Isaac Stross

> "*Hey- What's the deal with sandman over here? Does he talk? Hey, heeb! What's your problem?*"
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> "*Do you meet a lot of nice dykes when you bust out the antisemitic remarks?*"
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> - Stross arguing with Levesque.
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## Overview

Isaac Stross, (Call-sign and nickname STYPE) Was an American doctor with a P.hD in biotechnology who served as a member of the medical team for November during the events of HANAMI. Originally from the demilitarized zone in Boston, Stross's militant antifascist background brought him into the power-structure of November through members active in the Los Angeles punk scene during the 2020's peacekeeping crisis in Aztlan. Prior to this, he was active in NORTEX as a volunteer for a humanitarian relief-team.

During HANAMI, Stross assumes the role of caretaker for HYPO, since he is one of the only people without political restrictions who is able to service her life-sustaining technology. He also assists in operational/logistical support for JTF Juno after they are exiled by the government of Japan.

## Biography

### Early Life

Stross was born within the same year as many of his fellow compatriots caught in the political crises he frequently found himself in. As a member of the generation at the focus of HANAMI, his upbringing was fairly typical of Americans in that era, instability and political uncertainty recurring as prevalent issues. Being raised by his grandparents in a Jewish family of relative financial success, Stross was no stranger to racial prejudice and misunderstanding, falling in with several different groups of misfits and social-outcasts in between trying to attend classes and decide his course-of-action in life.

Despite his generally rebellious and intense attitude, Stross showed significant academic proclivities for scientific and medical subjects, causing a disconnect between his intellectual capabilities and the social-circle he fell in with. At eighteen, his grandparents died from a carbon-monoxide poisoning incident, followed shortly thereafter by his high-school girlfriend being shot to death by peacekeeping troops during a mistranslation from English to Chinese. Disillusioned with his life choices, Stross invested his inheritance from his late grandparents into an education at the militarily-secured Massachusetts Institute of Technology, under the impression that higher-level education was becoming less common, and being in possession of a prestigious degree during a period of extreme political-strife would grant him some level of security in life not otherwise afforded to his friends. During this time, he entered a relationship with his roommate, eventually causing her to become pregnant with his daughter, though they separated before she was born and Stross was unable to see his daughter to any significant degree, causing him much grief. Stross's thesis was published in pier-reviewed publications as, "*Continuing Insight into the Future Implications of Human Modification,*" Effectively a paper investigating the existential, societal, theological, and economic ramifications of human bioaugmentation as a paradigm-shift in the way the species perceives its place in the world and the scientific landscape, having written it after attending demonstrations at Harvard and Innsbruck displaying the scientific plausibility of the field.

### NORTEX

After receiving his Ph.D, Stross left New England to put his capabilities into the emerging humanitarian crisis in North Texas, or NORTEX, where there was a severe vacancy of qualified professionals to assist in the unique medical difficulties that came with the ecologically devastated region. Immediately upon his arrival, he was able to tell there was a disconnect between what he was told and the actual situation on the ground, becoming swamped with work as the only person knowledgeable enough to operate the nanotechnology interfaces that were crucial to NORTEX defense-troops. During this time, he also became heavily involved with the Dallas hardcore punk movement, creating a difficult conflict-of-interest that only worsened as he entered a relationship with one of the figureheads of the scene. After weeks of mediating between peacekeeping organizations and antifascist anarchist cells, Stross agreed to his girlfriend's request that he leave for Los Angeles's resistance-movement before the crisis worsened, under the condition that she surrender arms before she was injured if a violent confrontation between the two parties broke out.