With the usual hubbub and hum of people quietly chatting away to small rabbles of men and women, Insomniac arrives on the scene with a quizzical look on his face. With a scratch of his chin, Insomniac plucks up the courage to raise his questions with his own small group. Slowly getting up on his soap box, Insomniac begins to speak.

“As I stepped off the ship on the dockyards and looked around, I saw literally thousands of immigrants pouring off the ships. Nationalities that ranged from Great Britain to Greece, the Netherlands to New Zealand, from Italy to India. I came from Great Britain to the United States under the illusion that I will instantly be able to provide for my family back home. That I would get off the boat, stroll around the corner and simply walk into a job. This hasn’t happened for me. I know, like the majority of you, I had to resort to things that never would have even crossed my mind, just to make that money that I so sorely needed.”

“Since the first petty crime I committed, the first narcotics deal I pulled off, the first felony I made, hell, even the first kill I planned, I have found myself wanting to do more. I have found this itch that I have not been able to scratch. I find myself wanting to commit more and more felonies, increase the profit on each drug run I make, complete more contracts on people’s lives. Looking back on my former self, I look like a choir boy back compared to the person I see in the mirror today.”

“It is no longer the need to provide for my family back home that is making me earn this money. It is no longer filling the position of breadwinner that is making me head to my family’s head quarters at eight in the morning and leaving in the early hours of the following morning. It’s no longer my biological siblings that I call my family, it’s the people that I see around me. It’s my own damn greed and addiction to this lifestyle that keeps me going!”

Insomniac abruptly stops in his tracks and looks up at the sky for a split second. With an exasperated sigh, he manages to regain his composure and begins to speak once more.

“So, I bring this, the disorganised mess I call my thoughts to an end, but before I go, I want to leave you all with two questions that have been burning away constantly in my mind during this speech. Do you feel that you have changed since landing on these shores, if so, how? Also, as the days go on, where do your aspirations lead to? Are you a person who is happy and content being a reliable member of your family, or are you dreaming of one day residing in the higher echelons of our society?”

Insomniac looks at the faces in the crowd and smiles. Straightening his suit and running his right hand through his hair, he steps down and walks to the back of the group, allowing another person to step up to the soap box and have their say.

McDermott looks around in curiosity. Offset by the opportunity given he feels the urge to straighten up. Before speaking his mind McDermott drops his cigarette smothering it out.

I believe I have changed. Hopefully for the better though some may say for the worst. The life of crime corrupts us all to some degree. Though I've realized my love for friends in this organization whether they be from Downtown or as far Chicagio, Philadelphia and New York. The company you hold is what makes this thing so special.

Thinking deeply McDermott attempts to consider all the questions.

My aspirations are simple as always. To help any new comer to these shores reach their goals. To teach them to create their own path and find their own niche in this thing of ours.

As for the last question. I wouldn't say I'm anywhere near the higher echelons. I dream to see the higher echelons grow stronger and offer a good life for all who come to the four criminal cities. Life and death go hand in hand though. So I suppose I dream of a time where we can work together to offer others the opportunity for their dreams to come true.

McDermott smiles and kind of shrugs.

Some find happiness in the darkest of places. It's only through great challenge we find who we truly are. All of us have a great challenge that lies ahead of us in continuing to rebuild the cities.