More Tales From The Village

    The day was much like any other day in the village, people going about their daily lives, well most of them. It wasn’t going so well for No.47 who had thus far failed to give any information away. He even refused to give away the date of his birth! But it would only be a question of time, because given enough persuasion and pressure under both physical and mental torture; everyone talks on the third day, after that they couldn’t stop No.47 from talking. It was the lesser information he gave away first in the hope that this would prevent him giving away the “vital stuff” of which he was reluctant to go beyond headings when dealing with the files he had seen, and the projects he knew about. But the doctor was skilled in numerous interrogation techniques, and was determined to extract all the information in 47’s head. Being confined in a hospital room 47 was not availed of any of the so called “niceties” the village provided for others of his kind. Perhaps those were not so important, or had given up all the information and were now living out the remainder of their lives in the peaceful atmosphere of the village. Either that or they had come to the village of their own free will! But not so No.47, he was confined to a room in the hospital, and so was on tap for the doctor.
   At first it was abuse and name calling in an attempt to dishearten the subject, to make him think that it was his former employers who were responsible for his current situation that he had been left high and dry by his masters, who no longer cared whether he lived or died. Perhaps preferring that he died so that their secrets would remain secret, so what did it matter now if he talked?
    Then it was more physical, as the interrogations lengthened the subject was not allowed to sit, but made to stand for hours, and hours on end. Eventually they said No.47 could kneel, but the subject knew that if he knelt upon the floor he was that one step closer to talking, and so he refused. He was bombarded with question after question, they played with his mind, questioning his loyalty, asking him where that loyalty had got him, and were telling him that this is where his loyalty had got him.
   Then they let him rest, sleep, and perhaps tomorrow things would look clearer in his mind. Sleep, if only. No.47 could switch the damned light off, how was he to sleep with the light on? It was after that things became more psychological with the use of a mixture of mind bending drugs that altered perception, the visions of strange and terrible creatures, they induced paranoia he was afraid of his own shadow, and he became more and more mentally unstable. But 47 had a friend he could talk to.
    “How is it today with you Mike? They want to know all about you Mike, but I’ll not give you away, you can trust me Mike. But you must first help me, tell Number 1 what they are doing to me, you didn’t know I have friends in high places, did you Mike? Get me out of here Mike and we’ll go places together. This doctor is a fool if he thinks he can get me to talk, what do you say Mike? Oh I don’t think the doc would like that at all, he’d think it was a physical impossibility. But we know better don’t we Mike. Tell me Mike, is the sun shining today, the sky clear and blue. Perhaps we’ll go to the brass band concert today.”
    “Doctor, who is he talking to?” No.2 asked.
    “He has created a friend, Mike who he talks to.”
    “Why should he do that?”
    “To deflect what we are doing to him” the doctor replied, and added “it’s interesting, none of my subjects have been taken as deep into himself as No.47, and come out of it. This is the first time I have witnessed such behaviour.”
    “Hey Mike they’re talking about us!
    “Shut up! If it wasn’t for you we wouldn’t be in this spot. Why don’t you just tell them what they want to know, then it will all be over.”
    “You know I can’t do that Mike.”
    “Well let me tell you, that if you don’t, I will!”
    “You wouldn’t, you couldn’t?”
    “I could and I would if you don’t.”
    “Would you say it’s a duel personality doctor?”
    “No, Number 47 is putting it all onto Mike’s shoulders, if Mike decides to tell all he knows, then 47 will in his mind, be blameless.”
    “Hey doc, I’m ready to talk.”
    “Good, I’m glad one of you has seen sense.”
    “Yeah doc, but do me a favour, let me sit up.”
    The restraints were released, and Mike was allowed to sit in a chair.
    “Thanks doc, now we can talk.”
    No.2 issued the doc with a warning but he was too late. Mike made a lunge for the doctor, knocking him off balance, then grabbing a scalpel from a nearby trolley he cut his own throat, and No.47 lay dead in a pool of blood.
    “Yes sir…I realize that, but there were unforeseen circumstances, and the doctor…yes sir, I will sir, I understand………but sir if I could just explain……..yes sir, as you say sir.”
    No.2 put the ‘L’ shaped intercom down on his desk “I won’t be leaving after all 22.”
    “I see sir” said the tall fair-haired assistant.
    “I shall be living here as a prisoner.”
    “I see sir.
    “As a favour to me 22.”
    “Yes sir.”
    “Don’t let that doctor get his hands on me, if you see what I mean.”
    “As a favour to you sir.”
    “Now perhaps you will escort me to my cottage?”
    “Cottage sir, the hospital surely.”
    “The hospital, why the hospital?”
    “Because that’s where you belong! Tell the doc Mike will be there in a few minutes!”
    “Are you alright sir?”
    “Of course he ain’t right, call for an ambulance, this man should be in the hospital, he’s had a very nasty shock, haven’t you me old Number 2. But Mike’s here, I’ll see you right…..right into the psychiatric ward!”

 Be seeing you