BXBX NOVEL Chapter 68 A Glimpse to the Development of the Oriental Military Camp Part 1
Chapter 68 A Glimpse to the Development of the Oriental Military Camp Part 1
August 10th, 2023.
Twenty days had passed since the nightmare began. The world, once a semblance of order and civilization, now lay in ruins. The fragile bonds that held society together had shattered, and chaos reigned supreme. The streets were no longer bustling with life but swarmed with the undead, a macabre procession of decaying flesh and insatiable hunger.
In less than twenty-four hours, governments crumbled, their authority rendered obsolete. The institutions that had promised security and stability were powerless against the relentless onslaught of the walking dead. Anarchy became the new order, and the rule of law was replaced by the law of survival.
The shift in the social fabric was stark and brutal. People were forced to fend for themselves, their survival instincts triggered by the gruesome reality that surrounded them. No longer could they rely on the protection of law enforcement or the comforts of a functioning society. Each individual was now a lone actor in a grim drama, where every decision was a matter of life or death.
Families were torn apart, neighborhoods became battlegrounds, and trust among strangers became a rare commodity.
Richard had first seen what a man could do without a law holding them back. And it was disgusting. He won\'t let disorder get into his base. Not on his watch.
"It\'s been twenty days huh?" Richard muttered under his breath. Twenty days have indeed passed twenty days. It may seem short but to Richard, it felt like it had been years.
A lot of things have happened in the past twenty days with getting a powerful system being the first. It allowed him to survive in this world by summoning soldiers and military hardware. He was grateful to have received one, because if not for the system, what would have happened to him? Or his little sister? It would be a nightmare.
Saving this world might be his calling, and if that\'s the case, it is a calling that he
would accept with grim determination.
"Sir!"
One of the engineers working for him called. Richard snapped out of his thoughts. His eyes focused on the man who had interrupted his contemplation.
"What is it, Max?" Richard asked.
"The installation of the generator modules is going smoothly, sir. In just three days, the whole Oriental Military Camp will have electricity," said Max.
Before Richard was at the General Electric LM2500 generator installation site. This massive piece of machinery was a powerhouse, capable of producing 25 megawatts of electricity, enough to light up 35,000 homes. It had a 39 percent simple-cycle efficiency, and they expected it to be up and running within six months—a critical Commercial Operation Date.
But what made this generator even more valuable in their post-apocalyptic world was its ability to run on various fuels, not just diesel. It can take on ethanol, LNG, kerosene, propane, et cetera.
It had six key modules: the Generator Skid Module, Control House Module, Generator Ventilation System, Turbine Ventilation Silencer, Turbine Ventilation Fan, Turbine Filter Module, and Turbine Module. Each module contained the essential components required to make the generator operate smoothly and efficiently.
In this world where electricity becomes a rare commodity, having a powerful generator such as the LM2500 gas turbine was nothing short of a lifeline. Richard understood that, in these turbulent times, electricity was not just a luxury but a fundamental necessity for their survival and progress.
But once it became operational, Richard would face another problem. Fuel.
Just like electricity, fuel is an invaluable resource in this ravaged world. It powers literally everything, the generator, military vehicles and aircraft, and defense systems. Without it, they were rendered obsolete.
The practical challenges of running the generator weighed heavily on Richard\'s mind. When fully operational, it devoured a whopping 4,082 kilograms of fuel per hour. Crunching the numbers further, this amounted to a staggering 97,968 kilograms of fuel per day or a mind-boggling 2,939,040 kilograms per month.
To put this into perspective, one barrel of oil cost about 150 gold coins and contained 159 liters of fuel. Doing some straightforward math revealed that they needed a whopping 18,484 barrels of oil each month to keep the lights on in Oriental—a staggering monthly expense of 2,772,600 gold coins.
These calculations, based on the generator running at full load, didn\'t even factor in the fuel required to keep their military vehicles operational.
The bottom line was clear: Richard couldn\'t rely on his system alone to provide the necessary fuel. They would have to establish direct supply lines from gas stations and oil refineries. While they had already tapped into available gasoline sources in Oriental, it was a short-term solution. In the long run, they\'d need to undertake risky operations to secure a consistent fuel supply, an essential resource in their fight for survival.
Because those three million per month gold coins could be used to purchase military hardware that is essential for defense.
"So in three days, the generator will be complete? I can\'t wait to see it."
"Yes sir, in three days, you can have your party," Max said, grinning.
The party that Max is referring to is about the celebration of the successful defense of the Oriental military camp. His men had been working 24/7 to ensure the safety of the Oriental and clean the mess the wave made. The streets were no longer littered with corpses thanks to them, and multiple construction is happening in all quadrants of the Oriental military camp. One is the construction of the runway for fixed-wing aircraft.
He couldn\'t wait to summon his AC-130 from his inventory and see it in action.
"Thank you, Max. Keep up the hard work, I\'ll be taking my leave. I have to inspect the construction of the water tanks in Quadrant 2."
"Of course, sir, thank you for coming by and inspecting the progress," Max replied with a nod.
Richard left the installation site and hopped to his JLTV Oshkosh. His Chief of Staff insisted that they have him escorted via convoy, but Richard denied their suggestion as it was a waste of fuel. Besides, there\'s no threat inside the Oriental as it is zombie-free.
He could have brought his little sister but she had a military training session along with her classmates. But he\'ll see her later on their date after his inspection and her session.
Aside from the oil, water is also an essential supply for their survival, something that he couldn\'t rely on getting from the system alone. So just like fuel, Richard has to find a steady source of water for the Oriental.