Off the coast of Key West, Florida, scientists have brought to realization a dream that has thwarted mankind for centuries; the ability to walk on the bottom of the world’s oceans and explore this alien landscape. Less than one percent of the world’s oceans have been explored and those that have been are only at depths within range of submarines and deep submersibles. The secrets and mysteries that can be solved by “Archimedes” are unlimited, especially within the scientific and corporate communities.
Our hero scientist, Nick Telso has devoted his life to this invention. When the underwater experiment of the small prototype off the coast of Florida has proven successful, they have been informed by a government bureaucrat that the funds for the project have been cancelled. The scientists have been reassigned to work on the new “Mars Project” and are flown to Houston. Meanwhile, Nick has been informed that his younger brother, Milo, a student at MIT, has been hospitalized and is in critical condition in Boston.
With his brother dying in the intensive care unit due to an overdose, an unexpected visit by a robot named “Hallie” occurs. Hallie saves Milo’s life, but only on the condition that Nick follows Hallie to an awaiting drone. The drone takes them to the secret underground headquarters of Ming. Ming is the person who invented Hallie. Ming operates a secret robotic empire that is worldwide in its scope. Ming’s desire is to kidnap the scientists and have them fully develop “Archimedes.” She wants to further her vision to secretly explore the bottom of the oceans and reap the treasures that await there.
In Houston, the scientists who developed the “Archimedes Project” arrive, and while waiting to disembark the airplane are hijacked by Hallie and Ming. The resulting escape results in an adrenaline flowing “cat and mouse” chase by a Navy fighter jet. After escaping the jet fighter the plane lands on a secret runway located in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. This secret underground location is only one of many that Ming has scattered across the planet.
Ming hopes to have the scientists volunteer their services but when she realizes that may not be the case, she threatens their families with murder if they refuse to undertake this underwater expedition. A quick tour of Ming’s high tech laboratory grotto with its robotic scientists quickly convinces the scientists that Ming is not only a genius but one to be feared. Hallie acts as Ming’s sidekick and liaison with the scientists.
The government has finally tracked down Ming’s secret Yucatan headquarters and sends in a team of Navy Seals to rescue the scientists. In the meantime, Ming shows the scientists their new futuristic submarine “The Triton.” Hallie takes the scientists on a test ride in the Caribbean. They venture to the Chicxulub Crater where the asteroid that destroyed the dinosaurs is located. After an excursion to the crater to test “Archimedes” the scientists barely make it back alive. Nick narrowly saves a scientist from drowning when the water displaced by Archimedes malfunctions.
When the Triton’s returns to Ming’s underwater headquarters, the team of Navy Seals has arrived. To make sure no clues of her secret underground laboratory survive, Ming blows up the laboratory. The “Triton” and the other robots escape and embark on their expedition to explore the oceans of the world.