Malcolm walked into the blinding whiteout. The Class Five super blizzard shrieked like a dying animal. The wind speed exceeded one hundred and twenty miles per hour.The ambient temperature hovered at negative one hundred degrees Fahrenheit. The Ironcrest Exoskeleton engaged the ghost protocols. The matte black armor actively bent the ambient light around his massive frame.He became a silent void in the falling snow.The internal acoustic dampeners silenced the heavy hydraulic servos. His heavy metallic boots compressed the deep snow without making a single sound. Inside the sealed suit Malcolm breathed perfectly filtered seventy two degree air.He felt a bead of sweat dry on his forehead. The advanced liquid cooling mesh maintained his perfect core temperature.He crossed the frozen plaza. The shattered ice crunched under the heavy treads of the municipal plows but his footsteps remained totally silent. He approached the towering barricade of Richard Mercer.The Mayor had built a fo

"The thermal blast vaporized our primary barricade Mayor."Captain Dan stood inside the heated cabin of the command crawler. He gripped the edge of the steel table to steady his trembling hands.Richard Mercer sat in his plush leather passenger seat. He held a crystal glass filled with expensive aged scotch."I have eyes Captain," Richard said softly. "I watched the glacier shatter.""We lost sniper team one," Dan reported. His voice carried a raw edge of panic. "The building collapsed on top of them. We cannot fight a walking tank.""He is not a tank," Richard replied. He took a slow sip of the amber liquid. "He is just a man hiding inside a metal suit. Men need to sleep.""He breached the solid ice with high yield thermite charges," Dan argued. "The titanium gates are free. He can walk out whenever he wants."Richard set his crystal glass down on the thick paper blueprints spread across the table."Then we do not attack the front door again," Richard stated. He pointed a thick finge

"Get them into the tunnel right now."Richard Mercer pointed a trembling finger toward the dark excavation pit. He stood at the edge of the smoking crater. The burning fuel was just a smoldering puddle of black sludge.The freezing wind carried the foul scent of burning oilRichard looked past the ruined supply trucks. Hundreds of starving citizens stared back at him from the latrine trenches. Their hollow eyes reflected the dying orange embers of his destroyed empire."The heaters are dead, Mayor," Captain Dan whispered nervously. The officer gripped his assault rifle tight. "The remaining fuel will not last until dawn.""They know the heat is gone Dan," Richard said. He kept his eyes locked on the angry mob.The moment the cold sets in they will tear me apart, Richard calculated frantically. I need a new cage to lock them in."Bring your rifles forward Captain," Richard ordered. "Force every single slave into the dirt. We breach that bunker tonight."Captain Dan raised his weapon. H

"The glass is cracking Dad."Caroline pressed her spine against the cold steel wall of the dark cabin. She pulled her freezing knees tight against her chest.Outside the reinforced windshield Cynthia and Victor smashed their bloody fists against the pane. The infected billionaires ignored the blizzard. They pounded the vehicle with mindless feral repetition."Keep your mouth shut," Richard ordered.He sat in the driver seat. His heart hammered violently against his fractured ribs. A sharp spiderweb fracture spread across the thick safety glass.The glass is failing, Richard calculated frantically. I need a distraction to start the engine. They are drawn to noise and movement.He looked at his weeping daughter. His survival instinct overrode any remaining parental loyalty. He reached across the console and grabbed the collar of her torn coat."What are you doing?" Caroline shrieked in confusion. She tried to pull away from his grip."I need time," Richard stated flatly.He kicked the p

The Leviathan (The Mobile Fortress) ​The world believed Malcolm Drayton built a stationary concrete warehouse. They were wrong. The concrete exterior was just a brittle shell designed to hide his true investment. ​The actual structure was a colossal mobile land crawler named the Leviathan. ​Massive steel tracks formed the foundation of the fortress. Thick titanium alloy plates created an impenetrable armored hull. The vehicle was engineered to survive nuclear fallout and extreme planetary freezing. ​It weighed thousands of tons. It could traverse ruined highways and crush abandoned vehicles with terrifying ease. ​The Leviathan was a sealed luxury ecosystem. It housed premium hydroponic gardens and advanced water purification systems. It functioned as a heavy military warship masquerading as a civilian shelter. ​The Overseer (The Artificial Intelligence) ​A fortress of that massive magnitude required a flawless nervous system. Malcolm designed a proprietary artificial intelligenc