Severance introduces readers to a young woman named Candace Chen, an immigrant from China who currently lives in the United States. Chen is working for a company that provides copies of the Bible with unique designs on it. Though Chen is good at her job, she isn't particularly interested in it and is disengaged with her life and work because of it.
The Shen Fever, a fungal infection that had previously infected much of the rest of the world, finally comes to the United States, and Chen is asked to stay in her company's office so that the company could maintain its solid reputation.
