A team of scientists is investigating the depletion of ice shelves and searching for new Antarctic species. Team member Doug resurfaces from diving, prevailing against an unknown hostile being. Meanwhile, a giant octopus kills one team and hides near a diving hole. Although the team desires to seek revenge, a scientist named Ling insists on sparing the creature and taking it to the lab for observation. Later, when another scientist recovers the body of a fellow team member, most of the group believes the octopus is responsible for the array of recent deaths. However, Ling continues to insist the creature be kept alive and well. Later she covertly overhears a plot to locate the species to use its chemicals for medical application. Simultaneously the octopus escapes its confinement and kills two. Eventually, it comes to light that Ling was also searching for this species to use research data to "change what a human being can be" through gene editing. Ethical questions arise, prompting one scientist to argue about releasing the creature back into the environment. Later, the scientists observed a sequence of gene mutations created by the creature that would eventually lead to ocean life evolving to live on land, thus ending the human species.