#105

'The Hearings' is a column describing an imaginary court of enquiry held by the Village Administration soon after the end of an episode.

"Hammer Into Anvil"

"I am Commodore Hardcastle, Chairman of these proceedings and I declare the Village Operations Hearings open. I call on special prosecutor William Barnard to begin his statement".
"I am special prosecutor William Barnard. I shall be assisted by my colleagues Paul Dangerfield and Cynthia Stanning. First, I would like to briefly outline the incident".

"This incident brought about an early replacement of the sitting No2. It is one of the most serious and regrettable cases that this tribunal has had the misfortune to consider and evaluate. What we will learn for the depositions and questioning that follow will doubtless change the regulations of Control procedures and various other safeguards will be needed and put into force.
Following an unfortunate but deliberate self inflicted death by a patient at the hospital a challenge appears to have been initiated between No.2 and No.6. No.6 then commenced a whole series of strange and unaccountable activities that appear to have led No.2 to believe that No.6 was an internal investigator reporting directly to No.1, and placed in the Village for the sole purpose of evaluating the effectiveness of No.2.
Unfortunately, the No.2 involved here will not be taking the stand at this enquiry as he suffered a complete collapse soon after these events took place, and is at present in one of the staff hospitals undergoing treatment. I will remind everyone attending these hearings that the primary function is to ensure that our procedures are adequate and make recommendations for changes if these are found necessary."
"I will first call to the stand Peter Bolding".

A man in his forties in a brown suit took the stand.
"Were you being unfaithful to your wife?"
"Most certainly not. I resent the suggestion. I want to know the name of the man responsible for my late wife's death"
"That is all. I call The Supervisor."

"I am - was - The Supervisor".
"You were replaced as Supervisor following a radio broadcast of a bogus birthday message, were you not?"
"That's right. No.2 declared that I was part of a conspiracy, during a scene in the control room."
"Had you noticed any change in No.2's demeanor preceding this event?"
"Yes. He was preoccupied with the trouble that No.6 was instigating and appeared to be getting more and more agitated over it."
"Were you reinstated as Supervisor?"
"I was, by the next No.2".
"That will be all. I call No.14"

"Are you No.14?"
"I am"
"Prior to your disagreements with No.2, can you explain your suggestions to No.2 'that you take care of No.6'?"
"Well I didn't mean that I would dispose of No.6, or even harm him in any way What I had in mind was to persuade No.6 that he shouldn't continue with his attacks on No.2, to ease-up with his vendetta."
"How were you going to do that?"
"Well, I hadn't got it worked out fully, but I thought I'd be able to suggest that it would be to No.6's interests that he ease-up".
"In what way would it be to No.6's interest to do this?"
"I didn't have that clearly worked out."
"While you were in No.2's favor what is your assessment of the validity of No.2's supposition that No.6 was an agent from the department?"
"I didn't believe it for a minute. No.6 has never acted in such a way previous to this event and from my way of thinking it all started with the death of No.73. No.6 saw red when he actually witnessed the leap to her death and No.2 and No.6 locked swords at that time."
"Why then do you think that No.2 was of the opinion that there was an undercover inspector within his Village?"
"I have no idea at all, except that No.2 was scared that he would not come up to the department's expectations in his management effectiveness."
"What caused the disagreement No.2 had with you?"
"Well, No.6 was seen by the cameras talking to me while I was off duty having a coffee. I suppose it looked as though No.6 and I were in collusion."
"And were you?"
"Was I what?"
"Were you acting in collusion with No.6?"
"Of course not."
"What is the duty of a No.14 if dismissed by a No.2?"
"A No.14 is supposed to report the fact to The Supervisor, but he had been dismissed as well."
"But a new Supervisor had been appointed, did you report the fact to the new Supervisor?"
"No. Well, all authority seemed to be breaking down. The Control didn't know which way to turn. We had no one in effective control in the Green Dome. Even The Butler packed his bag and left."
"That will be all. I call the new Supervisor".

"Are you the new Supervisor?"
"Yes."
"Were you familiar with the correct procedures for the Supervisor to follow in the event of the occurrence we are discussing?"
"I knew I should give priority to maintaining security but I was not sure at what point I should inform the department if it appeared that a total breakdown was imminent. In any case, even with No.2 appearing irrational at times I was not expecting No.2 to relinquish authority. It was fairly normal for No.2 to get agitated at times and later he would calm down. I intended to talk to The Butler, to give me some advise over this, but by that time The Butler had also gone. "
"Right. I understand you have been transferred to a corrective establishment attending a course on management procedures."
"Yes, that is so."
"That will be all. I call No.6"

"Are you No.6?"
"I am The Prisoner"
"We call you No.6, and you will be referred as such."
"You appear to be the instigator to these events. What were your motives?"
"My motives were to punish the man who had just caused the death of No.73"
"Punishment of Village management is not your affair, No.6. Had you made a complaint we would have seen justice was done."
The Prisoner smiled. "That's not how I work. The man was a bad one. He caused this persecuted poor woman to take her own life. I set out to remove him from power in the best way I could, with the means I had at my disposal. I don't work by your system. I have my own. Is No.2 being charged?"
"We will handle any reprimand if one is appropriate. Don't worry yourself with that. These events would not have occurred if you had minded your own business"
"Hitler might still be in power if people had minded their own business then. I want to see this man charged, and any other of your No.2's who behave in a similar brutal manner."
"You should not attempt to impose your own degree of morality on our officer in the Village."
"I will continue to take what action is necessary to neutralize any brutal action being doled out by your dupes here. This Village requires many improvements in the system to bring about a more civilized behavior towards the people stuck in this god forsaken place. It's bad enough being incarcerated here let alone suffer the inhuman, callous, brutal manner by which your underlings from day-to-day carry out your orders and discipline here. It has got to stop. You have to start acting like human beings. If it doesn't stop, I won't just invite the No.2 to make a call to No.1. I want this change of attitude to be apparent within 30 days from now. Did you get that down?"

(c) #1996

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