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From above, Fort Sentinel now looked nothing like the broken jungle rock it had been days ago.
The island—classified Strategic Island 227-B in the system logs—had transformed from a raw outcrop of volcanic stone and tangled foliage into a layered fortress with defined zones, defense corridors, and high-efficiency logistics flow.
🏝️ Island Layout – Fort Sentinel
Zone A: Command Ridge
The highest point of the island. Rebuilt with layered smartsteel bunkers and a sensor array dome. HQ operations, officer housing, and a mission command amphitheater sat here, overlooking the sea in all directions.
Upgraded to Level 2
Boosts command range and unlocks advanced facilities.
Zone B: Shoreline Shipyards
Low-elevation docks reinforced with seawalls, modular cranes, and a self-sealing drydock. The shipyard could now produce two mid-class vessels in parallel and repair battle-damaged ships in half the time.
Shipyard Level 1 → Upgrading to Level 2
Unlocks enhanced production queue, small fleet dock space, and retrofits.
Zone C: Drone & Recon Complex
Built into the northern cliff shelf where wind currents were stable. The newly completed Modular Airstrip ran 300 meters long, just enough for drone-class aircraft and early recon UAVs to launch and recover.
Drone Factory Online
Airstrip supports up to 4 drones on rotation.
New Function: Auto-mapping of regional sectors, Leviathan detection grid, aerial scans of abandoned bases.
> Active Drone Models:
Reaper-Lite Recon Model – Medium range, HD imaging, stealth pattern
Skua-Class Sensor Drone – Infrared and sonar mapping, terrain penetration
Kite EC-3 – Basic jamming and signal relay
Zone D: Logistics Core
Underground warehouse network connected via lift-rails to both docks and barracks. Storage silos for fuel, ammo, and construction materials.
Storage Depot: Upgraded to Lvl 2 (+30% capacity)
Construction Control Center: New building
Passive effect: -10% build times
Unlocks building queue automation
Zone E: Research & Development Sector
Built into the central basin of the island. Enclosed to prevent recon from above. Reinforced labs, blueprint vaults, and AI-assisted simulation chambers.
Research Lab Lvl 1 → Upgrading to Lvl 2
Unlocks dual-research paths
+10% research speed
Enables "Blueprint Fusion" to combine low-tier ship plans
Zone F: Civil-Military Barracks and Personnel
Prefabs upgraded to modular compounds. Can now house up to 300 personnel, including AI crew units and real NPC specialists.
Barracks Upgrade: +1 Officer Slot
Future modules planned: Ground Invasion Facility, Training Simulator, Emergency Hospital
Zone G: Power and Utilities
The geothermal plant, once barely operational, had been reinforced with new regulators, coolant arrays, and expansion turbines.
Geothermal Plant Lvl 1 → Lvl 2 Upgrade in Progress
Output increased by +40%
Supports upcoming airfields and advanced radar systems
Unlocks Energy Management Panel (optimize power routing)
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🛠️ Base-Wide Upgrades Now Active
> ✅ Construction Control Center
10% faster build times across all projects
✅ Logistics Hub Efficiency Protocols
+15% resource gain from outposts
5% reduction in convoy loss chance
✅ Recon Expansion Initiative
+2 drone range sectors
All drone maps now show terrain overlays and mineral scans
✅ Resource Management AI
5% reduced material cost for all non-combat buildings
Adaptive routing of supply lines, faster recovery from attacks
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✈️ The Rise of Air Recon & Future Air Dominance
For now, Reeve had only drones in the air—but they were already changing the battlefield.
> Drone Recon Report: Sector Zeta-9
Deepwater oil deposits
Beached wreck of unknown supercarrier
Abandoned base: Runway + Hangars present
High-density Leviathan sonar bounce (dangerous zone)
That wreck—possibly pre-collapse—could yield vital blueprints or tech fragments.
But more importantly, the abandoned runway was proof that aircraft once ruled these skies.
Back in the Drone Factory, R&D AI subroutines were already simulating modular runway plates, jet catapults, and basic fuel distillation lines needed to power 4th-gen aircraft.
Keira stood at the terminal, arms crossed.
"If we can push HQ to Level 5 and build an Air Control Node," she said, "I can start working on early jet launch facilities."
Reeve nodded. "And strike capability?"
"Basic payloads. Interceptors. Maybe multirole fighters if we can find wreck data. Long term? You'll have full air superiority over any region."
He leaned over the panel.
"Make it happen."
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🧭 Operational Goals: Updated
> 🔲 Upgrade HQ to Level 3 (Unlock Ground Assault Facilities)
🔲 Finish Power Plant Lvl 2
🔲 Fully automate resource convoy system
🔲 Launch drone recon sweep of Zeta-9 (Supercarrier)
🔲 Begin R&D for Runway Platforms (Air Control Pathway)
🔲 Research Frigate Tier II: Formidable-Class Completion
🔲 Prepare for HQ Level 5 (Diesel-Electric Submarines)
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[End of Chapter Seven]
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