strictlysupreme Chapter 217 Flagship in Position
Chapter 217 Flagship in Position
To prevent accidental injury to survivors, these lighters do not generate a lot of noise when they land, which would otherwise attract zombies.
The built-in audio player plays pre-entered audio to inform nearby survivors of the device's purpose and kill radius.
These produced lighters will be prioritized for deployment in the already occupied cities of Kanna, Ain, and Jask Port.
The second batch of fire engines will depart from Red Peak Island and be dropped by a swarm of drones onto Puslan City, where the shipyard is located, and the surrounding islands of Red Maple Island.
Once the flagship upgrade is complete, the third batch of lighters will be manufactured and distributed from the center of Jask Port outwards to the edges of surrounding cities or settlements.
However, in order to maximize profits, the lighters in Kanna and Puslan, where no survivors are confirmed to be alive, will not be activated immediately.
These lighters will only be turned on in the middle of the night after the blood moon rises, attracting zombies in the vicinity that have completed or not yet completed their evolution.
Under the supervision of Bai Jin and Ouyang Nian, the shrinkage and manufacturing work is proceeding smoothly.
Information about the cities surrounding Jask Port is being relayed back by scattered reconnaissance aircraft. The relayed information is being compiled by Platinum, who then selects suitable locations for dropping the lighters.
Ouyang Nian, in his design studio, designed a suitable cushioning system for lighters to ensure they would not be damaged in the event of a low-altitude, parachute-free airdrop.
Taking this opportunity, Lorraine specifically searched for several technologies in the database and briefly checked the technology levels represented by levels 1 to 9.
Levels 1 to 3: The technical information stored in these three levels of databases covers almost all the weapons and equipment in the world, from global confrontations to the outbreak of the apocalypse.
Level 4: Chemistry and physics reach a bottleneck, weapons begin to shift from chemical power to electromagnetic power, nuclear fission reactors mature, and research begins on next-generation materials such as metallic hydrogen and room-temperature superconductors.
Ground vehicles, water vehicles, and aircraft all use chemical substances as their energy source.
Level 5: Breakthroughs in chemistry and physics, mass-produced weapons that include both chemically powered and electromagnetically powered weapons.
Nuclear fusion reactors can be put into commercial use, and next-generation materials such as metallic hydrogen and room-temperature superconductors can be produced in small batches in laboratories.
With improved engine thermal efficiency, ground and water vehicles have entered the era of all-electric propulsion, while aircraft are primarily powered by chemical propulsion, supplemented by electromagnetic propulsion.
Some large aircraft have the ability to stay airborne normally, and airships are ready for production.
Level 6: Breakthroughs in chemistry and physics, a flourishing of various weapon systems, miniaturization and lightweighting of nuclear fusion reactors, and the mass production of materials such as metallic hydrogen and room-temperature superconductors in factories.
Large airborne carriers have production capabilities, warships have the ability to float normally, small spacecraft without artificial gravity have appeared, and large space stations with artificial gravity have appeared.
Level 7: Major breakthroughs have been achieved in the seven basic disciplines, and the grand unified theory has been initially verified.
Level 8: Insufficient permissions.
Level 9: Insufficient permissions.
"Tsk."
As Lorraine pondered, he opened the theoretical technologies recorded in the Level 5 database, which included, but was not limited to, more advanced basic science, theoretical verification of advanced technologies, and practical research on certain theoretical technologies.
As Lorraine was studying these technical documents, a light gold data panel appeared before his eyes.
At the same time, Platinum's voice rang in his ears.
"The Grey Falcon drone heading northeast detected a small amount of heat source signal, which is suspected to be a small survivor settlement."
"Um?"
"The location is to the northeast of the fleet, 214 kilometers away."
According to images transmitted by the drone, Lorraine can clearly see obvious signs of cultivation around this small settlement, which is surrounded by a low wall.
However, according to information from reconnaissance aircraft, there are no zombies of any kind within a 20-kilometer radius of this settlement.
"Okay, mark it. We can place two lighters around it. Also, adjust the flight direction of this reconnaissance plane so that it flies along the river and see if there are any more survivors along the riverbank."
