In the not-too-distant future a less-than-perfect man wants to travel to the stars. Society has categorized Vincent Freeman as less than suitable given his genetic make-up and he has become one of the underclass of humans that are only useful for menial jobs. To move ahead he assumes the identity of Jerome Morrow a perfect genetic specimen who is a paraplegic as a result of a car accident. With professional advice Vincent learns to deceive DNA and urine sample testing. Just when he is finally scheduled for a space mission his program director is killed and the police begin an investigation jeopardizing his secret.