Hammer out a Warning

NORMAL OPENING

TITLE comes up: Trip Trap Trip Trap

Camera pans into home of No6

He's sitting in front of his TV.

Staring intently

No6 (muttering to himself): Interactive programming? Virtual village? Join Now? Humph! More ways to waste people's time in here? I need some fresh air.

 

No6  walks to bedroom, leaving the screen visible.

There are pictures in squares, one of them is of his own cottage.

Others are of familiar landmarks such as the Green Dome.

No6 dressed in blazer passes through the automatic door of his cottage.
It is morning.

The village seems deserted. Nobody is around to signal "Good Day!" to him.

Then he hears the sound of running, towards the cafe.

He veers in that direction.

Village Crowd: Here! Now! Everyone!

A group of around 20 villagers are standing at various tables. 

Other villagers are seated, looking confused.

The standing villagers begin to sing, acapella.

Village Crowd: 

Now Patrick McGinty, an Irishman of note,
Fell into a fortune, so bought himself a goat.
Say's he, "Sure, of goat's milk I mean to have my fill!"
But when he brought the Nanny home, he found it was a Bill.

And now all the ladies who live in Killaloo
Are all wearing bustles like their mothers used to do.
They each wear a bolster beneath the petticoat,
And leave the rest to Providence and Paddy McGinty's goat!

Those standing all begin to clap themselves.

Those seated all smile and clap too.

Then, everyone bustles into a chair and the waitress begins to put cups on the tables

No.6 is staring, baffled. A voice speaks behind him.

No2: What do you think old boy? Jolly good co-ordination what? 

No6: What? 

No2: The Flashmob. Fabulous timing and such a surprise for the others. They thoroughly enjoyed it didn't they. It all seems very good for the community.

No6: Whistle while you do your time?

No2: Time is the very essence is it not? Might as well make it a good time. You should join in. You're full of ideas.

No6: Ideas? My only idea is to get out of this community of fools

No2 (chuckling amiably): Oh dearie me No6. Have you not signed in yet? To the virtual village?

No6 (knowing wry smile): Oh that. I saw it this morning. Can't turn the damn machine off, so couldn't really miss it... But I have not the faintest idea what it means.

No2: You've just seen it in action old boy! No73 came up with the idea. She said the possibilities were endless, but even she never foresaw the Flashmob. Its that old Human Ingenuity (taps side of head and laughs as he walks away from No6) They do what you least expect sometimes (then No2 stops and leers back at No6) but only some of the time. Just as well eh? (he walks out of sight) 

There is a roaring sound and No6 stiffens as Rover drifts past him.

It bounces a few times in front of the cafe as the diners sit, frozen.

Then the ball moves away and conversation is renewed.

No6 sits in a vacant chair.

No6 (to the attentive waitress): Tea please. Two sugars

No6 adresses the woman opposite, an attractive blonde.

No6 : Looks like all the fuss attracted one of our keepers

No73 (pulls her lapels as if cold, revealing her badge): They give me the shivers. Always watching.

No6 (suddenly interested): Not seen you before. Are you new here? No73? I'm sure....

No73: Sure?

No6: Sure I remember meeting 73 once, but it certainly wasn't you. 

No73 (lightly laughs): I'm sure I would have remembered you! No6?

No6 (slightly discomfited): I am today it seems. 

No73: You can be whoever you want to be in the virtual village. Have you joined? 

No6 : I'm not the Joining sort.

No73 : None of us were I suppose, but we're all here aren't we. Might as well make it a good time. You should join. I have a feeling you're full of ideas.

No6 : If you think that now, just wait till you get to know me.

No73 (demurely): I rather think I'd like to.

No6 (finishing his tea): Join me later perhaps? You know where to find me.

 He walks towards the woods.

She has a smile on her face watching him walk away.

His face is taut, slightly puzzled, but determined.

Scene: Living Space. No2 watching No6 & No73. No2 is frowning. Angry.