After receiving the order, the reconnaissance plane flew a distance before returning to base and began flying eastward along the course of the river from over the settlement.
Sure enough, the reconnaissance plane discovered more small settlements and a city along a river.
The next morning, the first batch of lighters had all been deployed.
Due to the high density of houses in Kauna, zombies attracted by the lighter could potentially cause large-scale fires.
Therefore, Lorraine deployed a large number of fire extinguishing bombs near the fire sites in the city to ensure that the spread of the fire could be stopped as soon as possible.
Almost simultaneously, the second batch of ignition points manufactured on Red Peak Island was also deployed in Puslan City and could be activated at any time.
Lorraine returned to the amphibious assault ship's command center and reviewed Cleveland's summary report.
The good news is that before reaching the city, the reconnaissance planes discovered a total of 15 small settlements, each with between 10 and 20 people.
The bad news is that there are a large number of animal zombies in the downstream area of the city, and there is also a lot of flammable material near these zombies.
Since Lorraine and the others were unfamiliar with the local customs and culture, Lorraine activated the communication system and contacted Ethan, who was far away in Kanah.
After seeing the drone's intelligence, Ethan quickly told Lorraine about the reasons for the formation of these settlements.
"This river is the longest and has the largest drainage basin in the Red Earth Federation. Its surrounding area is covered with alluvial and aeolian deposits, making it a fertile and abundant place."
"Before the apocalypse, most of the people living in this area were family-run farmers who combined crop farming with animal husbandry. Each area of farmers had its own focus."
"Because there are many forests and carnivores near this river, and transportation is inconvenient, these farmers' warehouses are almost always stocked with large amounts of ammunition."
"So they were able to unite to clear out the zombies in the area, protect their farm, share resources, and survive until now."
Although Lorraine couldn't see his current state, Ethan nodded firmly and confirmed Lorraine's conclusion.
Lorraine shrugged, indicating that she understood the details.
After hanging up the call, Lorraine turned her attention back to the map of the surrounding area.
The unmanned transport plane that set off with a lighter has completed its mission and is now parked at the airport for inspection.
At the same time, the flagship was also in its final stages. The white light on its surface faded slightly, and the flagship's outline appeared more clearly in everyone's view.
As the sun reached its highest point, the flagship completed its upgrade and, with the help of an offshore work platform, left the dock and came to a steady stop on the sea.
The upgraded flagship has an exceptionally simple appearance, with the 240mm electromagnetic railguns on both sides of the flight deck hidden under the armor plates.
The entire hull still uses low-visibility paint, but it does not fully adopt stealth design.
The entire bridge extends outward from the base of the hull, forming a sharp triangle. The portholes, made of high-strength transparent metal, not only ensure the visibility of the bridge but also connect to the entire island superstructure.
The four of them boarded a helicopter and arrived at the flagship's foredeck.
After leaving the stern compartment of the Peregrine Falcon 35, the four men headed straight for the bridge.
After boarding the bridge, the four people took a small elevator to the cockpit.
As soon as they stepped out of the elevator, Bai Jin and Lin Shu were shocked by the futuristic cockpit.
The entire driver's cab is 5.2 meters high and is divided into three levels. The three people are currently standing on the command level.
Looking to the left, a trapezoidal command platform appeared before the four of them, while behind the platform was a huge holographic sand table and the captain's seat.
Ouyang Nian walked past the holographic sand table and went straight to the captain's seat.
Unlike conventional chairs, this chair has a set of control levers similar to those on an aircraft installed at the front of the left and right armrests, with some buttons and two sets of dual screens fixed to the outside of the armrests behind them.
Platinum stood in front of the command platform, looking down at the two floors below.
Judging from the number of screens and seats on the two lower control consoles, these two levels below the driver's seat can accommodate nearly 20 people. Platinum, who was puzzled, immediately asked Cleveland a question.
[Lady Platinum, this is the flagship's Combat Information Center, or CIC for short.]
This area concentrates all information sources from radar, electro-optical systems, and data links, and can also control all the ship's guns and close-in weapon systems.
The highest command level is Level 1, below which are Level 2 and Level 3.
