Chapter 12: The Oxygen Farm

The oxygen farm was one of Jason’s favorite parts of the Bunker. Before the radiation levels made life on the surface uninhabitable, Earth was covered in forests filled with trees, which helped create vital oxygen. The Creators had replicated them in perfect detail.

Entering the farm was like stepping into a history book.

Everywhere he looked, Jason saw colors. The grass on the ground was green. The pillars of wood towering over him were brown, and covered in green leaves. And the ceiling was a bright, brilliant blue, a perfect replica of the blue skies he’d read about. There were even artificial clouds rolling over the screen.

“It’s magnificent as always,” Skye whispered. Not even she could hide how impressive it was. Because it needed to provide breathable air for the entire population, the oxygen farm was one of the largest sections of the Bunker, with row upon row of trees as far as the eye could see.

“It definitely is,” Moira agreed. She flashed a smile at Skye. “Thanks for inviting us along! You’re right, sometimes it’s better to spend our recreational time in a place like this.”

“Every time I come here, I wonder if this is really what forests used to look like,” Jason said, walking over to one of the trees and running his fingers across the rough bark.

“I’d like to think so,” Skye nodded in agreement. “It’s so peaceful and quiet.”

“Not for long,” Andrew laughed, jamming a finger in Moira’s direction. She scowled.

“Hey! I can take in the breathtaking views too, you know! This place is awesome!” Even as she said that, though, she was still getting a little fidgety. She glanced up and shielded her eyes. “Hey, how high up is the ceiling anyway? It’s so bright, I can’t see.”

“That’s the artificial sunlight,” Skye explained. “For obvious reasons we can’t use the real sun, but the engineers created an artificial one to help oxygen production. As for how high the ceiling is, well… I’m not sure myself.”

“Wow, really? I thought you knew, like, everything!” Moira gasped.

Skye made a face that was a strange mixture of embarrassment and pride, but it only lasted a second. She cleared her throat. “I do know a considerable amount, but that’s because I spend so much time reading. If you could dedicate yourself to you studies as well, you’d find there’s a lot of information to be discovered.”

But Moira had already stopped paying attention.

“…We really should have stopped off for lunch, first,” she groaned, her stomach rumbling. “It’s almost pill time, and I can’t take it on an empty stomach.”

She skipped over to Jason and Skye, grateful that the “no running” rules didn’t apply in the oxygen farm. “Hey, did you guys bring any food? I’m starving.”

“Sorry,” Jason apologized, shaking his head.

“Eating in the oxygen farm, or any ecological habitat, is prohibited,” Skye reminded her.

Moira’s jaw dropped. “So you’re just gonna… not eat? But isn’t there, like, a rule about needing to eat meals at the proper times?”

“…Well yes, of course,” Skye said, her cheeks getting a little pink. “When it’s time for lunch, we will step out of the farm and find the nearest dining hall.”

Moira groaned.

“Hey, come on, lunch is only in another half-hour,” Andrew comforted her. “You can last that long.”

“I know… oh! So what do you guys wanna do, huh? How about a race, maybe? Who can get to that tree the fastest!”

Jason had to smile. So much for just enjoying the breathtaking views.

“Hey, remember when we were in Primary School and we came to the oxygen farm for a field trip?” Andrew laughed. “And then Moira fell out of that tree and broke her leg?”

“Come on, don’t remind everybody!” Moira groaned. “I was just a kid back then!”

“The teacher was really upset with you,” Jason remembered. “Though since you were crying so hard, she couldn’t get too mad…”

“I broke my leg!” She protested. “Of course I was crying!”

“You shouldn’t have been climbing the tree in the first place,” Skye admonished her with a glare. “The rules clearly state that the trees are for observational purposes only.”

“Sorry, I was just trying to have a little fun…”

An awkward cloud hung in the air for a moment before Jason stepped in to change the subject. “Hey, I know the teachers were upset with you for breaking the rules, but if I remember right, they were actually pretty happy about it for the next few months.”

“Oh, that’s right!” Andrew grinned. “Because Moira broke her leg, she had to walk on crutches for a few months so she couldn’t run around anymore. They said it was the most peaceful classroom they’d had!”

“You guys!” Moira wailed, her face red with embarrassment. “Cut it out!”

For some reason, Jason couldn’t resist the urge to tease her. Even though it was important to be nice to your friends, and he definitely didn’t want to upset her in particular, for some reason, a part of him kind of did. But he quickly calmed down.

“So if climbing is off the table, what do you guys have planned?” Andrew asked, turning to Skye and Jason. “I’m guessing no running, either?”

