Thousands of years after Earth became uninhabitable, humanity colonized other planets and moons around the solar system. Amid rising crime rate, the Galactic Space Force (GSF) set up a legal contract where registered bounty hunters (known as Coyotes...
Planetary News:Admiral Pride—the leader of Deadhorse, Jupiter—is happy to inform everyone that she recently gave birth to a strong and beautiful girl without any complications. She and the baby are safe and sound, resting in their home for now.
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"Cleopatra Matuidi, leader of REPAH—Rights for Equal Protection of Animals and Humans—and daughter of Senator Logan Matuidi," Director Bea said after the video ended.
The screen showed an image of a young Cleopatra and her father smiling. She seemed so innocent back then. Her dark hair brushed her shoulders and she wore a black and white shirt with a yellow jacket, ripped denim jeans, and sunglasses.
Senator Logan had looked young enough to be her brother, wearing a collarless shirt, grey pants, and a pair of shades matching hers shielded his eyes.
They stood in front of Shutterstock Middle School, one of the most prestigious schools in the State of Kwame. Only the top one percent could afford to send their children there. And since Logan was a senator—in charge of a city called Bacon Level—Cleopatra got a free ride to any school in the state.
The holo-display dematerialized and everyone turned to Director Bea, who stood at the center of the room. She cleared her throat and passed a hand through her long silver hair before tying it into a bun. "Many years ago, Senator Logan was forced to disown Cleopatra after she began organizing protests all over Mars, calling for the freedom of slaves and proper treatment of animals. Now, as you all know, Mars—and every planet and moon under The Kingdom—employ slaves to perform tasks most of us rely on machines for. And there are a lot of horror stories from that, worse than what our ancestors did."
Society under The Kingdom was based on the client system, especially on Mars. The system was strictly stratified, with people being able to move between strata based on credits, patronage, and influence. It was acceptable to flaunt money, but treating people well was a question of honor. Anyone who had an unpaid debt—most of the population—was seen as dishonorable and would be forced into slavery to clear it, which they couldn't because slaves didn't earn credits.
Director Bea continued. "Not only did Senator Logan disown Cleopatra, but he banished her from Mars. Luckily for Cleopatra, she had a few friends on Jupiter who helped her migrate there. One of them was the former Admiral Anger, leader of Nothing Land."
"Didn't the Lords of Mars get angry with the Admiral?" Baby Raven asked.
"I don't think so," Hell Rooster replied instead, and everyone looked at him. He took the cigarette out of his mouth and blew smoke to the side. The little girl coughed before continuing with her video game. "Think about it like this: Cleopatra gets banished and leaves. Where does she go? Jupiter—another planet under The Kingdom. They still had eyes on her."
Director Bea pointed at Hell Rooster. "He's right. But the Admiral lost his job and title after offering Cleopatra asylum, even though he used what Hell Rooster said as his defense for wanting her on Jupiter. Cleopatra wasn't heard from again. She laid low and went to university to finish her studies in Cosmology and Bioengineering."
