I shook my head in consternation at the strutting Marine Colonel who moved back and forth braggadociously in front of us. The group I was with, as a whole, looked completely clueless as to what was going on.
Poor things didn't know what to think. First they'd been shown an underground side of the government that they hadn't known existed. Then they'd been told that the Earth was flat and now they were being addressed by a hardcore military warhound, who was informing them that they were about to be dropped into a combat theatre of war.
"I'd take questions, only I won't, as I imagine a lot of you would like to beg off and run home crying to your mama, but that ain't happening! You're here and you're going. Thing is that without the establishment of a secure landing area we don't yet have a feasible means of getting back to the surface once we go down."
Group members were looking at each other now with a rapidly escalating comprehension of horror. All those big fat incentive driving paychecks had been for show, because nobody was coming back until the mission was a success.
The Col. was revealing a bit of the game plan it would seem and bitterly I listened on as he rambled, "…… But once we have a base, well then, anything's possible."
"But what about the ancient power supply module we were told about?" Cried out a voice from the crowd.
The Marine Colonel laughed, "The what? Is that the story they told you up top? Oh don't get me wrong they got power and lots of it down there, but that ain't what we're after. No sir, we're after territory! A new manifest destiny for America. There's everything a body could want down there in terms of climate. While stuff goes societal nuts up here you fortunate gents and brawds will be living the good life down below. That is, if we get our base started and secured, which ain't gonna be easy. Okay, that's it for your briefing. All right, through that door double quick now! There's no time to be wasted as new land is going fast down below and I by gum plan to see that the good old US of A has a larger share of it than anyone else! Now get along there!!!" He cried out angrily at the last at his audience of shellshocked scientists and mathematicians, who had thought they were on a quest for science in an untouched paradise, only now came to find out with buyer's remorse that the journey they had embarked on included a side trip through hell.