18 Floors Above the Apocalypse novel Chapter 406

The air raid sirens wailed, jolting the survivors awake. Some were still groggy from sleep, while others hurriedly geared up for work. Disaster had a cruel sense of timing, striking just when people were most vulnerable. Had everyone been at their workplaces, the scramble to get back home would have been chaotic at best, tragic at worst, with families potentially torn apart in the rush to reunite.

At least in death, they could stay together.

In the distance, a convoy of massive trucks appeared on the horizon. These weren't just any trucks—they were colossal, stretching out of sight, easily numbering a dozen or more. It was clear these were loaded with cultural artifacts, gathered from across various states, intended for safekeeping in the Kindle Society's "Seed Vault."

But fate had other plans. Just as they reached the base, disaster struck. Even with a two-hour lead, there was no time to secure these priceless items for their journey across the sea. The drivers were forced to abandon their vehicles to save their own lives. An entire convoy, left deserted, with not a soul in sight.

When catastrophe looms, who has the time to worry about lifeless treasures?

As they neared the base entrance, everyone was retreating to the rendezvous point. Even the soldiers on gate duty had come to maintain order. So many relics of culture—books, seeds, machinery, antiques spanning millennia—were left behind.

Out of nowhere, Stella thought of Daniel. She stopped in her tracks and sprinted towards the trucks. Jasper didn't miss a beat, staying right beside her. As they approached, the giant trucks seemed to vanish into thin air. The three of them, along with their dog, sprinted so fast that the trucks disappeared as they passed.

A total of twenty-one trucks were absorbed into Arcadia, now bursting at the seams. Stella had no choice but to stack them atop fields and medicine gardens. From their private courtyard all the way to the base gates, it took them an hour, even at their fastest pace.

When they reached an open area, Stella quickly pulled out the helicopter. The trio and their dog clambered aboard, hurriedly strapping on parachutes. The process was cumbersome, but their regular practice made it second nature.

Jasper took the pilot's seat, and Stella secured Cooper with his harness, attaching it to her waist. She took out a thin rope, and they each looped it around themselves. In case of an aerial disaster, if there was no time to bail out, they could whisk themselves into Arcadia.

With preparations complete, the helicopter's blades began to spin, and they slowly ascended. As Stella and her group took off, a stream of fighter jets, transport planes, and helicopters began to lift off from the Kindle Society.

The emergency response plan was in full swing: air, land, and sea. The Air Force, carrying fewer but crucial personnel, was the swiftest to react.

100 meters, 500 meters, 1000 meters, 2000 meters, 3000 meters...

The ground grew distant, the scenery shrank. Stella peered through binoculars, watching as dark submarines sank into the vast ocean, disappearing below the surface. Then, numerous life pods spread across the water, orange and dark red, bobbing like ping pong balls.

Although Lincoln wasn't on a tectonic edge, as a coastal city, it was vulnerable to tsunamis if an asteroid struck Earth. Earthquake-resistant buses wound away from the base, filled with people...

Stella watched the shrinking base, her expression growing more solemn. Earthquakes or tsunamis could disrupt air currents. Jasper raised the helicopter to 6000 meters, heading inland...

Less than half an hour later, the entire globe shuddered. The ground cracked, mountains collapsed, and a vast tsunami swept across the land. The aircraft jolted, and Stella's heart leaped to her throat.