18 Floors Above the Apocalypse novel Chapter 471

After deciding what to do, Stella cleared out the cruise ship's supplies and used her powers to load all the cargo containers they had salvaged from the seabed onto its deck.

It was still early, so they decided to have a spicy hot pot feast. The spiciness was off the charts, sweat-inducing hot. But none of them could stop; their appetites were insatiable. As the sweat poured out, the tension inside them seemed to melt away.

Home is where the heart finds peace, and it was time for a fresh start.

Before they knew it, 7:30 PM rolled around, and the submarine 2688 began to ascend slowly. They kept an eye on the sea surface through the periscope. By 7:40 PM, after confirming no threats or surveillance, the submarine surfaced and Stella, along with Jasper, suited up in their diving gear and jumped into the ocean.

They swam to a safe distance, and Stella summoned the cruise ship from Arcadia. As the cruise ship hit the water, a massive rush of waves sent them flying back. Jasper held onto Stella, dodging the forceful waves until they settled. They then swam back to the submarine, where Rosie pulled them up with a rope.

The submarine sank once more, monitoring the cruise ship in the distance through the periscope. Around 8:00 PM, searchlights began sweeping across the sea surface.

Stella watched the periscope's images intently, recognizing the approaching vessel as one of the base's patrol boats. Her anxiety only eased once she was certain they were safe.

They were really leaving.

"Captain, there's an unidentified cruise ship ahead."

"Signal with lights."

"We've issued three warnings, but there's no response."

"Sound the horn and approach to investigate."

As they closed in, they could faintly make out the cargo containers aboard the ship through their binoculars. The containers looked strikingly familiar.

"Captain, those look like our containers."

The base's containers? There hadn't been any missions lately, especially not at night. Despite multiple attempts at communication and warnings, the cruise ship remained silent.

The patrol soldiers, guns ready, cautiously boarded the empty vessel.

"Report, these are indeed the base's containers, but there's no one on board."

The captain, shocked, hurriedly boarded the ship himself. He shone his flashlight on the containers, and when he saw their numbers, his eyes nearly popped out.

Impossible!

These containers had been lost to the depths of the sea long ago! They had even discussed salvaging them but had abandoned the idea due to a lack of technology.

And now, here they were, perfectly lined up on the cruise ship. This was no ordinary feat.

200 nautical miles from the base, as dawn was breaking, the pair suspended the submarine, washed up, and went to sleep.

After sleeping into the afternoon, the trio and their dog sat in front of the observation window, savoring delicacies while admiring the deep-sea vistas. They were all rather silent, not much for conversation.

Cooper perched in front of the window, his head tilted, as if to ask why they hadn't left yet.

Leave? There was no going back to the base.

After the meal, Rosie got up to tidy up. Stella made some hot coffee, and Jasper sipped it slowly. "Stella, is there anywhere in particular you want to go?"

The Earth had become a watery globe; any place she might want to visit had long vanished. If she had a choice, she would return to Griffith, her true home. Sadly, Griffith was no more.

Stella thought for a moment. "Let's go with the flow, see where it takes us."

So the 2688 drifted along, aimlessly floating wherever the currents led them. After two days of gloom, Rosie gradually regained her cheer. To avoid feeling claustrophobic, Stella made a point of spending half an hour daily in Arcadia. Rosie, with Cooper, would pick cucumbers and greens from The Garden, snip fruits, and sometimes tend to the herb garden. Twenty acres was plenty for them to frolic in. Stella and Jasper harvested the medicinal herbs and crops, gathering what needed to be gathered and sowing what needed to be planted. A half-hour of daily busyness brought them much comfort. On days when the weather was fair above the waves, they would surface for fresh air. As the days grew colder, the ocean breezes cut through the air like knives, chilling even Cooper to the bone, his shivers betraying a waning desire for the sea's wild waves. Stella dug out her thermal outfit, once again wrapping herself in its unending warmth.

The currents were a tricky lot, zigzagging west, then veering east, only to loop southward, leaving one disoriented after half a month adrift at sea. Eventually, the waters took a resolute turn northward. With each passing day, the temperature dropped, from above freezing to below. On the latest of days, the mercury had plummeted to about ten degrees below zero.

Rosie, ever curious, inquired, "Sis, where do you reckon our submarine will drift off to?"