Checkmate
Profiles continued
Number 249 – Assistant to the supervisor
Male
Height…. 5 feet 8 inches {approx}
Weight….155 lbs {approx}
Hair…….Fair/greying
Age…….50 {approx}
Nationality…. English speaking
Of stocky build.
Village attire, Blue piped blazer, black turtle neck sweater, blue trousers and deck shoes.
This man appears at first sight to be an assistant to the supervisor, as he seems to spend much of his time in the control room and taking his instructions from the supervisor. However it is not usual for a supervisor to have an assistant, number 2 is the one to have some kind of assistant.
If this man is an assistant to Number 2, it does not make sense that he spends his time in the control room. Nor is he at any time seen with Number 2, which he surely would have been given that he was Number 2’s assistant.
He too shares this laid back, casual manner with both the supervisor and Number 2.
Number 53 – The Rook
Male
Height…. 5 feet 8 inches {approx}
Weight….180 lbs {approx}
Hair…….. Mid brown/receding hair line
Age……..Late forties [approx}
Nationality…. English speaking
Short and stocky build
Village attire, Brown and white stripped jersey, light grey flannel trousers, deck shoes, straw boater and colourful stripped cape.
A Scientist, Engineer, Electrician and has an understanding of radio frequencies, a man of many parts one might say, a highly intelligent technical mind but with a free spirit.
A man who had invented a new electronic defence system, but thought that all nations should have it as it would have insured peace.
This man is a humanitarian, with an independent mind and such men are dangerous.
He thinks the fact that they have all this to safeguard secrets is a joke.
Contracted to work for the Ministry of defence, on a new defence system for the government, he let some bumbling bureaucrat take the plans, who then let his bag get swiped.
Number 58 swears that he had nothing to do with it, but would die happy if he had.
So Number 58 was brought to the village, either for his treasonable thoughts against the government, or to maintain the secrets which he has, or in order to have those secrets extracted!
One thing he definitely is, is a prisoner and subservient with it. He is afraid of Number 6, he averts his gaze as number 6 stares at him by the ‘free sea’ area.
He them hurries away, looking over his shoulder as he goes as Number 6 follows him up toward the bell tower.
Number 58 has questions put to him by Number 6, he has told them it all before, but tells Number 6 anyway, such is the authority he is faced with.
So afraid of the authorities he is that he would willingly agree to anything Number 6 said.
How easy then, it must have been then for the doctor to rehabilitate this man.
When told by Number 6 that he is a prisoner as well, Number 58 has doubts. He has been caught like that before, guardians posing as prisoners.
It is difficult to tell how long Number 58 has been here, a month, a year. Time in the Village is irrelevant, only the seasons of the year are anything to go by.
His technical skill and knowledge makes him the ideal man needed to put together a radio transmitter from stolen transistors, wiring, a metal frame work and a telephone.
On the chessboard, the Rook demonstrates his independent mind, by making an unsolicited move. This is an act of the cult of the individual and is not allowed.
For this Number 58 is put through a rehabilitation session at the Hospital. The patient is dehydrated and electric shock treatment is used.
Later, when paddling all alone out to sea no that primitive craft, Number 58 applies to Number 6 his own tests, the results of which convince him that Number 6 is a guardian and not a prisoner. And in so doing he convinces the others and they release number 2.
This is a huge error of judgement on the part of Number 58, which ultimate cost not only his own freedom, but also that of Number 6 and his confederates.
Number 14
Male
Height…. 6 feet {approx}
Weight….160 lbs {approx}
Hair……..Grey/balding
Age…….late 60’s {approx}
Nationality…. Eastern European, an ex-Count according to the rumours.
Chess campion.
Build, has hunch shoulders and a distinct limp in his right leg, he walks with the aid of a walking stick.
Village attire, Blue piped blazer, blue trousers, black turtle neck jersey, straw boater and deck shoes.
