Submitted for the November 2024 prompt: Aspirational Utopias

Quinn pressed his face against the nursery window to examine the pulsating red hologram above his newborn daughter’s bassinet. Something was certainly wrong. All the other bassinets displayed the future profession of their tiny occupants. His daughter, Nova, had a menacing error message floating above her.

 

Contact BGE for Placement

 

“Excuse me, nurse?” Quinn knocked on the window. “What does that mean?” He gestured to Nova’s location.

 

The nurse popped up from her desk and scanned the sea of bassinets. Genetic decoders installed in the bassinets created a waist-high fog of green holograms across the floor. When the nurse noticed the red text, she mouthed an expletive. Nurse Maggy, as her name tag read, locked her terminal and walked towards Nova’s bassinet.

 

Quinn scanned his memories of the pregnancy for anything that would have indicated a problem. There was nothing. All the mandatory prenatal tests had been flawless. The Bureau had even authorized the couple to name her during his wife Juno’s third trimester. They had chosen Nova, their favorite of the ten randomly generated girl names approved by the Bureau of Genetic Excellence.

 

The nurse arrived at the bassinet and pressed some buttons on the control panel. A green Searching… replaced the ominous red hologram. Quinn wiped his sweaty palms on his pants as he watched the green message vanish, and the red message return. Nurse Maggy turned towards the nursery window and pointed at Quinn.

 

“Don’t move,” she mouthed and pushed Nova’s bassinet toward the back of the nursery.

 

Two nondescript orderlies rounded the corner and beckoned for Quinn to follow. The taller of the two kept an eye on Quinn as the other led them to a room with a sign that read Genetic Counseling.

“Wait here,” said the shorter orderly.

“Someone will be with you shortly,” finished the taller orderly.

“Wait, what the hell is going on?” Quinn demanded.

Both orderlies left the room without speaking. As Quinn started to take chase, Nurse Maggy appeared in the doorway, blocking his forward movement.

“Sir, we’ve never had one of these before. We have a playbook from the BGE that we’re required to follow. You’ll need to wait for a representative from the BGE. Please take a seat.” As she closed the door Quinn heard her engage the lock from the outside.

 

* * *

 

Quinn paced around the small room and continued to try the lock whenever he passed the door. The image of the red hologram played on repeat in his head.

 

Contact BGE for Placement

 

What did that mean? As far as Quinn knew, the decoders were always right. His placement had been perfect. He loved being a sanitation worker. He couldn’t imagine any life path more satisfying than sorting and recycling people’s refuse. His wife Juno, who was decoded as an epidemiologist, likes to call him her “sexy garbologist.” Quinn smiled at this thought and hoped Juno was still resting and unaware of the current situation.

 

The door’s lock rattled and a well-dressed man holding a clipboard entered the room. The man was almost too tall. His silver hair brushed against the top of the door frame. His robust shoulders barely cleared the sides. The silver double-helix pin on his blazer told Quinn who he was.

 

“Mr. Aldridge?” The man glanced at his clipboard as he spoke.

 

“Yes, what’s happening? Where’s my daughter?“

 

“Mister Aldrige, please relax. Let me introduce myself. I am Supervisory Agent Lucas Adderstone. I’m from the Bureau of Genetic Excellence. Your daughter has been flagged as Genetically Gifted.”

 

“Wh-what does that even mean?”

 

“Where are my manners? You’ve been here for hours.” Agent Adderstone pressed a button on the wall and spoke. “Nurse Maggy, will you please bring our guest some water?” The agent released the button and continued. “The BGE is typically contacted when a future United Sol System leader is decoded,” Agent Adderstone smiled. “Your daughter has been decoded as one such leader.”

 

Nurse Maggy entered the room, placed a cup of water on the table, and left without speaking.

 

Quinn grabbed the water and took several gulps. He tried to imagine his infant daughter leading groups of USS soldiers but struggled.

 

“Why haven’t I ever heard of something like this?”

 

“Well, it’s fairly rare for a leader to be decoded, only one every couple of years in the USS. Those children are handled through the normal assignment process and sent to The Bureau with their families. Your daughter, however, is special. She is genetically adjacent to a former messiah.”

 

“Messiah? What the hell is a messiah? When can I see my daughter?”

 

Agent Adderstone pressed the button on the wall again. “Nurse, can you please bring in Nova?” He released the button and opened the door for the nurse.

 

Quinn’s eyes teared up when he saw the bassinet being wheeled into the room. He breathed in the newborn smell of Nova and lost control of his emotions. He wiped a few tears from his cheek before he spoke.

 

“What about my wife? Does Juno know what’s going on?”

 

The agent glanced at Nurse Maggy and she responded with a slight head shake before leaving the room.

 

“No, Juno is being prepared for transport.”

 

Quinn’s vision began to blur. He rubbed his eyes to wipe away more tears but there were none. His lips felt numb and his legs felt weak. He opened his mouth to speak and drool spilled out.

 

“Transportation?” Quinn slurred.

 

“Your daughter and wife will be sent to our re-education facility with the rest of the messiah candidates who threaten our geniocracy.” Agent Adderstone reached into the bassinet and picked up Nova. “As the sire of a messiah, you aren’t needed. I’m sorry, Quinn.”

 

Nurse Maggy reentered the room, this time carrying a large body bag. Quinn fell from his chair and caught one last glimpse of Nova cradled in Agent Adderstone’s arms. The agent waved Nova’s tiny arm at Quinn and said, “Bye-bye Daddy, bye-bye!”