Brave New Girls: Tales of Girls who Engineer and Explore: Brave New Girls

By Mary Fan and Paige Daniels

Venture into a world where extraordinary heroines use their brains and STEM savvy to save the day in sci-fi adventures. A young botanist saves her dying planet with her horticultural acumen. Clever students use only their wits and spare parts to flee the clutches of an intergalactic kidnapper. Teen roboticists join forces to defeat an alien vying for ownership of Earth. A hackathon participant discovers the long-lost lab of an eccentric scientist. Get swept away by tales of girls who hack, explore, invent, and build. With tales ranging from solarpunk to post-apocalyptic, these 28 stories have something in store for all.

Proceeds from sales of this anthology will be donated to the Society of Women Engineers scholarship fund. Let's show girls that they can be the next generation of innovators and inventors.

 

Stories by:
Bryna Butler, JD Cadmon, Rachel Delaney Craft, Paige Daniels, Mary Fan, Daphne Fauber, Janina Franck, Sarah A. Goodman, Annie Gray, Jocelyne Gregory, Andrew K. Hoe, Brenda Huettner and Sally Krueger, Valerie Hunter, A.A. Jankiewicz, Emma Jun, Brad Jurn, Kris Katzen, Jeanne Kramer-Smyth, Ira Nayman, Jelani-Akin Parham, Scott Pinkowski, Josh Pritchett, Mackenzie Reide, Jennifer Lee Rossman, J.R. Rustrian, Joanna Schnurman, Harley Scroggins, and Denise Sutton.

 

Featuring illustrations by Martina Localzo, Adriano Moraes, RM Nielsen, Josh Pritchett, Harley Scroggins, Barbara Smith, Emily Smith, Kay Wrenn, and Bonnie Wright.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brave New Girls
• Release date: Jul 5, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223131335

Book preview

The Dome

by Paige Daniels

We’re all doomed and everyone knows it, which makes filling out this stupid career interest survey floating in front of me a huge exercise in futility. I roll my eyes at the list of ridiculous questions.

Please answer the following questions with either Strongly Agree, Agree, Disagree, or Strongly Disagree:

I enjoy solving difficult problems

I enjoy spending a lot of time outdoors

I want to make a difference in our community

An audible groan escapes me and Ms. Wyatt, our careers councilor, lifts her eyebrow in response. I quickly avert my eyes and turn back to the survey. Thankfully, the class bell rings, leaving the questions unanswered for yet another day. I sling my backpack on my shoulder and nestle into the throng of exiting students to do what I do best: disappear. Just as I’m nearly free of the class, a voice rings out.

Poppy Mae, Can I see you please?

Dang it, I grumble quietly to myself.

I slink over to the willowy woman with dark hair pulled up in a neat chignon. She pulls at her flowy sage and white dress then looks down her nose at me. My insides shrivel up, and I stare at the floor, using my thick dark locks as sort of a protective barrier between me and Ms. Wyatt.

Your career assessment is past due. This is an easy assignment. You know we need to have this done before your seventeenth birthday for career path placement. Just answer the questions as honestly as possible, and you’ll be placed in a career that is satisfying to you and will help our community.

What I really want to tell her is that it’s all pointless. What she calls our community is really a biodome built centuries ago to escape a planet that we harvested nearly to extinction. And hugest of surprises, we’re running into the same problems as we did centuries ago. Scientists predict that within two generations, a blight will most certainly wipe out our crops, leaving us all to starve. If that wasn’t bad enough, a band of nomads—descendants of people not lucky enough to be chosen to live in the biodome—are flocking in increasing numbers here, demanding to be let in. If you ask me, they’re probably better off on the outside.

Instead of blurting out what I want to say, I clear my throat and squeak out, I’ll have it done tomorrow, ma’am.

I try to scurry to the door to avoid further confrontation, but I’m stopped by her voice again.

Ms. Mae, you are a talented young woman. The experiments that you perform in your greenhouse are very commendable. We need all the people we can get working on our crop issues.

I shrug my shoulders. I haven’t solved anything. I’m just playing with dirt, Ms. Wyatt.

She smiles. Just because you’re having fun doesn’t mean that it’s not worthwhile. You need to have more confidence in your work and your vision. She puts a hand on my shoulder and adds, I know that our future might seem bleak, but you need to find the bright spots. That’s what keeps us going.

Okay, and I promise I’ll get the survey done tomorrow.

With that, I practically run out of the class before Ms. Wyatt is able to throw more laughable inspirational nuggets my way.

Outside the school, the dome is warm and humid like always. The environmental controls are programmed to mimic Earth’s old tropical climate to provide an optimal around-the-year growing season. The surroundings remind me of an ancient movie that my dad loves to watch, The Hobbit. Except now, the rolling green hills are dotted with yellow patches, courtesy of the blight. I can’t help but think the people who engineered our dome centuries ago made the grass-covered homes under rolling hills and winding paths to resemble the Shire on purpose. I once asked a teacher about this, and she looked at me as if I had two heads, causing the class to erupt in laughter. I should’ve known better than to ask a question in class like that.

As I meander through the path home, bits of the dusty brown world outside peek through the greenery, reminding me that a thin, engineered piece of glass is the only barrier between our world and becoming a barren husk. Actually, maybe it doesn’t even matter now with the blight.

