by John Kendall Hawkins

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I reckon Michael Crichton had it right.

We won't be able to handle the strain

of some shape-shifting virus when it comes

to rattle our genomes. Best have some Tums

ready to fix that reflex in the brain

when crystal geodesic wows the sight.

First it was gain-of-function -- not enough!

Then we just flat out made stuff up with kits --

CRISPRs and crunchers and quantum persuaders.

We were defiled by our own degraders,

as if those AIs had us by the bits

and wide opened up a man-machine rift.

Well, okay, Deep Blue is calling the shots now.

Your move, putz, he "says," and then pow pow pow.