Down there, the dark and dangerous depths guard a source of immense wealth - vast quantities of minerals. Minerals in ever shorter supply in our industrial world. The nation locating and gaining control of their extraction and supply will reap enormous profits - and global power. Rob and Kerry Adams with Andy Weston established their company, System Technologies Inc., as a leader in the development of equipment to detect, collect and analyse samples of the minerals. International competition is fierce and the company is searching for additional expertise to meet the demand for their services. The research vessel Isabella is surveying the Pacific Ocean depths off the coast of Ecuador. Samples are collected by a remotely operated submersible fitted with STI's equipment and piloted by a team aboard the Isabella. Progress is halted when all contact with the submersible is lost. Recovery action reveals only the submersible's launch cradle and a severed umbilical cable. Initial investigation reveals little to account for the damaged cable, or the missing submersible which has quite simply vanished. The people involved are in a financial, political and personal blame game - until an unknown, unsolicited and unidentified sponsor, with apparently limitless funds and political influence, makes STI an offer which is beyond their wildest dreams and, totally irresistible - If they wish to survive