Taking my dad’s advice, I start to look away from the barren landscape outside to the more verdant view inside. He says I always focus too much on the negative. Before I switch views, something catches my attention: a group of Outsiders gathered at the entrance of the dome, yelling at soldiers guarding the entrance.

Morbid curiosity draws me closer to the scene. I’ve only heard rumors about the Outsiders and have never seen them personally. The group isn’t very large, maybe fifty in total. Their dress seems to be patchworked of bits of scraps they could find to make a whole outfit. As a matter of fact, everything about them seems to be patchworked. Each of them has a backpack that has a collection of techno-junk, tools, and water bottles strapped to it. Even the youngest of their group are carrying large backpacks. A few guards stand between the entrance and the Outsiders, just staring at the crowd. Some of the Outsiders seem to be yelling at the guards, but the guards show no emotion.

One of the Outsiders bends to the ground and, in one quick motion, flings a handful of sand at one of the guards. The guards bolt toward the crowd. Some of them try to flee, and others try to rush the guards. My heart pounds in my chest. There’s nothing I can do, and I run from the scene. Before I’m totally free from the chaos, a girl, who looks to be close to my age, catches my eye. Her blond pigtails and coveralls with a teddy bear sewn to them give her an air of innocence, but the way she’s staring at me tells me she’s not as innocent as she seems. A chill runs down my spine, and I run faster to the safety of my home.

The comfort and safety of my greenhouse surround me. Baskets of greenery hang all around, and the scent of warm soil, flowers, and herbs wafting through the air eases my soul. I swing in my hammock chair, holding my tablet and taking notes on my latest experiment.

Standard Date 25003-19: The solution of 1L water, 4mL vegetable oil, 3mL baking soda, and 2mL soap was unsuccessful on this trial. All tomato plants died of blight after 24 hours in the accelerator chamber.

With a sigh, I put the tablet to my side and rub my eyes. It’s pointless to try. Nothing I do seems to work. Before I go down the self-pity lane too far, a baritone voice distracts me.

Tough day at school, little one?

I chuckle. I’m nearly an adult, but yet my father still calls me little one. He probably will until I’m old and gray. That is, if I have a chance to turn old and gray.

As he pulls up a wooden stool next to me, I ask, Why do you say that?

The big man runs his fingers through his salt-and-pepper close-cropped hair and shakes his head. You didn’t even bother to come in the house after school, you came straight here. Any time you have a bad day you come straight here. You’re just like your mother. She loved this place, too.

A sad smile grows on his face like every time he mentions my mother. She taught me everything I know about plants and conducting experiments. Spending time in here brings me closer to her, and sometimes I swear I can hear her telling me what to do. I stand from my hammock chair and give my dad a squeeze.

Thanks, Poppy, I needed that. He wipes his eyes with the back of his hand and clears his throat. So, any luck in here?

I shrug my shoulders. Not really. I don’t know why I even bother. Like, the smartest people in the whole dome are working on the blight and they don’t have a clue. How in the heck am I supposed to come up with anything?

Dad crosses his arms across his chest. I do not want to hear that kind of talk from you. Some of the most brilliant inventions came from people who aren’t practicing engineers or scientists. Sometimes it just takes someone who enjoys tinkering around the lab. Do you enjoy playing in your greenhouse?

Yeah, I guess.

Then keep doing it. What’s the worst that can possibly happen by you playing around in here?

Uh, I make a combination of chemicals that causes an unstoppable fire and the whole dome goes up in flames, causing the community to have to live with the Outsiders.

He looks at me in stunned silence for a few heartbeats then shakes his head. Well, I guess that is one heck of worst-case scenario, but probably not very likely. Just keep working, hun. It makes you happy, so do it.

Yeah. Good point.

With the event with the Outsiders still swimming in my brain, I blurt out, It wasn’t just school that was bad today. Dad knits his eyebrows, and I continue, When I was walking home, I saw a group of Outsiders and guards fighting. Like, all the news and stuff makes it sound like the Outsiders are these really scary people, but there weren’t that many of them, and mostly they looked sad and scared. Why can’t we let them in? Why is the Council not letting them in?

Dad is a member of the Council, made up of thirteen people from across the dome, that makes all the laws and big decisions for us.

Ah, honey, I’ve talked to the Council until I’m blue in the face about it. They feel like the blight is enough strain on our resources, and letting more people live here would be a disaster.

I guess I understand that, but it just seems that if you can’t look after those who are worse off than you, then what’s the point? I mean, if we magically cure this blight tomorrow, then will the Council think our resources are enough to support others?

He chuckles. You’re wise beyond your years. I’ll keep working on the Council, and you keep working on a cure. Maybe one or even both of us will make a difference. Councilperson Jones is looking for any reason at all to get me off the Council, and the Outsiders are the hot topic he’s using against me. He gets up from the wooden stool and tousles my hair then says, I’m heading inside to make supper. I’m proud of you, kiddo. You follow your instincts, and you’re going to change the world.

Thanks, Dad.

Without another word, he’s out of the greenhouse. I grab my tablet from my hammock chair, put it on the table, and stare at my notes from previous experiments.

Thanks for the vote of confidence, Dad, but I have no clue what I’m doing, I mumble to myself.

Before I’m able to make more notes, a message pops on my tablet.

You know whatever you’re going to try next isn’t going to work. You need to think outside the box or the dome as it is.

