diff --git a/hub.tscn b/hub.tscn
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..eaa9868
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hub.tscn
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+[gd_scene format=3 uid="uid://bjsiquu3pu2yi"]
+
+[ext_resource type="Script" uid="uid://b8105tebdqgu7" path="res://scripts/hub.gd" id="1_l10or"]
+
+[node name="Hub" type="Control" unique_id=1025413344]
+layout_mode = 3
+anchors_preset = 15
+anchor_right = 1.0
+anchor_bottom = 1.0
+grow_horizontal = 2
+grow_vertical = 2
+script = ExtResource("1_l10or")
+
+[node name="CenterContainer" type="CenterContainer" parent="." unique_id=1963957334]
+layout_mode = 1
+anchors_preset = 15
+anchor_right = 1.0
+anchor_bottom = 1.0
+grow_horizontal = 2
+grow_vertical = 2
+
+[node name="VBoxContainer" type="VBoxContainer" parent="CenterContainer" unique_id=1923587537]
+layout_mode = 2
+
+[node name="Dock" type="Label" parent="CenterContainer/VBoxContainer" unique_id=196076069]
+layout_mode = 2
+text = "Dock"
+
+[node name="StartMissionButton" type="Button" parent="CenterContainer/VBoxContainer" unique_id=1251733940]
+layout_mode = 2
+text = "Start Mission"
+
+[connection signal="pressed" from="CenterContainer/VBoxContainer/StartMissionButton" to="." method="_on_start_mission_button_pressed"]
diff --git a/main.tscn b/main.tscn
index 4aba1e1..c411858 100644
--- a/main.tscn
+++ b/main.tscn
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 [gd_scene format=3 uid="uid://jven27ktracb"]
 
+[ext_resource type="Script" uid="uid://ck3d6hhcoia15" path="res://scripts/mission.gd" id="1_272bh"]
 [ext_resource type="PackedScene" uid="uid://c6n3dg530t8oc" path="res://ocean.tscn" id="1_lquwl"]
 [ext_resource type="PackedScene" uid="uid://cieiwihia8t2w" path="res://boat.tscn" id="2_7mycd"]
 [ext_resource type="Script" uid="uid://46jiwugeccqg" path="res://scripts/camera_rig.gd" id="4_1bvp3"]
@@ -38,7 +39,8 @@ material = SubResource("StandardMaterial3D_j2yfa")
 radius = 0.3
 height = 0.6
 
-[node name="Main" type="Node3D" unique_id=1242452333]
+[node name="Main" type="Node3D" unique_id=1242452333 groups=["mission"]]
+script = ExtResource("1_272bh")
 
 [node name="WorldEnvironment" type="WorldEnvironment" parent="." unique_id=431656791]
 environment = SubResource("Environment_1")
diff --git a/ocean.tscn b/ocean.tscn
index 9355965..21cd72b 100644
--- a/ocean.tscn
+++ b/ocean.tscn
@@ -9,12 +9,11 @@
 material_override = ExtResource("1_j38dg")
 script = ExtResource("2_nb2vx")
 sea_height = 1.0
-sea_choppy = 8.0
 metadata/follow_step = 1.0
 
-[node name="StaticBody3D" type="StaticBody3D" parent="." unique_id=1520290282 groups=["water"]]
+[node name="Surface" type="StaticBody3D" parent="." unique_id=1520290282 groups=["water"]]
 collision_layer = 32
 collision_mask = 0
 
-[node name="CollisionShape3D" type="CollisionShape3D" parent="StaticBody3D" unique_id=629201170]
+[node name="CollisionShape3D" type="CollisionShape3D" parent="Surface" unique_id=629201170]
 shape = SubResource("WorldBoundaryShape3D_r1f0u")
diff --git a/project.godot b/project.godot
index 789bac1..c32dcfa 100644
--- a/project.godot
+++ b/project.godot
@@ -11,12 +11,13 @@ config_version=5
 [application]
 
 config/name="boatgame"
-run/main_scene="res://main.tscn"
+run/main_scene="uid://bjsiquu3pu2yi"
 config/features=PackedStringArray("4.7", "Forward Plus")
 
