You lift the DNA core from its cradle, the container pulsing faintly with cold blue light. Frost kisses your fingertips through the insulated casing—whatever’s inside is still active. Ancient, engineered life, held in a glass vial no bigger than your fist. As you slide it into your bag, its weight feels far heavier than it should—like you’ve just taken responsibility for something powerful, dangerous, and possibly world-changing. The alarms stay silent, but the jungle doesn’t. Somewhere nearby, something stirs.