Captain Tom Chandler and the crew of the USS Nathan James set out for the Arctic with two civilian virologists who claim to be studying birds.
Chandler and his crew head to the U.S. Military base at Guantanamo Bay in hopes of collecting food, medical supplies and fuel replenishments.
Days after a trying series of events at Gitmo, Chandler and his crew are put under extreme duress when the ship's propulsion system suffers a catastrophic event. With Dr. Scott in danger of losing all her research on the virus and a crew overworked, overtired and desperately low on drinking water, Chandler's leadership and ingenuity are put to the test.
With Rachel close to a breakthrough on her vaccine, she, Chandler and XO Slattery lead a small team into the jungles of Nicaragua on a mission to find monkeys for her vaccine trials.
After picking up a distress call near Jamaica, Chandler and a small team stage a rescue attempt. But a surprise attack leaves Chandler and Tex stranded at sea.