Frozen Flame of Dawn - Chapter 111

Chapter 111: Chapter 53: Expanding the Perimeter_2

Elias continued, “Additionally, we have installed hidden cameras at multiple points throughout the perimeter and currently all feeds from these cameras are transmitted directly to our outposts and monitoring stations within the town.”

At this, a few murmurs of agreement rippled through the room as the effort to maintain a real-time surveillance system was commendable, but Aiden, was already seeing a potential flaw.

“How effective has this setup been so far?” Aiden asked, his gaze still locked on the screen.

Elias turned toward him, expecting the question. “It has served us well in the short term and we have received early warnings about the last two beast waves thanks to this system. Without those alerts, we would have been caught off guard.”

Aiden nodded slightly but didn’t look entirely convinced. “That’s good… but we can’t depend on this forever as these cameras can malfunction or being damaged by mutated beasts easily. Also considering our limited resources, we don’t have the luxury of repairing or replacing these cameras frequently.”

Amira, who had been quietly listening, inclined her head slightly in agreement. “He has a point,” she said, “We can’t afford to rely on these equipment when we have no way to manufacture replacements.”

Elias exhaled and nodded. “We know and have already encountered this issue firsthand. During the last two beast waves, almost 70 to 80% of our cameras were destroyed or damaged beyond repair so we had to replace them entirely, and even now maintaining them has been a problem.”

A heavy silence settled over the room as the weight of the issue sunk in. They needed a better solution—a way to maintain their surveillance without the constant risk of destruction.

Then, Elias’s expression shifted slightly saying, “But… we’ve already been working on an alternative solution with the research team and have found a way to overcome this problem.”

That piqued everyone’s interest, even Amira straightened slightly in her seat as her eyes sharp with curiosity. “Go on,” she prompted.

As Ezzie pressed a button, and the screen changed to display a schematic diagram Elias continued. “We’ve designed a new type of detection sonic device—one that doesn’t rely on visual input or fragile hardware.”

The room went quiet, all eyes on the new image on the screen.

“Instead of cameras, we’ve developed a device that emits low-frequency sound waves at regular intervals and these waves oscillate frequently, covering a designated radius.” He pointed at a demonstration model on the screen, showing how the waves spread out in ripples as it scanned the area around them. “Whenever something passes through the area, the waves get obstructed, triggering an alert. While we won’t immediately know if it’s a human or a beast, we will know that something has entered our territory.”

Aiden folded his arms, clearly intrigued. “And these devices—they’re sturdy? Reliable?”

Elias nodded. “Yes as unlike cameras, these don’t require fragile optics or continuous power input. They can be buried underground or mounted in concealed locations, making them much harder to destroy.”

A few members exchanged impressed looks. This was a significant upgrade.

Elias added, “Once an alert is triggered, the nearest outpost can deploy drones to visually confirm what set off the sensor. That way, we can investigate threats in real time without relying solely on cameras.”

The logic was sound, and Aiden could already see the tactical advantage.

“This is a much better approach,” Aiden said approvingly. “We’d still get early warning signals, but now we aren’t risking expensive equipment every time a beast wave comes through.”

Amira, who had been silent in thought, finally spoke up. “Alright, we’ll go ahead with these devices but do we have enough materials to mass-produce them?”

The question was crucial. Securing a 200-kilometer perimeter with these devices wouldn’t be an easy task.

Elias exchanged a look with Ezzie before answering. “That’s the challenge as we have some resources, but not enough to cover the entire perimeter right away. However, we can prioritize key areas—high-risk entry points, main travel routes, and areas where we’ve had previous beast wave activity.”

Amira nodded, taking a moment to process. “Then we move forward with a phased approach. And secure the most vulnerable zones first and expand gradually.”

Aiden leaned forward, resting his arms on the table. “How long until the first batch is ready?”

Ezzie responded this time. “We can have the first deployment units ready within the next three days. After that, it depends on how fast we can manufacture more.”

Amira glanced around the room, ensuring there were no objections. When no one spoke, she nodded decisively. “Then we’ll move ahead with this plan. But—” her tone sharpened slightly, “don’t use up every last device. Keep a few available for our patrol teams moving outside. They’ll need them more than anyone.”

Elias acknowledged the order with a nod before pressing a button on the monitor as the map zoomed out, shifting their focus to the territory beyond their protected perimeter.

“Now that the surveillance update is done,” he continued, his voice steady, “let’s move on to our next point—the region outside this 200-kilometer zone so from now on lets call it central zone.”

A hush fell over the room as everyone knew this was the real challenge.

Ezzie tapped a few keys, and the screen expanded to reveal a much larger section of the Federation’s map while several red and yellow markings dotted the area beyond their secured perimeter.

Elias pointed to the screen. “For our second phase of reconnaissance, we will be pushing outward to cover a 500-kilometer radius from central zone.”

The moment the words left his mouth, murmurs rippled through the room.

That was more than double what they had already covered as the 200-kilometer perimeter had taken them over a week to establish—now, they were aiming for more than twice that.

Aiden and Mayra remained silent, their expressions unreadable as they continued to listen.

“I know what you’re thinking,” Elias said, “This is a massive jump, and it will put a heavier burden on our teams. But here’s why it’s necessary.”

Ezzie highlighted three large cities and seven towns scattered within the 500-kilometer radius.

“In this expanded zone, there are three cities—one major and two smaller ones. All three have fortified walls and appear to have some degree of defense against the mutated beasts.” Elias continued. “These locations are important because they are likely to have the highest concentration of survivors.”

The screen shifted again, marking over 30 villages within the same range.

A flicker of hope stirred among those in the room as cities with walls meant survivors, resources, and potential allies. “Beyond that, we have seven sizable towns scattered throughout the perimeter. These towns don’t have walls, but their populations are estimated to be over tens of thousands each. Based on that number, we can assume that they’ve raised some form of defense, though we won’t know for sure until we get there.”

The monitor then shifted, showing 30 additional markers, all colored yellow.

“These represent approximately 30 villages in the region.” A heavier silence settled over the table. “We don’t know if these villages are still standing or if they’ve been overrun. Based on reports from refugees we’ve rescued, many of them were abandoned as survivors fled to the nearest towns or cities for safety.”

Aiden exhaled, rubbing his temple. He already knew what that mean as the survival rate for smaller, isolated villages was uncertain at best.