The inspection finished almost exactly two hours later.
Hans had spent most of the wait inside the warehouse with Matilda, reviewing the initial defensive plan while the escort squads held the surrounding roads.
Nothing had moved on the Radar.
The nearest hostile concentrations remained deeper east and southeast, packed between buildings and along several blocked roads. No neutral markers appeared within Site Three’s proposed construction radius either.
Trailblazer Two’s side hatch opened.
Its Engineer operator stepped down with the scanner display still in hand. The lead Engineer approached beside her, followed by two others.
"Structural scan complete, Commander," the operator reported. "No unstable ground or residual geological activity beneath the proposed deployment position."
Hans closed the Radar map.
"And the rest?"
"The concrete can support the PCV without reinforcement," the lead Engineer answered. "The drainage channels remain intact, and none of them pass directly beneath the deployment supports. We found one underground utility line along the northern side, but it will not interfere with deployment."
"How about the storage areas?"
"Two beneath the warehouse. Both were already cleared and have separate access points inside the building. No tunnels connect them to the surrounding blocks."
That removed the last concern regarding underground access and vulnerability.
"The delivery lanes?"
"Trailblazer Two can deploy on the marked position without blocking any of the main roads. Larger vehicles will still have enough room to pass between the PCV and the loading bays."
Hans looked toward the yard.
Trailblazer Two remained where it had stopped earlier, surrounded by the newly trained squad. The reflective stake still stood several meters ahead of it.
"Deploy it."
The PCV driver acknowledged the order.
Trailblazer Two rolled forward until its chassis rested over the painted circle. Its engine stopped.
For several seconds, nothing happened.
Then, the vehicle split.
The wheels rotated outward while four hydraulic supports extended beneath the chassis. Each one pressed into the concrete and locked into place.
Panels unfolded along the roof.
The antenna rose last.
A circle of light spread from beneath Trailblazer Two and passed through the distribution yard, the warehouse, the offices, and the surrounding streets.
------
[ PCV deployment complete. ]
[ Construction radius established. Radius: 1,000 meters. ]
[ Establishing remote virtual grid connection... ]
------
The light continued outward until it reached the edge of the new construction radius.
Then, it disappeared.
------
[ Virtual grid connected. ]
------
Hans opened the construction interface.
The entire distribution yard now sat inside System territory. The warehouse and neighboring offices were covered as well. Part of the radius extended deeper into Westgate, while the western side reached back across several of the blocks cleared during the previous sweep.
Site Three was positionally better than Site One, and not as exposed as Site Two.
Trailblazer Two had finally been placed.
Hans now had an anchor inside Westgate.
North and northeast led toward the route to the Nuclear Power Plant.
East carried them farther into the denser northern industrial districts.
Southeast pushed deeper toward the city core, where industrial and commercial blocks began mixing together.
South led into the denser western commercial districts.
Route One remained behind them to the west.
Farther south and southwest, beyond the districts they had yet to secure, was his first Colony.
Matilda stepped beside him.
"The Engineers prepared an initial perimeter."
"Show me."
The lead Engineer unfolded another map across the hood of the Armored SUV.
"We do not recommend enclosing the entire construction radius, Commander. The line would be too long, and most of the ground inside it is not needed yet."
Hans nodded.
"Just the yard?"
"The yard, the warehouse, and the nearest office buildings."
The Engineer pointed toward the western side.
"The warehouse and offices already cover most of this section. Wall segments can close the unused gaps between them."
His finger stopped near the western vehicle entrance.
"This lane remains open toward Route One. It will serve as the primary supply and withdrawal route."
That was the rear.
The Engineer moved north.
"The service roads here join the route leading north and northeast."
Toward the Nuclear Power Plant. Then, he traced the larger road east of the yard.
"This road branches farther ahead. One section continues east through the northern industrial districts. Another bends southeast toward the city core."
The last approach ran south.
"This one leads farther into the western commercial districts."
Hans looked over the map again.
"So four forward sectors and one rear route."
"Yes, Commander. We do not need to leave every side of the yard open. The Walls will close the unused gaps and force movement toward approaches the soldiers can watch."
"And defend."
"Yes, Commander."
The Engineer did not put the map away.
"The Walls will only control the final approach. We also recommend reshaping the roads outside the perimeter."
He marked several points farther east and southeast.
"The abandoned trucks, freight containers, concrete barriers, and industrial fencing can be repositioned in staggered lines. They will not stop a large concentration, but they will slow it, break its frontage, and force more of it through the approaches covered by our infantry and permanent defenses."
"Without sealing the roads?"
"No, Commander. The main lanes will remain wide enough for Guardian APCs, Vanguards, and supply vehicles. Smaller passages can be closed, while the wider routes can be narrowed or opened depending on where the pressure comes from."
Hans looked across the surrounding blocks again.
The System could construct the permanent line.
The Engineers could shape everything in front of it.
"Add it to the plan."
"Yes, Commander."
The eastern and southeastern sectors currently faced the nearest hostile concentrations. Those would require the first permanent defenses.
The northern and southern approaches could remain under infantry observation until Hans decided where the next operation would go.
The western lane would stay open toward Route One.
Hans looked at the marked Wall placements again.
The plan no longer stopped at eight nodes.
That would have enclosed little more than the yard immediately around Trailblazer Two.
The Engineers had divided the perimeter into several sections instead. The warehouse and office buildings would form part of the western and inner lines, but the open ground around them still required dozens of Wall nodes.
Forty-eight in total.
Several would close the gaps between buildings. Others would extend outward along the northern, eastern, southeastern, and southern sectors before turning back toward the protected yard.
The important roads would remain open.
The surrounding movement would not.
"That’s twenty-four thousand Gold," Hans said.
"Yes, Commander."
Nearly a quarter of the Gold gathered during the sweep.
And this was only the first perimeter.
Hans looked east.
The nearest hostile concentrations remained several blocks away. Beyond them were more infected than his soldiers could count properly. Farther inside Grefort, the numbers only became worse.
A small enclosure would not survive that.
"Use the full plan."
Hans opened the Wall interface.
He started from the warehouse and followed the marked positions one after another.
Each node appeared instantly.
Steel and concrete rose from the pavement. Nearby nodes connected whenever the distance allowed it, while the warehouse and office walls filled the sections the System did not need to construct.
The line spread around the distribution yard.
Across the unused passages.
Along the northern sector.
Then east and southeast, where the nearest infected concentrations remained.
The southern commercial approach received its own line.
The western lane toward Route One remained open.
------
[ Wall nodes placed: 48 ]
[ Gold: 81,465 (-24,000) => 57,465 ]
------
Hans studied the completed perimeter through the construction interface.
It was still not enough to hold millions.
Nothing he could build today would be.
But the infected could no longer approach Site Three from every gap between every building.
They would be forced toward the roads the soldiers were already watching.
The Engineer pointed toward the corner between the eastern and southeastern sectors.
"We recommend the first Pillbox here. Wall-integrated."
Its reduced firing arc would face away from the FOB and cover both forward approaches. Anything reaching the yard from deeper Westgate would enter its field of fire before reaching the Wall.
"Queue it."
------
[ Pillbox queued. ]
[ Gold: 57,465 (-2,500) => 54,965 ]
[ Construction Time: 4 hours and 10 minutes. ]
------
The Secondary queue closed behind it.
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