18 Floors Above the Apocalypse novel Chapter 572

Stella stayed quiet, her mind racing with thoughts.

Sure, everything seemed fine on the surface. Willowbrook’s leadership still sending out search parties for survivors showed their commitment hadn’t wavered, but how do you put it?

The bigwigs are often too wrapped up in their own affairs, overlooking the needs of those at the bottom. It’s not intentional neglect, but for kids without a powerful patron, it’s tough to avoid getting the short end of the stick.

The military personnel from South Base had been scattered across various teams. These ‘orphaned’ kids were naturally sensitive, and, well, let’s just say not all maternal instincts are created equal.

Especially among the lower ranks, these behaviors became more pronounced, and over time, conflicts inevitably arose.

When there’s not enough to go around, you can't compete if you don't have the clout.

Coming from the same base, there was a natural camaraderie, so they asked Jake and the others, “How’s it been for you guys?”

“It was rough at the start. We only had transport ships, destroyers, and submarines. If the land hadn't risen when it did, who knows if we’d have made it.

There’s only about ten thousand of us, but the land Griffith has secured is massive. We’ve already found several Kindle Chests, and we’ve been united in scavenging for supplies. We can make paper, bricks, and lime, and we’ve even discovered coal mines…”

Jake laid out their vision before asking, “How many fire-seed subs made it to Willowbrook?”

“Quite a few, a couple of hundred, but only some brought Kindle Chests with them. Many supplies were salvageable.”

A couple of hundred subs?

Amelia and the others gasped in shock.

Blood was thicker than water, sure, but envy is a natural reaction.

Stella's heart skipped a beat, “With so many fire-seed subs arriving, do any of you know Cody Lukas, Angela, or Kitty?”

The others thought for a moment before shaking their heads. “We were all dispersed across different platforms. It’s not easy to meet up; a lot of us are strangers. We haven't heard the names you mentioned.”

Stella’s spirits dampened. Less than a fifth of the 3000 subs had been found. Where had the rest gone?

The news was equally hard on the others. “Willowbrook has had a number of subs out and about. We’ve discovered... dozens of wrecks.”

The group went quiet, not having anticipated the disaster's ferocity.

Even the specially designed subs...

These were the cream of the crop from the South Base fire-seed program, the best of the best in both body and mind.

But the harsh reality was bloody and brutal. The disaster spared no one.

After regaining their composure, Jake asked, “What about your subs? Did they all carry Kindle Chests?”

“No, most got disconnected.”

He followed up, “Where did they end up?”

Well, they were quite forthcoming.

It was like meeting folks from back home. What's there to hide from your own kin?

Since the Ocean Point Naval Station couldn’t salvage them, leaving them at the bottom of the sea was a waste.

So they got a few more coordinates.

After half a day of fellowship, it was time to part ways.

The others seemed to hesitate, wanting to say more but ultimately staying silent. Instead, they stood atop their sub, watching the nuclear sub disappear into the distance, lost in thought for a long time.

Jake jotted down the coordinates in his notebook. “Commander Xu, do you think they wanted to come with us?”

Cole said matter-of-factly, “Whether it’s Willowbrook or Griffith, we're all Australians.”

Everyone understood. Choices were personal, not about right or wrong.

Whether Cole had chosen Griffith or they had chosen Willowbrook, being at peace was all that mattered.

...

Stella woke to find the sub in a hover state. “What’s going on?”

Everyone was eager to return, but now there was no rush.

Jasper looked solemn, “Stella, we’ve found a sunken sub, including a Kindle Chest.”

Stella was taken aback. To actually come across one?

It was one thing to hear about it, feeling sympathy, but quite another to face it in reality.