The alerts were clustered 20 nautical miles from shore. The sonar feed was pulsing irregularly, the data refreshing faster than usual. Her instincts kicked in. She grabbed the comms mic. “All hands—gear up. Possible submersion event near buoy 8-Gulf. I want the drone prepped and crane teams on standby. Move.”
Katherine didn’t waste time. She briefed her first officer and activated the ship’s alert status. Within minutes, the Solara was slicing through the morning fog, her engines humming steady. Katherine stood at the helm, one hand on the throttle, the other sketching mental contingency plans. Something about the readings felt off.