He wiped his hands on his pants and continued through the field, his excitement growing with every step.

“Do you see these red-tipped poles sticking out of the dirt?” Emanuel shouted.

“That must be the irrigation system,” Sophie said.

“Yeah,” he said. “I want to start planting within the next twenty-four hours. The hybrid seeds will take only a fraction of the time to germinate and sprout. But in the meantime, we’ll be eating whatever NTC has left in the cafeteria for us, which I presume is nutrient-rich and taste-poor.”

“I know you’re anxious to get started, but we need to follow protocol,” said Sophie. “Saafi, I want you to head to the control room and check all of the systems. We need to ensure everything is running properly.”

“That isn’t necessary, Dr. Winston,” said a voice over the speakers. The holographic face of a young woman with a slender nose and cropped hair appeared on a console in front of them. The ocean blue image faded in and out before solidifying.

“All systems are running at one hundred percent. CO₂ levels are acceptable. Further—”

“You must be Alexia,” Sophie said, interrupting the hologram. She let out a frustrated sigh.

“That is correct. As I was saying, the systems are at—”

Sophie held up her hand to stop the AI. “Alexia, we can take it from here. We will contact you if we need assistance,” she said, turning to face her team.

“Very well, Dr. Winston.” The AI’s image crackled and faded away.

“You should consider treating her with a bit more respect,” Holly said, peeking around Saafi. “She’s part of the team now.”

“Yes, Holly, I know. But she isn’t in charge of the mission. I am,” Sophie responded firmly.

“She could be a very useful ally,” Holly said in a hushed voice, her eye catching a camera on the wall above them.

“Consider it noted,” Sophie said, continuing around the metal platform. “As I was saying, Saafi, please check the control room and familiarize yourself with the systems. Timothy, I want you to check the computer systems and ensure they are working properly as well.”

“All right, boss,” Timothy said, heading off toward a glass door that led to the next chamber. Saafi trotted after him.

“Great. Let’s check out the rest of the Biosphere, shall we?”

“Can we see Biome 2 next?” asked Emanuel.

“Sure,” Sophie replied, the hint of a smile crossing her face.

They hurried down the passage to the pond. As they approached, the glass door slid open, revealing another dome-shaped chamber. The ambient sound of a waterfall greeted them.

Sophie paused to admire a stream of clear water pouring into the pool from a stainless-steel pipe. The cascading water sent ripples racing across the pond. Reflections danced on the surface from the four globe lights nestled inside the white walls.

“Holy shit. Look at the size of it!” Emanuel crouched on the metal platform and peered into the dark water. “How far down do you think it goes?”