Chapter 14
Appreciation
Day
And
so the great day was almost upon the good citizens and the community at large.
There should have been an air of excitement pervading the atmosphere of the Village,
but instead.
“I ask you this, Appreciation Day, what’s
it in aid of?” a young radical asked.
“To show our appreciation of Number
Two” a good citizen replied.
“Well I ask you this citizen, what has Number
Two ever done for you?”
“Well there was the village regatta” No.97
said.
“Yes that’s right” 209 agreed “and
don’t forget the horticultural show.”
“Well that’s right” 38 said in
agreement “life here isn’t so bad, it could be worse.”
“Worse! How worse could it be? We’re
told how to live our lives, interrogated, tortured, mind altering drugs are
used on us. We’re experimented upon, locked in our cells at night, and at the
same time sedated to keep us quiet, and we are kept under surveillance morning
noon and night, and Number Two is behind it all!”
“Well I’ve not had any of those things
done to me” No.112 said.
“Well perhaps you’re one of those
people who came here of your own volition” the radical accused “life here can
be very pleasant if you give in and give them what they want. Then in return
they give you certain privileges; you’re allowed to enjoy a day at the beach.”
“Not to mention in the library” said
a citizen
“I’m going to a music concert this
afternoon” announced another.
“And there’s the cinema, art
seminars” said No.112.
“And for those who are of a sporting
nature there’s the gymnasium, croquet on the Village green, clock golf, the
golf course” No.42 added to the list of activities.
“The welfare system” said another.
“The amateur dramatics society!”
“Brass band concerts” 32 added.
“Painting competitions!”
“Arts and crafts exhibitions.”
“Alright, alright” the young radical
said “spend the rest of your lives here if that’s what you want.”
“What else is there?” 112 asked.
“Escape!” the young radical said.
“Don’t be daft, no-one has ever
escaped.”
“That’s what they want you to think,
it’s another way in which they control and manipulate you. They want you to
think there’s no escape.”
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“There’s always the Guardian!” No.38
suggested.
“Or guardians” 112 said looking at
the two burly men walking towards the gathered citizens.
As the two men in red jerseys drew
nearer the small crowd broke
up,
each person walking away.
“Number Forty-seven you are to come
with us” No.256 said.
No.47 protested “What for, you’ve got
nothing on me!”
No.261 took a small device from his
pocket and pressed a button, the recorder began to play back 47’s own words “I
ask you this, Appreciation Day, what’s it in aid of? Well I ask you this
citizen, what has Number Two ever done for you? Worse! How worse could it be?
We’re told how to live our lives, interrogated, tortured, mind altering drugs
are used on us. Were experimented upon, locked in our cells at night, and
sedated to keep us quiet, and we are kept under surveillance morning noon and
night, and Number Two is behind it all!”
No.47 was taken away by the two
guardians in order to receive the best possible therapy treatment the doctors
in the hospital could provide. Such treatment included electrical massage of the
brain, the use of mind altering drugs, reconditioning of the mind, and aversion
therapy. Suffice to say No.47 was no longer the young radical he once was. All
outward appearances gave the impression that he was now fully integrated into Village
life.
The workshop had been a hive of
activity as carpenters busied themselves sawing wood, banging nails and pasting
onto placards, large and small, the poster image of No.2.
“I recall how we made loads of these
placards before” No.195 complained “why can’t we use those?”
“That’s right” No.55 said “they were
for the local election.”
“Because they were chucked away after
the election” the foreman said “besides we could hardly use the vote for Number
Six could we.”
The placards were made for a number
of citizens to carry during the Appreciation Day ceremony.
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“I bet this Appreciation Day malarkey
turns out to be a damp squib!” No.39 said sawing a piece of 4 by 2.
“How do you make that out?” 195
asked.
“I remember last year’s event” 39
said.
“So do I” 84 said “we stood under the
balcony of the Gloriette listening to an old man who banged on about all the
achievements he had done for the community!”
“That was the old Number Two, he
retired” 195 said.
“Yes, then we got a new Number Two,
and I remember how he couldn’t get through his speech fast enough!” 4 said.
“I expect he was eager to get on with
the job” the foreman said “I wish the same could be said of you lot, so less
chit-chat, and more woodworking, and make sure you paste those posters on nice
and smooth, that means no creases!”
“Good afternoon everyone, good afternoon”
the cheery female announcer began “Just to remind you good people everywhere
that tomorrow is the big day, Appreciation Day. Remember folks there will be a
speech by Number Two himself, as well as the unveiling of the magnificent
Appreciation Day monument, don’t miss it. Come one come all, be seeing you.”
