18 Floors Above the Apocalypse novel Chapter 630

The Salvage Squad had recently hauled in a treasure trove of communication gear and computer hardware. Lukas, a whiz in computer networking and programming, was just the guy for the job. Thanks to Bran's connections, Lukas took on the task of setting up Griffith's local network. After three months of intense work, the military's network was up and running, and the government's system was humming along too, vastly improving the efficiency of both sectors. The communications department of Griffith was born, with Lukas at the helm.

Stella couldn't help but feel proud of him and mentally noted to one day give him the task of upgrading the ten AI soldiers stashed away in Arcadia, turning them into her loyal minions. The possibilities were endless—imagine having an army of clones for mining, fighting, and any dangerous tasks that needed doing.

After a long chat, Angela and Kitty rose to leave. "Stella, we'll trouble you for the medicine, and we'll repay you with points," Angela said.

Points were the least of Stella's concerns. "It's just some herbs, keep your points. Just promise me one thing: when you have kids, they'll call me godmother."

Who wouldn't want Stella as a godmother? That was better than hitting the jackpot. Stella had everything, and Kitty knew it. "Stella, we can't ever repay you enough for everything. Just say the word if you need anything. We'll always have your back."

Everyone got the message loud and clear; they were all in this together. Stella replied with a warm, understated smile. "We're all friends here. It's what we do for each other."

Outside, the air was stifling hot, so Stella cranked up the air conditioning to cool down. The proud owner of the Arctic Wolf base, new Hugo, squeezed in beside her, basking in the chill of the AC. Stella had a new addiction—grilling kebabs. She had brought out a bathtub-sized container of Arctic snow from Arcadia. New Hugo was ecstatic, rolling around in the snow, howling with delight as the room's temperature dropped.

Feeling whimsical, Stella decided to take a stroll with her wolf by her side. Just as she stepped out, she bumped into Monkey, hustling down the alleys, peddling his goods. "Miss, care for some fresh chicken or eggs? A young thing like you needs good nourishment—you'll be having babies in no time!"

He sold two chickens and a dozen eggs, then, spotting Stella not far off, dashed over, "Sis."

He looked even more gaunt and worn in the daylight, like a living skeleton on the run. Learning she was out for a walk, Monkey eagerly invited her over. "Sis, my place is just around the corner. Wanna come by?"

Stella agreed, more out of idle curiosity than anything else. They walked past streets until they reached a row of houses made from shipping containers, clothes drying on wires strung across their entrances.

"This one's mine," Monkey said, opening one of the containers. "The one next door belongs to the boss. He's out on business but should be back later."

Stella was impressed. "You guys settled into containers already? That's quite an achievement."

Brick houses were on the rise, and shanties were disappearing. Containers were hot commodities, but these two had snagged one. Monkey was grateful. "All thanks to you, Sis. The Third Master made sure we were taken care of."

"That's the one. I sold stuff to him before. Turned out he's from Griffith too."

Stella's thoughts flashed to Sunrise Sanctuary. "How are they getting on?"

"A single dad with a daughter isn't easy, but luckily he's got a decent job." The conversation flowed naturally, touching on life in Griffith and its residents, until it was time for Stella to return home, her heart a little fuller with the stories of those striving to make a new life in this changed world.

Flying solo, huh? Stella mused, realizing Katie and the others were long gone. "Being from the same town, we naturally got to know each other. Juggling work and childcare was too much for him, so he ended up asking my sister, Mary, to babysit. He'd pay her a fixed amount in credits every month. The kid's sharp as a tack but a bit on the frail side, always coming down with something or other. Lucky for him, he's got the resilience of an ox, always pulling through. Plus, the folks at Ocean Point Naval Station really value the youngsters, always finding ways to treat them when they fall ill. The little guy's been growing up bit by bit."

Monkey looked at Stella with even greater admiration, "Sis, I heard from Mikey that it was you who delivered and saved his son?"

Stella just smiled. If Mikey was open about the past, maybe he had found his way out of the grief of losing Molly. "When we decided to leave, we even invited him to join us, but sadly he turned us down."