18 Floors Above the Apocalypse



Justice frantically rummaged through his pockets until he found the vial, which, to his dismay, was empty.

"Damn, I'm out of meds."

In desperation, he shouted, "Does anyone have some nitroglycerin or anything?"

His cries echoed, but after a decade of catastrophe, who would still have such medicine?

Panic ensued. "Quick, turn back to the hospital!"

The commander, Staff Chief, halted everyone, gasping for air, "I'm fine, just need to rest. The hospital's out of supplies, don't bother them. We've got more important work to do today."

Just listen to him-out of medicine and he didn't say a word.

He didn't want to go back, but others insisted out of concern.

Stella watched the Staff Chief, whose age wasn't far from Daniel's.

After hesitating for a moment, she stood up and said, "I have some."

It was true. She had kept a few vials for herself when concocting pills for Daniel, just in case.

She pulled out a vial from her bag and handed it over.

The bottle was unmarked except for a label that read: "Nitroglycerin.”

Given the leader's life was at stake, Justice was skeptical, "Are these really nitro pills?"

Stella retrieved the vial, "They're from South Base Pharmaceutical. If you don't trust it, give it back." Justice, desperate, snatched it back, "Just asking, I trust you."

They all lived on the base, and her husband worked in Area A; she wouldn't mess around.

He sniffed the bottle's contents, which seemed to match the usual medicine the commander took.

The other officers were also concerned about safety, but the urgency of the situation left little room for doubt, and there was no guarantee that making it to the hospital would be timely.

It was worth a shot.

Justice doled out four pills and instructed the Staff Chief to place them under his tongue.

Everyone held their breath until, five minutes later, the Staff Chief's color improved, and they let out a collective sigh of relief.

Justice felt a weight lift off his shoulders and sat next to Stella in the corner, "Stella, I was out of line earlier in the panic. I apologize, and I can't thank you enough for today."

"It was nothing." Stella extended her hand, "The medicine?"

Justice grinned shrewdly and pocketed the vial without letting go, "You and your hubby are young and healthy; you don't need this. How about you sell it to me?"

"Not for sale."

"Name your price."

"I said not for sale."

"Anything within my power, just ask."

Justice's smile widened, "Even if I can't pull it off, I have connections higher up.”

Stella remained firm, "Not for sale."

"South Base used to be part of the Southern Military Command, headquartered at Swan Hill before the disaster. The Staff Chief served there in his younger days before moving to East Base, and you're from the South too, right? What a coincidence. He has life-saving ties with the powers at South Base. Saving a life is more meritorious than building a seven-tier pagoda. You must have received favors at the South Base, right? Consider this a way to repay them."

Trust a bureaucrat to turn coal into diamonds with his words.

Stella didn't get it, just looked at Justice without a word.

Justice's eyes twinkled with cunning, "Without special approval, could you have gotten a submarine?"

He knew the military rules like the back of his hand; submarines were strategic resources, off-limits without top-level authorization.

After thinking, Stella spoke softly, "My request is simple. Three more rooms."

Housing was strictly regulated in the military base-one slot per person. Securing extra rooms was virtually impossible.

That's it? Justice was taken aback, thinking he had misheard.

But he quickly replied, "Done. I'll arrange three extra rooms for you."

With the growing base and the relatively few survivors, there was no shortage of housing.

Eager to seal the deal, he added,

"Area B4 is nice, but as more

n

survivors came, you might run into noisy neighbors. I'll move you to Area B2, where military personnel live. They're either on missions or working, so you won't be bothered."

Stella agreed promptly, "Deal."

Both parties were satisfied with the transaction.

But Justice was shrewd, "Stella, do you have more pills? We could work together long-term."

Stella, resting with her eyes closed, dismissed the idea, "You're overthinking it.”

The Staff Chief looked back and nodded at Stella in thanks.

Stella smiled back.

She wasn't short on nitroglycerin; giving it freely or too easily would only invite suspicion.

Securing a fair deal for herself meant everyone benefited.

The ferry soon reached Area B, and Justice escorted the leaders off to inspect the area.

The Staff Chief watched Stella walk away, "She's from South Base?"

"Yes," Justice nodded quickly, "A bunch from South Base have arrived, all part of the 'Seed Submarine Program,' but 2688 came on a private sub."

A private sub? Not something just anyone could get.

The Staff Chief snapped back to reality, "Why ask her for the medicine? What if she needs it?"

"Rest assured, 2688 must be

significant. They were the ones who had the 1926 sub bring Colonel Wang's remains back and even

provided the 1926 with food

and

supplies. So, she shouldn't be short on medicine."

No one would part with life-saving meds lightly.Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

Mentioning the South, the Staff Chief frowned, "Still no news from Mr. Daniel?"

"Not yet," Justice reported, "But we've located the leaders of the Kindle Society from the North. Their warship is en route to the base."

"Send more search parties. We must find as many survivors as possible."

After lunch with Rosie, Stella had just woken from a nap when the administrator knocked, bringing up the room switch.

The family of three was moving to Area B2, with three extra rooms and a half-year rent waiver.

The administrator's look at Stella had changed, but he didn't say much, just handed over the keys, "No rush, move when it suits you."

Stella took the keys, thanking him.

Clearly, Justice had given instructions; the administrator was overly helpful, "If you need anything, come to me anytime."

Stella replied politely, "Will do, thanks for the trouble."

In the evening, Jasper returned on time.

Stella asked, "How was work?"

"Pretty good, nice and easygoing."

He was the team leader in charge of

patrol and safety in Area A, a sector within the administrative zone of the base. Newcomers to Hope Point were usually filled with optimism and gratitude, making

ΛΟ

troublemakers a rare breed in this part.

However, one had to keep an eye on the residents from a few other sectors. They were either mentally unstable or physically afflicted by the virus, making them prone to emotional outbursts and aggression.

Just today, a patrol officer was injured and rushed to the hospital for emergency care.

It seems that he was stabbed by several deranged survivors, losing a lot of blood. His chances of recovery were still uncertain.

Jasper mentioned a couple of work-related matters before suddenly asking, "What did you promise Justice? He's come back acting like a changed man, nearly treating me like a saint."