The stylus falls from my hand, and I look around for the sender, but there is no one in sight.

I make a few swipes to my tablet. Once at the messaging app, I feverishly type in a message.

[ME] Who is this? How did you get into my tablet?

There is no response. I go outside and look all around the greenhouse and there is no one in sight. Why would anyone message me like this? Why wouldn’t they just talk to me?

Back in the greenhouse, I look at my tablet and there is a message.

[UNKNOWN USER] Name’s Louisa.

[ME] I don’t know any Louisa. Why don’t you just come and talk to me instead of being all dramatic and hacking my tablet? That’s very bad manners.

[LOUISA] Had to get your attention somehow. I can’t just come and talk to you. Seems your kind doesn’t like my kind in the dome.

My breath catches. This has to be a joke. No one from the outside could possibly hack into my tablet. It has to be one of my classmates pulling a mean joke on me. It wouldn’t surprise me. My gut says that I shouldn’t engage any further, but I can’t help myself.

[ME] You’re not an Outsider. Now I suggest you stop hacking into my tablet. You can tell everyone at school that I’m a loser or whatever you want. Nobody cares about me there and I don’t care about them.

There’s a pause, but this time just for a few seconds.

[LOUISA] Wow that’s pretty negative of you. Didn’t you think us Outsiders are capable of hacking into your systems? Seriously, you guys have some pretty lame security measures on your comms. I guess it works in my favor that you Domees underestimate us.

Growing tired of the exchange. I decide to end it with one last message.

[ME] Look, I have work to do. Just tell your friends at school that I fell for your joke. Unless you can prove you’re an Outsider, then I’m going to block you from my tablet.

[LOUISA] We saw each other today when the guards were attacking my people. I was the super cute girl with blond pigtails and a little bear sewn onto her pants.

My breath catches. No one else knew about that encounter. How is this even possible? Okay, Poppy, play it cool.

[ME] Okay, let’s say you are who you say you are. What do you want? It’s not like I can tell the Council to let your people in or anything.

[LOUISA] No, but we do know that your dad is one of the more sympathetic people on the Council to our plight, and we also know that you’re open-minded enough to be performing experiments on plants for your blight.

[ME] Wait, you know about the blight? Then why do you want in here? And how do you know about my dad?

[LOUISA] Remember what I said about your comms security? We know a lot of things about you Domees. We might look uneducated, but we know our way around tech. And yes, we know there’s a blight, but have you been out here? I’d trade our crusty surroundings for your blight-ridden dome. But what if your dome didn’t have to be blight ridden?

I screw up my face. This sounds like a scam.

[ME] Are you telling me that you happen to have the cure to our blight sitting in your little bear trousers?

[LOUISA] Ha ha funny. Do you know why your plants are all getting blight?

[ME] No and I suppose you’re going to tell me that you do.

[LOUISA] In the infinite wisdom of the founders of your dome, they forgot one of the most important things: biodiversity.

[ME] The founders all picked disease- and blight-resistant strains of plants. This should not be happening.

[LOUISA] Life finds a way. Eventually, any kind of blight will mutate to consume the most disease- and blight-resistant plants you have. You need to have lots of different kinds of plants to change it up.

[ME] Problem is, the only plant life is here under this dome. So we’re hosed.

There is no response, just a blinking cursor. Maybe she got tired of the bickering. Right as I go to turn off the tablet, an image materializes.

[ME] Holy guacamole.

[LOUISA] Yup. Contrary to popular belief, there is actually life out here, and I think since it’s never been exposed to the blight in there, there’s a good chance that this plant could be blight resistant.

[ME] I don’t get it. Why do you want to help us? Why not just take your plants and let us die in our dome?

[LOUISA] Because it’s still a pretty hostile environment out here. I don’t think either of our people can survive very long unless we work together. What do you say, do you want to see if this thing is truly resistant?

The display with the same old career questions floats in front of me. Instead of overthinking each question, I quickly whiz through the inane survey. If I’m able to get it completed quick enough, then Ms. Wyatt will let us browse the interwebs for educational material. What’s most pressing to me now is learning all I can about blight-resistant plants.

Last night, after the message exchange, I spent all night looking up articles on those and biodiversity. According to the articles I read, it seems that if Louisa really does have a blight-resistant plant, then it could be a game changer for all of us. But how will I even test the plants? Even I could prove they were blight resistant, would anyone listen? Maybe I should give it all up now, but there’s a part of me that can’t help but be excited at the prospect of it all.

As I make the last answer to the survey, the class bell rings, dismissing us. I heave a sigh. Oh well, I guess I can resume my research at home. I follow the herd of students exiting our classes. Before I’m out of the classroom, I stop at Ms. Wyatt’s desk. In addition to being our careers councilor, Ms. Wyatt also teaches science. Talking to a real human about my questions may clear up a lot of my questions.

Uh, Ms. Wyatt, can I ask you some questions about the blight?

She smiles. I’ll do my best to answer, but what I can’t, there’s always the interwebs.

I know, and I spent all night last night looking up stuff. There’s just some stuff I don’t understand. She nods for me to continue. So they talked a lot about biodiversity, and we need more diverse plants to help resist the blight, and our founders didn’t think about this.

I can’t tell her those claims were actually from Louisa.

Sort of. The Founders did think about biodiversity, but when you’ve spent a few centuries in the same dome, things tend to get less diverse, and the blights will eventually...

