Rules of Escape
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- Parts 47
For Ana, it felt like a switch had been turned on inside her. She could sense freedom, imagine possibilities she hadn't thought possible. She wants to leave her caregivers, and when she does, she wants to take Evan with her. In fact, she must take Evan, because he is the only one who can show her the way to The Place - the only place she can recall ever feeling completely happy.
...
In a world that bleeds with environmental disasters, genetic mutations become more common - some genes get lost and other, silent genes get turned on. Nature offers infinite possibilities to ensure life continues through genetic codes that struggle to survive, unheard and often unnoticed. It is a battle where dominant, aggressive genes best suited to the environment will succeed.
Both Ana and Evan have been labelled with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) - a genetic disorder, affected by the environment. It is a world wide condition, knowing no boundaries and increasing rapidly. Since disabilities such as ASD are triggered by our changing environment, and since these disabilities are rapidly changing and increasing in frequency, it is entirely possible that the ideal "disability" could give some humans an evolutionary advantage over other humans.
...
Imagine having a disability so severe you need 24 hour care. Imagine wanting to leave your home and caregivers to live in the one place you feel at peace. Imagine discovering you have abilities far beyond the norm. Imagine finding other people with similar abilities and disabilities, willing to risk everything to follow you.
Imagine freedom. Ana did.
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