18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Stella's head was spinning, and she was grateful for the seat belts that cradled her; without them, she would've been tossed around like a salad at a summer picnic. The centrifuge-like gravity mechanism finally clicked into place just as she felt her stomach threaten revolt. Darkness enveloped them, and their only window to the outside world was through the porthole. The hatch opened upwards, and Stella craned her neck to peer out. The chasm was deep, so deep that only a sliver of light from far above made its way down to them. It had

to be at least two or three hundred meters to the top.

"Well, shoot, we'd need wings to get out of this one," Stella commented with a wry chuckle, turning to Jasper. "Looks like we might just retire in this crack in the earth, Jasper."

Jasper, ever the unfazed one, replied calmly, "I'll be right here with you."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than another quake hit, sending a cascade of mud and stones raining down upon them. The impact from such a height was unimaginable. Their escape pod took a hit, and they seemed to plummet a few meters further down. Thankfully, aerospace-grade materials had gone into its construction, preventing it from being flattened by the hail of debris. The deluge of earth continued until, several minutes later, it began to subside. Then, the already dim light snuffed out completely... Instinctively looking up, Stella saw the sky being obscured by something. At first, it was transparent, but it thickened with time, dimming the light until... When she realized what it was, Stella's eyes widened in disbelief, and she threw up her arms to shield her head, ducking to the side.

Tidal waves! They came rolling in, swallowing the vast plateau, descending with the ferocity of a waterfall plummeting straight down into the earth's fissures. The vertical onslaught of water battered the escape pod relentlessly. Although they were safe within, the visual impact felt like repeated punches to the heart. The pod shook violently amidst the torrent. Stella's eyes were glued to the glass, half-expecting it to shatter at any moment. But the pod stood firm, unyielding despite the chaos, a testament to the resilience of its construction. As the water continued to pour in and the earth beneath them sank, the water level rose rapidly... The escape pod bobbed upward as if riding a hundred-meter wave. Turns out, Stella wasn't fated to grow old trapped in a crevasse. Her choice was vindicated; taking refuge in the escape pod had been the right call. Tectonic shifts had loosened the soil of the highlands, creating countless fissures that allowed an underwater reservoir to surge upwards. Even if the pod had fallen into the crevasse, the fracturing and sinking of the plate would trigger a tsunami, whose massive impact would churn the soil, allowing the pod to escape on buoyancy alone. Jasper must have suspected as much; otherwise, with a sister to look after, he wouldn't have entertained the notion of growing old with her in the depths of the earth. Men and their sweet nothings!

In just two minutes, the pod surfaced, bobbing and spinning in the waves... Floating, drifting aimlessly like a leaf on the water, unable to control their destiny. The light flickered, and Rosie, dizzy from the motion, groaned, "Brother, I feel sick."

Stella unfastened the double safety belts and pulled the curtain over the hatch, plunging the pod into darkness. The curtain was her own modification, insisted upon and manually installed by Jasper. Next, they blinked into Arcadia for refuge. Stella handed Rosie a sour plum candy, "Suck on this, close your eyes, and rest. You'll feel better soon."

The sour plum candies were a remedy for nausea, one for each of them. Dizzy and disoriented, unsure if it was their bodies or their souls swaying, the tart sweetness jolted their senses back to clarity, and Rosie started to feel a lot better. Stella flicked on the light, "Everyone okay?"

After a quick check, they were bruised from the seat belts but otherwise unharmed, just left feeling woozy and upside down. She paid special attention to Cooper, who was visibly shaken but, thanks to the trainer's care, not panicked. He lay sprawled on the floor, tongue lolling out. After resting for half an hour, they felt much improved. Stella sensed the mess-the pot of rice she'd thrown together in a hurry had scattered all over the living room floor. No chance of salvaging that meal, so they switched to plan B: stir-fried beef with a side of juice, eaten leisurely. With their bellies full, Stella urged the animals to nap.

It was nearly two hours later when they emerged from Arcadia, the pod still at the mercy of the waves. Stella drew back the curtains, and bright light flooded in. The peak of the tsunami, triggered by the sinking land, had passed, and all that met their eyes was an endless expanse of ocean, with waves and winds as far as the eye could see. Stubbornly, Stella scanned the horizon with her binoculars. For half an hour, she searched, but there was no sign of land or mountains. Even at such high altitudes, no place was safe; the earth might... be devoid of land forever. And if there was any land left, it would likely be swallowed soon enough.

The future was beyond imagination. Weighed down by heavy hearts, they were too exhausted to speak. The waves roared, and the wind howled, with no end in sight. As darkness approached, Rosie lost her appetite, eating less than half her usual portion. As night deepened, she complained, "Brother, I can't sleep, my head hurts so much."

Jasper checked her temperature; no fever. Her heart rate and blood pressure were elevated, likely due to stress and seasickness. "Do you want some melatonin?" Jasper asked. "It might help you sleep better."

Rosie nodded weakly, "Yes, please."

After giving her the pill and stroking her head to comfort her, he said, "Seasickness is tough, but you'll get used to it. Don't worry too much, just try to rest. We'll get through this." Rosie obediently closed her eyes but didn't let go of her brother's hand. Within half an hour, she was fast asleep.

Stella, feeling the effects of seasickness herself, took the pod back into Arcadia. The rocking was unbearable, even for her. With everyone out of sorts, Stella fought the urge to be sick as she climbed upstairs to rest. Jasper carried his sister to bed and lit a calming incense to help her sleep more peacefully. After a quick shower and changing into pajamas, he lay down beside her, holding her close. "What's on your mind?" he asked gently.

"What do you think will happen next?"

Jasper didn't have the answers, but he clung to the belief that the disaster would eventually pass. Without that belief, the moment their spirits broke, they'd be unable to continue. No answers, just enduring.

Stella counted the days; the disaster had lasted nine years. Arcadia generated two hours of safety each day, but after the years of use, only 86 days remained. That was less than three months. And with no end to the catastrophe in sight, and no way to predict what disasters lay ahead, what would they do if time ran out and the disaster was still raging? What if they were just a few seconds or minutes short of survival? Time was of the essence, and they had to use it wisely.

The two of them set their alarm clocks, agreeing to catch just a four-hour snooze in Arcadia. Seasickness, they figured, was something you could get used to over time. But what really scared them was the thought that one day, they might long for the feeling and not have the chance to experience it again. Sleep was crucial, so Stella also lit some calming lavender incense. When the time came, Jasper wanted to let her sleep a bit longer. He gently lifted his sister into the escape pod, then returned to help Stella into her clothes. With the same tenderness, he carried her to the pod and secured her with the safety straps.

Groggily, Stella opened her eyes, waved goodbye to the Arcadia, and...