18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 416

The five Kindle Society bases each had their own unique missions. South Base was tasked with preserving the ember of civilization, while East Base's goal was to build Hope Point, a beacon for the future.

They had fought tooth and nail for years, crafting the toughest materials and maritime equipment, setting up mighty naval ships to battle cataclysmic tectonic shifts and colossal tsunamis. Many elite members had been lost, but the core of the construction team endured. Once the maritime base was up and running, it would house around a hundred thousand people, and construction had already begun...

His mission was to reach out to fellow Australians, whether they were soldiers, officials, or just ordinary survivors. As long as they had Australian blood in their veins, he hoped they'd come and help build Hope Point.

The man was struggling to breathe as he forced out the coordinates: "63°23' East, 49°54' North."

Suddenly, he grabbed Jasper's hand tightly, eyes wide with regret. "I won't make it back. I didn't complete the mission the organization gave me. You have ships and guts; you can get to the base and help me find our scattered kin. Tell them we have a new... a new home." Jasper felt a deep respect and a mix of emotions but found himself unable to speak in the face of the man's dying plea.

The man's last thoughts were of his duty, his eyes filled with longing and sorrow.

Stella understood Jasper's hesitation and spoke gently, "Alright, if we meet any of our people, we'll definitely pass on the message. Rest easy. We'll have a new homeland, and the prosperity we've known for five thousand years will rise again after the calamity passes." The man looked at them both, managing a grateful smile that even held a glimmer of hope as his grip on Jasper's hand loosened...

The lines on the monitor, once jumping rhythmically, slowly flattened into a straight line.

Jasper gently closed the man's eyes.

Stella hadn't planned on entering the base, but the national plan had stirred something deep within her. She wasn't as noble as he was, but if she met reliable kin in the future, she could share the coordinates for Hope Point.

her heart, and

it's not easy for just anyone to get there. We've done

handed them to Stella to store in the Arcadia, "He was a hero.

a concern. Normally, a common man would face a burial at sea,

was due. "Cremate him, and we'll send his ashes along with the insignia

and a proper resting place. Without the nation's persistence, she

a steel plate on the deck to insulate the heat and placed the man's body upon it, dousing it with gasoline to commence the cremation. Once the cremation was complete, she retrieved a jar she had stored from a previous visit to a pottery and carefully

one day, he

continued her gardening while Jasper asked Stella for some bamboo and wood. He cut them all to the

remarked, "I've got a few boats stored. Is this

have extras just in case." Stella left him to it and returned to her studies on the medical equipment. The three humans and a dog each busied themselves with their tasks. Rosie, after watering the plants, stretched and noticed objects in the sky. "Brother, there are more

hydrogen to float up there," Jasper explained with a smile. Rosie was

runs

lip-reading Jasper had taught her but couldn't understand their words. And Jasper had taught her, "Trust not in those who are not

their own, devils were plenty, so why bother with those of different

brother and sister-in-law, how could she save others? Besides, weren't

joined Cooper's camp and began to train. As dusk approached, the hot air balloons slowed their drift, having been spotted by Rosie. Stella glanced at the sky, a

startling their quarry, everyone aboard the ship turned off their lights, leaving only the flickering flames of the balloons to break

confusion set in. Where had

vanished, prompting curses and panic among