EPISODE 3 - NOW YOU SEE IT - NOW YOU DON'T

Now that Number 6 is fully convinced of the existence of the new 'Village', he sets about his campaign against it. In order to find its location, he realises that he must continue to track down the ex-number 2's. Number 6 checks the data contained on the floppy disc obtained from the MOD, but this only contains details and pictures of people who appear to be missing. None of them are the ex-number 2's.

Number 6 turns off his computer gets his coat and leaves his cottage. He gets into his car and drives off to the nearest town. He drives into the town centre, parks and goes to a local shop selling electronic components and equipment. There he purchases two pieces of electronic kit, and then returns home.

Later that day he leaves his cottage and drives to London. He drives past a large modern building, which he examines carefully. He then parks in a nearby street and walks around the building checking for security cameras and examining the telephone manholes in the street and in the grounds of the building. He goes back to his car, checks the location of the manholes against a plan he has in the car and marks off one particular manhole.

Later that night, number 6 drives up to the building, parks nearby and walks up to the perimeter fence surrounding the building. He cuts carefully through the fence, and crawls slowly across to the manhole he identified earlier. Number 6 carefully lifts the manhole lid and shines a torch inside. There are a number of cables. Number 6 selects a particular cable, takes a pair of wire cutters from his pocket and strips the plastic insulation from the wires. From his other pocket he removes a small electronic device, which he connects across the pair of wires in the cable and switches on. The device is a radio transmitter and the building whose cable he has intercepted is one which contains the entire records of all Government employees. Number 6 closes the manhole, leaves the site as he came and drives home. Once home, number 6 unplugs his computer from the telephone line in his house, plugs the computer cable into the other device he bought earlier in the day, turns the computer on and goes to bed.

The following day, a member of staff sitting at a computer terminal in a ministry building turns on their computer and types in the password to allow them access to the record files. The radio device in the manhole picks up the information sent down the line and relays it to the other radio device connected to number 6's computer. The password and telephone number needed to dial into the computer are displayed on the screen.

Number 6 returns from his morning walk to and sees the information displayed and smiles. He disconnects the radio receiver, plugs the computer back into his telephone line and sits down at the computer. He dials up the telephone number displayed and gains access to the ministry computer. Number 6 then uses the software on his computer to generate, from memory, a photofit picture of several of the ex-number 2s. He sends these to the ministry computer and asks it to identify the individuals concerned. On his computer screen appear photographs of some of the ex-number 2s. He records their names and addresses and discovers that one of them lives in a village about an hour away by car.

The new 'Village' has continued to investigate number 6's activities. Reports are produced on his movements and are presented to the 'Village' leader. He is concerned to learn that number 6 has hacked into the ministry computer and has gathered some information about ex-number 2s, which is stored in this computer. The leader orders the data to be wiped and complains that the new 'Village' didn't have the foresight to do this earlier. He also instructs his team to ensure that number 6 does not make contact with the ex-number 2's.

In his cottage, number 6 checks the directions on a map to the village where the ex-number 2's house is located, at a small place called Honey Cross. Number 6 gets ready to leave his house.

Back in the new 'Village', number 2 is reading number 6's old files and also has computer data about each of the ex-number 2s. He deduces that number 6 will almost certainly try to contact them, and is likely to start with the nearest one. He also concludes that the nearest number 2 has information which is particularly dangerous to the new 'Village', so dangerous that number 6 must be stopped from meeting with him at all costs. The new 'Village' leader orders intensive surveillance on number 6, with agents ordered to stand by to eliminate the ex-number 2 if necessary.

Number 6 leaves his cottage, opens his car, gets in and drives off down his drive. He heads off through his own village onto a main road, where he turns left and speeds away. A surveillance team in a lay by close by radio in his movements to the new 'Village'.

On a country road a few miles from Honey Cross, number 6 stops his car to check a road sign, which reads 'Honey Cross 3 miles'. He drives on for three miles, but finds no sign of a small hamlet only open countryside. He stops the car, gets out his map and looks again, but can see nothing wrong with the direction he is coming from. He drives on the road for a further 4 miles until he comes to a crossroads. At the cross roads, another road sign points to Honey Cross back in the direction he has just come from. Number 6 turns the car round and drives slowly back for 4 miles checking the curves on the map against the road, until he comes to where the hamlet should be. He stops the car, gets out and looks around, puzzled because the hamlet is not where it should be.

