▁Lieutenant ▁Al ish a ▁Grand erson ▁during ▁her ▁promotion ▁ceremony . ▁ ▁By ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁Ch and ler ▁held ▁the ▁rank ▁of ▁Commander ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Navy ▁and ▁was ▁the ▁Captain ▁of ▁the ▁Ar le igh ▁Bur ke - class ▁gu ided ▁miss ile ▁destroy er ▁USS ▁Nathan ▁James ▁( DD G - 1 5 1 ). ▁ ▁That ▁year , ▁he ▁and ▁his ▁crew ▁took ▁on ▁pale om icro bi olog ists ▁Dr . ▁Rach el ▁Scott ▁( R h ona ▁Mit ra ) ▁and ▁Dr . ▁Qu in cy ▁T oph et ▁( Sam ▁Spr u ell ) ▁as ▁the ▁Nathan ▁James ▁conducted ▁operations ▁at ▁the ▁Ar ctic . ▁ ▁However , ▁their ▁mission , ▁unknown ▁to ▁even ▁them , ▁was ▁just ▁a ▁cover ▁for ▁D rs . ▁Scott ▁and ▁T oph et , ▁who ▁were ▁actually ▁collect ing ▁samples ▁of ▁a ▁dead ly ▁virus ▁that ▁has ▁inf ected ▁ 8 0 ▁percent ▁of ▁the ▁human ▁population ▁while ▁they ▁have ▁been ▁at ▁sea . ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁season ▁revol ves ▁around ▁finding ▁and ▁creating ▁a ▁c ure ▁for ▁the ▁virus ▁( called ▁the ▁Red ▁Fl u ▁by ▁those ▁on ▁land ) ▁while ▁stay ing ▁ahead ▁of ▁the ▁R FS ▁V y erni , ▁a ▁Russian ▁Navy ▁K iro v - class ▁battle c ru iser ▁commanded ▁by ▁Admir al ▁Konst antin ▁Rus kov , ▁who ▁were ▁looking ▁for ▁the ▁c ure ▁for ▁themselves ▁so ▁they ▁could ▁become ▁the ▁new ▁" own ers " ▁of ▁the ▁world