18 Floors Above the Apocalypse



Amidst the victory celebration at Union Base, the Russians braved the blizzard to infiltrate the seabed base. By now, the Arctic had frozen over, but the entrance to the seabed base was still above the ice. They took out the sentries, poured crude oil down the ventilation shafts, tossed in a few smoke grenades, and once the flames had done their damage, they plugged the vents. Any attempt to escape was met with a hail of bullets, turning the exiters into sieves. That operation alone had cost Union Base half its staff in casualties. Subsequent skirmishes saw neither side gaining the upper hand.

Yesterday's bloody clash left Russia not just out of ammo, but also desperately short of medical supplies. They couldn't just watch their comrades die, so they took a chance and came out to try their luck. Meeting Australians was unexpected, but after being pushed back, they had no choice but to dig out bullets with their bare hands. Today, conditions worsened, leading to another risky venture.

Yin Fan reiterated his purpose, "Anything for help - booze or ham, corn or potatoes - anything goes." Stella didn't speak but exchanged a glance with Jasper. Jasper looked down at Snowflake, pondering for a moment before saying, "We could give it a try." Snowflake bore a scar, inflicted by a tool. This confirmed the existence of other survivors in the Arctic. And wolves hold grudges; if the Russians had hurt it, it wouldn't be as calm as it was now. The old adage held true: the enemy of my enemy is my friend. There was no need for deep alliances, but temporary partnerships in extraordinary times were worthwhile, with no need for enmity. Weighing the options, Stella agreed.

In this apocalyptic world, food and medicine were the most precious commodities. The Russians had food, but medicine... The breadth and depth of Traditional Chinese Medicine was vast. Even if they were given herbs, not everyone, even among their own survivors, would know how to use them. But Stella laid it out bluntly, "We don't have western medicine, and there's not much herbal medicine left. We can't guarantee a cure." Yin Fan was elated, "No worries, best if it works, but if not, you'll still get a ham and two bottles of booze to cement our friendship." Stella agreed, "Drag those two patients over here." They could only drag one at a time; the others had to stay put, not allowed to come closer.

Yin Fan retraced his steps through the snow, calling a comrade to drag the unconscious patient on a sled. True to their Russian nature, they were resistant to the cold. Even dragged across the frozen wilderness in such a state, they hadn't given up the ghost. On the sled lay a ham and two bottles of booze. Russian portions were as substantial as their physiques. A genuine pork ham, wind-dried and weighing over ten pounds. Jasper instructed Yin Fan and his comrade to retreat fifty meters, as Stella crouched to check the patients' pulses and eyelids.

Infection had set in. The frigid outdoor temperature made wound inspection impossible. After ensuring they were unarmed, Stella, with Rosie's help, dragged the two back home. Jasper and Cooper stayed put, watching over the Ivans and the distant Russians. Stella collected anything that shouldn't be there before dragging the wounded Russians inside. The warmth indoors revived them, and Stella began to inspect their wounds. The Russians were indeed tough, spraying vodka on their wounds and digging out bullets with a knife. Infection was inevitable. Stella needed to remove the necrotic tissue and suture the wounds.Content © provided by NôvelDrama.Org.

Without anesthesia, she used acupuncture to dull the pain and stem the blood flow, gagged the patients' mouths, and tied them down before beginning the surgery... As expected, the pain roused the unconscious Russians, who howled through their gags. Surveying the strange environment and realizing they were being helped, they endured the pain. But their bodies were too weak, and they soon passed out again. After skillfully treating the first, Stella repeated the procedure on the second. Once the external wounds were addressed, she fetched medicine from Arcadia. There were decoctions to drink and solutions for cleaning the wounds.

Yin Fan mentioned several others with just external injuries. Considering the Russians' generosity, Stella also prepared a few herbal remedies for them. She dragged the men and the medicine back to their group. Stella provided only a three-day supply, instructing the Ivans on how to use it and a few simple acupressure points in Fan, who had spent some years in Australia and was somewhat

familiar with Chinese Medicine, said, "Ginger, thanks, I'll give it a go." He also warned them about Union Base, "Be careful, don't let them find you." Stella smiled, "Hurry back, or they'll freeze solid." After watching them disappear into the snowy horizon, the trio and their dogs made a patrol before returning.

Back inside, Stella uncorked the bottle. Pure vodka indeed, with a potent, nose-tingling aroma. The ham was top quality and well-preserved, with no off smell. But Stella didn't sample it right away; instead, she stored it in Arcadia. For two days, no anomalies were detected. The Arctic was unusually calm. Stella and Jasper shoveled snow outside, while Rosie and the dogs kept watch from the snowdrifts.

On the third morning, Yin Fan returned. Knowing Stella's group was cautious, he came alone, brandishing an empty rifle for show. The freezing journey nearly did him in, and he shivered until he downed a couple of swigs of vodka to warm up. Once thawed, he rubbed his hands together and smiled, "Ginger, your Chinese herbs are miraculous; those two pulled through, thanks." He was here to trade again, seeking more herbal medicine.

"Got any greens?" Having lived in the Arctic for months, Yin Fan couldn't help but drool at the thought. "I've heard Aussies can grow anything, even managed to grow greens in the Arctic. Our research teams would often pop over to your station for a fresh bite. It was like one big family back then; hopefully, you can spare some for us." Day in, day out, it was either potatoes or corn, or dried meat, which made him nauseous just by the smell. They longed for fresh greens. Australians were a unique breed, rumored to even research farming on the moon, so growing veggies in the Arctic was nothing out of the ordinary, right?

"No," Stella replied flatly. Even if she

had any, she wouldn't share.

Appetites can be trained to expect

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more; herbs today, greens tomorrow, and who knows what the next day would bring. It was unfortunate about the greens, but Ivans insisted on trading for herbs. "Many of us are sick; we can trade resources." Besides potatoes, corn, and ham, they had crude oil aplenty. Russia might not have much else, but they had brought a lot of crude oil. Unrefined oil was of no use to Stella, at best serving as a combustible, but it produced thick black smoke. Burning crude oil in the Arctic was like lighting up a beacon for enemies to come knocking. She wasn't born yesterday.

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As for the medicine, well, she could spare a bit. She didn't expect to become buddies, but at the very least, she didn't want to create any adversaries. She had previously asked for wine and ham, trying to show that her household wasn't rolling in dough, Stella had listed the herbs she could part with and then requested a hundred pounds each of corn and potatoes. Ivans didn't think it was a great deal, but desperate times called for desperate measures, and he was in dire need of those herbs, so he didn't haggle. At the same time, he was extending an olive branch. "Ginger, Hodge, you have a saying down in Australia, 'When the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold..." His visit today wasn't just about the medicine; he was looking to forge an alliance.