18 Floors Above the Apocalypse novel Chapter 442

Stella remembered the airman who had sacrificed himself saying that the mission of East Base was to rebuild Hope Point. They had put together a powerful navy and created the toughest materials and marine construction equipment. But on their quest to find Hope Point, they were hit by storms and lost a lot of their best people.

So, they'd been through these waters before, battling storms, losing survivors, and watching materials sink to the ocean floor, never to be recovered. Stella couldn't help but think of the sea storms she had seen herself, struggling to imagine how they had managed to endure. In the face of nature's fury, even the mightiest human efforts felt like trying to stop a tidal wave with a twig.

Nineteen containers, each with a different serial number, all locked with sensor-activated locks that no crowbar could crack. One thing was for sure: they weren't just filled with regular building materials but with vital marine construction gear. These things were useless to Stella but crucial for Hope Point. Yet, she had no clue what to do with them at the moment.

That night, after brushing her teeth and putting on her night cream, Stella turned off the lights and got into bed. Jasper wrapped his arms around her waist, and after a long silence, he whispered, "Stella, how about we take a trip to Hope Point?"

"Thinking of making it our home?"

"The containers we salvaged today might hold screws or rivets. They might seem insignificant, but they could be the key components that make all the difference. We’re drifting aimlessly now; a trip there wouldn't be a loss. If it's a good fit, we'll stay. If not, we can leave the containers and keep searching for a place to call home. What do you think?"

Stella thought for a moment and then nodded, "Alright."

She understood Jasper. Living without kindness is one thing, but losing compassion means losing humanity. Otherwise, what separates us from the likes of Iran?

"But we might not be able to leave tomorrow," she explained. "The fleet from East Base must be massive. They encountered a storm in these waters, and the containers that fell likely aren’t just in one spot. Since we’re heading there, let’s thoroughly search the surrounding area. If there's a crucial part missing, we can't expect them to come back searching for it, can we?"

Finding a needle in a haystack in the vast ocean wasn’t a walk in the park. She had stumbled upon the containers by chance and only managed to salvage them with Arcadia’s help.

Jasper held her tightly, "Alright, we'll do it your way."

Listening to his breathing and heartbeat, Stella gradually relaxed.

Over three days, the couple combed the surrounding waters in their submarine, 2688, and indeed made new discoveries. Gliding through the depths, their sonar detected several obstacles. After some elimination, they confirmed three more container drop sites. Fortunately, the containers hadn’t sunk too deep. The tectonic collision had not only shattered and submerged land but also filled the oceanic trenches.

Fully geared up for a submarine expedition, they swam towards the containers, one after the other. The marine life was vibrant and colorful. When the odd-looking creatures approached, the smaller ones scattered. The bolder ones came closer but didn’t attack.

After securing three more containers inside Arcadia, Stella was about to ascend when Jasper, with his keen eyes, spotted a bull shark approaching from afar and hastily signaled a warning. Stella reeled herself and Jasper into Arcadia.

After resting for about fifteen minutes inside Arcadia, they emerged to find the bull shark gone. Spirits lifted, the beauty of the sea life seemed even more stunning, a stark contrast to its previous dreadful appearance.

After three dives, they had salvaged a total of three containers, bringing their count to 26. Expanding their search radius once more yielded no new findings.