Beckman Gresch is a germophobic obsessive compulsive engineer who's brilliant mind is tormented by the memories of his lost lover Charmaine. Several years ago the government put special chemicals in the city's water supply to alter people's personalities with the intention of fixing psychological flaws. These chemicals succeeded in altering the drinker's psychological makeup but not always for the better. Charmaine became an entirely different person and left Beckman spontaneously one night. Since then Beckman has gotten a job at a treatment plant obsessing over the water supply, trying to build a machine to filter out the toxins that the government unintentionally used to poison the city. One night while Gresch was working late at the treatment plant the power went out all across the city. Realizing he has no candles or natural light sources he goes to a candlemaker named Lira. She's an empathetic woman who immediately captures his heart. Together they visit the plant to try to counteract the chemicals in the water with natural herbs and unexpectedly witness the aftermath of a coldblooded murder. With the help of the superfluously perky Detective Redgear, Beckman and Lira unravel the details of the water plant murder and soon learn that all the dark mysteries of the city are connected.