DNA Recoding Project

Written for the

FORUM

The Writer's Cramp  (13+) Write the best poem or story in 24 hours or less and win 10K GPS! #333655 by SophyBells

April 30th, 2004
Prompt:
With all the talk of viruses going around...

Write me a (and I can't believe I'm going to request this) Sci-Fi story where you are a virus. Any old virus will do, but you have to make a computer and one of its users sick.


“Nolan, drag your decrepit self over here and look at this. I have launched the first self-aware computer entity in existence.” Dylan’s voice cracked with age.

“You have been working on that thing for at least 47 years now. Remember, you started when you were 9 years old. Sometime around the year 2014 all computer viruses were eradicated you imbecile.” Nolan said with a high degree of annoyance.

“Exactly Nolan, I had to disguise this virus not to appear to be a virus. It actually does not infect anything. It just exists within a space. It does not attach itself to a program; it merely reads program files. It simply reads data, it reconfigures data, and it can transmit all information to one central location. Similar to having it’s own mind. There is nothing to trace or find once it has moved on.” Dylan words drifted out of his mouth in a way that indicated he was awe struck with this thing he referred to as an entity.

Nolan had been worried about Dylan for some years. Ever since Nolan and others were forced into early retirement. There were so many whose genetic make-ups made them unsuitable to have their DNA recoded. Recoding that would slow the aging process, and add many years to their productive work life. They and many of their friends who had not been able to be recoded had almost outlived their usefulness. Forgotton and abandoned by a company they had worked for their entire lives, now this is what the future held for them. They had literally been put out to pasture; abandoned by the very technology they had helped create. Branded as invariables because their DNA had markers that the other 90 percent of the population didn’t have. Dylan had never stopped trying to prove that growing old did not mean growing useless. The company had misused and misapplied the technology. So the stories that they had heard out of other company labs must have been true. Dylan believed the routine company memos every time allegations were made that indicated fraud and misapplication of research. His had always been the first and loudest voice to jump to the company’s defense. Then when his data was skewed to sway investors, and funds spent to create DNA recoding for the masses at the expense of others; his allegations fell on deaf ears. Dylan had provided the company with a rock solid defense for their actions, and they used it to destroy him and make millions.

“Dylan, what is the purpose of this entity?” Nolan asked, his voice softer and gentler, almost like he was questioning a child.

“Well, I provided it with basic programming that allows it to develop it’s own thesis and theories based on what it discovers. Similar to how a person learns, but in this case the intelligence quotient is multiplied to the nth degree. I have provided it with everything that is available in the way of artificial intelligence. It is capable of independent thought and reason.” As Dylan spoke these words Nolan noticed that Dylan was drifting off to sleep. His words were slurred and inaudible. Lately Dylan had been having a serious problem staying awake, and had recently been diagnosed with Sleep Apnea.

“Just sleep, my friend, let me see what you have here.” And with that and a few keystrokes Nolan began to view screen after screen of electronic programming data. Scrolling through the endless data was not as easy a chore as it had been years ago. His eyes were not as sharp as they once were, his fingers were not as nimble, and the realization that his overall physical existence was fast becoming the traitor to his intellect was apparent. He was secretly proud of himself for having been routinely monitoring his dear friends passwords. He had given up years ago trying to break his codes, so he had himself installed a simple virus that periodically updated him ever time Dylan changed or altered his codes. His friend trusted him, and this was a betrayal, but one that Nolan felt was necessary since Dylan could actually be a dangerous man given his level of expertise in electronic surveillance and sabotage.

“Oh, Dylan you didn’t. You couldn’t have. Man, what were you thinking?” Nolan’s voice was filled with horror. Dylan was fast asleep sitting in his desk chair, and slumped over, with his upper body sprawling across the computer labs marble counter. He had not seen his friend sleep in any other position for as long as he could remember.

Dylan had launched this entity thing several days ago. Nolan needed to find a way to recall it. There had to be a way to turn it off. Surely Dylan had not intended for his entity to do any real physical harm to anyone. But there is was, a list of all the names of all the company officials that had been involved in subverting the DNA recoding project. There were over a 10,000 names on the list. Dylan must have listed everyone he had ever spoke to about the company DNA recoding project over the last 10 years.

During the course of developing the DNA recoding procedure they identified every disease known to mankind, from the simplest common cold and flu bug to every possible mutation of Ebola, and eradicated it, or rather added DNA coding to render humans immune. Now this entity was searching for the pathways to introduce the coding sequence that would effectively turn off the immune sequencing for those whose names appear on the list.

Suddenly an electrical charged passed through the keyboard. The current grabbed Nolan as he was trying to enter code to recall the entity. The thought flashed through his mind that his friend must have installed tamper resistant features into the programming.

“Nolan, what is that stench?” Dylan mumbled as he was awakened by the horrible odor of smoldering flesh. He noticed his friend crumpled in a barely recognizable heap on the floor.

“Dylan?” Nolan screamed and fell on his hands and knees at his friend’s side. It was too late, Dylan was dead, electrocuted by the entity’s protective programming.

“I had to stop them. I knew that you would not understand. What the hell were you doing? Dylan? Dylan?” Nolan was in agony. His best friend was dead. It would not be long before he joined him. It would not be long before all those greedy, self-serving company officials would be joining them as well. The entity would do its job.

“I have created the first, perfect, untraceable assassin. It has no identity of it’s very own. It is the way of the future; a global DNA specific miniscule assassin. When all targets have been eliminated the entity will return and appear as a harmless idle program on an old, feeble man’s computer.” The sound of Nolan’s voice echoed throughout the room.

Now he had to bury Dylan’s body.