RTS System in the Apocalypse: New World

One of the Engineers approached immediately.

”The site remained secure, Commander.”

”No interruptions?”

”None.”

Hans looked past him at the wide tract between the two deployed PCVs. A few storage buildings still stood outside the intended footprint, but most of the selected ground remained bare concrete, cracked pavement, and strips of weeds pushing through the seams.

He opened the Primary Structures interface. The completed entry waited there.

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[ Airfield Base ]

[ Construction complete. ]

[ Ready for deployment. ]

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Hans opened the Radar map.

The Airfield tract appeared beneath the wider view of the western roads. Trailblazer Three and Trailblazer Four remained at opposite sides of the available construction area, their connected zones overlapping across the center.

A deployment outline formed over the map.

The Engineers’ markings appeared beneath it, showing the position and orientation they had prepared for the runway, hangars, landing pads, and support structures. The proposed footprint occupied most of the cleared tract without crossing beyond the connected construction zones.

Hans adjusted the view and checked the edges once more.

The northern road remained clear. The eastern approach would still have enough space for vehicles and future defenses. None of the abandoned storage buildings farther out interfered with the selected area.

He placed the Airfield Base over the Engineers’ markings.

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[ Airfield Base deployment zone selected. ]

[ Confirm deployment? ]

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”Confirm.”

The outline locked into place.

A pale grid spread across the selected ground. Broken pavement disappeared beneath the System foundation. Cracks closed, weeds vanished, and the remaining concrete leveled until the center of the tract became one continuous surface.

The runway formed first.

A broad strip extended through the middle of the area and stopped near the limits of the prepared footprint. Its dark surface remained smoother than any road surrounding the tract. White markings appeared across both ends, followed by the centerline and the guiding marks along its edges.

Taxi lanes branched away from the runway.

They crossed both sides of the Airfield and connected the main strip to several reinforced aprons. Ground lights formed along the edges while painted guidance lines divided the available space.

Steel frames rose beside the western apron.

Layered wall panels locked around them until several long hangars stood in a row. Their broad entrances closed behind segmented doors, while smaller access points, ventilation units, and service connections appeared along the outer walls.

A maintenance section formed beside the nearest hangar. Equipment bays opened across its front, followed by repair mounts and protected utility connections leading beneath the pavement.

Wide doors opened across the front of the maintenance bays before sealing again. Reinforced lanes connected each bay directly to the western apron. Aircraft could enter the maintenance section without crossing the central taxi lanes or approaching the helicopter pads on the eastern side. That kept repair traffic along one side of the Airfield and left the center open for launches and landings.

The eastern side developed next.

Reinforced landing pads and open hardstands rose from the new foundation. Each pad remained separated from the others by enough space for aircraft to approach without crossing another position. Service lanes linked them to the central apron and the support buildings taking shape behind them.

A compact operations building rose near the rear of the Airfield. Its upper level overlooked the runway and both apron sections. Communications arrays unfolded across the roof while antennas and floodlights appeared around it.

Smaller buildings followed.

Storage facilities, crew rooms, and utility structures formed along the rear lanes. A protected fuel section appeared farther from the hangars, surrounded by sealed tanks, reinforced barriers, and pipes running beneath the ground toward the service areas.

The System completed the remaining lanes and walkways afterward.

By the time the final walls settled, the open tract had disappeared. The runway occupied the center. Hangars and maintenance facilities stood along the western side, while the landing pads and hardstands covered the east. The operations and support buildings remained behind them, all connected through the surrounding service lanes.

The lights came online in sequence.

White lights marked the runway. Smaller guidance lights followed along the taxi lanes and landing pads. The hangar doors remained closed.

A military airbase now occupied the tract.

A notification appeared before Hans.

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[ Airfield Base deployment complete. ]

[ Aircraft production available. ]

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[ Energy: 1,403 (+300) => 1,703 / 2,000 ]

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[ New units unlocked ]

[ Raptor Air Superiority Fighter - 20,000 ]

[ Falcon Utility Helicopter - 9,500 ]

[ Apache Heavy Attack Helicopter - 15,000 ]

[ Valkyrie Airborne Deployment Aircraft - 22,000 ]

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Hans left the panel open for several moments, then stepped onto the newly formed pavement.

From where he stood, the runway divided most of the tract. The storage buildings that had looked large during the survey now stood beyond it like small blocks. Trailblazer Three remained visible past the western apron, while Trailblazer Four stood beyond the support lanes on the eastern side.

The two PCVs had been enough to cover the footprint, but the Airfield almost filled the space between them. Only the outer strips remained open for Walls, patrol routes, and the defensive structures that would follow.

The hangars now blocked parts of the western view, while the support buildings divided the eastern side into narrower lanes. The veteran squads adjusted their patrol routes without waiting for another order. One moved around the northern approach while the other spread farther along the eastern side. The Guardian APC passed between them and turned near the end of the service lane.

The lead Engineer approached Hans.

”The footprint matches the prepared position, Commander. Both vehicle approaches remain clear.”

”And the perimeter?”

”We can begin marking the first Wall line immediately. The western and southern sides will require the longest coverage.”

”Mark the positions first. I’ll inspect them before deploying anything.”

”Understood.”

The current garrison would not be enough once aircraft began operating. The new buildings had broken up the sightlines across the tract, while the noise from every flight would carry beyond the perimeter.

It needed Walls, more soldiers, and permanent defensive positions.

Until now, Hans’s army had depended on roads. The Airfield offered another way to move, but he did not yet know what its aircraft could actually do.

He dismissed the deployment notification and opened the information panel.