Project Report: Edwards AFB, April 26th, 2161
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Space Shuttle at Edwards AFB in Storage, april 26th, 2161
MISSION FILE: RECON CA-4 – Combined Task Force Phoenix – WESTERN REGION
DATE: 4/26/2161
LOCATION: At Edwards AFB, Ca.
REPORTER: Frederick Douglass Johnson, Recon CA-4
Route Log April 26th, 2161
In preparation for the round-up in Barstow in a few days, Hannah, Tim, Keshawn and myself were detailed as an advance party to secure quarters for our delegation of around 30. The groups traveled in two vehicle: my scout and a Project Humvee. This is to help project a less paramilitary image. Overall, we’re slowly getting things together with recovering the supply base. Tim had a good idea, that we can use MORGANA’s robots to pump out the lowest levels of the base but Poole is having second thoughts. If MORGANA can’t be trusted to send independent units to help pump out the lower levels, maybe we can borrow units we can control remotely ourselves?
On the way to Barstow we were tasked to stop by Edwards, introduce ourselves, invite them to the roundup and see if we could somehow make use of the card the Team picked up. The meeting with the General went quire well, and I think he’ll be onside if we can make a creditable presentation at the roundup. We didn’t make any promises to him and he didn’t promise anything to us, although I think he believes us when we say we’ve got a better shot at changing things than others who came before. I think he was at least a little impressed by Tim’s “age” and Hannah’s family’s devotion, the team’s tech and the Circle-Lazy-Eight’s devotion to preparing for their mission for generation.
The General at least allowed us to take a tour of the base. We took lots of photographs. We saw a few hangers with grounded pre-war aircraft. It looked like all the best pre-war stuff was grounded. Crazy-looking things, advanced jets, stuff that was front-line, they can’t fly it any more. I think they probably have the spares, but no fuel, no lubricants. No trained aircrews, no maintenance personnel. There was older stuff flying, kept in hangars we didn’t get a look inside. Propeller craft and helicopters, and some big plane called a B-52 that’s a lot simpler than the planes that are grounded. Spare parts come from what looked like dozens and dozens of crashed airliners lining one of the runways. Fuel is the main problem, I think, although they can make some in Bakersfield, it’s not high enough quality to use in the best pre-war aircraft.
Speaking of Bakersfield, they were even manufacturing something the team’s computer identified as a “Bearcat”. They appear to be selling a couple of them to Bakersfield, possibly for more jet fuel. Seems odd, selling a couple of what passes for high-performance fighters to them, ground attack or helicopters would seem to make more sense. Who are they planning on shooting down? I talked to one of the guys about why they did the things they did, and he said Edwards and the Air Force was there to preserve America’s technological legacy, defend the Constitution and so on. But why are they selling aircraft to those slavers in Bakersfield? Is that the extent of their patriotism, they can be bought and sold? At the roundup we might be able to use that against them, remind them where their duty really lies. Sure, everyone had to compromise after the war, but at some time the compromises will have to stop.
Be that as it may, we saw something that Tim and Keshawn said was a spaceship. It was called a “shuttle” (which is something used for weaving) and named “Atlantis”. Apparently it went to outer space and back, to something called the Space Station. It landed after the war. Edwards was the largest functioning airfield left on the west coast. Not only did the airliners land here, but Atlantis did too. They said they shot down a missile heading towards them over the Pacific, the only reason they survived the war. Also, there’s a place called Vandenburg, where they apparently still put satellites in orbit. No idea what that means.
After we left Edwards, we managed to secure a prime location for us, a good quality motel right on the way to the roundup named the Dew Drop-Inn. if we park our gear in front we’ll get great exposure. We had to displace some rancher family who’d had a prior reservation, but these were the assholes who weren’t taking care of their bondsmen that we ran across in our trip to the commo station at Mt. Baden-Powell.
Recommendations:
- Focus on water works projects for future development. This will require merchant backing, probably forming a publically-owned company.
- Information transfer to MORGANA. Form secure data streams of timely local data on conditions and resources, but not privileged Project information.
- Prepare to hold a reception during the roundup for VIPs and key groups we wish to influence, like the Marines, USAF, EmDees, and the Highway Patrol.