Last time we saw Number 14, was a doctor and one of them. So it seems that she has been either been allowed to leave the village, or demoted for her mistake in ‘A. B. & C,’ which sometimes we all have to make.
It is rumoured that this man’s ancestors played chess using their retainers and that they were beheaded as they were wiped off the board.
And as this man states that the use of people on the chessboard satisfies the desire for power, it’s the only chance one gets here. Was it he who first initiated this idea of human chess matches for the village, seeing that it was his own ancestors who had devised such a gory, bloodthirsty and murderous form of personal entertainment.
It is quite possible that at the same time Number 14 was trying to maintain his past ancestry as an ex count.
While playing chess when both sides look alike, he judges the blacks from the whites by their dispositions, by the moves they make.
However as I have discovered, there is an easier way to tell between the blacks and the whites. At the start of the game whoever makes the first move is white, and the pieces on the board with their backs turned towards you are your pieces. Those facing you are of your opponents. Simple and fool proof.}
{Yes, but dressed identically as the pieces are, what if an opposing piece turns around?
This man keeps his mind alert just from habit, just to defy ‘them’, as he is too old for escape. However he is not too old to become involved with Number 6’s escape plan, perhaps thinking he could get by seeing that he is the member of an escape team.
He is also able in some way to defy the white membranic mass of the guardian, still walking along defiantly as the guardian rolls past him as others stand perfectly still by in the street.
He, like Number 6, is on his side.
He also has a very pronounced limp and walks with a stick.
He is the chess champion, possibly a Grand Master.
He tells Number 6 that he plays a fine game. It is he who plays the game and is playing it now. He has seen how Number 6 plays the game against the Village, that Number 6 is like himself …. a Prisoner.
But why was he brought to the village in the first place? At sometime all of those in the village would have held a position of a secret nature. It is only a question of where and when.
It is Number 14 who plants in the mind of Number 6 the idea for distinguishing between the blacks and the whites, guardians and prisoners.
He sees that Iin time most of us join the enemy, against ourselves.” By this he either means that despite yourself, however mentally and physically strong you are, ‘they’ break down your resistance, until you can no longer resist ‘them’. Or, if one happened to be Number 1, one would join the enemy against oneself!
He suggests too Number 6 that he must be new here, which in turn suggests that Number 14 has had a long experience of the village.
And even though he tells Number 6 that he is too old for escape, he still joins him in an escape attempt. Perhaps as he is too old to try to escape on his own, it would be possible in a joint attempt.
Being a more senior citizen of the village, it improbable that he resides in ‘The Old Peoples Home’, he is far too a stubborn and quite an independent man to end up in such a place. But then how long would he be able to resist such a move?
Pshychiatrist - Number 39
Female
Height….5 feet 2 inches {approx}
Weight….160 lbs {approx}
Hair…….silver grey
Age…….60 {approx}
Nationality…Unknown
She is a woman of short, stout stature with silver grey hair, who wears glasses and is aged 60 years {approx}, who has maintained her position in both the village and the Hospital.
A medic carrying out work with any such presiding doctor at the time, and without question as we have witnessed before. Thus keeping herself both of value to the village and alive.
This medic carries out a word association test with Number 6 and discovers some strange associations.
“Hope”
“Anchor” returns Number 6.
“Anchor?” queries Number 39.
“The Hope & anchor, it’s a pub I used to drink at” returns Number 6 with a smirk.
She, unlike the doctor-Number 40 has survived from the previous episode!
Nurse – Number ?
Female
Height…. 5 feet 6 inches {approx}
Weight….120 lbs {approx}
Hair……..Mid Brown
Age……..25 {approx}
Nationality…. English speaking
Village uniform, white dress, white shoes and white cap.
Young, not unattractive, only the white uniform of a nurse does not exactly flatter her.
Obedient, she does exactly as she is instructed by the doctor, in not talking to the patient.
She is a perfect nurse in every way.
