18 Floors Above the Apocalypse novel Chapter 589

In terms of military or technological prowess, Griffith didn’t even come close to Willowbrook; they should’ve been focusing on what Ocean Point Naval Station was lacking.

Stella quickly decided to check out the poultry farm, skipping the barracks and the desalination plant. The farm had grown massively, now a substantial operation, with many birds almost ready for market.

The moth plague didn’t discriminate – both humans and birds got sick from inhaling the toxic dust. Poultry was valuable, and after some thefts, Poppy had insisted that at least half the workers stay overnight at the farm. The workers were more than happy to oblige, as the staff quarters were more comfortable than their own homes, and they treated them like their own.

Treating the staff was manageable due to their small numbers, but thousands of birds...

When Stella arrived, she found Poppy with her face wrapped in layers of cloth, directing the workers to fumigate the coops with mugwort. Tears were streaming down her cheeks uncontrollably. The workers were also struggling to hold back their emotions.

Stella felt a deep sorrow; in this disaster, human life seemed as fragile as straw. When Poppy saw her, her barely-held composure began to crack. “Stella, the birds are in bad shape. What are we going to do?”

Was all their hard work going to be ruined by this sudden catastrophe? Poppy couldn’t stand it; things were getting better, so why did disaster always strike at the worst moments? Despite her youth, Poppy always showed maturity and handled her tasks flawlessly. Stella had never seen her so shaken.

There was both a sense of duty and personal investment here; this was Poppy's effort, her life's work. The workers felt the same way, pushing through their own sickness to keep their jobs. It wasn’t pure altruism; they needed to keep their livelihoods. If the farm went under, so would their sustenance. In the face of the apocalypse, what was illness if it didn’t kill you? It was better to die quickly than to linger half-dead and starving.

Inspecting the coops, Stella saw many birds gasping for air, their eyes red and their heads drooping. The mugwort wasn’t helping much. She decided to try a homemade “adrenaline” remedy.

Stella had the workers stop and clean the birds’ eyes with fresh water. She sent Poppy to fetch potato starch and chopped greens. While Poppy was away, she discreetly took out ground Sichuan pepper and chili powder from Arcadia. She mixed the powders into the starch and greens, then poured boiling water to blend it all together. Once mixed, she shaped them into pellets the size of her little finger and fed one to each ailing bird.

She took out two more bags of medicine – one bag contained herbal remedies for the staff to wash their eyes and combat allergies. “The hospital’s overrun; you won’t get in. Use these herbs to make a wash, and I’ll come back later.” The other bag was for the birds. Half an hour after the “adrenaline,” if symptoms eased, the herbal powder would be mixed with their feed.