The mold-eating incident is a post-1993 addition.

This is material that was added after the early draft: absent from the 1993 manuscript, present in the published novel.

In the manuscript. Absent from the 1993 manuscript.

In the published book. Scene 2 (pp. 10–11)

Evidence. Independently corroborated. (Debraski follows Moore). Documented by Steven Moore's first-draft collation; Paul Debraski's survey of the draft record.

Bears on. This difference bears on the following open questions: what broke Hal if not (only) DMZ; damage vs. emergence.

Further notes. The "mold-as-cause" reading of Hal's collapse rests on late-added text.