UAP Expresses Anger on Virus Cure Cost

CNS Reports
NEW WESTMINSTER, Londinium - The governemtn of the Union of Allied Planets released a strong statement this week as the virus now known as the Black Pox continues to spread.

The Offices of the Surgeon General, UAP Health Services, and the Allied Medical Congress (AMC) on behalf of Parliament have issued a joint press statement condemning the actions of the Imperium and the Magistrate of Al Raqis, Joan al-Jofar.

"We find her attitude to be cold, heartless, and inhumane," said Surgeon General Liam Xiaoshen. "At the time when this pandemic is raging through her own system and into ours to charge a usurious fee for the vaccine is tantamount to a declaration of war. We have been in close contact with our mission on Araxis, Lady Zeno Baxton and Consulari Jai Raghilda of Zenobia, to formulate a policy response as well as obtain any necessary raw materials to develop the vaccine in our own system."

Xiaoshen went on to say that the AMC has been working with the Gehörnspiel Corporation on Ariel as well as Barrowclough Apothocary and the Trader's Guild to ensure rapid production and distribution of the treatment.

Members of parliament, speaking on condition of anonymity, have said that they are pushing for stronger action, including economic sanctions against the Imperium. When asked if that would include military action, no definitive answer was given.

UAP spokesperson Kimaya Liamano denied that the language was too strong.

"They are fully aware of the attitude that the natives of Araxis have displayed toward the people of 34 Tauri and other worlds," she said. "One might think that this virus, since the Desen appear to be immune, is an attack on non-native populations engineered by the Imperium. We are conducting further investigations into this theory."

The Verse Voice reached the Magistrate for comment.

"This is an incredibly complex and expensive serum to produce," Commented the Magistrate. "The Laandsrat is has been subsidizing the research and production costs since the outset of this outbreak"

"Thanks to my generosity ARPharma is able to sell the vaccine at a mere 20,000 solaris per unit." She explained. "That's a only a little more than half a common workers yearly wages. Is that too much to ask for your life? We worked very hard to make it affordable to almost every citizen. If we gave the serum away then who would pay the stockholders and how could we afford to cure the next virus?"

As of press time, the virus has spread to Spinwheel City with 2000 infected and 57 dead, Colchester with 50 infected and two dead and two infection on the isolated moon of Burnet. Infections are still increasing on Colchester and Paquin. There have also been isolated reports of the virus on Dragon's Egg, but no sign of active infections on that moon.