Heaven Part II

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They are all very curious. Some of them show it loudly, some just nod their heads, and some are afraid to show any interest. Miki concludes that they should continue with presenting the new world to the newcomers.

 

MIKI

(continues)

Let's go further... We can

freely choose every job we

want.

 

DANNY

(interrupts)

What does that mean?

 

MIKI

We can work wherever we

want.

 

DANNY

OK. I always wanted to be

a medical doctor. May I?

 

MIKI

Are you a doctor?

 

DANNY

No!

 

MIKI

Theoretically you may be

a doctor but practically

I would not recommend it

to you.

 

DANNY

Why not?

 

MIKI

Because here patients

choose their doctors. I

can easily bet you won’t

be busy. Besides that,

patients evaluate doctors.

If you make a mistake in

healing somebody the

patient would give you a

negative evaluation and

that is not good for you.

If you make a big mistake,

the whole town can give

you negative evaluations.

I would highly recommend

you study medicine

first...

 

JACK

And what if 10 people

apply for the same job?

 

MIKI

Then the applicant who

offers the best

productivity gets the

job...

 

JACK

How in God’s sake would you

measure the productivity of

medical doctors?

 

MIKI

Well, the best way is by

marks that patients give

you, but also with your

responsibility.

 

JACK

How?

 

MIKI

Every candidate can raise

their responsibility.

Double responsibility, for

example, would double the

influence of each mark

received from patients.

If you take a responsibility

value of 10, each received

evaluation will give or

take 10 knots off your hat.

Higher responsibility

raises risk. The person who

offers the highest

productivity and

responsibility gets the

job. This is in fact a

developed market of work...

 

DANNY

(mocks him)

Oh oh oh!

This is the market of

work!!!

 

        MIKI

Yes, the best worker always

stays at every work post.

That’s why we have the best

possible production.

 

DANNY

Then, one cannot have

whatever job they want!

 

MIRJANA

Yes, they can! The person

who really wants some job

would invest more effort to

get it. Here, nothing can

stop him...

 

Frances joins the conversation.

 

FRANCES

Everyone can get a job here

and choose what to do?

 

MIKI

Yes, here we do not have

neither privileged nor

unemployed people. 

 

FRANCES

(smiles surprised)

Cool...

 

John asks a question.

 

JOHN

Do you have a mayor?

 

MIKI

Yes, we do.

 

JOHN

And everyone may become a

mayor if they want?

 

MIKI

Yes everyone may become a

mayor if they want. Of

course he or she has to

offer the best productivity

for the position.

 

JOHN

(says absorbed in thoughts)

Interesting, I'm starting

to like this place.

 

Danny asks a question with a very arrogant voice.

 

DANNY

Who is the owner of

companies?

 

MIKI

We are all equal right

owners of companies.

 

DANNY

So, you are commies?

 

MIKI

We have equal rights here.

 

DANNY

(sarcastically)

We have seen very well how

these equal rights look

like!

 

MIKI

Everything is fine here.

 

DANNY

If I do not want to be

equal, do I have a choice?

 

MIKI

You have the choice here

only if we all agree about

that. Unfortunately such

a chance is very weak... 

 

DANNY

That's what I thought...

 

MIKI

(thinks a little bit and

continues)

However, you have a choice.

At the end of the main

street turn left and maybe

you can find a commune

you like more. If you turn

right you would get to

Hell. I do not recommend

entering! 

 

DANNY

I'll look for something

better... 

 

Murmur. Most agree with Danny.

 

BETTE

You will not go anywhere

before we see what it is.

 

Danny is dissatisfied but silent. They are all absorbed in thoughts.

 

                 MIKI

Let’s have a lunch break.

We will continue after

that...

 

They all agree, standing up from the chairs and leave the room.

 

INT. RESTAURANT SELF-SERVICE DAY

 

A very cozy self-service restaurant gives a homely atmosphere. Silent background music plays from speakers. The restaurant is full of different tasty foods nicely arranged in buffets. There is also a middle-aged chubby cook in white with a big hat who helps serve.

 

                 BETTE

(asks a cook)

Is this organic food?

 

COOK

We have healthy food only.

 

BETTE

(nods her head satisfied)

Our farmers poisoned us

with pesticides and

hormones.

 

The cook, a cheery man by nature, smiles to this comment, he raises his arm and makes a face as if to guarantee his food is of good quality.

 

At the end of the line of food Bette finds out that there is not a cashier to pay the lunch to.

 

                BETTE

            (asks them all)

         Where is the cashier?

 

They turned around and searched for a cashier but could not find one...

