Commander John Morrison is the most successful submarine commander in history. He commands the most important, and most secret asset, in the WWII US Navy, the USS San Francisco, SSN-711. Under his command, the San Francisco destroyed the Nazi scourge in the North Atlantic. His new mission: find a way to the Pacific to spearhead the Allies response to the Japanese submarine sub launched missile attacks on the US west coast. The problem: those missiles destroyed the Panama Canal. Nimitz needs him in theatre yesterday. He must do what no one has done before, make a winter transit under the Arctic ice. Only his nuclear submarine can do the job. But success always comes with a price.