The citizens sitting at tables on the
lawn of the Old People’s Home carried on drinking their tea, or coffee and
remained unstirred. Citizens sitting at tables on a lawn next the bandstand all
sat looking unimpressed, unmoved by the announcement while others looked
completely bored with the whole thing already. The good people of this
community seemed to lack the vibrant enthusiasm as once they had for such
public events. Its seemed that hardly anyone listened to the announcement, an
uninterested look was etched on all their faces, perhaps because they had not
only seen it all before, but had been put through it all before. And now they
had to go through it all again, and for what, a better life, a better Village,
more Village?
The pair of steel doors opened and No.21
walked smartly down the ramp into No.2’s office. He was dressed in black suit,
overcoat, Top Hat, and dark glasses as in his capacity of a Top Hat
administrative official.
“Are you ready sir, it’s almost time”
21 said in official tones.
“You are going to be there?”
“Yes sir. I shall be officiating in
my official capacity.”
“What precisely does that mean?”
“As an administrator I shall be
standing behind you on the balcony trying to look interested” 21 explained.
“Are the people in good heart?”
No.21 remained silent.
“I asked if the people are in good
heart.”
“I’m sure they will be captivated in
the moment” 21 said.
“Meaning?”
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“It’s only to be expected, the people have
been here before. You yourself once took part in a local election, you yourself
were elected as a new Number Two. The people went through that election
supporting you because they believed you would bring change. But nothing
changed,
not for the citizens, because what did you do?”
No.2 recalled “I tried to organise a
mass breakout.”
“And there you have it, you put self
before the people, had you played the game….”
“I was gullible, I allowed myself to
get involved, I should have known better.”
“And the next day we ended up with an
interim Number Two who was hard as nails. I hate to imagine where they got her
from!” No.21 said thinking back.
“And I have been refreshing my
memory, by reviewing some tapes of last years Appreciation Day, and the three
days leading up to it” 2 said.
“Then this is the time, the moment in
which you can a difference” 21 told him.
“What by telling the people what they
want to hear!” he said pressing a button on the control panel of the desk.
A face appeared on the wall screen,
No.2 stood looking at himself.
“The community can rest assured that
their interests are very much my own and that anything I can do to maintain the
security of the citizens will be my primary objective...... be seeing you.”
He pressed another button.
“There are those who come in here and
deny we can provide every conceivable civilized amenity within our boundaries.
You can enjoy yourselves and you will. You can take partake of the most
hazardous sports and you will, the price is cheap, all you have to do is give
us information. You are then eligible
for promotion to other and perhaps more attractive spheres where do you desire
to go, what has been your dream? I can supply it, winter spring, summer or fall
they can all be yours at any time. Apply to me and it will be easier and
better.”
“Six six six six six six six six six six
six six six six.”
And a third button.
“Place your trust in the old regime their
policies defined the future certain, the old regime forever and the old Number
Two forever. Confession by coercion is that what you want? Vote for him and you
have it, or stand firm upon this electoral 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 all for
free for all vote, vote.”
No.2 turned off the screen.
“I remember, I was there” 21 said “if
elected you offered to take care of the citizens, you offered the people a
choice, as well as less work and more play!”
“What game are we playing now?” 2
demanded to know.
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“You have progressed; it’s you the people will be showing their appreciation for” 21 assured
his superior “If you want to make a better Village, a moral Village, then its
actions not words which are required.”
No.2 picked up a sheet of paper from
his desk, he tore it up.
The pair of steel doors opened and the
butler entered the chamber in his capacity of the Keeper of the Great Seal of
Office as he carried a crimson cushion, upon which it sat. Standing before No.2
No.21 took the Great Seal of office and placed it about the Chief Administrator’s
neck and shoulders. Making sure it was hanging correctly and announcing it was
time, the people will be waiting.
No.2 looked down at it then at his
assistant “Shouldn’t I receive that after my speech?”
“I thought the Great Seal is the
Appreciation Day ceremony.”
“The ceremony is for the people, and in
your case it’s quite superfluous. Seeing as you have no successor, being our
permanent Number Two, there’s no-one to pass the Great Seal onto.”
“I could choose the moment to resign”
No.2 told him.
“Creating chaos and confusion, that’s
the old Number Six’s way of thinking” 21 told him.
The three of them made to leave the
domed chamber, the butler leading the way through the open steel doors. No.21
paused, thought for a moment.
“You go ahead I won’t be a moment.”
Picking up the red telephone pressing
the square chrome button “I realize this is not the correct protocol sir……..yes
sir but I think Number Two is about to put a spanner in the works……yes of
course I will sir.”