 

DANNY 

(shrugs his shoulders)

It must be complimentary

of the airline company due

to the shit we are in...

 

        BETTE

Might be ...

 

They carry trays with food and sit at the tables.

 

        BETTE

(continues)

... but it seems we are in

a much bigger problem.

 

DIANE

(sits beside Bette)

What do you mean?

 

FRANCES

You heard what they said!

 

They speak loudly so that everyone in the restaurant hears what they’re saying. Jack, who sits at the neighbouring table, responds.

 

JACK

Yeah, I think someone’s

playing us. Maybe it’s

Candid Camera?

 

Everyone looks around trying to find a camera, which is possibly making a video of them.

 

BRANDON

I can’t see a camera.

 

FRANCES

Me neither...

 

JACK

Of course you cannot see

it! The show wouldn’t be

called “Candid Camera” if

the camera isn’t hidden.

 

BETTE

(seconds his opinion)

It’s true, it sounds

unrealistic that everyone

can work whatever they

wish!

 

DANNY

Someone is screwing around

with us!

 

KEVIN

It seems serious to me!

 

AL

Me too...

 

JOHN

I don’t think it’s bad

here...

 

John puts a bite in his mouth as if nothing strange has happened.

 

DIANE

(a bit worried)

         I hope not...

 

INT. WELCOME CENTER (again)

 

Danny is first to return to the welcome center. He sits in front of the computer and types an e-mail to his business partner...

 

Hi George,

 

Something very strange has

happened to me. If you

receive this letter maybe

it is not that strange...

 

Write to me,

 

Danny

 

Sends the e-mail and immediately receives the response “The recipient is unknown.” He swallows a noodle, inhales and exhales unsatisfied.

 

At that time the others return from lunch. Mirjana continues the speech after the break.

 

MIRJANA

(continues)

We have developed direct

democracy here...

...especially in economy...

 

DANNY

(mocks her sarcastically)

Oh oh oh...

 

MIRJANA

We all participate in the

distribution of common

money.

 

DANNY

(mocks her again)

Oh oh oh...

 

Mirjana looks at Danny and smiles.

 

MIRJANA

Now comes a real surprise

for you! We have directly

decided to direct all the

money for the needs of

joined consumption.

 

She presents a diagram on a big screen where individual consumption is reduced to zero. The joined consumption accumulates all of the money. 

 

  DANNY

Wait a moment, what does it

mean, all the money goes to

the joined consumption?

 

MIRJANA

That means we do not

receive incomes here. We

all consume what ever we

need and everything is

financed from the common

consumption budget.

 

DANNY

Incomes do not exist,

everyone takes what they

need? ... You are even

worse than commies!

You are crazy! 

 

MIRJANA

We are not crazy. We

function excellently.

 

DANNY

So who decides what a

consumer is going to

consume?

 

MIRJANA

The consumer alone.

 

DANNY

How convenient! Let's say

I am a consumer who orders

a pizza and while waits to

be served asks politely for

ten Mercedes cars to be

packed to go. Any problem

there?

 

MIRJANA

Here we have completely

different values then you

are used to. If somebody

takes ten cars here it

would be equally foolish

like the one who takes ten

dinners instead of one.

No intelligent person does

this... 

 

DANNY

OK, let's say I am foolish

and stupid and still ask

for ten Mercedes. What

would happen then?

 

MIKI

Cars are made by the orders

of the people. With such

behaviour you can produce

a shortage of spare cars.

Then the people here may

get angry at you and give

you negative evaluations.

A lot of negative

evaluations and you finish

at the end of the main

street right... 

 

Danny does not look satisfied with the answer, neither do the others...

 

MIKI

(continues)

When we came here we

thought the same as you.

We directed all of the

money for incomes. We had

no taxes at all. We were

full of money. Normally we

had to pay each good or

service. We had to pay

doctors, schools, police,

courts, everything...

(he thinks a little bit)

What was even worse, we

privatized everything. On

my way to work I had to

stop 13 times to pay

crossing over someone's

private property. That

Lazar wanted to privatize

even air, but he didn't

succeed! Police did

not want to talk to you

before you paid them.

Firemen did not want to

extinguish a fire before

you pay them. Medical

doctors did not want to

look at you before you pay

them. We have produced a

worse situation than you

have had, and almost

finished right in Hell...   

 

MIRJANA

Not me!

 

MIKI

(ironically)

Sorry I forgot to say that

you have always been

perfect. That’s the reason

I am very happy with you.

 

Mirjana pretends she didn’t hear irony in his voice.

