What the frack?! Katniss and Peeta have arrived at the home of Panem’s power, District 5.
District 5’s welcome for the Victors today seemed to be the most muted of the Victory Tour so far, but only because they could spare just half an hour to greet the arriving heroes. If the people of our powerful fifth district took too much time off, there’d be rolling blackouts in the Capitol and those eyelashes just wouldn’t look right if the curlers weren’t heated would they?
On the way to the district’s largest wind farm, Mayor Clarke gave Katniss and Peeta a crash course in Hydraulic Fracturing, a method of releasing natural gas and petroleum by breaking through rocks. The Mayor himself is credited with creating a machine, similar to that of the ‘fracking’ equipment, which increases the yield of drinking water from wells using the same technology, a design now used all over Panem. Lets remember that District 3 are not the only innovators in our modern society.
Katniss and Peeta are "blown away" by District 5's largest wind farm
Peeta was overheard commenting on the peacefulness of the wind farm, admitting to being afraid he would be blown away!
Katniss and Peeta are treated to a look at Panem's power grid.
Under cover of the Control Centre, the young couple were shown the blinking lights of the nation’s power on the enormous grid. Katniss excitedly pointed out District 12 on the map, and Peeta asked whether the lights aglow on that section might be the electric fence that protects the district from the wilds beyond. They were told that they probably were but the wind farm was not the only provider for the area.
The two were then whisked away like lightning to take a tour of the goliath hydroelectric power station. Almost a quarter of the size of the Capitol, the grounds of the station stands on the Cresta Dam, renamed after the victory of Annie Cresta following a broken dam in the 70th Annual Hunger Games.
The magnificent Cresta Dam
The Power Station Operator explained to the visitors how, during the Hunger Games broadcast, he remains in constant contact with the Gamemakers for scheduling purposes. He has to ensure that the grid has enough power in storage for the inevitable surge at the beginning of the day’s highlights, when everybody switches on their televisions to catch up with their favourite Tributes.
By the time Katniss and Peeta returned to the Justice Building, the night shift had taken over, so the day shift workers were gathered to greet them. The stage glowed with twinkle lights, powered by the stations they had just visited, as Mellark and Everdeen delivered their speeches once more in the ethereal radiance.
It is only a short ride to District 4 so the Victory Train is expected to arrive at sunrise in Panem’s fishing district.