Character bios: Carlos Obregon and Julie Chen…
[Note: This article is part of the new series of blog posts, “Character Bios”—you’ll find them all in the blog category of the same name.]
Carlos Obregon. As chief medical officer of the starship Brendan, Dr. Carlos had an illustrious career of saving lives and resolving situations and problems as he and his shipmates mapped out strange planets and encountered strange cultures in the service of ITUIP’s exploratory program of near-Earth space (ITUIP is an acronym for the “Interstellar Trade Union of Independent Planets,” sort of a European Union of near-Earth space planets). The good doctor is also a student of history and an amateur sleuth, so his adventures often have little to do with the medical profession. He’s like a Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson all in one person, although his intern, Julie Chen, often plays the role of Dr. Watson.
Dr. Carlos was born on New Haven, an Earth-like planet in the 82 Eridani system. He gave up a promising career in medical research to become a starship medical officer, where he still managed to write many papers on ET physiology and infirmities. He never contracted for a dyad or triad, but he had one daughter with a woman he met once while on planetary leave. Dr. Chen cured the daughter’s blindness on a later visit when Dr. Obregon finally met his daughter. That very act created some cultural problems with the planet’s natives. He’s now retired, whereabouts unknown.
Julie Chen. Now also a starship medical officer, Dr. Chen interned with Dr. Carlos Obregon and resisted striking out on her own until he insisted she do so. She participated in many of his adventures as a consequence. Together the two doctors represent the most famous experts on ET physiology and infirmities during the early days when ITUIP exploratory starships probed near-Earth space.
Dr. Chen still serves as chief medical officer on a starship, and she holds the record of being the longest serving medical officer, even without counting the internship with Dr. Obregon. Like him, she doesn’t have time for permanent relationships, but she’s had her share of romances. She was also born on New Haven, but did her medical studies on Sanctuary, a planet in the Delta Pavonis system.
***
Short stories about Dr. Obregon and Dr. Chen can be found in the collections, Pasodobles in a Quantum Stringscape and Fantastic Encores! These are only available on Amazon. A new one by A. B. Carolan, Steve’s collaborator, can be found here in the blog category “ABC Shorts.” There might be a few in “Steve’s Shorts” too, because Steven loves to tell stories about these two doctors’ space adventures.
In libris libertas!