Scene: No6 Cottage. No6 is in front of his TV. No73 is next to him

No73 : So you see? Once you have created your Information, the machine will recognise you whenever you sign in with that identity, and remember all that you have done up until the last time you were here.!

No6 : And all these others. They are who?

No73 : Well, they could almost be anyone, but of course the machine knows which TV they are connected from so... they can pretend, but they cannot really do any harm.

No6 : So why aren't they just themselves? 

No73 : Well, do you want to be No6? ... Here... Let me look (taps at a keyboard) No! There is no No6 yet! So you can be yourself! That's a bit of luck!

No6 : Where do you do that? (concentrating as No73 shows him how it works) I see.. (starts tapping himself) So... Number... 1346 .... There. Done! I am No1346!

No73 (confused): But that's ridiculous. There aren't even that many villagers!

No6 (coyly): Really? How many of us are there then? Exactly........

No73 (anxiously) : I... I have no idea. How should I know? How to count them?

No6 : You said you invented this virtual village. Can't you count the numbers?

No73 : Well, some people create more than one number.

No6 (quizzically): Why? Isn't one of them enough?

No73 : People like to play, you know? Games. Fun.

No6 : Might as well make it a good time eh?

No73 : Oh! Look at the time! I must get back. There's a curfew tonight!

No6 : Maybe we can talk later (taps keyboard edge with fingernail) You've got my number, so you know where to find me.

No73 : I knew I was right! You are full of ideas! Good ideas!

No6 : A good man these days is hard to find.

No73 (demurely): I do wish you'd not given yourself such a silly number though!

No6 : A number by any other name.... would smell as sweet......  

No73 jumps up lightly, laughing.

She heads for the door.

No73: I'll be seeing you!.... Number one thousand three hundred and forty six!!

 The doors hums shut behind her, her laughter tinkling

No6 (to himself, tapping again) : A good man these days is hard to find. There. Now I am No6 as well. Can't take the chance that somebody else might choose to be me can I.

  END OF ACT ONE

ACT TWO

Scene: Cafe. No6 is pacing, looking. He flags the waitress.

No6: Has No73 been here this morning?

Waitress : I know no-one of that number 

No6: She was here yesterday!

Waitress (archly) : There were many people here yesterday. I daresay there will be many here people here today too! You'll have to excuse me. I've got my work to do.

 A hand tugs at No6's elbow. No56 is on his lapel. He hisses.

No14: I'd try the hospital if I was you.

No6 : The hospital? 

No6 walks off the patio, waving as a taxi approaches.

It stops and he gets in.

No6: Hospital.

Taxi-driver : Emergency?

No6 : Not that I know of...

Taxi-driver : Best take no chances!

 A loud siren sounds as the taxi heads off at a dizzy pace.

 No6 hangs on as he is flung from side to side as the vehicle races crazily.

Close-up as No6 is thrown forward as the taxi skids to a halt. 

Taxi-driver: Hospital Sir! I was a quick as I could be!

No 6 : You were so quick I wasn't sure that we'd ever arrive.

 A piercing scream is heard. No6's eyes widen. He recognises the sound!

He scrambles out the taxi and sprints across the lawn, veering round a vaguely threatening Rover.

He runs down corridors, and up stairs, pushing his way past startled villagers and staff.

He bursts through a door marked Private.

No2  is there, leaning through an open window.

No6 levers him to one side and looks down

No73 is on the ground below. Her arms and legas are at crazy, impossible angles.

No2: How.. what... 

No6 : Did I know? Did I get here?..... What happened?

No2: She fell.... she jumped.... from the window....

No6 : Fell? Jumped? or was she pushed!!

No2 (gathering himself): Pushed!? Don't be ridiculous No6. Fell, jumped - it's hard to tell. She was so highly-strung that I'm really not sure what she meant to do. But, it's over now.

No6 : She seemed fine yesterday. We were supposed to be meeting last night, but she never showed up.

No2: Meeting? It was Curfew last night!

No6 : In the virtual village.

No2: Oh.... I see..... You joined then?

