The New No.2

    {The pair of steel doors opened suddenly and a man in a double breasted plain dark blazer, grey polo neck jersey, grey flannel trousers, and deck shoes stood on the top of the steel gantry. He held an umbrella shooting stick, and about his neck and shoulders the old school scarf}
    I am the new Number Two the man said loudly.
    The Supervisor looked up at the man. So what?
    Well I just thought I’d make your acquaintance.
    What? You don’t think we need Number Two coming in here introducing himself every time a new one takes up the position do you?
    Well of all the cheek, and you are?
    The Supervisor.
   Well you won’t be the Supervisor for very much longer with that attitude.
    {Number 2 descended the steel steps onto the Control Room floor}
    It’s alright for you, I’m the new boy, I don’t know how any of all this works.
    You don’t need to sir, that’s why I’m here.
    Well I like to know how things work. What are they doing?
    They are the Observers.
    Just five of them?
    Seven, there are two other Observers on the steel see-saw.
    Yes I was about to come to that. What it is?
    It’s a see-saw sir.
    I can see that, I do have eyes you know!
    The duration of an Observer watching a monitor is twenty minutes, then the Observer has to take a break. The motion of the see-saw as it goes up and down.........
    Its goes round and round as well.
    Yes sir, the motion we find extends the Observers time in front of a monitor, by about ten minutes.
    What about him?
    Who sir?
    That man there?
    Well sir he...........
    And you my man, what do you do?
    I look after this button.
    What does it do?
    Well when I get the Orange Alert I press the button.
    What then?
    That orange light lights up and then I know I’ve released the Guardian.
    Who gives the Orange Alert?
    I do.
    Well couldn’t you press that button as well?
    Certainly not, that’s what we’ve got him for, I’m the Supervisor. I give the Orange Alert and he presses the button.
    And then?
    The Guardian is released from somewhere on the seabed.
    I see, well carry on.
    Yes sir, we were going to.
    There’s no need for insolence, I am your superior.
    Yes Number Two……for the time being!
    I maybe new here..................and who’s that?
    Who Number Two?
    That man on the screen?
    That’s Number Six.
    Why is he doing that?
    Doing what Number Two?
    He’s having a wa......
    A walk Number Two. Yes he does tend to pace up and down in his cottage like that, he does it for hours on end.
    Why?
    He finds it difficult to relax. He’s always on edge.
    While he’s eating and drinking?
    Mostly then.
    He’ll wear out that carpet if he’s not careful. If he wants to walk he should go outside.
    Why are you here Number Two?
    To introduce myself.
    No, why are you here in The Village?
    Oh I see what you mean, to take Number Six out of The Village for a few hours. Prepare the amnesia room, I want to take his mind back to the day before ZM73 resigned!
    That’s been tried before
    Well we’ll try it again….alright?
    Yes Number Two
    But this time its going to be different…………………..

Be seeing you