The Group

Drama Humour Mystery

7 min read

The Handler Calls In The Group To Test Their Guy

PHILOSOPHER EPISODE 4

EXT. CITY STREET
Peter walks the streets of Maggy’s neighborhood. He looks at the architecture. Peter walks into a store. Everyone turns their eyes toward Peter. Peter holds up his money.

Peter

I didn’t mean to disturb you, I only wanted a few snacks.

Peter backs out of the store. Peter begins to walk back to Maggy’s apartment. A car comes to an immediate stop next to Peter. Maggy and Ibo are in the car.

Maggy

They’ve called a meeting. The group wants to meet you Peter, you’re up.

Peter gets into the back seat of the car.

Peter

How many people am I talking to this time?

Maggy

It’s going to be a full auditorium this time. This is for the whole thing. It will be an international audience and your chance to make a difference.

Peter

What if I fail?

Maggy

We’ll find someone else or ride out the fall.

Peter

Should I be wearing a sack on my head?

Maggy

You’ve seen too many movies.

Ibo

The human sacrifice and blood rituals happen much further down the road.

Ibo and Peter laugh. Maggy turns to look at Peter and looks at Ibo.

Maggy

I’m so glad you can bond at my expense.

Ibo

Yes grand matron of ceremonies.

Maggy, Ibo and Peter laugh.

END SCENE

INT. AN AUDITORIUM
Peter stands side stage left. Peter hears voices and languages from around the world. Peter cannot see anyone. The auditorium is dark and bright lights are shining toward a chair at the center of the stage. Maggy hands Peter a cordless microphone and a pair of shades. Peter walks out to the chair. He sits down, squints his eyes and puts the shades on. Peter taps the microphone.

Peter

Hello…hello. Can everyone hear me?

The audience quiets down. It is silent for a few minutes.

1st Questioner

Is it true that you support exterminating the underclass as a way of solving our social imbalance?

Peter

I would rather you solved problems in a more mindful way. You could stabilize our society by making housing a natural right. Vermin have a place to live, so why can’t human beings? Sometimes vermin are living where humans are supposed to live and humans are sleeping on the streets. You could also make sure that food pantries are fully stocked with wasted food from farmers. Now if you want to impose a final solution on us, you will be forced to dispose of us. 150 million people in the empire are at or below the poverty level. What are you going to do with all those bodies?

2nd Questioner

Peter, I must first say that we are not all homicidal maniacs. Second, what would you propose we do about ethnic strife?

Peter

I can’t see any of you, so I can’t hold it against you, whether you’re maniacs or not. You created many of the ethnic groups in the empire to turn us against each other. Some of us are too far gone, so you must provide space for separatists. You can also give people different ways to come together. We all desire to be parts of a village. Imagine if we have villages held together by concepts instead of physical features. The metaphysical people would live in one place. The theological people would be in another place. Anti-theist would be in yet a different place.

3rd Questioner

How should we dismantle our current social order and what should replace it?

Peter

Does anyone have any difficult questions?

Some of the audience members laugh.

Peter

This social order is basically rubble already. You can build any social order that you want. You should try to avoid any order that keeps you all in power only if others suffer. Any social order that needs poverty, so there can be an elite, is doomed to fail.

4th Questioner

You spoke about ethnic strife, but what do you suggest we do about the black and white problem specifically?

Peter

You could open up the society to black people, but we’d need some reparation for past and present injustice, so we can have a chance in this open society. You could choose to legalize segregation again and give black people control of the institutions in our neighborhoods. You might need to give a small amount of money for black people to get started. You would give us the deeds to all of the buildings in our neighborhoods.

5th Questioner

Do you think black people would accept this re-segregation?

Peter

We are already segregated, so you’d be admitting to what is already our reality. Black people are doing so badly, that they may be willing to try anything.

6th Questioner

Let’s talk economics. We know how we got our money and we may be willing to release some of it, but we don’t want to waste it. How can we distribute money efficiently?

Peter

Stop creating programs. Use your foundations to give people money directly. If you can give them free tools, like computers and other devices, do that. You could adopt poor families and pay them directly. Expand the number of families each year. You can make all money digital and spread credits to poor people with the same energy that you took money from us. You could be really radical and become post economic. Make mastery of skills and talents the motivation for work.

7th Questioner

Let’s talk about the environment. Nothing matters if we cannot breathe and the water is spoiled. What is your suggestion for turning the environmental disaster around?

Peter

You should break down these gigantic farms. Food should be grown in smaller plots. You must let some of the soil rest. You can pull back these giant fishing ships. Convince the masses that buying things is not the way to measure ourselves. This will cut down on the trash that pollutes everything. You could use technologically sound materials to rebuild infrastructure. It’s insane that we still have poison pipes carrying our water to our houses.

8th Questioner

You seem to be trying to force us to shift the thinking of the masses. How do you suggest that we accomplish this?

Peter

I’m not forcing you to do anything. I was minding my business, when I was picked up and brought here. You have control of media, which most people consume all day, every day. You have the power to put people with vision in positions of power. Stop promoting block heads.

9th Questioner

Would you want to be in a position of power?

Peter

No. I’m kind of old and not charismatic enough. It would be nice if you all did something for the children. It’s a little annoying to me that we left them with this madness.

10th Questioner

Where are you from?

Peter

Brooklyn, born and raised.

The audience becomes silent for a few minutes. Maggy waves for Peter to come back to the side of the stage. Peter stands up.

Peter

You all can do what you want, but it would be nice if you pull the good people out of the mental slums before they suffocate under the weight of insanity. Thank you for having me and take care of yourselves.

Peter puts the shades and microphone in the chair and exits the stage.

END SCENE

EXT. MAGGY’S CAR
Maggy, Peter and Ibo are driving back to Maggy’s apartment.

Maggy

You were superb.

Peter

Thank you. You are a good handler, but I don’t need the cheerleading.

Ibo laughs. Maggy hits Ibo in the arm.

Ibo

The man is not a fool. That’s why you’re falling for him.

Maggy turns red.

Maggy