Weapon System in Zombie Apocalypse-Chapter 19: Working on the Essentials Part 1

Thomas trudged through the silent hotel corridors, making his way to one of the luxurious suites he had cleared earlier. The room, like much of the hotel, showed signs of abandonment but remained mostly intact. Plush furniture, a king-sized bed, and a panoramic window overlooking the city greeted him. He sighed in relief, locking the door behind him.

The bed looked more inviting than anything else at that moment. After a long day of combat, summons, and delegations, exhaustion had finally caught up with him. He removed his gear, placing his HK and tactical vest on the dresser. Flipping a light switch, he was pleasantly surprised when the overhead lights flickered on.

"At least the electricity's still running," he muttered, though he knew it was temporary.

After a quick shower, Thomas settled into the large bed, letting the comfortable mattress ease his tension. Within moments, sleep took over.

The following morning, Thomas woke to the sound of faint footsteps and distant chatter echoing from below. He stretched, feeling far more refreshed than he had in days. After another quick shower, he dressed in his combat uniform and strapped on his sidearm. It wasn't likely that he'd encounter any immediate threats inside the base, but it was better to stay armed and prepared.

Exiting the suite, he made his way down the stairwell to the mall. As he reached the lobby, he immediately noticed a stark difference: the area was spotless. Gone were the piles of corpses, spent casings, and debris. Floors gleamed under the soft light, and the faint scent of disinfectant filled the air. It was surreal—like the apocalypse had never touched this place.

He wandered through the main hall of the mall, marveling at how quickly the cleaners had restored order. While some areas still bore scars of the initial chaos—shattered glass walls and broken store signs—everything looked as presentable as it could be under the circumstances.

"Morning, sir!" a familiar voice called out.

Thomas turned to see Phillip approaching with a friendly grin. "Good morning. Place looks a lot different," Thomas remarked.

"Yeah, the cleaners worked through the night. Honestly, it's impressive how fast they got it done. You'd almost think we were back in normal times," Phillip replied, his eyes scanning the gleaming floors. "Oh, and the cooks got the restaurants running. There's still plenty of stock in the storage rooms, so you can grab a proper breakfast. They set up at the Texas Roadhouse over there."

Phillip gestured toward one of the restaurants down the hall. Thomas chuckled. "A proper breakfast, huh? Sounds good to me."

"Take your time, sir. You've earned it," Phillip added with a nod before moving off to check on the patrol teams.

Thomas stepped inside the Texas Roadhouse, where the rich aroma of sizzling meat and freshly baked bread greeted him. One of the cooks, a burly man with an apron and a confident demeanor, approached him.

"Morning, sir! We've got breakfast ready for you. Menu's limited for now, but I can whip you up some steak and eggs. There's still a lot of food in the inventory, so we're set for a couple of months," the cook explained.

"That'll do. Thanks," Thomas replied, taking a seat at one of the booths.

The cook returned shortly with a steaming plate of steak, scrambled eggs, and freshly baked rolls. Thomas took a bite, savoring the taste. And—it was very delicious. Like he hadn't been in one of the fine restaurants before as the cost of a dish here could reach thousands. He was glad that he could taste it once in his life, and if he has the money, it would have been worth it.

"You weren't kidding. This hits the spot," Thomas commented between bites.

"Glad you like it, sir. We'll keep the kitchen running as long as we have supplies," the cook replied before returning to his duties.

As Thomas was finishing his meal, an engineer approached, his tool belt clinking with each step. He gave a respectful nod before speaking.

"Good morning, sir. I wanted to give you an update on the power situation."

"Go ahead," Thomas said, setting down his fork.

"The main power grid went out overnight. We're running on the building's backup generator now. It'll hold for about two days, but after that, we'll need fuel. Without a steady supply, things could get complicated fast."

Thomas exhaled through his nose. He had expected this. "Alright. Thanks for the heads-up. I'll prioritize fuel resupply after breakfast. Anything else I should know?"

"Nothing critical right now, sir. The building's structure is holding up fine, and essential systems are stable for the moment," the engineer reported.

