Out of the Fire

Part 16 - War

"Ok, how's our situation looking? Kai first," Mary asked.

It had been a week since the report from the team sent to investigate General Stuart's murder had galvanised the colonists into a flurry of emergency defence preparations. The meeting with Mary chairing, included both military and civilian representatives and once again occupied the rear of the Mess Hall, with the grudging consent of the chef.

"The spare containers have been installed around the outer perimeter of the industrial sector and we have stacked them with enough bags of dirt to make them almost un-moveable. The three buried shelters are in place out near the farms and each is stocked with a couple of weapons, ammunition, a few MREs, water and some blankets, I couldn't think of anything else to put in them. The doors can be locked from the inside and we oxy'd some slits in the doors. I have made a point of ensuring that every farmer and anyone else who goes outside the wire knows where they are and how to use them. The range markers are all in place at fifty yard intervals out to a thousand yards where possible. We have used all our barbed fencing wire creating obstacles along the main approaches and trying to make the Sanctuary wall secure against pole runners. I can't think of anything else except Claymores, but they are too dangerous to deploy with civilians going about their normal business." Kai reported.

Sergeant Major Kylar reported, "I've audited our resources and we've enough of the ammunition we brought with us to deal with a couple of attacks the size of the Sierra One attack. If we're attacked by anything bigger than that, we will need to trust the stored ammunition. The stored ammunition is boxed so it will have to be loaded into magazines. The artillery shells are all from the store so there could be a reliability issue there, but the test shots were ok, so they should be good. I've stacked the ammunition just inside the Sanctuary in the front container and have racked swords, spears, bows, arrows and shields next to the container as well in case it comes down to that. My team is confident they can deliver ammunition as fast as you can use it, so we are as ready as we can be."

Mayor Sloan presented her update from the civilian administration perspective, "First of all, everyone has been emergency drilled to the point of exasperation, daily routines have been disrupted and everyone is pissed off. There has not been any sign that the threat is real, we are a long way from Fort Jones, and they haven't been attacked. People are beginning to talk about this being some sort of plan for the military to take control. I think it is time to relax the restrictions a bit and ease up on the emergency drills or we risk a cry wolf situation. That being said, the feedback I get from everyone doing the shield wall training, is that they absolutely love it, I hope they can continue it as a sport and not for real. Chef is not happy about the new arrangements, he says having his onsite stores back in the Sanctuary, doubles his team's workload. Generally you could say we are all sick of this heightened level of alert and want some common sense applied. I'd recommend we lower the alert level until there is some solid evidence the threat is real."

Reporting for the medical centre, Jean stated, "Doctors Dalal, Balmayne and Emmerson send their apologies and want me to tell you that they have done enough and are too busy to play war games with the kids. However, the medical centre is prepared for an emergency evacuation with all medicines and essential equipment now stored in a Hummer ready for a speedy exit. Currently we have three patients, but they are all able to be relocated if required, so unless there is an outbreak of something nasty, the medical centre is prepared. Dr Halal did want me to ask, for just how much longer will they be expected to work under these conditions? So that is the long and short of it, we are ready but not happy."

Advising of the school's readiness, Brian added, "Well we must be the exception, the kids love the emergency drills and always try to better their times. If something happens during school hours, you can be assured the kids will be safely tucked away in the Sanctuary and out of your way. The trainees out in the fields or around at the Industrial Sector may be more problematic, some of them have told me that they are "well over the drills" and as most of them are at that acrimonious age where they resent being forced to do anything, I wish their mentors luck.