Replacing the telephone back on the desk he saw the torn pieces of paper of No,2’s speech. Picking them up he put them in his pocket and hurried outside to find the butler and No.2 standing on the balcony looking down on the people parading through the Village carrying placards of No.2, Chairman, and Chief Administrator as the brass band played.
“This is the moment ladies and
gentlemen, the great moment when we can all show our appreciation of our Number
Two. Today we salute our leader” a Top
Hat official said into a microphone.
The Appreciation Day monument had been
placed below the balcony of the Gloriette, covered by a red silk sheet.
“We should go sir” 21 suggested.
So the three of them, the butler
leading, descended the steps down to the road where a taxi waited at the bottom
of the steps.
“I think we’ll walk” No.2 said “it’s
not far.”
The taxi driver shrugged her
shoulders as the three men walked off along the road. Although people paraded
carrying the 2 placards there was no cheering from the citizens, their faces
wore blank expressions. No.2 followed the butler, and No.21 followed behind
No.2 to the Gloriette. Standing on the balcony were five Top Hat administrative
officials,
two standing either side of the doorway, and one just
standing about. No.2 and his assistant stepped up onto the balcony, and the
butler taking his place standing by the side of the
Appreciation Day monument below the balcony. The brass band continued to play as the citizens gathered in the piazza below the balcony. No.2 stood by the railing and the crowd burst into life cheering him, and naturally enough he raised his right hand and waved joyfully at the now smiling faces in the crowd as they waved their placards.
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No.21 approached one of the two
officiating officials “Get these pasted together” he said taking the pieces of
torn paper out of his pocket.
The official looked at 21 “Where am I
going to get any glue? I don’t carry it around in my pocket.”
“Just get it done, and be quick about
it” 21 ordered.
Taking the torn pieces of paper the
Top Hat left the balcony and No.21 took his place.
No.245, a senior administrative official
stepped forward before the microphone “Fellow citizens…no dear friends for that
is what you are each and everyone of you.”
No.2 looked at the official making the
usual address because although he heard the words spoken, not one word was
uttered from the mouth of this man!
The disembodied voice continued with
the speech and N.245 continued to mime the words “We are gathered here on this
happy occasion, our annual appreciation day, to pay homage and to show our
gratitude to our glorious leaders.”
There was a sudden fanfare.
The crowed cheered and applauded,
waved their placards in appreciation as No.245 gestured to No.2 to approach the
microphone. At that moment the Top Hat official returned and unseen passed
No.21 the now pieces of paper pasted together onto a piece of pasteboard.
Standing before the microphone No.2 acknowledged the cheering citizens with a wave
of a hand, the gold Great Seal of Office glinting in the sunshine as he
prepared himself to make his speech. At that moment No.21 slipped the
pasteboard onto the grey podium, No.2 saw it and looked at his assistant. There
was a pause, the people waited expectantly. No.2 placed a hand on either side
of the podium as though to lean upon it, and looked down at the words he had
written.
There was a fanfare.
“Good people of this community” No.2
began.
The crowd cheered.
No.2 glanced at his assistant
“Initially it was my intention to tender my resignation at this point.”
This brought about foreboding
murmurings amongst the citizens.
“However” again he glanced at his
assistant “It gives me enormous pleasure to stand here before you today, to see
so many familiar faces amongst you on this most auspicious occasion. It is my
intention to
bring
about reform to our community, to make a better, a moral
Village,
to find a better way for all.”
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The citizens cheered, applauded, and
waved their placards frantically.
“And so it is with great pride that I
dedicate this magnificent monument which represents our appreciation of this great
community.”
The citizens applauded and cheered
the words of No.2, their leader, but he turned away from the microphone and
glared in anger at his assistant, for the words heard were not his own, the
microphone had been turned off!
The butler pulled on a cord and the silk
sheet fell away revealing the appreciation monument. Etched in the stone was
the face of No.2, beneath which was the word.
ASSIMILLATE.
Again the people cheered and applauded
at the unveiling, while on the balcony it was smiles and congratulations all
round as the crowd in the Piazza began to disperse. No.2 stood scowling at his
assistant who merely smiled back in return.
“I thought the day went off rather
well” No.21 said
“What by putting words in my mouth!”
“You were given the opportunity to
say the things which you thought needed to be said” his assistant told him
taking the pasteboard and tearing it up.
Overhead the Alouette helicopter
circled over the Village before landing on the lawn by the sea wall, while two
workmen in dove grey overalls came along with a set of trolley wheels to take
away the appreciation monument. No.2 and his assistant returned to the Green
Dome and life in the Village went on.
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