Things Brought Back to Life
A scientist's tracking story centered on a massive organism escape incident at an extinct species restoration company.
At 2 AM, the alarm at Distant Life breathed like a person. The iron door of the third breeding facility was warped from the inside.
Veterinary geneticist Ha Seo-jin ran down the hallway without even putting on her shoes properly. Footprints were marked on the floor. The size of a plate, with deep claw marks. A specimen they had raised for seven years. The biggest promise Distant Life had made to the world this spring. The reason the stock price had hit the daily limit three days in a row.
“Turn on the thermal imaging,” Seo-jin said into the radio. Instead of a response, only static came through.
The company had always bought and sold living things. The moment they said they were bringing back what was lost, people thought of numbers first. Seo-jin had heard the sound of those numbers breathing for the first time now.
The fence on the forest side was torn open. Seo-jin lowered her flashlight. Beyond the smell of wet earth came the metallic smell of an animal. A branch broke to the left. Then to the right. It wasn’t just one.
Seo-jin held her breath. In the darkness, two yellow points slowly opened. The height was above her head.
She realized then that it hadn’t escaped. It had opened a long-closed door and was walking toward where it was supposed to be.
The radio crackled again. The team with the tranquilizer gun said they were a minute away. Seo-jin couldn’t respond. One point slowly tilted toward her. The entire forest trembled low against its breath.
The lights of Distant Life were going out one by one in the distance.
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