DANTE
The virus whispers through microscope lenses in languages only DNA understands. Dr. Henry Chang's hands shake minutely as he adjusts magnification, his body pressed close to equipment that cost more than most people's houses. The warehouse laboratory smells of formaldehyde and revelation, of evolution documenting itself in real time. Jinsoo orbits him with the careful distance of someone who shares his bed but not his last name, their situationship a careful dance of proximity and denial that makes the air taste of unspoken possibilities.
"This shouldn't be possible." Henry's voice cracks on the last syllable, exhaustion and discovery warring in his throat. "The RNA sequence after infection—it's not just incorporating viral code. It's rewriting the host genome. Actively. Like it ha
