"Hey, you're back!" "How did you get on?" "Not so good, Vera. lt's harder every day." "Look at these mushrooms." "We tried all the usual places." "Even some new ones." " There's nothing better to be had." " Not enough damp?" "Not enough shade." "Sometimes, I think the trees are losing their leaves." "Oh, that's our Paul, always merry and bright!" "Look at my cabbages!" "They're coming on just fine." "(Beth laughs hysterically)" " He'll be here shortly." " Now look, Beth, if he's me..." "He's you, all right, I've got the scars to prove it." "If he really is me, how come he's not called Simon, why's he got a number?" "2957." "Controller 2957..." "Who wants a number instead of a name?" "Controller 2957, Controller 2956, or that choosy Controller 2955!" "I don't understand why you laugh so much!" "The other Beth was angry at me." " What other Beth?" " Try and get hold of it!" "We saw you in another projection." "There was a laboratory and you were a scientist." " Never!" " You were!" "Me as a crazy poet, all right, Liz." "Me as a beat-up schoolmarm, fine." "But me as a scientist?" "Not on your life!" " What's wrong with being one?" " Would you like to see the scars?" "I usually charge a small fee." " l don't know what you mean." " You're not making sense." "Liz, have you heard that when people laugh a lot, it's because they might cry if they didn't?" " Yes." " Then I need say no more." "Surely." " Psst!" "Outsiders!" "Quick!" " (Simon) What the...?" " Don't try anything!" " Paul, do you have to be so earnest?" "They may be outsiders but it doesn't mean they're not friends." " Choking me...!" " We can't take chances." " Where are they from?" " They're Liz and Simon." "My friends." "They just wandered here. I thought they must be Misfits looking for a bed." "The Community can't take on any more members." " There's not enough food!" " Paul..." "There isn't!" "You don't know how bad things are." " Can't breathe!" " Shut up!" "Are you Misfits, pushed out of the Cleared Sector maybe?" "No..." "I don't know..." "Delocalised because of the devastated terrain..." "They don't carry any social registration, we needn't go into it any deeper." " (Simon chokes)" " Paul, can you release Simon?" "It's splendid of you to be so concerned for our security." "But he's going purple." "(Vera laughs)" "(Pounding)" " These children have nowhere to live?" " No." "That's why they're called Misfits." "I founded this Community to look after them." " How come they've got nowhere to go?" " They've just been left over, Simon." "When different areas have been cleared for geographical reconstruction or because of a technological mistake, somewhere has become uninhabitable." " Like Liverpool." " Liverpool, uninhabitable?" "The authorities make no provision for Misfits so we do the best we can." "So there's a lot of this geographical reconstruction in England?" "You wouldn't know anything about that." "This is the age of scientific advancement." "The Technocracy rules us and progress comes first." "We're going in for bigger and better industry," " more machines, mechanical people..." " (Loud rumbling)" "(Simon) What on earth's that?" "(Hush descends)" "What was that?" " Thunder." " That was thunder?" "I told you everyhing was bigger and better in the age of scientific advancement, didn't I?" "Who...?" "Who are you?" "I haven't seen you before, have I?" "You're..." " You're Controller 2957." " Yes, but for a moment, I thought..." "Controller!" "Lurking in the bushes like a Misfit on the run." "I wanted to speak to you but there were a lot of people." " You know it's dangerous for me here." " Oh, yes." "Heaven knows what they'd say in the city if you'd been seen talking to a social outcast like me." "I see you've met our newest arrival, young Simon." " What name did you say?" " Simon." "And his friend Liz." "You're not expecting me to believe... I beg your pardon, Controller, what am I not expecting you to believe?" " Fearfully hot." " Hotter than it was yesterday." "But not as hot as it will be tomorrow." "I wasn't intending a criticism." "The overall European plan allows for a rise to 100 degrees in Britain during geographical reconstruction." "Later, we shall return to a steady 60." "Bully for the Ministry of Forward Development." "I'm not here to talk about that." "I came to help you again, if I can." "I don't recall ever asking for any help." "No, you didn't." "But you take such awful chances, Beth!" "This Community's illegal." "You could get into trouble if you're found running it." "That puts an obligation on me." "I owe you something... l-l mean...for old times' sake." "I, er..." "l-l brought you this." "It's a licence." " A which?" " A licence." "For the Community." "Don't ask me how I got it, just take it." "Present it, should you be discovered, and the blame comes back to the Ministry." " To you?" " No, I can't afford to be involved!" "To the Department as a whole, the central computer." "An administrative error." "I see." "We..." "I... are...am an administrative error and you, out of the kindness of your heart, want to help me for old times' sake?" "Well, this, dear 2957, is what you can do with your help!" " Beth, have you gone mad?" " Really, Beth..." " Keep out of it!" " This is official!" "Yes, Simon, Beth is right!" "He's not risking his skin!" " lt's all talk with you, Simon!" " Liz... (Electronic gun)" " Hunters, again." "Closer!" " Who are they?" "What are they hunting?" "I mustn't be found here!" "Beth, please...!" "Action stations, everyone!" "Plan Three!" " To the tower!" "Up!" " Hurry!" "Come on!" "Come on!" "Up!" "(Beth) Don't