18 Floors Above the Apocalypse



Stella knew it had to be done. If they were going to settle down after all this time, they needed to find the safest spot possible. Survivors from around the world had wandered aimlessly and eventually found their way to the Arctic. Stella and her family weren't the only ones.

Setting up camp near the edge of a glacier meant a high chance of running into other survivors. In life-or-death situations, you really don't want to test human nature. Safety became paramount. Jasper agreed wholeheartedly. The Arctic was vast, and finding a secluded spot was their best bet.

As the temperature plunged, the ice thickened to a comforting solidity, and Jasper suggested they take The Marauder out. This heavy-duty vehicle had excellent traction, making it perfect for the icy terrain.

No one wanted to get out of the car in such foul weather, even if the ice seemed unstable. If things got dicey, Stella could always retreat to the Arcadia and switch to survival gear.

So, Jasper drove, and Stella kept a lookout from the passenger seat. It was kind of funny. Before the disasters, the Arctic was a treacherous place, perpetually covered in ice and snow. Driving here would have been nearly impossible. But after several natural cataclysms, the reshaped Arctic had become less complicated. The sea refroze, snow piled up, and new icebergs formed.

Jasper, an old hand at navigating such conditions, drove The Marauder at a steady pace, covering only about 200 kilometers in a day. At night, they parked near snowdrifts to shield themselves from the wind. The cold sucked away any desire for entertainment.

Stella brought the vehicle into the Arcadia, had a warm dinner, and enjoyed a soak in a hot spring before stepping back out. Just as she was about to lie down, distant lights caught her eye.

Blues. Greens. Luminous hues. Different colors spread across the sky, moving like the gentle sway of arms. The lights grew brighter, painting the night in vivid colors. It was a breathtaking sight, impossible to ignore.

Stella had never expected to see the Northern Lights in her lifetime, but here they were, fulfilling a long-held wish amid a decade of disaster. She was in the Arctic, watching the Aurora Borealis.

Rosie had never seen anything like it and finally asked, "Brother, what are these lights?"

"The Northern Lights," Jasper replied. The Aurora Borealis is a stunning natural light display in the polar regions, caused by charged particles from the maosphere or the sun colliding with molecules and atoms in the upper atmosphere. Jasper explained the science to his sister, who didn't fully grasp it but was awestruck nheless.

"Brother, did the Northern Lights exist before the disasters?" Rosie pondered.

"Yes, sometimes you could see them at the very northern tip of our country," Jasper said.

Rosie thought for a moment. "With the Northern Lights, does it mean the disasters will end?"

Jasper didn't know but believed in hope. "Maybe," he said.

The three of them, along with their dog, sat in the vehicle, mesmerized by the dazzling display. Rosie hoped that with light in the Arctic, the disasters might keep away. With hearts full of hope, they finally fell asleep in the latter part of the night.

After another day's journey, the snow was so deep that even The Marauder struggled, half-buried in the blizzard. They traveled hundreds of kilometers into the Arctic Circle, an environment so harsh that ordinary survivors couldn't endure it.

Stella decided it was time to set up camp. Climbing onto the roof, she surveyed the area with binoculars and spotted a large snowdrift about three to four kilometers away. They trudged on, finally reaching the drift after much effort. The snow atop was frozen solid, providing a good vantage point for the group and their dog.

Standing high up, the endless expanse of white was blinding, so Stella quickly reminded everyone, "Put on your sunglasses to prevent snow blindness."

The snowdrift offered shelter from the wind and a perfect spot for keeping watch. It was an ideal place to call home. Next, they discussed how to establish their new abode.

Arctic temperatures ranged from -40 to -20 degrees Celsius year-round, with some areas dropping to -71 degrees. Besides the cold, there were distinct seasons, with winter lasting up to half a year. During winter, heavy snowfalls induced a near-hibernation state in all life-a situation only worsened by the continuing disasters.

Living in a vehicle long-term was impractical. If they brought out a yacht or an RV, vital components would likely freeze and break over time. Stella didn't want to risk their escape tools.

Jasper suggested, "We could transform shipping containers into a house."

That was a solid idea, at least for

shelter against wind and snow. Arcadia housed numerous

containers, and Stella chose the

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sturdiest one-Bransere

originally housing three luxurious off-road vehicles. She thought of Bran, a smart man who had even warned her. She felt grateful and hoped to repay him with a vehicle someday if fate allowed.

Everything was starting anew; nobody could predict the future. Snapping back to the present, Stella retrieved the container from the Arcadia. Transforming a shipping container into a house wasn't easy. They needed ventilation, warmth, and interior design. The container was spacious enough for two bedrooms and a living room. Opening the doors, they stepped inside.

Stella had stockpiled supplies for years, purposefully gathering tools for this task. Drills, welders, cutters, hammers, ladders, and more. Jasper was the main force behind the hands-on work.

The container was stuffy and dark once closed, so the first priority was to create ventilation and lighting holes. They couldn't make too many, or the cold air would rush in and freeze them alive. Moreover, they needed lookout points.

Given the state of the Arctic ice, it hadn't formed more than half a year ago. As land submerged and survivors migrated, they couldn't afford to let their guard down, needing a thoughtful design for security. Stella touched the container's inner wall, grateful for the warmth it provided, for the cold was unbearable.

The container blocked the wind but not the cold; at night, it was easy to sleep and never wake up. They needed a heating solution. Having seen many survival videos and read resources, Stella quickly had an idea: covering the outside of the container with ice. An igloo was warm; this should work. With one side against the snowdrift, Jasper made holes on the remaining sides. They designed the ventilation holes at the top, circular and honeycombed, and cut 20 cm square holes for observation, suitable for watching the outside and mounting a gun if needed.

Since they planned to create an ice

house, splashing water on the outside could easily block the holes. Stella retrieved a bundle of bamboo rods from the Arcadia. Jasper promptly set to work with a sav cutting them down to a uniform size. He meticulously cleared out the

nodes inside each rod out the

fitting them snugly into the round, translucent ports they had crafted into the walls

of their makeshift ice shelter.

For the square-shaped openings, they wove together sturdy bamboo blocks and pressed them into place. Whenever they didn't need to stand watch, they would simply plug the holes to seal themselves in from the biting cold.

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The pair calculated their needs carefully. The ice walls had to provide not only insulation against the arctic chill but also serve as a formidable barrier against any potential threats. Jasper did the math. The robustness of their shipping container, reinforced with 20 centimeters of solid iee, would undoubtedly withstand any bullet in this polar extreme.

As nightfall approached, signaling time to hunker down for sleep, the two sprang into action, scrambling atop the container. In the harsh climate, where temperatures plummeted to 30 degrees below freezing, water thrown into the air would turn to ice before it even had the chance to hit the ground. Stella fetched water from the Arcadia.

"Quick, splash it evenly," she urged, every motion deliberate as she spread the life-sustaining liquid, watching it instantly crystallize upon contact with their frigid fortress.