Area south of the 33rd Parallel (latitudinal ocean/air zone)

A broad latitudinal swath of ocean and sky that functions as an index of distance, jurisdiction, and consequence. The phrase marks a remote, indifferent stretch where coordinates replace place names and policy collides with the physical: aircraft track blips flatten into headlines, search patterns form against salt and horizon, and briefings condense the unknown into a single geo-tag. In the briefing room it reads like a verdict — precise, cold, and administratively actionable — locating Captain Hutchins' 'Feet Dry' position and shifting responsibility into maps, chains of command, and public accountability.