“Um, Micah Corporation… This seems to be the place.”
“Here huh……”
“Uwaah……”
My and Elma’s faces are probably making the same apprehensive expression right now. Cause, y’see, this Micah Corporation’s hydroponic farming facility is actually the spitting image of Sierra Corporation’s cultured meat processing facility…… The two of them both dealt with food products, so the designs of their facilities are identical. Is that it? Cause apart from the differences in signage, the facilities are practically twins.
“A-Anyway, let’s enter first.”
“Yeah……”
“Okay……”
The three of us resigned ourselves in our hearts and entered beyond the facility’s front gate.
“Oh, so the interior is actually quite different.”
“You’re right.”
We still weren’t able to spot any other people apart from ourselves just like when we arrived at the meat plant, but unlike there, this hydroponic farm seemed far more brightly lit. Why the difference in illumination? The interior of this facility is evidently brighter and just looked more proper.
“Welcome, everyone. You’re the tour group led by Hiro-sama, are you not?”
“Yes.”
The staff who welcomed us was a young lady who was a shining example of a normal company receptionist. She looked prim and proper in her uniform which resembled something worn by a stewardess. She was leagues better than the shady-looking male receptionist in that meat processing plant.
“I have been assigned as your guide for today’s tour. It has been a long time since we’ve had people visit us. The staff are really looking forward to– Um, what is it, dear guests?”
My face slightly cramped from the feeling of de ja vu. Mimi and Elma were probably feeling the same as me. The receptionist lady tilted her head in puzzlement at our reactions.
“Oh, uh, well, we just came from a tour of Sierra Corporation’s cultured meat processing facilities y’see. So, uh……”
“Ah…… That incomprehensible tour overflowing with weirdness, that really seems like someone’s bad joke gone terribly wrong…… No, although it’s bad manners to talk about others behind their backs, that kind of tour was a little bit too much, wasn’t it? We hired the same contractor to construct both our facilities, so that’s the reason why our buildings are so alike.”
The receptionist lady explained as she gave us a wry grin. It looks like she was quite familiar with that other company’s tour details.
“Please do not worry. I can guarantee that our company’s tour is a proper one. At the very least, it won’t cause our guest’s faces to turn all blue.”
The receptionist lady then gave us a sunny smile. Her smile managed to dispel the cloud of anxiety that had built up deep in our chests somewhat.
“We’re really counting on you……”
“Yes, please be at ease. You all will need to be sterilized before we start our tour. Please enter that door over there.”
The room the receptionist lady guided us to was something similar to the sterilization room found inside Sierra Corporation’s facility. Will white smoke go *pushuu inside here as well? Is that smoke even safe? I hope it doesn’t have any negative effects on the body or something. Well, the technology here is really advanced, so I guess there’s no need to worry… I hope?
We followed the instructions and walked out of the room after sterilization. What was waiting inside was not a freaky gondola, but a corridor with transparent glass walls serving as a barrier. It looks like we need to walk with our own feet to see the various sights during this tour.
“Uwah, it’s so bright.”
“Yeah, it is. It’s really similar to real daylight.”
“There’s an explanation here. Hm. It seems it’s a specialized light source which emits a wavelength that is more suitable for growing crops.”
“……So it’s like a sunlamp.”
I remember a certain game having a similar facility which allowed you to grow and harvest crops regardless of the season. I guess it uses up quite a bit of power, but with the technology in this world, I think they already have a variety of energy sources available. Even my Krishna boasts a power generator with ridiculous output that makes use of unknown tech.
“I wonder what kind of crops are those?”
“Hm? Yeah, I’m curious as well. They look like watercress.”
Watercress is often used as a garnish or side dish to things like steak after all. It seems they were raising crops that look really similar to watercress here.
“It says here that it’s a vegetable that’s high in nutrients. It has a bit of a sharp taste when eaten fresh. It’s one of the raw ingredients used in the contents of food cartridges, it seems.”
Elma read and relayed to us the contents of the explanation written on the glass partition. Fumu, I see. I heard that stuff like algae and krill-creatures were the main ingredients used in food cartridges, but I guess they use these vegetables as well.
The plants resembling watercress were taken care of by various robots; drones that flew around the vast cultivation area and robotic arms moving on rails stretched out all over the farm. It was almost completely automated.
While observing such a sight, we arrived at an area where a great number of circular pools were installed.
“Green-colored pools…… Algae?”
“It seems so. It’s an area specialized for growing the algae type used as one of the main ingredients in food cartridges.”
This area was also automated. Robot arms were harvesting the algae with nets. There were also ones that sprayed brown-colored powder on top of some of the pools.
“What is that brown powder? Fertilizer?”
“Let’s see…… Ugeh.”
“What’s wrong?”
“That’s made from domestic waste collected from starships, it seems.”
“Domestic waste……”
“Oh……”
In other words, it’s those things that are solidified and turned into blocks. They not only consist of human waste but also garbage and wastewater from the bathrooms of the ships. Our ship also produces them, of course. And a waste collection company commissioned by the port administration office would regularly come to collect them.
“Well, it’s a classic case of recycling. Those came from people like us in the first place anyway.”
“Well, you’re right. But…”
“It feels a bit weird though.”
“Well, back on Earth, where I’m from, it was normal to use things like droppings for fertilizer. I think the use of human droppings has decreased compared to back in the past, but they would still make use of animal dung or the remains of seeds squeezed out of their oil. Things like that are quite common. They did use human excrement liberally in the far past though.”
In fact, the practice might still be going strong, but I haven’t seen an actual fertilizer pool anyway, so I really wouldn’t know. I’m not too familiar with agricultural stuff. The most I know are basic things.
“Fumu. As expected of someone who grew up on a backwater planet.”
“Don’t call it something like a backwater planet. It sounds weird. But it’s true that I think this world’s technology is extraordinarily advanced compared to where I’m from.”
As we discussed along the way, we managed to reach another pool area.
“It looks like this is the krill culturing area.”
“So it’s like a zooplankton culturing area. It seems domestic waste is being used as feed here.”
“Speaking of which, I think I heard something like that as well back in the cultured meat factory.”
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