THE HYDRA A giant sea serpent of Greek mythology with nine heads, one of them immortal. The task to slay the Hydra was the second labour of Hercules – no easy task, as for every head cut off, another would grow in its stead. To kill the Hydra, its immortal head must be cut off then cauterised in flame. It is the year 2031, and Australia has just turned back a Chinese invasion force in the naval Battle of the Arafura Sea, ensuring stability in the South Pacific for the foreseeable future. But China is playing the long game, moving its focus to a massive cyber-attack across the West, aimed at world domination through stealth in lieu of military conquest. To this end, China's MSS has developed Hydra, the most advanced quantum computer the world has ever seen, and in 2032 they start to use it, successfully attacking the governments of the Philippines and then Japan with devastating effect. The 'brain' of Hydra is sunk 1000 feet deep in the Dragon Hole, a sinkhole in the South China Sea, from where it beams attack codes to eight satellites orbiting the key capital cities of the West. America's NSA identifies the location of Hydra, but President Sigourney Owen rules out a tactical nuclear strike, as that would be a prelude to a Third World War. It is resolved to mount a commando operation, with US Navy SEALs launched by submarine to attack the Dragon Hole with a specially-designed depth charge code-named Hercules. Four SEALS volunteer for the suicide mission. One of them is Cascade Smith.