There is a ward for the critically injured, one for sexual trauma, one for psychological illness, one for drug dependence and a small area for those with pathogens or old age related complications. We can see that the majority of the patients are women between the ages of twelve and forty. Life asks, "Eddie why are so many of the women in the sexual trauma ward marked with an L shaped tattoo or gang brand"?
Eddie explains, " The L stands for liberal and it is widely used as a shame tactic by Homeland Defense".
There are more men in the critically injured ward, some have suffered terrible blast injuries. We are saddened to see so many children in the critically wounded ward. Eddie explains, "Kids as young as seven are taught to use rocket propelled grenade launchers, rocket launchers, and to set land mines and improvised explosives".
We enter the ward for drug dependence and find Rodney hooked up to an IV drip. Showing visible concern, Eddie implores, "Nurse, take my spleen, my blood, my frontal lobe, whatever it takes to fix Rod".
The nurse, almost too young to have completed her education, looks at Eddie and says, "They pumped him full of Zombie Juice and some neurotoxins I have never seen before".
Eddie notices our quizzical expressions and tells us, "Zombie Juice is a substance Homeland Defense developed. Once it enters the bloodstream the victim quickly loses higher cognitive functions. The victim can obey simple or repetitive commands. The docs here say there is some indication that if the person who is subjected to Zombie Juice has high levels of THC, the active compound in weed in their bodies, they can resist the effects. Rod never touched pot. He said it bothered his allergies too much and he hates brownies".
The nurse says, "We are giving him diuretics and a drug cocktail to try to purge the effects of the drug but we can't make promises he will return to normal".
Eddie kneels down next to Rodney and says, "Hey bro, whatever you need we will get for you. I'm going to get that priest that did this to you. Take it easy until I get back. You are our best hacker and I need you driving this team. Love ya bro"! Eddie hugs Rod and we take our leave of sickbay.
We follow Eddie out of sickbay. He is moving at a rapid pace and tugging on his long hair.
He says, "Man I am glad you joined our team; we needed some good news. My computer system was hacked, which means there is somebody on this team we can't trust. With Rod tripping out, I might need you two to do some covert ninja stuff to get to the bottom of things".
Before either of us can ask questions or point out that we never officially agreed to join the team, Eddie flips open two swinging doors in front of us and barks out, "INSPECTION!!!"
About one hundred men, women and children between six and seventy years of age snap out of cots, poker table chairs, or the mess hall and stand at attention.
Eddie shouts out,
" This aint a field day but I expect to see you jump out of your fart sacks faster than that! You all have rack burn! Now I aint here to send you goat roping but I expect you to look better than a bunch of FNG fobbit humpers".
Multiple "YES SIRS!!!" are shouted back. Satisfied Eddie shouts back, "As you were!!" and we leave the barracks.
We continue to walk through the complex as if Eddie had on the winged shoes of Hermes. Eddie says, "We are heading to CNC. After my last tour in Afghanistan I swore I'd never use another military term or get near a rifle for that matter, but shit happens. The youngest and rawest recruits need the military discipline, lingo and all for motivation. There aren't that many of us who served in the military as you are about to see. In fact most of us are pacifists and dreamers. We are writers, gamers, software designers, artists, actors, farmers, photographers and free-thinkers".
We stop in front of a black, reinforced sliding door. With pride in his voice Eddie says, "Latest in technology, a blood identification scanner. It takes just a single red blood cell from the tip of your finger and runs a DNA check against the database. The comparison can tell the difference between twins and even between a living and recently dead person. Anything that doesn't match exactly and the entire compound goes into lock down mode". Eddie extends his finger and the door slides open.
We step inside a dark room in the shape of an Odeon; semi-circular, terraced and loaded with monitors and technical equipment. About sixty men and women dressed in fatigues are busy working on tasks. Motivational posters are scattered around the room and most work stations have comic book or science fiction action figures mounted on them. One poster has President Jeb Bush's face superimposed over the image of Sauron from the Lord of the Rings movie. An older women with red hair and an eye patch stands at attention as Fast Eddie enters the room and barks out, "Old Man on the Bridge"!! Everyone briefly stops what they are doing and snaps to attention until Eddie waves them at ease with a hand gesture. In one corner two men in white coats are practicing swordplay in a small lab near the CNC central chamber with what looks like light sabers. Our inner thoughts are interrupted as someone shouts out, "Sir, we have a situation here"!