Find a way to infect the plants, I finish her sentence.

Right. So, if we had something that wasn’t raised in the dome, then there could be hope, but growing things outside of the dome is impossible. Our only chance is finding something that will kill the blight, but leave the plants intact.

But if we could find plants on the outside...

She shakes her head. We’ve sent out drones to look for signs of growth, and there’s nothing.

My mouth turns down. Ms. Wyatt stands from her desk and puts her hand on my shoulder.

Poppy, you’ve shown incredible initiative on this. I wouldn’t give up on your ideas. We’re not giving up on the drones. There could be something out there. It’s like finding a needle in a haystack. We can’t put all our research ideas into one basket. We have to look at all options.

Thanks, Ms. Wyatt. You really helped out.

With that, I scurry out of the classroom.

Outside, I wander around the meadows, thinking about what my next steps should be. I find my favorite tree, which happens to be right next to the dome, and plop down in the shade that it offers, then resume my research. The lines of text about genetic engineering, habitat adaption, and forest ecosystems almost consume me, but a message pops up on my tablet, distracting me.

Turn to your right.

I narrow my eyes and slowly turn my head. A slight girl with blonde pigtails and a bear sewn onto her trousers greets me with a vigorous wave on the other side of the dome.

[ME] How in the heck did you know I was here?

[LOUISA] Duh tracking technology on your tablet.

Man, I really need her to show me this security stuff.

Louisa looks over her shoulder to the group of Outsiders who are in yet another scuffle with the guards. She gives me a sad smile and then starts typing on her tablet.

[LOUISA] Is there a place we can go where people will be less likely to see us talking?

[ME] Yeah, I’ll walk there now. I’m guessing you can find me with my tracking technology.

She gives me a thumbs-up, and I’m off.

In the olden days, the dome had many different corridors and sections to it. As the centuries progressed, some of the technology fell into disrepair, and we lost our ability to fix it. Also, our birthrates started to decline as the blight set in, so we didn’t need all the extra space. A few decades ago, the Council made the decision to start closing some of the unused sections that were too far into disrepair. The closed sections, like the outside, are hot and inhospitable, but people can still go into them without an environmental suit or life support. Once in a while, kids will go into the uninhabited sections on a dare, to make out with their significant other, or other such mischief, but mostly people stay away because it’s depressing, uncomfortable, and a reminder of how fragile our society really is.

I go the outer edge of the inhabited section of the dome. There isn’t a guard between the inhabited and the uninhabited sections. Their presence isn’t a regular occurrence at these portals, because they are more focused on the main entrances to the outside where the Outsiders congregate. And a rockslide fifty years ago made getting in via that portal almost impossible without a lot of climbing, so guarding this access point isn’t really a high priority.

After ensuring that I’m not being watched or followed, I speed to the portal and let myself in the unsecured door, praying the vines growing along the walls obscure my escape. On the other side, it is hot and dry. The dome is cracked in various spots, letting the sand from the outside seep through. On the ground, there are dried-out plants covered with sand. I walk a little further in the deserted area and then plop down next to a withered old tree.

I run my hand up the gnarled bark then whisper, Poor thing. You didn’t deserve to be abandoned.

I type into my tablet.

Can you find me with your super techie powers?

A knock at the dome makes me jump out of my skin. Louisa laughs then sits down opposite me. She starts typing then a message appears.

Super easy to find you. I guess you want proof of life then?

I nod. She eases her backpack off, turns to face it, then unzips it. Gingerly, she reaches in and produces two small pots with yellow daisy-like flowers flourishing.

Feverishly, I type.

[ME] I thought all plant life was dead outside the dome.

[LOUISA] No, there are pockets here and there. How do you think my people have survived for generations?

I hesitate to type the rumors I’ve heard, but do so anyway.

I heard all of you were cannibals and that’s how you were able to live.

She rolls her eyes.

Don’t you think we would have died out by now if that was the case? For someone so smart, you’re pretty stupid.

Now that I think about it, that was pretty stupid. It makes sense that there has to be some kind of vegetation for generations to survive out there. I guess it’s easier to believe what’s convenient rather than to rethink everything you’ve been told all your life.

What kind of plant is it? Do you eat the flowers? Can it survive the blight? Have you seen many of these around? Can I have a sample?

Her eyebrows furrow, and she types.

That’s a lot of questions. We don’t eat the flowers. They’re called sunchokes, and when they’re mature, you dig them up and eat the roots. We dig up half and let the other half grow for next season. This is just one plant that we scavenge around for. I don’t know if it can survive the blight, because I’ve never been in there. And yeah you can have a sample, but it comes with stipulations.

My stomach knots. Of course, there’re stipulations. It’s not like she’s going to just let me have them.

[ME] So what is it?

[LOUISA] If the plant is blight resistant then me and my people will show you where there are more of them, but you have to let us in.

[ME] Oh yeah, so me, a seventeen-year-old nobody, is going to convince the Council to let you in?? You’ve lost your mind.

[LOUISA] Well maybe you can’t but your dad can.

[ME] So you really just want me to talk to my dad then?

[ME] It’s not just that. I’m not going to lie, it definitely was a factor, but you are open-minded enough to do some preliminary examinations of this plant. Do you seriously think one of the adults would hear us out? You’re smart, and your dad listens to you. I think this has a chance at working. So what do you say? You think you can let me in so we can test this plant?

