The other Feeler

"MPAD-24, I'd like to examine the other Feeler. From the reports, it sounds like it's dying, but I'd like to see it for myself."

The robot floated down the hall a short ways, rounded a corner and opened another door. From the outside, it looked very similar to the previous lab, but the Feeler in this one looked significantly different. While the first one had firm green vines, on this one the vines looked very brown and shrunken with a wrinkled texture. The central root also looked different as this one was larger, and it's outer covering looked similar to the bark of a very old tree. It did seem like this Feeler was probably much older than the first, and perhaps the condition was simply due to its age.

"Is it safe to approach this one?" you asked.

"This Feeler has not been pruned or harvested lately, but it has not produced any new vines for 46 days. The female vine has stopped producing seeds, and the male vine stopped producing any semen. Thus, it is safe to enter," answered MPAD-24.

You took a few steps in and took a look at the nearest tentacle. It didn't seem to be moving at all. After carefully grasping it, you could barely detect a slight vibration, but it soon stopped. The Feeler was alive, but barely. The vine seemed badly desiccated, as if it hadn't had any water or nutrients for a long time. After examining other vines and the central root, the symptoms were similar. It reminded you of plants you'd seen on earth after a long drought. However, this lab seemed similar to the other in terms of the humidity, and the other plants along the outer edges seemed to be fine.