“If you get any closer, you might find out,” Holly chuckled.

Emanuel shot her a quick frown and stood, placing his hand on his hips. “This is our sole water source for the next six months. Whenever we turn on a sink or flush a toilet, the water will be filtered out of the pond through a series of metal pipes.”

“Magnificent. It even comes with a waterfall,” Sophie said, pointing at the cascading falls spilling into the pond.

“That water has already been filtered through the system and is being cycled back into the pond,” Emanuel replied. “Waste water, drinking water, it’s all recycled through a central processing center. I would guess that NTC spaceships will have very similar systems. Without an external source of fresh water, they’ll have to conserve everything. It is, without a doubt, quite extraordinary technology. Where to next?” he asked, rubbing his hands together.

“Let’s head to the livestock biome,” Sophie said, motioning the others toward the exit.

Emanuel couldn’t help but smile. He had waited to see this facility for over a year now. It was the opportunity of a lifetime, one he never would have imagined being a part of earlier in his career. There were still moments when he felt as if he didn’t deserve it. He glanced at Sophie, smiling at her obvious enthusiasm. Had she wanted him on the project for his expertise as a biologist? Or because they—no, he refused to let himself finish that thought. All that mattered now was the mission. He wouldn’t let his team down—or, more important, the world.

Biome 3 was smaller than the others, but equally impressive. A set of holographic walls arched into the distance, slicing the room into three sections; one contained two sows and three cows, another held a dozen hens and one rooster, while the last held five nanny goats. Emanuel had requested the odd assortment of animals with a vegetarian diet in mind. The odd assortment of animals was surprisingly similar to the other biospheres Sophie had worked in.

“We’re not going to have to kill them, are we?” asked Sophie, eyeing the chickens uneasily.

“Maybe,” said Emanuel. “If Biome 1 fails to produce enough nutrients for the team. It’s all part of the experiment.”

Emanuel began trudging through the mud toward a console at the edge of one of the blue walls. Sophie noticed for the first time that he had already gotten dirt stains on his pants, and couldn’t help but laugh. He didn’t seem to notice. A variety of numbers and symbols hovered over the center of the console.

“See this?” he shouted. “This console controls the holographic walls. We can’t hear it, but the walls emit a sound that keeps the animals from approaching. Amazing device.”

Emanuel had been all teeth since he entered the Biosphere. His wide smile was what had attracted Sophie to him from the moment they met. The worst day of the solar storms was the only one she could recall when she hadn’t seen him beaming with energy.