It is not uncommon for a child born of two leading scientists (in their respective fields) to display signs of unique intellect and comprehension skills from early age. Samtara, by no means the exception to this truism, was viewed as a prodigy by the time she'd aged to 5 Picon turns. Her sharp mind and thirst for knowledge, combined with nearly limitless access to private education and additional tutoring, allowed Samtara to swiftly surpass and then accelerate past the learning curve for her age/peer group well before her teens. Medicine and Science - nearly all kinds of science, all fields she could read and study on her own - were her first loves. As a child of privilege, and private education, her peers were children of other scientists and medical professions, children of the brightest minds working for Picon Laboratories. To be fair, her life was sheltered, focused and frankly spoiled in a tightly focused channel. She would be their contribution, after all, to the medical community. Their own prodigy, the best of their genetic material cast forth into the next generation, thus was the thought of both Doctor's Nadir.
The notion of becoming a surgeon was as natural a progression, for Samtara, as is the process by which the body draws air. As natural as sunlight upon the grass, water upon the shores, moonlight upon the fields. In short, it was what she was meant to be. A mechanic of the body, delving into the mysteries of what makes the body work, how to repair the smallest and most minor of injuries all the way to cardiac surgery and everything in between. The continuing advances of technology in medical sciences can never, not entirely, take away the most basic of human interaction: one hand extended to another to help heal. Or, to pare it down just a few more layers, the desire to fix that which is broken.
Quite likely the most shocking decision she'd ever announced was here intent to join the colonial fleet. No member of her immediate family, let alone for several generations back, had actually worked in any branch of the military. Messy, untidy and not adequately paid work - for the most part. The work done by soldiers is, often, the work done by those from less fortunate backgrounds, less elevated social class. Such, as example, were some of the shocked (muttered) remarks made by those in the Nadir's social circle. But she would not be deterred. So often the advances in medical sciences come at the leading (bleeding) edge of conflict, or military engagement. The real cutting edge of science is found not exclusively in a safe sterile laboratory but in the wide wide worlds, where things (life) is often messy, untidy, unmeasured, imbalanced and illogical world.
Being of the appropriate age (decidedly under 42) and of the more than adequate education, Samtara made her intent known only after she had completed the rigorous round of interviews, tests, evaluations and examinations. Far better to announce upon completion than to dither for weeks or months in advance with pointless arguments that would not have deterred her decision in the least. It was a natural, and linear, progression to volunteer for a post on the Orion when word of a intriguing - and long - mission was in the offing. Three years? what's three years in the name of science, just think of all the opportunities that may present itself. Granted.. opportunities such as hauling water by hand, being introduced to unique and new alien microbes that do fantastic things to ones gastrointestinal track.. may not have been exactly what she had in mind. But, in the name of science, a measure of suffering is often required. Again, a transition from privilege to college to frontier life was not without it's challenges, frustration, comical moments of horror (in retrospect) but when all the extra details are boiled away, there's no place that's more real than in the operating room (be it in a tent or a sterile surgical theatre) and no better time to be a surgeon than Now.
