The retina caught the slight wobble of light. A minute ago, the world beyond Chris’s eyelids was completely black, but the virtual assistant went on setting up a dim diodes glimmer in the room, slightly diluting the night, as happens in the early morning, a half an hour before sunrise. However, this was enough for his brain to understand that it was time to wake up.

Grunting sleepily, Chris rolled over on his bed. After about five minutes, an unobtrusive, quiet piano melody floated across the room. The young man sighed heavily, realizing that he can’t get away, no matter how hard he pretended to be asleep. Once the time has come to get up, you just need to pull yourself together and get up.

Sitting in bed, Chris stretched, rotated his head, and finally put his feet on the floor. Still half-asleep, he crossed the room and disappeared behind the bathroom door. While he was engaged in morning procedures, the modules of the bed parted, folding and sliding one on top of the other, and moved into the niche in the back, and, a couple of moments later, there was a soft corner sofa in place of the two-sleeping surfaces; the sonata switched to a more dynamic track; the diode lights went out and the blinds slid open, revealing a panoramic window overlooking the rainforest from a height of thirty meters. A little to the right, if one looked out the window, almost squishing their nose to it, they could see the end of the new research building, which was now unofficially called "perinatal" by the student community.

Leaving the bathroom, Chris returned to his studio, went to a gym corner, briefly warmed up his joints, and jumped up, grabbing a bar. After completing two sets of pull-ups, he dropped down and continued his morning exercises with push-ups. He then entered the bathroom and left it a little time later with his hair wet and disheveled, releasing a small cloud of steam behind him, which had not yet been sucked into the vent.

Walking to the kitchen, he rummaged in the drawer, took out a briquette of granola, poured water, and began eating while the robot cleaner, spinning under a chair, removed wet traces that Chris left on the floor. After loading a dishwasher, he put on a student uniform, picked up a bag, shoved a tablet inside, and left his studio.

Going down in the elevator with other students, Chris inserted an eardrop and swiped a wristband screen activating the projection. He checked the incoming messages, making sure that there was no one waiting for his immediate reply. Then he listened to some local and global news, checked his schedule for the day, and requested the data collected overnight on the seedlings. He flipped through the endless tables and diagrams until he reached the main entrance, then brushed off the projection and headed for the educational building.

From afar, the scientific and research complex resembled either low-growing mushrooms, sweeping the ground with huge caps that were much bigger than the stems, or soap bubbles of different sizes, blown onto each other in the amount of six pieces, well, almost seven, the seventh building only left that cap-like dome pulled up. Entering under the first "cap", Chris noticed his friends in the crowd of students from their group and other groups who had not yet rushed to the laboratory.

“Hi,” he shook hands with Josh and a couple of others. “Let’s get going?”

“Yeah,” Josh answered. “So, have you already started your thesis?”

“Well... it’s not that I didn’t start. Been working on the plan the whole evening, but… I think that today I can at least finish it. Have you checked the data?” Chris asked Josh in return.

“Is it just me, or the seedlings started progressing?”

“I think you're right.”

“Phew, wow! It’s hot, isn’t it! And soon it’s gonna be as warm as hell!” Their friend, Sandro, blurted out, catching up with them. “Do you already know your date?” He bent over to look into Chris's eyes while asking.

“Erm... huh?”

“When are you appointed?” His whole appearance expressed an extreme degree of excitement. Tousled hair and a hot blush on his cheeks complemented the picture, while at the same time further confusing Chris.

It is unlikely that the curly-haired guy could be so enthusiastic about the study curriculum; it is not too rare that they are given hours for self-training. He could only raise his eyebrows, puzzled, and pursed his lips.

“Wait, are you making an idiot of me or are you pretending to be an idiot? The Implantation, man! When’s your surgery!?”

“Oh... that...” Chris relaxed and smiled, at last understanding his point. “Well, probably not in any foreseeable future.”

“What do you mean? Like... At all?!”

“I didn’t send an application and stuff yet and I’m not planning to,” Chris voiced as if confirming a known fact.

Sandro did not answer, but it was evident from his appearance that he did not quite approve the choice of his friend.

“A lot of the guys decided to wait,” Josh said, looking to the side. “They want to see what will happen to the pioneers.”

Chris followed his gaze and spotted one of the wall screens, which at that moment showed a commercial about the seventh building. They obviously muted screens in the corridors to avoid audio chaos during the studying process, but over the past week, everyone had already learned the text of this commercial by heart.

“Fasten your seat belts and get ready! You will have an unforgettable journey into the new building of the Second BIOSPHERE Research Complex! Designed and built according to a special plan, equipped with the most advanced appliances.

The official commissioning date is 854-June-01. It means that there is still a month left until the appointed date, but right now anyone can sign up for an excursion and see with your own eyes under what conditions the Implantation Project will be executed. On the Biosphere’s website’s main page, you will find an application form – fill it in, choose a date, and visit the Complex. In addition, you can find the link and join a virtual interactive 3D presentation that will bring you here without leaving your home. The seventh building of Biosphere II is identical to the other two, built on the Atlantic and Pacific Biospheres. You can visit any of them, and become a part of the project as an assistant or as a representative of the M-generation and continue the mission that was assigned to you before birth, if that is what you are willing to do.

Another result of the combined forces of the Earthbound Coalition and the Friendly Colony of Zirkaazte will not be long in coming. A new era is approaching, a new phase for the human race. We have waited for this with bated breath. All our efforts, aspirations, and hopes are now at their peak. This is the climax. All our resources are aimed towards the revival of fertility.

M-generation, we pray for you.”