RTS System in the Apocalypse: New World

Striker One’s pilot and gunner climbed into the armored cockpit.

The two sections closed above them while the Ground Guidance Crew cleared the aircraft’s immediate area.

Its rotors began turning.

"Striker One to Flight Operations. Preflight complete."

"Flight Operations receiving. Pad clear. Departure approved."

Striker One lifted from the concrete.

The aircraft remained steady as its landing gear left the pad. It climbed above the nearby hangars, turned east, and accelerated toward Site Three.

"Striker One to Fairy. Airborne and proceeding toward South One."

"Fairy receives. South One is advancing east along the northern road. Coordinate with South One Actual."

"Striker One copies."

The helicopter continued east.

"Striker One to South One Actual."

"South One Actual receives."

"Visual contact with your rear vehicles. Approaching from the west."

"Copy. Remain north of the formation. Scouts are inspecting the next intersection."

"Understood."

Striker One reached South One less than two minutes later.

Its Radar swept beyond the next intersection.

"South One Actual, large concentration detected ahead. Current estimate, thirty thousand to fifty thousand. Additional movement farther east."

Anton opened the platoon channel.

"South One, halt. Forward elements return to the previous intersection."

"South One copies."

Bastions One, Two, and Three occupied the center of the northern road. The additional Guardian APC remained farther back with the newly assigned squad. Infantry had already dismounted around the forward vehicles, while the Scouts remained near the next intersection.

Striker One circled north of the formation and continued its scan.

Abandoned vehicles filled the lanes ahead. Private cars occupied most of them, though several buses and cargo trucks had become trapped between the smaller vehicles. Others had been pushed sideways, closing entire sections of the road.

The first infected wandered between them.

Most of the concentration remained beyond the intersection. Warehouses concealed the adjoining parking areas, while more infected occupied the spaces beneath the raised roadway and behind the packed vehicles.

From the ground, the first section had appeared lightly occupied.

Striker One’s Radar exposed what remained behind it.

"First concentration confirmed," the gunner reported. "Additional groups are entering the eastern edge of our Radar."

The Scouts left the buildings near the next junction and crossed back through the abandoned vehicles. Infantry followed while the Guardian APCs reversed along the open lane.

Striker One remained north of the road.

The nearest contacts turned toward the helicopter.

Infected emerged from between the trapped vehicles and filled the remaining spaces across the road. Others left the warehouse parking areas and moved beneath the raised roadway.

The first rows began running.

"Nearest contacts are following us," the gunner reported. "The eastern groups remain farther back."

South One cleared the intersection and formed around the previous position.

Striker One continued tracking the front of the concentration.

"Striker One to Fairy. The northern parking area is clear enough to separate the nearest section."

"Striker One, engage."

"Striker One copies."

Striker One moved east along the northern side of the road.

The infected followed the sound.

Those nearest the warehouses turned first. More pushed through the parked vehicles behind them, but the abandoned buses and trucks divided the concentration into several streams.

The helicopter crossed the northern parking area before turning west.

Several thousand infected changed direction with it.

The rest continued gathering along the main road.

"Front section separated," the gunner reported. "Approximately seven thousand."

Striker One continued west until the infected had crossed most of the open parking area.

The gunner selected twelve rockets.

The first pair launched. Ten more followed in a staggered ripple.

They struck across the length of the concentration.

Explosions tore through the packed infected and threw bodies across the pavement. Several abandoned vehicles overturned beneath the impacts, while others began burning.

Smoke covered most of the parking area.

The rows caught inside the impacts had broken apart, though the rest continued moving through the smoke.

Striker One shifted sideways.

Its chin-mounted gun turned toward the infected emerging from the smoke.

The chain gun fired.

Short bursts crossed the remaining rows. Larger infected fell first, followed by anything still moving through the gaps left by the rockets.

"South One Actual, separated group reduced. Approximately two thousand remain mobile. Bringing them toward your position."

"South One ready."

Striker One moved north of the parking area and continued firing.

The remaining infected followed it toward the platoon.

Striker One released another eight rockets before leaving the parking area.

The second barrage struck the densest sections still moving through the smoke. By the time the remaining infected reached the road, their numbers had fallen again.

South One opened fire at long range.

The Missile Infantry engaged first. Their missiles crossed above the forward squads and detonated inside the remaining clusters before the infected could approach the formation.

Big Rhino and the attached Vanguard joined them.

Their main guns struck the larger groups gathering between the abandoned vehicles, while their secondary weapons covered anything moving through the gaps.

Most of the platoon held its fire until the remaining infected entered ordinary rifle range.

The infantry eliminated what passed through without allowing them near the vehicles.

"South One Actual to Fairy. Separated concentration eliminated. No casualties."

"Fairy receives."

Striker One turned east again.

Beyond the burning parking area, more infected were gathering along the industrial road.

South One did not advance after the first concentration fell.

Too many infected remained along the industrial road, and more continued appearing within Striker One’s Radar. South One remained near the previous intersection while Striker One separated the nearest groups from the larger mass.

The same process continued throughout the morning.

Striker One could have emptied its rocket pods into each separated group and destroyed most of them alone.

The salvos remained limited.

Hans wanted the lower-star units promoted before the Highcross operation, so the helicopter reduced the densest sections and left the remaining infected to South One.

Striker One moved ahead, drew several thousand infected toward the open spaces, then used its rockets against the densest sections. The Missile Infantry engaged whatever remained from behind South One’s formation.

Their missiles reached the infected before the Guardian GIs and ordinary squads had any reason to fire.

Big Rhino and the attached Vanguard handled the larger clusters that survived. By the time the remaining infected approached the platoon, most of the mass had already disappeared.

South One advanced only after each section had been eliminated.

Johannes, Marcus, Kimmy, and Yunera remained with Anton inside Bastion One. Evelyn continued moving with Dobrev Squad whenever the infantry dismounted. None of them interfered with the platoon’s procedures, though the noise from Striker One’s weapons could be heard even through the APC’s hull.

More wrecked vehicles appeared farther east. Most occupied the northern lanes, packed so closely that several sections of the road could no longer support the Guardian APCs.

The infected had gathered around those obstructions.

Some concentrations remained inside parking areas and warehouses. Others spread beneath the raised roadways or wandered between the abandoned vehicles. Striker One’s Radar exposed each group before South One reached it.

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