In the beginning of this story you meet Peter Holmes, who is a Lieutenant Commander in the RAN (Royal Australia Navy). Next, you meet Mary Holmes, his wife, and their baby daughter, Jennifer. Peter has to go to a city called Melbourne to have a meeting with the Admiral of the Navy. At the meeting they inform Peter that he will be a Liaison Officer on the submarine U.S.S. Scorpion and for the Commander of the submarine, Dwight Towers. Peter starts to worry about his family and how long he would be gone on the sub. Peter is told that if he stays for a few minutes that he could get his letter to Commander Towers. He stays, gets the letter, and them he go