Chapter 29: Cold Fusion Reactor
He descended quickly, landing carefully to conserve the last of his power, which ticked down to just 7%—barely enough battery life for any extended use.
"Flying eats up way too much energy," Zack muttered, shaking his head. "But once I get my hands on that Cold Fusion Reactor, flying will be smooth sailing from here on."
Ego's voice cut through his thoughts. "Sir, that maneuver was incredibly risky, though it worked out this time."
Zack grinned. "Ego, sometimes we have no choice but to take a risk. If I waited for your simulation, I'd be dead already." He turned toward the wreckage. "Now, let's scavenge for reactor materials."
As he flew back, he scanned for the sarcoma, spotting the large, tree-trunk-like chunk of flesh. With his knife, he pierced it, and a strange, guttural noise bubbled from within. The flesh twitched as he stabbed it repeatedly, only stopping when it lay completely still.
"Ego?"
"No vital signs detected."
Zack stabbed a few more times just to be sure. "With these freaks, you can't be too careful."
Satisfied, he cleaned his knife and continued gathering the materials. As the sun set and the nuclear plant faded into darkness, Zack loaded his loot into his escort vehicle. But the journey back was anything but peaceful. The darkness of night made the zombies more aggressive, more violent than the ones he'd encountered during the day. Growls and snarls surrounded him, but the reinforced vehicle easily plowed through them, crushing anything in its path.
Finally, Zack arrived back in Tribeca, though the trip had taken an extra hour. He noticed the blackout as he approached—no streetlights, the area submerged in darkness.
"Sir, power to this area was interrupted two hours ago," Ego informed him.