Weapon System in Zombie Apocalypse

November 8, 2025 – 06:18 AM

Forward Agro-Zone One – Newly Constructed Landing Strip

The early morning light rolled over the rice paddies and hardened dirt roads of Forward Agro-Zone One. Golden sunlight spilled across solar arrays and prefab housing units, but all eyes were fixed on one thing: the runway.

It wasn't much, not by peacetime standards—just a long, straight stretch of compacted soil and gravel reinforced with metal mesh and stabilizing foamcrete beneath. It stretched for 1,200 meters from edge to edge, enough for short takeoffs and tactical landings. No control tower, no hangars yet. But it was something.

It was hope.

Dozens of Overwatch personnel stood on either side of the makeshift tarmac, watching with helmets off and breath visible in the morning chill. Engineers, guards, technicians—they had all worked day and night to make this happen.

At the edge of the field, Thomas Estaris stood with a thermal mug in hand, visor up, the EX-3 Sentinel exosuit powered down and resting idle on a charging cradle nearby. He wore his usual vest and sidearm today. This wasn't a battle test.

This was a milestone.

"Comm check," came a voice through his wrist radio. "Ghost Two-One approaching final descent vector. Call sign: Titan."

"Copy that, Titan," Thomas replied. "You are clear for first touch. We're standing by."

Above the clouds, the low growl of engines pierced the quiet.

The C-130 Hercules descended from the sky like a silver beast, flaps extended, its four turboprop engines rumbling like a thunderstorm. Painted in Overwatch gray with twin red stripes along the tail, it was a war-worn transport—but it still flew.

And in the apocalypse, that alone made it sacred.

"All eyes, all ears," Thomas called. "Let's see if she holds."

The C-130 flared gently as it neared the strip, wheels rotating into position. Its bulk loomed over the perimeter fences, casting a long shadow across the field.

Then—

THUD.

The landing gear hit dirt. Dust kicked up in thick sheets as the brakes hissed and the plane roared forward, tires biting into the foamcrete mesh, slowing.

Thirty seconds later, the plane came to a smooth halt.

No sparks. No damage.

Applause erupted from the crew. A few whooped. Others just clapped each other on the back.

Thomas gave a nod. "Strip holds. Log it. First success."

Phillip, standing beside him, grinned. "Think it can handle the gunship?"

Thomas tilted his head. "Let's find out."

07:05 AM

Ten minutes later, the sky groaned again—this time deeper, more ominous.

Everyone knew the sound. Few had seen the beast it belonged to.

The AC-130 Spectre Gunship broke through the cloud layer, its silhouette heavier, meaner than the Hercules before it. Side-mounted cannons gleamed beneath its frame. A black maw of rotating barrels sat mounted in its port-side wing. Its engines churned like iron gears grinding.

"Spooky One inbound," the radio crackled. "Requesting landing clearance."

"Cleared, Spooky," Thomas replied. "Show us what you've got."

The AC-130 came in lower, more deliberate, its wings barely above the field's perimeter. The team watching from the sidelines fell silent. The gunship's mere presence was like watching an apex predator descend into a sheep pen.

Wheels touched down hard—THUD-THUD—the weight heavier than the Hercules by nearly twenty thousand pounds.

Dust filled the air again. The plane roared down the strip, kicked up debris, and eventually slowed to a controlled stop.

The field held.

Again.

"Two for two," Phillip muttered. "Now all we need are jets."

Thomas didn't respond right away. He glanced down at his wrist console, flipping open the interface. The weapon system blinked to life, its blue-glass UI adjusting to his personal profile.

He swiped left, then down, and tapped a new icon:

Aviation → Fixed-Wing → Combat

A list loaded. It wasn't long—fighter jets were far more complex than rifles, and they weren't exactly in demand in the early months of the outbreak.

But now?

Now air superiority mattered again.

Thomas scrolled through the available aircraft.

[1. F-16V Viper+ (Enhanced Multirole Variant)

Cost: 405,000 Blood Coins

Speed: Mach 2.05

Range: 2,200 km

Payload: 7,700 kg

Key Features:

Advanced AESA radar

Infrared search & track

Compatible with smart munitions and EMP missiles

A-29B Super Tucano (Light Attack Aircraft)

Cost: 95,000 Blood Coins

Speed: 590 km/h

Range: 1,500 km

Payload: 1,500 kg

Key Features:

Rugged airframe, STOL-capable

Twin .50 cal machine guns

Supports laser-guided bombs and rocket pods

Ideal for low-speed overwatch and precision support

Can land on dirt or improvised runways

In use with special forces worldwide pre-outbreak

OV-10X Bronco

Cost: 110,000 Blood Coins

Speed: 720 km/h

Range: 2,400 km

Payload: 3,200 kg

Key Features:

High loiter time

Reinforced undercarriage for rough strips

Tandem seating for pilot + sensor/gunner

Multi-mission capable: CAS, recon, forward air control

Excellent fuel efficiency

Mirage 2000-C (Light Fighter, Delta Wing)

Cost: 350,000 Blood Coins

Speed: Mach 2.2

Range: 1,550 km

Payload: 6,300 kg

Key Features:

Simple maintenance, durable frame

Can carry nuclear or biohazard payloads

Lightweight and fast scramble capability

Compatible with radar-jamming and bloom sonar pods

Thomas lingered on the Mirage for a second, admiring the French engineering and the fact that it could operate in aggressive climates with minimal overhaul.

But his thumb moved again.

And there it was.

F/A-18C HornetCost: 390,000 Blood Coins

Speed: Mach 1.8

Range: 2,300 km

Payload: 6,200 kg

Key Features:

Carrier takeoff/landing compatible

Air-to-ground and air-to-air capability

Integrated targeting pods

Supports cluster munitions, JDAMs, and bloom-deactivating warheads

ECM systems onboard

Tough enough to land in combat zones with minimal prep

]

The digital interface hovered in the air before Thomas Estaris, projected from his wrist console in crisp blue light. Rows of aircraft models rotated slowly, specs and costs displayed like digital dossiers. Beside him, Phillip stood silent, arms crossed, watching the selection unfold like a general previewing an army not yet summoned.

Thomas swiped through the interface once more. He had reviewed nearly every viable airframe in the system's vault: nimble fighters, rugged attack planes, agile bombers, and bleeding-edge prototypes.

All impressive.

All expensive.

But in this new world, he only need one aircraft that could do everything.

He returned to the F-16V Viper.

[F-16V Viper+

Cost: 405,000 Blood Coins (Per Unit)

Speed: Mach 2.05

Range: 2,200 km

Payload: 7,700 kg

Flight Ceiling: 15,240 m

Turn Rate: 9 G-capable fly-by-wire system

Maintenance Class: Moderate

Mission Roles: Air Superiority

Close Air Support

Deep Strike Reconnaissance

EMP

Avionics Package:

AN/APG-83 SABR AESA Radar

Infrared Search & Track (IRST)

Enhanced ECM and radar spoofing

Integrated Data-Link for swarm coordination

Helmet-mounted targeting system for off-boresight missiles

Weapon Compatibility:

AIM-120D AMRAAM

AIM-9X Sidewinder

GBU-39/B Small Diameter Bomb

JDAMs

EMP missile pods

Bloom Deactivation Ordnance (B.D.O.)

Internal smart-bay for modular upgrades]

Phillip looked over at him. "You're going with the Viper?"

"Yes."

Confirm Acquisition — F-16V Viper

Quantity: [10 Units]

Total Cost: 4,050,000 Blood Coins.

"Confirm."