In Clarissa's Inner Circle (or Execution) is the speech in favor of the villian where the Pool explains that it was tortured by Fire. Show in a scene where the plasma delivery mechanism is to connect those dots.
Baird is at a conference being wined and dined in the Water City. Some of the talk is of a recent disaster, hushed up of course, at the Conduit Plant that required a full restart and use of reserve Water element to "prime the pump" and get power flowing again. There was real panic at the top, but the majority of folks didn't notice anything change. It was the Pool escaping. It wreaked havoc for a short time and then disappered into the ocean, eventually turning up in the tunnels beneath the Earth City.
Have Baird mention Simon's resignation in passing to someone.