Back in the software, he hit "Write."

But as he prepared to write the changes, the software hung. A pop-up appeared: “Unauthorized use detected. Contact VAG for licensing.”

Error: “Invalid security key.”

But as he shut his laptop, a thread of unease coiled in his gut. He’d hacked a closed system for good reason, but the patch he used—and the power it gave him—could just as easily be misused.