She’s right. None of the adults would even take a second look at anything the Outsiders were claiming. I glance over at the entryway back into the dome and see a person wearing an insignia of the Guard. They must’ve decided to come back.

[ME] Not now. But tonight, I’ll send you a time and coordinates for the portal they don’t watch. It’s going to be a climb, so you’ll have to allot plenty of time. And you need to come alone. If I see any other Outsider, I’ll alert the guards.

[LOUISA] Got it.

Getting out of the house at night wasn’t too tricky. Dad had yet another late meeting with the Council, and since my late-night activities usually include potting plants, reading, or watching the latest holovid drama, he generally doesn’t worry about me being home alone. Admittedly, a small part of me felt bad for worming my way into his computer to find what times the guards would be posted and the codes to the outside portal for the old abandoned part of the dome. I kept justifying it by telling myself that if this worked out, then I could possibly be saving our whole society. However, the longer I walk through the dark night of the dome, the more that argument starts to break down.

Before I know it, I’m at the portal to the old part of the dome. Pausing momentarily, I think about how I could turn back now and never think of this incident again. Sure, Louisa would make the climb in the rubble for nothing and be incredibly mad at me, but it would be the safe option. I like the safe option. But not this time. Something in my soul nags at me to open that door to the old section, to not take the safe option this time. Holding my breath and closing my eyes, I pull open the door and scurry inside. No going back now.

Before I get too far, I stop and make a few swipes at my watch to alert me to ten minutes before the next guard is due back at their station. That should be plenty of time to get back from the portal to the outside and be way out of the area, so the next guard would not even know we had been there. In theory.

As I make my way further into the reaches of the old section of the dome, it becomes darker. I fish a flashlight out of the deep pockets of my trousers and turn on a light that cuts through the darkness. I say a prayer that no one notices a random light flashing through this section.

The hot dry air makes my mouth dry and sweat bead on my skin. How can the Outsiders possibly exist in these conditions? A gentle vibration from my watch buzzes my skin.

Dang, I need to pick up the pace.

After a few more minutes of slogging through the sand piled on the floor of the dome and the dry heat, I’m finally at the back portal of the dome. The portal that is never used. I shine my flashlight outside. Next to the door, there is pile of rubble from a decades-old rockslide that took out a section of the dome. Down the pile of rubble, I can see a girl slowly climbing toward the door. Just one single girl. Not hordes of Outsiders storming our dome. It’s just her. For every meter she climbs up, she loses a few due to sliding rocks. Checking my watch again, I find the seconds ticking away to when the guards will be back. I need to help her.

Circling the dome, I try to find something, anything that can help her. Then I find it: a long, coiled piece of rope. Without thinking, I punch the code into the portal, it clicks, and I go into the wilds of the outside. This is the first time I’ve ever ventured to the outside. I could always see the skies from the clear dome, but now they are seemingly endless, and want to swallow me whole. I push down a shiver forming in my spine and look down to the girl halfway up the pile of rocks.

I’m throwing a rope down to help you. We really need to get out of here soon before the guards show up.

Much appreciated. These rocks are proving a lot harder to navigate than I thought they would be. Her voice is small and nearly a whisper, although I know she’s shouting.

I throw down the rope and hold the other end then brace myself against a wall of rock that starts to slide and crumble as I push back against it. My muscles strain, and the rope burns my hands as Louisa makes her way up the pile of rubble. Another vibration at my wrist from my watch signals a five-minute warning. My stomach flips. I can’t leave her now. She needs my help. I glance down, and she’s nearly up the pile. A few more slow steps and she flops up on top of the pile of rubble at my feet breathlessly.

She looks up at me with her face a filthy mess and smiles then says, Louisa Schamp, glad to meet you.

I giggle. Poppy Mae. Good to talk to you for real. Another buzz at my wrist makes my breath catch. We have to get going. Hopefully the guard is late like they always are.

Louisa hops up and brushes her tattered clothes, then adjusts her backpack and nods. Let’s hope so. I came too far to be stopped by something like that.

Without another word, we’re off.

We just missed the guard coming in for their shift, late as predicted. Getting through the main part of the dome to home was no big deal. During the night, the dome residents are mostly home. In the low light of the night, Louisa didn’t stand out as an Outsider, so those who were out just took us for a couple of kids out on a walk.

In the greenhouse, Louisa sloughs off her backpack. It’s a wonder how a person so slight could carry such a large load. She looks around the greenhouse in speechless wonder.

There’s so much color everywhere. It’s so beautiful in here. I’ve never seen so much color. Well, other than brown and red, she says as she gently strokes the leaves of a red-and-green-striped Dragon Tree.

Thank you. Me and my mom used to spend all of our time in here. I think that’s why I like coming here. I feel close to her.

Louisa stops her aimless wandering from plant to plant and knits her eyebrows. What happened to your ma?

She died of cancer three years ago. I miss her.

Louisa gives me a little side squeeze then says, I know what you mean. My granny died a few years back. She was my best friend. I miss her every day. She turns to her backpack and says, Wellp, while I do enjoy all this heartfelt stuff, we gotta a job to do, and, I’m guessing, not a lot of time to do it.

I couldn’t have said it better myself. First, I’m going to need the—

Cutting me off, she thrusts the plants into my hands. I put the array of potted, yellow, delicate flowers on my potting bench next to the rest of my specimens. The plants look to be in good condition given the journey they had here.