No6 : She showed me how. Now she's dead.

No2: There will be others in there.

No6 : There was only one Seventy Three though, wasn't there?

No2 (now airily): Was there? I really couldn't say old chap. I rarely keep a strict count.

No6 : One less to count now. One less that counted for anything.

No2: She created the virtual village. The strain... you know? She always worked too hard. I should have guessed.... Too late now. I'll have to go old fellow. Report to make. You know how it is.

No6 (looking down as No73 is collected into a bodybag) : Yes. I know how it is.

  Night-time. 
Scene: No6 Cottage. Interior. No6 is flickering in the light from his TV

No6 (to himself): 1, 3, 4, 6 ...Welcome number one thousand three hundred and forty six. What would you like to do next? (taps) Speak to number seventy three ... Not in the village just now? ... Humm... I'll bet she isn't.... Let's see..... I remember the numbers she typed..... (taps) .... No, not that.... (taps again)

Suddenly the screen is filled with line after line of data

Data hurtling down fromn the top of the screen to the bottom in wave after flickering wave. 

No6 shrugs his shoulders and gets to work

Scene: Observation Room
metallic voice repeating "Lilac Alert! Lilac Alert!"

The Supervisor rushes in looking flustered

Supervisor: What's it all about?

No56 : Seems to be a Data Collapse sir!

Supervisor: Data Collapse?

No56 : Something is downloading Information Sir! An unknown collection point

Supervisor : The other side do you think? But how?

No56 : It seems to be internal sir, but, we cannot see the vanishing point.

Supervisor : Is it a complete loss? My God. I'll have to report to No2!

No56: No sir. Not lost. It's being read and then recycled back in. All the Information seems as secure as before, but it has... moved, and then returned.

Supervisor (tapping at buttons) : Unchanged. No deletions. No corrections. It's like... Like nothing happened. Stop that noise!!

No56 (turns off Lilac voice): It's over sir. System stability fully restored.

Supervisor : Change every access code. All of them, do you hear?

No56: Yessir! Protocol RNU activated.

Supervisor (reviewing screens) : It's like nothing ever happened.

The camera pans along the endless lines of Filing Cabinets seen in the Pre-sequences

We see the final cards dropping into drawers.

The drawers slide smoothly shut.

Silence descends as a lilac light gently suffuses the space

 Night-time. 
Scene: Inside No6 Cottage. No6 is flickering in the light from his TV

No6 (to himself): Information. By hook or by crook, I've got it now.

No6 pulls a strange oblong object from the front of the screen.

He drops it gently into his blazer pocket.

No6 (to himself) : The village. I've got the whole village. In my pocket.

END OF ACT TWO

ACT THREE

Scene: Living Space. No2 is at his Console.

The big screen is awash with virtual village squares.

No2 is tapping in bursts, his eyes flashing, alternate sneers and smiles cross his face.

The doors swish open. The Butler rattles in with his trolley.

No2 bashes furiously at his Console, momentarily confused.

No2: What are you doing, you idiotic midget! How many times do I have to tell you!!

The Butler'eyes and expression reveal he noticed the virtual village screens.

To No2's abuse he remains impassive.

No2 : You can be replaced do you know!! When I have important work I demand quietude and you just burst in through the doors like ... like a dumb waiter!! If you cannot grasp the simplest of instructions, then by golly, you'll be.... Redacted!!

All through this tirade the Butler continues to lay out the table setting.

As the word "redacted" echoes round the room, he finishes pouring the tea.

Then he stands, impassively. 

No2 stare in an increasingly impotent fury.

No2 (shriekingly): Get out!! You little moron!! Get out!!

The Butler bows and leaves.

The doors swish closed

No2 is slightly shaking. 
He eats some food, then puts his cutlery down and returns the screen to his squares.

No2 (chuckling to himself) : 1346 huh? Who are you, my little Minx?

Morning. 
Scene: The beach. 

Some villagers are sun-bathing. 

No6 and No2 are sitting on deck-chairs.