“I came here to draw, actually,” Jason said, setting his backpack down and taking out his sketchbook. “I haven’t really drawn very much these last few days, so I was hoping a landscape would help me refocus.”

“You’re quite talented, I’m sure you’ll produce something amazing,” Skye assured him with a smile that he returned.

“Thanks, I’ll do my best,” he promised. “It’s just really tricky sometimes to get the right mood.”

“Really?” Moira asked, raising her eyebrows. “But you’re so good! That drawing you made of me? I love it, I put it up in my room!”

“R-Really?” He felt his face heat up and his stomach started twisting. She really liked it that much?

“Yeah! …Oh! That’s a GREAT idea! Why don’t you draw me again?!” Moira ran over to one of the trees and posed against it, resting her elbow against the bark and her hand on her hip. “Like one of those… I don’t know what they’re called, the paintings of towns and people?”

“That’s… um…” Jason hadn’t been all that excited to start drawing, honestly, but for some reason Moira’s offer had reignited that fire. There was only one problem, though.

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Andrew asked. “You know you’d have to pose like that for hours, right?”

She paled. “Um… on second thought, maybe I’ll just watch you draw instead, okay?”

“…Yeah, sure,” Jason said, feeling a little disappointed. But he shook those thoughts away. Today was about getting back in the mood for drawing, and that’s what he was going to do.

He walked along the trees, looking for the perfect angle to start his picture, when Andrew came up to him.

“Hey, Jason, um… can I ask a favor?”

“Sure, what is it?”

“Do you… have a spare pencil and some paper I can borrow? I’d like to draw too, if that’s okay.”

The request was a bit of a surprise. “Really? But you’re not a very good artist,” Jason said, confused.

“I know,” he admitted sheepishly, “but still, I do enjoy drawing, and if I don’t practice I can’t get better, right?”

Jason didn’t see the point in someone who wasn’t an artist trying to get better at drawing, but it was Andrew’s recreation time and he could do what he wanted with it.

“Sure thing, I’ve got a spare sketchbook back in my bag, let me go get it.”

The other boy’s face lit up. “Thank you! You’re the best!”

For a second Jason thought Andrew was going to hug him. But he just took the sketchbook and pencil and dashed off to go get started.

Jason sat down, resting his back against a tree. The grass was soft beneath his butt and the rough bark scratched his itches perfectly. He let the calmness of the farm soothe his nerves, and set his pencil to the paper.

As he drew, he caught Andrew out of the corner of his eye. He was drawing as well, fast and frantic like he couldn’t get the lines down fast enough.

He shook his head. Art needed measured precision if you wanted it done correctly, scribbling wasn’t going to get you anywhere.

Which was why he was so confused at how excited the other boy seemed to be. His eyes were bright and a wide smile stretched across his face. How could he be so enthusiastic about such bad art? It didn’t make any sense.

Jason wondered if he’d ever looked so enthusiastic about drawing before. But he let that thought pass and returned to the matter at hand. If he wanted that urge to draw to return, he needed to get back in the right mindset!

Meanwhile, Moira was bored.

She’d come because Jason had invited her, and she wanted to spend time in the oxygen farm with her friend. But he was busy drawing right now, and he looked so serious while he was doing it that she didn’t want to bug him. Andrew was drawing too, and even Skye was sitting in the grass near Jason and reading a book.

What was she supposed to do? No climbing, and just running around by herself wouldn’t be any fun.

“Hey there, Skye! What are you reading?”

She’d finally come to a decision, though it might not have been the best one. It was rude to interrupt someone when they were enjoying themselves, after all. But Skye didn’t seem to mind.

“A book.” She spared Moira the briefest of glances.

“…Cool! What’s it about?”

“I’m reading about the types of flora and fauna that could be found in forests on Earth,” Skye said, lifting up the book to show the cover. “I found it an appropriate way to pass the time while Jason is drawing.”

“Oh, that’s so cool! That sounds like a fun read!” Moira said.

“…It doesn’t come with any pictures,” she dryly replied.

“Ah, that’s fine! I can read books without pictures, you know! I’ve been getting a lot of reading in this last week!”

That drew Skye into the conversation. Moira? Reading a book without pictures? “Really? What have you read?”

Jason’s pencil froze and his head snapped over to them. He was beginning to panic.

“Oh, it was great, it was about…” Moira quickly clapped her hand over her mouth as she realized what she was about to say. “Never mind! It’s not important!”

She laughed it off, leaving Skye squinting at her in confusion.

Jason sighed with relief. She’d nearly given him a heart attack!