Disclaimer: I own the Sea Patrol-ness, but not the Sea Patrol itself… yeah, work that one out!

Vantage Point

Chapter Thirty-Seven;
Testing The Waters

"Robert, Scruffy's sick."

RO frowned up from the computer. "Yes, and?" He looked up at the Nav. "Sorry…" he responded to her frown then turned back to the computer. "Yes, and? Ma'am."

"So, you're needed on the bridge, back on R.O duty."

RO stopped typing. "Ma'am, I have a truckload of paperwork here to do myself without taking on Scruffy's stuff too. Can't someone else do it?"

Nav frowned. "Alright Robert, just, don't blame me when you have to work with her." Robert looked up. "The only other person capable of doing this job is Danni. If you don't have a problem with it, I'll ask her to take up the assistant CIS position."

RO shrugged. "Not a problem." He looked back to his work. Nav made a noise that sounded like 'mhm' then left. Robert frowned after her. Not a problem indeed.

***

"Scruffy, I need the report about t…" RO looked up, realising he wasn't looking at the short, dark-haired figure of Scruffy Murphy. Before him sat his tall, slender, blonder and more scowling wife. Kasey gave him a cold look but Robert continued. "I need the Avalanche file, I can't find it."

"Over there." Kasey motioned lazily over her shoulder towards where the other files were kept.

Robert sighed. "The Avalanche file is supposed to stay with the others down in the CommCen." He wasn't really too bothered about where the file was kept, but right now the fact that Kasey had moved it was what was bugging him most and he couldn't put his finger on exactly why that was.

"Well I'm sorry sir," she pushed the boundaries with 'sir', making it sound like an insult. "But I was using it and decided to leave it up here for future reference." She took on an even colder tone. "I didn't want to disturb you while you were busy down there." She gave a tight, glaring smile.

RO frowned at her. "Leading Seaman Dixon, CommCen, five minutes." He turned and stalked away. Handing the headphones over to Seagull with a look, Kasey followed. When she reached the CommCen he shut the door behind her.

"What were you doing up there?"

"My job." Kasey replied with her usual cold tone.

Robert frowned. "You embarrassed both of us. Made me look like an idiot."

"And that's what I do best isn't it Robert? Make you look like an idiot. Maybe if I'm so damn embarrassing we should just cut ties altogether."

RO smacked his hand down on the door behind her, mere millimetres from her face, as he spoke. "I am your senior on board and you knew that when you took up the position of assistant CIS. Don't think you can get away with talking back just because we're married."

Kasey's nose crinkled up in disgust. "I wouldn't even imagine it." They stayed silent for a second, RO's glare boring into her but she didn't flinch.

Eventually he pulled away, a glimmer of hurt in his expression, but it was gone as soon as it came. "Get back to work." He didn't look at her at all as she yanked open the door.

"Yes sir." She slipped out, slamming the door behind her as she left. Then, with a deep ragged breath, she rushed back up to the bridge.

***

"We're voting against it?"

Kingsley nodded, his eyes drawn to a file in his hand, ignoring the looks from Finch which now bordered somewhere between shock and confusion. "Yes, we are."

"Why?" Finch couldn't understand why they would be against this move by the standing government. From what he'd heard, everything that was coming from the States would be a godsend. "We need their help. They're bringing water, water we desperately need."

Kingsley nodded. "Apparently enough to, if used sparingly for just agriculture and drinking, last us a year." Finch gaped. A year's worth of water just might hold them out of this mess long enough to attempt a recovery. "Not just that," Kingsley continued, "they've almost perfected the art of cloud seeding too and are bringing it over to test out in our atmosphere."

"This is great." Finch couldn't believe what he was being told. None of this gave him reason to vote against Argyle's proposal. "Why the hell are we against it?"

"Because of this." Kingsley slapped a piece of paper down on the desk in front of Finch and the older man gave it a blank look.

"What, bleached coral?" Kingsley nodded. "What do we care about a part of the Barrier Reef that died through global warming?"

"Because, answer me this my friend, what is the one thing that America doesn't have? They have floods so they've got plenty of water. The floods help them grow more rice than they know what to do with – the same way the Chinese used to plant rice along the Yangtze so that when the banks broke the rice paddy fields would be flooded, killing the weeds and leaving the rice crops rich and strong." Kingsley paused. "So, what's the missing ingredient?"

"If you mean oil then…" Kingsley slapped the table like Finch had finally got it. "That makes no sense because we don't have any oil either. Why would they come here for it?"

Kingsley tapped the picture. "Enter our friend bleached coral. Grind it up, mix it with certain chemicals and refine it then voila, ethanol."

"Ethanol as in…"

Kingsley nodded. "Ethanol as in clean fuel. Enough power to run a small electricity grid, enough to run a few refining plants, enough to give America a chance to rebuild."

"So Argyle knows this?"

"Where did you think I got the info from? My spy on the inside of the PM's office." Kingsley gave a sly grin at the mention of his man on the inside. He'd worked hard to get a mole into the PM's room and wasn't about to give any more details away about him lest he be found. Even Finch didn't know his identity. "Argyle knows all right, and he knows the Americans do too. He wants to trade with them." Finch frowned. "Problem is, how many Americans do you know that trade?"

"About two."

"Yeah, same. Worse than that though, they're sending the one man best known for ending every trade agreement with a bullet between someone's eyes." Out from the folder came another sheet, this one of a man Finch recognized. "Know him?"

"Captain James Hornet. Hornet by name and Hornet by nature. The man is a human wrecking ball. Believed to be behind the 'trade agreement' death of the Cuban President two years ago as well the disappearance of the Venezuelan PM in 2009."

"Exactly. They call him 'The Cleaner'. Got a problem, he'll come in and clean it up." Kingsley shook his head. "Argyle has opened the door and invited a madman in." Finch shook his head slowly. He should've guessed it would come to this. Why did things never just work out properly these days? "Argyle isn't starting a peaceful negotiation Finch, he's paved the way for a war, and if we start fighting against America, who do you think will win?"

That answer was obvious. "Anyone but us."

The Price We Paid: Vantage Point returns in 2010