Earl - 12. Earl Chapter 12

“Good evening, as Sebastian said, my name is Hamysh Lloyd and I would like to give you some more information about this complex that we are talking about. You have read in the media about three years ago, about a floating city that sits in a sheltered bay of the Abrolhos Islands, off the coast of Geraldton, Western Australia.

Well a similar but small version of that has been built specifically for the consortium, to provide a work, rest and relaxation place for Darwin harbour. This secure complex is 4 levels high, with one level being underwater, which consists of most of the engineering and security departments, as well as stores for the whole complex. On the roof of the complex there is two helipads, and just below it, facing north is the main harbour control tower.

On a separate section is the executive and operations staff suites, with a number of lounge rooms, and each suite is 175 square metres in area, so quite spacious. On the next level down, which is level two, on the north section, there is the complex administration, the meteorology weather station and the centre section has the general staff accommodation and lounges, with those suites being 75 square metres in area.

Level two is at sea level and consists of the two entry foyers, the information office, customs and quarantine offices, a sports centre, plus two basketball courts, a fitness gym, changerooms, a large restaurant and two cafés and two kitchens, along with two outdoor park areas a large outdoor deck area and an outdoor pool. There are also two mooring jetties, with mooring bays for the tugboats and the two transport boats.

As mentioned before, level four is underwater, and it contains engineering, which consists of the power station, which is run by solar and wind turbine generators, a water desalination plant and storage tanks, a waste treatment plant and holding tank, plus a maintenance workshop and storage room.

Other areas on this last level include a security centre, that includes a detention centre that has 8 twin cells and 2 isolation cells, an exercise area and two shower rooms. Each cell has their own toilet and wash basin, that are like all prison systems, twin single beds, a table, two chairs, and shelving that is fixed to the wall.

For those present today, you will be issues with your new security ID & Access Cards, keep them with you at all times, and do not lose them. The executive team, your cards will have a blue stripe on the bottom, while the operations staff will have a green stripe. When the general staff employment has been finalised, they will be issued cards with yellow stripes,” Hamysh said.

“Excuse me sir, I see that you and Mr Wagner have the same cards but with a red stripe,” the senior meteorologist asked, “Well spotted, yes the four members of the consortium as owners of the complex, and employers of the general staff, will have red corporate security cards that you see, which gives us access to every area of the complex, and what hasn’t been mentioned is that there is a section of the complex, that contains accommodation for corporate staff, that being Mr Lloyd, Mr Wagner, Sir Lewis and myself, and our immediate staff when required.

We will in no way disrupt the operations of the complex, unless it is at the time of an emergency, like a fire or a cyclone, and only then we will be consult with the executive team with those matters. Any more questions, before we show you the layout plans of the complex?” Tyler stated, and there was silence in the room.

After showing group gathered the layout of the complex, Sebastian stood up again. “As you see, the complex has everything that you need to work and rest in comfort, and from this photo taken the other day, you can see what the new wharf complex looks like, and where the blue marks are located just north of Wickham Point, that is where the complex will be located, just 250 metres off shore, which also guarantees better security.

The consortium took delivery the other day of four new tug boats, and two swath support boats, which will be used to transport the day staff and supplies to the complex, and staff back to Darwin when needed. We have a base situated just north of Frances Bay Mooring basin, which as of Monday morning, your ID access cards will get you through the security gate to the parking area, and into the large shed, where the swath boats and tug boats, will be based and maintained.

That will also be the main terminal to get too and from the complex, which is called Harbour City, and where we ask you to be at 6 pm on Sunday evening, with a few nights luggage, for your first look at the complex. Just a reminder, that everything that you have heard and seen is strictly confidential, and secret, so I remind you of the agreement that you all signed when you accepted your jobs, as remind you that swift action will be taken regarding your employment and legal action taken, if the agreement is broken. Any questions?” Sebastian stated, and no one spoke up, so he called an end to the briefing, and wished everyone a good weekend.

The consortium remained, so as to chat to some of the staff, before heading back to their suites for a brief rest before heading to the consortium terminal, to travel out to meet the cargo ship that would be soon arriving, just an hour before the peak of high tide.

This would give the ship at least five hours before it would need to move to deeper water until the next high tide, at about 6 am the next morning. At 7.00 pm, the members of the consortium arrived at their terminal, and after parking, Hamysh lead the way inside, passing through two sets of glass doors that required the security cards, and a third very solid door, which leads into the terminal lounge, which has big wide windows that give a good view of the boat mooring area, which was in darkness, until Hamysh switched on the flood lights, which filled the huge shed in front of them.