No2 : So you joined up then No6?

No6 : I'm a carpenter, not a joiner

No2: Oh jolly good old man! Carpenter not a joiner ... Very good.

No6 : This constant Curfew leaves little else to do after dark.

No2: It was good to see No6 being active in the virtual community at least.

No6 : I'm always active. Actively seeking a way out of this place.

No2: The virtual village offers an escape though, what?

No6 : An escape from reality perhaps, but we always find the same old reality waiting for us when the sun comes up in the morning

No2: You should join in more No6. Might as well make it fun while you're here

No6 : So you keep telling me. I'll have most fun when I'm not here. 

One of the bathing beauties walks by. 

She smiles at No2.

No673 : Beautiful day No2!

No2 : Indeed Six Seven Three! Most beautiful!

No2 openly leers as the woman walks down the sand

No6 smirks sardonically behind upraised fingers as he scratches his nose.

No6: The numbers get.... bigger every day; don't they.

No2 : A happy village is a big village No6

No6: Go forth and multiply as they say

No2 (genuinely puzzled) : Who says?

No6: The Mathematicians I imagine

No2 : Your records mention that you were tops at Arithmetic

No6: I've always been able to add two and two together.

No2 : Ha! Very good No6. I do like you, you know. I wish you would learn to like me.

No6: If the village is growing, perhaps you too will grow on me.

No2 : I do hope so No6! Things to do! Reports to write! Be seeing you!

No2 levers himself quickly out of the deck-chair and strides away.

No6 (as he is left alone): Like a fungus perhaps....

Scene: Living Space. No2 is at his Console.

The big screen is awash with virtual village squares.

No2 is tapping in bursts, his eyes flashing, alternate sneers and smiles cross his face.

No2 (grinning) : Of course! 673x2=1346!!... A double-life in the virtual village! She WANTED me to know!! These girls always fall for men with real power!

 Night-time. 
Scene: Inside No6 Cottage. No6 is flickering in the light from his TV

No6 is quietly tapping and then reading the the responses.

We see the screen, with each line scrolling down...

Hi, I am 1346. 
I am No6. 
How are you?
In the village

Hi No6. I went sun-bathing today! Such a beautiful day wasn't it!

You think so? 

The best.

Would you like to play a game?

Oh yes. What game would you suggest?

Billy Goat Gruff?

Oh? Trip Trap and the Troll! Yes!!

Scene: Living Space. No2 is at his Console.

The big screen is huge with one virtual village square.

No2 is scowling. His eyes are flashing, with anger.

No2 (talking to himself) : How the hell .... Of course... He knows his numbers and figured it out too. He'll find TWO can play at this game!

No2 begins to type, looking up at the screen following the moving lines.

And then tapping again.

Scene: Image from all around the diiferent buildings of the village. 

Yellow flickering lights emanate from all the many single windows.

Scene: No6 Cottage. Interior. No6 is flickering in the light from his TV

No6 (to himself): Welcome to the game number two hundred and twenty two. 

END OF ACT THREE

ACT FOUR

 Observation Room

A tall man is with the supervisor

Supervisor : The virtual village has been going on for some time Colonel.

Colonel: Outrageous. Who authorised this!? Who made this?

Supervisor : Well No2 authorised it of course Sir. It was No73 who devised the programming.

Colonel: 73? But she's dead.

Supervisor : Oh she finished making it quite some time ago now sir.

Colonel (jabbing finger st screen squares): But it, it, it's fraternisation! No2! Look at him!

Supervisor (looking relieved): Oh no sir! That's not the real No2 sir. It's a virtual village you see.

Colonel (stupified): Who is No2 then?

Supervisor : No idea sir. It's all anonymous you see. The villagers can be whoever they want to be.However we can of course see which machine they use to access the village, so it's easy enough for us to know who is who and what is what.

Colonel: This is ridiculous. Get me No2. I want him here.... NOW!

No2 jauntily enters the Observation Room and starts down the metal steps

No2: Colonel! How nice to be seeing you! And so unexpected!

