Another two hours had passed and Adrian was in the forr command center of the airbase which earlier contained outdated technology and IT infrastructure. Now, it was like a command center he often saw in Hollywood military movies with mounted displays covering the walls.
Large digital screens showed live feeds, maps, and data streams.
One wall displayed a satellite-style tactical map of Pampanga and the surrounding provinces. Red markers highlighted dense urban areas while green zones indicated low population regions. Another screen showed the live periter status of Cesar Basa Air Base.
Several operators sat in front of computer terminals arranged in rows.
Most of them were UAV technicians and communications personnel. They worked quietly while monitoring multiple screens filled with teletry data and surveillance feeds.
At the center of the room stood a long command table with a large digital map projected across its surface.
Adrian stood beside it with his arms crossed.
Ryan and Jake were nearby while a technician adjusted several settings on one of the consoles.
"Systems are fully operational, sir," the technician reported.
Adrian glanced at the screens.
"What about the UAVs?"
The technician tapped on the keyboard.
One of the wall monitors changed imdiately.
A live aerial feed appeared.
The cara view showed farmland stretching across Pampanga, the image perfectly stable even though it was taken from thousands of feet in the air.
"That feed is coming from the MQ-9 Reaper currently circling thirty kiloters east of the base," the technician explained.
Adrian nodded slightly before speaking again.
"Okay. Is there any nearby supermarkets, grocery stores, or malls?"
The technician typed another command.
The digital map zood in closer to the surrounding cities.
Several blue markers appeared across the screen.
"Yes sir," the technician said.
He pointed to the first cluster.
"The nearest comrcial area is Angeles City, roughly twenty kiloters from here."
The map expanded.
Multiple building labels appeared.
"SM City Clark, Marquee Mall, and Robinsons Angeles."
Ryan leaned forward slightly.
"Malls."
Jake nodded.
"Which ans supermarkets and warehouses."
The technician continued.
"There are also several grocery chains nearby."
More markers appeared.
"Puregold Angeles, SM Hypermarket Clark, and multiple local supermarkets around the city."
Adrian studied the map carefully.
Angeles City had been a busy urban center before the outbreak.
Which ant supplies.
But it also ant infected.
"Show the drone feed over Angeles City," Adrian said.
The technician switched the feed.
The screen changed to a view of a large urban area.
Roads.
Comrcial buildings.
Parking lots.
Ryan imdiately noticed sothing.
"Well..."
He pointed toward the screen.
The massive parking lot of SM City Clark was filled with abandoned vehicles.
Cars were scattered across the lot, many left with doors open.
So were crashed together near the entrances.
Jake narrowed his eyes.
"Looks like people rushed here when things went bad."
The drone cara zood closer.
Then the infected ca into view.
Dozens of zombies wandered between the vehicles.
So stood near the mall entrances.
Others moved slowly across the roads surrounding the complex.
Ryan exhaled slowly.
"That’s a lot of infection."
"Well high-risk is high-reward. We need to scavenge for supplies," Adrian said. "A base can’t survive without food or water. So what’s the actual nearest to the base?"
The technician imdiately returned to the keyboard.
The tactical map shifted again as the system zood closer around Cesar Basa Air Base.
Several markers blinked across the screen.
He highlighted a small cluster just west of the base.
"The nearest comrcial area is in Floridablanca, sir," the technician said.
The map displayed several building labels.
Ryan stepped closer to the command table.
"What do we have there?"
The technician pointed at the markers.
"Several small comrcial establishnts."
He tapped the screen again.
"Puregold Lubao, a few local grocery stores, and several convenience markets along the highway."
Jake nodded slowly.
"That’s much closer."
"We will hit that supermarket as soon as the survivors in the Bayshore are safely transported here in the base along with our operatives. Let’s also mark the gas stations for their diesels and gasoline."
The technician nodded and imdiately typed another command.
The map shifted again.
Several yellow markers appeared along the nearby highways and main roads surrounding Floridablanca and Lubao.
"Marking gas stations now, sir," the technician said.
He pointed toward the display.
"Within fifteen kiloters of the base we have multiple fuel stations."
Several nas appeared on the screen.
"Petron Lubao, Shell Floridablanca, Caltex along the Jose Abad Santos Avenue, and a few smaller independent stations."
Ryan leaned closer to the command table.
"That’s good."
"Fuel is just as important as food."
The technician brought up the MQ-9 Reaper drone feed again and zood toward one of the gas stations.
The cara focused on a Petron station near a highway intersection.
Several abandoned cars were scattered across the forecourt.
A few zombies wandered slowly near the pumps.
Ryan studied the screen.
"Looks manageable."
Jake folded his arms.
"Most people probably tried to leave the area when things collapsed."
Adrian kept his eyes on the map.
"Fuel tankers?"
The technician quickly pulled up another panel.
"Yes sir. The station appears to have underground storage tanks. Standard configuration."
Ryan smirked slightly.
"Which ans a lot of gasoline and diesel still sitting underground."
Jake looked toward Adrian.
"That’ll keep the trucks running."
Adrian nodded.
"Mark every station within a thirty-kiloter radius."
"Yes sir."
More yellow markers appeared across the digital map.
"This is all coming good."
One of the personnel from outside entered the command center.
"Sir," the man said as soon as he got near Adrian.
"What is it?"
"We are done with the frebabs barracks..."
"That fast?" Adrian tilted his head to the side. That was quite faster than he had expected. "Okay that’s good to hear. We can now plan for an extraction of the survivors."
"Yes sir, we have the necessary personnel and hardware to pull off such an extraction. Just say the words sir and we will begin planning."
"Okay do it and brief after you are done," Adrian said.
"Yes sir!"
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