Mom is joining a class-action lawsuit against the company. I’ve studied enough cases to know how that’ll end up. AgriDev will offer to settle, and the people bringing the suit will take whatever money they can. The class members will get next to nothing. The chance of going to trial is practically zero. The lawyers will benefit the most, AgriDev will get a slap on the wrist, and workers will keep suffering and dying.

JOURNAL ENTRY: JOSEPHINE LEE, SEPTEMBER 3, 2064

A whole month into my third and final year of law school, and I feel like my life is heading into a pointless void. How is a law degree going to help the world? Nothing I’m learning could have stopped my uncle from dying. Even when the government took action against an entire industry, like they did with tobacco and pharmaceuticals, the corporate system didn’t change. It pivoted into some new exploitative direction.

Don thinks it’s just grief. I called him an asshole for it, but he didn’t rise to the bait. Just held me through another stupid breakdown.

I think I love him. Twenty-four isn’t too young to know that you want to marry someone, right? Mom and Dad didn’t get married until their thirties, but I feel like this is right.

I bought a home kit for developing your own drugs. Maybe there’s a cure I can find for other mech-tech workers. Or maybe I’ll cook up a memory eraser so I can forget the pain of losing Uncle Phil.

I’m playing with fire, and I don’t care.

Fuck the consequences.

JOURNAL ENTRY: JOSEPHINE LEE, JANUARY 20, 2065

Well, it turns out that drug manufacture is harder than it looks, even with modern tools. Or maybe I’m just bad at it. I spent all of break trying to make something that passed the test software that came with the kit. Failed miserably! At least school is going okay. I’ve started sitting in on some of the seminars for economic and social justice. They’re a good complement for bioethics, and they make me feel like I could actually do some good with my degree.

I think I’m finally reaching the acceptance part of the grief cycle. Kanata-san led a wonderful meditation last week that really helped me find my center again. I need to process my anger and let go of the blame. That will only eat my soul from the inside.

Don and I were talking about it, and he thinks that anger fuels change. The protests are still going on across the country, but they’re almost like mini war zones now with all the shooting. I don’t know how the soldiers and police can just stand there and take it. They must be so infuriated. It’s going to be a very bad day when one of them grabs a gun from a protester and starts shooting back.