Quest For Equality

Composed  from the short stories Something To Hitch Meat To and The Metamorphosis

Sean: A busy city on a late fall afternoon. There is a chill in the air. Two characters, Artho and Gregor, meet for the first time at a small, secluded coffee house. They conduct an interview based on the topic of transformation. Each one learns something about the other.

Artho: Hello. My name is Artho. You must be Gregor? (Extends hand)

Gregor: Yes I am. Pleasure to meet you Artho. (Shakes hand)

Artho: May we start the interview? I have a few things I would like to ask you.

Gregor: Yes please do. Whenever you feel most comfortable.

(Artho grabs his bag and takes out his recorder. Setting it up, he takes a few notes on the notepad in front of him and begins.)

Artho: Can you tell me about your transformation? How does it feel to be a bug?

Gregor: (Thinking) I woke up one morning, like every other morning. (Shaking his head in disgust) I work as a salesman, traveling the area. Anyways, I woke up and felt different. Something was off. I did not like what was going on. There was a feeling in my gut that I was not who I thought I was. I could not get out of bed without forcing myself off the edge onto the floor. I did not stand up once I hit the floor; I was on all my legs. That’s when I knew I was a bug. I had no head; well, I had a head but it was nothing like it used to be. My back was a giant lump. I felt helpless. I did not know what to do. I was worried that I could not work to pay off my parent’s debt. I let them down. It was the worst feeling in my life, worse than when my girlfriend Sandy broke up with me.

Artho: Interesting. My transformation was nothing like that.

Gregor: Seriously? You were transformed too? How so?

Artho: When I transformed I did not change my outer appearance. I gained powers on the inside. I know that may sound crazy, but it’s true. If you turned into a bug, then I can have powers. Anything is possible nowadays.

Gregor: (Taking it all in) Things like this are not supposed to happen. These things only happen on television or in books.

Artho: I know. But now they can happen in real life!

(The conversation has taken an interesting turn. There is silence for a moment.)

Gregor: May I fetch us some coffee? It will be my treat.

Artho: Please do.

(Gregor goes over to the counter to grab two coffees. He returns with a smile on his face.)

Gregor: (Placing the coffees and danishes on the table in front of them) Please, help yourself.

Artho: Thank you Gregor! (Takes a danish and sips his coffee. Gregor does the same.)

Artho: How does being a bug compare to being a human?

Gregor: Being a bug has put me in a helpless position. I cannot work anymore to pay off my parent’s debt. I have to rely on my sister for food and to bath me, if at all possible. I cannot deal with everyday life and little things like I used to. Going to the bathroom is much more difficult. Grooming is awful. Nothing is easy now. I wish I was still human. Everything was much simpler. My image has been misjudged. My family has disowned me because they do not like my newly found image. They do not want to be capably responsible for my actions anymore. I want to go back to work as a traveling salesman so bad. (Looks down with a sad pout on his face.)

Artho: My image has also been misjudged. People dislike my appearance as well. That is due to my transformation, as I have previously covered. As for my job…….I used to work with computers. People do not like the work I conduct, so I got fired. They let me go because of all the rumors that were spread about me. Now I have to interview people like myself in order to make money. With the interviews I conduct I am going to compile them into a giant article and read it off in front of a camera. Then I will be able to show the video I made to the world. One day they will understand that there are people out there that are different humans. Not everyone is the same. That is what I am out to prove.

Gregor: I like your way of thinking. May I join you?

Artho: Yes you may! But answer me this first.

Gregor: Anything. I want to prove to the world that we should not be an outcast due to our differences.

Artho: What about your family? What will you do about them? If you choose this way of life you will be leaving them behind. There’s a huge chance that you will never see them again.

Gregor: I do not have to worry about my family. They wanted me gone. I heard my father tell my mother and sister that he wanted me to leave the family and change my last name or else he would call an exterminator to kill me. So I faked my death in order to survive. That is why I am here under cover. If my family knew I was still breathing then they would have an exterminator hunt me down, spray me with a harmful chemical and I would be dead within seconds.

Artho: Oh my! I am sorry to hear about your family. That is an unfortunate incident, although that makes it easier to join me in my quest for equality. (Takes out a sheet of paper and a pen.) 

Gregor: What is that?

Artho: This is a contract I made. If you sign it, you agree to follow me on my quest, no matter what. This guarantees me that you will not take off on me. If you do I have permission to hunt you down any way that I can. Even if it harms you.

(Artho hands Gregor the contract and pen. Gregor reads it over and takes a minute to think about the final decision.)

Gregor: I agree with everything stated here. These are reasonable propositions. I promise to follow the rules and never leave your side, like Sam never left Mr. Frodo.

(Gregor signs the contract. The two characters shake hands. They leave the coffee house, discussing the next phase of their quest.)