The movie begins with a team of astronauts on the International Space Station, led by Commander Robert Holland (Jake Gyllenhaal). The crew is tasked with retrieving a sample of a newly discovered microorganism from a spaceship that has just docked at the station. However, things take a dark turn when they realize that the microorganism is not just a simple life form, but a highly intelligent and deadly creature that can adapt and evolve at an alarming rate.