Chapter 5 - THE BARCODE
Davies Genomics had three laboratory sites.
The internal test ran through Cambridge.
Liam called the lab director, Dr. Naomi Grant.
He expected an explanation.
Instead she asked:
“What sample ID?”
Liam read it.
DG-E117443.
Silence.
Then:
“Where did you get that result?”
“My executive dashboard.”
Longer silence.
“Liam, that sample was flagged.”
“For what?”
“Identity mismatch.”
His stomach dropped.
Naomi continued:
“The automation system detected duplicate barcode mapping during extraction.”
“Then why was there a report?”
“There should not have been.”
Ava sat across the conference room listening on speaker.
Liam asked:
“Duplicate with what?”
Naomi refused to answer until legal counsel joined.
Good.
Within two hours, internal audit opened.
Logs showed:
Lily’s swab entered as DG-E117443-A.
Liam’s as DG-E117443-B.
During extraction, the paternal sample was rerouted after insufficient yield.
A replacement aliquot was entered.
Barcode:
DG-E117448-B.
Different case.
Different adult male.
The software recognized mismatch and generated a quarantine flag.
Then someone manually cleared it.
User credentials:
VAMES-ADMIN.
Victor Ames.
No one spoke.
May you like
Ava stared at Liam.
Victor had personally cleared the sample.
