Entering the mansion, Zack led the exhausted Annie toward the bathroom, explaining her story to Sophia as he went. As he shared the tragic loss of Annie's parents, Sophia's eyes reddened.
"Oh no… her parents…" Sophia started to speak but trailed off, clearly overwhelmed. She quickly excused herself, hurriedly heading to find clothes for Annie. As she turned to leave, Zack noticed the tears streaking down her face.
"Ego, what's going on?" he asked, surprised by her strong reaction.
"Sir, I believe she is concerned about her own mother's safety," Ego responded.
"Lillian Lane?" Zack murmured, understanding what was troubling Sophia. "Ego, can you search for her?"
"Yes, sir," Ego replied. Moments later, the AI's voice returned, though the news wasn't good.
"Sir, Ms. Lillian Lane was last located at a crowded shopping mall just before the virus outbreak. All contact with her has been lost since then."
"Lost contact… Is there any chance she survived?" Zack asked, hoping for better news.
"Based on current data, her survival rate is below 4%," Ego replied.
"Got it," Zack sighed. A 4% chance wasn't much of a hope.
"Shall I inform Ms. Sophia?" Ego asked.
"I'll tell her when the time is right," Zack answered, turning his attention to settling things in the mansion.
After bringing the supply cart down to the basement, Zack spent the rest of the day transporting everything he'd gathered from the industrial area. It took several trips, but by nightfall, the once-empty basement was now stacked with metals, electronic components, chemicals, and a high-precision machine tool.
The basement was now filled with the materials Zack needed for his next project. Dozens of tons of various metals, including high-strength steel and alloys, had been pulled from nearby steel mills. Though he had hoped for titanium alloys, which were ideal for the MV-02 Armor, he had to make do with steel alloys for now. The downside was that steel might not hold up in high-altitude conditions, where the rear armor would need titanium or gold-titanium alloys to resist freezing temperatures.
"Flying too high? Is that really my priority right now?" Zack muttered with a smirk. "Learning how to fly at all comes first."
He chuckled to himself, then turned toward the elevator. When he reached the first floor, he spotted Annie, freshly showered. She looked almost like a stranger in clean clothes, a far cry from the ragged look she had earlier. Her skin was pale and soft, almost fragile, and her hair, freshly trimmed by Sophia, now looked neat and even. Despite her thin frame and the weariness etched on her face from surviving so long without proper food, she had a quiet, undeniable beauty.
For the first time, Zack understood why people used to say you could see beauty in a girl even in her youth. "Little Annie, you're beautiful!" he exclaimed, pinching her cheek playfully.
"Uh… no… I'm not," Annie murmured, her face turning bright red.
Zack laughed, finding her shy reaction amusing, until Sophia Monroe stepped in. "Alright, don't tease her. Dinner's ready."
"Fine, fine," he replied, backing off. The three of them sat down to eat, and for the first time in a while, the atmosphere was warm and comfortable. Annie's presence had clearly lifted Sophia's mood.
After dinner, they moved to the living room, where Annie and Sophia watched cartoons together. Zack found the show childish, but he couldn't help but smile as their laughter filled the room, bringing a joy he hadn't felt in ages. The cheerful atmosphere lasted late into the night, and eventually, Annie fell asleep. Only Zack and Sophia remained.
As Zack looked at her, he felt a heavy silence settle between them. He opened his mouth, ready to bring up a difficult subject, but Sophia cut him off.
"Come upstairs; I need to tell you something…" Zack began.
"No, I don't want to hear it," she interrupted, shaking her head.
He froze, sensing the weight of her words. Her eyes were red, holding back tears, and she turned away. "You already know, don't you?" he asked softly.
"I don't… I don't know," she whispered, her voice trembling. "Please, don't tell me… Can we just pretend it's okay?"
Zack understood. Sometimes, ignorance acted as a shield, a fragile way to hold onto hope. "Alright," he said gently. "Let's get some sleep."
Nothing more was said that night. They drifted off into a quiet, unspoken understanding.
The next morning, after breakfast, Zack led Annie down to the basement. "Today, we're working on armor," he announced, his tone focused. "We need to finish it in three days."
