At dawn the trucks and buses rumbled up to the border. Men in coveralls offered the guards their credentials and the formal approval provided by President-for-life Farrago. All seemed in order and the convoy was allowed forward. Onward they drove, south out of Elben into Crotobaltislavonia. Their destination had been carefully selected based on intelligence reports and geography books: a large open site a half day's walk from the border with a source of fresh water and proper drainage for the latrines.
The buses disgorged the workers, more men in coveralls. All of them wore on their arms the patch of the BSD Hospitallers, white cross on a red field, long adopted to differentiate from Elben's flag. The leaders had only to offer the vaguest orders. The workers knew what to do from long practice. Soon the most important part was up and running, power from diesel generators. Next came the field kitchen with its accompanying water purification unit. Soon the smell of hot food started to drift through the camp
The men ate in shifts; those who finished first got started on the largest tent of all, the field hospital. Some of them donned white coats, denoting their status as medical personnel, and began unpacking the medical gear. Night fell, but large lights kept the compound alight as work continued. The light also served to draw in the poor souls like moths to the flame. The security perimeter intercepted them gently and guided them to triage where they went through intake. If delousing or quarantine was needed, they went one way. If all was well otherwise, the refugee was given a temporary badge and sent to get something hot and filling into his belly.
The Elbener Brothers' CBS Field Camp #1 was in business.
The buses disgorged the workers, more men in coveralls. All of them wore on their arms the patch of the BSD Hospitallers, white cross on a red field, long adopted to differentiate from Elben's flag. The leaders had only to offer the vaguest orders. The workers knew what to do from long practice. Soon the most important part was up and running, power from diesel generators. Next came the field kitchen with its accompanying water purification unit. Soon the smell of hot food started to drift through the camp
The men ate in shifts; those who finished first got started on the largest tent of all, the field hospital. Some of them donned white coats, denoting their status as medical personnel, and began unpacking the medical gear. Night fell, but large lights kept the compound alight as work continued. The light also served to draw in the poor souls like moths to the flame. The security perimeter intercepted them gently and guided them to triage where they went through intake. If delousing or quarantine was needed, they went one way. If all was well otherwise, the refugee was given a temporary badge and sent to get something hot and filling into his belly.
The Elbener Brothers' CBS Field Camp #1 was in business.