 [autoload]
 
 Game="*uid://dtkqmj8h5mg8y"
+GameState="*uid://xpfddtyfru40"
 
 [display]
 
@@ -70,6 +71,11 @@ debug_possess_next={
 "events": [Object(InputEventKey,"resource_local_to_scene":false,"resource_name":"","device":-1,"window_id":0,"alt_pressed":false,"shift_pressed":false,"ctrl_pressed":false,"meta_pressed":false,"pressed":false,"keycode":0,"physical_keycode":4194334,"key_label":0,"unicode":0,"location":0,"echo":false,"script":null)
 ]
 }
+debug_end_mission={
+"deadzone": 0.2,
+"events": [Object(InputEventKey,"resource_local_to_scene":false,"resource_name":"","device":-1,"window_id":0,"alt_pressed":false,"shift_pressed":false,"ctrl_pressed":false,"meta_pressed":false,"pressed":false,"keycode":0,"physical_keycode":4194335,"key_label":0,"unicode":0,"location":0,"echo":false,"script":null)
+]
+}
 
 [layer_names]
 
diff --git a/scripts/ai_controller.gd b/scripts/ai_controller.gd
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2e29249
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/ai_controller.gd
@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+class_name AIController
+extends Node
+
+@export var standoff_distance := 30.0     # throttle down inside this
+@export var fire_range := 120.0           # open fire inside this
+@export var full_rudder_angle_deg := 20.0 # bearing error at which rudder saturates
+
+var _boat: Boat
+var _target: Boat  # node reference — shift-safe; never store a position
+
+
+func _ready() -> void:
+	_boat = get_parent() as Boat
+
+
+func _physics_process(_delta: float) -> void:
+	if _boat == null:
+		return
+	if _player_has_boat():
+		return  # player possessed us — write nothing, resume when they leave
+
+	if not is_instance_valid(_target):
+		_target = _pick_target()
+	if _target == null:
+		_boat.desired_throttle = 0.0
+		_boat.steer_input = 0.0
+		_boat.aim_point = null  # stow turrets, per the aim contract
+		_boat.fire_intents[0] = false
+		return
+
+	# All geometry computed fresh this tick — origin-shift safe.
+	var to_target: Vector3 = _target.global_position - _boat.global_position
+	to_target.y = 0.0
+	var distance := to_target.length()
+
+	var forward := -_boat.global_basis.z
+	forward.y = 0.0
+
+	var bearing_error := forward.signed_angle_to(to_target, Vector3.UP)
+	_boat.steer_input = clampf(
+		bearing_error / deg_to_rad(full_rudder_angle_deg), -1.0, 1.0)
+
+	_boat.desired_throttle = 1.0 if distance > standoff_distance else 0.2
+
+	_boat.aim_point = _target.global_position
+	_boat.fire_intents[0] = distance < fire_range
+
+
+func _player_has_boat() -> bool:
+	var pc := get_tree().get_first_node_in_group(&"player_controllers") as PlayerController
+	return pc != null and pc.current_controlled == _boat
+
+
+func _pick_target() -> Boat:
+	var best: Boat = null
+	var best_d := INF
+	for node in get_tree().get_nodes_in_group(&"boats"):
+		var other := node as Boat
+		if other == null or other == _boat:
+			continue
+		var d := _boat.global_position.distance_squared_to(other.global_position)
+		if d < best_d:
+			best_d = d
+			best = other
+	return best
diff --git a/scripts/ai_controller.gd.uid b/scripts/ai_controller.gd.uid
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f318724
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/ai_controller.gd.uid
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+uid://hvfw24jpikc0
diff --git a/scripts/game.gd b/scripts/game.gd
index 6cc77a7..bf5313d 100644
--- a/scripts/game.gd
+++ b/scripts/game.gd
@@ -4,10 +4,12 @@ extends Node
 const BOAT_SCENE := preload("res://boat.tscn")
 