Colonel : What the blazes is going on?!

No2 : The virtual village you mean? What do you think? Fantastic, what?

Colonel (jabbering slightly): Somebody is pretending to be YOU man!!

No2 : That was the idea old chap. When 73 suggested it I saw the possibilities immediately. Of course it took quite some time, but HE's joined it now!!

Colonel: No6?

No2 : Yes. Now HE is in our game now Colonel! Show him Supervisor! 

Supervisor jabs at the controls and a square with No6's face comes up on the screen

Colonel : He appears to be playing his own game. How do you know it is him?

Supervisor : We have TV address codes sir. We know who they all are... in reality. 

No2 (interjecting): But of course they don't know we know Colonel! They think they are free! Brilliant, don't you think?

Colonel : I can see.... the possibilities....

No2 : Endless, what?

Colonel: What have we discovered?

Supervisor (tapping) : He made straight for the No2 of course, but he soon realised it was not the real thing. I imagine he must have realised anyway that only villagers would be in the village.

No2 (loftily) : When I approved the plan, the Fraternisation Protocol was of course a number one Priority Instruction!

Colonel (unnerved) : Number One?

No2 : I just mean a number one priority old chap. Number One does not concern himself with day to day matters such as these.

Colonel (clearing throat) : Of course not. Goes without saying...

No2 : It's only a matter of time before No6 lets something slip. They always do.

Colonel : Hmm... Well, it's dashed unorthodox, but so long as the proper protocol safeguards are in place.

Supervisor : Oh, we have total encoding security sir. Nothing can be out of place.

Colonel : Codes can be broken.

No2 : Not these old chap. These are Machine Codes. 73 made them impregnable. The machine makes them and there is no other machine that can break them.

Colonel : I'll leave the details with you No2. I need to report back personally..

No2: Of course. Have a good trip back to the mainland.

Scene: Night in the village.

Scene: Living Space. No2 is at his Console.

He is hunched over.... a man obsessed 

No2 (speaking as he taps) : Damn your eyes No6! She's mine! D'you hear me! Mine!!

 Scene: Day in the village. 
Scene: Observation Room. No2 is with Supervisor.
N6 is being dragged in my white-hatted Guards.

He clatters down the metal steps with them.

No6 (jerking against his restraint)  : Does this mean we're no longer friends?

No2 : There are some matters that even you are not protected against No6

No6 : Me? Protected? Don't make me laugh. It might hurt.  (jerks again)

No2 (to guards) : Let him free. He's going nowhere.

No6 (shaking arms to make blood flow): So this is where you keep an eye on us all the time is it?

Supervisor (anxiously to No2) : Was this wise.....

No2 (snapping): Operate the machinery. Leave the thinking to me.

Supervisor (face closes in dislike) : Yes Number Two.

No6 (glancing at Supervisor): Good boy. He'll make a Rover out of you yet.

 Supervisor makes no response but starts fiddling with his controls

No2 : You've been protected so far No6. Protected by some very powerful people. But now you've overstepped the mark I can tell you. This is beyond the pale.

No6 (genuinely shocked) : This? What?

No2 : Show him

 Supervisor presses a button.

As he presses, each time a different image of 673 comes up.

Her legs and arms are at crazy angles.

Supervisor : The laboratory has confirmed the nature of what occurred

No6 (staring wild-eyed at No2) : You killed her?

No2 : YOU killed her No6, and did worse first. There is the proof!

No6 (angered now but cold): Proof that she's dead? What has that to do with me?

No2 (commanding) : Run the Gaming Records of the virtual village.

 Supervisor presses a button.

Squares appear and begin to scroll.

There is No6 - his face is clear

There is 1346 - it is 673

There is No222 - an old man in a wheelchair

No2 (glancing at Supervisor then to No6): It's quite clear from these conversations that you had arranged to meet this woman under the bridge at the time mentioned on that social record. Nobody else could possibly have known of the arrangement and it's plain that she is 673.

No6: Like two and two makes four I suppose?

