[ WP ] In this world , humans have evolved such that the probability of having a male baby is only 1 in 10 instead of 1 in 2 . You are a male or a female growing up in this world , tell us what it is like .

I prepare myself for The Evaluation. I have finally reached the age where I am deemed eligible to be Picked. Eighteen. While it may be a number, it is also the key to my future. 
 
 You see, since our ancestors played God on this Earth and genetically engineered their children to be males ( the preferred gender of children in most countries ) the geneticists found ways to mass produce these children. Massive labs around the world housed these embryos and all were male. Though some, such as my grandparents, chose to have children naturally, most chose to adopt from these large compounds of growing young boys that had come from these `` child mills''. They lived comfortable lives, were schooled, and had nannies from every corner of the Earth at their disposal. Naturally born children stayed with their families their whole lives, and often were homeschooled. Until the plague hit. 
 
 All of the boys that were bred in the labs began getting violently sick, due to the decreased genetic variation because of a relatively small gene pool and identical environments growing up, these boys had no way to all stay immune to the plague. They all died off within a matter of months. They lacked a gene known as the `` Natural'' gene, which kicked in their bodies at age eighteen. It activated for naturally born children at birth. Most boys were adopted from the compounds, however there were a few hundred thousand around the world that were born naturally. The Y chromosome became elusive. It became recessive to the point where there was only a one out of ten chance of having a boy. All because we played God. 
 
 Back to The Evaluation. Because there were not enough men to mate with women in this world, only a select few are allowed to marry. The government evaluates the woman by collecting a genetic sample, testing her for physical fitness, and testing for any heart or lung defects. If the girl is suitable for marriage, she may be picked out of thousands of applicants to marry a man. If she is not, they will send her home so that she can work to help her family. Their reason? They want us humans to be stronger. To not end up as our ancestors did. 
 
 It is always ceremonial that the girl dresses her best for the Evaluation. I gingerly apply the makeup that my mother has given me for the occasion, small amounts of eyeliner her, a little blush there. I feel like a doll, but perhaps that's what they want. A perfect doll. I throw on my neatly pressed dress and hobble out of my room towards my beaming mother. 
 
 `` Please do us proud, my dear,'' my mother says to me, `` Whoever you are matched with will be a lucky man. You're stunning.'' 
 
 I smile at my mother and walk out the door towards my father's waiting car. 
 
 `` Are you ready?'' he asks me. While I may be, I know he is not. He does not want his daughter to leave, but he knows how important the Evaluation is to us and our society. 
 
 The car ride to the County Embassy is excruciatingly quiet, and I am pretty sure at one point my father started tearing up at my leaving. I'm going to miss him. As we pull up to the front gates, the guards order me to exit the car into the Embassy. 
 
 I enter the building and am then ordered to pin on my nametag and wait for my name to be called. I enter the room and see girls everywhere. All are dressed to the best of their ability, all are poised and ready for battle. My competition. 
 
 `` Gracen Liles?'' the secretary calls. Here goes nothing.