 func _unhandled_input(event: InputEvent) -> void:
-	if event.is_action_pressed("restart"):
+	if event.is_action_pressed(&"restart"):
 		get_tree().reload_current_scene()
-	if event.is_action_pressed(&"debug_spawn_boat"):
+	if event.is_action_pressed(&"debug_spawn_boat") and _is_in_mission():
 		_debug_spawn_boat()
+	if event.is_action_pressed(&"debug_end_mission") and _is_in_mission():
+		GameState.return_to_hub({"outcome": "aborted"})
 		
 func _debug_spawn_boat() -> void:
 	var focus := get_tree().get_first_node_in_group(&"boats") as Node3D
@@ -17,4 +19,12 @@ func _debug_spawn_boat() -> void:
 		boat.position = focus.global_position + focus.global_basis.x * 10.0 + Vector3.UP * 2.0
 	else:
 		boat.position = Vector3(0, 3, 0)
+		
+	var ai := AIController.new()
+	ai.name = "AIController"
+	boat.add_child(ai)
 	get_tree().current_scene.add_child(boat, true)
+	
+func _is_in_mission() -> bool:
+	var scene := get_tree().current_scene
+	return scene != null and scene.is_in_group(&"mission")
diff --git a/scripts/game_state.gd b/scripts/game_state.gd
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..498fa67
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/game_state.gd
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+# scripts/game_state.gd — autoloaded as "GameState"
+extends Node
+
+const HUB_SCENE := "res://hub.tscn"
+
+# Written by the hub before starting a mission, read by the mission in _ready().
+# Later this becomes a MissionDef reference; a Dictionary is the v1 stand-in.
+var mission_params: Dictionary = {}
+
+# Written by the mission before returning, read by the hub.
+var last_mission_result: Dictionary = {}
+
+
+func start_mission(scene_path: String, params: Dictionary = {}) -> void:
+	mission_params = params
+	last_mission_result = {}
+	get_tree().change_scene_to_file(scene_path)
+
+func return_to_hub(result: Dictionary = {}) -> void:
+	last_mission_result = result
+	mission_params = {}
+	get_tree().change_scene_to_file(HUB_SCENE)
diff --git a/scripts/game_state.gd.uid b/scripts/game_state.gd.uid
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b1d2eb9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/game_state.gd.uid
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+uid://xpfddtyfru40
diff --git a/scripts/hub.gd b/scripts/hub.gd
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0e35f10
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/hub.gd
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+extends Control
+
+
+func _ready() -> void:
+	if not GameState.last_mission_result.is_empty():
+		print("Mission result: ", GameState.last_mission_result)
+
+func _on_start_mission_button_pressed() -> void:
+	GameState.start_mission("res://main.tscn", {"difficulty": 1})
diff --git a/scripts/hub.gd.uid b/scripts/hub.gd.uid
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2a49a6d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/hub.gd.uid
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+uid://b8105tebdqgu7
diff --git a/scripts/mission.gd b/scripts/mission.gd
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4397cdc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/mission.gd
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+extends Node3D
+
+@onready var _ocean: Ocean = $Ocean
+
+func _ready() -> void:
+	var params: Dictionary = GameState.mission_params
+	_ocean.sea_height = params.get("sea_height", _ocean.sea_height)
+	_ocean.sea_choppy = params.get("sea_choppy", _ocean.sea_choppy)
+	_ocean.sea_freq = params.get("sea_freq", _ocean.sea_freq)
+	_ocean.sea_speed = params.get("sea_speed", _ocean.sea_speed)
+	print("Mission started with params: ", params)
diff --git a/scripts/mission.gd.uid b/scripts/mission.gd.uid
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5e5bde6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/mission.gd.uid
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+uid://ck3d6hhcoia15
diff --git a/scripts/player_controller.gd b/scripts/player_controller.gd
index 0874c18..8087085 100644
--- a/scripts/player_controller.gd
+++ b/scripts/player_controller.gd
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ var desired_throttle := 0.0
 func _ready() -> void:
 	if current_controlled != null: # Only happens on intial loading if boat already moves
 		desired_throttle = current_controlled.throttle
+	add_to_group(&"player_controllers")
 	_possess()
 
 func _physics_process(_delta: float) -> void: