Project 4 Narrative

My footsteps echoed down the dark hallway, the padded shoe soles doing little to mask the reverberating sound. I heard a muffled scuff somewhere behind me, followed by the familiar click of the safety being switched. I knew they were close behind.

My pace quickened, and I was soon sprinting, desperately trying to find a way out. Turning the next corner, I muttered a curse under my breath as I stared at the dead end before me. I tried the small doors on either side, but they were locked. Peering around the corner, and back down the dark hallway, two shadows quietly walked towards me, their backs snug against the wall to minimize their silhouette. They were still a ways off, but making a run for it was certainly out of the question. I was trapped; I needed to hide.

Looking over the small corridor, I noticed a grate positioned in the back corner. I ran to it, and my fingers easily slid into the slim crack between the metal cover and the cold concrete floor. The steel grate lifted without a sound, and I slipped into the darkness bellow, waited for my pursuers to pass. The fading of their footsteps signified the success of my escape.

I looked around, and saw that I had landed in a drainage tunnel. A breeze flowed through and danced on my cheek. I followed its source and began to see a glint in the distance. I heard a soft roar at the end. The air was filled with salt, and when I exited, I was bathed in light, standing on a cliff. I was free.

My name is Erik Brunet. To society, I and those like me are "God children." We are different than the others, because we were conceived naturally. Instead of putting faith in a geneticist, our parents trusted the natural way. With new technology, genetically engineering a child had become easy. Parents can ask for a son or daughter, can ensure that their child will be smart, fast, good looking, and more. They are genetically superior. They are the new race.

For the naturally born, we are the minority. We are only able to hold certain jobs, are herded into densely populated slums on the south side of town, and are separated from the superior class. We have tried rebelling before, only to be met with fierce defeat and humiliation. Thousands have attempted escape; only a few before me have succeeded.