[The two seats on the far left of the second tier are for the electronic warfare team, the three seats in the middle are for the command and decision-making area, and the two seats on the far right are for anti-missile positions and drone control stations.]
The third level has a total of 10 seats. The three seats on the far left are for air combat, the four seats in the middle are for general operations, and the three seats on the far right are for intelligence.
The two positions in the electronic warfare zone are primarily responsible for processing intelligence information from the electronic warfare system and launching electronic warfare attacks.
[The command and decision-making area consists of three people, from left to right: the operations coordinator, the tactical operations officer, and the formation officer.]
The three personnel in the command and decision-making area are respectively responsible for the operation of the ship's combat systems, all tactical operations of the ship, and the operations of the entire fleet.
[The three positions in the air combat zone, from left to right, are: Close-In Defense Systems Director, Air Combat Controller, and Air Combat Coordinator.]
[The three positions in the air combat zone, from left to right, are: Close-In Defense Systems Director, Air Combat Controller, and Air Combat Coordinator.]
The air combat controller is responsible for the air defense of the ship's area, including creating an air situation map and allocating air resources.
The air combat coordinator is responsible for all aircraft within the command area, providing precise guidance to friendly combat aircraft within the area of responsibility via data link.
[The four positions in the combat zone, from left to right, are the battlefield coordinator, the counter-operations coordinator, and two naval gun control officers.]
The battlefield coordinator is responsible for organizing all resources for the ship's air, sea, and land operations, responding appropriately to targets from all sides, and maintaining the situation map of the surrounding area.
The counter-operations coordinator is primarily responsible for creating a battlefield situation map and coordinating operational resources, as well as assisting the battlefield coordinator and the naval gun control officer.
The three positions in the intelligence district are target identification officer, tactical information coordinator, and radar systems operator.
The primary task of the target identification officer is to identify targets using the ship's combat systems and data links, while also conducting manual identification based on automated software identification, including determining the target's attributes and category.
The primary task of the tactical information coordinator is to process external intelligence and situational information obtained through data links, and to work with the target identification officer to identify targets and clarify the battlefield situation.
The radar system operator is responsible for operating all the ship's radars, coordinating with the electronic warfare team and various operational coordinators to adjust radar operating parameters according to their intentions, conduct appropriate detection, and form the required tactical posture.
"Can't you accomplish all of these tasks?"
Platinum was curious as to why a combat information center would be set up on a ship equipped with artificial intelligence.
Yes, but as the combat surface expands, I need to process more and more information simultaneously. To avoid errors in calculations, I need specialized robots to assist me.
This design also aims to make the entire ship feel more human, rather than cold and impersonal.
At that moment, Lorraine came up behind Platinum and gently patted her shoulder.
"This is our flagship store, and the place where we will be spending the most time in the future, so naturally we need to decorate it to make it more lively."
"And this isn't a waste of space, since apart from the first floor, the other two floors are suspended outside the lower building."
At this point, Lorraine paused for a moment, then had Cleveland lower the outer armor of the command room.
As soon as Lorraine finished speaking, pieces of black outer armor descended from the top, obscuring the portholes made of transparent metal.
Then a faint blue light emanated from the room, and a huge holographic image appeared before the four people.
"This outer layer is the culprit behind the flagship's delayed completion: an electromagnetic armor."
"Electromagnetic armor is a typical example of non-explosive reactive armor, which uses high-speed physical motion for defense."
"According to Cleveland's calculations, the flagship's current passive electromagnetic armor can defend against conventional fire from large silicon-based entities."
As Lorraine spoke, she led the three of them to the holographic sand table.
With a wave of his hand, the 3D projection appeared above the holographic sand table.
However, unlike what they had seen before boarding, the flagship was in a state of weapons deployment.
Six electromagnetic guns located at the front of the ship rose from under the armor plates, while two 380mm coil guns appeared from the sides of the ship, pointing obliquely downwards.
Then, the 3D projection zoomed in, revealing more details to the three people.
A large number of close-in weapon systems appeared along the edges of the entire flagship.
Each close-in weapon system consists of a six-barreled rapid-fire electromagnetic gun, a short-range air defense missile, a laser interceptor weapon, an electro-optical sensor, and a fire control radar.