One more contract complete.

Today we finished the Juarez contract for the small colony of Mexican exiles in Northern Montana. It's a fairly remote location, so bringing our supplies out was a bit of a logistical nightmare. As usual though the team handled it deftly. I wouldn't expect any less. Kenny managed to avoid the National Guard's sensor net during the chopper ride out with the gear and Adrian's team. Jack brought the trucks in with the heavy equipment late the following night. Now that we've got the tower up and running, Gen-EX should be able to keep them off the radar. At the very least, thanks to the CB gear and the shortband scanners, they'll have enough warning to get the colony moving if trouble comes.

It took all week, which was longer than I had thought, but we had some rough weather that kept us off the tower over the weekend. I didn't think we'd ever find a use for all those 45G tower segments we picked up on reclamation down near Brownsville after Hurricane Sarah. Adrian and I spent most of the night with her team securing the wireless AP's and the backhaul while Kenny and Jack finished the geothermal HVAC system for the main building. We managed to find an old DoD tower to backhaul to, it's only used for weather data and some other small stuff by the USGS. The 1mbps we're loaning the colonists won't ever be noticed. Especially now that we're using those handy little traffic sneaks I worked out to mask certain data streams. It's a slow link to be sure, but I really think most of them are happy enough just to have electricity again.

Terry was able to trench a line here from a nearby junction for the windfarm 50 miles away. It'll get the colonists enough power while still keeping them unnoticed. Overall I feel we were pretty successfull. Everyone here has been so grateful, and I'll really miss the huevos rancheros for breakfast every morning. The older women reminded me of the abuelitas from my childhood in Dallas. Here's hoping these people aren't exiles forever.

A few photos from the job:


Tower sections back at storage.


Hooking up the traffic sneak at the old DoD tower. (Don't worry, the camera is inactive)


Adrian on the tower at the colony.


Repurposed server for the exiles.

Jakob Dylan - I Told You I Couldn't Stop

In my mind's eye,
A plantation
In the clearing
Is a platform station
In the distance
Is a kingdom
In to the front line
Is how I'm coming

They saw in war
All is fair
I'm heading to the field
In spite of my condition

Whatever you thought
Whatever you thought
You know I told you
I couldn't stop
I couldn't stop

Now through the desert
Out to the sea
Weather-beaten
Through all four seasons
And there is love
In my creation

I've come back
For all the right reasons
I aint your castle
You're not a queen
It isn't yours
That you're so busy there protecting

Whatever you thought
Whatever you thought
You know I told you
I couldn't stop
I couldn't stop

All this beauty
Is sticky sweet
This naughty world
Is due for good deeds

Give me your poor
Your tired masses
Bring me the head
Of the mule in my glasses
Sing that lonesome high melody
Roamin young man,
The horror behind me