Walking slowly, Peterson did his best to hear what was happening inside Connelly's room. He heard what sounded like rushing feet. Then the door opened and he could hear Connelly quickly approaching from behind. "Where are you going? The research lab is the other way."

"We're not going to the research lab," Peterson said, savoring the moment.

"Where then?"

"The bio-lab."

CHAPTER 13 -- INFECTION

Connelly's awe returned as she stepped into the bio-lab. Its massive size and grand gardens of flowers, vegetables and full sized trees almost made her forget she was floating in orbit around an alien world inhabited by the most unlikely of life forms. The tangy scent of the flowers filled her nose. She took in a deep breath, wondering if this is what the Garden of Eden must have been like…sans the plant incubators.

But her awestruck wonder was suddenly replaced by a sense of doom. She squeezed her hands into tight fists when a shooting pain rocketed up her forearm. A tightening knot of tension began to form in Connelly's right shoulder blade, pulsing with pain. Was this anxiety? Had her old enemy returned?

No, this is something more, she thought. I beat the anxiety years ago.

She relaxed her grip and made a concerted effort to loosen the rest of her muscles, but it was like trying to soften a stone. Her thoughts returned to the strange dream. The images were still clear; the swirling red colors, the anger, and the message.

Go home, Kathy. You shouldn't be here!

"You OK?" Peterson asked.

"Yeah, sure…I'm fine." Connelly rubbed the back of her neck. "Just get overwhelmed every time I come here." Returning her gaze to the bio-lab greenery, a small sense of peace began to return, but not fully. She remembered her childhood dog, a golden retriever named Sarah, and suddenly wished that the GEC had sent more than flowers to comfort them. Sarah would have been perfect.

A loud clunk and the hiss of a sealing container pulled Connelly's attention to what Peterson was doing. After a moment of confusion, she realized what she was seeing. Peterson had removed a tomato plant from one of the larger plant incubators and had transplanted the Europhid sample.

In an instant, she knew what he was planning to do, and couldn't begin to imagine what the effects might be.

"I don't think that's a good idea," Connelly said. "We don't even really know if that's technically a plant yet. Not to mention how many safety protocols you're breaking."

Peterson smiled. "We're breaking."

Connelly crossed her arms and gave Peterson a sour look.

"Fine," he said. "I'm breaking. Your objection is dully noted, blah, blah, blah. We have more samples and Europa is covered in them."

Connelly continued her silent protest.

"Anything that happens, transformations, reactions, augmentations, whatever, will be contained inside the incubator. We're safe."

Connelly didn't budge. She couldn't shake the feeling that this was dangerous.