All Chapters of Apocalypse: Survivor-in-Law: Chapter 61
- Chapter 70
109 chapters
Zero Knowledge
"The transit hub is gone."Kira gripped the edge of the desk as a violent tremor shook the thick floorboards of the command center. She stared at the high resolution optical feed with wide hollow eyes.Three miles down the frozen interstate a colossal pillar of orange fire erupted from the city grid. The military bombers just unleashed their payload directly onto the subterranean commercial storage tanks. Plumes of thick black smoke breached the dense winter cloud layer and blotted out the pale sun."They vaporized the diesel reserve," Kira stated. Her voice carried the harsh rasp of absolute defeat.She pressed her hand against her bandaged thigh as a fresh wave of nausea flooded her stomach. Her heart hammered against her ribs like a trapped bird. She knew the grim mathematics of their current trajectory. The mobile fortress was bleeding energy, and the military just destroyed their only bridge to the quarantine zone.We are going to die inside this metal box, Kira calculated the bl
Zero Boom
"Bring her down low for a victory lap."Flight Commander Vance pushed the control yoke forward and grinned as the digital altimeter spun backward. The military bomber descended through the dense winter cloud layer, breaking the cloud ceiling to reveal the frozen ruins of the Mega City below."We have visual confirmation on the civilian target," his co pilot reported from the adjacent seat. The junior officer tapped the targeting console. "The mobile fortress is idling on the interstate."Vance adjusted his communication headset. He toggled the frequency to patch directly into the Vanguard ground forces stationed at the barricades across the urban grid."This is Eagle One initiating an intimidation pass," Vance announced to the infantry squads below. "Let them hear the engines boys. We are going to rattle the teeth right out of his arrogant skull."Down on the icy streets the elite soldiers raised their rifles into the air and cheered. The deafening roar of the twin jet engines washed
Zero Entitlement
"We have sixty eight hours of combustible energy remaining on the primary gauge."Kira leaned her weight onto her uninjured leg and pointed at the flashing red numbers on the main console. She kept her posture rigid to mask the dull throbbing pain radiating from her bandaged thigh.Malcolm gripped the steering yoke of the Leviathan. The mobile warship ground its way through the frozen northern suburbs of the dead metropolis. They followed the coordinates extracted from the ruined bomber flight recorder."The drag from the deep snowdrifts is increasing our fuel consumption," Malcolm noted. He watched the reinforced plow blades push a mountain of icy debris off the ruined asphalt."General Varga consolidated his supply lines at a staging ground ten miles from this intersection," Kira stated. "We will intercept his fuel convoy before our tanks run dry, but we will not catch them by surprise.""I do not need the element of surprise when I drive a titanium fortress," Malcolm replied."You
Zero Monstrosity
"Disengage the primary drivetrain."Malcolm pulled back on the steering yoke, and the Leviathan responded with a deafening groan of protesting metal. The towering titanium tracks locked into place as the mobile fortress skidded across the icy asphalt, sending a wave of crushed snow cascading over the edge of the elevated highway overpass.The sprawling warship came to a grinding halt mere yards away from the Vanguard blockade.Dozens of starving civilians hung from thick iron chains welded to the front bumpers of the armored military transports. Their bare feet scraped the frozen pavement while they shivered in the biting winter wind. Filthy rags clung to their emaciated frames, offering zero protection against the cold.Lieutenant Riggs did not stop at the lead vehicles. He shackled a secondary perimeter of civilian laborers directly to the cylindrical fuel tankers. The captives stood pressed against the freezing metal tanks holding the precious diesel reserves."He layered his defen
Zero Remnants
"You have thirty seconds, civilian, before I empty a magazine into this crowd."Lieutenant Riggs broadcasted the lethal ultimatum across the frozen highway. The Vanguard officer stood atop his armored transport and kept his kinetic rifle pressed against the temple of a weeping hostage. The chained citizens shivered in the howling wind while they awaited their execution.Inside the warm command center Kira felt the blood drain from her face. Her heart hammered against her ribs in a frantic rhythm of pure panic.Malcolm stood near his mahogany desk and picked up his heavy tactical helmet. He did not look panicked or conflicted. He evaluated the situation with the cold precision of an engineer analyzing a structural defect."Prepare the primary fuel siphons," Malcolm instructed his navigator. "I will secure the perimeter.""You are walking into a firing squad," Kira warned him. She watched him secure the locking collar of his helmet. "He commands twenty elite soldiers equipped with armor
