18 Floors Above the Apocalypse
Chapter 158

Stella was a bit slow on the uptake, watching them clear out of the 18th floor and trudge down the staircase.

She hesitated for a moment but couldn't contain herself, racing to the stairwell to stop Cody and the others, "If things don't go well in Lincoln, remember, you can always come back." Lukas and Cody nodded, "Stella, no matter where we end up, you'll always be our friend."

She didn't say goodbye, instead, she watched them leave the 18th floor until their faint footsteps faded away.

Cooper was whimpering, rubbing against his owner now and then.

An hour later, Jasper returned. Seeing Stella lost in thought on the couch, he sat beside her, trying to comfort her, "Don't worry. They can take care of themselves. Plus, I've reminded them to be careful on the road." Both vehicles should keep a distance of about 50 yards, if the first one got into trouble, like a flat tire from a caltrop or a spike strip, at least the second vehicle could still be used, giving them a chance to escape or fight back. They were skilled with crossbows and had guns, and with their experience as security patrol officers, ordinary bandits wouldn't be able to touch them.

Stella leaned gently into Jasper, "I believe they'll do just fine."

"Stella, even though Cody and Lukas have left, you still have me, Cooper and Rosie. We aren't going anywhere."

In these apocalyptic times, saying goodbye was all too common, but that night, Stella suffered from insomnia, tossing and turning without a wink of sleep.

She was downcast for a few days, but then gradually returned to normal. However, she still felt strange. The 18th floor was too quiet, no longer filled with the laughter of those two, or the sound of Angela's boxing practice.

In the evening, Katie went to the rooftop to fetch water, "Stella, where have Lukas and the others been? Haven't seen them for a few days."

Stella didn't hide anything, "They've gone to Lincoln."

To the base? Katie was surprised, but also a little envious. Life at the base seemed good. Not only was there military protection, but there was also no shortage of water.

She wanted to go too, but each person needed to contribute 50 pounds of food to get in. Moreover, she heard that not everyone was allowed in the base; the screening process was very strict.

After a lifetime of experiences, Katie had a hunch that the two bases were different.

The Moore family were scholars, always busy with research. If they couldn't replace suitable jobs at the base, they'd be stuck doing manual labor.

She was old, and her children weren't exactly built for hard labor. After much thought, she decided to stay in Griffith. Her sons might be buried in their research day and night, but at least they were valued by the authorities and were decently compensated. Besides, according to the latest news, the city was taking over the steel world, machinery factories, glass factories, and building material factories.

In other words, factories without owners were directly seized, and those with owners were forcibly requisitioned. As for compensation, the ordinary folks had no way of knowing what it was.

Stella was surprised. She hadn't expected the city to move so quickly. Were they preparing for a future earthquake?

They were not only requisitioning building-related materials and factories but even farmlands, planning to build greenhouses to grow crops, and recruiting farmers and workers on a large scale.

The survivors once again lit up with hope. Although the intense heat was tough to endure, they believed their home could be rebuilt.

Many people went to apply for jobs, not only carrying their hopes for the future but also knowing that having a job meant they wouldn't starve or die of thirst. They might not have enough to eat, but at least they would survive.

The recruitment for farming positions was far beyond imagination. It was almost like anyone who applied got in. Those without experience could be trained by the old hands.

Besides opening up farmland, the vacated factories were also used for indoor cultivation.

Stella had a strong feeling that the city was doing everything possible to stockpile food. Rumors had it that the national grain reserves were rich, but who knew how much was left after two years of natural disasters? Even if there were leftovers, the coastal areas in the south, which were low-lying, were never in the country's plans for large grain silos. The supplies would have to be transferred from other cities.

In the face of global disasters, every place was fending for itself. Who would willingly share their grain to protect people from other areas?

Even if the national government gave orders, the priority would be to transfer to major bases. The share for each city would be even less.

In the end, self-help was the only way out. They couldn't just sit around and wait for the government to feed them.

Regardless, Stella believed that even if an earthquake came, the outcome would be better than last time. Life went on, day by day.

With Cody and the others gone, Stella found a silver lining. At least she didn't have to hide things anymore.

She moved the water tower on the rooftop into Arcadia, planning to raise the rabbits in 1803 and incubate the fertilized eggs of the ducks and quails, striving to achieve a self-sufficient poultry and meat supply. Jasper interrupted her plans, "How much space do you have left in Arcadia?"

Stella was confused, "Do you have a new plan?"

Arcadia was large, but with two people continuously filling it up, there wasn't much space left.

Jasper nodded, "I want to go to Swan Hill or Mount Barker, by the seaside."

Stella was puzzled, "What for?"

Jasper was prepared for the worst. They had stockpiled a considerable amount of food, and with a few plots of land left in Arcadia for cultivation, they wouldn't starve. However, they were short on meat and needed to prepare in advance. "Inland cities live off the land, and coastal cities live off the sea."

The drought-resistant sweet potatoes had a long growth cycle, so the city couldn't continuously provide survivors with food. They would have to turn to the sea for sustenance.

After two years of natural disasters, especially a year of ice, coastal fishermen couldn't go out to sea to fish. Unsurprisingly, the marine fish population would be very abundant.

When he said this, Stella remembered. In her previous life, many of the lower-class survivors had migrated to the seaside.

Stella hadn't gone. It would have been pointless. She didn't know how to fish, nor did she have a boat. Even if the fishermen had boats and could catch fish, who would trade with you if you arrived empty-handed? Fishermen weren't saviors. But this time was different. She not only had Arcadia but also a considerable amount of supplies. She could trade supplies for seafood.

Stella loved seafood, but it was usually too expensive. With only $200,000 in her hands, she could afford some chicken, duck, and fish, but she dared not splurge on seafood.

Arcadia only had enough fish and pork to last them a while; other meats were scarce. It was necessary to diversify their stock.

Stella planned to replace an opportunity to go to the seaside. Although there wasn't much space left in Arcadia, there was enough to feed three people and a dog until their dying day. What Jasper said next sent chills down Stella's spine.

"Heat disasters can lead to the melting of the polar ice caps, ancient viruses lurking in the ice could potentially contaminate the oceans, and a major tectonic collision could destroy coastal nuclear power plants, causing nuclear leaks and radiation." Stella's head was buzzing.

Nuclear radiation was just a hypothesis by Jasper, and whether or not it happened was uncertain since he was already gone. But when faced with such a disaster, one had to prepare for the worst.

Stella felt goosebumps all over her body, "So, we not only need to stockpile, but stockpile a lot?"

If marine life was contaminated and mutated, human food resources would be further depleted.

If given the opportunity, they needed to hoard a massive amount, not just for their own consumption, but also for trade.

Although they currently had no worries about food and drink, survival required more than just that.

Even if they managed to survive until the day of the major tectonic collision, when seas turned into fields and lands and mountains collapsed and sank, what use would a hoarded car be? So they needed to continue gathering supplies.

The task at hand was to expand their safe haven, Arcadia, in order to embark on another insane hoarding journey.