London – Vauxhall Cross, MI6
A storm had descended on the normally composed seventh floor of MI6's riverside headquarters. The Thames shimmered in the late evening light outside, but inside the ops suite the glow came from a dozen large displays showing real-time flight data and social media chatter.
On one screen: the black A380, call sign Imperium Heavy, inching back toward U.S. airspace.
On another: feeds from Heathrow and Farnborough spotter networks, still playing the viral takeoff videos.
"Sir, FAA's registry has gone dark. Public records now say 'Private Holder – Confidential.' Americans scrubbed the name," A senior analyst reported to the deputy chief
"It doesn't matter. We already knew who it was before the scrub. Eighteen years old. Liam Scott. What we need is background information on him," the deputy chief said, as he tapped a finger against the desk and glanced up at the map, where the jet's transponder pulsed a steady green.
