Copies portions of itself into Video RAM and treats it as a TSR.

Next program you load gets infected from Video RAM and spreads from there. Undetectable unless you"re running debug at the same time and looking for it. Then it stealths itself into all V-RAM applications and spreads outside the O/S.

TRIGGERS?

I forget the exact trigger mechanism, but it gives constant parity errors. Nothing"ll run.

OK! LOOKIN" GOOD.

Also have a few Lotus utilities, a couple of games.

THE GAMES ARE GOING GREAT GUNS. WE SHOULD BE SELLING THEM IN THE STORES.

How many?

AS OF A WEEK AGO, MORE THAN 240,000 PACK-LADIES HAVE BEEN DOWN LOADED. THAT"S OUR BEST SELLER.

Anyone sending money?

SURPRISINGLY, YES. WE"RE TURNING A PROFIT.

s.h.i.t. That"s not what we wanted.

CAN"T KEEP A GOOD PROGRAM DOWN.

Yeah Yeah Yeah. Need some info.

THAT"S OUR MIDDLE NAME. WHAT DO YOU NEED?

You hear about the First Bank hacker?

SURE! I GOT A DOZEN PEOPLE TAKING CREDIT FOR IT.

You"re kidding

NO! IT"S A GOOD ONE. BRING A BANK TO IT"S KNEES. STOP STOCK TRADING. SEC INVESTIGATION. A LOT OF OUR FOLKS WOULD HAVE BEEN PROUD.

Was it us?

NO WAY.

Then who, really?

d.a.m.nED IF I KNOW OR CARE.

Care

WHAT? SINCE WHEN DO WE CARE ABOUT THE AMATEURS?

Since now. Things are heating up too soon. I need to know who pulled the job.

I CAN GET A LOT OF PEOPLE TO ADMIT IT, BUT I CAN"T VERIFY IT.

Whoever did it is not likely to advertise it openly. We may need to pull him into the open.

GOTCHA

Here"s my thinking. a.s.sume the hack is just a kid. He"s getting no credit and receives a s.h.i.tty allowance. So, we offer a re- ward. Whoever can prove that they are the one"s who broke into First Bank, we"ll send them a new 386. Whatever, use your imagi- nation.

THINK HE"LL BITE?

If it"s a pro, no. But this doesn"t ring of a pro. The news- papers know too much.

AND IF WE FIND HIM?

Just get me his number and shipping address. Make sure he gets the computer too.

OK BOSS. ANYTHING ELSE?

Keep up the good work. Oh, yeah. I need the estimates.

NO PROBLEM. THEY LOOK GREAT. IN JUST OVER 2 YEARS, WE HAVE GIVEN AWAY OVER 1,300,000 INFECTED PROGRAMS AND NONE HAVE GONE OFF YET. ACCORDING TO PLAN.

Love it. Peace.

BYE, YOU MF.

>>>>>

Monday, December 7 New York City

The phone on Scott Mason"s desk had been unusually, but grateful- ly quiet. Higgins had been able to keep the First State lawyers at bay with the mounds of information the paper had acc.u.mulated on MacMillan"s doings. The bank"s stock was trading again, but at a dilution of over 75%. Most individual customers had cashed out their accounts, including Higgins, and only those long term portfolios remained. Scott"s stories on First Bank had won him recognition by his peers. No awards, but an accolade at the New York Journalists Club dinner. Not bad, he thought.

Now the hard work continued for him. The full background a.n.a.ly- ses, additional proof, more witnesses now that Sidneys was under Federal indictment and out of work. MacMillan was in trouble, but it was clear to Scott, that if the heat got turned up too much, there was a cache of millions offsh.o.r.e for the person with the right access codes.

His phone rang.

"Scott Mason."

"Hey, Scott this is Kirk. We gotta talk, I"m in trouble." Kirk sounded panicked.

"d.a.m.n Klingons," Scott cracked.

"Seriously, I"m in trouble. You gotta help me out."

Scott realized this was no prank. "Sure, sure, calm down. What happened?"

"They found me, and they got into my computer and now it"s gone . . .s.h.i.t, I"m in trouble. You gotta help me."