4
Janine inspected the spiderbot en route to Shoalhaven, a quarter way around Nartressa. The island was isolated amidst a large patch of seaweed, situated in a gyre, the nearest ocean currents a hundred miles out to sea. Randall piloted the craft with sure hands.
The first sample procured by the bot that morning was en route to the Institute, the initial genetic analysis so bizarre that it was already making waves in the scientific community. The protein structure appeared to be a triple helix composed of three pairings of six nucleotides—adenine, thymine, guanine, and cytosine—plus two new proteins never before seen in carbon life-form evolution. Both these proteins were already notable for their volatility, appearing to destabilize upon contact with air.
What bewildered Janine, and wo
