Archaeologist Laura Shepherd is working late one night when she finds her colleague Ron Smith dead clutching a mysterious crystal skull. With police unable to answer key questions about his death, Laura's boss orders her to investigate the mystery. The skull leads Laura to its eccentric previous owner, an old woman whose shock revelation blows Laura's orderly world apart. When a laser test on the skull etches out the cryptic code 1221201212212012 Laura's scientist husband thinks he has stumbled upon the next generation of computer technology. Wanting to know more, he visits the old woman only to find chilling evidence she was involved in Ron's death and now has designs on Laura. Yet when Laura narrowly avoids a fatal accident she is convinced it was the old lady's words that saved her - but returns only to find the old woman dead. With no other leads to go on, Laura sets out on a dangerous mission - to an ancient Mayan temple surrounded by armed guards - determined to unlock the skull's secret, whatever the cost.