A soft mechanical hiss signaled the test chamber's seal locking into place. Red lights flickered above the heavy glass enclosure, bathing the control room in a subtle warning glow. Everyone stood still, breath held, as if the air itself understood the weight of what was about to happen.
Delgado stood closest to the touchscreen interface, gloved fingers tapping a final sequence.
"Incendiary unit primed. Targeting pod tissue sample Zeta-Three."
Inside the isolated chamber, the sample sat like a coiled knot of nerves. It didn't resemble any known lifeform—reddish-orange, semi-translucent, with vascular fibers twitching intermittently like something waiting for breath. Even though it had been separated from the main Bloom Nest, it still moved. Still pulsed.
Still... listened.
"On your command," Delgado said, eyes locked on Thomas.
Thomas nodded once. "Do it."
With a single confirmation tap, the test began.
