A contractor sub-surface mining skiff is delivering deep sea minerals collected by its drones to the moonpools of a giant Chinese-owned GlobeCorpMining Harvester ship stationed in the Pacific Ocean. The artificial intelligence or AI operating the skiff and its drones is monitored by a small young crew. Onboard, one of them with family connections to mining in 'the Area' is coerced into acquiring a revolutionary AI technology being developed by another crew member. It becomes apparent that Xed Ocean Academy crew monitoring and communications security has been compromised. Another mining skiff has also disappeared off 'the Area' grid. As the situation becomes ever more desperate no one seems to know who is behind all the deception and why. Somehow the Sea Hunters who patrol 'the Area' and GlobeCorpMining are also involved. Against the odds, and with the Sea Hunters in pursuit the young crew must learn to work together and overcome betrayal.