Young Vincent and Anton play "chicken" in the ocean. Vincent wins, saving Anton from drowning. It is the first hint that the Invalid is stronger.

Vincent dreams of space. He wants to join the , the elite agency responsible for missions to the moons of Jupiter. But in this society, resumes are written in blood and urine. One drop of saliva on a desk, one rogue skin cell on a keyboard, and your genetic destiny is exposed.

Vincent Freeman (Ethan Hawke) is a "God Child"—a naturally conceived human born in a world where most children are genetically engineered in a petri dish. Because of this "faith birth," Vincent is handicapped by nature. His genetic screening at birth reveals a litany of flaws: a 99% probability of heart failure, a life expectancy of 30.2 years, and severe myopia. He is an .

Desperate, Vincent enters the black market of "borrowed ladders." He assumes the identity of Jerome Eugene Morrow (Jude Law), a genetically perfect athlete who was paralyzed in a car accident (implied to be a suicide attempt after winning a silver medal instead of gold). Jerome sells Vincent his identity: urine samples, blood vials, hair follicles, and fingernails.