While Greaves took a minute to steady himself, John took it all in. The information, the pictures that Dr. Stirges kept flicking through in the Power Point of the AU infighting, and finally the failed construction site of the fort itself. “Dr. can you go back to the picture of the site, please?” Stirges obliged as the other members of the meeting mingled, talked among themselves, compared notes, or went to reassure Greaves they had his back despite their individual questions or outbursts. It was a stressful time, and in the halls of power at crisis times like this, it was always good to let people speak their minds when in the planning stages. That being said, once a decision was made, everyone had their leaders back.

John had decided long before he had made his way up, down? To the conference room that he was going to help his old student and friend. He was going to do what he was asked. The presentation, and Greaves’ current state, only solidified that fact for John. His friend, his country, his world needed him. As he studied the site, Greaves came up next to him.

“The whole damn place is a flat savanna.” Greaves whispered to him. “Soft soil with a low water table, and good bedrock not too far down. It’s like God gave us a gift of a flat canvas and we failed so much as to draw a damned stick figure.” Greaves pointed at the unmoving construction vehicles and shipping containers filled with food, weapons, supplies, and building materials. Most had been overturned, some had been left burning or empty, looted along the side of various makeshift dirt roads. “The original plan was for the AU to secure an initial perimeter with various small scale fire bases built from the shipping containers they brought their other supplies in. Then they would have paved roads for heavier construction equipment, like those building 3D printers, that would have constructed the inner perimeter wall out of stone and cement.”

“Did they have any success?” John asked, keeping his voice down as he looked at the scenes on the screen.

“A few of the southern fire bases got up and running before all hell broke loose. Once the infighting started, terrorists and sectarian militia groups we thought we caught in the initial sweep of the area popped up and seized control of them. Here, here, and there.” He pointed at three orange dots on the map along the outer perimeter of what the fortress should have been. “The militia groups had old soviet style tanks that they used to break in, and then they just butchered the soldiers inside. The South African president was pissed. Until about two months ago when he was beheaded in the street.”

South Africa had always been a hotbed of lingering apartheid racial hatreds running both directions. The white africkan’s who had been so brutal in the apartheid regime, and who had a part to play in its fall, had been brutalized, stolen from, and actively disenfranchised for years by successor regimes. They paid past discrimination against black South Africans back in full and then some. The nation had nearly dissolved several times since then, only for peace to be suddenly and unsteadily restored. John had thought that what he had seen in the news had just been more of the same. But if what Greaves said was true, the beacon of western democracy and parliamentary government on the African continent was gone. Dissolved in an orgy of racial hatred, mob rule, and anarchy.

“Shit.”

“Yeah, that’s what I said when I first heard.”

“I bet the UK was pissed. Is that why they pulled out of construction?”

Greaves shook his head. “No, the current government couldn’t give a damn about South Africa or the rest of their commonwealth. We uh, we lost contact with continental Europe two days ago. We think they went into full lockdown. The Russians have been gearing up for something big back east, which had the EU and the rest of Europe spooked. We have intermittent intelligence sharing communication with the UK and MI6 from, but its spotty. The reason they pulled out of the African project is the same reason we should have. It’s too expensive, in labour, time, energy, money, and . . . well a lot of other things that the system gave the government access too. You’ll get an introduction to some of that if we actually pull this thing off.”

“So, what’s your plan, exactly? There’s no way I’d be able to go in even with an entire army group and clean up that mess in less than 4 months. Let alone set up a base with five story high walls.”

“Does this mean you’ll take the gig?” John laughed and nodded.

“Why else would I be here? Hell, I told you on the phone I accepted.”

“True, but now you know the entire story. Or at least most of it. I’ll send you over some briefing files you should read so you get the full picture. In the meantime,” Greaves looked around the room. “Dr. Stergis, Colonial Maverick, can you two please finish the presentation? Make sure to bring everyone up to speed on the details and then hand out individual assignments. I’m going to go show General McIntire the fortress.” Dr. Stergis beamed, and Colonial Maverick, the ranger who was still in his battle dress, nodded, taking the clicker. “General, if you would follow me, please.”

“I’m coming to general,” the female scientist said as she stubbornly set her jaw and followed behind the two men. “It was my design, after all. I think I should be on hand in case there are technical questions.”

“Fine Dr. Rodny, please join us.”