By now it is getting dark, and number 6 gets back into his car, consults his map and drives off to find somewhere to stay for the night. About 5 miles away, he finds a public house, which has rooms for the night. He checks in, although the landlord is reluctant for him to stay, making various excuses to try and prevent it. Number 6 persists and the landlord agrees to let him stay.

Once he has been shown to his room, number 6 examines the room, unpacks his bag and goes down stairs to the bar for some food. He orders a meal and a pint and sits down in a quiet corner of the bar area. When the waitress brings his food, he asks her about the hamlet of Honey Cross. The waitress directs him to it, which was the route he took earlier in the day. Number 6 casually asks her about the ex-number 2, and is surprised to learn that she knows him. The barmaid tells number 6 that the ex-number 2's house lies on the crossroads at Honey Cross, and she describes its general features to him. The publican overhears what is being said and watches the conversation suspiciously, but takes no action.

The next day, number 6 sets off in the direction of Honey Cross in his car.

In the new 'Village', the leader watches number 6's actions on a large screen in the 'Village' control room, and when he sees number 6 heading for Honey Cross, he orders the use of the camouflage device. The technicians in the control room operate a large electronic device, and the hamlet of Honey Cross slowly fades out, leaving just the roads visible.

Number 6 continues along the road to Honey Cross checking the distance driven on the tachometer in his car. At a distance of 5 miles, number 6 comes to the crossroads where he stops, gets out of the car and looks around, puzzled. Number 6 leans against his car in a casual pose waiting for a car or somebody to appear.

The new 'Village' leader starts to become impatient as he realises they cannot continue to keep the hamlet camouflaged indefinitely. Somebody might appear unexpectedly. 

Number 6 also grows impatient and is about to get into his car when he notices a piece of paper under the hedge on the roadside. The paper is an envelope addressed to somebody in Honey Cross. Number 6 looks thoughtfully at the envelope, puts it in his pocket and looks around him again. He slowly gets back into his car, and drives off, looking over his shoulder and in his mirrors as he goes.

In the new 'Village' the leader is furious that the envelope was overlooked, and shouts angrily at the technicians in the new 'Village' control room. He orders an even closer surveillance on number 6, and directs a man to be placed in Honey Cross ready to act should it be necessary.

Number 6 drives out of Honey Cross back to the public house where he is staying, and spends the rest of the day in his room. Number 6 eats in the bar early in the evening and announces that he has a headache and is going up to bed. In his room, He arranges a couple of spare pillows in the bed in a crude attempt to make it appear that he is in the bed and then leaves the public house unseen via a fire escape at the back. He heads off across the fields on foot towards Honey Cross. He travels in woodlands, along hedgerows and country lanes avoiding any cars or people along the way. By moonlight he sees Honey Cross in the distance and shortly afterwards walks into the centre of the hamlet. He walks carefully along the main road through, and stops at the crossroads where he quickly identifies the ex-number 2's house.

At the public house, just after closing time, the publican quietly opens the door to number 6's room, and checks to see that number 6 is in the bed. As he is about to close the door, he sees something makes him suspicious, and he takes a closer look at the bed. He realises that number 6 has slipped out, and he rushes down to the bar, where he makes a frantic phone call to the new 'Village' leader, explaining the situation to him.

The new 'Village' leader is sure number 6 has evaded their surveillance, and orders the new 'Village' agent in Honey cross to eliminate the ex-number 2 as soon as possible. Under no circumstances is he to be allowed to talk to number 6.

Number 6 knocks on the door to the ex-number 2's house, and gets him out of bed. The ex-number 2 invites number 6 in. Number 6 explains that the 'Village' has re-formed and that he needs help to find it. The ex-number 2 tells number 6 that there is only one likely location for the new 'Village'. He is about to reveal the location when the 'Village' agent quietly approaches the house. He observes the ex-number 2 and number 6 in conversation through a window of the house, and acts quickly. He places a small electronic device against the window of the house and switches it on. The device is designed to send out very low frequency radio waves, so low that they can kill. The agent turns the output from the device to maximum, and retreats. The device is tuned to the ex-number 2 and the effect of the low frequency waves is immediate and deadly. The ex-number 2 stops speaking to number 6, goes horse, holds his stomach and crumples to the floor. Number 6 quickly examines him, but finds that it is too late and the ex-number 2 is dead.

Back in the new 'Village', the leader breathes a sigh of relief that they have once again prevented number 6 from finding them. He is anxious that they learn from the mistakes on this occasion and do not have to improvise again in future.

Number 6 is frustrated at being thwarted by the new ' Village', and realises that they are quite prepared to kill in order to prevent him finding them.

END

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Copyright: D.J.Groom 1987