PRISONER'S RETURN
EPISODE 1 - LET SLEEPING DOGS LIE
Number 6 has retired since he escaped from, and destroyed, the old 'Village'. He lives in a small English hamlet in the country, and has a routine which he follows every day. As a result of his experiences in the 'Village', he always goes to his bedroom window every morning to check that he is still in his own home. He then rises, goes for a brisk walk to the local newsagent and returns to his cottage. After breakfast, he reads the paper, and after coffee settles down to his new career as a writer.
The number 2 of the 'Village', with whom number 6 escaped, has returned to his career as a senior Civil Servant with the MOD. Every day he travels into Central London, reads the 'Times' in the same first class compartment, on the same train, and with the same travelling companions each day. At lunchtime he eats his sandwiches in the local park when the weather is fine.
One fine day, when he is sitting on the park bench, he meets a close colleague from another department, and they idly chat about the weather, office politics etc. The colleague casually mentions the disappearance of a friend in rather odd circumstances. Apparently, the friend simply disappeared very soon after his retirement, and nothing has been seen or heard of him since. The ex-number 2 is casually surprised, but not particularly suspicious.
Soon after this meeting, a colleague in his own department of the MOD, named Morrissey, decides to take early retirement, and a farewell party is organised in the office. The ex-number 2 attends the party, which goes off very much as planned. Several farewell speeches are made and drinks are available all round. The ex-number 2 talks to many of his colleagues at the party and learns from one group that Morrissey intends to spend more time working in his garden. Along with others the ex-number 2 says his farewells to Morrissey, and asks what he will be doing in retirement. Morrissey confirms that he intends to spend at least the first 3 months getting his garden into shape.
The following day during the clearing up, the ex-number 2 finds one of Morrissey's leaving presents which has been left there. He puts the present aside in his desk, expecting Morrissey to call for it. A few weeks later the ex-number 2 opens his desk drawer, moves aside some papers and finds the present. He decides to take it to Morrissey in person, and leaves the office early that day to do so. He travels to Morrissey's house in his car, and is surprised to find it deserted and the garden untended and overgrown. Enquiries with the neighbours show that he did not return to his home from the office on the day he retired. The ex-number 2 is concerned but not certain what action to take.
Several days later, the television news carries the story of the strange disappearance of a well-known scientist, who has made a number of important discoveries. Both number 6 and the ex-number 2 see this news story. The ex-number 2 is sufficiently worried that he raises the matter with his boss the following day, expressing his vague concerns that the 'Village' may have been re-formed. His boss is aware of the ex-number 2's claims about the 'Village', but doesn't believe them, as he believes he suffered from a breakdown through stress. He dismisses the ex-number 2's worries and refuses to consider an investigation. The ex-number 2 leaves the office that afternoon in reflective mood, and makes his way on foot towards the tube station. On the way he sees a young man in a sports car arguing with a traffic warden. The young man is waving his arms about. The ex-number 2 is stunned to see that the car is a Lotus 7 similar to that owned by number 6, and stands watching the scene for a few minutes. The ex-number 2 abruptly turns round and strides purposefully back to his office, much to the surprise of his secretary. Once in his office he turns on his PC, and interrogates it to try to find number 6's address. After a short time he succeeds and rushes out of the office.
The ex-number 2 then approaches number 6's cottage. Number 6 is surprised to see him, and rather cautiously welcomes him into his home. The ex-number 2 explains that he has come to see number 6 about the disappearances which have occurred recently, and his belief that these are the results of actions taken by a re-formed 'Village'. Number 6 asks what the ex-number 2 intends to do, and how he will do it. The ex-number 2 is vehement in his determination to destroy the 'Village' once again. Number 6 asks how he intends to find it, and the ex-number 2 explains that he will start with some of the ex-leaders of the old 'Village', many of whom escaped the original destruction, and are likely to have some information about the new one. Number 6 is not convinced that the disappearances arise from the 'Village' re-forming, and is unwilling to help the ex-number 2 with his quest. The ex-number 2 is disappointed, but thanks number 6 anyway.
Meanwhile, the new 'Village' has been monitoring the ex-number 2, and has discovered that he suspects they exist. For this reason they decide he must be removed to the 'Village' as soon as possible. The 'Village' arranges to kidnap the ex-number 2, who wakes up in the 'Village' hospital. There he is examined by a doctor, and by the new 'Village' leader. The leader decides that it is vital they find out what he knows about them. The ex-number 2 is drugged and connected to a video recorder. The 'Village' scientists induce him to re-live his recent past. Mostly, they take a casual interest in his actions, but when they see that he has approached number 6, there is panic as they regard number 6 as a major threat to them. The tapes of his encounter with number 6 are played back to the 'Village' leader who is so appalled that he orders number 6 to be stopped at all costs.
