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.

hands of the nation. If the combined might of the

shouldn't worry too much. The base has been prepping for this. Becoming submariners is just one part of the

up. "What's the plan? Can you

open secret within the military. Everyone

a port and

shifts happen, the seas will quake with

the parts could

however, was optimistic. "They're not just subs; they're like

unstoppable marine disasters. When faced with such a threat, all vulnerable parts could retract into the pod, letting the sub drift

from sea creatures, the subs were virtually indestructible. Stella pondered, "If the new subs are that powerful, why not have everyone escape underwater? Why bother with

only carry ten people. The base houses over 200,000. Even ignoring the shipyard's capacity, building subs

resources couldn't ensure a steady

vessels,

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

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

motivate the scavengers to pull out all the stops in their

resources and manpower,

wouldn't invest so much into building

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

a tractor-trailer hauling a

They'd be filled with books, artworks, seeds, clothing, medical equipment, precision

ended, these caches could help humanity rapidly recover

containers would be moored