As the computer began to map the base pairs—A, T, C, G—the screen didn’t show the standard sequence for the HTT gene. Instead, a jagged spike appeared where there should have been a smooth line. A sequence that didn't match the human reference genome. A sequence that, according to the manual's appendix on "Rare Variants," shouldn't exist in any known database.
He realized then that he wasn't just a student following a lab guide. He was the subject of the next edition. Human Genetics Lab Manual
The fluorescent lights of the Advanced Genomics wing flickered, casting a sterile glow over Elias as he stared at the red-bound book on his bench: The Human Genetics Lab Manual, 4th Edition. As the computer began to map the base
Elias looked from the screen back to the manual. On the inside cover, a handwritten note from the previous owner—a professor who had vanished three years prior—read: The manual tells you how it works. The data tells you what you are. A sequence that, according to the manual's appendix
The manual sat open to the troubleshooting page. “Common errors: Contamination, degraded primers, or unexpected mutations.”