“Well, this is a lot bigger than I expected, I am very impressed,” Lewis stated, and the others agreed. “Sir Lewis, as a former Navy man, would you like to take out the first tug boat, and I will take out the second one, to go and meet the cargo ship,” Hamysh asked, and Lewis smiled, “That would be great, It has ben a while, but it would be great to get behind the controls of a boat again,” Lewis replied, and his husband, Sebastian laughed.

Going into another room, that looked like it was an office, Hamish retrieved the keys to the two tug boats and handed one to Lewis, before heading out to the main shed, with everyone else following. All of the Wagner family followed Lewis to the end tugboat, while Lord Tyler followed Hamish.

Once the tugs were started and warmed up, they steered them out of the shed, and headed for the entrance to the harbour to meet the cargo ship. Once the cargo ship was sighted, Lewis grabbed his radio mic. “Cargo ship Aragon, this is Northport tug services, over,” he said into the radio.

“Northport, this is Aragon, receiving you, awaiting your instructions, over,” came the reply. “Aragon, slow to 6 knots, and steer 140 degrees for 3.8 nautical miles, then slow 2 knots and steer 120 degrees for 3.24 nautical miles until you are one nautical mile north west of Wickham point, then all stop. You will have two tugboats escorting you, one on each side of you, over,” Lewis instructed.

“Roger, directions received, and understood, over,” the cargo ship officer replied. About 50 minutes later, the cargo ship arrived at the required location, the ship remained idling at one spot, while the ship’s crew began working the ships giant cranes, to lift the first section of Harbour city, off the deck and into the water, where the twelve specialist building team, that travelled with the ship, boarded the tug boats.

Attaching the first section which is the bottom two levels, the tug boats towed the section to its permanent location, just 250 metres off Wickham point, where the building team, began the process of forcing the eight giant poles that are the support legs for the harbour city, deep into the harbour floor, to keep the city secure.

While this was happening, the tug boats returned to the cargo ship, and carefully guided it closer to the complex, so the ships cranes, could begin lifting the three sections of level two onto the complex when the four outer legs have been driven into place.

Unfortunately, due to some delays, the ship had to be pushed back into deeper water with the low tide approaching, so it would have to wait until an hour before the next high tide at 6 am. By 2 am all eight legs had been pushed into place, and the complex was ready to receive the next three sections of level two, just when the sun is due to rise.

With a few hours of sleep, everyone was back to work to start unloading the next three sections of level two into position, which took a little bit of extra time due to and increase in wind speed. Once again due to the changing tides, work was put on hold to await the next high tide, at around 5 pm.

This break allowed for everyone to catch up on some sleep, with one tug boat remaining onsite, while the other one ferried us back to the terminal, and we headed back to the resort to get some sleep. As the consortium team gathered for a late lunch at 2 pm, Hamysh Lloyd arrived with a newspaper in hand.

“Looks like we have made the headlines” he commented as he sat down and handed the paper over to Sebastian. “Mysterious construction happening just off Wickham Point” was the headlines that Sebastian read out loud to everyone, before continuing with the article.

“Overnight and early this morning, the Territory News has noticed a cargo ship anchored just off Wickham Point, where it’s offloading a complex of some kind, that is sitting over the water about 200 metres offshore. Enquiries that have been made have been answered with unknown, and access to the area is cut off, due to security fencing in the area.

A new rail line has also been linked to the main line, from Wickham Point, where a new wharf has been under construction for over twelve months now, and there seems to be no government department, that knows what it is for or who owns it,” Sebastian read out.

“Keep the bastards guessing is my response to that,” Tyler said, which had everyone at the table laughing. “Yes, my friend, we know what your feelings are about the media,” Lewis responded. After they had all eaten, they headed back to the terminal, and set off in the tug boat once more to supervise the completion of the construction of the Harbour City complex.

Lewis headed up to the ships bridge to speak to the cargo ship captain, to find out if anything has happened while they have been away resting.

“Good afternoon sir, my junior officer who was on watch in the early afternoon, reported a helicopter flying low over the ship and the complex, and he thought he saw a camera of some kind from the back window,” the captain informed Lewis, who thanked him for the information, before heading back downstairs, to get back onto the tug boat, and pass on the information to Sebastian and to Hamysh.

Meeting with the building crew, they reported that all sections that are in place have been checked and double checked for alignment, and everything is good, and that they are ready to secure the last two sections of level one into place, and to get the power station operational.

It was an hour after dark when the final section of level one was secured into place, and while the ship moved out into deeper water, the work crews checked everything was aligned in the elevator shafts and stair wells, before getting the elevators operational and testing them a number of times, before the all clear was given that everything was now fully operational.