This was a Deregger world, as cold, as harsh, as they came. This....WAS... a Deregger world... so... why was the new, young owner of this empire holding out a hand to the lowly plebian child who was thin and crying in the street? Why was he... carrying the child and handing the child to the family... wait.. was he... helping them? Helping them???? And how in the he... was he making all those profits? This was a DEREG world! WAS. -- Anon Guest
There was a new boss of the Polity. Something about a takeover bid and a ludicrous amount of Quatloos paid to do it. There was also the "hands off" codicil in the purchase contract.
All of the lower-ranking Higher Administrators were buzzing about that one.
Their polity, their rules[1]. They owned four stellar systems and everything in it. Which made the Law Enforcement Officers nervous since the new CEO owned them as well.
Law Enforcement's one rule was also their motto: Protect and Serve the Job Creators. When the update came through, it became, Protect and serve the people. Things only got worse from there.
Things were rearranged. The wealthy had to pay taxes or have their property repossessed as forensic accountants assessed everything. Public housing ceased being ghettos in the garbage warrens and started being buildings. Buildings with safety standards.
Buildings with... accessability. With heat and running water that was also clean.
It felt disgusting.
Hospitals, clinics, and the entire medical system was overhauled from the ground up. "Alternate medicine" had effectiveness ratings based against placebos. PUBLICLY!
They let the Alliance Mediks in and let them advertise with, "We do no harm!"
It should have been a massive blow to the economy. Especially when those taxes that the rich paid went on support for people who had been better off dying in the next winter.
It should have destroyed their way of life, and in a way, it did.
Sort of.
It did not invite criminal activity into gated communities. It did not foster dependence on handouts. It did not, in fact, encourage people to feign sickness to get free drugs.
Everything improved.
Life got better.
How dare it!
The wealthy were not happy with a smaller slice of a bigger pie. Nor were they happy with benefits "trickling up" to their own level.
What was the point of having an ivory tower if you couldn't sneer down at people?
[1] Also, their coffee.
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