xp_logs | GBOS: The Family Business

The Frost sisters meet with the Administrator, and show what resources they can really access when necessary.

"I know, it's not much." Dr Vasco Di Alvito said with a dry chuckle. The camp was massive; a huge complex comprised of a cluster of surgical tents and recovery barracks which had been quickly erected by the UN forces assisting them. In the broad field in front of it, a massive tent city had been erected, both with military and Red Cross donated tents, and with makeshift ones cobbled together with the refugees that had made their way into the camp. They had been coordinating pulling those made homeless by the earthquake or injured into the camp, identifying them, and moving them off to real hospitals or more permanent relocation camps in different areas. However, it was close enough to the epicenter that once they had a secure route to the area, the flow would turn into a flood sooner rather than later, and they were desperately trying to get ready. He dipped through a tent door, and waved at a pair of chairs for the Frost sisters.

Eying the chairs disdainfully, Adrienne wandered around the tent without sitting, her back aching from sitting during the long flight and the ride out to the camp. It had been giving her trouble since her fall down the stairs, but since that had also been her thirty-fifth birthday she knew the pain was all in her head because she was thinking about being old now.

At least she could take comfort in the fact that she might be old but Emma would always be older.

"What is the supply situation like in terms of food and water, Doctor?" she asked with interest, putting her discomfort out of her mind.

'We're trying to extend the wells now, and Canada's promised a DART team to set up a water purification station. If we can get that done before the main flood of refugees hit, we'll be able to sustain them, even if we have to ration it. Food, well, that's a larger problem." Di Alvito shook his head. "The trouble, not surprisingly, is logistical. This is a mountainous region, and there aren't a lot of decent roads through the passes and connecting with the highways. Most of them can charitably be called trails at best, and the earthquake blocked a lot of them with debris. Which means we can only get so many trucks, only so large, through to the camp with supplies. So food is coming in at a trickle, and the people eating it can only leave at a trickle. I've mostly co-opted the helicopters for medical supplies only, but..." He trailed off with a helpless gesture.

"What about irregular assets?" asked Emma. The slightest frown touched her porcelain brows at the doctor's puzzled glance. "Are there any mutants with powers that can assist? Flyers, healers, earth manipulators, water purifiers, telepaths capable of large-scale crowd control. It always messes with the logistics if you don't factor them in upfront."

"If there are mutants amoungst the refugees, they haven't told us. As for our people, the Red Cross has been reluctant to demand that kind of information from our volunteers. If they freely tell us and wish to share their talents, we make use of them, but otherwise, it's a private concern. No, I'm afraid that our resources can only be considered wholly conventional for the time being."

"Do we have anyone in our party with powers that could help clear the debris from the roads, or are we limited to acquiring and coordinating heavy equipment to do the task so food and people can get in and out?" Adrienne asked Emma.

Emma catalogued a few people mentally and shrugged. "There's a couple with superior strength, some who can fly - we'd be better off with heavy equipment, though. Resources of all kinds are low." She thought for a few seconds and then added, "I can probably organise for a few more helicopters to add to the fleet, but we're talking limited numbers and the good doctor is right; medical supplies are the essentials for now. I may be able to get some additional water purification set-ups to add to whatever the Canadians are bringing." She frowned again. "Food is always so damned heavy; even with the basics we're talking tons to feed everyone here." She turned her attention back to the doctor. "What's the weather likely to do in the next week or so?"

"Warm. Should be up around thirty or so, mostly clear. At least we won't have to worry about mudslides or the like for a few days." Di Vasco pushed up his glasses to rub his eyes. "The American Army engineers have talked about trying to establish a temporary air field, but really, the most immediate problem right now is time. The earthquake was less than forty-eight hours ago. Without links to food, fresh water, and medical attention, we have maybe a day or two before people start to die in large numbers. The Indian army normally handles this kind of disaster relief on their side, but now there's rumours about Kashmiri terrorists delaying things. I don't know... I watched a calculated genocide in Sri Lanka too recently not to think that someone wants a body count for political reasons."

Adrienne frowned in thought after the doctor mentioned the weather, choosing to focus on that aspect of things instead of what the Indian army was doing, since the army's actions were completely out of her control. "It's my understanding that even with warm weather during daylight the temperature can drop quite substantially at night in this region?" She didn't know much about the region, but researching the weather to make sure she packed appropriate clothing was one of the few things she'd had time to do before leaving home. "With connections in the textile and fashion retailing community I can coordinate with the Red Cross and see to the donation and shipping of blankets, more tents, and weather-resistant clothing within the next twenty-four hours." She turned back to Emma. "I could maybe charter some private planes to bring in some damned heavy food too, as well as clothing, blankets, and tents, in addition to your helicopters with medical supplies?"

Emma nodded slowly. “If you can sort out planes, I’ll co-ordinate with the authorities and sort out an airfield; we won’t be able to use the closest because the military will be using that and getting landing rights is always just painful. But if we can get your planes there, I can get my helicopters there and start the transfers from the airfield to the camp. You cover clothing, I’ll get onto some of my contacts in the medical industries and start getting some of the stockpiles on the move. I can get some of my people on to food supplies, if they can talk to your people about delivery.” She turned back to the doctor and smiled, her most dazzling professional smile. “Perhaps you are right, Doctor Di Alvito. Perhaps someone does want a slow genocide to make whatever political point requires piles of dead bodies. But we are going to make sure they don’t have an easy time of it. Now, we’re going to start needing to set up databases and communications and coordinating with your camp superintendents. Would you be so kind as to direct us to your generators?”