Jack Williamson

“ We had come to read it, with our new genetic micro-probe. A hundred precious tons of microscopic electronic gear, it was designed to observe and manipulate the smallest units of life. It could reach even those strange genes.
That was our mission.
Ours was the seventh survey ship to approach the planet. Six before us had been lost without trace. We were to find out why.
Our pilot was Lance Llandark. A lean hard man, silent and cold as the gray-cased micro-probe. ”

“ The clanging lock cut off her voice.
Angrily we turned on Lance Llandark.
"Hold it!" he snapped. "I'm not crazy—the planet is. Come along to the micro-probe. I'm probing a seed from the plant we found by Lilith's bones. ”

“ Those shapeless leaves, twisted stalk, that sterile seed. The copper and arsenic in those needless links. Too many genes had no function. No use at all!
"I'd just got the key, when that thing screamed. The copper and arsenic atoms are not genetic instructions to the plant. They're a message to us—words replicated a trillion times, and concealed in every cell of the plant!"
"Words?" someone whispered blankly. "Words in the atoms?"
"Written in binary code." His scowl was bleakly triumphant. "That weed's a mutant, you see. The real Lilith formed the first cell with her micro-probe. ”