18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 468

Wonder how they're doing after all this time? Would've been great if they'd come to Hope Point with me."

Hans was no slouch when it came to professional skills, but when it came to quick thinking, he always seemed a step behind. Yet, even he could sense something was off this time. A vast stretch of sea and a sudden bounty of dew-kissed greens? It just didn't add up. He stood there, dumbstruck for a moment before a jolt of realization hit him. He remembered the aid 2688 had given to 1926 and blurted out, "Hey, look at me with my forgetful head. This medicine, I got it from South Base. What my friend sent is a whole different batch. As a soldier, Hans rarely lied, and now he was sweating bullets, his eyes darting around guiltily. But the injured man didn't dwell on it, saying, "So the mysterious Samaritan pointing us the way, the one sending food and supplies, they're from South Base?"

Bran chuckled, "Does it matter if it was a person or a ghost, where they came from? They meant well, didn't they? Otherwise, they wouldn't have helped you guys out of that tight spot, making sure you made it to Hope Point alive."

"That's true," the man admitted gratefully. The supplies from those ships saved over five hundred souls, something they would remember with gratitude for the rest of their lives. From Hans' story, it seemed like the mysterious benefactor was indeed from the southern military base.

To find such compassionate kin during a natural disaster filled him with pride. The others murmured in envy, "You guys got lucky. How come we never ran into them?" Some teased, others speculated; the truth behind the ghost ship was a matter of belief. But Bran's gaze on Hans was tinged with contemplation. He knew that Hans had met his sister and brother-in-law at sea.

After a few minutes, the bleeding miraculously stopped. The injured man couldn't talk much, so the ghost ship story ended there, and the conversation naturally drifted to other topics. As the night deepened, the party feasted to their hearts' content, saying their reluctant goodbyes before hurrying to catch the last ferry, as tomorrow was another early day of bricklaying.

Bran sat on the outermost seat, letting the cold sea breeze slap his face, his mind a tangled mess...

Stella was quite happy on her end. Rosie had caught the leadership's eye and was soon to be transferred to Area A as a reserve officer. In the few months since arriving at the base, she'd become livelier and made some new friends. They weren't the heart-to-heart type, but they were decent folks, and that was more than enough.

they had. The herb garden was expanding, and she and Collin were busy teaching students. The base had its share of

around, she snuggled into Jasper's arms, "Jasper, are you happy with

his loved ones by his side, but he'd also found a partner to share his life with. How could he not be

and Cooper are still awake." It took Jasper a few minutes to regain his composure. "I'll come to your dorm

CPU-nearly-fried Jasper

each other's arms, and Stella dreamed of meeting Jasper in a crowd, their eyes

if the alarm hadn't gone off. Sitting up, feeling both sleepy and blissful, she rushed to get ready. After seeing Rosie off, they

Stella's eyelids twitched incessantly. Jasper,

I've got this uneasy feeling." She had a bad premonition, as if something was about to happen, a feeling she had never experienced before, despite a decade

opened her mouth

dock had welcomed a new arrival. Survivors in tattered clothes disembarked in the biting cold,

gardens to an emergency case. Around ten o'clock, a nurse came rushing, "Dr. Ginger, there's an emergency from Area F. The patient's

was known for its mentally and physically ailing residents. Despite grim prospects, Collin hadn't given up on finding a cure, hoping one day to develop a treatment for these special cases.

The patient was emaciated, barely more than skin and bones, unrecognizable from her former self. A

Arms, legs, abdomen-wounds