Taking a while to root-out every last bit of information, Gilbert managed to uncover some real gems.
Officially, Alester House and the island itself were owned by ‘Arthur Connolly Holdings’ – a super-rich money laundering – er… “money lending” corporation. While nothing illegal can be proven against it, the company has developed quite a bad reputation over the years, as a merciless band of greedy loan sharks that would have no problem foreclosing on a hospital or orphanage, should it ever get the chance.
Alester House is a large estate located on one of the private islands to which the floating Uliga Island industrial complex is anchored. Because of this, the estate is reachable by motor vehicle, along a private road that leads from Uliga Island and onto the natural island, before winding a mile or two up the verdantly green hills to the manor proper.
The area around the manor (see Estate map) is surrounded by a twelve foot high heavy chain link fence, entered through a stone gatehouse watched over by a camera. An intercom at the gatehouse allows two-way communication with the manor from the gatehouse, so the gate can be opened remotely when needed.
Beyond the gatehouse, the private road winds through a heavily wooded area, before opening up to a clearing in which the manor stands. The trees surrounding the estate have been cleared fifty feet from the fencing, where a dirt track follows the fence along the inside to allow regular patrols to dive along its perimeter. Further security also includes a camera at each corner of the fencing, looking down the length.
The manor itself, a three-hundred by two-hundred-forty foot wide, sixty foot high, stone mansion with Spanish-tile roof, is situated atop a hundred foot high cliff overlooking the ocean. It, in addition to a garden, swimming pool, and tennis courts, sits on a twelve foot high raised stone courtyard. A matching stone wall extends to either side of the raised courtyard, to hide the chain fence behind and offer a more refined vista of the area from the manor. Additionally, a very large garage and fenced dog kennel are also located on the grounds. Cameras on the manor house watch over the clearing.
The fenced-in dog kennel houses a dozen vicious and aggressive guard dogs, trained to attack anyone they don’t recognize – in other words, Gilbert and Gilbert alone. The kennel can be opened remotely from the Security Room in the basement of the Alester House by means of a buried hardline between the two.
Each of the dogs in the kennel are equipped with an unusually bulky collar – perhaps an explosive device or other nefarious trap.
A camera watches over the interior of the garage, which houses six fancy sports cars, an unmarked delivery van, and a relatively modern tank – complete with a turret mounted 115mm Military Main Gun and 20mmC Military Heavy Support Gun.
Also in the garage is a work area with an elaborate set of mechanics and electronics tools, where the tank is currently being serviced.
In addition to the cameras and fencing mentioned above, below is a list of the manor’s other security measures.
Two Snipers are stationed on the roof of the manor house, ready to pick off anyone noticed by the security cameras that come into the clearing or near the house.
Two Manor Thugs also patrol the grounds in an old Jeep, equipped with a 12mmL Police Vehicle-Mounted Chaingun.
Each of the three small clearings, in the wooded area that surrounds the manor, contain an underground missile battery that can be raised up and controlled via buried hardline to a panel in the manor’s Security Room. There are twelve Surface-To-Air Missiles in each battery, which the manor will use to defend against air-based attacks or intrusion.
Gilbert also managed to snag some maps of the interior, though the layout of the basement was not available - nor the underground sub-base apparently...
