Corroded Cells: A Cyberpunk Saga (Book 2) by Matthew A. Goodwin

Author:Matthew A. Goodwin [Goodwin, Matthew A.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-10-31T06:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12

Walking through the bowels of this dome was a completely different experience than the last. Winding corridors of dripping pipes stretched on and on for what seemed to be interminable. It was slow going, the pallet having a low top speed to prevent workplace injuries. They eventually reached a glass elevator, and Anders turned with a broad smile, “I think you’re going to like this.”

Moss didn’t know what to make of the comment and pushed the button to go up a floor. Light filled the elevator as they rose into another world. Moss gasped. They lifted into a dome within the dome, surrounded by water filled with brightly colored fish. The underwater creatures flitted and darted about as the elevator slid into place. Moss pressed his hands to the glass, staring at the animals.

“How?” he exclaimed, childlike enthusiasm coating the word.

“Labor of love,” Anders remarked.

“Clones?” Moss asked, expecting an answer.

“Nope,” Anders said, pleased with Moss’s happiness. “Call themselves The Conservation, work to keep the critters alive. Apparently, this was some kind of research facility before the disease.”

Moss looked around, hardly able to speak. “Remarkable.”

“It is,” Anders agreed, and the doors slid open, pulling Moss’s attention to a man and a little girl in matching green pants and khaki shirts.

“Anders!” the girl shouted and ran into his awaiting arms.

“Captain,” the man acknowledged and turned to Moss. “I’m Administrator Chester, and this is my daughter, Amy.”

“Good to meet you both,” Moss said, shaking the man’s hand. “I’m Moss.”

“Moss,” Chester repeated, “great name. It might interest you to know that we have a small Japanese moss garden with over two hundred species from the Yatsugatake mountain range with some truly beautiful Polystichum Juniperinum growing there. I think you would love it.”

“I think I would,” Moss agreed, having no idea what the words meant or where the mountain range was. “What else do you have here?”

“Oh, my,” Chester said, stoking his cleanly shaved chin. “Quite a lot. The exact numbers change constantly but over two hundred species of animals, not counting the fish and over one thousand types of flora and fauna. Our mission is to protect these wild things for a day when we let this planet return to a natural state.”

Moss’s eyes grew wide at the thought. “Wonderful.”

He watched as Anders slipped the bag from his jacket into the young girl’s hands and realized it was a small fish in the bag. Anders shot her a wink and tussled her hair before she skipped off excitedly.

“What’d you bring her this time?” Chester asked with a kindly smile.

“Just a little something I picked up,” Anders said in affected coyness.

“You’re incorrigible.” Chester laughed. “This it?” he asked, pointing to the boxes.

“Yes, but I won’t be able to get you much more for a while, I think. ThutoCo got wise,” Anders said.

“Bound to happen,” Chester said sullenly. “This should last us a while though, get it into the hands of the engineers and we’ll be back up and running.”

“Good to hear,” Anders said.

“And as for payment?” Burr asked.

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