18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 374

Freedom-loving and averse to being tied down, Stella, Cody, Lukas, and Jasper were far from the picture-perfect soldiers. Military life, with its ironclad discipline and stringent demands, seemed like an odd fit for them. Stella was skeptical that they could ever truly acclimate.

But it was Cody who floated the idea of enlisting. Around the campfire, he laid out his reasoning, "Stella, these natural disasters are getting worse every day. We were lucky to survive that last dust storm, but what about next time?" They couldn't face Mother Nature alone; they needed to lean on Uncle Sam.

The military wasn't just about firepower; it was about having the right gear to withstand the elements. Following orders could mean the difference between life and death.

Only a salesman would think of every angle.

Stella was relieved to hear they had a plan; she hoped they'd all come through this okay.

Curious, she asked, "So, do you get to pick your branch?"

"Yeah, the base is split between the Army and the Navy. We're with the submarine unit," Cody replied.

"Submarines, huh?" Stella feigned surprise. "Those things aren't easy to handle. We had just a few before everything went to hell. And now they're as common as cabbages?"

"I saw a notice in the main hall last night. Are we really trading subs now, or is that a joke?"

The friends exchanged knowing glances before Cody explained with a grin, "These aren't your granddaddy's subs. They're designed to handle tectonic shifts."

Stella's jaw dropped. "Tectonic shifts?"

The group had only learned about the threat upon arriving at the base. Just the thought sent shivers down their spine it was an existential threat to humanity.

the hands of the nation. If

to comfort Stella, "Actually, you shouldn't worry too much. The base has been prepping for this. Becoming submariners is just one part of the plan to counter the threat of tectonic

for information, perked up. "What's the plan? Can

an open secret

has a port and a shipyard. They're working full tilt

happen, the

the parts could be

"They're not

faced with such a threat, all vulnerable parts could retract into the

collisions with rocks or attacks from sea creatures, the subs were virtually indestructible. Stella pondered, "If the

"A sub can only carry ten people. The base houses over 200,000. Even ignoring the

couldn't ensure

vessels,

to the base's current state. Risking their lives, they scoured city after city

wreak havoc, materials became harder to come by. Scavengers were coming up empty-handed, and even

to motivate the scavengers to pull out all the stops in their search. Otherwise, the points for the rare materials wouldn't

"Building a sub takes a lot of resources and manpower, and in the end,

base wouldn't invest

of life but also the preservation of culture and technology. Imagine the sub as a massive engine, not only ferrying people but also

to a tractor-trailer hauling a

They'd be filled with books, artworks, seeds,

the disaster ended, these caches could help humanity rapidly recover or

life; the containers would be