It is a near-future world, and in many ways London is the same bustling
metropolis it has been for centuries; but look a little closer and Viral
Inspectors roam public places delivering fines and forced immunisation
against Avian Flu, and an organisation called the Genetic Protection
Authority has been established with unnerving oversight.
It is the role of the GPA to oversee the genetic future of mankind: a
noble mission to protect humanity from the worst genetic diseases and
impairments, but one that seems increasingly liable to abuse, using its
vague definitions of eradicating anything more than 'three standard
variations from the human norm'.
When Sandra Small becomes pregnant with a child that has the same strain
of achondroplasia dwarfism as her husband, Ivan Henry, an ugly domestic
dispute escalates to a legal battle with the GPA and the High Court.
What could have been a marital issue becomes a challenge to the GPA's
authority and jurisdiction, in a test case that could set an alarming
precedent for the whole country, redefining the very definition of what
is, and isn't, human. The stakes for Ivan, dwarfs, and anyone else with
a genetic condition, become increasingly larger threatening to engulf
London and beyond.
This ambitious and provocative script is a faithful recreation of
Ross Martyn's original vision, looking at ethics, science, and
society; a story of how small actions can lead to catastrophic
consequences.
