The world is coming to an end. Volcanos are erupting all over the world, severe storms are destroying cities, plagues of locusts are destroying crops, and wars are breaking out all over as people become increasingly, irrationally violet. At the Pentagon, General Norris has traced the epicenter of this activity to a massive volcanic eruption brewing in the Amazon, which will explode in a super volcanic eruption in 12 hours, ending all life on earth.. Fortunately, there's a U.S. Army base in the area, on a peacekeeping mission to prevent violence between the Brazilian government and the local rebels. Norris recruits three civilian scientists -- a vulcanologist, a meteorologist, and, inexplicably, a mycologist -- and sends them to the Brazilian base. The vulcanologist arrives on time, but the meteorologist and the mycologist are delayed. Unwilling to wait, the vulcanologist sets out to take samples from the volcano, escorted by a sergeant, a lieutenant, and a major who keeps quoting Revelations. They arrive at the epicenter, but the volcanic vent is hidden under a lake. The army guys note that there are a bunch of weird mushrooms growing along the lake -- if only they had a mycologist! The vulcanologist is satisfied that the eruption can be stopped by bombing the vent, but they need the exact coordinates of the vent, which they can't see under the waters of the lake. Still, if she can get an uplink to her company's satellite, she can image the area in infrared and locate the vent under the water. Alas, the electromagnetic effects of the volcanically induced storms are blocking her uplink. So, back to the base to establish a hardlink to the satellite. However, when they arrive back at the base, they discover that everyone is missing, presumably because the filmmakers couldn't afford that many extras, and the generator is destroyed. No uplink for you! Fortunately, there's a radio tower nearby, where they might be able to establish the uplink. Meanwhile, the late-arriving meteorologist and mycologist stop to take samples on their way to the base. Their car is then washed away in a flash flood and they're stranded on a mountaintop. Fortunately, the mycologist used to be a Boy Scout and sends up smoke signals, which are spotted by the vulcanologist and the Army guys, who happen to be about ten feet away and come rescue them. They are then attacked by a plague of locusts, but fortunately the mycologist happens to be carrying several environmentally friendly anti-locust bombs that kill locusts but cause no harm to other organisms. Even better, when they mention the mysterious mushrooms to him, he says that he also saw them and has taken samples, which he'll analyze as soon as he gets to a lab. On the drive over, each scientist expounds some scientific gibberish in their specialty. The major quotes Revelations.
The arrive at the radio tower. The major insists that they park some distance away and sneak up on the tower in case there are rebels. Ha! As if this movie could afford rebels! The tower is clear but, of course, the power is out. The vulcanologist sets up her satellite equipment, the mycologist sets up a lab in the closet and goes to work analyzing the mushrooms, and the meteorologist pretends there's actually a point to her being in this movie, while the major goes to repair the antenna, the lieutenant guards the door, and the sergeant sets a perimeter. After a few minutes, the sergeant comes back, stabs the lieutenant in the stomach, and runs off into the jungle. Meanwhile, an earthquake nearly knocks the major off the tower, trapping him in some debris. The volcanologist goes to investigate and rescues the major. In true Army fashion, the lieutenant fixes his stomach wound with a skin stapler and walks it off. The major fixes the antenna and the vulcanologist starts the uplink. Meanwhile, they report in to General Norris. The mycologist says that the mushrooms are releasing spores that are making people irrationally violent. The meteorologist says that the storms are spreading the spores throughout the globe. The vulcanologist gets the coordinates of the vent and relays them to the general, who orders an airstrike. Unfortunately, a selective lightning strike destroys the airstrike. The general calls in another airstrike, but the vulcanologist says it will take too long to get there. Another selective lightning strike destroys the radio tower and the heroes are on their own. Fortunately, there's an abandoned airbase a short walk from the radio tower, complete with a pair of helicopters and a whole bunch of ordinance. Our heroes can organize their own airstrike! If only they can get past the (entirely off-screen) rebels and overcome their own fungus-induced hallucinations.