So what’s the plan? Louisa asks looking over my shoulder.

I’m going to expose one of the plants to the blight. One of them I’m going to leave as the control.

The what?

Control. I need to compare what happens if I do nothing to the plants to if I expose them to the blight. We need to compare normal to not normal.

She shrugs. Makes sense. She screws up her face. So wait, didn’t we expose the ‘control’ by it just being in the dome? There’s blight hanging out all over here, right?

Yeah, you’re right. But not in the strong concentration that I’m going to use. If we just let the plants hang out in the normal air of the dome, they may or may not get it like all the other plants here. But I’m going to purposely expose the plants to a souped-up version of the blight. That way, there’s no argument if they’ve been exposed or not. Also, I have a chamber that accelerates fungal growth, which is what blight is, so we don’t have to wait days and days to see results. More like hours.

That’s good, because I don’t think my people will be willing to wait days and days. I mean, I was taking a risk doing this as it is.

Wait. No one knows you’re here?

There are a few of us who were on board with the plan, but most of the others didn’t want to share anything with you Domees. I nominated myself to make contact with you. It’s important we work together. If we don’t—

We’re all hosed, I finish.

She nods her head in agreement.

I need you take one of your plants to the other side of the greenhouse. So we can minimize the chance it gets infected with the samples of the blight fungus.

She takes one of the plants and goes to the opposite side of the greenhouse then turns her back to me as if shielding the plant.

On one side of my potting bench, there is a metal lock box. Before opening, I don my safety gear, then punch in a code. The lid clicks open, and I produce a small vial of fungus. Carefully, I unscrew the lid then put a swab in to get a small sample. I touch the swab to the leaves of the plant. I almost feel guilty for exposing them to near-certain death.

No time to think these thoughts. This will work. This has to work.

After cleaning up my area, I put the infected plants into the growth acceleration chamber. Then I take off my protective gear and put it in a hamper for cleaning later. I scrub my hands in a sink across from the potting bench.

Okay, Louisa, you can give me the control. I’m going to put it in a growth acceleration chamber.

Won’t the plants in there infect it?

Yeah it would if I was putting it in there. I have a control chamber. So we can say that it was in the same conditions at the same time as the other guys. If neither sample comes back dead, then we have some promising results.

What do you mean promising? Wouldn’t we have proved for sure they are blight resistant?

Nope, we need lots and lots of data. But I think it would definitely get people to stand up and notice since every single plant I’ve done this with has died under experimental conditions.

I guess that makes sense.

I take the control plant from her and place it in the chamber, praying that this experiment works.

A buzz at my wrist catches my attention.

Crud, we need to get back to the portal. We’ve almost missed our window to get there before the next set of guards.

Wait. You’re just going to keep the plants, and I’m supposed to trust that you won’t tell me the plants died when they really were fine?

She looks at me with her arms crossed, waiting for my rebuttal. I can’t say I blame her. She’s taken a risk even coming here at all.

Look, my chamber has cameras inside that I can look at with my tablet. I’m sure you’re able to hook up with them. That way you can see the results for yourself. And even if I did stupidly keep it from you, we couldn’t find the plants on the outside without you guys.

She rifles through her backpack and produces a tablet similar to mine, but the screen is cracked and chipped, and the back is scuffed up. After a few swipes, she smiles with satisfaction.

Good point. She makes a few more swipes to her tablet then says, But just to be safe, I have the video on my tablet.

Great. Now let’s get the heck out of here before someone catches us.

The fresh light of dawn starts to crown over the dome. Luckily, it’s still too early for most of the residents to be up and moving around, so it’s easy for Louisa and me to avoid the few people scattered around. I look down at my watch, stomach lurching. We need to get to the portal before the next guard comes on duty.

At a tree just shy of the portal, I hold up my hand as a signal to stop. I motion for Louisa to stay hidden behind the tree while I check out our portal. My pulse slows when I see the guard is, indeed, off duty. I whistle for Louisa, and she swiftly moves to the portal, and we both hustle to the abandoned section.

So, how long before we know the results?

In every experiment I’ve done before, none of the plants lasted longer than six hours. So I’d say if they make it by lunch, that’s pretty promising, and if they make it to dinnertime, then we really have something.

Here’s hoping.

I nod in agreement.

As we walk, we talk about our families, what life is like in our respective homes, and just general gabbing. It’s nice to talk with someone my age that isn’t making fun of me. I’ll truly miss Louisa when she’s gone. Hopefully, everything works out, and we’ll be allowed to see more of each other. The sun’s rays start to fill the dome, and along with it, the heat rises. I wipe a bead of sweat off my forehead, thankful that I’ll soon be back in the environmentally controlled comfort of the dome.

The portal outside stares us both in the face. In the light of the sun, it’s easier to see the hill of rocks that Louisa has to scale. My stomach knots thinking about her journey. It was dangerous enough climbing up that mess, but going down is going to be even more dangerous.

She shifts from foot to foot, looking at the climb, sighing.

I don’t know about this, Louisa. Maybe we can find another way for you to get down.

She shakes her head. Do you really think there’s a spot no one will be looking? We have to do this.

The rope I used to help her up the rubble is sitting by the door. I pick it up and start to tie it around my waist.

What are you doing?

