A Modern Nemo 9

The video conference was underway. Eric was seated before a large computer screen. On the screen different windows were opened and he could see Christopher Lau, Makoto Ishida and Kojiro Miyata. At Eric's left was Leon; at his right, Maximilian. Behind him were Linus and Cyrus.

"Increase the security complement on my ships?" asked Chris. "I don't think we need to do that, Eric. I may not like Konstantiniadis but I don't see any reason why my ships should beef up their security teams. They're well-prepared for possible pirate attacks and the waters of Southeast Asia and China, Korea, Taiwan and Japan are under control, thanks to Operation Marmara."

Operation Marmara was an ongoing joint effort to protect the South China Sea as well as the western Pacific from piracy. Its main participants were the navies of the EOGC, Australia, New Zealand, China, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. It was named Marmara after the sea on the southern side of the Bosphorus, the narrow strait connecting the Aegean to the Black Sea. 

"It's not pirates I'm worried about, Chris," said Eric, "It's Konstantiniadis."

"He's not a pirate, Eric."

"No, not a pirate," repeated Eric. "But something else."

"Something else?"

Beginning with Leon, everyone looked at Eric more intently.

Eric put his hands together, brooding.

"I am also feeling uneasy about this man," Makoto noted. He was the president of Tensai Technologies, a member company of the EOGC. "He's buying too many ships. It doesn't make sense that a shipping tycoon would buy too many ships."

"Ordinarily, more ships in a fleet would give his competitors a run for their money," stated Maximilian. "But contracts for the building of large ships in the tens from Japan, China and South Korea is alarming."

"We're talking about ships the size of tankers and freighters," added Cyrus. "In China alone, Konstantiniadis has signed a contract to build forty of them."

"Who of you has read Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea?" Eric asked.

"I have," replied Kojiro. He was Tensai's vice-president.

"Captain Nemo."

Kojiro started. "No," he gasped, "it can't be!"

"Only it gets more interesting as you read Konstantiniadis' book," Eric continued.

"Chris," Kojiro concluded. "We are looking at something dangerous about to unfold."

"I'll start making preparations," said Leon.

"Do we inform the other Marmara participants?" asked Linus.

"Not yet," replied Eric. "They won't believe it until they see something major."

"I've never read that book," remarked Chris.

"I'll send you a copy," said Eric. "Meeting adjourned."