18 Floors Above the Apocalypse novel Chapter 422

The sun was dipping below the horizon, casting an orange glow that slowly gave way to the impending darkness over the sea.

Stella hollered across to the other side, "So, what's the game plan for you folks?"

After drifting in the ocean's depths for so long, Hans and his crew planned to take a few days to kick back on the waves, soak up some sun, and get a decent dose of vitamin D to get their bodies back in shape.

Running into 2688 had rekindled the flames of hope for 1926; they were convinced that if they just kept on cruising, they'd rally more of their kin and comrades.

South Base was gone, but the Ember Initiative wasn't about to fizzle out. They were determined to find a new haven one day.

Stella exchanged a glance with Jasper. If those guys wanted to take a breather, they'd keep a watchful eye on them. There was no harm in putting off the coordinates chat for a couple more days.

It wasn't that they distrusted Hans and his team, but they couldn't help feeling that they might be a bit too... naively kind-hearted.

What if the coordinates fell into their hands and one day they had to contemplate the annihilation of humankind, when every tribe and nation needed to band together to survive calamity?

What if the coordinates got out and attracted a horde of demons?

Dealing with natural disasters was tough enough, but if human folly entered the mix, could Hope Point truly be established?

So, Stella hesitated.

Of course, she might just be overly cautious.

Night fell, and the risks on the sea's surface were mounting. The two submarines began their slow descent, coming to rest quietly in the deep blue.

Seeing the sunlight and exchanging words with their countrymen lifted everyone's spirits; dinner portions grew by half a bowl that evening.

Maybe even Stella hadn't noticed, but she found herself humming a tune while showering.

Jasper, listening from outside, couldn't help but let a smile curl the edges of his lips.

Come morning, the subs didn't rush to surface. Instead, they waited for Blue Blue to finish scratching his itch against their hulls before powering up, to avoid the big lug from popping up in the middle of Shanghai and knocking Stella into the drink.

Hans and his group, unaware of the situation, saw the massive blue whale near 2688 and frantically flashed their torches as a warning—danger was afoot.

Jasper signaled back with his light—You'll get used to it.

Blue Blue was temperamental but manageable. If it wanted a scratch, so be it, as long as it posed no threat.

A real tussle with the beast would likely leave both parties bruised and battered.

Once Blue Blue had its fill of barnacle-scratching and didn't seem intent on attacking 2688, Hans and his team breathed a sigh of relief.

After the whale departed, 2688 emerged from the water. 1926 surfaced a bit earlier, and a dozen folks were either sunbathing or pumping iron.

Hans grabbed a megaphone and called out, "What are your plans moving forward?"

Stella's throat was sore from the previous day's shouting, so she picked up a bullhorn and responded, "No plans for now. We go where the currents take us."

Hans wanted to extend an invitation for 2688 to join forces. Companionship would ease the loneliness, and they could look out for each other.

He was about to make the offer when a lookout spotted something on the horizon, "Captain, there's a fishing boat."

A fishing boat? Out here? Impossible.

Rosie spotted it too and quickly alerted her brother and sister-in-law.

Stella used her binoculars and confirmed it was indeed a fishing vessel, a civilian craft not too large, with a functioning motor heading their way.

There seemed to be fishermen on board, waving in their direction, their faces distinctively Eastern.

Worn by time, sun-baked skin, and the trials of a world turned upside down by colossal tsunamis and relentless storms, the boat was surprisingly intact and operational.

Both subs went on high alert, with Hans cautioning, "Watch for a trick."

If it were just 2688, Stella would've dived back into Arcadia, but with 1926 right there, they couldn't play their hand unless it was do-or-die.

Jasper told Rosie to head back inside the sub while he and Stella discreetly armed themselves.