The
silver grey Alouette helicopter had made its usual arrival at the village at two o’clock . The pilot circled a couple of times,
not that his passenger was awake to enjoy the view. She was an attractive
woman, late twenty’s, early thirties, not very tall, brown hair, hazel eyes,
slight of build.
The helicopter flew out across the estuary
then turned and made its approach to land on the triangular lawn by the sea
wall. A white Mini-Moke towing a Red Cross trailer acted as an ambulance, and
two medical orderlies alighted the vehicle as the helicopter landed. They took
a stretcher from the trailer and waited for the rotor blades to stop turning
before they approached the helicopter. It was the pilot who opened the cabin
door, and helped place the unconscious woman onto the stretcher. With the
patient safely in the trailer the medical orderlies drove the ambulance back to
the hospital.
The pilot was making his routine safety
checks on the helicopter watched by someone skulking behind a bush. After a
moment or two No.117 casually stepped out from the bush and approached the
helicopter. In his pocket an electronic device called an Electro Pass
“One squirt you’re paralysed, two squirts
you’re dead.”
The pilot closed the cabin door and stepped
down from the float, then stooping slightly backed away from the helicopter,
its rotor blades spinning faster and faster until it lifted off the ground, and
turning flew out across the estuary making for the hills on the far side.
In the Control room an Observer reported
the unauthorised flight of the helicopter.
“Let’s have it on the screen” ordered the
bald-headed supervisor.
In an instant the large wall screen came to
life and the helicopter gaining height across the estuary was being closely
tracked. The matter was reported to No.2.
The yellow ‘L’ shaped intercom began to
bleep, No.2 who was just enjoying an afternoon cup of tea picked it up “Really,
who would have thought it. Bring him back” he said leaning forward to press a
button on the control panel of his desk.
The wall screen came to life, and he
switched in one of the aerial view cameras showing the helicopter high above
the hills on the further side of the estuary.
In the Control Room the supervisor-No.28
gave one of the operatives sitting on the steel see-saw device the nod. It was
then the operative took remote control of the helicopter. It came as a shock to
No.117 when the helicopter hovered in the air for a moment before turning back
towards the village. He fought to regain control, but the controls resisted,
the helicopter was heading back towards the village eventually landing on the
lawn, where a white Mini-Moke was waiting. The rotor blades slowed and a man in
a white coat approached the helicopter and opened the cabin door.
“Come along” said the orderly “time for your
medication and a spell of therapy.”
No.117 was helped into the back of the
Mini-Moke and was driven to the hospital.
A the next day No.117 was called to the
Green Dome for an interview with No.2.
“Sit down 117, perhaps you would care for a
cup of tea or coffee, you’re just in time for elevenses” No.2 said pouring out
a cup of coffee “You know I never realized you could pilot a helicopter,
there’s nothing in your file about that.”
“I blame the researchers!”
“Did you really think you could escape
117?”
“I gave it my best shot.”
“Don’t you like it here?”
“I can think of better places to be.”
“And worse ones Sing-Sing for one, and
there are some Russian Gulags in Siberia
with atrocious reputations. But I think I’ll let you go back.”
A spark of hope was suddenly ignited in his
heart, and it showed in his eyes “Back, you’re sending me back?”
“Oh don’t get excited, only back to your
cottage. Only if you try to escape again, there is worse out there than a
helicopter flown by remote control, you had better remember that.”
No.117 got out of his chair and walked
towards the ramp as the pair of steel blast-proof doors opened and No.12 walked
in and down the ramp as 117 was leaving.
“Just a minute!” No.2 shouted.
117 stopped dead on his tracks.
“Who gave you the Electro Pass
117 turned and took the wristwatch looking device
from his pocket and dropped it on the floor, then walked up the ramp and
through the doors as No.12 was arriving.
“You’re letting him go?” 12 asked.
“He’s had enough of adventure for now. I
think he’ll be more compliant. What do you want?”
“I’ve come to report about the sceptic
tank.”
“If we don’t sort it out we’ll be up to our
necks in it. What has the works department got to say for themselves?”
No.12 saw the empty coffee cup, and picked
up the coffee pot.
“Yes do help yourself to coffee.”
“What no biscuits, there’s always biscuits
for elevenses” 12 said adding milk and sugar.
“There were four digestive biscuits, but
I’ve had them.”
“What no proper biscuits, you know the ones
with the cream inside.”
“I asked the butler about those.”
“What did he say?”
“He said it wasn’t his fault! Now about
this sceptic tank?”
“The works department said that they can
have a tanker here in a couple of days.”
“Well if that’s the best they can do. You
see Number 12 it’s not all glamour here not by any means. Some of us have to
get our hands dirty, if you ask me it’s the prisoners who have the best of it!”
“We’ll all get the best of it if that
tanker doesn’t arrive on time!”
“Never mind that, 117 had an Electro Pass
“That’s two.”
“Don’t be facetious, just get on with it,
otherwise we’ll both be up to our necks in it!”
Be seeing you
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