18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 556

Stella unzipped her waterproof bag and found a remote sensor inside.

No doubt, it was for unlocking the Kindle Chest. It must have been set up before the land went underwater. Copies of the remote sensor and codes were, without exception, in the hands of the top brass of every Kindle Society.

On a whim, Stella wanted to see what was inside the Kindle Chest in Arcadia. And she acted on that impulse.

She pressed the button on the sensor and entered the code. The sturdy, heavy Kindle Chest swung open.

It looked like a massive machine. After rummaging around for a while, Stella discovered an inscription on the machine: a desalination system.

Not huge, but definitely sufficient for a base of thousands. The base was close to the coast, where the water quality was poor, and the harsh climate bred countless germs. A careless gulp could make you sick.

It wasn't just people who were affected; the land suffered too. The desertification of the alkaline wasteland made cultivation difficult, unable to retain soil or lock in moisture, creating a vicious cycle.

Daniel was visibly relieved. "Stella, with this, we'll soon have an oasis."

Seeing his smile, a warm current flowed through Stella's heart. "I'll bring it back."

The next morning, Rosie fought back her sadness and worry, mustering a smile to see the pair off. The family dog, scrappy as ever, clawed at them, reluctant to let his humans go.

Daniel and Vanessa stepped out to bid farewell. "Stay safe, and come back soon."

Stella couldn't find overly sentimental words, so she simply gave him a hug. The two hopped in the car and drove to the docks, picking up a few teammates who were on foot along the way.

The team, specially selected, was comprised of 14 individuals, all skilled in their own right. They could operate cargo ships, submarines, planes, tanks - true special forces, capable of reaching the heavens and diving the depths.

Stella admired and respected them. Oh, and I forgot to mention – the cargo ship was equipped with a helicopter.

with the on-duty soldiers, saluted them for

for the nuclear submarine, while Stella and Jasper took the helm of vessel 2688. The rest boarded the cargo ship, heading for a destination 500 nautical miles

were all filled with seeds. The conditions weren't right

way, the freighter following

was a communal event on the submarine. As team leader, Jasper

life, the team was

"Not everyone gets to enjoy Captain Jasper's cooking. We're on a mission, no need

and two female members volunteered to assist

dishes, all hearty portions. They ate and

promising to rotate the cooking and cleaning duties. They chatted some more before planning to return to the transport ship, but to their shock, the sea was empty except for

ship had...

size couldn't just be stolen. During that time, both captains and Stella had been topside. Confused, they had no choice but to return

resting. Pick a room and get

the Kindle Chest from the seabed wasn't feasible, otherwise, the base wouldn't have waited until now. But the mission was top-secret, with reports made only to the commanding officer. All roughly the same age, each had their suspicions, but military life and natural disasters had hardened their character. Without voicing their thoughts, they found bunks

inside Jasper's room, he

demur, resting her head on his thigh. Jasper smiled knowingly, gently tucking a strand

and

officer, and with his daughter and son-in-law on the mission, it was both a personal and

eventually come to

nautical miles away.

and due to the variations, it took the sub more than two hours to

deep, but professional diving gear was needed. Cole had it, and along with Stella and Jasper, decided to dive for

the trio plunged into the water, heading toward the detected site. The remaining team members divided tasks: some

switched on her

pressure, and past a certain depth, each meter down became unbearably painful.