 

MIRJANA

Do you ask yourself if I

am very happy with you?

(asks with silent voice)

Have you cleaned the

carpet?

 

MIKI

(silently responds to

Mirjana)

Oh, you have started

delivering compliments to

me in public...

(continues loudly)

When we saw that it could

not be worse we started

directing money for the

common consumption

purposes.

 

Mirjana passes a minor conflict and continues...

 

MIRJANA

But we didn’t allow anyone

to use that money in our

name. Not the presidents,

nor representatives,

neither the professionals,

nobody! We requested to

spend the money alone

where we want to.

 

MIKI

(continues)

That’s how we finally took

the privileged power from

the leaders. That’s how the

taxes started to serve us!

 

DANNY

(mocks him)

Oh oh oh...

 

Miki does not pay attention...

 

MIKI

That ended up so well that

we all finally individually

gave all our money for

taxes. In that manner we

abolished incomes. Now we

finance all consumption

from the common expenses

budget. These are

significant changes...

 

DANNY

If I ever work here, I

would still like to

receive an income... 

 

MIKI

Why do you need it when

everything is free of

charge? 

 

DANNY

I do not believe in your

system. (says honestly)

 

MIKI

You could all vote to keep

your salaries but your

voices will be drowned in

the sea of votes from all

of us who do not need

salaries any more. The

result of all your votes

could ideally affect us to

receive a salary in the

amount of a few dollars.

This would slightly reduce

the common consumption but

still everything would be

free of charge because we

who live here want it. We

do not want salaries.

That's how we live.

However, if you persuade

most of us to keep wages

then incomes would return

and normally most of the

goods would have to be

purchased. Honestly, We

do not see it as a

possibility because we

know our way is the best.

 

DANNY

I do not believe in your

system. (repeats honestly)

 

MIKI

OK. We cannot give you an

income because it does not

exist here, but we can give

you money, as much as you

want, with which you cannot

buy anything because

everything is free of

charge here.

 

Danny nods his head satisfied.

 

JACK

Wait a moment! If

everything is free of

charge why would anybody

work hard to get something

when he can have it without

work?

 

MIRJANA

Here work is not a

difficult trouble but

pleasant satisfaction.

Work is a value itself.

 

They are all absorbed in thoughts. Jack breaks the silence...

 

JACK

I was told that the market

determines the value of

work. 

 

MIKI

That's correct too, but you

still do not know how the

free work market looks

like. 

 

JACK

(repeats surprised)

We still do not know how a

work market is supposed to

look like?

 

MIKI

Correct! The market of work

is supposed to make balance

between the demand and supply

of work. Have you had an

equal demand for all work

posts?

 

JACK

Work cannot be equally

demanded. Somebody always

gets better jobs and

somebody worse jobs...

 

MIKI

Here we do not have better

and worse jobs!

 

JACK

(sarcastically)

How convenient!

 

        MIKI

You think better jobs are

those that give bigger

statuses and influences in

society. These are

illusions... We have

eliminated them...

The workers at more

influential work positions

receive more evaluations

from the people. If they

fail terribly they can

easily finish in Hell...

 

DANNY

(mocks him powerlessly)

Yeah...

 

MIKI

(doesn’t pay attention to

him)

The moment we abolished the

work privileges all jobs

became equally demanded.

 

JACK

?

 

MIKI

Nobody would choose bad

jobs if they exist. The

work is free here.

 

JACK

(excitedly)

So you think we didn’t work

freely?! That I was a slave

for 45 years?

 

MIKI

        (calmly)

To be honest, that's

right...  You do not know

what free work is!

 

JACK

(asks sarcastically)

Would you be so kind and

tell us poor, ignorant

people what free work is? 

 

MIKI

Here we choose whether we

want to work, and then we

choose what we want to

work. That is free work.

 

JACK

(continues)

So what if all the people

choose not to work?

 

MIKI

That is impossible! We

confirm our productive

powers by the work. By

giving up from it we would

practically negate

ourselves...

 

JACK

Everything is possible!

 

MIKI 

That would be the same as

your top sportsmen give up

from competitions. We have

competitions for each work

post here.

 

JACK

Now that sounds cruel!

 

MIRJANA

It's not cruel at all.

There is a job for everyone

here. No ones job is better

than others’. No one's

economic existence depends

on work. Each person

competes exactly as much as

it is suitable to his

nature. Everyone likes

their jobs and finds

satisfaction in work... 

 

Jack watches Miki suspiciously.

 

MIKI

(continues)

Let me conclude, work values

more than goods here. If

that would not be the case,

then we would return back

to individual incomes, you

are used to. But this is

paradise and everything

is OK. 

