Editing Amazing Deliveries: Icarus (section)

==Background==
GeneRig was the first to recognize the problem - there weren't very many good farming spots left. The population was outstripping the current resources, and even the improvements in efficiency weren't enough to prevent disaster. That is why the GeneRig Advanced Startup Program (GRASP) was created. Farmers were given more equipment, free servicing, and high-quality health care, and people flocked to the program. There were, however, a few catches. The land was subpar - areas were prone to flooding, too far from the Dome for adequate protection from raiders, or near spawning grounds of nightmarish creatures. The death rate of GRASP participants was unusually high and the medical services were frequently used. Though the deaths were not publicized, several participants began nicknaming the program 'GASP'.

That brings us to the second catch - experimentation. Participants were secretly given experimental genetic modifications designed to help with survival. Rejection rates in the first years were high, though children were the most likely to successfully adapt. The GRASP program ran for over a decade, and at the end GeneRig had developed treatments that were exceptionally effective and were only occasionally fatal. The farms that managed to survive were sufficient to stabilize the food supply, and the benefits of the treatments were then funneled towards more lucrative clients.

Adam Sullivan grew up on a farm collective of ten different families working together. By the time he reached the age of 15, eight of those families had died, as well as several other families that had come to replace them. His father was one of the many casualties, and the remaining two core families were combined into a single family unit - Adam now has one father and two mothers. The medics visited often, and seemed impressed with Adam's ability to operate machinery for hours in the harsh conditions outdoors. When a spot opened up in the prestigious HERMES program, Adam spoke to his doctors and they agreed to get GeneRig to back his application. The trials were grueling, but in the end Adam beat out thousands of other applicants, including several wealthy individuals who said a poor farmer would never succeed - it was like Icarus flying too close to the sun. Adam didn't know anything about the myth at the time, but he took the callsign Icarus to spite them.

Once training was complete, Icarus made many priority deliveries with his H.E.R.M.E.S. (Hostile Environment Rapid Movement Elevation Suit), carrying lightweight but important packages. His most notable achievement was making it to Mill City and back in an hour's time, the suit scalding hot as it passed through the secured flight hatch at the top of the dome during low tide. He went to the penthouse address he was given, and stayed just long enough to see what he had delivered...a fancy dress for a rich teenager's ball. That's when he realized he wasn't making a difference for Boston...just for the rich folks at the top. The next day, he put in a transfer request to be assigned to a Rig.