The Apocalypse Survival Manual (Three Days Before Doomsday, I Stockpiled Billions) novel Chapter 418

Chapter 418

+15 8cnus

The escape pod had a stabilized center of gravity and built-in shock absorption. It was heavy enough that minor shaking barely registered.

Unless…

The earthquake hit.

Zeph and Nicole locked eyes and buckled in fast.

“Cola!” Zeph called.

The dog leapt up. Zeph caught him and held him tight.

“Poppy, hold the bar.”

The ground trembled beneath them. Nicole sank into the padded seat, fingers tightening around the grip.

The pod bucked and rocked in every direction. There was no rhythm to it, and the shaking kept getting worse.

Nicole could feel it in her muscles.

Through the round window, the world outside lurched and blurred, changing too fast for the eye to follow.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the abandoned factory shudder.

A heartbeat later, it collapsed.

Four stories tall and spanning thousands of square feet, it had already been weakened by the flood, the deep freeze, and the extreme heat. Now, it folded in on itself like a body with no bones.

Cracks tore through the walls at terrifying speed. Beams snapped, and bricks cascaded down.

The force hit them like a wave.

The pod pitched forward until it was nearly vertical. Thankfully, the gimbal systems adjusted for the sudden shift. Otherwise, everyone inside would’ve been left dangling upside down.

Animals sensed danger better than humans. After witnessing the sheer force of nature, the usually fearless Cola shrank back, letting out a low whimper.

Zeph stroked his head. “Easy. We’re okay.”

The words had barely left his mouth when the pod lifted off the ground and slammed back down.

Poppy’s face went pale. “Zeph, Nicole…”

“Poppy, are you hurt?” Zeph asked.

She shook her head. Other than being scared, she was fine.

The pod rattled violently, then began to steady.

Outside, the factory was nothing but rubble. The surrounding land, baked dry after freezing and heat, gave way. A section split open. Soil and dead trees slid like a slow landslide, exposing raw yellow earth. The fissure widened right in front of them.

Before they could catch their breath, the pod tilted and rolled, then suddenly dropped and slammed to a stop.

1/2

The quake tore the ground apart. Cracks spread in every direction.

+15 Bgnus

The pod hung halfway over a deep fissure, wedged in place. Above them stretched open sky. Below was nothing but darkness.

Poppy’s lips trembled. It took her a moment to speak. “Are we going to fall?”

Nicole kept her voice steady. “Even if we do, we’ll be fine. We can stay in here for a month. Someone will come

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