In a secret government lab somewhere in Nevada, a young scientist cowers in darknesswaiting, listening, and calculating his chances of surviving the unspeakable carnage that has left him trapped and alone. Or almost alone. Soon after, a covert military operation cleanses all traces of a top-secret project gone horrifically wrong. Three years later, it begins againwhen the quiet of a warm autumn night in a sleepy California town is shattered by a streak of light across the sky, the thunder of impact, and the unleashing of something insidious. Spreading, multiplying, and transforming everything in its path, this diabolical intelligence will not be denied until the townsfolkand eventually, all living thingsare conquered. Until they are all crawling. . . .From the Trade Paperback edition.