Two brothers, one woman, one submarine. Loughton Stairs joins the Navy to see the world. Lisa, the girlfriend he leaves behind, eventually winds up with his brother Demain, a gourmet cook more interested in family than adventure. Loughton feels betrayed and breaks off relations with them. A change in fortunes leads Demain into uniform and to assignment aboard the same boat as Loughton, who's still got Lisa on his mind. Their ups and downs, which include some California swinging and true acts of brotherly love, are played out against the backdrop of a fast attack submarine commissioned at the height of Reagan's renewed Cold War with the Soviet Union. The boat sees service in the Grenada campaign before making a long tour around the Pacific Rim, where its mission is to find the elusive "Red Whale".