Page 215 of Incompatible

I stare at him for a moment, then speak, because I came here for this and I will not back down, no matter how crazy it sounds.

"Will you help me do it? You are a scientist known for breakthroughs. I want to alter my genetic code so that it matches the genetic code of a certain person."

Blue raises his brows almost involuntarily in surprise.

"Is this a serious request? Initiatives like that are multimillion-dollar projects that require entire teams of dedicated scientists."

"You are my only hope," I push on, my fingers clenched so tightly I can feel the ache in my joints. "My situation is truly strange, one secret after another and something completely inexplicable along the way."

Blue tilts his head slightly. "Then perhaps tell me everything I should know, step by step." I am grateful he has not thrown me out after my outrageous declaration. Maybe he simply wants to fill the hour?

So I start speaking.

I begin with what happened at my birth, deliberately mentioning that the man whose surname I carry discovered I was not his child and caused the accident, I tell him that I was born dead, revived only after being touched by the other infant, that I grew up plagued by allergies and asthma, and that I met him again as a teenager. I describe the harmony we shared, the silent understanding, the perfect attunement. Blue listens with intense focus, his eyes never leaving my face. Even though I am saying things that would make most people roll their eyes, his expression remains utterly neutral, smooth. He simply listens and stays passive.

Then I tell him what happened when our glands matured, the horrible scent we perceived, how painful our touch became with skin-to-skin, and that we parted even though I can’t forgethim and do not want to give up on trying to change this, on a new chance.

I speak for a good ten minutes and he does not interrupt even once. He listens.

When my story finally ends, I look at him with expectation, hoping the verdict will be in my favor.

Blue lowers his gaze to his hands and toys with a stylus for a moment, brushing it over the surface of his tablet almost absentmindedly, though I can tell he is thinking deeply.

"I will not deny, Mr. Strada, that part of your story sounds like pure fantasy. But I will not comment on what happened at your birth, because those facts may be, let us say, open to subjective interpretation by someone who had just been involved in an accident. You must admit that assuming the accuracy of such a report might be naïve or simply unwise."

I swallow, because of course I agree. I reached the same conclusions myself; the circumstances of my birth cannot be confirmed at this point.

"What did catch my attention in your story is the fact that you and your partner displayed such strong harmony, provided you have given me a complete picture of the situation."

"In this case, my conscience is clear. We were the type of couple everyone was absolutely convinced would be True Mates. It shocked our families when it turned out not only that we were not a match, but that we were incompatible. No one could understand it."

"And that is precisely the aspect that intrigued me, because I have never heard of such a case. Individuals who are incompatible show signs of it at much earlier stages. This is thoroughly supported by science and numerous studies, and genetic compatibility happens to be one of my areas of research, you could even call it a hobby field of study."

I watch him with hope, waiting for anything he says to clarify the situation for me.

"Additionally, a level of incompatibility so severe that it results in discomfort upon touch is extremely rare."

Blue Lowen grows thoughtful and lightly rubs his chin.

"Unfortunately, I have to add one more thing. The problem is that in terms of access to testing, I only have… well, myself. Bringing the other person here may be difficult, though not impossible."

"Hmm." Blue tilts his head again and studies me.

"I will not pretend it would not be a considerable complication."

"I understand, but I still believe something could be done. I have a lock of his hair and his hairbrush, which should have hairs with follicles."

Blue gives a mocking smile.

"We do not conduct criminal investigations here. We use blood samples, not DNA extracted from hair follicles."

"But it is not impossible, is it? If you wanted to, you could do it."

"Yes, but Mr. Strada, are you aware that this study would be absolutely pioneering? There has been numerous research comparing the genetic codes of True Mates, yet no unique markers have been identified, and the same goes for comparing the genotypes of compatible and incompatible individuals. At this stage we do not understand the underlying mechanism, so anything I would do here would essentially be the beginning of a new scientific project, and right now I see no commercial application for it that would convince the board to give it a chance."

"Plenty of matchmaking agencies would be interested in tests like that," I blurt out, looking at him with hope.

Blue Lowen shrugs. "We have no concrete or commercially viable proposal at this time, and no research sponsor. These projects are expensive, and initiating one would require allocating substantial funding."