Weapon System in Zombie Apocalypse

November 16, 2025 — 2:02 PM

Above Metro Manila – Valkyrie One

The Stratotanker cut through the clouds with a steady hum, descending toward the Manila Bay coastline. Its landing gear deployed with a mechanical hiss as the sunlight bounced off the ocean below. From the cockpit, Thomas Estaris saw the familiar sprawl of Metro Manila, much of it still in ruins—collapsed buildings, overgrown roads, and distant Bloom Zones marked with scorched perimeters. But as the aircraft angled eastward, a different sight greeted them.

The MOA Complex—Overwatch Base of Operations—stood like a fortress on the bay. Antenna towers, solar panel fields, elevated gun nests, and layered barriers formed a secure perimeter that had held for over a year. Drones hovered in lazy loops above the rooftops. Vehicles moved in orderly rows near the tarmac. It was organized. Alive. And most importantly—theirs.

"Visual on Complex confirmed," Madel said from the co-pilot seat, tapping a few icons on her console. "Tower has us cleared for runway two. Wind south by southwest."

"Take us in," Thomas said.

The Stratotanker leveled out and began its final approach. Below, Overwatch ground crews waited near the landing zone. A team of soldiers in black field gear stood near a command JLTV, their rifles slung, watching as the bird came in.

Valkyrie One's wheels touched down with a thud, followed by the hiss of compressed air and the loud roar of engines decelerating. The tanker rolled along the foamcrete surface, coming to a smooth stop beside the forward hangar.

As the engines powered down, Thomas removed his headset and stood. "Let's move. I want Marcus debriefed within the hour."

Madel nodded, already collecting the data logs from her side console. "Welcome home, sir."

Thomas didn't respond. He was already heading for the hatch.

2:17 PM — MOA Complex, Command Deck

The air outside was warmer than in Japan—humid and thick. A faint scent of sea salt and grease hung over the motor pool as Thomas stepped off the ramp and into the Philippine sun. Soldiers saluted as he passed, but he waved it off. He wasn't here for ceremony.

He crossed the tarmac quickly, boarded the JLTV which would take him to the Conrad tower. He walked towards the elevator and rode it up to the central command deck. The walk from the elevator to the briefing room was lined with glass panels that overlooked the bustling core of Overwatch operations. Staff moved between terminals. Monitors tracked Bloom movement. Drones fed in live video from provinces hundreds of kilometers away.

It was efficient.

And Marcus, as always, was already inside—waiting.

2:24 PM — MOA Complex, Strategic Operations Room

The doors hissed open and Thomas stepped in. Marcus—his Deputy Chief of Staff—was standing near the operations table, flipping through a series of printed reports.

He turned as soon as Thomas entered.

"You made good time," Marcus said. "We picked you up the second you hit Luzon's airspace. How was Japan?"

Thomas unstrapped his field vest and set it on a side rack. "Complicated."

Marcus raised an eyebrow but didn't interrupt. He just waited.

Thomas walked over and stood at the edge of the table. "They're alive. That enclave Takeda led us to—they've been holding out for over a year. Mountain bunker. JSDF remnants. No central command. No active government. Just a network of soldiers and civilians surviving in isolation."

Marcus nodded slowly. "No politicians?"

Thomas shook his head. "None. Their Prime Minister was killed during the fall of Sapporo. The last broadcast from their national government came from a ship off the east coast. It went dark nine months ago."

Marcus grimaced. "So they're in the same boat."

"Worse," Thomas said. "Their cities didn't just fall. They were flattened. Scorched. Tokyo is ash. Osaka is cratered. Most major prefectures are either overrun or abandoned. It's complete anarchy. They've got scattered enclaves, small pockets of control, but nothing coordinated."

Marcus leaned on the edge of the table. "Did they know about us?"

"No. No radio contact. No aerial surveillance. They assumed the rest of the world was gone."

Marcus paused, then folded his arms. "And now?"

"Now they know better," Thomas said. "I offered them a relay link. Data sharing. Air recon support. They accepted. We're returning in one month with a drone package and a deployment team. They'll feed us terrain data, we'll feed them Bloom tracking and intelligence."

Marcus studied him for a long second.

"Did they ask how we got all this?"

"They did."

"And?"

"I told them we salvaged it," Thomas replied evenly.

Marcus gave a slow, careful nod. "Not wrong. Just not complete."

"Close enough."

There was a brief silence. Outside the glass wall, a team of engineers moved across the southern deck, assembling what looked like a drone launcher. Marcus watched them for a moment before speaking again.

"What's your take on the Japanese enclave? Will they hold out?"

Thomas thought for a second.

"They're disciplined. Running low on tech, but high on morale. It's not some ragtag survivor camp—they still run drills. Still manage supplies. If we can give them recon support and stable comms, they could start reaching other enclaves across Honshu."

"Another node," Marcus said.

"Exactly."

Marcus pushed a data pad across the table. "While you were gone, we had four Bloom emergence reports—two in Tarlac, one in Batangas, and one near Nueva Ecija. Shadow Teams neutralized all four, no casualties."

Thomas scanned the log. "Frequency's rising again."

"Summer weather's drawing them out. We're deploying more ground sensors this week."

Thomas handed the pad back. "Schedule additional training for the new recruits. We'll need a detachment ready to support the Japan mission."

Marcus looked up. "You planning on bringing more than comm gear next time?"

"If they're stable, yes," Thomas said. "Maybe help them secure another base. But I want to observe their situation first. No promises."

Marcus nodded again, then leaned forward. "Can we trust them?"

Thomas didn't hesitate. "Yes."

There was no ceremony. No flag exchange. Just cold numbers and shared survival. And sometimes, that was enough.

Marcus reached for his clipboard. "I'll start drawing up the logistics manifest for the return trip. Any special requests?"

"Three heavy drone carriers. One relay hub with solar expansion. And a full weather-hardened antenna kit."

"Got it."

Thomas turned to leave, but Marcus called after him.

"One more thing. The team here… they're asking questions."

Thomas paused at the door.

Marcus shrugged. "They saw jets and our new The gear we're running. People are wondering where it's all coming from."

Thomas didn't turn around.

"Let them wonder."

And with that, he left the room.

3:12 PM — MOA Complex, Rooftop Walkway

The wind picked up slightly as Thomas stepped onto the rooftop catwalk that overlooked the base. Valkyrie One stood at rest on the landing pad below, engines cold, its surface glinting under the late afternoon sun.

Down below, life moved on.

Troops trained. Civilians loaded crates. Technicians adjusted drone mounts. Overwatch wasn't just surviving. It was growing.

But Thomas knew what came next would be harder.

Connection. Expansion. Integration.

He reached for his wrist console and opened a fresh folder:

"JAPAN OPS – PHASE II"

Deployment date: December 15, 2025

Status: In planning

He closed it.

Then turned to walk back inside.

There was still much to do.