Chapter 2: Secrets Beneath the Soil

The station’s alarms blared faintly in the distance, a monotonous sound that underscored the growing tension. Liora tightened the straps of her tool belt as she hurried down the corridor toward the lab. Her mind was still spinning from the discovery of the strange seed case and the warning signs from the greenhouse systems.

When she stepped inside, Ayana was already at work. The biologist stood over a sterile workstation, examining one of the seed vials under a glowing microscope. Data scrolled rapidly across the terminal beside her.

“What did you find?” Liora asked, stepping closer.

Ayana didn’t look up. “These seeds are extraordinary,” she said. “Genetically modified far beyond anything I’ve seen. They were engineered for resilience—drought tolerance, high carbon dioxide levels, radiation resistance. Traits that shouldn’t have been possible before Earth’s Collapse.”

Liora frowned, crossing her arms. “So, they’re from Earth?”

Ayana nodded slowly. “Almost certainly. But they’re not just a scientific artifact. Whoever created these seeds designed them for survival in an environment much harsher than Earth ever was.”

“Like here?” Liora asked.

Ayana’s gaze darkened. “Perhaps. Or perhaps they’re the last attempt to preserve Earth’s legacy.”

Liora leaned against the table, staring at the glowing vials. “Why were they hidden?”

Ayana straightened, meeting her eyes. “That’s what worries me. Someone didn’t just store them—they buried them. As if they didn’t want anyone to find them.”

Before Liora could respond, the comm system crackled.

“Liora, Ayana, get to Greenhouse 2 now,” Kiran’s voice came through, sharp and urgent. “We’ve got a situation.”

The moment Liora entered Greenhouse 2, the acrid smell of smoke hit her. The once-pristine air was clouded with a faint haze, and the sound of hissing steam filled the space. Kiran stood near the center of the greenhouse, his face grim as he gestured toward a tangle of broken pipes near the irrigation system.

“The environmental controls overloaded,” he said. “Humidity’s all over the place, and we’ve got pressure leaks. If we don’t get this under control, the plants are going to fail.”

Ayana surveyed the damage, her jaw tightening. “This isn’t from the solar flare,” she said. “These pipes were tampered with.”

Liora knelt beside the broken lines, her fingers brushing over the jagged edges. The cuts were clean—too clean to have been caused by a random failure.

“This was deliberate,” she said, her voice low.

Kiran swore under his breath. “Sabotage?”

Ayana nodded. “It’s the only explanation. Someone’s trying to destabilize the greenhouses.”

Liora stood, her heart pounding. “But why? The greenhouses are the only thing keeping the station alive.”

“Maybe someone doesn’t want it to stay alive,” Kiran muttered darkly.

Ayana glanced around, her sharp eyes scanning the greenhouse. “We need to stabilize this section immediately. Kiran, get the pressure regulators back online. Liora, reconfigure the irrigation system. I’ll handle the humidity levels.”

The three of them moved quickly, their hands working with practiced efficiency. Liora’s fingers trembled as she adjusted the irrigation valves, her mind racing. If someone was actively sabotaging the station, it wasn’t just the greenhouses at risk—it was everyone aboard.

Hours later, the greenhouse systems were stable, though the tension lingering in the air had only grown. The three of them stood near the central console, exhaustion etched into their faces.

“This wasn’t an accident,” Ayana said, her voice firm. “And it wasn’t random. Whoever sabotaged these systems knew exactly what they were doing.”

Liora looked at her, a knot forming in her stomach. “Do you think it’s connected to the seeds?”

Ayana hesitated, her expression unreadable. “It’s possible,” she said finally. “But I’m more concerned about what this means for the station as a whole. If someone’s targeting the greenhouses, they’re targeting the station’s life support.”

Kiran folded his arms, his brow furrowed. “Who would do that? Everyone here depends on these systems. Sabotaging them is suicide.”

“Not if they have a backup plan,” Ayana said quietly.

Liora’s chest tightened. “What kind of backup plan?”

Ayana didn’t answer. Instead, she turned to the console, pulling up a schematic of the greenhouse systems. The display flickered, lines of data scrolling rapidly across the screen.

“What are you looking for?” Kiran asked.

“Patterns,” Ayana said. “If this sabotage was deliberate, there might be signs of tampering elsewhere in the system.”

As the data loaded, a red alert flashed across the screen. Liora’s pulse quickened as she leaned closer, reading the message:

WARNING: UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS DETECTED IN GREENHOUSE 1 SYSTEMS.

Ayana straightened, her eyes narrowing. “There it is.”

Kiran swore again. “Someone’s been in the system.”

Liora’s breath caught. “They’re not just sabotaging the greenhouses—they’re controlling them.”

The three of them hurried to Greenhouse 1, their boots echoing against the metal floor of the corridor. When they arrived, the space was eerily quiet. The towering trees swayed gently in the artificial breeze, their leaves casting long shadows across the ground.

“Spread out,” Ayana said, her voice low. “Look for anything out of place.”

Liora moved cautiously through the rows of plants, her eyes scanning for signs of tampering. Her heart pounded in her chest, the weight of the moment pressing down on her like a physical force.

Near the base of the massive ficus tree, she noticed something unusual—a faint glow emanating from a panel hidden among the roots.

“Ayana,” she called out, her voice trembling.

The biologist joined her, her sharp eyes narrowing as she studied the panel. It was open, wires spilling out like veins from a wound.

“This isn’t part of the greenhouse system,” Ayana said, kneeling to examine the exposed circuitry.

Liora’s stomach twisted. “Then what is it?”

Before Ayana could answer, the comm system crackled to life.

“You shouldn’t have found this.”

The voice was low and distorted, each word sending a chill down Liora’s spine. She looked around frantically, her breath quickening. “Who’s there?” she demanded.

“You’re wasting your time,” the voice continued. “The station was never meant to last. Let it go.”

The comm went silent, leaving the greenhouse in oppressive stillness.

Ayana rose slowly, her jaw clenched. “We need answers,” she said. “And we’re running out of time to get them.”

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