Ficlets

Upheaval

There was naught else for the astute ne’er-do-wells of Soloman to do, save stew in the bile directed at them by the invisible, yet deafeningly vocal working class. The trumpets of derision threatened to crack the crystal palaces, yet production continued on schedule and the output of the factories promised yet another record-breaking quarter the year Zed Arlo was convicted of murder.

The trial was a vicious affair, as you’ll undoubtedly recall: the media circus had none other than Phaed Oxaca as its master of ceremonies, and Oxaca wasn’t known for his modesty. In contrast, Arlo had almost been a non-person prior to the chase that lead to his arrest. It could be argued that the fates themselves must have angled for a man such as Zed Arlo to be put in the position of negotiator with the union representatives. He wasn’t qualified; nothing in his curriculum vitae prepared him for interaction with members of the lower classes.

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