What does she make of all the good doctors experiments?
Perhaps she is afraid to speak out against them. After all she is only a nurse and in that respect not entirely indispensable, after all if she was not here to look after the health of the patients, it would be left to someone else. And where would she be then?
The Shopkeeper – Number 19
A large portly man who has maintained his position in the Village, as the General Store shop keeper, what’s more he is a prisoner and responsive to the authoritative voice of Number 6.
Is bi-lingual.
As a prisoner member of the community, perhaps he himself has gone through rehabilitation in order to become a valued member of the community.
A man who keeps himself to himself, takes pride in his work.
Always courteous, polite and helpful to all his customers, nothing is too much trouble.
Subservient when confronted by the voice of authority, as indeed with Number 6.
But surely Number 19 has seen Number 6 at least once, and that was on the day of his arrival. So Number 19 must have realised that Number 6 was like himself a prisoner, judging by Number 6’s air of authority that he had been promoted to a position of authority.
When Number 6 tells him that he wants to inspect his books, the shop keeper acts a little nervously and protests that they have never been inspected before.
Could there by a discrepancy to be found in the books, or is he just nervous when it comes to the authority of the village?
Subservient he maybe to the voice of authority, but he takes no time at all to be persuaded to join the both the Rook and number 6 in their escape attempt.
Quick to point out that “Were on land!”
He is only too eager to go and meet the boat, when he thinks it has come for them.
First encountered in 'Arrival,' and although Number 2 informs Number 6 that his confederates will all be rerurned on the chessboard tomorrow, we are never to see Number 19 again. He is replaced by Number 12!
The painter –- Number 42
Male
Height…. 6 feet {approx}
Weight….170 lbs {approx}
Hair……..Light brown
Age……..30 {approx}
Nationality… English speaking
Well built
Village attire, Dove grey cap and overalls
A prisoner and what’s more subservient to the voice of authority.
He doesn’t ask to see Number 6’s identity card, he simply assumes that he is a guardian by his tone of voice and intimidating manner.
If they are not satisfied with the painting he is doing, well he will paint it again.
Nor is he a very quick worker, Early in the morning he is painting a wall with an arch set in it. The next day when Number 6 is out and about in the village alerting his men, the painter is still painting the same wall.
Perhaps others were not satisfied with his work!
The Gardener – Number ?
Male
Height….5 feet 10 inches {approx}
Weight….168 lbs {approx}
Hair……..Dark Brown
Age……..30’s {approx}
Nationality…English speaking
Village attire, dove grey cap and overalls.
His manner is one of aggression he will not be intimidated by number 6.
If number 6 wants a word with him, then he’ll have to wait!
This man is a guardian.
The Butler
Guardian/searchlight Operator-Number ?
Male
Height…. 5 feet 10 inches {approx}
Weight…. 130 lbs {approx}
Hair……... Dark Brown
Age……… Thirties {approx}
Nationality… Unknown
Village attire Grey hat, black and orange stripped jersey, light blue trousers, deck shoes
Guardian/searchlight Operator-Number ?
Male
Height…. 5 feet 10 inches {approx}
Weight…. 150 lbs {approx}
Hair…….. Black-greying
Age……. Forties {approx}
Nationality… Unknown
Village attire red cap, black and red stripped jersey, grey trousers, deck shoes
Skipper of M. S. Polotska
Male
Height…. 5 feet 10 inches {approx}
Weight…. 210 lbs {approx]
Hair…….. Black
Age…….. Thirties
Nationality…. English speaking
Attire black peaked cap, black jersey, black donkey jacket, black trousers, Wellington
Seaman
Male
Height…. 5 feet 10 inches {approx}
Weight…. 150 lbs {approx}
Hair…….. Dark Brown
Age…….. Late Thirties {approx}
Nationality… Unknown
Attire black peeked cap, black donkey jacket, black jersey, Wellington
Next time Hammer Into Anvil
Be seeing you
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