Vincent Freeman was born into a futuristic society dominated by biological technology. In this society, genetic technology has become so advanced that a drop of blood at birth can tell you what diseases you might develop the day you die. More importantly, wealthy parents can choose to have their unborn children designed to be as perfect as their potential would allow. This type of technology has created a society based on the prejudice of the genetically modified against the "natural born". Vincent's parents did not have the foresight to know that their natural child's future would be fraught with prejudice and discrimination, and they conceived him through the power of love, rather than technology. A young and naive Vincent spent his youth dreaming of becoming an astronaut, only for one day his father sat him down and told him that he was barely capable of cleaning a rocket, despite operating one. Due to his hereditary defects and natural status, Vincent had no hope of succeeding in this society. Despite the discrimination, Vincent remained inspired, destined to one day travel into space. Vincent grew up with a genetically engineered brother who enjoyed all the luxuries of perfect genes and the label of a "valid" member of society, but one day Vincent beat his brother in a swimming race and saved him from drowning. That day he knew that the “Valids” could be defeated and he could succeed in this society despite discrimination. Vincent enlisted the help of a man who essentially sold the identities and DNA of others who were “Valid” and genetically superior. The identity of the man Vincent would soon become belonged to Jerome Murrow. Jerome was a champion swimmer who broke his back, leaving h...... middle of paper...... because the school's insurance would not be able to cover such a risk. As Vincent grew up, he couldn't get employment in any high-class job because his genome suggested he was "inferior" or these potential health conditions were too much of a liability for a company to handle. These situations are very possible even in today's society. If a health insurance company obtains an applicant's genetic code, it can charge that person ten times more than another because his or her genome suggests a greater likelihood of developing heart disease. If an employer finds that an applicant's genome suggests mental instability, he or she may choose to hire another individual who may seem more promising based on his or her genetic code. While today's society has not reached the level of blatant discrimination displayed in Gattaca, the potential for "genoism" is very real.