18 Floors Above the Apocalypse



After deciding what to do, Stella cleared out the cruise ship's supplies and used her powers to load all the cargo containers they had salvaged from the seabed onto its deck.

It was still early, so they decided to have a spicy hot pot feast. The spiciness was off the charts, sweat-inducing hot. But none of them could stop; their appetites were insatiable. As the sweat poured out, the tension inside them seemed to melt away.

Home is where the heart finds peace, and it was time for a fresh start.

Before they knew it, 7:30 PM rolled around, and the submarine 2688 began to ascend slowly. They kept an eye on the sea surface through the periscope. By 7:40 PM, after confirming no threats or surveillance, the submarine surfaced and Stella, along with Jasper, suited up in their diving gear and jumped into the ocean.

They swam to a safe distance, and Stella summoned the cruise ship from Arcadia. As the cruise ship hit the water, a massive rush of waves sent them flying back. Jasper held onto Stella, dodging the forceful waves until they settled. They then swam back to the submarine, where Rosie pulled them up with a rope.

The submarine sank once more, monitoring the cruise ship in the distance through the periscope. Around 8:00 PM, searchlights began sweeping across the sea surface.novelbin

Stella watched the periscope's images intently, recognizing the approaching vessel as one of the base's patrol boats. Her anxiety only eased once she was certain they were safe.

They were really leaving.

"Captain, there's an unidentified cruise ship ahead."

"Signal with lights."

"We've issued three warnings, but there's no response."

"Sound the horn and approach to investigate."

As they closed in, they could faintly make out the cargo containers aboard the ship through their binoculars. The containers looked strikingly familiar. "Captain, those look like our containers."

The base's containers? There hadn't been any missions lately, especially not at night. Despite multiple attempts at communication and warnings, the cruise ship remained silent.

The patrol soldiers, guns ready, cautiously boarded the empty vessel.

"Report, these are indeed the base's containers, but there's no one on board."

The captain, shocked, hurriedly boarded the ship himself. He shone his flashlight on the containers, and when he saw their numbers, his eyes nearly popped out.

Impossible!

These containers had been lost to the depths of the sea long ago! They had even discussed salvaging them but had abandoned the idea due to a lack of technology.

And now, here they were, perfectly lined up on the cruise ship. This was no ordinary feat.

The ship was spotless, not at all like a seasoned sea traveler. How did it appear out of nowhere? Was he dreaming?

The captain didn't hesitate; he slapped himself three times, hard enough to swell his face.

His men couldn't stop him in time, "Captain, stop, please... Captain..."

It hurt, a searing pain. This was no dream. This ship had appeared out of nowhere, carrying cargo containers once lost to the ocean depths. These were the very tools the base needed for their island-building project.

Raised under the red flag, the soldiers didn't believe in supernatural forces. The patrol boat's floodlights shone brightly, scanning the dark seas for any sign or trace. The wind was strong, and the waves were high. But there was nothing else.

Meanwhile, Stella's submarine, 2688,

had already quietly dived away as soon as it was clear the vessel belonged to the base. Stella had not only returned all the containers but had also left behind some medical equipment, ultrasound machines, CT scanners, defibrillators, and more. These were items she had gathered while escaping South Base before the land had sunk, intended for the "seed vaults" to aid humanity post-disaster. But the asteroid had struck too soon, leaving no time.

To date, over 30 submarines of the same model had reached South Base, but only 5 seed vaults remained intact, the rest lost to the world's corners, waiting to be unearthed by future generations. None of the five had medical equipment. So, Stella generously divided a third of her surplus and left it for Ocean Point Naval Station. She trusted Dr. Collin and his team to put them to good use.

With 3000 submarines, and only 30 accounted for, where were the rest? Warships, aircraft carriers, supply vessels... there were likely many survivors yet to be found. Stella never doubted humanity's will to survive. Australians were adept at self-rescue in the face of disaster, not waiting for a savior. She believed if there was one Ocean Point Naval Station, there would be a second, and a third... Therefore, she didn't give away all the medical equipment.

She hoped the disaster had ended, that the base would succeed in its land reclamation project, and that survivors would one day return to solid ground.

Under the cover of darkness, the 2688 silently left the Ocean Point Naval Station where they had lived for months. Now beyond the sea's markers, they resumed their endless journey through the ocean. With many Survivors lurking near the base, the 2688 didn't hesitate to dive deep and quickly leave the area.

Whether it was due to the limited survival equipment of foreign survivors or the safety of the deep sea at night, the 2688 journeyed for hours without incident.

200 nautical miles from the base, as dawn was breaking, the pair suspended the submarine, washed up, and went to sleep.

After sleeping into the afternoon, the trio and their dog sat in front of the observation window, savoring delicacies while admiring the deep-sea vistas. They were all rather silent, not much for conversation.

Cooper perched in front of the window, his head tilted, as if to ask why they hadn't left yet.

Leave? There was no going back to the base.

After the meal, Rosie got up to tidy up. Stella made some hot coffee, and Jasper sipped it slowly. "Stella, is there anywhere in particular you want to

go?"

The Earth had become a watery globe; any place she might want to visit had long vanished. If she had a choice, she would return to Griffith, her true home. Sadly, Griffith was no more.

Stella thought for a moment. "Let's go with the flow, see where it takes us."

So the 2688 drifted along, aimlessly

floating wherever the currents led them. After two days of gloom, Rosie gradually regained her cheer. To avoid feeling claustrophobic, Stella made a point of spending half an hour daily in Arcadia. Rosie, with Cooper, would pick cucumbers and greens from The Garden, snip fruits, and sometimes tend to the herb garden. Twenty acres was plenty for them to frolic in. Stella and Jasper harvested the medicinal herbs and crops, gathering what needed to be gathered and sowing what needed to be planted. A half-hour of daily busyness brought them much comfort. On days when the weather was fair above the waves, they would surface for fresh air. As the days grew colder, the ocean breezes cut through the air like knives, chilling even Cooper to the bone, his shivers betraying a waning desire for the sea's wild waves. Stella dug out her thermal outfit, once again wrapping herself in its unending warmth.

The currents were a tricky lot, zigzagging west, then veering east, only to loop southward, leaving one disoriented after half a month adrift at sea. Eventually, the waters took a resolute turn northward. With each passing day, the temperature dropped, from above freezing to below. On the latest of days, the mercury had plummeted to about ten degrees below zero.

Rosie, ever curious, inquired, "Sis, where do you reckon our submarine will drift off to?"