The map is called the Carta Marina. It was created in the early 1500s by the Swedish ecclesiastic Olaus Magnus. The map is surprisingly accurate in its depiction of the landmasses, but when it comes to the marine life in the surrounding waters, Magnus let his imagination run wild. I was particularly struck by one creature—a kraken-sized individual about to swallow a ship. Was this a metaphor for Rolf attacking the White Collar team? The monster, despite dwarfing the sailing vessel, doesn't appear very scary. Is Rolf all bluster with no substance as well? The cybercriminal is behind bars. His communications are being monitored. How much of a threat could he be?
When I begin writing a story, I like to pick an origami to represent the work in progress. For this fic, I found a marvelous origami of a kraken attacking a ship. The origami was made by MIT student Brian Chan in 2006, the same year the story takes place. That origami and its creator turned out to not only be a writing aid but also a plot bunny. The university affiliation is particularly appropriate since I'd already decided to feature MIT. In Caffrey Conversation, Neal's fellow grad student and fencing captain Aidan Phillips received his undergraduate degree at MIT.
MIT is famous for its college hacks. Aidan and Travis have already compared notes on their undergrad exploits in The Queen's Jewels. Neal took part in the conversation and was more than a little envious of the fun he'd missed out on in college. Has his time come? Suffice it to say, he'll never feel the same way about hacks after what happens in this story.
- Carta Marina on Wikipedia
- Brian Chan's origami model: "Attack of the Kraken"
- Hacks at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
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