18 Floors Above the Apocalypse novel Chapter 639

Jasper was careful not to start with anything too valuable, so he chose rabbits for their first experiment.

He pressed the button on the cryo-chamber to start the revival process. After a few minutes, the chamber's lid hissed open.

Both Jasper and Stella, suited up in protective gear, carefully lifted out a pair of rabbits—one male and one female—that lay still next to the chamber.

Stella couldn’t help but feel disappointed. “Did China’s cryo-tech fail?”

Jasper thought for a moment. “How about we try putting them in The Garden?”

So, they released the rabbits into The Garden.

After a long wait with no signs of life, they concluded that the technology might be immature and had failed.

To pass the time, they busied themselves picking fruit and tending to the crops.

Time went by. While Stella was kneeling to plant some herbs, she felt something move by her feet. Instinctively, she kicked aside the disturbance.

Turning to look, she saw the plump rabbits had toppled over.

Stella was stunned and then shouted in excitement, “They’re alive! They made it!”

Ah, the tech from little soy sauce’s home was indeed impressive.

Jasper caught on quickly, unlike her—just looking at technical manuals made her drowsy and confused.

Now, having the rabbits alive was one thing, but figuring out how to introduce them properly was another.

Stella mused that with their special retrieval team already being extraordinary, the appearance of rabbits shouldn’t seem too far-fetched.

So, she took the rabbits out of Arcadia after starving them for a few days, making them listless with hunger.

Stella stuffed the languid rabbits into a bag, took a stroll through the distant woods, and then let the rabbits return, robust and invigorated.

“Oh my gosh, are those rabbits?”

“Wow, they really are rabbits! How did they get here?”

Stella explained on the way back, “Caught them in the woods.”

“Colonel Jiang, can wild rabbits breed?”

“Not sure, but I’ll give it a try.”

Soon, all of Griffith knew there were wild rabbits in the forest, supposedly caught by the commander's dog.

For a long time, residents eagerly trekked to the forest, some even setting traps, hoping to catch their own rabbits. But not even a single rabbit fur was found.

The rabbits were kept at home, quickly multiplying from two to eight, then to over a dozen.

Those unaware might assume rabbits breed fast, but these were all taken from the cryo-chambers, avoiding any inbreeding issues.

Once their numbers were sufficient, they were handed to Poppy to manage at a breeding farm, where they were expected to multiply like wildfire.

But that was a tale for another time.

Bran and Ding Yin’s wedding day arrived, with a grand setting of twenty tables.

Most guests were from the military, including several high-ranking officers. Bran’s status was significant, not to mention the clout of Reagan and those looking to get closer to the commander's family.

Stella dressed Ding Yin, not in a wedding gown, but in a red cheongsam that Mrs. Ding had made from fine fabric.

This was Griffith’s first wedding, and it was a grand affair.

Men were in sharp suits, women in traditional dresses, following an Australian wedding ceremony with all the trimmings.

Bran’s network was vast. Not only were the military folks present, but so were Mark and Evan, along with Austin and Monkey.

The bride and groom were swamped with well-wishers.

Stella wasn’t the bride, but she too was the center of attention, finding it hard to escape.

Thanks to Bran’s maneuvering, her status had risen to near-celestial, with many guests attending not just for the wedding but to attach themselves to Stella’s rising star.

Everyone could see who the real successor would be.

Cody Lukas, ever alert, squeezed through the crowd with a pretext to whisk her away for a breather.

It was a chat under the guise of expressing gratitude.

Thanks to treatment, both Angela and Kitty had their cycles back. Whether they could conceive was uncertain, but there was hope.

Anxiety was fleeting, and soon they were back to normal spirits.

Before long, Austin approached, looking much improved himself.

Perhaps Monkey’s counsel had helped him come to terms with his son’s duties abroad.

Griffith’s reputation was known far and wide; even in danger, the community or camp might give them some leeway.

Besides, Dylan was not lacking in skill.

Children grow and must fly the nest, and parents, no matter how reluctant, must learn to let go.

Austin had come to terms and was busy with his own affairs once more, partly grateful to Rosie.

His son had overcome many obstacles with her, growing healthier and stronger.

Everyone stumbles in their youth; it was time to let him navigate his own trials.

Within a few sentences, Austin was back on topic, “Sister-in-law, have you given any more thought to my proposal?”

“We can manage that. Poppy will discuss the details with you later.”

Stella, though often at sea, was still well-informed.

The six cities had begun cultivating crops; beginnings are always hard, and it was the perfect time to step in.

No shortage of front-liners, Stella could play the role of the financial backer.

Just so, both Austin and Poppy were ambitious souls.

Midway through the wedding, the Defense Department received urgent news: China had arrived again.

Nicholas couldn’t delay and reported to Daniel immediately.

They came to trade, bringing with them 20,000 cubic meters of fuel.

With transport ships and submarines in tow.

Knowing China’s tactics all too well, the Defense Department was on high alert.

One day, when she'd built a legacy, suitors would flock to her, pond or no pond.

Startled by a false alarm, Stella headed home early.

She and Jasper were enjoying a leisurely extended break. That evening, Jasper headed to the kitchen to cook dinner.

Knowing Stella's fondness for fish, he dished out a generous serving of a fish head stew for her.

But Stella suddenly felt queasy, "You have it."

After his bath that night, Jasper found Stella already asleep.

It was still early, so he dimmed the bedside lamp and slipped his hand under her clothes...

Stella woke with a start, swatting his hand away, "Not tonight."

Jasper pulled her close, "Is it that time of the month?"

She thought for a moment, "It should have been a couple of days ago."

"Should we check?" Jasper suggested, concern in his voice. "You've been unusually tired and sleepy lately."

That woke Stella up properly.

It couldn't have happened on the first try, could it?

She figured it would take at least six months, especially at her age. It wasn't easy to conceive, and she had been a bit out of sorts these past few days without paying much attention to her cycle.

Stella hadn't stocked up on pregnancy tests, but given her penchant for freebies in the past, she wasn't sure if she had any left.

They searched for a while and, surprisingly, found a few boxes.

After several minutes, the tests displayed two pink lines.

Jasper was ecstatic, "Are you pregnant?"

"In theory, yes. But these tests aren't always accurate, especially at night. It's a 50/50 chance," she cautioned, not wanting to get her hopes up too soon. "Let's test again in the morning."

"Definitely pregnant," Jasper declared confidently. "We tried plenty of times. Odds are good."

Stella didn't know how to respond.

They turned off the lights, and while the usually stoic Stella fell asleep quickly, Jasper, despite his strong composure, couldn't sleep a wink.

The next morning, they tested again with the same result: two lines.

Jasper's mind raced with a thousand thoughts.

He hadn't expected such a different turn in his life upon meeting Stella. Not only had he found someone to stand by his side, but now they were expecting a child.

While others struggled mightily for the blessing of children, for Jasper, it seemed almost providential.

He hugged Stella tightly, "Thank you, Stella."

He was filled with anticipation for their child.

(The End)

P.S.: That's the end of the main story, but there are four more extras for those interested.