Flora

In the spring of 1929, a team of student botanists arrives in an uncharted North American forest to map the native flora. They quickly discover their professor is missing and their food supplies have been destroyed, setting up an urgent, survival-focused mission.

After a day of waiting for the professor's return, the students decide to search for him through the forest. They navigate the terrain and confront the anxiety of dwindling supplies as they press on. The search marks the shift from exploration to a survival quest.

The group discovers the professor deceased in a nearby abandoned mining town, wearing a gas mask as if prepared for danger. The grim revelation confirms a deadly threat is present in the environment. His death becomes a turning point that spurs a new investigation into the cause.

Matsudaira Basho analyzes the ecosystem and proposes that the illness may be an endophyte carried by local plants, transmitted through ingestion or pollen inhalation. The idea reframes the outbreak as plant-based rather than a typical infection. The team begins to consider how the flora around them drives the danger and their survival strategy.

With supplies dwindling, the students decide to trek toward a railway to await a monthly train. They boil harvested plant material to render it non-pathogenic and fashion biohazard gear, including gas masks, to protect themselves from infection. The journey becomes a careful balance of caution and progress.

As they advance, the pathogen sickens several students, testing their stamina and resolve. They adapt their route and methods to minimize exposure while continuing toward safety. The forest itself increasingly feels like a hostile, contagious environment.

The group spots a distant pine forest on the horizon and hypothesizes that pine needles carry an antigen that could shield them from other plant life. They push toward the pine belt, hoping it offers sanctuary and a way to survive the pathogen. This realization reframes their approach to the forest as a possible safeguard.

Avis, the team nurse, collapses due to a hole in her breathing apparatus. Matt notices and returns to her, which separates him from Ora and Haviland. The split heightens the peril as the group loses cohesion in the face of the threat.

Matt stumbles into an area filled with hammocks and encounters a little girl who turns out to be a hallucination. He also sees other deceased members of the team in visions. Ora and Haviland hear his whistle and realize he is deteriorating, prompting a frantic response.

Haviland, maskless after giving his mask to Matt, returns to retrieve him and then collapses. Ora nurses Matt back to health, and the group resumes their march, now having lost a companion and time. The sacrifice underscores the harsh choices required to survive.

With Matt stabilized, Ora presses forward alone toward the pine forest and the awaiting railway. She endures exhaustion and pushes toward the hope of rescue. The solitary trek emphasizes her resolve to reach help and bring back researchers.

Ora finally arrives at the railway and collapses before the train arrives. She wakes, removes her mask, and hears the distant rumble of the approaching train. The rescue seems imminent, but the forest’s danger lingers in her mind as she awaits aid.