 

MIRJANA

That would be all for now.

Any questions?

 

FRANCES

You said that you direct

production and consumption

on your own. It's not clear

to me how? 

 

MIRJANA

Here we have fictitious

money that everyone directs

where he thinks is more or

most important. An

individual who thinks that

health care should be more

developed than public

recreation, would direct

more money for health

care and less for the

public recreation. The sum

total of all statements of

all individuals determines

production. 

 

FRANCES

So how can you order a car?

 

MIRJANA

We order cars

individually...

We successfully cover all

individual orders by the

common consumption budget.

If we are not able to do

so, we would return to

individual incomes...

...which would not be a

problem at all...

 

Thinks a little bit and then continues.

 

                MIRJANA  

The point is we have

created a democratically

planned economy that

implements the most

rational and useful

production. The system of

work competition carries

out the best possible

production. Our economy

is the best one.

 

DANNY

OK, now you came to the

subject I am an expert at.

Good old capitalism has the

best economy because it

makes the highest profit.

That’s a well known thing!

 

MIKI

Incorrect! The best worker

on every public work post

makes the highest profit

that capitalism cannot

follow. Public companies

won over private ones and

that sent capitalism to

history...

 

Danny makes a face as if something hit him but does not have the guts to continue discussion.

 

MIRJANA

(continues)

When capitalism started

leaving, the profit started

losing its importance...

...man has become the main

value. Now profit does not

exist any more at all and

man is all for us...

 

FRANCES

        (concludes)

Sounds good...

 

DANNY

Sounds bad!

 

MIKI

(smiles and continues)

And now, the last surprise

for today. It's enough that

workers here work two hours

a day in order to satisfy

the needs of the whole

community.

 

        DANNY

(suspiciously)

We will see...

 

JACK

(sarcastically)

So what are you doing the

rest of the time, if one

is allowed to know? 

 

MIKI

We can work what we want

and as much as we want.

The rest of the time we do

the same as we do while

work – we enjoy life. 

 

MIRJANA

More questions?

 

Murmur in the room but there are no more questions.

 

MIRJANA

We know that you are full

of surprises, but don't

worry, everything will

be OK. We are actually one

big good family, happy and

satisfied...  

 

MIKI

Now you are free to go

where ever you want and to

do what ever you want. All

inhabitants of Heaven will

gladly help you whenever

you need it...

 

FRANCES

So where will we sleep?

 

MIRJANA

        Uh, thanks for reminding

me...

 

Mirjana types something into her computer which automatically inserts pictures and descriptions of available houses and apartments into all monitors in front of them.

 

MIRJANA

                (continues)

I’ve just opened pages with

available houses and

apartments here. Please

choose which place suits

you best... If somebody is

not handy with computers

I will help them.

 

They all move towards monitors and search...

 

INT. BEDROOM LATE NIGHT

 

Kathy and Jack have chosen a rustically arranged and very pleasant apartment.

 

They both lie in bed ready to sleep, watch the ceiling, and think.

  

KATHY

Have you noticed that blue

hats have been given to a

soccer star and a famous

singer? That looks like

protection to me. There is

no justice anywhere! 

 

JACK

And we went to church every

Sunday. I ask myself why?

 

KATHY

I went to church every

Sunday. You did not.

 

JACK

Are you starting again?

 

KATHY

You have accused me in

front of everyone that it

was my fault we got red

hats. 

 

JACK

Then whose fault is it?

 

KATHY

Why mine? I live a fully

standard life. I am the one

who washes, cooks, and

cleans. You are the one who

comes home drunk on

Fridays! 

 

JACK 

You are the one who

persistently cooks the

“healthy” food I cannot

stand. You are the one who

likes to sling mud at me

whenever I drink a little

bit with friends. You are

a grumble witch! God sees

everything!

 

KATHY

Me a grumble witch! And

what are you? You are the

one who sent everyone to

Hell! You are a grumble old

goat!  

 

JACK

Me grumble? You have not

seen, in all your life,

a more tolerant person

than me! 

 

KATHY

(sarcastically)

Yeah, that is the reason

our relatives often come

over and enjoy spending

time with us. 

 

JACK

They do not avoid us, I

avoid them. None of them

are normal people!

 

KATHY

Uh, what a tolerance!

 

JACK 

I am tolerant! It is not my

fault they are abnormal. 

 

Kathy gave up from the discussion and turns angrily to her side of the bed.   

 

 

 

Go to Heaven Part III 

 

                    

    

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