When Grum Hewson is offered a job running the world's first antimatter production facility, he leaves the safety of academic research for the harsh world of industry. His main task is to increase the yield, making power generation possible. Only two problems. One: it's not possible. Two: his boss doesn't believe him. He will have to learn this new game fast, or he could find himself out on his ear. Directed Energy is the first in the Leaving Earth series, hard sci-fi which takes an occasionally humorous view of the near future... Where we mess up. Naturally.