Chapter 91: First Harvest, First Frost
The fungal harvest was not a glorious thing. It grew in the resurrected hydroponic bays, a fast-spreading, spongy grey mass that pulsed faintly with its own bioluminescence in the precise, artificial twilight of the Vault's agricultural sector. It smelled of damp earth and ozone. To warriors raised on the rich, bloody meat of the hunt, it looked like something that grew on a rotting log.
Lyra stood over the first tray, a harvesting knife in her hand. Elias, circles under his eyes but buzzing with triumph, beamed at it. "Strain Gamma-7. Calorie-dense, packed with essential proteins and vitamins, neutral flavor profile. It'll keep a warrior on his feet. And we can produce fifty kilos a day once the other bays are online."
