One day Amber was refused entrance to the library, because there were already too many people in the building under COVID19 social distancing protocols. Amber was disappointed to have to do her homework in her dorm room with her noisy roommate. But when she talked to her friend Laura who works in the library, she found out that library staff are relieved to be informed by the people counter system when maximum building occupancy is reached, so they can temporarily close the doors, rather than having to confront patrons about leaving.

When Amber found out that in fall semester, the library would close at 2:00 AM and open at 7:00 AM instead of staying open 24 hours, she was disappointed. She attended a student government meeting, where a library representative told her that their people counters showed almost no people entering the building between 2:00 AM and 7:00 AM. Therefore, the college would not allow the library to hire staff to work the 2:00 AM to 7:00 AM shift.

The people counter cameras don't normally record video, they just log an entrance or exit each time a person passes beneath them. However, one day a hacker got access to the cameras, so was able to watch and record the live video feed. The hacker watched and re-watched recordings of Amber and Laura entering and leaving the library building.