18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 442

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.

Nineteen 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?"

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

tightly, "Alright, we'll do

and heartbeat,

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

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

a new course, and with a smile, he turned to Rosie and Cooper, "We're heading to

we go to Hope Point, does that mean we'll meet Dylan and

know for sure

"Woof!" Cooper missed Buddy.

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

Jasper navigated carefully, avoiding hasty travel and adverse weather, often following the currents on

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

of natural disasters, even a reunion with kin required secret codes. The captain of 0945, Zhou, had already lost three crew members-one to injuries from a tsunami, another to illness, and a third to deep-sea confinement phobia who, during a surface break, jumped overboard in a fit of madness. The remaining twelve, several already wilted by the tempests of nature, clung on with an unknown limit to their endurance. However, their

2688 to join them, and Stella, after considering the remaining journey, readily agreed. Two