The lava was rising. The ceiling was caving in. The aliens knew where they were. With two thousand lives at stake, Lieutenant Rondell Stephens has a crucial decision to make. Stay or move. With the alien's latest attack causing more damage to the interior of Site 78, clearing the caved in rock takes on new urgency as the lava flowing through the cave begins to rise. With two thousand civilians still in stasis, Rondell must find a place to house them all before it becomes impossible to leave. Knowing time is short, Rondell sends two teams out to explore potential alternate living locations, while leading a third team to an unexplored mountain fortress.

However, even if the sites are suitable, to revive, move, and house two thousand people it will require more time than they have. With relocation threatened by strange weather, enemy patrols, and alien ships, Rondell sees the move as impossible. It becomes a race against time, to get the survivors into their new homes. However, when it becomes a choice of how many can he save versus moving everyone, Rondell holds the God-like decision of life and death.