RTS System in the Apocalypse-Chapter 127: Northern Reconnaissance - Into the Deep (I)

The base's silence lasted only for a minute after the briefing ended.

Then the engines hummed from idle to low.

One after another, the deep rumble of armored vehicles rolled across the compound.

The rear ramps of each Guardian APC slammed onto the concrete; soldiers soon rushed to the open hatches.

"Load up, load up!" An Army Soldier waved.

18 DASFs moved first, their heavy HCMARs resting against their armored chests. Kimmy and Yunera joined their group, an order that directly came from Hans himself.

They stacked up on a single Guardian APC, leaving no more room for the rest.

Elsewhere, Missile Infantry boarded with difficulty, hauling their bulky launchers over their shoulders.

Guardian GIs stepped forward with the weight of their Mark 19 grenade launchers strapped across their backs.

Snipers arrived next, carrying long weapon cases that housed their Barrett rifles.

Then came the rest—Scouts, Army Soldiers, Engineers, and the fronline male Medics.

They filled the ramps one squad at a time, eager to arrive in the battlefield more so than their Commander himself.

The cramped compartment filled quickly—twenty men locking themselves into the seats that lined the hull.

By the roadside, Vanguard MBTs growled awake like heavy beasts stretching after a short sleep.

"Big Rhino, warming up. All Vanguard MBTs, give me a sitrep."

"War Elephant on the go."

"Siege Bear waiting for command." 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

"..."

The short exchange of status reports ended quickly.

Inside the command seat of Big Rhino, the tank leader of the newly formed Iron Lance teams switched channels and patched the armored unit into the convoy network.

"This is Iron Lance Actual to Iron Convoy Actual. Do you copy, over?"

"I hear you, Iron Lance Actual. Send it."

"Iron Lance One and Two ready for departure. Give us the green light on your side anytime, over."

"Copy that. Iron Convoy moving."

Fumes drifted across the yard as the Guardian APCs rolled forward and lined up along the road. "Iron Convoy has arrived. Ready for departure."

In front of them, the Vanguard MBTs formed two rows with three tanks on the first line, four on the second; their massive turrets slowly scanned the perimeter.

The armored column now extended across the road, larger than before.

Big Rhino switched channels again.

"This is Iron Lance Actual to Iron Hammer Actual. Status check."

For a moment, only static answered. Then a deep voice crackled over the network.

"Iron Hammer standing by."

Far behind the convoy of nine Guardian APCs, two massive silhouettes crawled out from the maintenance yard.

The Hellhammer artillery tanks moved slower than the rest of the column; their long 203-millimeter siege cannons pointed slightly skyward, waiting for the opportune call.

"Iron Hammer One Ready."

"Iron Hammer Two ready."

Big Rhino nodded faintly inside the command hatch.

"Copy that. Hold rear position. Waiting for Golden Eagle. All units, stand by."

The channel switched once more. Another voice entered the network. This time, it was calm and steady.

"Attention all units: Golden Eagle entering formation."

The armored SUV rolled out from the command building and eased into positition between the APC convoy, foot infantry, and the artillery.

Hans sat inside the vehicle's passenger seat, watching the entire formation assemble through the armored windshield.

Callum and another DASF sat on the second row; they remained near his side, acting as his personal bodyguards.

The Scout behind the wheel tapped on his comms.

"Convoy formation confirmed," he said. "Begin movement, Iron Lance Actual."

"Roger that, Golden Eagle. Iron Lance is Oscar Mike."

Big Rhino roared forward first; the tracks rolled slowly over the thickened asphalt. War Elephant and Siege Bear followed behind, their movement signaling the convoy's departure.

Soldiers stationed in the military base and the outpost all saluted in their direction, hoping for their Commander's successful campaign.

Hans glanced at the mirror and waited until the military base blurred from his sight.

The road ahead winded upward, slowing their advance. Hans yawned at their current speed, wishing that the system should have buffed his armored units' speed instead.

His eyes fluttered into the dreamland; the echoes of his soldier's victorious shouts reverberating in his mind.

...

An hour later—Hans woke up from the sudden halt of the vehicle.

"Iron Lance Actual to all units; we have arrived."

Hans rubbed his eyes and leaned slightly toward the window.

From the hilltop, the world outside had changed.

Gone were the residential blocks and tall commercial buildings. In their place rose the northwestern industrial sector.

Massive factory complexes spanned across the horizon. Industrial chimneys pierced the grayed sky; some collapsed on their halves, others still standing strong despite the harsh weather recently.

Rows of warehouses lined both sides of the highway, their loading bays all fully opened and dark.

Trucks sat abandoned along the roadside, rust covering their metal frames. A few had crashed into each other during the early days of the apocalypse.

Beyond them, refinery towers and fuel tanks overshadowed the district.

The entire sector was silent.

Even the wind seemed reluctant to move through the maze of concrete and steel.

Hans narrowed his eyes; there he saw them further down his vision.

Hundreds of zombies loitered between the factory yards, their numbers gradually gathering to the road as the sound of engines reached them from afar.

Deeper into the district, something stirred; its aura filled with malevolence.

A dense mass of bodies clustered around the central refinery complex.

That must be this sector's hive, Hans leaned back in his seat. "Looks like we found them. Iron Convoy Actual, this is Golden Eagle. Deploy the strike teams."

"Roger that, Golden Eagle. Stand by for deployment."

Hans's eyes shifted to the Guardian APCs. Two rear hatches opened.

The DASFs and the two superhuman women disembarked first.

Matilda checked the chamber of her HCMAR while Kross scanned the horizon, committing each choke point, small alley, and zones into his mind.

The other special operators spread outward immediately, forming a loose perimeter around their squad leaders, and Kimmy and Yunera.

In front of them, another APC ramp dropped. Five sniper teams stepped onto the road.

Each pair moved with practice—one carried the long Barrett rifle case while the other swept the surroundings with a suppressed MP7.

A Sniper and a Scout.

They quickly fanned out alongside the rails and abandoned vehicles, already searching for elevated positions among the factory roofs and broken cranes.

Just as they were in position, one regular infantry squad gathered behind them.

Army Soldiers formed the backbone of this squad, their M16 rifles raised as they secured the immediate perimeter.

Conscripts layered in between, ready to provide cover fire and support to the Army Soldiers.

A Machine Gunner dropped to one knee near a concrete barrier and rested his M249.

Beside him, a Guardian GI stepped forward, the MK19 GL still strapped across his back.

The last to arrive was a Missile Infantry unit, grunting with the launcher over his shoulder.

Within seconds, the small force formed a defensive ring around the convoy.

Silence settled on the hilltop highway.

Only the distant groans of the infected echoed between the empty factory buildings.