126 / 168
126
Negative
on her screen. The two hundred and eleven year old Blowhead
Whale. The key to immortality. Her hands trembled as she held the
information that could change the world once and for all. Pigment
of whale blood. That was all it was. It was the secret to longevity.
And she had known this for four years. There had always been a
constant internal debate raging inside her about whether she should
release the vital information to the government. Her index finger
hovered over the delete button. She thought of rampant technology.
Of control. Of the baby she was restricted from having. She pressed
Delete. And just like that, the file was gone.
In a world where conceiving a baby without permission cost you
ten years in prison, Genine felt lost and helpless. Very few couples
were given the approval to conceive as very few people were deemed
genetically acceptable. She flipped through the online newspaper
and came to an abrupt stop at the advertisement section. Aminiature
heading in the bottom corner caught her attention. The words bore
into her, bringing both nausea and hope.
Genetic Repair Technology. Dr. Allelian.
She inhaled sharply. That was it. That was the answer. With a few
operations, both she and Mendello would be devoid of any genetic
faults. She would no longer be unnaturally pale and susceptible to
the sun; Mendello would no longer be a carrier of cystic fibrosis.
Genine hungrily took in the description below the heading, her eyes
devouring the words. Underground business. Illegal. Success not
guaranteed. None of those things mattered to her. Not when her
chance at happiness was at stake. All she had ever wanted was a child
to call her own. If it meant booking an appointment with Dr.
Allelian and losing a portion of her identity, so be it.
She would do anything but give in.
‘
11