fractal Paisleys: Stories (Di Filippo, Paul Ser.)
by Paul Di Filippo&“&‘Trailer park science fiction&’ . . . [An] often genuinely funny mixture of Raymond Carver, Harry Harrison, and Douglas Adams&” (Booklist).Fractal Paisleys contains ten funny, irreverent, and sexy stories, including two previously published works. The Nebula Award finalist &“Lennon Spex&” explores how John Lennon found inspiration for his songs. Also included in this collection: the real reason for the disappearance of the dinosaurs, how the L&’il Bear Bar in Providence, Rhode Island (the author&’s hometown, by the way—not a coincidence) ended up with a talking moose head on its wall, and more of Di Filippo&’s fascinating writing. You can try to escape from the mundane, or with the help of Paul Di Filippo, you can take a brief, meaningful break from it. In the vein of George Saunders or Michael Chabon, Di Filippo uses the tools of science fiction and the surreal to take a deep, richly felt look at humanity. His brand of funny, quirky, thoughtful, fast‑moving, heart‑warming, brain‑bending stories exists across the entire spectrum of the fantastic from hard science fiction to satire to fantasy and on to horror, delivering a riotously entertaining string of modern fables and stories from tomorrow, now, and anytime. After you read Paul Di Filippo, you will no longer see everyday life quite the same.
Torah in Motion: Creating Dance Midrash
by Susan Freeman JoAnne TuckerExplore new ways of prayer and storytelling through Torah in Motion. JoAnne Tucker and Susan Freeman, both experienced in dance and Judaic studies, tell the famous stories of the Torah through modern dance. In this book, they explain how they use dance to interpret Torah and creative ideas to consider when doing so. Dance Midrash offers a new and contemporary form of prayer and expression, uniting both young and old in dance and story.
Mentale Gesundheit für Polizei und Rettungskräfte: Psychologische Grundlagen und Werkzeuge für Einsatzkräfte
by Monika Pientka„Halte ich das noch bis zur Rente durch?“ Diese Frage hört man immer häufiger von Einsatzkräften der Feuerwehr, der Schutz- und Kriminalpolizei sowie der Ordnungsbehörden. Die alltäglichen Herausforderungen sind enorm und bringen neben körperlichen vor allem auch psychische Belastungen mit sich. Hilfsangebote zur psychischen Stabilisierung decken nicht den Bedarf und werden nur verzögert angepasst. Umso wichtiger ist es für die Berufsgruppen der Blaulichtorganisationen, ihre Selbstfürsorge zu stärken. Dr. Monika Pientka bietet theoretisch fundierte Lösungsansätze und zeigt praxisnah, wie Einsatzkräfte ihre mentale Gesundheit und psychische Belastbarkeit stärken können. Unterstützt durch physiologische und neurologische Erkenntnisse werden verschiedene psychologische Aspekte wie Kommunikation, Entscheidungsfindung, Stressbewältigung und Resilienz thematisiert. Es wird gezeigt, wie auch in schwierigen Situationen und bei hoher Belastung psychische Gesundheit und Leistungsfähigkeit erhalten werden können. Emotional und bildhaft dargestellte Fallbeispiele helfen dabei, die Konzepte nachhaltig zu verinnerlichen und im Berufsalltag anzuwenden. Der Inhalt Teil 1 – Psychologie im (persönlichen) Einsatz – für wen ist das Buch gedacht? Teil 2 – Warum ein Trauma wirkt, wie es wirkt – die Einflussebenen Ereignis, Bewertung und Reaktion Teil 3 – Das mentale Immunsystem stärken
On Theory-Fiction and Other Genres
by Simon O'SullivanThis book looks at three different kinds of writing practice - theory-fiction, autofiction/autotheory and art writing - that are increasingly prevalent as genres (or ‘hybrid genres’) in the arts and critical humanities. The chapters in the book operate as a critical survey of these new forms of writing (many examples are listed) whilst at the same time they each work towards some provisional definitions. Some key precursors to these new genres are also identified. The book explores what these new kinds of writing do. What is particular to them or what do they add to those already existing styles and genres (and especially the academic essay and article)? Key here is that each form of writing works in a performative manner or as a device that enables a shift in perspective. A case is made for their urgency in relation to contemporary issues and concerns and for their importance in terms of being both from and for more marginalised communities. The book concludes with a discussion of machine writing and especially our collaboration with artificial intelligence language models.
