18 Floors Above the Apocalypse



Stella gazed at the figures in the distance, a wry smile crossing her lips as she was reminded of characters from her favorite drama series—the traitorous collaborators, only now they seemed to have taken on a more global flair.

When they realized Stella was from the East, they sent three of their own to probe the situation.

Stella didn't mince words. "Beat it!"

Instead of anger, the trio seemed oddly pleased at her dismissal.

Dillyn, a master of appearances, nodded and bowed, the picture of polite attentiveness. "Folks, all comers are friends here. We're just looking to make connections."

Vietnam, visibly uncomfortable, stood as still as a statue, while Belarus wore a look of smug superiority, as if the world was theirs for the taking. To Stella, they were nothing but a bunch of creeps. "I said, beat it!"

Belarus was fuming, ready to spew profanity, but Dillyn clamped a hand over his mouth, muttering a frustrated "Damn it."

Vietnam whispered a word of caution, "Ease up a bit, will you? We're all part of the same cultural sphere."

Belarus, unable to contain their disdain, spat out, "Psh, Confucius is ours, they dare to pilfer and still have the gall..."

Dillyn and Vietnam could only share a look of disbelief at their self-deluding companion. "Do you even care about the mission our leader entrusted us with?"

The mention of the 'big brother' made Belarus grudgingly fall silent.

Dillyn continued with a servile smile, "Friends from Australia, we come with sincere intentions. In times of hardship, those from the East should stick together for survival."

Stella almost laughed, "Who's 'us,' and where's 'there'?"

Sensing a sliver of hope, Dillyn proudly shared, "We represent Union Base, aiming to band together all survivors worldwide to weather this catastrophe. We have individuals from seventeen nations so far."

Stella was not interested in his rosy rhetoric, "And who calls the shots at this base?"

"We believe in peace, democracy, freedom, solidarity..."

Stella was losing patience. "Who's in charge, talk or get lost!"

Dillyn's expression soured, but he still managed a smile: "It's China."

"What's required to join?"

Seeing an opportunity, Dillyn brightened up, "You'd need to relocate to Union Base, surrender all your supplies and weapons. The base will handle distribution-you won't go hungry."

"And who'll be distributing?" Stella pressed.

Dillyn hesitated before admitting, "China."

"Is there meat to eat inside the base?"

"If you toe the line, you'll get your share of meat."

"When's the last time you had meat?"Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!

Dillyn was confused, unsure of her angle.

"You look all skin and bones. How long's it been since your daddy China fed you any meat?"

Dillyn was livid but forced himself to hold back. "What do you mean by that?"

"You just said we Easterners should stick together for survival. So why are you all kowtowing to westernized China?"

Stella's smile was sardonic, "Does daddy feed you meat and let you lick the plate clean? Or maybe you three are supposed to fight over it, and the winner gets to lick the dish?"

Dillyn was about to explode, fists clenched. "The world's flooded, lands have sunk; there's no East or West anymore, we're all one family."

"One family, yet you're not calling the shots-China is? They send you, and you come wagging your tails?"

Dillyn's forced smile was now a grimace, "So, you've decided against joining Union Base?"

"Do your thing, don't drag us into it." Stella's gaze was icy as she scoffed, "I've no interest in being a spineless dog."

"You're the dogs!" Belarus lost it, hurling insults at Stella, "Think you're something special, Australia? There are folks from your place in the base too, spineless curs, obeying every command. Left, right, eat this, drink that-pathetic!"

5

Yes, they couldn't have meat every day, but at least they enjoyed a communal hotpot now and then.

Even if it was just scooping from a communal pot, those Aussies in the base didn't even get the scraps.

All Easterners, yet why should Australia be any better? Deluding themselves!

As Belarus ranted, Jasper fired a shot that grazed his cheek.

The burning pain and the shock sent Belarus tumbling to the ground, a wet patch spreading between his legs.

Vietnam saw the accident and knew they were in deep trouble.

In this weather, Belarus was as good as dead-a loose tongue and thinking that clinging to 'big brother' meant the world had to indulge him.

Now, faced with someone who didn't play by their rules, he saw the consequences.

Sure enough, Belarus's frozen trousers made the panicked curses even more hysterical.

Dillyn, done with pretense, threatened, "You Australians, so ungrateful. You'll see!"

Without another word, he left, ignoring Belarus-better to save the food than waste it on the doomed.

Vietnam, pensive, followed Dillyn out.

Stella called out, "I thought Union Base was about uniting all survivors. Why leave your buddy behind?" Belarus continued to curse until his voice faded, his frozen pants preventing him from going far.

Stella was irked by the noise, "Shut up. The whole world is yours now, happy?"

With the drama over, Stella and Jasper returned inside to strategize.

With the three stooges from the East likely to exaggerate their story, and with Russia's recent trouble, they anticipated their own confrontation soon. They called Rosie over to discuss battle plans, not noticing Snowflake silently slipping out.

The animal moved stealthily through the snow, its gaze icy and intent. Approaching the struggling Belarus, it bared its sharp teeth and pounced...

Belarus's screams were cut short, and soon, all was quiet.

Snowflake dug a hole, dragging the body in to bury it.

Union Base had over three thousand people. Without knowing their full strength, Stella wasn't about to act rashly.

She hoped for a peaceful coexistence, a mutual non-aggression pact, but considering the attitudes of those from the base's member nations, she doubted they'd leave others in peace.

Three thousand plus mouths to feed daily, none skilled in farming-so... For now, they could exploit Russia, but what when Russia was bled dry? In the end, they'd turn their knives inward.

In Union Base, the hierarchy was crystal clear, and those at the bottom rung were always the first to feel the heat.

For instance, the less fortunate

ne

survivors from the East were easy prey. The higher-ups didn't need to lift a finger; they simply let the lackeys amongst their own ranks do the dirty work. After all, backstabbing was a game they played all too well. Content belongs

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When it came down to a real conflict, there was no telling how many would come out of Union Base to face it. So, cooking up a preemptive plan was no easy task.

Rosie chimed in, "Bro, Sis-in-law,

Union Base is like a fortress under

the sea, tough to crack, but didn't Russia once seize an opportunity to smoke out a bunch of them? Could we pull something similar?"

Stella smiled, "Not a bad idea, but they've been burned once and are unlikely to let it happen again. Otherwise, Russia would have wiped them out by

now."

The military forces, led by China, were not lacking in firepower. If they swarmed in, a mere container fortification wouldn't stand a chance.

To deal with them, one would have to strike when least expected.

And just like that, Stella was struck with a brainwave...