18 Floors Above the Apocalypse novel 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.

Anxious the dream might end too soon, the team rested briefly before returning underwater. "Stella, rest up. We'll call you when we're ready." The tanks were enormous. After salvaging 17, the transport ship could carry no more. After all, oil tankers have limits, and overloading could spell disaster. But each trip was precious, so they dismantled some steel, stacking it neatly for Stella to retrieve.

This mission had taken over a month. Although they'd only found one Kindle Chest, the addition of 170,000 cubic meters of oil made it worthwhile. Mission accomplished, they headed home. The transport ship remained with Arcadia, while the two submarines made their joyful way back.

On the third 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 they drew closer, identities were revealed. Damn, it was their brethren from unit 2688—0901, 1208, 2503.

Crafty as ever, he called upon Amelia's help to cook up some seaweed soup and fry salty vegetable pancakes, "Come on, try this." Willowbrook grew wheat, but with so many mouths, submariners had such treats only once in two months—and they were the lucky ones. The scent of pancakes had everyone drooling, but no one dared to reach for them. It was precious food. Cole's emotions were mixed, "Have a taste. It'll get better."

The students began to eat, savoring each bite, indulging their taste buds. "How's the base hospital?" Stella asked. "Not bad. There's an herbal garden, equipment, and they're training doctors." Stella feigned surprise, "Which doctor is so capable as to take on apprentices?" "A Professor Ma, also from the south. I went to him once for treatment—a very kind old man."

Collin was still there, and Stella couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, confident that it wouldn't be long before she could mentor a group of exceptionally skilled medical students. As they became more acquainted, the team members from both sides began to converse more. Jake inquired, “Aside from Mr. Daniel, have all the other district military leaders arrived?” "All but one, who passed away from illness, have made it here.”

With the core team's term coming to an end, Willowbrook was unanimously dedicated to development and construction. Amelia and the others were both excited and curious, “How are our former folks from South Base getting on over there?” The response came with a hint of complexity in their expression, but it was quickly replaced by a natural ease, “They're doing quite well.”