Scene 1.1.1
The streets of Rome
The streets of Rome had not seen many
faces on its curfew hours which the Senate House had seen to enforced. The
Senate House was the governing body of Rome; a blend of Noble and the Commoners held the ranks of Consuls, although the
former held more than half the seats. The Consuls from the Commoners were
Commoners themselves but they were elected members from that community. They
held a voice but not the majority power of votes. An impotent arm of the Senate
House would deem befitting them, although their voters hold more numbers than
the others. The minority of the other half was power influenced once elected.
They had forgotten their vows during the campaign of garnering support but
their fluent vocabulary of words made them ever forgiving to their voters. With
the majority the Noble Consuls held sway over the edicts that were read in the
Senate.
That was until the hunger needs of the Commoners
overrode their forgiving nature. The latest declaration by the Senate House had
caused the march of the Commoners to the Senate. They had massed up in numbers
from the earlier selected few that led them on the streets. They had massed
before the storehouse near the Senate but the armed convoy of tanks and
troopers prevented them from looting it. Their plight was the price of the
wheat which they had planted as workers and sold raw to the Consul owned
corporation, before it sold at a premium back to the Commoners.
“We want our food back.” It was a
standoff then.
A standoff of the mass against the
regime of Rome.
“You all resolved rather to die than to
famish?” The commoner was dressed in the dressing of a scholar; high collared
knee length blue shades frock with vertical striped down the left side of the chest
while his footwear wear of the wooden sandals with the throngs strapped to just
below his knees. His hair style was short cropped with a blue red middle streak
down the center. It was the insignia adopted by the academics. He was not a
Senate candidate but a hungry man whose body nutrition had been hampered by the
sudden increase of the price of wheat grains. The grains from within it will
yield flour that will be used to make the food that he could consume. The price
of that grains had increased making the portion of flour reduced thus stroking
the anger in him. He started as one but the numbers soon grew to hundreds and
then into thousands.
“First, you know Caius Marcius is chief
enemy to the people?” The scholar spoke once again. The assembled before him
roared out that they knew. A lady then stepped forth and addressed the
assembled. She was of the health service provider with her white nursing frock
seen beneath her short dark jacket. She raised her right arm which held the
medical alert tag.
“Let us kill him, and we’ll have wheat
at our own price. Isn’t a verdict?” The Health nurse was vocal to the
assembled. They cried out their voice as one to have the killing done. Another
dressed as the Service Personnel took the stage on the assembled beside the
nurse.
“Speak, Nurse.” The Service Personnel
spoke out.
“We are all good citizen of Rome. We
yield to their rules, but the authority acceded on our generosity. They think
we are too petty in our demand. They hold over us the object of our misery
which in inventory was in abundance. They took our sufferance as a gain to
them.” The nurse glared to the assembled. Her expression was of anger. “Let us
revenge this with our blasters les we get blasted. For the Roman Gods be our
patrons, this is not a thirst for revenge, but a fulfillment for flour on the
table.”
“Would you proceed especially against
Caius Marcius?” The Service Personnel queried the nurse. He was not questioning
the nurse on her line of work but Caius Marcius was hero then among the Romans.
He was a fine officer of the Elite Troopers. He had fought off many invaders to
Rome. Recently, he was recalled to duty for the new invasion by the Volsces. He
had returned to be a Consul. He was the one who had said that the wheat
belonged to the corporate owners. He defended the Nobles whom he was one of
them.
“Against him first: he’s a very dog to
the commonalty.” The Nurse proclaimed out her hatred. She had known of the so
named Hero. She had nursed him during his last battle; wounds that he would had
succumb if not for her meticulous cares. Once the man had recovered from his
wounds, he made hell of her visits with his nobility attitude. Her earlier hero
worshipping soon came to abrupt end then. Her patience with him came to an end when he
cursed at her for her standing in the social ranks. He was in the recovery tube
and with a negligent flick of her finger she could have you into a deep sleep
but the appearance of the medical officer. He had foreseen her intention and
reminded her of the oath she took in her profession. He was from the nobility
rank, but he had fought for his country. His deed that made her let the hero
live to fight one more battle.
“Consider you what services he has done
for his country?” Those words stung her in the mind. It was taunted by the
Service personnel with contempt on his words.
“Very well.” The nurse sighed. “I could
be content to give him good report for his bravery but that he pays himself
with being proud of his nobility.”
“Nay, buts speak not maliciously.”
“I say unto you, what he had done
famously not for his country. He did it partly also for his mother. He was
proud of it.” The nurse mocked the hero in his character. During his sedation,
he had called for his mother many times and once even held the nurse to cry on
her bosom as if it was his mother.
It drew some laughter from the
assembled.
“What he cannot help in his own you
fashioned the vice on him.” The Service Personnel mocked at the nurse. He had
wanted her to draw more on the hero’ arrogance, but she had changed the
direction to the mother. He whispered to her to speak seriously or leave.
“If I must not, I need not be barren of
accusations.” The nurse sensed the tone. “He was ...”
It was then the shouts were heard in the
back.
“What shouts are these?” The nurse
shouted out. “Have the other side of the city also rise in rebellion?”
The assembled started to move forth but
they found a person pushing through the middle to step in front of them.
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