To avoid detection from the Chinese, we didn't land on the landing pad next to the biodome. Instead, we touched down further away from the dome, on a small flat area between two craters. Before we left the spaceplane, Harold gave us some strange devices. They looked like tiny speakers in boxes. Mine was the size of fingernail, just a bit thicker.
- These are translators. They detect your speech and alter them into the desired language for smooth communication. I assume that you don't know Chinese? - he asked.
- No, we don't - we all replied at the same time.
- So don't take the translators off at all, unless you want to get in trouble. Let's go now, we have a mission to complete - Harold ordered us and we followed him after taking the translators and turning them on.
Jaxon left with the spaceplane as we approached BIORBITAL's complex. I noticed that the company logo was a DNA strand wrapped around a planet, as if it were a ring. Entering the dome was stressful, especially with an armed guard appearing out of nowhere.
- Who are you? - he asked in Chinese. The translators also translated his speech into English, which was very convenient.
- We're new workers - Harold showed a card to the guard. It was a faithful recreation of a worker's ID card. The guard allowed us in.
We entered an airlock where a shower soaked our spacesuits to wash off the moon dust. The next airlock opened and we went through. As it turned out, we had to take off our suits and leave them to dry. I realised that I was still wearing pajamas, so I quickly changed, being given a corporate dress.
The lobby was brightly lit, with hexagonal lamps on the ceiling and walls. There was a desk with a Chinese woman, a secretary, welcomed us and got us registered as official employees. After that, she led us to another room. Along the way, we went through a glass corridor. What we saw outside was surprising.
Most of the dome was occupied by a bioengineered jungle, with colorful mushrooms and seemingly alien plants. The fungi we passed by were bright blue. Strange nerve-like tendrills dangled off their caps, some spreading on the corridor's ceiling. Beneath us were hilariously tiny trees with orange leaves. There was a smaller building off in the distance. Hidden between the towering mushrooms was a laboratory with a metal gate and several scientists standing near it. I didn't know their intentions, as we quickly continued forward. A Chinese scientist passed by us as we got closer to another building. I noticed that the tunnel was suspended in the air by metal rails connecting several box-shaped buildings placed on cylindrical pillars. Because of this structure, most buildings stood above the jungle, with only a few anchored into the soil.
We went into the other building. The inside was pitch black until somebody clapped and the lights suddenly turned on. There were several other corridors extending from the buildings. We didn't know where they led, as all of them were marked with Chinese writing, which wasn't understandable for us. Even the translators, pieces of cutting-edge secret technology, couldn't help us.
In the middle of the room stood a middle-aged man (probably in his forties or fifties) with armed bodyguards accompanying him. His clothes were quite a silly combination. He wore the upper half of a black suit with a red tie, short black pants and sandals. We noticed that there were several scratches on his legs. I really didn't want to know their origin. The man had dark brown hair and black glasses covering green eyes.
- I'm Lim Yazhu, the founder and CEO of BIORBITAL. We're happy to welcome you in our glorious company - the man started in a tone that indicated they weren't happy to wecome us in their glorious company - Here we pursue a noble quest to push the boundries of science and ingenuity to manipulate the very foundation of life and recreate it ourselves.
- Wow - Claudius muttered, but nobody heard him.
- Now get to work, there's a lot of stuff to do - Lim finished in a completely different, seemingly meaner tone. He then left us and ordered the bodyguards to follow him out of the building.
- Uhh... where are we supposed to go? - Amber was confused.
- No clue - I shrugged, looking around the building. The white walls were extremely clean, seemingly sterile. I wished to understand the red Chinese text above the various entrances, when all of a sudden, a quiet beeping came from my pocket. It was the worker ID card.
The black strip on it was lit with more Chinese text and a flashing arrow. I hoped that the translator had an option to translate written letters, so I pressed random things and hoped to find the settings.
- Stop, you'll break it! - Harold grabbed my device.
- Where are the settings? - I asked in Korean. Oops, I changed the language.
- What? - the others were confused.
Harold adjusted some stuff on the translator and reverted to the previous settings. It now functioned as intended, but we still didn't know where to go.
- Is it possible to translate this? - I gave my card to Harold, now asking in the right language.
- The translators only convert sounds, but I know what this means. It says: "First task: Laboratory 4-B" , which matches with this tunnel - Harold sighed, pointing at the tube ahead of us. We instantly went there.
- Please put on the protection clothes - an automated voice welcomed us. I realised that several masks and gloves were lying by the walls of the tunnel entrance, along with white lab coats. Putting them on was a piece of cake compared to our spacesuits. We soon found ourselves fully prepared to enter the tunnel. The problem?
There was no floor to walk on.
Instead, a pill-shaped capsule arrived and opened up. Before we were allowed to enter, the door behind us closed and another shower soaked us. Then we were allowed to enter.
- What is with those showers? We're not carrying any moon dust with us - Sebastian asked.
- Decontamination. They don't want microbes to be brought into the labs - Harold informed us.
The capsule was very quick and there were no windows, so we couldn't observe the artificial jungle outside. A few seconds later, the capsule arrived and we left, entering Laboratory 4-B.
It was time to start working for BIORBITAL.
ns216.73.216.33da2
and then Add to home screen.