Der Wille zur Wiederholung I: Entzauberung und Faszination des Immergleichen in Literatur und Film (Serienräume – global, lokal, glokal)
by Jörg Türschmann Noëlle Miller Santiago ContardoDer Wille zur Wiederholung behandelt die Faszination eines Widerspruchs: Er richtet sich an alle, die in der Freizeit, bei der Lektüre von Literatur, im Kino oder vor dem Bildschirm darüber staunen, dass sie immer etwas anderes im Selben suchen. Warum den Spin Off einer TV-Serie anschauen? Warum die unablässige Lust auf formelhafte Kriminalgeschichten? Die Autorinnen und Autoren dieses Bandes sind gleichermaßen einer geheimnisvoll anmutenden Eigendynamik von Wiederholungsphänomenen auf der Spur. Egal, ob die Literatur der Serienproduktion von Plastik-Artikeln huldigt, Thomas Mann im Zauberberg die Szene einer Liegekur mehrmals aufgreift oder sich Serien- und Actionhelden in Zeitschleifen selbst begegnen: In den Analysen fallen immer wieder die Namen von Kierkegaard, Freud, Nietzsche, Bachtin, Benjamin und Deleuze. Der hier vorgelegte erste Band ist den Arrangements medialer Spielarten des Willens zur Wiederholung gewidmet, der nachfolgende zweite Band einem seiner prominentesten Akteure: dem Doppelgänger und seinen Anverwandten.
The Prospect of Labor in Cyberspace: Labor and Remuneration of Network Users in the Relationship Between Technology and Power
by Zhuyuan YangThis book explores user labor in the internet age, offering innovative perspectives on digital labor. It broadens the discussion on topics like technology and power, the reproduction of network user labor, labor relations in cyberspace, economic rewards of network user labor, and especially the non-economic rewards of network user labor. Specifically, the book examines the impact of technology, power, and capital on network user labor, the control exerted by media platforms over this labor, and the payment methods for both economic and non-economic rewards.
Advances in Mobile Computing and Multimedia Intelligence: 22nd International Conference, MoMM 2024, Bratislava, Slovak Republic, December 2–4, 2024, Proceedings (Lecture Notes in Computer Science #15341)
by Pari Delir Haghighi Solomiia Fedushko Gabriele Kotsis Ismail KhalilThis book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 22nd International Conference on Advances in Mobile Computing and Multimedia Intelligence, MoMM 2024, held in Bratislava, Slovak Republic, during December 2–4, 2024. The 10 full papers and 8 short papers in this book were carefully reviewed and selected from 34 submissions. They were organized in topical sections as follows: wearable and sensor-based data for human performance and interaction; mobile user experience, motivation, and behavior; medical and cognitive health applications; image, video, and multimedia processing; software and system intelligence.
