18 Floors Above the Apocalypse novel Chapter 220

"Bang!"

"Thud!"

With a tumultuous collision, the escape pod was flipped, leaving Stella and her companions hanging upside down. Thankfully, it wasn't vertical, but rather at a slight angle.

The loose soil shifted under the weight, and it took a while to adjust itself.

In the following two hours, a few more tremors shook the pod, wedged between two massive rocks, preventing it from falling further. The tremors were not as intense as the first one. These were obviously aftershocks.

The escape pod was designed specifically for natural disasters like earthquakes and tsunamis, making it shock-resistant. The seats were designed to protect the body's vital parts. Still, Stella could feel the powerful tremors.

The pod was silent, and to ease the fear of her companions, Stella played some soothing music to help calm their nerves.

It was already noon, but with aftershocks looming, she was not in a hurry to leave, "Are you guys hungry?"

"Woof!" When it came to food, Cooper was always the most enthusiastic.

Stella decided to skip any soup or liquid foods to avoid having it spill all over during an aftershock. She gave the dog a bread roll.

Eating was a battle of its own, as they were still afraid of possible tremors.

Rosie was given a jelly donut, and Stella handed her a water bottle with a straw, but warned her not to drink too much, in case she needed to use the bathroom.

After taking care of the two, Jasper and Stella had their quick meal.

The escape pod was compact but well-insulated, and with the oxygen supply, it didn't feel stuffy.

Despite being stuck in the crevice, with her brother and sister-in-law for company, and relaxing music on the background, Rosie, full and drowsy, unknowingly drifted off to sleep.

Cooper left the comfort of Jasper's lap, gently landing on the floor, stretching his cramped muscles.

Stella, feeling sleepy herself, asked, "When are we going out?"

"Let's wait a bit longer," Jasper suggested, recalling that aftershocks could continue into the next day, though they would decrease in intensity.

Stuck in the precarious crevice, Stella was a bit worried, "Can we get out?"

The downside of Arcadia was that you could only exit from where you entered.

The pod's windows didn't offer a full view, but with Jasper's ability, they would have a solution as long as the earthquake ceased.

"You rest for a bit. I'll keep watch," he offered.

They had to be prepared for the possibility of not being able to return home for a while, so one of them had to stay awake at all times.

Stella tried to rest but couldn't fall asleep.

By five in the afternoon, there hadn't been any aftershocks for two hours, and soon it would be dark. They couldn't stay stuck like this. They needed to find a way out.

Jasper unbuckled his seat belt and surveyed the situation through the window, "The door isn't far from the giant rock. I can jump onto it and then try to climb up the crevice."

Any movement would add weight. Afraid that the rock and soil wouldn't hold, Stella, under the pretense of checking the cupboards, transferred the prepared food into Arcadia, reducing the weight considerably.

She then took out climbing claws, ropes, spiked shoes, ice axes, and a first aid kit for Jasper. Equipped and ready, Jasper comforted his worried sister, "Don't worry, and listen to Stella."

"Okay, be careful."

With the pod door open, Jasper surveyed his surroundings.

The pod was stuck about ten meters deep from the surface, the door was a distance away from the large rock, and the soil was loose due to the earthquake.

Jasper fired the grappling hook. It was hard to find a solid anchor in the deserted grassland, and it took him about a dozen tries to succeed.

He tied the rope around his waist and warned, "Hold on, and wait for me."

Then, he took a leap.