Citizen's Stipends

EPISODE 4

CITIZEN’S STIPENDS

INT. MAMA’S PLACE RESTAURANT
 
Mr. C is waiting for Dr. F to meet him for lunch. Dr. F walks into the restaurant and looks around. Mr. C Waves his hand for Dr. F to see him. Dr. F walks over to the booth where Mr. C is sitting and scoots into her seat to get comfortable.

Mr. C

You ready to order?

Dr. F

I’m gonna need a drink to deal with you.

Mr. C

You want me to go get your drink while we wait for the food?

Dr. F

No. don’t try to escape.

Mr. C

I would never run away from you, only toward.

Dr. F

Don’t try it.

Dr. F orders a Tahitian Treat, salmon burger, and sweet potato fries. Mr. C orders a vegetable wrap and a ginger juice.

Dr. F

You put that horrible institute under my name.

Mr. C

It’s a medical institution and you are the leading clinician in our society.

Dr. F

The man’s head was chopped off.

Mr. C

He was a rapist and signed paperwork agreeing to wear the device.

Dr. F

You think he knew what he was signing up for?

Mr. C

No, but we did explain to him and again, he raped someone.

Dr. F

I can’t stand rapist, but a death penalty? Is that what we’re doing now?

Mr. C

We’re trying to make people better. The old system drove people insane, we’re trying to bring them back.

Dr. F

So, we’re deciding who lives and dies now?

Mr. C

Of course we are. We are in power now. You are the head of the medical infrastructure of a whole society, you make life and death decisions all the time.

A server brings Dr. F’s drink to the table.

Dr. F

I might need another one dealing with this one.

The server laughs.

Dr. F

I’m not sure I’m comfortable with this power dynamic you talk about.

Mr. C

You want to turn this society back over to block heads who ran things before us?

Dr. F

I didn’t say all that. Speaking of power, I thought I was in charge of that institute, I didn’t sign off on that horror I saw on the news.

Mr. C

You did, it was correction methods and devices.

Dr. F took a sip of her drink.

Dr. F

So, you hid it deep in a report, very nice. Well, at least now I know I can’t trust you, I gotta read every report thoroughly and twice.

Mr. C

You can trust me do what is right for the social order. We finally have a place that all of us can live in and stretch ourselves, actually grow.

Dr. F

Calm down you’re not in front of the committee. Let me ask you this, how are you going to keep people from reacting to these terrible correction methods and devices.

Mr. C

They are not terrible, they are justice, but we’ve been neglected so long, we don’t recognize fairness anymore. I will make most people see how many lives and minds are saved by our new way, and the inmates get a fair chance.

Dr. F

And what about those who don’t see all this justice?

Mr. C

I’m glad you asked. We are implementing our new economic policy very soon, our Citizen’s Stipends.

Dr. F

Go on.

Mr. C

Every citizen will receive $1,400 every month, except for those who can tie their lineage back to sharecropping and domestic work in the United States, these people will receive $2,000 a month.

Dr. F

That’s not that much money.

Mr. C

We will end poverty in one decision and give the citizens stability without enslavement for the first time in centuries.

Dr. F

You think people are that base, they’ll just roll over for a few thousand dollars?

Mr. C

I know so, especially after I have the victim of the rapist who lost his head give a press conference to share her feelings.

Dr. F

You got all the bases covered. I just hope it doesn’t turn into a complete horror show.

Mr. C

It’s already better than it has ever been. So, how is your salmon burger?

Dr. F

Don’t you dare try to butter me up. I’m still mad at you.

Mr. C

I have some making up to do.

Dr. F

Yeah, and don’t think this little lunch is even putting a dent in my anger.

Mr. C laughs, then begins to eat his vegetable wrap.

END OF EPISODE 4

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