18 Floors Above the Apocalypse
Chapter 220

"Bang!" "Thud!"

With a tumultuous collision, the escape pod was flipped, leaving Stella and her companions hanging upside down. Thankfully, it wasn't vertical, but rather at a slight angle.

The loose soil shifted under the weight, and it took a while to adjust itself.

In the following two hours, a few more tremors shook the pod, wedged between two massive rocks, preventing it from falling further. The tremors were not as intense as the first one. These were obviously aftershocks. The escape pod was designed specifically for natural disasters like earthquakes and tsunamis, making it shock-resistant. The seats were designed to protect the body's vital parts. Still, Stella could feel the powerful tremors. The pod was silent, and to ease the fear of her companions, Stella played some soothing music to help calm their nerves.

It was already noon, but with aftershocks looming, she was not in a hurry to leave, "Are you guys hungry?"

"Woof!" When it came to food, Cooper was always the most enthusiastic.

Stella decided to skip any soup or liquid foods to avoid having it spill all over during an aftershock. She gave the dog a bread roll.

Eating was a battle of its own, as they were still afraid of possible tremors.

Rosie was given a jelly donut, and Stella handed her a water bottle with a straw, but warned her not to drink too much, in case she needed to use the bathroom.

After taking care of the two, Jasper and Stella had their quick meal.

The escape pod was compact but well-insulated, and with the oxygen supply, it didn't feel stuffy.

Despite being stuck in the crevice, with her brother and sister-in-law for company, and relaxing music on the background, Rosie, full and drowsy, unknowingly drifted off to sleep. Cooper left the comfort of Jasper's lap, gently landing on the floor, stretching his cramped muscles.

Stella, feeling sleepy herself, asked, "When are we going out?"

"Let's wait a bit longer," Jasper suggested, recalling that aftershocks could continue into the next day, though they would decrease in intensity.

Stuck in the precarious crevice, Stella was a bit worried, "Can we get out?"

The downside of Arcadia was that you could only exit from where you entered.

The pod's windows didn't offer a full view, but with Jasper's ability, they would have a solution as long as the earthquake ceased.

"You rest for a bit. I'll keep watch," he offered.

They had to be prepared for the possibility of not being able to return home for a while, so one of them had to stay awake at all times.

Stella tried to rest but couldn't fall asleep.

By five in the afternoon, there hadn't been any aftershocks for two hours, and soon it would be dark. They couldn't stay stuck like this. They needed to replace a way out.

Jasper unbuckled his seat belt and surveyed the situation through the window, "The door isn't far from the giant rock. I can jump onto it and then try to climb up the crevice."

Any movement would add weight. Afraid that the rock and soil wouldn't hold, Stella, under the pretense of checking the cupboards, transferred the prepared food into Arcadia, reducing the weight considerably.

She then took out climbing claws, ropes, spiked shoes, ice axes, and a first aid kit for Jasper. Equipped and ready, Jasper comforted his worried sister, "Don't worry, and listen to Stella." "Okay, be careful."

With the pod door open, Jasper surveyed his surroundings.

The pod was stuck about ten meters deep from the surface, the door was a distance away from the large rock, and the soil was loose due to the earthquake.

Jasper fired the grappling hook. It was hard to replace a solid anchor in the deserted grassland, and it took him about a dozen tries to succeed.

He tied the rope around his waist and warned, "Hold on, and wait for me."

Then, he took a leap.

Stella's heart was in her throat. They were suspended in mid-air, and if Jasper failed to jump, he would fall into the deep crevice below. Fortunately, his agility saved him, and he landed on the rock without any mishap. As his body landed on the rock, Jasper felt it shift.

Taking a deep breath to steady himself, he calmly instructed, "Stella, the rock is unstable. Close the pod door."

"Be careful and don't push yourself."

As Jasper steadied himself, Stella returned to her seat and fastened her seat belt, though her heart was pounding. She hoped he wouldn't get hurt.

The soil was loose, making it hard to gain a foothold. However, Jasper, with his experience in high-altitude climbing and rescue, carefully climbed up using his spiked shoes and ice axe.

Halfway up, a loud noise came from beneath his feet.

Stella's gaze followed his movement, only to feel a sudden drop. The rock gave way, and the escape pod fell once more.

"Jasper!" Rosie exclaimed in shock.

The escape pod fell another ten meters before it was wedged again.

Stella quickly reassured her, "Don't worry, Rosie, your brother will be fine."

Through the windows, all they could see was loose soil and rocks falling.

Feeling the sudden shift beneath his feet, Jasper glanced down to see the pod falling, but he didn't slow his ascent.

The escape pod could withstand the attack of rocks and landslides for a short while. All he needed to do now was to get them out.

The climbing rope suddenly loosened, probably because the anchor couldn't hold. In the blink of an eye, Jasper kicked off the ground, grabbed hold of the edge, and, using his exceptional waist strength, hoisted himself up. The edge of the crevice collapsed, and soil continuously slid down into the deep pit.

Jasper moved to a safer spot, drove a stake into the ground, tied the rope around it, and threw the other end of the rope down from the edge of the crevice.

Noticing the fluctuating light, Stella looked at the pod door and saw a rope swinging. She fastened the climbing harness around Rosie, "Don't be scared, don't look down, and your brother will pull you up." "What about you?"

"You go up first. I'll wait."

She opened the pod door, used hook to catch the rope and tied it to the harness. Rosie landed safely, and then it was Cooper's turn. He was quickly hoisted up.

Jasper instructed them, "You two go to the back and help pull the rope."

Both obeyed, one pulling with her hands, the other biting with his mouth.

The moment Stella was suspended, she transferred the escape pod into Arcadia.

Climbing up the nearly 30-meter distance was challenging, fearing the people above wouldn't be able to hold on, she used her hands and feet to climb the soil, and after some struggle, she finally made it to the top. She was greeted by Jasper's comforting embrace, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"Were you scared?"

Stella wanted to say no, but then thought better of it, "I was scared, but not with you around."

She had been reading a lot of books on relationships lately, trying to change how she behaved around Jasper.

Sure enough, men were easy to please, and Jasper patted her back, "It's okay, I'm here."

It was not even six yet, but the sun was still scorching. Despite wearing a thermo-regulating suit, they were sweating like they were on a hot tin roof. Stella surveyed her surroundings - the factory in ruins, the mountainside sliding, the ground cracking - everything was in shambles and devastation. Such was the destructive power of a major earthquake, tearing through everything in its path until nothing was recognizable from what it once was.