Hunter had experienced more shocks in the past few days than he had in the first half of his life combined.
If learning on the island had shown him just how powerful Castel was, then his time with the Expeditionary Force had shown him just how astonishing Castel's production capacity was.
Steam locomotives—even the heavy machine guns mounted on them alone could wipe out an entire coalition army. Yet these days, for the sake of rapid transport, Castel had been sending locomotives out on one-way trips.
At least three trains departed each day. These steel locomotives and carriages were treated as expendable supplies; once they arrived, they were simply abandoned here rather than wasting time sending them back.
This had doubled the railway's transport capacity to the Northern Territory in a short time.
Not only had Castel sent Expeditionary Force soldiers and weapons, it had also delivered vast quantities of construction materials.
And Hunter was seeing the "concrete" he had long dreamed of for the first time.
"That's all it takes?!"
Hunter stared wide-eyed at the workers pouring concrete before him.
"Yes. Mix the concrete, pour it in, and that's it. It's hardly more difficult than playing with mud." Hodge spread his hands. "In a few hours, it'll begin to set. After a full day, the forms can be removed. If the weather is suitable, it can be used in a few days. Of course, according to procedure, it won't reach its full design strength until a month later."
Hodge was exaggerating somewhat. In truth, there were quite a few steps in construction, from placing rebar to installing formwork and compacting the concrete.
But Hunter had seen how fortifications were built elsewhere.
First, they had to find a suitable quarry. Holes were chiseled into massive stones, iron wedges were inserted,