18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 451

Stella kept her plans under wraps, afraid that Monkey would flat-out refuse any form of repayment.

But Miranda? She'd accept it, whether it was for her family or her kids.

"Let's give them some food," Jasper suggested after a moment of thought. "Their bodies are too run-down; a few pills won't cut it, and even nutritional therapy might not do much. Arcadia has a bunch of herbal seeds. You could give them some, let them grow their own." Stella nodded, "Alright, I'll drop some off tomorrow."

The next morning, Rosie, eager to outshine her peers, picked her rattiest dress, rubbed it on the ground, and smeared it with dirt.

Stella laughed as she messed up Rosie's hair, turning it into a bird's nest. "You look every bit the country girl now."

But Rosie wasn't satisfied. "Sis, make me look older."

Ah, youth, Stella thought with a sigh. Kids want to look older, while she'd give anything to shave off a few years.

They dabbed Rosie's porcelain skin with splotches of yellow, and her shoes were so tattered her toes peeked through. "There, any more and you'll look like an old lady."

Rosie finally looked content and headed downstairs to the management office for her interview.

Kids grow up, form their own opinions, and take their own stands. Stella and Jasper didn't want to add to Rosie's nerves, so they didn't go with her.

Arcadia's output was steady; Rosie didn't need to earn her keep. But growing up meant facing life's challenges and transforming through them. In that moment, Stella felt a pang of motherly sorrow.

She sat on the couch, flipping through a medical book to pass the time.

Two hours later, Rosie came bounding up the stairs. "Brother, sis, I got the job! I start tomorrow!"

Stella beamed, "You did great, Rosie."

Noticing Jasper's silence, she nudged him with her foot.

hint, Jasper

"Dozens interviewed, only five got picked, and I was the

to various greens and medicinal herbs. Rosie had grown up learning from Stella, knew her way around herbs, and aced the interview, securing the

"But they've put me in the maggot farming

mid-sip of water,

"How

shoots and

grimaced. "Rosie, maybe wait for

determined. "Others can do it, so I want to try.

interviewer a little

like Jasper, insisted, "Sis, I

argue; some lessons had to

had a job

celebrate, they decided on a feast:

of bland meals, Stella craved something spicy. Instead of heading to Arcadia, they went to the submarine. The SS Eden, an aquatic lifeline, was anchored in Area A, and Stella felt the need to

with Cooper,

had arrived signs of increasing

in a hot pot feast: thinly sliced beef, lamb, duck intestines, tripe, chicken and

no, Stella decided fish was off

modest glass of red wine, "Here's to

split pot, and Stella handed a

wagged his tail

of anticipation, the dog was overjoyed to be aboard the submarine, running back and forth and howling to

hours before Stella, slightly tipsy, lay down

up, Jasper settled with a coffee by the observation window, and Cooper practiced his pull-ups in

stir-fry, ensuring they were minty fresh and their clothes laundered before leaving, leaving

move, and ground it into flour, not forgetting to grab some common herbal seeds. It was a fair exchange for the goods Monkey