"Good. Keep monitoring everything."

"Understood. I'll be at the maintenance office if you need me," the engineer said before heading off.

Thomas leaned back in his seat, mulling over his next move. The base was taking shape faster than he had anticipated, but challenges like fuel supply reminded him that survival was a constant battle.

He stood, adjusted his gear, and made his way out of the restaurant. Time to get to work.

***

First, Thomas visited the maintenance office, a room filled with tools, spare parts, and various equipment neatly organized on shelves.

Inside, he found the engineer from earlier, who was inspecting a control panel.

"Good to see you again," Thomas greeted, stepping forward. "I didn't catch your name earlier."

"That's because I don't have one sir," the engineer replied as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Okay...your name will be Connor Reyes."

"Very well sir."

"Alright, Connor," Thomas replied, nodding. "Let's go over that power issue again."

Connor gestured toward a set of blueprints on a nearby worktable. "The main power grid for this area is down, probably due to infrastructure damage outside. We've been relying on the building's backup generator. It's keeping the essential systems running—lights, ventilation, and security. But it's a temporary fix at best."

Thomas crossed his arms. "And how long do we have?"

"Two days of fuel at the current usage rate," Connor explained. "After that, the generator will shut down. No power means we'll lose lighting, refrigeration, security systems—everything."

"Alright. Can you escort me to the generator room? I want to see exactly what we're dealing with," Thomas requested.

Connor nodded. "Of course, sir. Follow me."

The generator room was located on the lower level of the building, deep within the utility sector. The smell of oil and metal hung in the air as Connor led Thomas inside. The massive diesel generator rumbled steadily, its control panel displaying output levels and fuel reserves.

"This is our primary backup generator," Connor began, patting the large machine. "It's a Cummins C275D5, capable of producing 275 kilowatts of power. That's enough to power most essential systems here but with limited capacity for non-critical areas."

Thomas examined the generator closely. "And what kind of fuel does it run on?"

"Diesel, sir. We need high-grade diesel to keep this thing running smoothly. We've got about 800 liters left in the storage tanks, but that's dropping fast with continuous use."

Thomas nodded thoughtfully. "Alright, so high-grade diesel. Let me check my system."

He scrolled through the system interface, navigating to the Resource Exchange tab. There, he searched for available fuel supplies. After a few moments, he found what he needed.

[Resource: Diesel Fuel (1 Barrel)

Cost: 5,000 Blood Coins (Each barrel contains 200 liters)]

"Five thousand for one barrel... That's steep," Thomas muttered, frowning at the price. He turned to Connor. "How much fuel does the generator consume per hour?"

Connor checked a digital monitor on the control panel. "The Cummins C275D5 consumes about 40 liters of diesel per hour under the current load. If we reduce non-essential systems, we could maybe push that down to around 30 liters, but it won't go much lower without compromising critical functions."

Thomas did some quick calculations in his head. "Alright. So, at 30 to 40 liters per hour, that's about... 720 to 960 liters a day. How many liters would we need to keep everything running for a full week?"

Connor nodded, doing the math. "If we average the current usage at 35 liters an hour, that's roughly 5,880 liters for seven days. You'd need about 30 barrels to keep us going for a full week."

"Thirty barrels, huh?" Thomas rubbed his chin thoughtfully. That was 150,000 Blood Coins—a significant expense, but one he couldn't avoid for now. He also knew this was only a temporary solution. He needed to secure a reliable, long-term fuel source soon. Taking over an oil depot might be the only option in the future.

"Alright, Connor. I'll purchase the fuel for now, but I'll need you and the logistics team to monitor consumption and find ways to optimize energy usage. We can't afford to waste a single drop."

"Understood, sir. We'll keep a close eye on it," Connor replied.

Thomas opened the Purchase Interface in the system and selected the diesel barrels. He confirmed the order, watching as his Blood Coin balance updated.

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[Purchased: 30 Barrels of Diesel Fuel

Cost: 150,000 Blood Coins

Remaining Balance: 1,327,740 Blood Coins]

Within seconds, a notification appeared, confirming his purchase.