18 Floors Above the Apocalypse novel Chapter 609

Stella's worries were as constant as the ocean waves.

Jasper pulled her close, "Stella, people change. If they hold a grudge, maybe that's just the end of that friendship. Don't beat yourself up."

Life's path is full of all sorts of people – some just pass by, some walk with you for a while, and others stay through thick and thin.

Stella understood this, but she couldn't help feeling a bit wistful.

Jasper reassured her, "If they had Arcadia, there's no telling they'd do better. Just be true to yourself."

Stella nodded and soon fell asleep.

When she woke up, it was already afternoon. The group wasn't in any hurry, deciding to have a laid-back meal with the supplies they'd taken from China.

Canned ham, mixed nuts, dried fruit, and they even made a hearty ham and seaweed soup.

Angela and the others had moved out with the main group at a slower pace, so Stella's special team took their time and stayed another night.

After a satisfying meal, they hit the road again, taking a new route guided by the compass.

When they reached the rendezvous point, Angela's group hadn't arrived yet.

Instead of waiting on shore, they went back to the submarine to watch the land through the periscope.

Two days later, they finally saw the migrants approaching.

Vehicles were already scarce, and a breakdown along the way slowed them down even more as they had to shuttle people back and forth.

Anxious, they waited on the shore, scanning the horizon.

The submarine couldn't get too close, so Stella brought out the 2688 and a few inflatable boats to ferry people back and forth non-stop.

Cody and Lukas, now recovered from their injuries, helped the survivors board.

After so many years, everyone had grown up, far from the hapless souls they once were.

The retreat took half a day, with Cody, Lukas, and others showing their skills as they piloted the 2688.

After surviving countless maritime disasters, they had managed to keep the Kindle Chest safe, leaving Stella with no room for doubt.

Kitty wanted to destroy the vehicles to keep them from China.

"Non-renewable resources shouldn't be wasted," Stella said. "You guys go ahead. We'll hide them. The retrieval team will come for them."

With Stella's word, Kitty dropped the idea and boarded an inflatable boat towards the 2688.

Stella and a few others drove the vehicles to a secluded spot, then stowed them in Arcadia before returning to the submarine.

Yep, it was packed to the gills.

The survivors, ragged and weary, were grateful to the special salvage team and even started asking about Griffith.

Was there work there? Could they get food?

Jake was cautiously optimistic, "It won't be easy, but as long as you're willing to work, you'll do better than staying here."

Of course, they couldn't compare to the special team, who were close to Stella.

Blackback, the captured dog, was brought onto the submarine, still furious and refusing to eat.

Stella simply carried him aboard, while countless eyes followed the large, wolf-like dog.

Roast pork, stew, hotpot?

Some couldn't help but drool, their gazes burning with hunger, their stomachs growling.

Blackback, starved for days, was terrified.

Dogs can sense good and evil, and this one bristled at the sight of potential predators.

Terrifying!

The poor dog's life hung by a thread!

Stella carried Blackback to her room and locked the door.

The special team wasn't being petty; they simply couldn't handle the added strain of hundreds crammed into a submarine, with every need from oxygen to basic necessities being a major concern.

Cole and the others, focused on safety and increasing air cycles, couldn't afford to do more.

To prevent any issues, they made it clear to the leaders in advance.

Furthermore, to avoid envy, the special team ate as sparingly as the survivors.

They weren't joking; they couldn't take on all responsibilities, nor expect the survivors to act with high decorum. Everyone was a seasoned veteran of over a decade's survival in this post-apocalyptic world.

Sure enough, some keen-eared team members overheard complaints.

There were demands for better sleeping spots, tastier food, claims of dizziness and nausea.

Those who made it to leadership weren't pushovers. They immediately grew stern, "So many demands, shall I ask them to take you back?"

Initially, they had criticized the special team's requests as heartless.

But now, they faced the actual whining and realized the team had been right to be cautious.

Even the complaints of needing the bathroom didn't deter them.

"What, you got the runs?" He glanced over with a look sharp as a knife. "You barely eat enough to keep a bird alive, what's there to even come out? Just hold it."

He knew the game they were playing, trying to hog the bathroom to catch some shut-eye.

Their requests kept getting shot down, and the special ops team wasn't about to play nanny either. Plus, their own grub wasn't exactly gourmet, so eventually, folks started to give up hope.

Just gotta tough it out and hope we hit Griffith sooner rather than later.

Stella was deep in dreamland when suddenly the whole place started shaking like there was an earthquake.

Speak of the devil and he shall appear, right? We'd hit a nasty storm.

Panic was in the air outside, shouts and hollers nonstop, and it sounded like there were sobs mixed in too...