Number 6 continues to go about his daily routine, but is visited by a solicitor. The solicitor tells number 6 he is acting upon instructions from the ex-number 2. The solicitor tells him that the ex-number 2 has disappeared, and that, in the event of this happening, he has been instructed to hand over a letter to number 6. The solicitor hands over the sealed envelope and leaves. Over a cup of coffee, number 6 opens the letter and reads it. In the letter, the ex-number 2 pleads with number 6 to search for the 'Village' and destroy it. He suggests that the other ex-number 2s would be a good place to start, as one or more must have some information. The letter also reveals the location of the ex-number 2's notebook, which contains details of the people who have disappeared, and the addresses of the ex-employees of the old 'Village'. The notebook is hidden in the ex-number 2's house.
After reading the letter, Number 6 picks up his phone and dials the ex-number 2's house, but gets number unobtainable tone. He then tries via the operator, but is told the line is no longer working. That evening, number 6 leaves his home and drives to the ex-number 2's house, where he walks around the outside before breaking in. He finds the house unoccupied and dusty, but also realises that it has been expertly searched and that some files seem to be missing. After a thorough search, he retrieves the notebook from its hiding place and quietly leaves.
The following day, he travels to London to the MOD and gains an interview with the ex-number 2's boss. The boss is charming and helpful, but is not alarmed at the disappearance of the ex-number 2. He suggests that he has gone missing before, and has an obsession with the 'Village', that clouds his judgement. The boss is sure that the ex-number 2 had a bad experience in the past, but that the 'Village' is just a figment of his imagination, about which he can become quite irrational. Number 6 assures him that the experience of the ex-number 2 was real, but is disappointed when he is unable to get any further information. On leaving the building, he notices a computer record section of the MOD.
Once outside the building, number 6 makes a careful note of the building layout, and examines all sides of the building. Late that night number 6 approaches the building armed with some tools, and proceeds to find a weak point through which to break into the building. Once inside, he carefully makes his way to the records section, where he turns on one of the computers and accesses the staff records files, using a password found in the desk drawer. He tries to look up some of the names in the ex-number 2's book, but soon realises that none of them are in the database even though many were, or still are, Government employees. He is about to switch off the computer and leave, when he notices an entry on a screen, while he is scrolling down. The entry refers to some 'secret' files, which are further password protected. Number 6 searches through the drawer for the password but is unable to find it. He plays around with several passwords, thinking back to the old 'Village' as he does so, but none seems to work. During one flashback he hears one of the villagers say 'be seeing you', and he types this into the PC. Suddenly, this unlocks access to the hidden data. Number 6 sits stunned for a minute, and then quickly finds a floppy disc, puts it in the computer drive and downloads the data onto disc as fast as he can. Once this is complete he turns off the PC and leaves the building.
At his cottage, number 6 inserts the disc into the disc drive of his computer, and examines the list of people from the database. Some of the names he recognises as people who have disappeared. Against each entry is the single word 'Removed'.
Back in the new 'Village', the leader has called for a report on number 6's activities. The report shows the action taken so far by the new 'Village', in capturing the ex-number 2, in removing the files from his home, and in removing all traces of the disappearances from normal government files. However, the report concludes that number 6 is a very dangerous opponent, who may well try to destroy them if he becomes convinced of their existence.
That night, the new 'Village' scientists use a new long range technique for intercepting people's thoughts and displaying them onto screen, on number 6 whilst he is asleep. The technique allows the 'Village' to see what he is thinking about in his dreams and to make inputs to his mind to see what he would do if things were different. The 'Village' leader is worried about using the technique which carries some risks, but feels the involvement of number 6 is so dangerous to them that they must try it.
The first results show number 6 thinking back through the destruction of the old 'Village'. The leader considers this to be confirmation of their worst fears. The leader then orders the scientists to find out what caused number 6 to become convinced of their existence and start to look for them. After reviewing number 6's activities and the probabilities associated with them they pinpoint the moment he becomes convinced to the capture and disappearance of the ex-number 2. The leader orders the scientists to find out what the effect would have been, had the ex-number 2 been allowed to remain free. When this is fed to number 6, the results show that he no longer dreams about the destruction of the 'Village' only the beauty and solitude of his garden. The leader realises that if they had done nothing, number 6 would not have got involved.
They should have let sleeping dogs lie.
END
Copyright: D.J.Groom 1987