Council For Reconstruction

INT. FEDERAL BUILDING
Mr. C walks the hallway with his rolling briefcase, into a large courtroom. The courtroom is filled with historians, ethicists, and scientists. Dr. F is a biologist, and beautiful as she is smart.

Dr. F

C! C come here before you sit down.

Mr. C walks over to Dr. F and her scientist friends.

Mr. C

How you big time?

Dr. F

There’s no big time here.

Mr. C

I heard you are getting big budget increases at your labs and a title, director.

Dr. F

That depends on how well of a case you make.

Mr. C

I better do well. I was starting to think I wouldn’t live to see any meaningful change.

Dr. F

You ain’t never lying.

Dr. F rubs Mr. C’s arm to relax him.

Mr. C

I’ll see you later.

Dr. F

Okay, Good luck and we’re back here for you.

Mr. C shakes hands with some of the scientists and historians on his way to sit before the Council For Reconstruction. Mr. M, an ethicist stares at Mr. C.

Mr. M

I’m here, keeping my eye on you Mr. C.

Mr. C

I wouldn’t have it any other way Mr. M.

Mr. M

Yeah, just mind yourself sir.

Mr. C

Yes sir. Now can I take my seat?

Mr. M

You may proceed.

Both men laugh. Mr. C moves toward his desk and sits down. He takes out a tablet, paper, and one of his favorite pens. Mr. C does this sitting down so that he would not aggravate his bad back. Mr. C’s back has been in pain long enough for him to wear it like clothes.

Guard

All Rise!!!

The Council Members enter the room full of standing people. The room is so quiet that the audience can hear the Members sit down. Member 1 bangs their gavel and a light flashes in front of them.

Member 1

We are gathered here today to lay the foundation for the reconstruction of our society. We will not use full names today or at any time during our gatherings. This is to maintain some safety for every person here, and every person that will attend in the future. We will maintain order because this is the most serious situation that we have ever faced, as individuals or as a society. One disruption gets you removed, not two or three, but one. We are now beginning a process that will be a great moment in history if we get it right, the end of our existence as a social order if we get it wrong. Today we will begin with economics because this is what people understand to be the foundation of society. Mr. C, the floor is yours, make your case if you will.

Mr. C

I want to begin by thanking the members of this important council. I am honored, and hope that I will make some contribution for a better social order for us along with any societies outside of us that finds our work useful. I want to start with something you said about what people believe civilizations are built upon. We have been conditioned to hate codes of conduct and the struggles between concepts like justice and injustice. So, we are promoting the idea that we get paid for civil responsibilities. We can give citizens payments for studying and responding to materials, and more importantly civil behavior.

Member 10 bangs their gavel to trigger a flashing light.
 

Member 10

Why would people agree to have some get paid for doing what everyone should be doing anyway?

Mr. C

Technology has replaced many jobs in at least two ways. One you don’t need as many people to do what they did just a few years ago. Another way is that digital commerce has made retail spaces into hubs instead of stores. The more lay offs that happen, the more people will be willing to accept payments for non-traditional actions. We also must train people back into civility the way that they had been conditioned out of civil behavior. This will solve two problems, poverty and inhumanity.

Member 10

Give me an example of this automation that replaces so many people.

Mr. C

You often see stores with multiple registers, but only two cashiers. Now you can easily turn those empty registers into self-checkout registers. One person can manage ten self-checkout registers, so that there is never a line. With mobile devices we can order goods and either pick those goods up at a store, which means you can run a store with as little as 2 people, or people can order goods to have them delivered. What we now call retail stores are becoming hubs or mini warehouses.

Member 4 bangs their gavel to trigger a flashing light.

Member 4

How will we pay for this massive economic shift?

Mr. C

Technology makes it possible to send citizens who are registered money after they report acts or that apps monitor. We can also use drones to monitor and reward people. As for the availability of money, we will actually save money. It costs almost as much money to distribute resources to our poor people as the rewards the poor people get. We are also paying on the back end for conditions that will be eliminated. One example is the health app on our mobile devices that measure the activity of citizens. The more activity, the more the citizens are rewarded. This cuts the obesity rates and its health conditions as well as poverty. We also know that less people traveling to meaningless jobs, cuts into the pollution in our society. Bad air, water, soil, etc. costs so much money that it is hard to calculate it.     

The council does not have any more questions or concerns. Member 1 bangs their gavel to trigger a light.

Member 1

It seems that you have satisfied the council Mr. C. This was the easy meeting, though it was the larger issue. As we all know much of what you have in your report is already being done. Now you must come back next week with our new housing policy. Does anyone have any statements?

No One speaks.

Member 1

Meeting is adjourned and good luck Mr. C.

END OF EPISODE 1

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