The Dolphs are a new species - humans who have evolved to survive in the water. A mutiny will free them from their oppressors, but trap them on a planet with an uninhabitable sea - a vile substance that cannot be purified for survival. Their struggle to colonize the sea has only resulted in death.

When an attempted assassination on the Captain fails, his son, Michael, is captured and mutilated in his stead. The Captain launches a vicious crackdown against the terrorists, known as Terrans, who want the Dolphs to abandon their attempts to colonize the sea.

In the midst of this bloody civil war, Michael finds himself fighting against his own father in a battle that will determine the survival of his people.