They were on a tight deadline. Only four days remained before the power shutdown, and Zack needed to complete the armor, reach the nuclear power plant, and secure materials for the Cold Fusion Reactor. His target was a nuclear power plant located fifty kilometers away, where he hoped to find what he needed.
"Armor?" Annie asked, pointing to the MV-01 in the corner. "You mean that one?"
"No, something new." Zack shook his head, smiling as he placed a set of blueprints in front of her.
Annie's eyes widened at the sight of the MV-02 suit's design. Although it was incomplete without the old Fusion Reactor, the design was far more advanced than the MV-01. The sleek, steel structure and detailed layout fascinated her. "It looks amazing! The transmission mechanism… it's brilliant," she marveled.
She studied the intricate system for a moment, then furrowed her brow in confusion. "Wait… why doesn't it have an operating system?"
Zack chuckled inwardly. 'Silly girl,' he thought, but didn't say it out loud. Without Ego, even if she managed to build the armor, she wouldn't be able to operate it. The design integrated all features into Ego's system, so without it, the suit would be nothing more than a heavy, immobile shell.
"Don't worry about the operating system," Zack said casually. "Let's just focus on the armor itself."
"Oh, okay," Annie replied, her curiosity shifting back to the blueprints. As she immersed herself in studying the plans, Zack moved to another part of the lab to work on something else.
"Ego, pull up the production materials for the nano alloy gel," he ordered.
"Affirmative, Sir," Ego replied.
Half an hour later, Annie approached him, curiosity piqued by the pressurized tank he was holding. "What's that?" she asked.
"Nano alloy gel," Zack explained, grabbing a piece of paper. He sprayed a thin silver mist from the tank, creating a barely visible layer over the paper. Then, he began counting down.
"Thirty seconds… twenty-nine… three… two… one."
When the countdown hit zero, he handed the paper to Annie. "Now, try tearing it."
Annie grabbed the paper and tried to tear it. She yanked on it several times, but despite her efforts, it didn't budge. The thin layer of nano-alloy gel covering it was far stronger than it appeared.
"Here, let me try," Zack said, taking the paper from her. He pulled with all his strength, and after a moment of struggle, managed to create a small tear.
"Looks like it worked," he said, satisfied. He picked up a utility knife and scraped the surface, which made a sharp, metallic sound.
"Perfect!" Zack murmured, a pleased smile on his face. After several failed attempts, he'd finally succeeded in creating a reliable nano-alloy gel.
"Is this for the armor?" Annie asked, her curiosity piqued.
"Not quite," Zack replied, grinning. "The armor's already strong enough. This gel is actually for reinforcing the Mansion's defenses." He paused, the grin fading slightly. "It'll make the entire place a lot harder to break into."
"Got it. You've gone over all the blueprints, right?" he asked.
"Yeah, I think I'm good," she said, nodding.
"Good. Let's start with the transmission mechanism," Zack said, leading her over to the workbench and gathering the necessary materials.
For the next two days, Zack and Annie worked nonstop in the basement, assembling the complex parts of the new armor. While Zack was eager to keep going, he made sure Annie took regular breaks. He knew that if she worked too long without rest, she'd wear herself out.
When Annie took her breaks, Zack didn't sit idle. He used the time to spray the nano-alloy gel over the Mansion's exterior walls and around the perimeter of the community. The treated walls became incredibly smooth and practically impossible to climb. He also reinforced the gate, turning it into an electric entry system with facial recognition, courtesy of Ego. Only authorized individuals could enter now—zombies or intruders would be stopped in their tracks.
Mansion No. 9, where Zack lived, had become a fortress. High-voltage rods lined every meter of the courtyard wall, capable of delivering tens of thousands of volts to anyone who tried to get over. To power this massive setup, Zack also upgraded the Mansion's power supply.
He didn't stop there—he installed several automatic turrets along the perimeter, each connected to cameras that would detect and engage any threats. While most of the turrets were empty for now, he equipped a few with his homemade nail guns, ideal for silently taking down small groups of zombies. After all the upgrades, the Mansion was practically impenetrable—except for one big problem: power. If the electricity went out, all the defenses would be useless.