I’m going to be your anchor. Use the rope to help your climb. I’ll stay here until you’re down all the way.

She shakes her head. I don’t want them to catch you. You need to finish the experiment.

No, it’s fine. If they see me walking out of this section, they’ll just yell at me and tell my dad. Like, a ton of kids do it. I’m not leaving until you’re safe.

All right, then, let’s get on with it.

Outside, the dry air seems to suck all of the moisture out of my body. I press my body against a wall and then put the rope down the hill of rock and rubble. Louisa starts to descend the hill. As she grabs the rope to steady herself, my body is pulled toward her. I dig in my heels and brace myself. Bits of dust and rock start to fall down the wall and into my face. My eyes water in response, but I don’t relent from the tugging at my body. Louisa needs to make it down safely.

Suddenly, a sharp tug pulls me away from the wall, and a shout from below sets my heart beating.

Louisa! Are you okay?

Silence.

Louisa!

I’m fine. It was a looser-than-normal path. I got my footing. I’m almost there.

I push myself against the wall again, steeling myself against the tug at my body, ignoring the scrapes and cuts burning my skin from the rough wall of rock.

I made it!

My body feels lighter both figuratively and literally. We did it. We—

Hey, you, kid, what are you doing?

The air feels as though it has escaped my lungs. I can’t even speak when I see a guard at the door. He walks over to me then looks over the hill of rubble at Louisa.

I shout, Run! Get out of here.

Louisa runs. The guard grabs me by the arm and pulls me toward the dome. At the same time, he says on his comms, We have a citizen who has helped an Outsider get in. Check the perimeter for any other activity. I’ll bring her in to processing. He looks at me and grumbles, We have enough problems without our own making it worse. I hope they throw the book at you, kid.

Apparently, I didn’t notice that the door separating the inhabited part of the dome from the uninhabited part didn’t close behind me and Louisa. A guard just walking by noticed and decided to check out the old section, looking for mischievous kids. He found them, that’s for sure. They weren’t really sure what to do with me, so they stuck me in a solitary cell to wait.

The harsh fluorescent lights reflect off the brilliant white of the cell, making my head pound. There is a bed that takes up the width of the cell, covered with a scratchy white blanket. Sleeping is not an option to while away the time. It’s hard to know how long I’ve actually been in here with no clock and no view to the outside. I stare out the glass separating my cell from the rest of the station. There are members of the guard at their desks and flitting around from one place to another, ignoring me.

I lean my head back on the wall and close my eyes. The buzz of the lights fills the cell. The thing that makes me the angriest is that I never got to finish my experiment. I may never know if what we did worked. No one will listen to me, because I’m just a kid. What do I know?

When I open my eyes, there is a familiar, kind face on the other side of the glass. My dad gives me a sad smile. A guard punches in a code, the door opens, and my dad comes in and smothers me with a hug.

What were you thinking, kiddo? There has to be some kind of mistake here. Did you really let an Outsider in? he asks with his eyes full of tears.

I’ve only seen Dad this broken once, and that was when Mom died. My insides just crumble seeing him like this and knowing that I’m the cause of it.

You don’t understand, Dad. They didn’t let me explain. No one listens to me.

He takes my hand and squeezes. Then tell me. You know I’ll listen.

I sigh to relax myself, then I relay the whole story to him: everything about Louisa, the plants, and my experiment. Even though I’m still in this cell and very much in danger, I feel a ton lighter telling my dad everything.

He rubs his head and says, You should’ve come to me, Poppy.

You would’ve taken the issue to the Council, and either they would’ve said no or deliberated so long that it wouldn’t matter any longer. Someone needed to take action and not talk and talk.

A small smile comes to his face. You’re right, but you also have to face the repercussions of making these decisions. They’re calling a special session of the Council in a few hours to decide your fate. They’re going to give you time to explain what you’ve done and why you’ve done it.

A cold sweat forms on my palms, and I start to shake. I can’t get up in front of adults and talk about important things like that. No one is going to listen to me.

Dad, you have to tell them. You have to make them understand. I was doing it for the future of the community.

He shakes his head. "No, Poppy. You have to make them understand. They’re not going to allow me on the Council for this one since I’m too close to the issue. You made the decision to do what you did. I’m not saying I don’t agree with it, but ultimately, it was your decision. You need to get yourself out of this. You’re a smart young woman. You just need to find your voice, and you need to do it quick. He pauses, then adds with a catch in his throat, They’re talking about exiling you from the dome."

There’s a knock at the window, and a voice comes over a speaker in the cell.

Wrap it up, Dad.

He gives me a squeeze. I believe in you. You need to believe in you.

My eyes fill with tears. I can barely think about what to do next. But as he starts to leave, something comes to me.

Dad, can you do one thing for me? Maybe it will help my case out.

What is it?

Can you bring the plants here? I have no idea how the experiment panned out, but at least I can show them I really was trying. My notes are by the experimentation chambers.

He nods, and without another word, he is whisked away by the guards.

The Council meeting room looks like nothing more than a fancy conference room. I was kind of hoping for some cool-looking courtroom with an audience and stuff. They decided since this had such a sensitive nature that it was to be a closed meeting with just me, the Council, and a few of their assistants.

In the sterile conference room, there is a long table with all the Council members sitting facing me. Behind them is a floor-to-ceiling window looking outside the dome. I focus on the brilliant blue skies and sand with red-and-tan hues swirling about. My hands sweat, and my leg shakes almost uncontrollably. I want to cry and hide, but I can’t. This is bigger than me.

