18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

 novelbin

It took a few minutes, but eventually, everything was settled.

Meanwhile, not too far away, a fishing boat was caught in a skirmish, punctuated by the sound of gunshots. Stella couldn't see what was happening due to the obstructed view, but the fight dragged on for nearly twenty minutes before it finally stopped.

Hans was sprawled at the bow of the boat, retching for minutes before he waved to everyone, his face pale as a ghost. "It's all taken care of," he managed to say.

He wasn't the only one feeling queasy; several of his comrades were also throwing up. Sensing something was off, Stella started searching for bodies near the submarine, but the masked corpses had already been carried away by the current.

Hans ordered the fishing boat closer to the submarine, stopping it between 1926 and 2688. Stella and Jasper paddled over in a dinghy, braving the choppy waves to board the fishing boat. The deck was a chaotic mess, covered in blood and bodies.

Seeing the corpses up close made Stella lean over the railing, fighting the urge to vomit. Acid churned in her stomach, but nothing came up. Jasper quickly put on a mask, his brow furrowed as he examined the dead. Their faces were unrecognizable, covered in boils and pustules-some the size of thumbs, others like ping-pong balls, many ruptured and bleeding. They were everywhere. These weren't humans anymore; they were monsters. The man who had hailed the submarine looked relatively normal except for the multiple stab wounds in his chest; he was dead. Stella noticed several katana swords and old wooden sandals scattered on the deck, her eyebrows knitting together in concern.

Hans joined her, his expression grave and angry. "These beasts, damn them."

"Eight-legged walk!" a body nearby suddenly turned over, struggling to get up, shouting furiously at them, "Eight-legged walk!"

A few soldiers grabbed ropes, intending to tie him up for interrogation. Stella immediately warned, "Careful, he might be contagious."

She couldn't believe that after all these years, these beings hadn't died off and were still causing trouble. The monster spat curses as he lunged at the soldiers. Jasper raised his hand and ended the creature's struggle swiftly. Hans had wanted to interrogate him, but it turned out he was the last

one.

Stella was serious, "Anyone injured, disinfect your wounds now."

The weapons used by the enemies were swords and iron bars. Two had been injured during the fight-one had internal injuries, and the other had an external wound from a katana slash, but it wasn't deep. Hans's face paled; the medicine was still on the submarine.

From the fishing boat's draft, he deduced there had been more people inside than the mere seven the fishermen had claimed. Noticing the enemy's trajectory, Liu Cheng signaled his team members discreetly. Medicine was precious, and Hans had only brought an empty medicine chest on board. The base's disinfectant wasn't as good as pre-catastrophe supplies, and going back and forth would take time, which wasn't good for the wounds. Stella took out her own medical supplies, "Use mine." The bottles from the base were filled with pre-catastrophe stock. The wounds were disinfected repeatedly, sprinkled with antiseptic powder, and carefully bandaged.

Hans explained with a heavy heart, "This ship is from Thailand, with over fifty people on board. We never expected to encounter these sea pirates. Not only was the fishing boat taken, but the survivors were..."

Stella was surprised, "You speak Thai?"

"Before the catastrophe, I patrolled the Southeastern seas. We often encountered people from neighboring countries, so I picked up bits of their languages."

After the pirates were wiped out, many survivors either wandered to other countries or turned to piracy, committing robberies and treating survivors from other nations like sheep for slaughter. The Thai survivors, captured just over ten days ago, were reduced to a few, who were then used by the pirates to lure other survivors aboard under the guise of needing assistance, only to be killed for food. Hans didn't mention the several corpses at the bottom of the boat, victims of that day's deception.

His anger was palpable as he cursed, "These animals, worse than pigs and dogs."

Having been sheltered in the Kindle Society for years, Hans wasn't accustomed to such brutality; the shock was understandable. Stella was outraged by the pirates but more concerned about what had turned these people into monsters. Jasper mused, "Could it be they ate some mutated marine life and that's what caused the transformation?"

It was possible, but the sea creatures affected by the ancient virus weren't as hideous as these humans, suggesting there must be another reason. Stella made a startling suggestion, "Maybe they drank too much nuclear waste water."

Nuclear waste water? Everyone was startled. How much nuclear waste water would one have to consume to mutate like this? Either way, the very thought of nuclear waste water cast a shadow over them all-it was radioactive, after all. Hans had intended to investigate further, but now he promptly dismissed the idea, urging everyone to abandon ship and leave.

They returned to the submarine in the dinghy, powered up the vessel, and put some distance between them-100 nautical miles, to be specific. Once back on the submarine, Stella and Jasper discarded their clothes and took a calming pill, exaggerated but necessary when dealing with such ill fortune. Physically and psychologically, they were both deeply unsettled.

After today's events, Stella felt that Hans was cautious and not overly benevolent. The next day, Stella stayed in bed, half-asleep when the submarine began to sway once more. She opened the observation window, and as expected, it was... Blue Blue, showing deep affection from a whole 100 nautical miles.

Separated by the window, Blue Blue scratched an itch while Stella sipped her coffee-a peculiar sort of enjoyment. As the submarine surfaced, Stella picked up the megaphone and asked, "How are the comrades who were injured yesterday? Any fever or vomiting?"

Hans expressed his gratitude, "No, all is well."

"That's good to hear," said Stella, relieved. "I have some medical knowledge. Let me know if there are any problems."

With no pressing matters and the opportunity to learn from professional sailors, Stella and Jasper took the chance to apprentice themselves, delving into submarine technology and learning about maritime weather forecasting and disaster survival. Hans was an open book, sharing his years of accumulated experience.

After seven days, 1926 was ready to set sail and formally invited 2688 to join. It was a pleasant association, and Stella genuinely regretted parting ways, but she declined with reason, "Thank you, but we have our own mission. Hopefully, we'll cross paths again in the future."

She also mentioned her encounter with the Eastern Air Force, "Before he died, he left coordinates, saying we now had Hope Point." Hans and the others were shocked, "Hope Point?"

Stella nodded, "If you're willing, you can head to Hope Point." She shared the coordinates and suggested that if they encounter trustworthy fellows in the future, they could share the coordinates with them. Hans and the others didn't hesitate for a moment; they decided to set out in the direction of the coordinates to check it out.