There is another surreal moment, when No.2 is speaking on the telephone to No.6, but seen on the television. But then next moment he’s standing in the doorway of No.6’s cottage….he must have been on the telephone just around the corner, such are the cordless telephones used in the Village, one can make a telephone call from anywhere.
No.2 comes calling on No.6, and it appears that he’s brought No.58 with him. But no, the maid has only brought breakfast for one, French cuisine, or should that be International, no French surely. But of course No.2 could have been thinking back to Napoleon Bonaparte who wanted a united
And what is this? Breakfast being brought to him. No.6 must have gained a privilege or two. While No.2 has to put up with a slice of buttered toast from No.6’s breakfast table!
So No.6 is just the candidate they need to stand against No.2 in the local election is he? I wonder who’s bright idea that was? A prisoner being given the opportunity to run the prison, who has ever heard of such thing? It would appear that No.6 intends to discover who the prisoners and who the warders. I’m not at all sure where that will get him. He claims to be a person and not a number, and has no intention of dying in the Village like a rotten cabbage. I have never understood exactly how rotten cabbages die!
Another privilege, No.6 has his own transport for the election period, and his own driver, who doesn’t speak one solitary word of English. So when invited to the Town Hall by No.2 in order to witness the disillusionment of the outgoing council, No.6 had to find his own way there! On the way the candidate had to face the members of the press, a photographer No.113b, who is apparently without film in his camera, and the other No.113 who puts his own answers to his own questions, and even then his article will never appear in the local broadsheet The Tally Ho, because the article about No.6 “Speaking His Mind” has long since been written and published for every citizen to read!
In the Council Chamber No.6 is confronted by No.2, and members of the out-going council. Look at them, brainwashed imbeciles! Can they laugh, can they cry, can they think? Is this what they did to them, until they got what they were after? The same, or as like, what they are doing to No.6? Having been allowed to ask his questions, the candidate has another interview, one with the Labour Exchange manager. You see they must know one way or the other, about No.6’s intentions for standing for election. Thus he must undergo the test, a truth test. Mind you they already know exactly what No.6 intends to do should he be elected as the new No.2. He intends to organise a mass breakout, or at the very least have the citizens create enough havoc in the Village so that the Prisoner can escape amid the chaos!
Eventually the candidate No.6 emerges victorious, and to the cheers of the crowd. Interviewed by No.113b, although it could be 113a, or 113c. Well they are twins you see, neither of which wears his numbered badge, and it makes it so difficult to tell who is who if people do not wear their badge of identity! So No.2 sees No.6 as a worthy opponent, and No.6 is going to give No.2 a run for his money!
“The community can rest assured, that the security of the citizens will be my primary objective” said Number 6. He’s beginning to sound like No.2 already! I also thought how strange it was that he picked up on the language Number 58 spoke, a language shared with Number 2. What’s more the conditioning of Number 6 wears off from time to time, it was wearing off when he tried to escape by jet boat, and in pursuit Number 2 himself piloting the helicopter. So Number 6 found himself in deep water again, even deeper when he had to abandon ship so to speak, because that’s when the white mass of the Village Guardian turned up. And for the first time we see not only the full 6 feet in circumference Guardian, but two smaller ones as well, so to assist bringing Number 6 back to shore.
Whatever happens the tissue must not be damaged! Conditioning of the subject is precise. In the Therapy Zone a chemist brews his brew, plays with his chalk, and drugs Number 6 into the bargain! But don’t worry, the preparation is exact to the correct quantity in order to carry him through the rest of the election! Are we really supposed to believe that there’s a hermit chemist who is allowed to live in a cave outside of the Village, simply because he can work on formulae for the Village Administration? Well if he did, they moved him out before the next episode!
Therapy zone is said to be a place where you can be an alcoholic in perfect privacy, just as long as you return to the flock in good time. No.2 makes a toast “To hell with the Village,” and for one moment there, I believed in his toast. But the sentiments he expressed in that toast, are as false as the Village itself, even the election!
Then there’s the Cat and Mouse nightclub that sells anything as long as it’s non-alcoholic. Gin, whisky, vodka, looks the same, tastes the same! So the Village supports prohibition! That’s a pity, because No.6 looks a drinking man to me, and if someone was to get him drunk, well then they wouldn’t be able to stop him from talking, not even if they wanted to.
The old regime forever, and the old Number 2 forever, is that what the citizens really want? Vote for him and they’ll get it. Or they could stand upon the election platform and speak a word without fear, the word is freedom. They say six of one and half a dozen of the other, not here, it’s six for two, and two for nothing, and six for free, for free for all. No.6 wants us to have more spare time, leisure, according to him is the citizens right. On the other side of the argument Number 2 agrees that Number 6 is a fresh face with an enthusiasm that cannot be denied. But questions his administrative ability to implement his policies…….can the citizens trust him?
The candidate Number 6 is elected as the new Number 2, and is brought onto the steps of the Town Hall to face the good people of the community. It was a landslide victory for Number 6, even Number 2 voted for him. And yet as the new Number 2 stands on the steps of the Town Hall, there are citizens who look upon him with suspicion. However the out-going Number 2 takes the new Number 2 to the Green Dome, in a Village taxi driven by Number 58.
“No point going into detail, anything you want to know press a button, you’re the boss.” So why does Number 58 remain with Number 6? His new found position in public office has nothing whatsoever to do with her. However it soon becomes apparent that this new Number 2 is going to possibly have the shortest term of office of any Number 2 in Village history.
Number 58 slaps Number 6 so to bring him out of his conditioning, and the reality of the situation quickly dawns on him. He picks up two telephones, his voice booming out over the Village “This is our chance. This is our chance take it now. I have command, I will immobilise all electronic controls. Listen to me you are free, you are free to go, free to go, free to go. You are free, free, free to go. I am in command, obey me and be free Obey me and be free, you are free to go, free to go, free to go.” Number 6 said that everyone votes for a dictator, looks like he was right! But no-one is listening to the Prisoner’s words, not one citizen reacts. Suddenly in the Green Dome the wall revolves, and a single steel door is revealed. Number 6 quickly dives through the opening door, it’s his only was of escape……….The door in itself is one surreal moment, quickly followed by another, is a cave, inside which men are sitting around a pulsating Village Guardian. But there is no time to think about that. Because the two motor mechanics are on hand to extract their revenge on the Prisoner {for his treatment of them aboard the boat during his escape attempt} who is held by legs and arms, as the two motor mechanics wearing gloves, punch the Prisoner into near unconsciousness!
Manhandled back into the new Number 2’s office, No.58 stands there all aloof, now able to speak perfect English “Will you never learn, this is only the beginning. We have many ways and means but we do not wish to damage you permanently. Are you ready to talk?” The Prisoner wasn’t ready to talk, in fact what had happened in the last few minutes had, if anything, stiffened his resolve!
“Just on my way, everything go according to plan?”
“Don’t worry, all will be satisfactory in the end. Give my regards to the homeland.” So it’s confirmed that the Village, although run by whichever government, is actually situated somewhere else on foreign soil. And the former Number Two, flying himself out of the Village! Can we be certain that he’s not carrying out his own daring escape, I mean where’s the regular helicopter pilot? Oh well, at least they didn’t damage the tissue, merely bruised it a bit!
Be seeing you
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