“Gentlemen,” Jodi began, her voice carrying across the Joint Operations Center, “welcome to the future of naval warfare. I am proud to report that as of today, we have completed the final delivery and deployment of all manned and unmanned underwater vehicles, naval surface vessels, counterdrone systems, loitering munitions, short-, medium-, and long-range cruise missiles, and last but not least, short- and long-range surface-to-air missile defense systems. If you are ready, I can provide our final update and answer any lingering questions you might have before we hand the system over to you and your forces.”
The Joint Operation Center sat three stories beneath the Ministry of National Defense at the base of the Yangmingshan Mountain range in the Shilin District of Taipei. The JOC hummed with barely contained energy as the leaders of Taiwan’s military met for what might be the final time with all of them present in the same room. At the end of the meeting, the leadership of the country would begin to disperse to different command posts, on the off chance that one or more of them became the subject of a PLA attack.
Present in the room and leading the discussion for the military was Admiral Han Ji-cheng, the Commander of the Navy, and the man who had led Taiwan’s efforts to integrate unmanned and autonomous vehicles into naval strategy. His counterpart, Lieutenant General Wu Jian-tai, the Commandant of the Marine Corps, had also been instrumental in preparing the Marines to counter the anticipated landings for which they knew the PLA Army and Marines had been training vigorously for years. President Ma Ching-te, along with the Air Force Commander, General Tseng Zhaoming, and the Commander of the Army, General Guan Li-jen, sat quietly as they listened to the brief. Not in the room (for security reasons) were the Minister of Defense, the NSB Director, and the Director of Intelligence, who would listen to the meeting from a separate, secured location.
Admiral Han Ji-cheng, Chief of Naval Staff, leaned forward in his command chair. The silver-haired sixty-two-year-old admiral had watched the growth of the PLA Navy from a coastal patrol force to a true blue-water navy across his career. His expression remained carefully neutral as he listened to the TSG representative give them a final update before declaring their program ready.
“Ms. Mack.” Han’s English was precise, academic. “You’re asking us to entrust our nation’s defense to machines that think for themselves. Forgive my skepticism.”
“Skepticism’s healthy, Admiral.” Jodi manipulated the holographic controls. The display zoomed, focusing on the Penghu archipelago. “These aren’t just machines. They’re force multipliers. Let me demonstrate.”
She highlighted a cluster of icons near Magong Naval Base on Penghu’s main island. “Mr. Matsin’s team deployed twelve Seeker-class XLUUVs five days ago. Since then, they’ve logged over eight hundred hours of autonomous patrol time. Colonel Hsu, what has your information warfare section observed?”
Colonel Hsu adjusted his Marine-issued glasses, consulting his tablet briefly before replying. “Three PLA submarines transited the Penghu channel. We identified them as Type 093 attack submarines, running silent. Our diesel boats never would have detected them.”
“But the Seeker did.” Jodi pulled up acoustic traces. “Here, here, and here. Each submarine tracked continuously for twelve hours. The AI identified them by their pump signatures, reactor cooling patterns, even crew movement rhythms. The machines never tired, never lost contact.”
Vice Admiral Lo Hua, Han’s deputy, studied the data intently. “Incredible. What about rules of engagement? What stops these units from attacking?”
“Excellent question.” Jodi expanded the display, showing decision trees. “Four-layer authorization protocol. Layer one: passive monitoring only. Layer two: active tracking with human notification. Layer three: weapons free with human authorization. Layer four: autonomous engagement if Taiwan is under active attack.”
“And who controls these layers?” Lo pressed.
“You do. Specifically, this room does.” Jodi gestured to the command stations. “The entire system operates under your authority, not ours. Think of it as the world’s most sophisticated watch officer — one that never sleeps.”
Lieutenant General Wu Jian-tai of the Marine Corps stood, his bulk imposing even among the seated officers. “I see a lot of graphs and neat videos, Ms. Mack. And while many of my officers speak highly of the equipment TSG has provided, I have ten thousand marines preparing to counter beach landings and protect critical infrastructure. It’s clear how your robot fish helps the Navy, but what about my marines?”
Jodi smiled. This was the question she’d been waiting for. “General, may I show you Tainan scenario seven?”
Without waiting for permission, she activated a tactical simulation. The hologram shifted, showing Taiwan’s western coastline in detail. Red icons appeared — showing a massive simulated amphibious force.
“Here we see one hundred twenty landing ships approaching the shore as they disembark their force,” she narrated. “We now have six hundred amphibious assault vehicles nearing the beach. A traditional defense would require your marines to meet them at the waterline. The casualties in this scenario would be…”
“Catastrophic,” Wu finished grimly. “We’ve run these scenarios before.”
“Exactly. Now watch this.” Jodi activated the autonomous defense network. Blue icons swarmed from hidden positions. “Thirty-nine Zealot USVs launch from Budai alone. Each carries four Hellfire missiles. That’s over one hundred fifty precision strikes before they close for kamikaze attacks.”
The simulation played out in accelerated time. USVs weaved between landing craft, missiles launching in coordinated volleys. Ships exploded, burned, and sank. The neatly organized invasion formation dissolved into pure chaos and destruction.
“Meanwhile,” Jodi continued, “Sea Guardian smart mines activate beneath the first wave.” More red icons vanished. “Next, the Seeker XLUUVs hunt the escort submarines protecting the amphibious assault ships.” The video simulation showed numerous underwater battles erupting across the display.
General Hsu watched his marines’ beach positions remain untouched as the invasion fleet died at sea. “How many reach the shore?”
“In this simulation? Seventeen percent. Your marines are mopping up survivors, not struggling to survive against wave after wave of landing craft.”
“God in heaven, it’s a slaughter,” someone whispered.
Major Lin from Submarine Squadron 256 raised his hand like an eager student. “The Seekers — they can coordinate with our diesel boats?”
“Yes, but not just coordinate,” Jodi replied. “They enhance them. Your submarines are quiet but limited by crew endurance and battery life. Seekers can scout ahead, maintain contact while your boats position for attack. You become wolfpack leaders, not lone hunters.”
She pulled up real-time footage from a Seeker patrol. The underwater view showed murky darkness pierced by sonar returns. A massive shape materialized — a commercial freighter’s hull passing overhead.
“This is live?” Admiral Han Ji-cheng asked.
“Ten minutes ago. Unit Seven, patrolling the Penghu deep channel.” Jodi enhanced the image. “Watch the AI work.”
Data cascaded across the screen: acoustic analysis, hull configuration, prop cavitation patterns. Within seconds, the AI identified the vesseclass="underline" “Motor Vessel Changsha, Chinese registry, container ship, normal transit pattern, threat level minimal.”