Verdant disaster

I wonder what really happened with the plants...why did they grow like that? I wanna visit the Greenhouse.

— A Student to another

The Verdant disaster happened in the Old main Greenhouse building in The Old Greenhouse Area in the Violet section on The Station , 2470 year ago, in the year 557AR.

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History

When contact and trading was established with the planet of Faystrand the scientists got a hold of a plant whose name was translated as a “Turbocherry bush”. And indeed, the plants growth rate was astonishing. It produced yields at a rate never seen before.
With the increasing population on The Station the scientists concluded that they had to experiment to find out how to speed up the growth rate of all plants. Without the Government of Reki’s input the scientists started experimenting. At first it went very well. The usual disasters like lighting and temperature failure didn’t happen. But then the experiment took a catastrophic turn.
The plants began to grow uncontrollably and started exhibiting aggressive behaviours. The plants and their foliage started growing out of their enclosures and infiltrated The Stations infrastructure. Vents and leylines were disrupted.
It took several hours before the government was made aware of the problem when several crucial infrastructure operations of The Station started to became non-functional. Enforcers, equipped with flame throwers, chemical agents, and heavy-duty cutting tools, were dispatched. The operation to reclaim the Greenhouse and save the Greenhouse workers lasted for 32 hours. Even a group of speciality trained Extractor students had to be used.
The aftermath was devastating. Critical systems on The Station had been compromised, leading to widespread power outages, transportation failures, and other secondary disasters. In total, 1423 lives were lost due to the direct and indirect effects of the disaster.
The inhabitants faced the dual challenge of mourning their dead and rebuilding vital infrastructure. The disaster sparked an ethical debate. The lack of government oversight in the experiments was heavily criticized. New policies were implemented to ensure that all scientific research underwent rigorous ethical review and safety checks.
In the years following the disaster, a memorial was erected in the Central Park close to The Central Library listing the names of those who perished. Annual ceremonies are held to honor their memory, and the story of the Verdant disaster is taught in school to every new generation on The Station as a cautionary tale.
The Verdant disaster also sparked a plague called Verdant rot. The people who died from this condition also has a memorial next to the Verdant rot one.
The old Greenhouse was abandoned after the disaster and a new one was built in Monochrome, closer to the government building.