On my fifth birthday, like any ordinary child, I was brought to the BioScore Institute. Even now, I could picture those oversized doors that loomed before me, with my parents standing on either side. They gently held my tender hands. Together, we stepped inside. Our footsteps echoed through the vast hall as a marbled floor stretched toward a single door at the far end. Above it were the words: “Evaluation Zone”.
We were met by a Health Analyst dressed entirely in a pristine white. I glanced around the facility, where rows of five-year-olds stood with their faces stripped of expression and backs as rigid as boards. For the first time, I felt out of place in a system meant to be where I belonged. The lady called my attention and instructed me to stand inside a tube-like scanner.
A cold blue beam moved down my body as the system read me. I caught a glimpse of my parents holding hands, their worried faces could barely hide their distress.
Suddenly, the blue beam faded. The Analyst informed me that my evaluation was complete and that I could step off the scanner. I didn't know it then, but that day would define the life I was supposed to live.
The Analyst faced the computer screen and read the results aloud. “Genetic profile completed. Subject: Marcus Sullivan. Neurological condition: 60%. Attention deficit disorder: 88% probability.” The lady hesitated, glancing toward my parents before continuing. “Heart disorder: 99% probability. Life expectancy: 30.1 years.”
My parents fell silent. Mother sank into a nearby seat, while my father crossed his arms, unable to move. My eyebrows furrowed. At that time, I couldn’t understand why my own parents looked at me with such disappointment. I stepped toward the Analyst’s desk and read the result for myself.
“Invalid.” A single word blinked on the computer screen.
I scratched my head. Hoping for an explanation, I turned to the Health Analyst, then to my parents, still frozen in place. That little boy didn’t understand why that word mattered so much. Somehow, everyone but me already understood.