Starbase Lab 08

The door hisses open and I step into the lab. It's strikingly bright in here, all white walls and floors illuminated by overhead lights. In the center of the room is a large glass enclosure housing some kind of experiment; scientists in white lab coats move around it, making adjustments and taking readings. I can't help but be impressed by the sheer size of the place; it must span at least a couple acres. The ceiling seems impossibly high, lost in shadows above us. There are doors leading off to other parts of the facility, but for now I stay put and watch as the researchers go about their work. There's an orderliness to everything that makes me feel calm just being here. Maybe it's because there isn't a speck of dust or dirt anywhere; even on Earth labs like this one are usually cluttered with equipment and papers strewn about everywhere. But not here- everything has its place, from the smallest test tube to the biggest piece of machinery. "Ah," says one scientist nearby, "we're finally getting somewhere." His colleague nods agreement before both turn back to their workstation monitors.