The US nuclear powered attack submarine Jimmy Carter was attacked by a mysterious underwater object that used powerful electromagnetic pulses to track and disable the Wolf class super submarine. The underwater Arctic research center Hubris witnessed the attack and reported that the temperature in the Arctic Trench is rapidly rising, potentially melting the ice sheet and flooding the world's land surface. At an emergency United Nations scientific conference, Dr. Ann Fletcher, Director of Hubris, was dismissed for urging caution, while her main competitor, Dr. Chomsky, pushed for a more proactive plan to address the crisis. When Chomsky's plan failed and he lost contact with the Hubris complex, Dr. Fletcher was invited by her ex husband, Navy Lieutenant Andy Raines, to participate in subsequent explorations, including Chomsky. Once reaching the Arctic, the exploration team discovered that the Hubris complex was intact, but its personnel had been burned. Dr. Fletcher has discovered an octopus that could change the fate of the world, while Dr. Chomsky has a secret that could end the fate of the world!