Aymius Todd is poor. And on Skaz, where one word costs one drouble, that makes him a man of few words. So when he's caught in an interview room, with the police asking questions about his recent outburts of speech, his connections with the Garrulous Liberation Front, with Marley Evans, he has to hope he has enough words to explain.
He tells his story. He'd fallen in love with a rich woman called Helena, whose wealth afforded her luxuries such as conversation, discussions, even singing, while working as her gardener. He wanted money to buy her a ring, so him and his friend Marley bought their way into a card game with their life savings. Also in attendence was a known criminal, Gaverick. And a man who only called himself the Doctor. Aymius assumed him rich beyond belief, because he did nothing but talk. Talk to amuse, talk to annoy, talk to distract... so he could win all of Gaverick's money. Gaverick held him at gunpoint, but with Marley sabotaging the dealer robot, the three were able to escape. The Doctor gave the pair his winnings, and disabled the tongue chip in Marley that monitored her words, but before he could do the same to Aymius, Gaverick caught up with them. As the Doctor dashed into a dead end with only a blue box, Aymius and Marley made their escape.
With the money, Aymius was able to buy a ring, and him and Helena could finally talk, properly. But talking brought disagreements, and watching television one evening, at a report on Marley's speech at G.Lib meting, Aymius realised Helena's family would never support removing the tongue chips. "Let the people who run things have the words." Aymius stormed out. A few weeks later, he attended a G.Lib, but things got violent, and while he escaped home, the police somehow found him. Helena had dropped him in, as in his last words, he expresses his disbelief.
Out of money, out of words, and out of any way to defend himself, Aymius prepares for a life in jail for sedition, only for the Doctor to show up claiming to be his legal advisor, and rescue him. He rescued Marley, who's resting in a chair, having been on the receiving end of a police's baton. He disabled Aymius's tongue chip, and takes them both back to the plaza. Some people have regrouped, and he thinks Aymius should give a speech. Aymius at first protests - he's has no practice with words, but Marley is out of action, and the Doctor claims to just be a visitor. So Aymius gives his speech, at the injustice of the poor not being allowed to vent about their problems, to celebrate with friends, to be forced to not live, but merely exist. The crowd cheers, and when he returns to the TARDIS, the Doctor shows him the results of their movement, 20 years in the future. People chatting, arguing, gossiping, people speaking freely. Upon their return to the present, the Doctor says he might see them again, at the wedding. Just prepare for his Best Man's speech.
Free Speech contains examples of the following:
- Crapsack World: Each word on Skaz costs money, and writing is strictly forbidden without permission. If you run out of money, a chip implanted in your tongue disables your voicebox. Courts work on silence as an admission of guilt, and prisoners undergo a laryngectomy.
- Love-Interest Traitor: Helena for Aymius
- Motor Mouth: The Doctor, as per, setting him apart from practicaly everyone else on the planet.
- Uptown Girl: Helena and Aymius