Perilous Seas (A Man of His Word #3)
by Dave DuncanThe epic fantasy adventure of Queen Inos continues as she is pursued by powerful warlocks, all the while convinced her beloved servant, Rap, is dead. Still stuck in the desert land of Zark—and mourning Rap—Queen Inos has conflicted feelings about Sultan Azak&’s proposal. Her heart lies with her beloved kingdom of Krasnegar and her duty to its people. But when she and Azak make a desperate escape, Inos is shocked by an image of Rap and knows that he must be alive—somewhere . . . On the island of Durthing, Rap&’s gift of farsight has made him too valuable to be truly free—until the evil Nordland raider Kalkor captures him after a bloody slaughter. Testing his magical wits against Kalkor, Rap searches for a chance to escape and restore Inos to her rightful throne. &“If it&’s traditional fantasy adventure with a bit of nudge-nudge wink-wink you&’re after, Dave Duncan is your go-to guy. &” —SFReviews.net &“Duncan takes all the trusted fantasy ingredients, meticulously prepares them and brings them together with skill and relish. . . . The series bears resemblance to Robin Hobb&’s Farseer Trilogy.&” —Fantasy Book Review &“Duncan&’s unique concept of goblins, fauns, and imps adds a new twist to this imaginative fantasy adventure. Recommended.&” —Library Journal
Showdown at Buffalo Jump
by Gary D. SveeAfter sending for a mail-order bride, a rancher struggles to win her loveMax Bass fidgets as he scans the horizon for the stagecoach. His mail-order bride from back east is on that stage, but he feels no joy at the prospect of meeting her. A wannabe rancher, Max exaggerated his financial standing when he advertised for a wife; he fears that she will be disappointed or even angry, but he has no idea what he is actually in for.Catherine O&’Dowd has long dreamed of being a lady, and she expects Max to make one of her. But instead of the riches Max described, she finds a hardscrabble bit of prairie that demands every drop of sweat the two of them have to give. A crooked banker wants to steal Max&’s land, and the weather threatens to forever erase any hope he has of raising cattle. But the most powerful force of nature in Montana is Max&’s new wife. If he is not careful, she will bring him down, and take the entire state with her.Originally published as Incident at Pishkin Creek.
Interference: How Organized Crime Influences Professional Football (Forbidden Bookshelf #6)
by Dan E. MoldeaA shocking exposé of widespread corruption and mob influence throughout the National Football League—on the field, in the owners&’ boxes, and in the corporate suitesAccording to investigative journalist Dan E. Moldea, for decades the National Football League has had a strong and unspoken understanding with a dangerous institution: organized crime. In his classic exposé, Interference, Moldea bares the dark, sordid underbelly of America&’s favorite professional team sport, revealing a nest of corruption that the league has largely ignored since its inception.Based on intensive research and in-depth interviews with coaches, players, mobsters, bookies, gamblers, referees, and league officials—including some of the sport&’s all-time greats—the author&’s shocking allegations suggest that the betting line is firmly in the hands of the mob, who occasionally manipulate the on-field action for maximum profit. Interference chronicles a long-standing history of gambling, drugs, and extortion, of point-shaving and game-fixing, and reveals the eye-opening truth about numerous gridiron contests where the final results were determined even before the kickoff. Moldea exposes the mob connections of many of the team owners and their startling complicity in illegal gambling operations, while showing how NFL internal security has managed to quash nearly every investigation into illegality and corruption within the professional football world before it could get off the ground. Provocative, disturbing, and controversial, Interference is a must-read for football fans and detractors alike, offering indisputable proof that what&’s really happening on the field, in the locker room, and behind the scenes is a whole different ball game.
Halfway Home: A Novel
by Paul MonetteTom tried everything to get away from the world—but it had a way of getting back to himWhen Tom was diagnosed with AIDS, he thought of it as a death sentence. His life was effectively over. He packed up everything and moved to a beach house in California. There, he could live out what remained of his life in peace. His landlord was kind, understanding—and interested in him romantically. Tom had found the safe haven he sought. That is, until his brother, Brian, reappeared in his life.Brian&’s shady business connections back home have him and his family on the run. With him are his homophobic wife, Susan, and his son, Daniel, who has never met his uncle. Thrown into an explosive situation, Tom and his family struggle to become closer. But when Brian&’s dirty dealings follow him to California and threaten the lives of the entire family, the bond between the two brothers is put to the test.Paul Monette displays a keen awareness of family dynamics as he explores coming out, life-threatening illness, and the lifelong consequences of brotherly conflicts. Halfway Home is a novel about anger and reconciliation, love and danger.This ebook features an illustrated biography of Paul Monette including rare images and never-before-seen documents from the Paul Monette papers of the UCLA Library Special Collections.
