18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 570

As the off-duty crew gathered in the mess hall, the air buzzed with talk about the base's latest updates.

"Hey Stella, the admin office and military wing are hiring. They're even scouting locations for a new desalination plant," one of the crew mentioned.

"That's not all," another chimed in. "The excavators might be reassigned to coal mines soon, and guess what-fabric's finally hit the base store shelves. Anyone who needs it can grab some with their credits."

"With all those seeds we brought back last time, we could totally expand our farming sector," someone else added.

Everyone was filled with anticipation for the upcoming mission, hoping to return with valuable materials for the base's growth.

But reality often has a way of shattering dreams.

The first set of coordinates was a total bust; the ocean depth was a staggering 4,000 meters-territory even nuclear subs wouldn't dare venture into, let alone human divers.

It was like a cold splash of water right to the face.

"No worries, we've got more chances," the team reassured each other, although deep down they all knew the painful truth. The precious Kindle Chests they had painstakingly collected were now destined to rest on the ocean floor, possibly forever-unless some monumental event reshaped the seas.

No one wanted to face another disaster, but the disheartening results kept coming. The second chest was also in deep water, a daunting 6,000 meters down.

The third one couldn't be bad luck again, right?

12,000 meters!

The crew's morale was hanging by a thread. It felt like some cosmic joke.

The fourth chest was a bit more manageable at 600 meters. Still, it was beyond reach for their fragile human forms.

The fifth and final chest was around 300 meters deep-the shallowest of them all, but still too deep for anyone, even in diving gear.

Stella kept her cool, but even her Zen-like patience was being tested.

They couldn't return empty-handed, could they?

Daniel hadn't spelled it out, but Stella knew the stakes. None of the top brass were fools; Daniel's maneuvers were clearly aimed at supporting his daughter and son-in-law. Sure, it was for the base's growth, but that was a far cry from personal advancement.

Twelve years had passed since the disaster, and while some grieved the loss of family, they were still in their prime, capable of nurturing capable subordinates. Adopting a child or finding a godfather was no issue, especially for those with children of their own.

If Daniel had children from the start, it would have been one thing-they'd have had time to adjust. But this was a bolt from the blue.

The team couldn't afford to come back with nothing, giving others a chance to question Daniel's authority.

sea was indeed

pondered, was there another

games from her childhood,

and reel them

could lasso the Kindle

her idea with

plan, they had to give it

a hook to one end. Using an

wire, over a hundred meters long, swayed with the currents and pressure, making the task of hooking the chest incredibly

Cole signaling from the side:

their energy rapidly draining, it seemed they finally

into Arcadia with all her

it to drop with a thud, right onto

to continue, they hastily began

crew above, anxious for their return, hauled them up at the

too weary

tank?" asked one of the helpers as they

rest, they began to feel

return, Amelia dared to ask, "Did

Stella nodded.

and the team

didn't want to

are ready. Take a bath, rest up. We'll handle the

so as not to wake Stella and gathered

Kindle Chest. Should they head back to base or continue with the next

was Stella's to make. They felt

creasing her brow. "The average ocean depth before the disaster was over 3,000 meters. It's likely similar now, but our

worry echoed among the crew.

seas less than 300 meters

firm, a beacon of hope. "We knew the average depth before we even teamed up. The base needs these Kindle

continue, but we can't just hope for Kindle

can't overlook

the time Stella woke,

day, she deployed Submarine 2688, and in tandem with the

scoured for

a sonar contact

sub alerted