Hermetic seal – a seal that is impervious to gas and liquid – think airtight. In the novel, a hermetic seal using polyurethane sheeting sections of the cistern is used to prevent the spread of virus.

Polyurethane Sheet – a plastic polymer with innumerable applications, from use in shoes to use in high-tech electronics. In the novel, thin polyurethane sheets are used to create a hermetic seal in hopes of containing the spread of virus.

PCR Units – a machine that determines the presence of an organism (in the case of the novel, a virus) through a series of polymerase chain reactions. A polymerase chain reaction replicates a specific strand of DNA over and over again until its presence can be identified.