“Yeah, I’ll be there soon.” I turn to the plants. “Be quiet and play your game in silence for a few minutes, if you can. If you can’t, I’ll leave the repercussions up to Oak.” I walk over to the entrance where Jay is standing. “So, what about inspection?”

“Uh… Inspection is tomorrow. It got moved up.”

“They can’t do that!”

“I know. And the Apples seem to be more rowdy than normal, and-” Just on cue, a loud angry voice comes from the Apples, followed a loud thwack from Oak.

“Uh, yeah. Exactly what I was saying,” says Jay, his face slowly growing red.

I put my face in my hands.

“What am I going to do, Jay? The Apples don’t listen to anyone, Oak won't talk, Birch just blows the situation up to higher proportions, and the rest of the plants either aren’t showing any signs of having personalities or are just too scared of the noise. They thought I could control them completely, and I brought this up at the beginning, the beginning Jay, that I wouldn’t be able to ‘completely control them’! We’re putting human emotions and actions into plants, and humans, by nature, are different from each other and we won’t know what type of personality they have until they get old enough for it to manifest. This whole project is unpredictable! It’s not like their fancy cells that made this possible. They all act the same, and it’s in a controlled environment. Here, we have dirt from Earth with bacteria, worms, and who knows what else. I… I don’t know what I'm going to do Jay!” I start to break down a bit. “I… I love these plants, and… and I put so much time and work into them, and I don’t know what I’d do without them!”

"Yeah, yeah. It's okay Aya. Maybe we can do something about this. Maybe there is a way to get the Apples to... to stop fighting right? Maybe beat some sense into them or something?"

"No Jay. That wouldn't work. It would just antagonize them further. I think I'm done for. There is just no way that this experiment will live up to their expectations, never." Jay's pager rings suddenly, starling us.

"Ah, that must be Dr. Burgeon wondering where I am. I... wish I could help more,"

"Yeah, I know. Thanks for telling me about the inspection." Jay leaves and I'm left with my worries and squabbling plants.

"Guys, listen here,” They’re ignoring me again. For the love... HEY! PLANTS! LISTEN UP! WHAT.. are.. you… I finally notice what has their attention, spider web fractures all over the dome.

"No... NO!" I start to run to the plants when suddenly there is a roar, and the dome explodes in a ball of fire. I feel myself get lift off my feet, and back into the airlock just before it closes. The last thing I see before blacking out is my hand burning in pain, and looking through the airlock door over a frozen wasteland bathed in red.

"N..n..no."