Chapter 39: Giving It All Away
In the early afternoon of the next day, thousands had gathered on the streets of the Capital City. They were eagerly awaiting the big surprise from Ryan and Saliyah. The open-top campaign bus headed along one of the main roads leading to the city centre. Saliyah’s music was blaring from the speakers. Those in the crowds began screaming.
The bus finally came to a stop in the middle of the city square. The music stopped playing. Saliyah grabbed the microphone. She climbed on top of the front row of seats on the top deck so that everyone could see her.
‘Hey everyone,’ screamed Saliyah. ‘Thank you so much for coming out today to celebrate our new democratic currency.’
The crowds screamed in joy.
‘You’re not going to believe what our silly Economic Institute has done,’ cried out Saliyah. ‘They have minted too many coins. What are we to do?’
‘Dish them out! Dish them out! Dish them out!’ chanted the crowd.
‘What do you think, Governor Ryan?’ shouted Saliyah.
‘I don’t think we have a choice,’ shouted Ryan. ‘We now live in a democracy. We gotta dish them out!’
The crowd roared with excitement. Saliyah’s music began to blast out again.
Two large trucks rolled into the city square. They stopped near the campaign bus. Two guards from each truck got out. Several dozen of Ryan’s staff got off the bus and ran over to the trucks. The guards opened the back doors of the trucks. Ryan’s staff helped unload many large wheeled boxes from each truck. The staff rolled the boxes into the crowds.
The music stopped again.
‘Now, it’s time for some fun,’ shouted Saliyah. It appeared she was holding a coin cannon. ‘Let me get us started.’
She pointed the cannon upwards and towards the crowd and then started firing coins into the air. She did so for a few minutes, sending out several hundred coins. The crowd frantically reached into the air to catch them.
‘Calm down, everyone,’ shouted Saliyah. ‘There are more than enough coins for everyone.’
The staff opened the lids on the boxes to reveal hundreds of little bags containing coins.
‘Dish them out!’ screamed Saliyah.
Those in the crowd charged towards their nearest box. It became very disorderly very quickly. There was lots of pushing and shoving.
‘Be civilised,’ called out Ryan. ‘There is enough for everyone.’
The pushing and shoving continued, as those in the crowds were afraid they would miss out. Several fell over and were trampled on by those desperate to reach the boxes.
Some of Ryan’s staff were knocked over and hurt. Many in the crowd started taking bags of coins directly from the boxes. This led to a violent response from those who thought others were being greedy.
Several guards rushed in to break up the violence, but they were outnumbered. They greatly struggled to gain control over the situation.
Yensid Media was there covering the event. They filmed the violence from a distance.
The violence continued until all the boxes had been emptied. At this point, the guards had managed to successfully separate the crowds. Several in the crowd had managed to come away with several bags of coins, and others came away with none.
Saliyah had been shouting most of the time for them to calm down, but it had very little effect on the behaviour of the crowd. Despite the violence, nobody was seriously injured.
Later that day, Ryan and Saliyah arrived back at the palace. Ryan was angry at the way the crowd had reacted. James had been called to the palace to consult with Ryan.
‘We gave away all this money, and they behave like wild Sapes,’ said Ryan angrily.
‘We cannot be mad at them,’ said James. ‘Our society is experiencing a beautiful but also radical transformation. You have transitioned us from a world of scarcity to a world of plenty. It will take time for the average Linap’s mindset to adjust.’
‘We cannot have this mad behaviour on our streets,’ said Ryan as he began pacing anxiously.
‘I absolutely agree,’ said James. ‘The city guards are only a small force. They cannot handle bouts of violence of this nature. I suggest we bolster their numbers or, even better, introduce a new department more capable of enforcing law and order.’
‘Enforce!’ chuckled Ryan. ‘Reminds me of the Pound Ball Team. That lot looked like a fierce bunch.’
‘Yes, indeed,’ said James. ‘How about we call them “enforcers”? Since that would be their exact role.’
‘Then it’s settled,’ said Ryan as he nodded. ‘I’ll leave it up to you to form this new group.’
‘Excellent,’ said James with a grin. ‘On another matter, the Yensid Media team is in your office. They are ready for you to make your announcement.’
‘Superb,’ said Ryan as he began climbing the staircase. ‘Your efficiency and professionalism never fail you.’
‘I’m motivated by your inspiring leadership,’ said James as he nodded.
Ryan entered his office. The media team had everything set up to go.
‘You guys are great!’ said Ryan.
‘Thank you, sir,’ said the production manager. ‘Since we have a few minutes to spare, would you mind autographing these posters?’
Ryan grinned as the camera team pulled out their posters as well as sports cards for him to sign.
Thirty minutes later, it was time to broadcast.
‘Good evening, residents of Sapey,’ said Ryan in a serious tone as he confidently looked into the camera. ‘Today may not have been our finest. However, I am aware that your world has been completely shaken up in recent months. Since nobody was badly injured, all offenders will be given a pass. This will be the only time such leniency will be offered.’
‘Tonight is not about negativity,’ said Ryan as his face brightened slightly. ‘Tonight is about us, the Government, making amends for past grievances. After I was elected, I promised we would make reparations to all the families that experienced losses from, now, past dangerous work practices. Sadly, a complete and thorough investigation would take years. I can’t allow that. Therefore, I’m giving all non-noble families from affected districts a hefty payout. This will be roughly around one year’s salary under our newly implemented minimum wages. You will be sent a letter in the mail. You can take this letter to your local Economic Institute to collect your reparations.’
Those listening at home jumped for joy at the thought of such an enormous payout. The few Alset family members who heard or watched the announcement were greatly displeased. Most of the others were unaware because they were travelling or working and did not have time to listen to announcements. Jenna had resumed her work in the tunnels. Locum still needed uninterrupted bed rest.
Sapien Loop: End of an Era
Sapien Loop: Frozen in Time is the sequel to the book Sapien Loop: End of an Era. Sapien Loop: End of an Era is available on Amazon, in collection series on my @spectrumecons account, and in individual chapters in my @captainhive account.
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