Short Stories

DNA

A Brief Run Down On How It All Began

It started with the commercials in the early 21st . “Get your DNA tested and we can tell what part of the world your ancestry comes from!” That was fun. The Commercials were fun. People were discovering who they were. Even those who had already done the research on their family history were lured into giving a DNA sample to see if their research was correct. Was Aunt Matilda really German? Was Grandpa really from France. Fun, useless information for most people.

Then came the tug at the heart string ads. “Register your DNA so that people fighting blood cancers can find a donor match.” You would have to be heartless to not respond. It was free and look at all the good you would do. Not only blood cancers, but genetic matches for other diseases that YOU could possibly be the cure for.

Although, the Genetic Compatibly Agency (GCA) had been gathering DNA for decades before either commercials aired on the now defunct TV and Cable shows, they had not reached everyone. Soon every fetus was tested for genetic abnormalities and, if allowed to come to full term, their DNA was registered. There were still holdouts. Mostly the older folks who had survived the wars of 2045. That group was highly suspicious of being what they called “grouped and generalized”. No amount of education could get them to understand that grouping wasn’t possible with DNA and that the only purpose of registering was to help one to find compatible matches.

There was also the religious fringe groups some who believed that it was the Mark of the Devil. Religion was highly regulated, but the government was powerless to stop all the home meetings. The Sects moved their meetings around and the only way to convict was for them to be caught in the act of worshiping. Every now and then the RRA (Religions Regulation Administration) was able to infiltrate a group, but no one really thought the effort was worth it and the arrests were always accompanied by loud human rights protests. Usually after a 72 hour hold to make sure the detainees understood the seriousness of their actions and to confirm they were not harmful to themselves or society, the religious were released onto one of the reservations set aside for the Faithful.

For the rest of the world population they welcomed the DNA registration and the wrist IDs made their lives easier. No more waiting for line at the DNA Registry to start a search for a compatible parent if one decided to have children. It was much easier to just touch wrists IDs. The display would automatically tell you if you could go ahead and have children. It worked the other way as well. Some avoided those who were a genetic match. Too many laws and responsibilities if one had children. It was an 18 year commitment and your social levels drop drastically. So a little touch of wrists and one could pass without hurt feelings or commitments. Luckily, everyone had at least four or five Perfects and numerous Mostly Perfects. If the baby wasn’t diseased or delayed in any way, then Mostly was good enough.

There were frauds, of course. With 99% of your DNA being exactly the same as another person, that 1% that made you unique was the part that was stolen. Most often stolen from the Faithful who refused to be marked or the elderly who never did get ID’d. Stealing the DNA was easy. If one went to a doctor or saw a Medical Missionary who went into the Reservations, it was highly likely they saved your DNA. The price paid for undocumented DNA was worth the theft and a thriving underground marketplace existed. Faking a Genetic ID was desirable for some people. Even being expensive, there were people were operating below the law, thieves, murders, racketeers and others. The DNA ID Black Market was thriving.

There were those who were not necessarily criminal. They just did not want more World Government intrusions than what was already was in place. One was regulated in so many things, from foods you could consume based on DNA to what one did for the greater good of society. There were those who wanted to make their own decisions and would trade credits for a different identity.

It wasn’t rampant, but DNA theft was on the rise. You use to hear about a case every year or so. Now one would hear about a case every few months. It was always someone who was compatible with being a scientist or a teacher, but wanted to be sculptor or a writer. Or someone who lived in the continent of NorAm, which was once called North America, and wanted to live in the lovely jungles of SoAm. The penalty for DNA ID theft was Expiry. It was a high risk crime, but, again for some well worth the risks.

Another great story: https://theblogofteresa.com/christmas-town-craft-store/