The windowless room had once been a high-end conference suite inside Conrad''s executive wing. Now, it served as the nerve center for Overwatch''s long-term threat analysis division. Rows of terminals lined the walls. Holographic overlays pulsed with live satellite feeds, Reaper drone telemetry, and recently updated naval route scans.
Thomas Estaris sat alone at the central console.
The lights were dimmed.
A mug of black coffee steamed quietly beside him—forgotten.
His eyes were fixed on the glowing interface projected from his left wrist.
He was back in the system again.
But this time, he wasn''t looking for rifles.
Or recon boats.
This time, he was thinking bigger.
He tapped the Naval tab. The menu expanded, sections branching like the hull of a warship.
NAVAL ASSETS CATALOG
Small Craft
Patrol Vessels
Corvettes
Frigates
Destroyers
Submarines
Amphibious Assault Ships
Aircraft Carriers
Support & Logistics
His finger hovered over Destroyers.
He selected it.
The list populated, real-time.
[DDG-51 Arleigh Burke-Class Destroyer]
Origin: United States Navy
Cost: 12,000,000 Blood Coins
Length: 155 m
Displacement: 9,000+ tons
Speed: 31+ knots
Range: 4,400 nautical miles at 20 knots
Crew: 280
Key Features:
Aegis Combat System
AN/SPY-1D Radar
96-cell VLS (Tomahawk, ESSM, SM-2, ASROC)
Phalanx CIWS
Torpedo tubes and ASW sonar
Helicopter hangar for SH-60R Seahawk
Operational Use: Long-range anti-air, anti-submarine, and surface warfare. Capable of independently deploying or operating within strike groups.
Thomas whistled low.
"Twelve million..."
But he didn''t close the tab.
Instead, he opened the next listing.
[Horizon-Class Destroyer]
Origin: France / Italy
Cost: 9,500,000 Blood Coins
Length: 153 m
Displacement: 7,050 tons
Speed: 29 knots
Range: 7,000 nautical miles at 18 knots
Crew: 190
Key Features:
EMPAR Radar System
Aster 15/30 SAMs
8 MM40 Exocet Anti-Ship Missiles
Dual torpedo launchers
Multi-layered CBRN protection
Operational Use: European high-seas escort destroyer with emphasis on air defense and limited surface attack.
Thomas marked it. Lower crew requirement. Advanced defenses. But it lacked the teeth of the Arleigh Burke.
He backed out and entered the Submarine category.
[Virginia-Class Fast Attack Submarine (SSN-774)]
Origin: United States
Cost: 15,000,000 Blood Coins
Length: 115 m
Displacement: 7,800 tons submerged
Speed: 25+ knots submerged
Range: Unlimited (nuclear)
Crew: 132
Key Features:
12 VLS Tomahawk launchers
Advanced sonar suite
Torpedo tubes (Mk-48 ADCAP)
Special Forces deployment module
Low acoustic signature
Operational Use: Covert strike missions, intelligence gathering, undersea warfare. Extremely difficult to detect or intercept.
He lingered.
That kind of platform could give Overwatch eyes beneath the waves—deep, silent, and lethal.
But the price...
He tapped the Aircraft Carrier tab, just to see.
[CVN-78 Gerald R. Ford-Class Supercarrier]
Origin: United States
Cost: 45,000,000 Blood Coins
Length: 337 m
Displacement: 100,000+ tons
Speed: 30+ knots
Crew: 2,600 ship / 2,480 air wing
Flight Deck: Electromagnetic catapults (EMALS), advanced arresting gear
Capacity: 75+ aircraft
Key Features:
Dual nuclear reactors
AN/SPY-6 radar
Integrated Warfare System
Operational Use: Full spectrum maritime dominance. Requires massive logistical support. Strategic asset for global force projection.
Thomas stared at the price.
Forty-five million.
It wasn''t impossible.
But it would come at the cost of every other project for months.
He swiped again.
[Queen Elizabeth-Class Aircraft Carrier]
Origin: United Kingdom
Cost: 26,000,000 Blood Coins
Length: 280 m
Displacement: 65,000 tons
Speed: 25 knots
Crew: 700 (air wing: 900)
Flight Deck: STOVL (Short Take-Off and Vertical Landing)
Capacity: Up to 40 aircraft
Key Features:
Radar cross-section reduction
Automated systems to reduce manpower
Amphibious and humanitarian support
Operational Use: Versatile carrier for strike and aid missions. Less logistical strain than USN supercarriers.
Still out of reach, but more practical.
He bookmarked it, then returned to the Frigates tab.
[FREMM Multipurpose Frigate (Aquitaine Class)]
Origin: France / Italy
Cost: 6,800,000 Blood Coins
Length: 142 m
Displacement: 6,700 tons
Speed: 27 knots
Range: 6,000 nautical miles at 15 knots
Crew: 145
Key Features:
Anti-submarine warfare suite
16-cell A70 VLS
Exocet anti-ship missiles
Helicopter hangar
Operational Use: Balance of offense and defense. Ideal for coastal defense and regional deterrence.
"This one''s tempting," Thomas murmured. "Affordable. Versatile. Can cover both land and sea threats."
His finger hovered over the Wishlist icon.
He tapped it.
The FREMM frigate was added to his purchase queue.
But he wasn''t done.
[Type 212A Submarine]
Origin: Germany
Cost: 5,200,000 Blood Coins
Length: 56 m
Displacement: 1,800 tons submerged
Speed: 20 knots
Crew: 27
Key Features:
Air-independent propulsion (AIP)
Near-zero noise signature
Heavy torpedoes
Lightweight operational cost
Operational Use: Ideal for shallow-water ops, Baltic-style missions. Perfect for ambush and denial tactics.
Thomas bookmarked it too.
A sub fleet didn''t have to be nuclear. Sometimes stealth mattered more.
After nearly an hour scrolling through hull profiles, radar systems, and torpedo configurations, Thomas leaned back in his chair, eyes heavy but mind racing.
He had enough intel to plan the framework for Overwatch Naval Command.
But resources were still tight.
Blood Coin income had been steady—but just barely. Most of it went to recon drones, munitions, suit upkeep, and infrastructure. Diverting several million for a single ship wouldn''t just be a financial strain—it would be a strategic risk.
He needed a procurement phase.
Tiered deployment.
Start with the FREMM.
Pair it with a Sea Hunter drone.
Later—maybe—he''d add a submarine. Or two.
The carriers?
Pipe dreams.
Not now.
Not until they had full control of the Philippine coast.
He opened a new project file and titled it:
Project Blue Wake: Phase One
1x FREMM Frigate
2x Sea Phantom II Patrol Boats
1x Command Platform Barge
Deployment ETA: 21 Days
Total Cost: 8.6M Blood Coins
Funding Source: Zombie Extermination Raids Thru Airstrikes.
Thomas reviewed the list one final time, then saved the procurement file to a restricted-access drive synced to his command ID. He rubbed his eyes, dry and burning from lack of rest, and stood slowly from the console.
Outside the tower''s reinforced windows, the first hints of dawn crept over the bay. The sea glistened like oil. Silent. Unknowing.
He wasn''t just preparing for another deployment.
He was preparing for a new theater of war.
Land, air, and now—sea.
The Bloom thought it owned the oceans.
Overwatch was about to prove it wrong.
And they would start with steel.