The Warden
Art Blackwood receives a mysterious plant that doesn't trap prey but hunts signals. As he studies it, he discovers it can disable targets and contains encrypted DNA. When it reveals a map of an orbital station, Art realizes it's a warning of a hidden threat—and he may be the only one who can understand it.
Scenario details
On a quiet Tuesday, in his cramped apartment laboratory, Art Blackwood receives a strange package wrapped in light-absorbing black film. Inside, he discovers a climate-controlled tube containing an unusual rhizome labeled as a rare carnivorous plant. Intrigued, Art begins examining the specimen, unaware that this seemingly simple delivery will challenge his understanding of biology and draw him into a far greater mystery.
The story begins in a near-future world where advanced biotechnology and synthetic ecosystems coexist with everyday life. Art’s cramped apartment laboratory reflects a blend of low-budget research and high-level science, filled with improvised equipment and controlled biospheres. Beyond his walls, humanity has expanded into orbital agricultural stations, relying on engineered organisms to sustain life, hinting at a fragile balance between innovation and unseen biological risks.
Art Blackwood must uncover the true purpose of “The Warden,” a bioengineered plant carrying encrypted warnings about a hidden threat in orbital ecosystems. As he deciphers its signals, his objective becomes to identify the source of the infestation, understand the technology behind it.
