In the summer of 1976, Navy Lt. Peter Levindusky resigned his commission and went to seek his future.  Born in Montana, he had somehow always been drawn to the sea.  After graduating college while the nation was in the middle of a controversial war in Southeast Asia, Pete decided that he had dues to pay and enlisted.  Now the debt was settled and he could move on to his real passion - studying fish behaviour.

Pete managed to get accepted to graduate school at a small Florida university that was apparently desperate for students.  Everything looked good that summer.  The GI bill would pay some of his expenses and the job he had landed as captain of the schools research ship would take care of the rest.

Pete was looking forward to a nice quiet six or seven years of fishing, diving, and sailing.  Then all hell broke loose.  His faculty advisor had a secret.  Sarah Roth, Pete's chemistry professor was very easy on the eyes but was also his advisor's daughter.  She had enough hints about her father's secret that she was curious but wasn't able to learn anything until she enlisted Pete's unwilling assistance.

The more they learned, the more dangerous things became.  Smugglers and spies can have that effect.