Journal of John Aaron Bell

[RandyT0001]

Leader of the Morrow Project West Tennessee Group’s Frozen Watch Team

Day 001
I’m typing this on a Surface Pro 3 tablet. It is light and handy, a new addition to the bolthole among other things. The ‘other things’ are two Hummers, a trailer, an old M29 mortar with some rounds, and an individual weapon kit for each of the team members. Gave the doctor’s kit to Laura Sanchez, the shotgun to Angela Brooks, the grenade launcher to Eric Cooper, the two M16 kits to George Luckett and Charles Johnson while I took the last MP5 for myself. We were frozen in November 1998. It seems like the Project had some changes because they added vehicles and weapons to a frozen watch team. Frozen watch teams were to be activated for replacement personnel by the group leader but we were activated by radio from PB. I don’t understand why but I’m going to err on the side of caution for now.

Upon revival, the team checked equipment. Except for Laura, the doctor, each team member has a tablet. She got a military grade, ruggedized laptop. Once we finished the weapons clearing and cleaning, we armed ourselves and I sent Angela and Charles on an initial recon sweep around the bolthole at 25m. The temperature was warm and leaves covered the ground so it is probably autumn. Laura and George remained in the hole while Eric and I provided over watch of Angela and Charles from the top of the bolthole. The sweeps were repeated every additional 25m until reaching 200m distance. Laura and George did not find any roads within 200m. During our pre-emplacement briefing, we were told that there were two light duty roads within 200m of the bolthole. All that Laura and George reported were mature trees with light underbrush for another 100m(?) distance. Damn, I wish they had put autonavs on these vehicles.

Eric, our resident MP engineering replacement, says there is a partially collapsed retaining wall on the hillside relative to where the vehicle exit is inside the hole. He also says that section of the hole was built separately from our part of the bolthole. When you go outside there is no vehicle path wide enough for Hummers between the trees just beyond the wall. Charles, our resident agricultural MP replacement, estimates that the trees surrounding the bolthole vary from forty to eighty years in age. I gathered the team for a quick discussion of the possibility that we have not woke five years post war but eighty years post war. It was agreed by all that we continue with Project directives until we have more information.

After the meeting, Eric and I go outside to find the best location to set up sanitary facilities for the team’s use for a few days. We only had an hour of daylight left so we selected a temporary location for use until the morning. Except for Laura, every team member was assigned a two-hour shift of outside guard duty with a pair of night vision goggles. Everybody was told the challenge and password so they could exit the hole for sanitary reasons. As I told everybody to eat a cold meal tonight, Angela sighed to make sure I knew she didn’t like that decision but she complied. The watches reported wildlife noise and no smells of smoke from distant fires.

John Aaron Bell