The story starts when Dr. Vittoria and Fr. Silvano, and the Nuclear Research initiates the Large Hadron Collider and captures 3 antimatter in a special vial, without this vial if the anti-matter made contact or exposed with the matter this would likely explode like the "Big Bang theory" and one anti-matter can power up a whole city for many days. After the successful experiment Fr. Silvano was killed and one of the antimatter had been taken. This is the time when the Pope died. And the Cardinal conclave needs to select the next Pope. But the four candidates as Pope were kidnapped by the old enemy of the Church which is the "Illuminati". Robert Langdon was summoned by the Vatican to help encrypt some messages within the Illuminati and to know where would be the 4 cardinals had been taken. Every hour starting at 8pm one cardinal would die and at 12mn that vial with antimatter would explode as the battery already worn down. Vittoria demanded Commander Richter to bring Fr. Silvano diaries which hoping may contain who might be the person he had discussed it with. Langdon also asked access to the Vatican Secret Archives that contains the original copy of Galileo Galilee’s book that help them to know what the "Path of Illumination" was and may contain the location of the altars of science which is the "Earth, air, fire, water". But the Pope was already dead and no one can give him accessed to it the Commander told him. But Langdon told them that camerlengo (a papal court official) can give him accessed to it. Langdon also told them that in the past the Church killed four Illuminati in public. He thought that the Illuminati will do the same thing with the 4 cardinals and they'll be killed in public and in the four altars of science. Only one cardinal was saved. And the cardinal told Langdon where the Illuminati's Lair. Within the Lair there is a secret passage towards the Vatican. They've thought that camerlengo would be the final victim and told some Swiss Guard when they already entered the Vatican premises. They've found him in the office branded with the Vatican's symbol at the chest and pointed to Commander Richter and the Guard killed him. One of the Bishop run towards Camerlengo and shouted "Traitor!" and he too was killed when camerlengo shouted "he's an illuminati". Before dying Commander Richter gave Langdon the key of his office. They've (Langdon, Vittoria, camerlengo, and the Swiss Guard) searched for the vial within the Church. They've located the vial and Vittoria tried to extend the life of the battery but the temperature below is much colder and it made the battery's life much faster to decrease and it only have few minutes before it explode. The camerlengo got the vial and run towards the helicopter to fly above the Vatican. Before it exploded he activates the autopilot and escaped using a parachute. He was considered as a hero with what he had done and one of the Swiss Guard told the conclave about it. The conclave even thought of him as the best candidate to be a new Pope. But before that happens Langdon and Vittoria went to Commander Richter office to get the diaries he have taken away from Vittoria and they saw a LCD screen with a key on it and uses the key Commander Richter given to Langdon and saw the video on what really happen between the encounter of Commander Richter and camerlengo. Camerlengo planned the whole thing, even the murder of the Pope. Langdon shows it to the Cardinal. In the clinic, one of the Swiss Guard called camerlengo and told him that he has been summoned in the conclave. So he went there head's high and proud. But when he was arrived in the conclave he looked at how they've looking at him. Swiss Guards are walking towards him and he realized they've already know what he have done. He immediately walked away before he was captured he poured himself one of the 99 holy lamps and burned himself. At the end, the Cardinal who survived became the Pope and gives Langdon the banned book of Galileo's Galilee.