5825-3104988 -

As he reached for the latch, a low, rhythmic thumping started from within the metal walls. It wasn't the sound of shifting cargo. It was a heartbeat.

According to the Port Authority’s database, that specific sequence belonged to a shipping container that had been lost at sea in 1982. Yet, there it was, sitting in Berth 4, dripping with fresh saltwater and draped in bioluminescent algae that shouldn't exist in these latitudes. 5825-3104988

Elias approached the rusted steel doors. The first four digits, 5825 , represented the origin code—a defunct research station in the Arctic. The remaining seven, 3104988 , were supposed to be the weight and contents. But the math didn't add up. 3,104,988 kilograms was impossible for a single crate; it would have sunk the ship the moment it touched the deck. As he reached for the latch, a low,

The manifest in Elias’s hands was damp from the harbor fog. He ran his thumb over the entry at the bottom of the page: . According to the Port Authority’s database, that specific

Elias realized then that wasn't a serial number for a machine or a box of parts. It was a countdown, and according to his watch, the last digit had just clicked to zero.