Your 7 Words to a Happier You: Unlock the Story Sabotaging Your Relationships
by Jerry GiordanoFinally, a Right-Brain Approach to a Right-Brained Problem Maybe you&’ve tried therapy, seminars, retreats, or shelves of self-help books to make you feel better. Yet nothing changed. That&’s because those are left-brain solutions. But low self-esteem, feelings of not being enough, or feeling underappreciated in your relationships are all emotional right-brain issues—which means we&’ve been attempting to solve right-brain problems with left-brain solutions. Contentment Counselor Jerry Giordano has uncovered the right-brain key to innovative, lasting progress. His 7-words method guides individuals past their unconscious emotional tendencies. Unlock your 7-words journey and change your life for the better. Your 7 Words to a Happier You shares the true events of how Giordano&’s newfound mindfulness practice and enlightening meditations helped him discover that his easygoing, people-pleasing persona was fake. Incorporating insights from Freud, Maya Angelou, Buddha, and others, he connects the dots of his self-sabotaging story that remained hidden for decades. Jerry has put his 7-words philosophy into practice by interviewing over 200 people from ages thirteen to ninety-four. Through the process of discovering their 7 words, they developed an in-depth understanding of how their unconscious story had affected their lives. Filled with personal insights, humor, and step-by-step instructions, Giordano will guide you to the uncovering of your own sabotaging words so you can understand why you do what you do and choose the relationships you have so far. Your 7 Words to a Happier You will set you on a journey to unimaginable self-worth, peace, and contentment.
The Exile Kiss (The Budayeen Cycle #3)
by George Alec EffingerFrom a Nebula Award winner: A &“phenomenal,&” action-packed tale of crime, corruption, and cybernetics (Locus). Set in a divided near future, The Exile Kiss is author George Alec Effinger&’s third book about the high-tech Arab ghetto called the Budayeen. It is a world filled with mind- or mood-altering drugs for any purpose; brains enhanced by electronic hardware, with plug-in memory additions and new personalities; and bodies shaped to perfection by surgery. Marid Audran, having risen from the rank of street hustler, is now an enforcer for Friedlander Bey, one of the most feared men in the Budayeen. But betrayal and exile send Marid and Bey out into the lifeless Arabian desert. Can they survive on their own? Will they make it back into hostile territory? Will they find their revenge? With this culmination of the sequence of Marid books, readers will quickly understand why this series is considered one of the great works of modern SF and a defining example of the cyber-punk genre.
Monster Nation: A Zombie Novel (The Monster Island Trilogy #2)
by David WellingtonThe second entry in this &“inventive and exciting&” zombie series that began with Monster Island (Publishers Weekly). This is where it begins. This is where the end of the world begins? She wakes up alone and feeling like she's half-dead. She can't remember her name. She staggers outside, looking for help—and that's when she sees that the dead have returned to life, that zombies are running in the streets and devouring the living. And she's one of them. She isn't breathing. The zombies leave her alone. Because they know she's one of their kind. And yet she differs from the brainless ghouls around her in some crucial ways. Somehow she's kept her intelligence intact, if not her memory. And being dead has certain compensations. She has developed strange powers. She calls herself Nilla, and all she knows is that staying alive only gets harder after you die? Meanwhile the National Guard has its hands full with the worst epidemic ever to strike the American west. From California to Colorado every town, every city is being overrun. Captain Bannerman Clark isn't prepared for this. He's semi-retired and he hasn't fired a gun in years, not since the Vietnam war. Yet it seems there's no one else around to take charge. As the world we know collapses he must find in himself the brains, the guts, and the moral courage to lead the survivors to safety, if there's any to be had. Meanwhile, behind the scenes, shadowy players are just beginning to show their hands. There's more going on here than meets the eye, and Clark and Nilla both have parts to play in a game they can't comprehend?