The whole world looks so ordered as you gaze at the scene in front of you. Dozens of tiny vessels move busily through the water, each labelled with information about the type of ship, its registration details and its recent history. The projected image, which fills about half of the bridge floor, reminds you of a child’s train set. You think about the chaos you are potentially about to unleash on this world and sigh deeply.

You turn to the Lieutenant next to you and ask her to provide you with the latest information on the developing situation. She rapidly explains that a naval mine of an unknown type has been discovered, that it is moving slowly towards the shipping lanes your task force is charged with keeping secure, and that countermeasures assets have been dispatched to deal with the mine. You study the image, locking onto the mine, which is flashing to help you locate it. Following its trajectory, you can see it moving towards the most concentrated cluster of tiny ships sailing across the floor, all going about their business oblivious of the approaching threat.

You need to see the full picture, so you ask the Lieutenant to show you a view reflecting the other operational areas, not just the surface view. She steps forward and reaches down to the floor, seemingly taking hold of one corner of the projected image and lifting it to about chest height, like she’s opening a drawer from the ground upwards. The ships remain on the surface, which is now raised off the ground.

Beneath the surface is a slightly darker blue translucent area, representing the underwater environment. Additional objects appear in this new space. You can see the UUVs you have deployed in the area, including the one which is attempting to deal with the sea mine. Gliding just above the surface following the mine is a small UAV, keeping an eye on proceedings. Dotted around the 3D scape, you observe the various assets at your disposal, denoted by the miniature Union Jacks hovering above them. They consist of a number of small autonomous surface crafts, a few UUVs, your command ship and another minehunter.

“Can you zoom in on the mine please,” you ask the Lieutenant.

She steps into the 3D image, temporarily disrupting some of the imagery and moves her arms in a spreading gesture. The picture enlarges with the mine at its centre and the officer steps out of the picture, leaving you with a clear view of the mine. You can see that the UUV is currently latching onto the mine using its mechanical arms.

“Okay, flatten the picture and zoom out again.”

The officer performs a series of actions with her arms and transforms the image back into the surface view you were originally presented with.

“Right, we need to try and maintain an exclusion zone around this mine while it is being dealt with. Lieutenant, can you have our autonomous vessels create a perimeter around the mine.”

She nods, and walks over to the bridge’s console to retrieve a stylus. You watch as she uses the stylus to tap the mine on the projected image and then draw a rough circle around it. Once finished, she taps the stylus on the mine again, and the circle becomes perfect. The images of the small autonomous craft start to move into position around the circumference of the circle, which travels along keeping the mine at its centre.

“I’d better speak to the fleet commander,” you announce to your crew. “Can somebody get hold of Admiral Tarkin for me.”

While you wait to be patched through to the Admiral, you pull your collar away from your neck, giving you a bit more room to breath.

Admiral Tarkin, the American fleet commander, appears in front of you. He is a tall, imposing figure. You crane your neck slightly to look up at his face. Subtly, you reach your hands towards him and draw them together slightly, shrinking his hologram down to a less daunting size.

“I hear you guys have a bit of a problem,” he says matter-of-factly in his Louisiana drawl.

You explain the situation as succinctly as you can.

“Well, I guess you kinda have it under control. Just don’t let our little friend reach the shipping lanes.” His hologram flickers. “Let me know if you need anything.”

“I think we’re okay, thank you Admiral.”

He asks to be kept updated and then dismisses you to continue to manage the mission.

The mine is getting closer and closer to the shipping lanes. An estimate of the time it will take the mine to reach these vital and packed transport routes sits above the image of the mine like a countdown clock.

“Lieutenant, we need to stop that mine by hook or by crook. Place some of our unmanned craft in its path just in case.” You stare again at the countdown hanging above the mine. “Have the team dealing with it been informed of the need to stop it before it gets too close to the commercial shipping?”

The Lieutenant responds affirmatively, while drawing a line with her stylus between the mine and the shipping lanes - the line of last defence. At this point the unmanned craft will seek to sacrifice themselves to prevent the mine’s progress.

Suddenly, the mine jets forward, accelerating away from the attending UUV. The time on the countdown clock drops to mere seconds. You watch two of the unmanned craft move into the mine’s path and you start to mentally compose the report you are going to have to write explaining why millions of pounds of the Treasury’s money is lying in pieces on the seabed providing a home for barnacles.

Only a few seconds remain before the mine makes contacts with the first unmanned craft. You brace yourself, but then the flashing mine disappears from the image. The Lieutenant gestures to get your attention and tells you the mine was detonated by the UUV’s mine destruction weapon system.

“Patch me through to Admiral Tarkin,” you call. “I’ll let him know the good news.”