The massive, reinforced blast doors of the Ark groaned with the weight of centuries, a deep, rhythmic mechanical protest that shuddered through the very foundation of the mountain as they parted to reveal the outside world.
Slowly, the vanguard of the Combat Group began to roll forward, their armored tires biting into the scarred, debris-strewn concrete of the long access bridge.
Below them, the dark, stagnant waters of the reservoir rippled and surged under the rhythmic, heavy vibrations of four thousand soldiers and hundreds of mechanized units passing overhead.
The sight was nothing short of a military industrial masterpiece: a procession of matte-black armored transports and heavy-duty trucks moving with disciplined, singular purpose into the grey, ash-choked horizon of Apex City.
