The pilot was about to leave when the gray markers moved again.
Four contacts remained outside the Colony’s perimeter.
Two occupied an abandoned residential row to the east. Another stayed inside a building farther north, while the last moved between two structures near an overgrown service road.
The pilot brought the camera toward the eastern row.
One figure appeared behind a damaged rooftop wall.
The person carried a rifle. They raised another object toward the Colony and held it to their face for several seconds.
Binoculars, most likely.
"Well. The neighbors don’t look friendly."
The other gray markers remained out of sight. They did not wander between buildings or gather around sounds like the infected. Their positions overlooked roads leading toward the Colony, and none moved closer to the patrol routes.
The rooftop observer crouched.
The pilot followed the movement until the figure disappeared inside the building.
"Smart enough to know when they’re being watched."
He marked all four positions.
"Raptor One reconnaissance log. Four unidentified contacts detected around the Colony. One visibly armed. Likely human. No active assault observed. Positions recorded for ground security."
Nobody returned to the roof.
Their positions were already recorded. Another circuit would only make them more cautious and draw more attention from the Colony.
"Your problem now, ground boys."
Raptor One turned southwest.
The Colony fell behind the aircraft.
Green and blue markers gradually disappeared from the local Radar. The four gray contacts remained for several seconds longer before they also passed beyond its range.
Buildings became less crowded farther from the fringe.
Apartment blocks stood between open lots and unfinished developments. Vegetation had crossed many of the smaller streets, while the wider roads remained visible beneath abandoned vehicles and loose debris.
The pilot followed the route stored inside the mission recorder.
Several kilometers ahead, three apartment buildings appeared around a large parking area.
A smaller structure stood between the second and third buildings. A convenience store occupied one side of the road, with an old gasoline station farther along it.
The mission record marked the compound separately.
------
[ Commander’s Starting Area ]
------
The pilot glanced at the label.
"This is where he started?"
Raptor One’s Radar swept across the apartment complex.
No markers appeared inside the three buildings.
Several red contacts occupied roads farther from the compound, though none moved toward it. Their behavior remained loose and irregular compared to the observers around the Colony.
Old barricades remained near the parking lot entrances. Some had collapsed under weather and neglect, while others still blocked enough of the road to slow vehicles.
Several cars had been moved away from the central path.
Boards covered portions of the lower-floor windows. Bullet marks remained around the entrances, mixed with dark stains that had long dried against the walls.
The apartment buildings themselves remained standing.
"Starting area intact. No active contacts inside the compound."
He passed over the convenience store and gasoline station.
Both structures showed signs of earlier searches. Doors stood open, shelves remained overturned, and several vehicles had been pushed away from the pumps.
The road beyond them curved south.
The pilot checked the map.
"Commander really did start in the middle of nowhere."
He continued.
The apartment complex disappeared behind Raptor One.
Open ground replaced most of the buildings. Several unfinished housing projects stood beside the road, their concrete frames exposed to the weather. Trees and tall grass covered sections that had once been cleared for construction.
The road descended before bending southwest.
Red markers appeared inside two roadside buildings.
The pilot checked them with the camera.
Three infected wandered through the first structure. Another remained beneath the roof of an abandoned repair shop, moving between the service bays without leaving.
He marked both and continued.
The terrain opened farther ahead.
A broad road emerged from between the trees and joined a larger route running along Grefort’s western side. Multiple lanes stretched in both directions, divided by a damaged center barrier.
Abandoned vehicles occupied the shoulders.
The central lanes remained mostly open.
"Western bypass in sight."
Raptor One descended slightly and followed the southern entrance.
The local Radar swept over the route.
A few red contacts occupied roadside establishments and service areas. None gathered directly on the bypass, while the largest vehicle obstruction remained limited to the outer lanes.
Several sections of the center barrier had collapsed across the pavement. Enough space remained for armored vehicles to pass around them.
"Southern bypass entrance remains usable," the pilot recorded. "Outer lanes obstructed. Central route open."
The road curved west, then gradually turned north around the edge of the city.
Forested land covered one side. Low hills and scattered buildings occupied the other, with Grefort’s western districts rising farther beyond them.
The number of Radar contacts remained low.
Several kilometers ahead, sunlight reflected from a collection of glass structures beside the bypass.
Some domes remained whole.
Others had collapsed beneath vegetation and old damage.
The largest stood near the center of the park, its cracked surface rising above the surrounding trees.
The pilot adjusted course toward it.
"Next stop. Conservatory Park."
Raptor One approached from the south.
The Radar detected red markers before the aircraft reached the outer fence.
Most remained beneath the glass domes and surrounding tree cover. Several moved along the old walkways, while a larger group occupied the area around the Central Dome.
The pilot slowed.
"Still plenty of residents."
Iron fences followed the roadside, bent or collapsed in several places. Vegetation had grown through the openings and spread across the pavement.
Artificial ponds sat between the domes.
