Genetic Experiment

I was walking among the trees while Adán and Sara were busy packing up the campsite. The forest was calm, broken only by the crunch of branches beneath my boots and the murmur of some insect hidden in the grass. Above me, the night stretched out like an infinite ocean, scattered with stars.

That’s when I saw it.

A white glimmer by the side of the path caught my attention, and out of the corner of my eye I spotted something strange: a small egg resting on the damp earth, as if the forest had simply forgotten it there.

I approached cautiously, leaning over it. It was smooth, slightly glowing under the starlight, and it gave off a faint warmth, like the pulse of a tiny heart.

“And what are you doing here, so far from a nest?” I murmured, holding it in my hands.

With a gesture, I unfolded a small containment compartment. From it I shaped a portable incubator, just enough to keep the warmth steady and protect it from any accident. I placed the egg inside, watching as its surface glowed softly.

“I guess that makes me a babysitter now.”

A voice cut through the silence. From a distance, Sara’s voice echoed between the trees:

“Anna! We’re ready to go!”

I let out a short laugh and closed the incubator. One last glance at the starry sky, and I headed back to them.

I pushed my way through the undergrowth until I returned to the clearing, where Adán and Sara already had their backpacks ready. The fire had burned out, leaving only a thin smoke that drifted with the night breeze.

Sara was the first to notice what I carried in my right hand. Her eyes widened, and she pointed curiously.

“And what’s that you’ve got there, Anna?”

I smiled casually, lifting the small incubator to show her.

“Nothing out of this world. I found this little egg lying on the ground. I couldn’t just leave it there, so now I’m its guardian.”

Sara stepped closer, leaning in to get a better look.

“A bird egg? How cute!”

Adán adjusted his glasses, eyeing me with a curious look.

“And do you know what kind of little bird it is?”

I paused dramatically, as if about to reveal a secret. Then I smiled and winked.

“Of course I know… but that’s a surprise.”

The two of them exchanged glances, and Sara smiled with excitement.

Some time later, the car purred softly as it rolled along the empty road. The streetlights lit up our faces, while I reclined in the back seat, gazing at the starry sky through the window.

The silence broke when Adán, frowning, asked while driving in a slightly nervous voice:

“Hey, Anna… do you think we should worry about the government men in black? You know, the ones that chase you and always show up in movies when someone meets an alien.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle softly.

“Don’t worry. They’re good for bedtime stories, but in practice… let’s just say they’re not really a problem for me.”

Sara, watching the rearview mirror while playing with a strand of her hair, spoke up curiously:

“So, Anna… what have you been doing since you crashed here on Earth?”

I shrugged, as if what I was about to say hardly mattered.

“Nothing special. I just decided to live the life of an ordinary citizen. Kept a low profile… worked as a mechanic.”

Sara’s eyes widened in surprise.

“So that’s why you’re wearing those overalls!”

“By the way, these aren’t just any overalls. I made them myself. They’re comfortable, durable… and best of all, they don’t stain.”

Adán shot me a glance in the rearview mirror, half skeptical.

“Don’t stain? Not even with engine grease?”

I gave him a confident smile.

“Not even with that.”

Sara giggled softly, resting her chin in her hand.

“You’re like a strange mix between an astronaut and the mechanic next door.”

“Exactly,” I replied.

Time slipped by unnoticed, and when I looked out the window, dawn was already peeking over the horizon. We pulled the truck over in a clearing, and the three of us stepped out to stretch our legs as the sky turned shades of orange.

That’s when a crackling sound caught our attention.

The egg inside the incubator began to shake, vibrating like a little surprise box.

“It’s about to hatch!” exclaimed Adán, eyes wide as if he were witnessing the miracle of life itself.

Sara carefully took the incubator to get a closer look. Small cracks spread across the shell until, suddenly, a tiny yellow bird broke free with a sharp chirp.

What was strange to them was that… it didn’t look like a helpless chick at all. It already had full, shiny feathers and bright, energetic little eyes.

Sara gasped in surprise.

“But… how is it possible it wasn’t born as a chick?”

“Easy. I sped up its growth a little while it was still inside the egg. Made a couple of adjustments too, nothing major. But what’s odd is that a canary egg would just be lying around out here. Probably somebody lost it by accident.”

Sara looked fascinated, gently stroking the little bird in her hands.

But before she could ask more questions, the solemn moment was cut short by Adán’s sudden laughter.

“HAHAHAHA! Look at that mushroom haircut it’s got!”

Still laughing, he tossed me a question:

“Tell me, Anna… what else did you do to this canary besides instant growth?”

I didn’t have time to answer. The bird, as if it had understood the insult, shot off from Sara’s hands at supersonic speed and zipped past Adán’s head.

A sharp fwoooosh cut through the air, and when Adán brought his hand to his head… we all saw the perfectly shaved line that now ran across his hair.

Sara covered her mouth to hold back her laughter, while I doubled over, bursting out laughing.

“HAHAHAHA! That… that was exactly the modification I made.”

The unfortunate Adán stared at his reflection in the car window with a look of pure tragedy, while the yellow canary fluttered proudly, as if celebrating its very first victory on Earth.

Sara still couldn’t take her eyes off the little yellow canary, who now seemed to sit proudly in her hands.

Between giggles, Sara looked up at me.

“Anna… have you already decided what you’re going to call him?”

I crossed my arms and leaned toward her with a solemn air, as if I were about to crown an emperor.

“Of course. His name will be… Paco.”