[ WP ] The world as we know it is a case study , and the panel of scientists in charge are debating wether or not to end it .

“ Shall we? ” Jim asked. 
 
 
 “ Yeah, start it up, ” Frank said. 
 
 
 Jim reached out and placed his hand on the glass box to his left. A thick, maroon button sat flush against the wall inside, accompanied by a long-since-dead fly. With his right hand, Jim lifted his ID badge from around his neck and grabbed the key hanging next to his picture. He bent forward slightly and slid it into the slot, then twisted it. The box clicked softly under his hand. He pulled upwards on the glass. 
 
 
 “ Hope it works this time. ” Jim placed his hand against the button. It was cold against his palm; he could feel the soft bumps that layered the top of the button. He turned his head and glanced at Frank, then pushed down with a bit too much force as the button tapped the wall with a soft click. An alarm echoed through the laboratory as the large, blue orb ahead of them slowly began rotating with a mechanical hum. Jim flipped on the large medical light hanging above the orb, which dimmed the room ’ s lighting as it grew in intensity. The orb began moving slightly closer to the light. 
 
 
 “ Time? ” Frank asked, rolling two chairs closer to the orb. 
 
 
 Jim glanced at his watch. “ 3:31pm, year one. ” He sat down in the chair, which rotated slightly under his weight. He stabilized himself with his legs, grabbed the clipboard on the desk next to him, and leaned forward. 
 
 
 The orb was rotating rather quickly – Frank had insisted that they try a higher rate this time around. Nothing had to come to fruition in the previous two attempts, which Jim chalked up to simple miscalculations in temperature. Frank, however, was obstinate in the error being the speed at which they started. It simply turned too slowly, he said—speed was crucial for the beginning, not becoming irrelevant until after initial growth and when the light could correctly calibrate to the rotational rate. Jim suggested they dim the medical light to start rather than speed things up, but ultimately conceded. He knew full well that there was little point in arguing with Frank when he was set on something. They agreed upon a speed of roughly 30rpm to start, but had calibrated cameras to allow for specific, close-up viewings of certain areas to avoid having to consistently walk in circles. 
 
 
 Jim squinted as he rolled closer to the orb, trying to allow his eyes to become accustomed to the rotations. “ Doesn ’ t look like much is happening, ” he said. 
 
 
 “ Give it some time, I think we ’ re at the right speed now. We ’ re only about a month in. ” 
 
 
 The orb continued to rotate under the lamp. Its light caused a brilliant reaction wherever it hit, just as it had in previous tests. The water become a much more crisp blue, even completely clear in some areas; a warm amber spread over the landmasses whenever painted by light. The areas not under illumination quickly lost color, some became iced over at incredible rates as the orb moved further away. Jim noticed that both the top and the bottom of the orb were becoming almost entirely coated in a thick layer of ice and snow, as was one side of the orb. Unlike their last failed test, however, the ice was not spreading to the face tilted toward the lamp. He glanced up at Frank, who was writing on his clipboard. 
 
 
 “ How long until it moves closer? ” Jim asked. 
 
 
 “ Few more seconds, we ’ re almost at its furthest point. ” 
 
 
 Jim glanced back at the orb and leaned forward, placing his weight on his knees. He watched as the ice slowly spread down further from the poles of the orbs. The orb moved further and further as the ice extended out. He glanced back at Frank again. 
 
 
 “ It ’ s coming back, ” Frank said, rising to his feet and walking closer to the sphere. 
 
 
 Jim stared as the orb made a noticeable movement back toward the light. The ice began receding back to the poles as the continent in the center slowly returned to an amber hue. 
 
 
 “ I think it ’ s working, ” Jim said. 
 
 
 “ I told you it was the speed. I— ” Frank paused. “ Look. ” He pointed toward monitor on the left of the sphere. A small, green patch was beginning to form along the landmass. It began spreading across the continent. 
 
 
 “ Is that a forest? ” Jim asked, standing from his seat and walking closer to the monitor. He placed his hand on the mouse below it and clicked. A camera twitched to life as the monitor slowly moved inward, bringing a thick green into view. 
 
 
 “ That ’ s a forest. That ’ s a god damn forest, ” Frank said, walking over to Jim. 
 
 
 “ Should we speed it up? ” Jim asked. 
 
 
 Frank stood for a moment and stared at the monitor. “ Can we reproduce this? ” he asked. 
 
 
 “ Yeah, we haven ’ t really done anything other than turn it on. We can definitely start over if we need to. ” 
 
 
 “ Let ’ s do it, then. No point sitting here for an hour. ” 
 
 
 Jim nodded and placed his hand back on the mouse, moving it slowly about the screen in front of him. He clicked on the speed and increased it dramatically. A low, gradual, mechanical growl echoed from behind them as the orb increased its rotation and pendulation. Jim turned and watched the orb. The green began to flourish and expand over the amber landmass. The ice remained relatively consistent. Slowly the land itself began to separate and move. Jim glanced at Frank, who was again writing on his clipboard, then returned his gaze toward the monitor. 
 
 
 “ Hang on, ” Frank said. Jim clicked the mouse again. The mechanical growl slowed to its original hum. Frank pointed at the monitor. “ Do you see that? ” 
 
 
 Jim squinted. Something was moving under the tree-line. He clicked the mouse and the camera again zoomed in. A large reptilian creature meandered across the monitor. 
 
 
 “ Looks like we have an infestation, ” Frank said. “ Speed it back up, let ’ s see what happens. ” 
 
 
 Jim clicked the mouse again as the growl returned. The orb rotated furiously as the landscape slowly become increasingly covered in forest. The creatures were visible on the monitors, constantly being born and dying, each changing slightly from the last generation. Frank walked back the orb and stared into it, then popped a circular candy into his mouth. He had a terrible sweet tooth. 
 
 
 “ These things are so hot, I— “ Frank began coughing. Jim turned toward him – he was doubled over, mouth buried in his hands as his body shook with each cough. Jim sighed and walked over, then smacked him on the back. The candy flew out of his mouth and smacked into the side of the orb. 
 
 
 “ Oh shit, ” Jim said. The planet continued to spin as a chemical reaction spread across the planet. A fireball engulfed the orb for a split second, then immediately died out. Jim glanced at Frank. He was still staring at the orb. The green had been replaced by a thick, burnt black. 
 
 
 “ Well, ” Frank said. “ I guess that ’ s one way to get rid of the infestation. We ruined our plants, though. ” Jim nodded and glanced back at the orb. A flash of green caught his attention as it rotated aggressively. 
 
 
 “ Maybe not, ” Jim said. The green spread across the globe, again flourishing as the orb moved toward the lamp. 
 
 
 
 [ Well, I ’ m pretty done with this prompt haha, it got kind of out of hand. Didn ’ t intend for it to be so long, so I ’ m just going to stop it here. Idea was eventually they ’ d decide to start over after wars took place, since they ’ re just trying to build a new device for gardening or something. ] 

