On Memorial Day afternoon, the skies above Carthage, Missouri, brighten suddenly as if the sun explodes. Seconds later it's gone, and no one knows what happened. Normal life resumes. BBQs continue, and kids play in backyards. No one notices the screams coming from one backyard. Everyone believes it to be a fluke. But it doesn't just happen in Carthage, it happens all over. While delayed, the after effects of the event are brutal to all those who were exposed to the flash, and horrifying to behold. Those not exposed, like Alana Cross, are helpless to do anything. All they can do is witness humanity self-destructing right in front of their eyes.