By David C. Daoust
“More government do-hockey!” came the boisterous female voice in response to the news report that had just played over the radio as the lift ascended the thousand or more floors that made up the city station of Dori 5.
“If you ask me, you can blame the Royal Alliance for the whole mess,” the blond woman said as she tapped her cane against the ground to emphasize her point, “Pshhht, Royal?! What’s so royal about them? Maybe all that blue they wear!
“Just the descendants’ of a bunch of community leaders, that happened to work well together, in a bygone age,” Dakota Sun continued, without a care in the world who may be loyal to the Alliance. She referred, of course, to the Ark Age, in which the Royals first came into power. “Now I’ll wager those people were worth listening to, though their descendants… just a bunch spoiled brats! Got no idea how their families managed to acquire respect, now they just put on a show for the masses… and hope no one looks too close like.
“The smartest of them sprouted the Trade Consortium,” she continued casting her gaze at those around her, “their claim to fame? …besides Big Corporations, figuring out how to put a price tag on droid workers!! Suddenly you need to register your droids with the government. They all loved that move! Not a standing government still standing that hasn’t passed that law.
“Created an illusion of power,” she said cryptically, though it made perfect sense in her mind, “now we got this Red Faction moving through the colonies, they think everyone should be doing it their way. What a load!
“Fascists I tell ya!”
“They all fighting out there in the stars non-stop,” Dakota said pointedly at a small red headed girl, that quickly ducked behind her mother’s skirt, “But I tell you now, it won’t be long ’til they start fighting in the stations, on the streets, even under the rich folks’ domes.”
With that, the lift came to a jarring halt. The doors suddenly whooshed open; Dakota Sun tipped her imaginary hat with her cane, and left those who were forced to listen to her rant, as she continued on her way. What she didn’t hear was the audible sigh of relief from those passengers within as the door shut behind, nor did she hear the shared laugh of all those that agreed so fully with the sentiment of that relief.
Dakota had a lot to say, it was one of her most defining characteristics. She had been that way since she was very young. Her mother would say it was because she was just so smart; this wasn’t a lie. They’d come for Dakota when she was still in middle school. They told her mother, that Dakota’s tests scored through the roof. Dakota became a ward, which meant she had access to all the finest schooling; truly she never wanted for anything in her life.
While her studies weren’t always a priority, as they probably should have been for someone given such a hand up. She still, easily, did well enough to justify it.
While she was in high school, she got in more trouble than anything else. She became best friends with a girl named Suzanne Otomo, who was from a very rich family, very very rich. In fact Dakota was their ward, which basically meant they sponsored her education, scholarships and whatnot…
The closer the two girls got, the more trouble they found… and Suzanne and Dakota became like sisters.
This wild streak came to an end though, when Suzanne’s father, Zeke Otomo, became ill with a disease, a degenerative disease, that slowly destroyed him from the inside out.
What followed was a very painful time in all their lives. Having to watch the slow degeneration of whom she considered a mentor if not a second father, to watch the change that came over Suzanne as she watched her father become unrecognizable, was life changing to Dakota.
It was during this time that Dakota first became interested in medicine. In fact she was engrossed in it so fully, just to alleviate her worries, that by the time she decided to pursue it, it felt like destiny; As though everything in her life had led up to this path.
Although, it wasn’t until she learned that Mr. Otomo’s disease was genetic, that she dedicated her life to becoming a doctor. Especially once she’d found out Suzanne had all the markers for the disease to develop. Dakota dedicated her studies to finding the cure before Suzanne fell to the same fate.
A feat she’d already accomplished, not only making herself a respected Doctor throughout the Core, but making the Otomo family a second fortune. Otomo Corp was funded almost entirely off the production and distribution of this cure. Dakota wasn’t a fan of Corporations, but it was Suzanne’s doing. Suzanne ran the whole thing, she was savvy like that, so Dakota played along.
Still playing along now, she approached the medical ward on Dori 5. Suzanne had requested her personally, to investigate what the locals were calling ‘Black Lung’.
Dakota didn’t mind an occasional medical mystery.