Zero Progress
"Walk toward the northern grid until you locate the abandoned agricultural silos."Malcolm broadcasted the instruction across the icy overpass. He stood on the ruined asphalt while the freed hostages huddled together under thin thermal blankets. The shivering citizens stared at the towering black armor with a mixture of terror and profound disbelief.The elderly man gave a fragile nod to the mechanical behemoth. He turned his back on the crashed Vanguard transports and led the procession of survivors away from the carnage. They marched slowly toward the distant city limits.Kira watched the ragged group fade into the winter storm. She leaned against the heavy titanium frame of the primary airlock. Her kinetic assault rifle hung loosely from her nylon shoulder strap."You gave them the coordinates to the neutral zone," Kira noted. Her voice carried genuine surprise over the howling wind."I gave them a vector," Malcolm corrected her as he uncoiled a thick industrial rubber hose. "The j
Zero Ego
"We are driving into a graveyard."Kira leaned her weight against the desk while she pointed a trembling finger at the primary tactical monitor.The Leviathan sputtered and lurched toward the dark border of Sector Seven. Thick black smoke poured from the dorsal exhaust vents and painted the winter sky with toxic soot. The tainted diesel corroded the primary engine cylinders with every agonizing rotation of the colossal steel tracks. The mobile fortress was dying a loud grinding death on the icy asphalt.The optical sensors magnified the narrow transit corridor located two miles ahead. General Varga did not bother with a hasty ambush or a frantic scramble for position. The federal commander anticipated their exact route and constructed a permanent siege line across the only viable highway leading into the quarantine zone."He built an impenetrable choke point," Kira warned her host. She gripped the cold polymer stock of her kinetic assault rifle. "Those are not standard traffic barrier
Zero Causion
"The safety is off, Malcolm."Kira leveled the pistol at the center of his chest. The click of the weapon engaged echoed through the quiet command center. She stood near the armory door while her hands trembled against the cold polymer grip.Malcolm did not flinch. He did not raise his hands in surrender or beg for his life. He stood beside the polished mahogany desk and looked at the dark barrel of her gun."You possess a logical survival imperative," Malcolm stated. His tone remained devoid of emotional fluctuation. "General Varga offered you a full military pardon and a warm bed. I am offering you a dead engine and a monolithic tungsten wall."My lungs are burning, Kira processed the suffocating anxiety closing her throat. Pains radiated up her bandaged thigh and sent a wave of raw nausea into her stomach. If I pull the trigger I can walk out of this metal coffin. I can return to the federal encampment. They have hot food and antibiotics.She stared at the architect. He wore a pris
Zero Momentum
"Brace for the impact."Malcolm issued the stark warning while he shoved the steering yoke to its maximum forward position. He routed the final corrosive drops of the tainted diesel straight into the dying engine block.The three billion dollar mobile fortress roared in agonizing protest. The Leviathan accelerated down the icy transit corridor toward the federal barricade.Kira locked her hands around the bolted metal frame of the leather command chair. The cabin plunged into darkness as Malcolm diverted the internal life support and the automated turret reserves directly into the frontal plow blades. The only illumination came from the dull crimson flashing of the emergency console."Open fire," General Varga commanded over the intercepted radio frequency. "Core that metal box."A dozen heavy battle tanks unleashed their primary cannons simultaneously. The deafening volley tore through the howling winter blizzard. Depleted uranium shells crossed the frozen highway in a fraction of a
Zero Lead
"The climate control is dead."Kira stood in the center of the dark command center and watched her breath turn into a cloud of white vapor. The towering digital monitors on the walls were blank, and the gentle hum of the industrial heaters had faded into a deafening silence.Malcolm sat in his plush leather chair. The emergency floor strips cast a dull crimson glow across his face. He checked the diagnostic readouts on his wrist console to verify the catastrophic engine failure they suffered after breaching the federal blockade. The tainted diesel had reduced his three billion dollar mobile fortress to a tomb in the middle of Sector Seven."The internal temperature is dropping by two degrees every minute," Kira warned him while she pulled her thermal cloak tight against her neck. "We have zero combustible fuel to restart the generators and the backup batteries are drained.""The primary drivetrain melted into a block of useless slag," Malcolm replied calmly. "Even if we possessed