Alycia and her team are assembled at Modern Intelligence Analytics headquarters. Together with Costigan and Parker, they’re staring at a huge screen on one wall, where a video conference is starting up. To everyone’s mutual satisfaction, only Costigan is being captured on camera, and only his voice will be picked up by the directional microphone.
The call begins with two individuals: Admiral Hansen from the American Navy, and Admiral Gaunt from the Royal Australian Navy.
“Thanks for your information, Mr. Costigan,” Hansen says in opening. “The theft of a nuclear submarine is obviously a very serious matter, and I don’t think we would have made it this far into our investigation without you. But I can assure you, we’re equipped to pursue the matter now.”
Gaunt joins in. “We suspect there was a little bit of hijinks from someone close to your organization, Costigan. We’re overlooking it for the sake of the intel you’re giving us. Just give us a tip-off if you plan to send people onto RAN property, eh?”
Craig Costigan’s face remains impressively impassive. Alycia glares at John Black and Alex Shelby, both of whom can’t meet her gaze.
Instead, he pivots back to Hansen’s statement. “Admiral Hansen, I’m curious about something. Is your equipment to pursue this matter named Project Plato, by any chance?”
The American huffs. “You’re well informed, Costigan. Maybe you deserve a little intel of your own, or maybe I just want to make sure I know where you got this tidbit.”
Two more people join the video conference.
The first is a Korean woman. “May I present Ji-a Lee,” Hansen says. “A marine biologist formerly at KIOST. Held underwater by the Atlanteans for nearly twenty years. Developed a rapport with their Emperor - now in custody, at a very secure location. She’s the unofficial ambassador to Atlantis, soon to be official once things get stabilized.”
At the mention of her name, John breathes out. “Mother…”
Alycia glances sharply at him, but says nothing.
The second is an older man with a visible and well-tended beard. It’s Costigan’s turn to supply a name. “The superhero Nautilus.”
Hansen nods. “For security purposes now identified as Mr. Fisher.”
The Admiral goes on. “Project Plato is the name for the Navy’s new submarine super-carrier. We mean to build a fully functional underwater fleet, the equal of the surface fleet. We’re starting with the equivalent of an aircraft carrier. Dive deep, deploy weapons systems and smaller submersible vehicles, and project force anywhere in the underwater world. We’re sharing plans, prototypes, and other operational data with other states in the London Treaty. Anyone targeted by the Atlanteans qualifies.”
“Mr. Fisher is our technical consultant on Plato. Dr. Lee has been asked to act as a civilian consultant on the details of Atlantean technology and culture. But beyond that, we understand that a fragile peace is not served by escalation. Dr. Lee is also keeping an eye on us, as civilian oversight. She’s reporting to a Congressional subcommittee, but we’re making sure she’s in the loop as Plato progresses.”
Alycia takes a moment to educate her team on the dynamics she senses here. “Nautilus quit the HHL to become a weaponsmith for the Navy. The Navy’s using Dr. Lee to keep him in line. She can say no to him in ways the Navy can’t. Leverage over a hypergenius is a tricky thing.”
If Costigan catches any of the side chat, he doesn’t show it. Instead, he nods along, smiling only the barest amount to indicate his acknowledgement of what he’s hearing.
Nautilus - Mr. Fisher - speaks up. “Plato is going to change everything. Those squid bastards got us last time. This time - next time, rather - we’ll be on even footing with them. It won’t be so easy to get one over on us, oh no.”
Ji-a Lee speaks up. “At the same time, I feel that everyone on this call, and in the chain of command overseeing Plato, understands the need for peace. I think - I hope - everyone’s fervent wish is that it never need to be used.”
Admiral Gaunt nods. “Agreed, Doctor. The RAN intends to move forward with construction of undersea vessels using the new specs. But we’re not interested in starting a war.”
Fisher’s face radiates disgust, but he doesn’t correct anyone.
Costigan continues his earlier thought. “Admiral Hansen, based on your statement, I assume Plato is far enough along that it’ll be sailing sooner than later.”
Hansen grins. “Can’t get a thing past you. Well, that’s true. Sooner, but not today. Once she’s in the water, that rogue sub will be just a matter of time.”
His face grows serious. “It’s until then that we still need you. You see, Plato got pushed through after some recent activity. Atlantean-type EMP weapons, being used by definitely human non-state actors and possibly by rogue nations, or elements within them.”