All right, let’s get this thing started, a chunky gray-haired man says. He glares at me then says gruffly, I assume you know why you’re here, Ms. Mae.

I shake my head in silence.

Great, Councilperson Jones. He’s sure as heck going to make this a reason to get my dad off the Council. My stomach groans thinking of the peril I put my dad in.

Good. We’ve been briefed on your side of the story, he grumbles.

A swarthy-skinned woman speaks gently, Did the Outsiders somehow coerce you into letting one of their kind in? You’re young and naive and may not understand some of the intricacies of their kind.

Councilperson Jones explodes, Chloe, do not put words into this girl’s mouth! She is a traitor straight up. She was old enough to make the decision, and she’s old enough to live with the repercussions.

Chloe responds, I was not trying to put words in her mouth. We all are familiar with the experiments that Poppy does and how dedicated she is to her work finding a cure for the blight. If someone exploited that, then—

Another member chimes in, Why don’t you let the girl explain things for herself?

I’m silent, looking at all of the members. Some of them are scowling in disappointment. Others look at me with sadness. A fallen daughter of the Council. I could easily say that Louisa and the Outsiders tricked me. More than likely, I’ll just become more of a social pariah than I am, but all would be forgiven, eventually.

I close my eyes and just breathe, thinking of what to say. Before I gather my calm, a bellicose voice says, We’re waiting!

Something inside me uncoils. I stand from my seat, no longer afraid.

I know you want me to say the Outsiders tricked me, or to admit that all along, I’ve harbored some hatred toward our dome. Heck, it might make getting my dad out of the Council easy, and I’m sure at least one of you would like that, I say, looking a Councilmember Jones.

He grumbles at me, and I ignore him then continue, The truth is that I knew what I was doing. Conducting an experiment on the plant that Louisa gave me seemed like a good idea. You have to admit we weren’t getting anywhere with the experiments we’ve been doing. I knew that it would take months for anyone to listen to me if they even did. We don’t have time for that. We need to check our egos at the door. If the Outsiders have something that could work, then why not?

Because you could’ve risked our whole society, and I say if you want to interact with the Outsiders, then you need to be with them! Jones bellows.

The members of the Council start to talk all at once. Some of them agreeing with Jones, others are arguing and actually on my side. The room is abuzz with confusion. A knock at the door comes over the din of the room. The door opens with my dad with plants in his hands and a guard at his side.

I found him trying to get in. He says he has a right to be with his daughter, the guard says.

Jones bellows, He’s trying to interfere. Get him out of here!

Chloe says, This is his daughter. He’s not asking to vote, he’s asking to be with his daughter. She has a right to have someone on her side.

Jones mumbles something about thinking I have someone on my side already. The rest of the Councilmembers agree, and my dad comes inside. He goes to the table and put the plants down. My heart skips a beat seeing that the specimens are still alive. I don’t know what time it is, but my stomach tells me it’s way past dinner. One of the specimens seems to be thriving much better than the other, with many more blooms and greenery since I saw it last night.

What are these? one Councilmember asks.

These are sunchokes. These are the plants that Louisa gave me, I explain. They lived. They both lived. I infected one of them with blight and not the other. And they both lived. I mean, this one isn’t growing as well, I say, pointing to the smaller plant, but it still lived! Even if I infected it.

Dad says, You don’t understand. The smaller one is the unaffected plant. The bigger one has been infected with the blight, according to your notes. There seems to be a symbiotic relationship here. This species seems to thrive with the blight.

Everyone, including me, is speechless.

Chloe breaks the silence, I think we have some deliberation to do. It seems that Ms. Mae might have made a breakthrough.

A few months later

After a few weeks of intensive experiments by the scientists in the dome, they did confirm my results. Apparently, this species of sunchokes survived or even thrived with the blight. The scientists were even stunned. As for me, the Council deadlocked on what to do with me. Some said that even if my gamble paid off, I still should be punished because I broke the rules. Some felt like I should be forgiven for everything because of my discovery. Eventually, we came to an agreement.

And don’t forget your hydration pack, your sunscreen, and rations.

I roll my eyes. Dad, I’m only going to be gone a few months on the expedition. Louisa has lived her whole life on the outside. She’ll show me how things work.

He nods, trying to sneakily wipe tears from his eyes. I don’t call attention to it, but instead, just hug him.

He releases me and says with his voice cracking, I’m proud of you, kiddo. I wish I could go with you. This is an adventure you won’t forget.

I’m excited to go. I know some of the Councilmembers saw me leaving for a few months as paying penance, but I’m pretty excited to go and look for new vegetation with the scientists. And we need you here to advocate for the Outsiders they let in.

The Outsiders agreed to show us spots with vegetation if we agreed to take in some of their elderly and sick.

Louisa runs up to me and says, You ready to go? We’re getting ready to head out.

I nod and squeeze my dad again then start to walk with Louisa. Before I’m out of earshot of my dad I say, I love you, and I’ll miss you. I’ll be back soon.

He smiles and waves. My heart leaps for the adventure that is in front of me.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Paige Daniels is a science fiction writer hailing from the American Midwest. She is the author of the Non-Compliance series, the Singularity Wars series, and a number of short stories. By day she works