The year is 2174. The sciences have advanced enough that the tinkering with DNA is safe and is as commonplace as technological implants. It is by no means a perfect place to live in. Diseases are still rampant, crime is still about. Accidents happen, people die. The average lifespan has only increased by another hundred years or so. The oldest person would probably only reach a ripe age of 210 to 215.
The advances made with DNA brought healthy changes along with the more dangerous changes. There are stronger strains of diseases that were thought defeated only fifty years prior. Other viruses and diseases were completely eradicated. The fabrication of life though still remained a rather taboo topic until recently.
The emergence of gengineered symbionts. These entities were gengineered for specific tasks and for only one specific person at the time of their creation. No one person can become a pair with another's symbiont. The reason for this is because they would DNA encode it to the receiver of the symbiont. The symbiont would die if it were to pair with anybody else. In essence, they are genetically encoded to one specific person.
This technology was new and untested. The company behind this rather extreme breakthrough needed willing participants to test some of the first ones that would be made for public viewing. The company's PR department thought of a clever way to bring the symbionts out. Why not select a few people in the exploration field? The symbionts can better help them do what they need to do for their exploration. The CEO approved and sent out a press release stating that they will be taking applications from said people.
A few days after this press release out, hundreds have applied to try this new technology. Some people that applied were cave divers, swimmers, divers, people that wish to explore the undersea world. Not many of these people stuck out, unlike one. They looked over her application and found it acceptable. She was not the only one, but this story is not about them. The story is about her and her name is Jasmine.
