by T J Bryan
...
Jamon System - Habitat - Fabricator's Park - Year 3248 November 7 ET 20:01
The "We Can Do It" festival had lasted all day and was in Abel's mind and that of Terrence Van Vos of the Fabricator's Guild a great success. Half the Habitat has assembled in the park in the early morning to listen to music, feast on barbeque, including Abel's famous OCN shrimp, drink Old Nelson's, and listen to politicians make speeches. One of the greatest impacts Abel had realized was the almost 1,200 photographs of active OCN crews the Fabricators Benevolent Association had posted. The photos were posted all over the park and as families strolled about they were certain to see an OCN crew they knew, or family members who served. There was no distinction between rank or type of service. Everyone was pictured. Both Abel, Emmitt, and Terrence knew the respite from exhaustive efforts would be brief, and there was no doubt in any of their minds that this brief break the gruelling hard work was only an interval. But now the festival participants could see the real link between their work and the lives saved; the lives of sons, daughters, brothers, and sisters, or just neighbours.
A great hit was the many project boards posted along the main path. Each set of posters described a major project of the fabricators in support of the OCN. Of particular interest people found the 'mines project,' and the project to produce 'probes'. Dummy assemblies were placed near the posters for everyone to see the home made munitions now critical to fleet survival. Dummy missiles and a caster were also displayed and proved a great hit. Oddly Abel noticed some folks placed their children astride the missiles and took pictures.
Abel now realized that the citizens, and more importantly the fabricators themselves could now see the results of the major munitions projects, as well as the faces of their loved ones and friends who relied upon those munitions. The combination was powerful. Even Nomi's project had a poster board although most folks just stared and moved on.
There was no need for secrecy in the Habitat. There were no Megra here, no spies, and no one who might pass on critical information about the OCN and its' munitions.
However now that everyone could see the link between the OCN crews and their hard work Abel was certain that production was bound to improve in the coming weeks. At some point this boost of purpose might well decline, but in the short run the impact would be real and immediate.
Abel's inter-tab pinged. He looked down. The Naval Command Center had a message. There had been a Fifth Battle at Wu and there had been many losses. Greenland would arrive in 8 days.