Virus

In 1982, a shady deal takes place between East German scientist Dr. Krause and a group of Americans over the dangerous substance MM88. MM88 is a deadly virus created accidentally by an American geneticist that amplifies the potency of other pathogens. The Americans recover the virus sample, which had been stolen from a US lab the year before.

After the deal, MM88 is transported toward the United States, raising fears about containment. The virus’s dangerous properties suggest it could magnify other infections it contacts. The possession of MM88 sets in motion a chain of events that will lead to a global disaster.

The virus is carried on a plane that crashes, releasing MM88 into the world. The release triggers a full-blown pandemic later known as the Italian Flu. The outbreak unfolds rapidly, catching scientists and governments off guard.

Within seven months, virtually all of humanity is affected by the pandemic. The virus proves lethal to most, but temperatures below -10 degrees Celsius render it inactive, sparing the 855 men and eight women stationed in Antarctica. This unlikely survival would shape the future of humanity.

The British submarine HMS Nereid joins scientists after sinking a Soviet submarine whose infected crew tries to land near Palmer Station. The ship provides protection and support as the scientists confront the spread of MM88. A tenuous alliance forms in the harsh Antarctic environment.

Several years pass as the survivors begin to repopulate their Antarctic base. An earthquake activates the Automated Reaction System (ARS), a doomsday device designed to launch nuclear arsenals. The threat of a tit-for-tat escalation becomes the new focus for the survivors.

The Soviets possess a parallel ARS capable of firing their weapons, including at Palmer Station. The potential for a nuclear strike against the Antarctic outpost raises the stakes for both sides. The world hangs in the balance as scientists and soldiers wrestle with the new danger.

All women and children, plus several hundred men, are evacuated to safety aboard an icebreaker. Yoshizumi and Major Carter board the Nereid to shut down ARS, shielded by an experimental MM88 vaccine. The mission moves from the Antarctic to a critical confrontation with the global doomsday device.

The submarine arrives in Washington, D.C., and Yoshizumi and Carter rush to the ARS command bunker to disable the machine. They reach the chamber but arrive too late to prevent activation, setting the stage for the climactic catastrophe.

Carter dies in the rubble of the earthquake within the bunker, while Yoshizumi communicates with the Nereid. He notes that the MM88 vaccine may have begun to work, offering a glimmer of hope for future protection. The survivors must reckon with loss and the fragile promise of containment.

Washington is struck by a cascade of nuclear explosions as the ARS mishap triggers a global bombardment. The film shifts toward an apocalyptic tableau, underscoring the high stakes of unchecked MAD (mutual assured destruction).

In the American cut, the screen goes black briefly and the credits roll over footage of the Antarctic landscape and a lone woman's song that repeats the refrain 'It’s not too late...'. The moment offers a melancholic sense of hope rather than closure. The story leaves the fate of humanity hanging in the balance.

In the Japanese version, Yoshizumi survives the blast and returns to Tierra del Fuego in 1988. He reunites with the woman he loves and proclaims 'Life is wonderful,' offering a pallid but hopeful coda to the story. The ending construes a possible future where life endures despite catastrophe.