Ji-a Lee provides some context. “The Emperor of Atlantis surrendered himself to obtain peace for his people, after the invasion. But he also gave amnesty to the Blood and True Atlanteans who’d been planning to use the invasion of the surface as an opportunity for a coup, to overthrow him. They went into exile. None of my sources know where, though.”
Hansen follows through. “This faction, who we’re dubbing ‘the Mu’, may have a pipeline to surface terrorists, and may be funneling Atlantean weapons and tech to them. No super-submarine is going to stop that kind of pipeline on the surface, and it’ll take time for us to locate their base. Costigan, anything you can do to help us identify and stop this activity would be a great help.”
Alycia privately admits she’ll grant Costigan one point here. At the mention of this kind of mission, any ordinary man would have let his eyes flicker unconsciously over to his five agents, standing feet away. He does no such thing. Even when these men know he’s got some kind of team of operatives, he refuses to give them away, and yet refuses to shut them out of the call he’s on. It would have been easy to give into the collegial atmosphere, for him to share her team’s presence. Even to his allies, he’s shielding her and her people, while still giving them as much information as he has himself.
“I’ll make some calls, see what I can turn up,” he says blandly.
Hansen snorts, and Gaunt smirks, but they leave it at that.
With the call over, John collapses into a chair.
Alycia turns to him. “You said ‘mother’. Doctor Ji-a Lee? What little I know about her comes from Summer. Do you know something worth sharing?”
The robot shakes his head. “No, I… it’s just, you know, I wish…”
He looks up, at his friends and teammates. “I wish I could have said hello to her.”
Nono and Alex both wince in recognition of that longing. Emma rolls her eyes and looks away, but can’t bring herself to say anything mocking.
Alycia shows no particular emotion - outwardly. But she does struggle for words. “John… you may be called on to interact with her. Decide soon how you intend to do that, should it come to that. But remember that we have a mission, and don’t let her distract you. Everyone on this team has a complicated relationship with family–”
She’s cut off by Parker’s callout. “Ms. Chin, your call is coming on.”
Alycia straightens up and moves to the camera.
On the screen, the face of INTERPOL Inspector Lee Yan appears.
“Inspector, thank you for responding,” Alycia says.
The detective grins. “Alycia. Good to see you again. I think I can guess what you wanted to talk to me about.”
Alycia tilts her head. She’s not used to being outguessed. She’s had only one or two meaningful interactions with this woman, and is now both curious and competitive. “Go ahead, then. Guess.”
Lee Yan nods. “Well, your mercenaries - these ‘Grasscutters’ - were former soldiers of Pyrrhus, right? It stands to reason that whatever black ops ya-ya they’ve been trained with was Pyrrhus-flavored, and hence inherited some operational DNA from Doctor Achilles Chin. Lacking the good doctor’s hypergenius, it’ll be a bit flat, uninspired, less a spider’s web and more of a coarse fishing net, but you hope to track down the Grasscutters by looking for traces of Chin-type activity. Is that about the size of it?”
Alycia is legitimately impressed, but refuses to show it. “I’m glad I don’t have to brief you on my plan,” she says with an arched eyebrow.
Lee Yan grins big, showing off a set of coffee-stained teeth. “Ha! Well, I didn’t think you’d willingly call me for any reason other than my expertise on Chin either, so it wasn’t such a grand deduction as all that.”
“I am not in the habit of making social calls to INTERPOL agents, no,” Alycia remarks dryly.
“I expect not.” Lee Yan shrugs. “I’ve taken the liberty of reactivating some of our old Chin-telligence dragnets, and I’ll inform you of any developments. In the meantime, I’ve nothing specific to report, so I’ll leave you to your other affairs.”
Alycia smiles in something approaching genuine gratitude. “Thank you, Inspector.”
The video call goes dark. Alycia returns her attention to her team.
“Alright. That’s the mission. The Grasscutters are on the back burner for right now. We’re looking for people buying weapons from the Mu faction of Atlanteans. We’re going to build a profile of known incidents, probable buyers, and likely targets. As new data comes in, we’ll refine our model. Agent R, you’ll be mentoring Comrade X. Firebrand, you’ll likewise be mentoring SNOWMAN. If anyone is unhappy with these arrangements, I’ll remind you that I made them while at my most merciful point, and any rearrangement will be much less so.”
The team splits up, with little grumbling but much turmoil.
