On a deserted Russian Arctic island, two men work diligently at a small meteorological station. Their task is to take regular readings from their partly radioactive surroundings and relay this crucial data on to headquarters via radio - their only bridge to the outside world. For a seasoned pro like Sergei, a gruff man in his fifties, this job has become routine. During the years he has spent in extreme isolation, he has learned to take this task very seriously. His new work partner is the fresh-faced Pavel, a bright-eyed college graduate assigned to spend the summer at the station. The two men have little in common, with Pavel sticking to the company of his MP3 and video games to avoid the bullish, vaguely threatening presence of Sergei. The balance tips one day when Sergei leaves his post to go fishing for trout in a nearby lagoon. He has entrusted Pavel to do the readings and radio them through to headquarters as required. Inexperienced Pavel misses the appointed reading time and falsifies the logs to cover it up. Worse yet, there is terrible news for Sergei from HQ. Intimidated and uneasy, Pavel keeps quiet, unable to bring himself to share the distressing news with Sergei. When the truth finally emerges, its inevitable consequences play out against a desolate backdrop of thick fog, sharp rocks, crashing waves, and the Arctic Sea.
