𝐒𝐓𝐘𝐋𝐄 || 𝐉𝐉 𝐌𝐀𝐘𝐁𝐀𝐍𝐊

𝐒𝐈𝐗𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍

THE DOCK creaked softly under their weight as the Pogues sat around, the late afternoon sun glinting off the water. Pope had set up the ROV on an old wooden table, a tangle of wires and controls spread out in front of him. Avery sat cross-legged on the edge of the dock, her hair catching the sunlight as she twirled a strand absently. JJ leaned against one of the posts, his hands in his pockets, while Kie and John B stood nearby, watching Pope work.

JJ leaned closer, peering at the ROV like it might suddenly come to life. "What's this?"

"Don't touch that," Pope said sharply, slapping JJ's hand away before he could poke one of the exposed wires. "I'm trying to work out this thing."

JJ backed off with a smirk. "God bless geeks, Pope. Truly, man. What would we do without you to control the drones?"

"It's not a drone," Pope said flatly, adjusting a dial on the controller. "It's an ROV."

JJ's grin widened. "Shut up. Shut up."

Avery raised an eyebrow, leaning forward slightly. "Okay, Pope, I gotta ask—what's the difference? Drone, ROV—aren't they basically the same thing?"

Pope groaned, sitting back and waving a hand at the machine. "No, Avery. A drone is autonomous. An ROV is remotely operated. It's like comparing a self-driving car to one you have to drive."

JJ snorted. "Still sounds like a fancy underwater toy to me."

Avery smiled, shaking her head. "Well, whatever it is, I'm just glad we've got you to figure it out. I'd probably end up frying the thing."

"Yeah, no kidding," Pope muttered, his focus back on the monitor.

JJ leaned closer again, this time careful not to touch anything. "So what's the plan, Mr. Genius?"

Pope sighed. "Once we get footage of the wreck, we'll take it to a lawyer in town and file a formal claim."

Kie crossed her arms, frowning. "That's bullshit. Why do we have to do that?"

"Well," Pope said, adjusting another control, "there's maritime salvage law. You can't just go to the ocean floor and scoop up a bunch of stuff. It doesn't work like that."

John B nodded slowly, his expression thoughtful. "I know, I know. It's just... lawyers aren't cheap, bro."

"As soon as they see the footage, they'll work for a comp," JJ chimed in confidently.

Pope glanced up, narrowing his eyes. "How do you know all of that?"

JJ shrugged, a smirk tugging at his lips. "'Cause my dad said it, like, a million times."

Kie rolled her eyes but softened slightly. "Yeah, that's fair."

Avery tilted her head, watching the ROV with interest. "How long is this tether, anyway?"

Pope looked up, gesturing to the coil of cable next to him. "It's really long. But in the wrong weather, it could get pushed around and screw up the footage."

John B leaned against a post, squinting at the horizon. "Then we'll go at dead calm."

A low rumble of thunder rolled through the air, making everyone glance toward the darkening clouds in the distance.

"At slack tide?" Avery asked, her voice thoughtful.

"Exactly," JJ said, pushing off from the post and stretching. "So now we just gotta wait around for the right weather."

John B sighed, nodding toward the horizon. "And today is not that day."

The group fell silent for a moment, the gentle lapping of water against the dock filling the space. Avery leaned back on her hands, looking out at the marsh. "You know, we might actually pull this off," she said softly, a hint of optimism in her voice.