Their surfaces had turned dark green. Plants covered most of the water, leaving only narrow patches that reflected the sky.
The smaller domes showed different levels of damage.
Several remained intact beneath layers of vines. Others had lost entire glass sections, exposing the plants and infected underneath.
Red markers wandered through them.
The Central Dome occupied the middle of the park.
A wide crack split its upper section. Broken glass and concrete remained around the opening, while lengths of exposed reinforcement bars reached outward from the damaged frame.
"That didn’t come from bad maintenance."
Raptor One circled the park.
The Radar swept through the Central Dome again.
Several red markers remained inside. More occupied the surrounding walkways and smaller structures, but no single contact stood out from the rest.
He examined the interior through the broken section.
Dense vegetation covered the interior.
Trees had grown beneath the broken roof. Vines crossed the remaining support frames, while large leaves blocked most of the ground below.
Nothing resembling the meteorite shard appeared through the gaps.
"Central Dome damaged. Cause unconfirmed."
He continued the circuit.
The red markers reacted to the aircraft.
Several infected moved out from beneath the smaller domes and entered the open walkways. Others gathered near the broken fence, their heads tilted toward the sound above.
None posed a threat at Raptor One’s altitude.
"Conservatory Park remains occupied. Multiple infected contacts. No visible Hive growth."
He paused.
"No visual confirmation of the suspected shard either."
The pilot marked the Central Dome and turned back toward the bypass. The infected continued gathering below, but he did not attack.
"Enjoy the garden."
Raptor One accelerated north.
The park disappeared behind the trees.
The bypass continued through hilly terrain. One side rose into wooded slopes, while the other descended toward scattered resorts and private properties hidden between the vegetation.
A few red markers appeared near the roadside.
Most remained inside abandoned buildings or beneath the tree cover. None gathered directly on the road.
The pilot checked the route ahead.
Several damaged vehicles occupied the outer lanes. One truck had been pushed off the asphalt, its container separated from the cabin and resting against the roadside barrier.
Part of the nearby slope had been disturbed.
The pilot shifted the camera toward it.
Old tire marks crossed the mud. Broken roots and compacted soil remained where the obstruction had once blocked most of the road.
"Another old operation site."
The mission record identified the location.
------
[ Raider Ambush Site ]
------
The pilot looked at the bodies near the roadside.
Only bones and pieces of ruined clothing remained. Vegetation had started growing across the roadside around them.
No markers appeared nearby.
"Ambush site clear. Bypass remains passable."
He continued north.
The terrain gradually opened.
The road widened near a major highway intersection, followed by concrete barriers and old military structures farther ahead.
Blue markers entered the Radar.
Several occupied the watchtowers around a fortified checkpoint. Others patrolled the walls, gate, and nearby highway.
"Friendly post ahead."
Raptor One approached from the south.
The captured military post still carried evidence of its former occupants. Burned vehicles reinforced several sections of the perimeter, while sandbags around the old checkpoint had been rearranged into cleaner defensive positions. The damaged fencing had also been repaired where possible.
One patrol moved along the outer highway. Another remained near the main gate, while soldiers inside the compound checked the buildings and storage areas.
The watchtowers tracked Raptor One as it passed.
"Military post remains secure. Friendly patrols active."
He widened the scan.
No red markers appeared inside the compound.
A few remained farther from the highway, scattered beneath the trees and nearby abandoned properties. None approached the perimeter.
The pilot checked the route again.
The smaller army base lay northeast of the post.
He banked in that direction.
"Let’s see who moved into the next one."
The smaller army base appeared several minutes later.
Blue markers entered the Radar before the compound came into view.
They occupied the perimeter wall, the watchtowers, and several buildings arranged around the training yard. A patrol moved along the northern fence while another crossed between the barracks and the maintenance depot.
The pilot checked the mission record.
------
[ Northeast Military Base ]
[ Strategic Facilities ]
[ Military Medicine Wing ]
[ Military Vehicle Maintenance Depot ]
------
"So the Commander owns this one too."
Raptor One passed over the compound.
The main gate remained open, though soldiers guarded both sides. Several vehicles stood near the maintenance depot, while more blue markers moved inside the medicine wing and command building.
No red contacts appeared within the local Radar.
"Friendly control confirmed. Perimeter secure. Strategic facilities occupied by friendly units.
The soldiers below followed the aircraft as it crossed overhead.
One of the watchtower gunners raised an arm.
The pilot tilted Raptor One’s wings in response.
"Professional acknowledgment delivered."
He turned toward the Airfield.
No unchecked locations remained on the route.
The wider command link returned several minutes later, followed by the familiar blue and green markers across Hans’s territory.
"Raptor One to Flight Operations. Reconnaissance complete. Returning to base."
"Flight Operations receiving. Proceed to the Airfield."
The runway appeared ahead. Raptor One aligned with it as the landing gear lowered.
The pilot checked the mission timer.
"Guess I was five minutes early."
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