A New Discovery
- Ellie
- Nov 3, 2017
- 2 min read
I've been working in the Greenhouses since I was old enough to hold a pair of sheers, and watering can. When I walk among the plants I feel grounded, and surrounded by beauty. Underground everything is always so brown, and drab, but once you enter the greenhouses that all changes. There are so many colors, it still puts me in awe every single time I am scanned through the door.
It is our job to cultivate and experiment with plants that could help improve our quality of life underground. I've read books that tell me trees used to help with oxygen...down here all we have are the scrubbers that make our air as clean as humanly possible while living within the confines of the Earth.
How I'd give almost anything to go topside and see all of these plants in their glory, but Kai helps to remind me that it's not everything I see in books...though I still hold out hope that one day I can see for myself.
Until that day, I'll be here working in the greenhouses, toiling away leisurely with a purpose, trying to do better for all of us.
Recently we had a breakthrough, the first one in fifty years, Dr. Calston informed me. It was my doing, which makes me extremely proud! I have helped cross breed a plant that looks as if we may be able to use the fibers from it to make clothing and linens. It is as strong as hemp, and as soft as cotton, from what I've read, and seems to be pretty resilient. It looks very promising.
Presently we have some of the girls in the garment district working on looming some of those fibers into blankets to see what the test run shows us. If it makes a decent blanket, and can withstand the testing it is put through, then we begin cultivating more so that it can serve a purpose. Until then, we keep only enough to allow us to test it, since room is limited down here.
If we can manage to make clothing with this plant, imagine what we can do with the next one!
I can't wait to tell Kai!
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