The Apocalypse Survival Manual (Three Days Before Doomsday, I Stockpiled Billions) novel Chapter 919

Chapter 919

The hill could shelter them from the wind and give them a clear view of the surrounding ice. It was a good place to settle.

With the spot chosen, Nicole’s group needed to work out how to build a home.

Even before the disasters, winter temperatures this far north could plunge to -40 or worse. The seasons varied, but winter dragged on for months.

Blizzards swept across the ice, and much of the wildlife sheltered from the cold or moved elsewhere.

That was before the disasters. They had to prepare for conditions to be even harsher now.

They couldn’t live in a vehicle forever. Nicole could bring out the yacht or an RV, but leaving either exposed to the cold for months could damage parts they had no way to replace.

They might need those vehicles to escape someday. She wasn’t willing to ruin them.

“What about converting a shipping container?” Zeph suggested.

It was a good starting point. They would have solid walls to keep out the wind and snow, with room to make themselves comfortable.

Nicole had several containers in her storage space. She looked through them and chose the sturdiest.

It was the one that originally held Marcus’s three outrageously expensive off-road vehicles.

Thinking of him stirred up feelings she couldn’t quite sort out.

Marcus was sharp. By now, he probably understood exactly what she could do.

Yet instead of trying to get something out of her, he came to warn her. That meant more to her than she

wanted to admit.

If they met again, maybe she would give him a vehicle as a thank-you.

For now, they were starting over. There was no way to know what came next.

Nicole set those thoughts aside and brought out the container.

Making it livable would take work. They needed ventilation, insulation, and a sensible floor plan.

Fortunately, it had enough room for two bedrooms and a living area without leaving them squeezed together.

They opened the doors, and the four of them went inside.

After years of stocking up with every possible need in mind, Nicole had plenty of tools and building supplies to work with. She had power drills, welding equipment, angle grinders, hammers, ladders, and just about anything else they might need.

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Chapter 919

+20 BONUS

Zeph would handle most of the construction.

The container was stuffy, and closing the doors would leave them in complete darkness. Ventilation and daylight came first.

That meant cutting openings in the steel walls. Too many, though, would let in drafts and make the place impossible to heat.

They also needed a way to watch what was happening outside.

From the condition of the surrounding ice, Zeph estimated it was no more than six months old.

With the continents underwater, other survivors would eventually come this way. The area was empty now, but they needed to plan for trouble before it arrived.

Nicole touched the inside wall and snatched her hand back. Any longer, and her skin might have stuck to

the metal.

The steel was painfully cold. It kept out the wind but did almost nothing to hold in warmth.

Without insulation and heat, they could freeze in their sleep. They needed a way to keep the heat in.

After all the survival videos and guides Nicole went through, one idea came to mind: they could pack a thick layer of snow around the container.

Snow trapped air and helped insulate shelters such as igloos. It might work for their new home, too.

They positioned one side of the container against the hill, and Zeph cut openings in the other three walls.

Near the top, he cut clusters of small, round openings in a honeycomb pattern to let in light and air.

Lower down, he made square observation ports about eight inches across. They could watch their surroundings through them and, if necessary, fire through them during an attack.

They would have to keep those openings clear as they packed snow around the container.

Nicole brought out several lengths of thick plastic pipe. Zeph cut them into roughly equal sections and fitted them into the round openings.