FLOW

Ivan saw the truth that all have fallen short and have sinned. We all deserve death. But this crazed man with the gun sees only the wrongs dealt to him. He begins to speak with a fervent passion. “We are the very thing our labor has produced, day after day. All of us, together, are a clock. The gears and cogs within are the individual comrades doing their duty to society. But the men here before us are the vessels of exploitation. They grip the timepieces in their grubby hands and wind them up, making them run and then sitting back and enjoying the benefits of time. They steal what is rightfully ours! The inequality of man is more obvious in this factory than in most places you may see. They take advantage of our hard-working nature and our desperation to gain something for us and for our families. They are our overlords until we say otherwise!”

After letting the men shout in agreement, Ivan raises his hands in a calming way and addresses the youngest of the corporate men. The young man is fresh out of school, a school designed to train leaders. He was able to work odd jobs here and there to pay for some of it, relying on loans for the rest. He lives in a poor neighborhood and is still trying to pay off his debts. Ivan asks the eldest businessman about his life in this company. The man had grown up in the poor district, finding work at a factory when he was only twelve years old. He kept working at the factory until it burned down after an unfortunate accident. Soon after, he began work in this factory here, working his way up until his dress code required a suit and tie. I couldn’t see what was so terrible about these men until Ivan addressed the third. His story held much less struggle, consisting of friends in high places living in wealthier parts of town. Ivan turns to the Revolutionary and asks if the unfair aspects of this one man’s life could justify the murder of three men. The Revolutionary, eyes bright with rage, declared that if the men tear off their oppressive suits and renounce their association with inequality, they can join the movement. The young man and the mature man both rip off their ties and suits, cursing their family names and the job that they once held. The eldest man stands his ground, proudly saying that he earned his place in the world. The Revolutionary opens his arms for the young man