wˈɜːkɪŋ wɪð dʒoʊˈænə mˈɛɹɪt, ɐnˈʌðɚɹ ˌoʊˌɛsˈaɪ ˈeɪdʒənt ɔːlɹˌɛdi æt ðə fəsˈɪlᵻɾi, ʃˈɛpɚd dɪtˈɜːmɪnz ðætðə dˈɛθs ɐmˌʌŋ ðə lˈæbɹətˌɔːɹiz wˈʌnhˈʌndɹɪd fˈɪfti tˈɑːp sˈaɪəntɪsts ɑːɹ dˈuː tə sˈæbətˌɑːʒ ʌvðə fəsˈɪlᵻɾiz nˈuːklɪɹ ˈɑːpɚɹətˌɪv vˈɛɹɪəbəl ˌɔːɾəmˈæɾɪk kəmpjˈuːɾɚ nˈoʊvək, wˌɪtʃ kəntɹˈoʊlz ænd kˈoʊˈɔːɹdᵻnəts ˈɔːl ðɪ ɪkwˈɪpmənt ɪnðɪ ˌʌndɚɡɹˈaʊnd fəsˈɪlᵻɾi.
Working with Joanna Merritt, another OSI agent already at the facility, Sheppard determines that the deaths among the laboratory's 150 top scientists are due to sabotage of the facility's Nuclear Operative Variable Automatic Computer (NOVAC), which controls and co-ordinates all the equipment in the underground facility.