Chapter 122: Tianri Base
Ego responded promptly. "Sir, the simulations indicate that this fighter's maximum speed could reach Mach 6 to 7."
"That's more than enough," Zack said, satisfied. "Any faster, and we'd run into material limitations."
To achieve Mach 6, Zack had already incorporated a Ultralium alloy into the fighter's shell. Further improvements would require replacing the entire frame with the alloy—an expense even he wasn't willing to shoulder. "Alright, the design's good to go. Start production, Avalon F-2" Zack ordered.
With that, he deleted all related files, drawings, and holographic archives. There was no need to keep them once the manufacturing process began. Time passed quietly. Three days later, NYC was unrecognizable, transformed into a fortress of progress and security.
Outside the city, a network of sentry towers had been constructed. Each tower operated on an independent power supply and was equipped with highly sensitive optical sensors. The moment a zombie was detected approaching the city, the towers' automated machine gun turrets—fitted with silencers—sprang into action, neutralizing the threat. Stray zombies and even small hordes couldn't make it within a hundred meters of the city. For several days now, no zombies had been spotted near NYC.
If the struggling survivors outside could see this scene, they would likely be torn between envy and disbelief. Compared to the desolate outskirts, the changes inside the city were even more dramatic. Inside NYC, countless dilapidated buildings had been demolished. Construction vehicles rumbled along the cleared roads, hauling away debris. Materials that could be salvaged were recycled, and the rest was transported out.
The city's water and electricity had been restored. Streetlights illuminated the night, powered by a small Cold Fusion Reactor that provided energy to the entire city. NYC felt alive again. Each day, a fleet of trucks and dump trucks transported enormous quantities of resources to two major construction sites.
The first was the industrial zone, where production was in full swing. The second was JFK International Airport, Zack's newly planned hub for his ambitious projects. This was where Aegis, space-based satellites, Titan-class machines, and other large-scale projects were being constructed. In the industrial zone, the bug manufacturing plant had been operational for two days. Dozens of manufacturing bugs were being produced daily, exponentially boosting productivity.
This rapid development, however, came at a cost. The city's resources were being consumed at an alarming rate, far faster than Zack had anticipated. But to him, it was worth every ounce of material. At sunrise on the fourth day, four Avalon transport aircraft lifted off from NYC City International Airport. Each carried a completed space-based satellite module, heading across to the Rocket Launch Center.