18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 571

A team of divers swam to the nearest tank, scrubbing off the mud that clung to it before signaling Stella to come and collect it. With a flicker, the tank vanished, and a tremendous suction yanked them violently, nearly leaving them seeing stars. The 10,000-cubic-meter oil tank was a significant drain on Arcadia's resources. Judging by the effort it took to lift it, the tank was definitely filled with liquid.

These were just the tanks outside the ruins. There were many more both inside and out, and the group navigated the underwater graveyard with caution, opting to handle the less hazardous objects first. The flickering light underwater revealed more than just tanks; collapsed titanic refining equipment suggested that before the disaster, this had been a refinery.

After clearing the debris from atop a tank, the team retreated to a safe spot. Stella tethered the tank with ropes and, from a distance, remotely commanded its retrieval. When fatigue set in, they returned to the surface for a break.

Stella deployed the transport ship and, gazing at the neatly arranged five oil storage tanks on deck, the team clambered aboard, too curious and too worn out to care about their exhaustion. The tank's opening was large, and it took some effort to pry it open. A pungent, acrid smell hit them. Instead of recoiling, they reacted as if they'd struck gold.

"It's oil!" Cheers erupted. "Ho team, Xu team, it's oil!" Jake shouted with excitement, "Stella is mighty!" They scooped out some of the black liquid-it didn't take an expert to recognize the sheen and smell of refined fuel. My God, 10,000 cubic meters of fuel! The team was ecstatic, quickly moving to open the second tank to find it, too, filled with untouched oil. Six tanks, 60,000 cubic meters of oil!

It felt like a dream. They punched each other, pinched arms-pain confirmed it was real. After all, besides food and medicine, oil was the most scarce resource. With women among them, the men refrained from stripping down in celebration but ran circles around the ship, laughing, "There's so much more beneath the sea!" Thankfully, the tanks were special-extra thick and dense, or they might've leaked or floated away during the earthquake.

up. We'll call you when we're ready." The tanks were enormous. After salvaging 17, the transport ship could

the addition of 170,000 cubic meters of oil made it

day of their journey, they detected another submarine. Carrying precious cargo, they went on high alert, and the other vessel did the same. They exchanged sonar pings and light signals. As

and emerged from their subs. Despite sharing Eastern features, they were strangers. The newcomers, a dozen strong, eyed Amelia's group with confusion, "You're not scheduled

Cole, even if they weren't his direct students. At Ocean Point Naval Station, Cole was a figure of prominence, and most of the team had southern military origins. They had

was found and had established Griffith Base. Though the official word wasn't out, rumors were rife, especially among those from the old South Base. Even if true, they imagined the fledgling

a mission?"

The

with a good portion living on land over three hundred miles away. We have fishcakes and grubs aplenty but the harsh weather makes farming tough. We're not self-sufficient in food yet." Fishcakes and grubs? Jake and the others nearly gagged. It's easy to go from modesty to luxury, but the reverse is hard. They'd once gone

was improving swiftly. Willowbrook had a strong foundation but seemed to progress slower. Hearing the newcomers, Willowbrook was now an island with the nearest mainland over three hundred miles away. Jake marveled at how a single person could change a

Amelia's help to