"I can't accept this," he said, raising his voice.

"I'm sorry, but your research lacks relevance. You have one week to prepare your things, Dr. Renoué," said the director of the Institute of Sciences.

"But there's so much we don't know about animal regeneration and its relationship with the genome," he replied.

"The best laboratories in the world are close to discovering the final details. Besides, you know as well as I do that with the materializers, organs can be generated without rejection in seconds. You use them as part of your research," the director responded.

"Yes, but you know it's something completely different. What do you want me to do now?" he replied again.

"Someone with your credentials could easily work in the industrial sector," it sounded more like an order than a suggestion.

"What will be the next focus of research?" he asked, trying to ignore what was said before.

"Metamaterials and how to materialize them," he replied.

"But everyone is studying that. I know these materials have strange properties, but please," he knew what he was going to reply.

"Because everyone knows it's the future," the director answered, unsurprised by the doctor's reaction.

"Give me one month, and I'll bring you a truly new research project, something never seen before," he said, his voice breaking.

"Two weeks, that's all I can give you, and it better be good," he exclaimed.

"Thank you, sir, I promise you won't regret it," he said while thinking about what he could do to keep his job.

He tried to think of something because his job, the only thing he truly had and had worked so hard to obtain, was in danger. He sat in his office and thought, "What new idea could I develop?" Perhaps something else related to regeneration. "No, I think that's been done already." "Come on, remember what's at stake. What do I have of value to offer? What am I good at?" He knew about the development and regeneration processes of the axolotl; in fact, thanks to his research, he knew every step and what substances the embryo produced. With his programs, he could materialize axolotl eggs that would later become adults, but for what purpose? He had a graduate student on his team specializing in animal design; it was a new trend to design embryos for pets or the study of genetic or behavioral diseases. Although that wouldn't save his lab, at least he knew that student would find work easily. But it wasn't time to give up. Then he took a glass of water, and his attention was drawn to the magnets stuck on his board. And he thought about metamaterials. "I know they're helping the world, but heavens, now everything is about metamaterials; it sickens me." Then he remembered something he saw in his microbiology class; there were microorganisms that produced tiny magnets. And he had his big idea. "Do they want metamaterials? I'll give them metamaterials," he thought. But first, he reviewed scientific papers all night long, and indeed, no one was working on what he had in mind. What he did notice, though, was his own ignorance in materials physics and bacteria biology. He would need cooperation from more than one research department; it was risky, but he had no other options. He walked down the hall a few steps to Dr. Leonid Kozlov's office. He knocked on his door, and a tall, burly man answered.

"Dr. Kozlov, I presume?" Renoué said.

"Yes, that's my name. I'm busy now; can you come back later?" he replied with evident frustration.

"I'm Dr. Renoué, I believe this matter is important and could benefit both of us," he knew if he didn't speak to him now, he might never get the chance.

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"Ah, I think I remember you. You study tadpoles or something like that. I don't know how that could be of interest to me," he replied coldly. Renoué ignored the comment and, trying to sound diplomatic, continued. "I beg you to listen to my idea; I promise it will be interesting."

"Fine, come in," he let him in reluctantly. After listening to his idea, Kozlov was left speechless. He asked a few questions and was even more amazed. At first, he thought the man had lost his mind, but no, everything fit together. If they succeeded, they would make history.

"Are you sure it's possible?" Kozlov asked him.

"You will tell me, do you think it's impossible?" Renoué replied.

"I don't know, the conditions for the formation of metamaterials are usually extreme, but if you say a living being can produce magnetite, I think certain materials could be created by the cell," he said.

"Now I just need to talk to Dr. Rodríguez; she is the specialist in metabolism," he said.

"Metabolism-what?" he asked.

"The mechanism by which living beings convert one chemical substance into another," he replied.

"Ah, right, right," he had forgotten. They said their goodbyes cordially.

He walked down the hall again until he reached Dr. Rodríguez's office. Her door read "Dr. Irma Rodríguez." A woman in her later years, slim and short, came out of it.

"Irma, how are you?" Renoué greeted her.

"Hello, François, I'm sorry to hear about the lab," she said, saddened.

Excitedly, he said, "I haven't given up yet; I have an idea and need your help."

"You know I'm busy, but I'm willing to listen to the project," she said, somewhat confused.

"You won't regret it," the excitement in his voice was evident. When he told her his idea, she reacted with disbelief but then began to consider the possibilities.

"Count me in. Who else is in on this?" she asked.

"I got Kozlov's cooperation, and I'm sure my graduate student, Josué Acevedo, will also help us," he replied.

"You managed to get Kozlov involved? What did you promise him?" she asked.

"I needed his help, and he was fascinated by the idea," he answered.

"Alright, this is going to be exciting," she said.

"Good, now the hard part, the bioethics committee," Renoué thought.

A few days later, after dealing with the paperwork, he presented the idea to the bioethics committee, which he almost lost, but after much discussion and pressure from the executives, he got their approval. The institute's director gave his laboratory more time, which was renamed the "Department for the Study and Development of Biometamaterials." After several months, they finally had the first results, a bacterium that produced magnetocaloric metals (metals that change their temperature with magnetism). But François didn't want to stop there. Finally, after many failed attempts, they achieved what was thought to be impossible, a complex organism with integrated metamaterials. The institute asked them to make a demonstration for investors and other potential sponsors. The team gladly accepted.

"Ladies and gentlemen investors, and other laboratory teams, this is the work we have been doing," said Renoué. Josué brought a tank with an axolotl, but with metallic veins all over its body, and placed it on a table, holding it so it wouldn't move. "This is the latest in animal design and a new milestone for science. As you can see, these metallic veins in the animal are metamaterials, and it is capable of altering the temperature around it," he signaled to Josué, who brought a thermometer closer to the salamander. The digital thermometer showed lower numbers within a field of about thirty centimeters around it. Everyone started applauding, and this stressed the creature. The numbers on the thermometer changed rapidly, and then suddenly, the temperature dropped so much that ice spikes formed around it, breaking the thermometer and freezing the assistant's hand, who screamed in pain. The axolotl ran towards the crowd, freezing everything in its path. After running for a while, it calmed down as quickly as it had stressed. All the investors left, and the director informed him that they would cancel the funding for his research. But someone who had seen everything and apparently was the only one who didn't flee approached the doctor, who was looking downcast.

"What a disaster," said a man dressed in military attire.

"I swear it was a minor setback; we just need to modify its behavior and reduce the intensity of its metamaterials," François explained.

"Reduce the intensity? I don't think that's what's needed, Doctor. How big can one of those creatures grow?" the man asked.

"Well, this one is already an adult," he replied. But seeing the disappointment on the military man's face, he continued, "But there were amphibians up to a meter in length or more."

"Very interesting, I'm General Wilson. I think this could be a great opportunity," he said, thinking about the future.