No2: Quite so. Herself doubled as it were. Poor 673.

No6 (calmly) : Add one more two and you would  have six. But what about the man with three twos? He knew too. He was playing the game as well. He argued with me about her, 1346. Look, you can see his threats. (points at screen)

No2 (laughing): Don't be so absurd No6. Look at him. He is a broken-down old man! Playing at being a lover in his pathetic dotage is one thing, but in the real world? He is a helpless cripple!

No6 : How can you be sure you have the right man? 
Supervisor (interjecting) : Machine Code. No chance of error.

No6: Can you bring up the social records of No73?

No2 (frowning): She's dead...

No6: She might be dead in reality but nobody dies in the virtual village they simply stop playing the game. They remain; do they not? (addressing Supervisor)
Supervisor: Inactive profiles will be deleted, but not until some time has passed

  Supervisor taps away.

No2 looks as if he wants to stop him but cannot justify why.

No6 is implacable.

The squares flicker into focus.

There is 73 - her blond hair frames her smile

There is 222 - old, crippled and helpless

The Supervisor looks perplexed

No2 (distastefully): Him again! He's been following all these women? Stalking them in his virtual village. He will have to be dealt with! One tawdry episode is one thing, but ...  (a sly sneer comes over his face). Check for other interactions of 222 Supervisor!

  Sequenecs of boxes with images of pretty women scroll - each with a number

Linked to all of them is 222

No2: This is a disgrace Supervisor. A single instance might be just a game but this is a clear perversion. Make a note Supervisor. 222 to be redacted to the Hospital for Aversion Therapy. And mark yourself down for Re-Training! This is very sloppy work indeed!

No6 (to Supervisor): May I? (starts tapping numbers)

No2 (nervous): He'll damage the machine!
Supervisor (now antagonistic to No2) : Those codes seem familiar

No6 (to Supervisor): The human code that built the Machine Code

No2 (nervous): Stop him! What is he doing?
Supervisor : Those are the codes of 73. I remember some of the sequences. 
No2 (nervous): You underwent Erasure!
Supervisor : To sleep. Perchance to dream.
No6 : What the machine has joined together, only Man can put asunder.

No2 (demanding): He'll damage the machine I tell you!

 Before anyone can move, the big screen begins to dissolve.

The Supervisor stares

Supervisor: Data Collapse?

No6: You've seen this movie before? Then you'll know how it ends

Supervisor (tapping at buttons) : Unchanged. No deletions. No corrections. It's like... Like nothing happened.

No6 turns so that the lunging No2 bounces off his broad back, unable to interfere.
The guards grab No6 again.

No6: Nothing changes but nothing remains the same.

 Squares appear and begin to scroll.

There is No6 - his face is clear

There is 1346 -  Now it is No6 as well!

There is 222 - But now it is the face of No2!!

No2 (picking himself up): What has he done? He is breaking the village!
Supervisor : Those are the codes, uncoded.... Sir...

  The guards hesitate, now looking at the Supervisor.

The Supervisor shakes his head in a short movement.

No6 : If we were playing bingo I daresay three little ducks would make it a House that Jack built.

No2 (emptily): How... How did you do that......... 

No6 (with oratory): Once upon a time there were three billy goats, who wanted to eat the green green grass. On the way there was a bridge and under the bridge lived a great ugly troll , with eyes as big as saucers, and a nose as long as a poker. The biggest Billy Goat Gruff , had an ugly voice of his own too and on his head he had two spears, big enough to poke your eyeballs out your ears...

No2 (weakly) : Fairy stories......
No6 : It's all a land of make-believe I think you'll find. So far as your particular story is concerned. I think we are at the part where only two words remain to be said. THE END  (makes a circle like a zero with his forefingers fingers and raises to his eye)

 The guards have hold of a supine No2.

No6 walks up the metal steps and the doors swish closed behind him.

 Supervisor (on the yellow phone) : Erm yes Colonel. Yes. I think you had better come immediately.

RACING BARS

END TITLES