When vet Lorna Polk is called away from her research lab to a shipwrecked fishing trawler, she can't believe what she discovers. On board is a cargo of exotic animals, clearly part of a smuggling ring. Yet something is wrong with these beasts; they all have disturbing deformities: a featherless parrot, conjoined monkeys, a python with legs. They also share one trait - heightened intelligence.

To uncover the truth about the origin of this strange shipment and the potential terrorist threat it poses, Lorna teams up with Jack Menard - a man with whom she shares a dark past. Together, they must uncover a mystery that traces back to mankind's earliest roots. But can they stop what is about to be born upon the Altar of Eden...?