18 Floors Above the Apocalypse



Stella remembered the airman who had sacrificed himself saying that the mission of East Base was to rebuild Hope Point. They had put together a powerful navy and created the toughest materials and marine construction equipment. But on their quest to find Hope Point, they were hit by storms and lost a lot of their best people.

So, they'd been through these waters before, battling storms, losing survivors, and watching materials sink to the ocean floor, never to be recovered. Stella couldn't help but think of the sea storms she had seen herself, struggling to imagine how they had managed to endure. In the face of nature's fury, even the mightiest human efforts felt like trying to stop a tidal wave with a twig.

Neen containers, each with a different serial number, all locked with sensor-activated locks that no crowbar could crack. One thing was for sure: they weren't just filled with regular building materials but with vital marine construction gear. These things were useless to Stella but crucial for Hope Point. Yet, she had no clue what to do with them at the moment.

That night, after brushing her teeth and putting on her night cream, Stella turned off the lights and got into bed. Jasper wrapped his arms around her waist, and after a long silence, he whispered, "Stella, how about we take a trip to Hope Point?"

"Thinking of making it our home?"

"The containers we salvaged today might hold screws or rivets. They might seem insignificant, but they could be the key components that make all the difference. We're drifting aimlessly now; a trip there wouldn't be a loss. If it's a good fit, we'll stay. If not, we can leave the containers and keep searching for a place to call home. What do you think?"

Stella thought for a moment and then nodded, "Alright."

She understood Jasper. Living without kindness is one thing, but losing compassion means losing humanity. Otherwise, what separates us from the likes of Iran?

"But we might not be able to leave tomorrow," she explained. "The fleet from East Base must be massive. They encountered a storm in these waters, and the containers that fell likely aren't just in one spot. Since we're heading there, let's thoroughly search the surrounding area. If there's a crucial part missing, we can't expect them to come back searching for it, can we?"

Finding a needle in a haystack in the vast ocean wasn't a walk in the park. She had stumbled upon the containers by chance and only managed to salvage them with Arcadia's help.

Jasper held her tightly, "Alright, we'll do it your way."

Listening to his breathing and heartbeat, Stella gradually relaxed.

Over three days, the couple combed the surrounding waters in their submarine, 2688, and indeed made new discoveries. Gliding through the depths, their sonar detected several obstacles. After some elimination, they confirmed three more container drop sites. Fortunately, the containers hadn't sunk too deep. The tectonic collision had not only shattered and submerged land but also filled the oceanic trenches.

Fully geared up for a submarine expedition, they swam towards the containers, one after the other. The marine life was vibrant and colorful. When the odd-looking creatures approached, the smaller ones scattered. The bolder ones came closer but didn't attack.

After securing three more containers inside Arcadia, Stella was about to ascend when Jasper, with his keen eyes, spotted a bull shark approaching from afar and hastily signaled a warning. Stella reeled herself and Jasper into Arcadia.

After resting for about fifteen minutes inside Arcadia, they emerged to find the bull shark gone. Spirits lifted, the beauty of the sea life seemed even more stunning, a stark contrast to its previous dreadful appearance.

After three dives, they had salvaged a total of three containers, bringing their count to 26. Expanding their search radius once more yielded no new findings.

Jasper set a new course, and with a smile, he turned to Rosie and Cooper, "We're heading to Australia's Hope Point. Excited?"

Rosie smiled, "Brother, if we go to Hope Point, does that mean we'll meet Dylan and Uncle Qin?"

Jasper didn't know for sure but was hopeful, "Maybe."

"Woof!" Cooper missed Buddy.

Seeing their excitement, Stella reflected on humans' innate need for companionship. In truth, she too harbored some anticipation, and thoughts of many faces surfaced in her mind. A vague sense of longing took hold.

The journey ahead was uncertain, but their destination was set. All that remained was to brave the waves.

Post-collision, the currents were chaotic, with some areas calm and others raging with fury. Jasper navigated carefully, avoiding hasty travel and adverse weather, often following the currents on a longer route.

On the ninth day of their departure, 2688 encountered a kindred spirit, another submarine, 0945. The southern base had produced close to 3000 specialized submarines, and running into comrades was likely given enough time at sea. Whether it was luck or skill, 0945 had managed to keep their beacon box connected.

Brady invited 2688 to join them, and Stella, after considering the remaining journey, readily agreed. Two submarines, one following the other, roamed the deep blue sea. Stella's mood was equally uplifted.

When they surfaced to meet, Brady recounted how, when the base had warned of the impending asteroid collision, the crew of 0945 had rushed to the deep-sea docks.

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Barely in the water when the towering tsunami struck. She remembered Hans saying that CodyRêAd lat𝙚St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only

Lukas and his team were the first to submerge. If even 0945, who entered the water in the second wave, had survived, they were likely safe.

East Base must have dispatched many pilots, and the coordinates would become known to more and more people. If they were fortunate, they had either reached Hope Point or were en route.

Perhaps the tectonic collision had subsided, or the pl, influenced by its rotation and revolution, was healing itself. The disasters they encountered were neither as frequent nor as severe as before.

Once, the weather abruptly turned, and the waves grew fierce. But the submarine, seasoned by its time at sea, quickly fled the stormy area while adjusting its ballast to improve its resistance to the waves. After successfully fending off the threat, the two submarines surfaced for fresh air.

Brady was also one of Cole's protégés, a senior to Stella and Jasper in their training days. During a break, she handed over a few pounds of bean sprouts. "I've grown too many. Mind helping me eat them up?"

Fresh sprouts, 0945 couldn't even remember the last time they had tasted something so crisp and green. It was hard to say no to such warmth and generosity. After some polite refusals, 0945 gratefully accepted, planning to mix them with some cornmeal mush for a simple meal.

In the midst of their conversation, Stella couldn't hold back her curiosity, "Do you guys know how the higher-ups in the Kindle Society managed their retreat?"