"Time is running out," Zack muttered, looking at the nearly finished MV-02 armor. With a sigh, he picked up a welding torch and went back to work.
By the third morning, as sunlight streamed through the basement window, Zack completed the final components of MV-02.
"Sir, you haven't slept for 52 hours," Ego's voice gently reminded him.
"Relax, Ego," Zack replied with a chuckle. "I'm wide awake." He couldn't take his eyes off the gleaming armor in front of him. MV-02—his first true steel combat suit—was the start of his vision for a powerful new age.
"This baby would be even better with a Gatling gun," he mused, running his hand over the armor. As impressive as it was, Zack's ultimate goal was to turn it into a real war machine, something truly ready for the challenges of a post-apocalyptic world.
Although the armor was missing the old Fusion Reactor, it was still ready for action. Eight detachable high-energy graphene batteries were installed on its back, providing enough power for 48 hours—a huge improvement over his previous designs.
Compared to the MV-01, MV-02 had an arm blade and a web shooter for close combat. The suit was plated in chrome-titanium alloy, with arc pulse cannons in each palm that also acted as stabilizers for flight. Foot jets were in place, ready for the addition of the Cold Fusion Reactor, which would unlock the suit's full potential. For now, Zack could swap out the batteries, but once the reactor was installed, everything would change.
To prepare for his upcoming mission, he'd applied three layers of anti-radiation coating on the armor. This would shield both him and the suit from nuclear exposure, which was essential for his planned trip to the nuclear plant.
"Sir, please take some rest for your health," Ego urged again, this time with more insistence.
"Alright, alright," Zack replied, reluctantly tearing his gaze from the MV-02. He made his way upstairs and finally allowed himself to sleep.
He awoke hours later, feeling fully refreshed despite having pushed his body to its limits. Working nonstop had become second nature to him, and his body had adapted.
Feeling rejuvenated, Zack took a deep breath, knowing that he was one step closer to making his vision a reality. The real journey was about to begin. Since the virus outbreak, Zack rarely felt tired—he was always full of energy, no matter what he did. Today, he decided to check his physical condition.
"Ego, scan my physical state."
A moment later, Ego reported back. "Sir, your body is in excellent health. All indicators are at peak levels."
"How does it compare to the last scan?"
"Your readings have improved by approximately 30% since the last check."
"Anything abnormal?"
"None detected," Ego replied calmly.
Feeling reassured, Zack nodded. He wasn't sure what was causing these improvements, but with no negative side effects, he wasn't about to complain.
"Let's move fast," he muttered, checking the time. "We've got one day before the power goes out. I need to secure the materials for the Cold Fusion Reactor."
Zack quickly went downstairs, greeted Sophia, grabbed a few packs of compressed biscuits for the road, and headed back to the basement. Annie was already hard at work, running tests on the MV-02.
"How's it going?" Zack asked.
"Brother?" Annie looked up, surprised. "The main functions are good. I'm working on the weapons system now."
"No need for that," Zack said, waving his hand. "Sometimes, you just have to dive into action. Let's jump straight into a combat test."
Annie looked a bit confused, but she helped him suit up. Unlike the simple MV-01, the complex MV-02 required assistance to wear. Without a robotic arm to help, Annie's hands were essential.
Once the final component clicked into place, the internal fittings tightened automatically. The suit was on, and Ego synced with it instantly.
"Excellent, no lag," Zack said, flexing his joints. He jogged around the basement, noting how the suit made him feel even faster than his natural speed.
The MV-02's advanced nerve conduction let him feel the suit's immense power as he clenched his fists. "This is true exoskeleton armor!" he muttered, grinning.
ความคิดเห็นย่อย
คุณลักษณะความคิดเห็นย่อหน้าอยู่ในขณะนี้บนเว็บ! เลื่อนเมาส์ไปที่ย่อหน้าใดก็ได้แล้วคลิกไอคอนเพื่อเพิ่มความคิดเห็นของคุณ
นอกจากนี้คุณสามารถปิด / เปิดได้ตลอดเวลาในการตั้งค่า
เข้าใจแล้ว