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A tiny needle samples; the pain unnoticed in her Trojan finger. DNA turns into bits and she smiles as the locks disengage. The data is hers.

Researchers from the University of Washington have demonstrated how DNA can be encoded to infect computers. Malicious software was encoded into physical strands of DNA, creating a program that corrupts gene-sequencing software. In an eerie mirror image of Stephenson’s Snow Crash, it then takes control of the underlying computer. Harold Gross gives the story a bio-punk twist, with a dash of scientific reality. // Alex Massey

//Harold Gross returns with another deposit to the Vault. A professional actor, movie critic, and computer professional, his writing has appeared in F&SF, Analog, on Pseudopod.org, as well as in publications around the globe.//