War Games: Strength

Deep below the Cube on Avalon Island, kilometers below the surface and near the border of the crust and mantle of the planet, was ARES Central Command. In contrast with the usual understated elegance or futuristic decor of the Terran Empire, the command structure was very, very barebones. So barebones, in fact, that it was a simple cavern that’d been dug out of the ground and had workstations placed in it for the military high command to issue orders, make plans, and track the progress of ongoing operations.

Not that it really mattered, to be honest, as augmented reality could make even a cesspit look like a palatial garden.

Currently within the rooms carved out of the rock, a planning session was taking place between John and the rest of the human leadership of ARES.