Genetic Perfection Please note the below is an imagining of a different universe. The opinions below are not mine but of the characters and I certainly do not subscribe to them. That said enjoy! She pushed an errant strand of hair behind her ear and refocused her attention on the couple before her. Her initial instinct was a firm denial, as certainly from appearance and displayed mannerisms these were a prime example of the archaic poor genetic choices that humanity let run rampant in the past. Dressed in the fashion of a class previously aloud to breed like rabbits to provide the mentally stilted now redundant workforce of the last couple of centuries, this pair looked like throw backs from a time when humans took less care of their genetic future than they did of animals. She vaguely remembered that time, before mankind realised how precious every new #life was and although practising animal husbandry , their own species was allowed to breed randomly with no consideration to outcomes, more like beasts than beasts themselves. She acknowledged that once there was a need for a strong yet stupid workforce of a large size. Back when manual labour was dangerous and most of their issue died young from accidents or disease caused by the squalor of their existence. The other classes had for a while felt pity for these human workhorses and rightly strived to improve conditions. But this had gone to far and once comfortable and safe they did not slow down their breeding, continuing to produce offspring like pigs, with all living to breed anew. With automation most manual roles had become redundant and the intellectual worthy who if anything were too slow to breed, were left paying for generations of breeding redundants who did nothing but reproduce and sit around demanding support for their legion of worthless brats. Crime rates soured and the valuable section of humanity were held at ransom by the mass of uneducated (by choice as they were given free education but attacked the teachers and slunk off to parks to drink cheep cider and swear at OAP's ) lazy yobs. As planetary resources dwindled, a decade or so ago the groundbreaking decision had been made to regulate humanities future. Genetic suitability would be carefully screened to ensue a healthy level of useful elements of society. Population levels and existing demand for certain skill sets were considered in depth before anyone was permitted children. It didn't mean that the blue collars were bred out, far from it, but never again could there be a scrounging underbelly with hands out to the hardworking public contributing nothing but bad genetics and wasted resource. She scanned the file of the male. He was physically strong and healthy but mentally lacking, he had shunned education and had committed a range of petty crime. If seemed he had met his perspective mate at a nightclub the infamous meat markets of the hoards. She checked the additional notes, the process was quite extensive to ensure proper screening and iron out prejudice. The couple had been closely observed in their day to day interactions to get an idea of character which may not be determined by purely sample testing. An individual of value could and as history had proven often did come from any background, so selection was through much more than a judgement based on idealised stereotypes as similar program's had been in the past. This man however seemed to have little going for him other than a strong body suitable for labouring, a profession which was already oversubscribed. His anti-social behaviour did nothing to redeem his situation and with a sigh she marked him down for castration. If humanity wanted to survive the next century with limited resources, decisions such as these had to be made. Initially of course there were objections, quite violent at times, queries raised about personal freedoms and the like. But these were eventually put down, it was clear to see what result giving people this "personal freedom" had. Did they want to be free to live in squalor, staving and disease ridden working until they dropped for what little resources remained? No, people wanted their nice homes, innovative technology and a fair economic system, no disease and no crime or war and to get that, some alleged freedoms had to be sacrificed. Society was good now, well managed and controlled, it was almost perfect she mused. She turned her attention to the woman. She certainly matched the man in terms of intellectual ability and character assessment. Her past was equally undesirable and to top it off she had a number of genetic deficiencies which marked her as a product of the past. However she had excellent child carrying qualities which some more desirable candidates lacked. This woman in days gone by was one of those working class breeders who birthed children annually to see them perish of disease or exploited in mills. She made a mark on the file, "surrogate". Obviously she would never in the foreseeable future be able to pass on her own DNA but she would be used time and again to carry the infants of other more valuable females whose employment or physicality meant that they either could not be spared or were unsuitable for pregnancy. This woman would become useful spending the rest of her #life pregnant and producing until she was retired. The assessor smiled pleased with her choices and content in her role in the new progressive society. She put down her marker and headed outside to take some lunch. She opened the door to that atrium and froze in mute shock and horror. Outside in her perfect ordered world all hell had broken loose.