worry, Controller." "We'll protect you." "We don't mind who we save from the Technocrats." " l still don't know what they're hunting." " Wildlife, of course." " Pheasants and that, for food?" " No, sport's out these days." "Food is created scientifically." "Wildlife is considered a nuisance." "The authorities send out hunters to keep the bird population down." " But that's awful!" " No, it's progress." "Ask 2957." " Some more fish, Liz?" "Beth?" " No, thanks." "Dig in while you can." "We might not be having many more protein meals." " Paul!" " There'll always be fish in the rivers." "Not if the Technocracy has its way." "Pollution's creeping into the streams." "In a year, there won't be a fish left in the British Isles." " He's joking, isn't he?" " With all the gay abandon of 1990!" "This is a killingly funny time we live in." "Ask 2957!" " How did it all happen?" " How did what happen?" "England becoming a hot country and that." " You're so ill-informed." " l know the theory... lt's the educational system." "Schools don't explain the Master Plan properly." "The Master Plan?" "What's that?" "Are you joking?" "Everybody knows something about the Master Plan." "It's our road to technological efficiency." "Since the Russians melted their section of the polar icecaps, we've been able to change the face of Europe." "Re-site cities, divert rivers, extend trade." "The critics complain about accidents." "It was a shame what happened to Liverpool, but with most exports by air freight, who needs it above water, anyway?" "(Gasps)" " Why do you have a number?" " lt should be safe for me to go..." " l want to know." " Who are you, anyway?" "In a computerised society, surely it's obvious... (Vera screams)" "Where did he come from?" "What did he see?" "Beth, you see, you live on a razor's edge!" "You're only frightened for yourself!" "You don't care about me!" "362." "A Delta." "Well, that's lucky." "Dump him somewhere in the jungle." "He won't remember much tomorrow." "I'll put in a computer order and have him transferred to Scotland." "Quickly!" "(Paul) Come on!" "I hope you're satisfied." "You're outside society, Beth." "Outside the course of history." "is that what you really want of life?" "Things have changed since we were young." "It's a different world." "Better organised." "More..." "No, wait, I..." "(Simon) Controller..." "Oh, it's only me, Simon." "This is a ridiculous situation for a man in my position." " l am a Controller." " What does that mean?" "In the Ministry of Forward Development." "I have responsibility for an entire sector of geographical reconstruction." "Beth." "What's the matter with Beth?" "Why does she want to live here?" "Jungle, primitive, unhygienic..." "Natural!" "You've known Beth a long time, haven't you?" "Ever since she was Liz." " l wanted to talk to you..." " None of your business!" "I'm Simon." "Would it help if I told you my other name was..." " No!" "Don't say it!" " Why not?" "It's more than a man in my position should have to cope with!" "It's nothing to do with geographical reconstruction." "And how on earth do you suppose we'd get a permit for it?" "(Coughing)" "There we are." "All right, Vera, dear?" "Better?" "Thank you. lt was just a bit of a shock, that's all." "Eat up." " Beth?" " Yes?" " You really like 2957, don't you?" " What did you say?" " Deep down." " How can you like someone who's trying to destroy you?" "He isn't!" "That licence wasn't much but he did it..." "That was a sham." "I thought you weren't taken in by it." "Look, he said what he really felt before he left." "He thinks of me as something stubborn." "Old-fashioned." "A survivor from another age." "Hm!" "Well, maybe I am." "But he's something worse." "The new world." "And I'm the enemy of that." "And he, if he only knew, helped make me one." "I suspected it, of course. I'm not a fool." "But to think that it's true!" "The Master Plan has nothing to say about time phases and the barrier." " This Master Plan seems important." " Of course, Simon!" "By the time we've finished, we'll have remade the world!" "It'll be as splendid and efficient as a great machine - perfect, faultless!" " But I still don't see why..." " Well?" "Well, you!" "You're like me in a lot of ways." "But in others..." "One serves, Simon." "One serves." " Serves what?" " Don't you understand?" "Science is more than a meal ticket for industrialists, which is all it amounted to in your day." "Now, science is the direction of the human race." "The present...and the future." "The norm." "Very well." "You shall see if you don't believe me." "I don't care what the risks are, you shall see." "Here, on the edge of the jungle, tomorrow morning, I'll pick you up by hovercraft and take you to my office in the Ministry." "All right?" "You must understand, you know." "You, of all people." "(Big Ben chimes)" "(Thunder rumbles)" " And that's Whitehall?" " Yes." " The old place has changed a bit!" " Thank goodness, Simon." "Still that queer thunder." "Morning, Controller." " Why, you're..." " l beg your pardon?" "Alpha 16, Simon." "A possible new recruit to the Sector from the North." "Another country boy come to town?" "We shall have to call ourselves the Ministry of Rural Expansion!" "That...that's just like a lady I used to know called Miss Stebbins." "No, no, Alpha 16." " And this is your office?" " That's right." " Room 209?" " Mm-hm." "Ah, Controller, I've just been collating your computer instructions." "Nothing urgent, save a bit of pressure over the section of the Atlantic Sea Curtain we're responsible for." "is that still reading amber?" "I thought we gave them the go-ahead." "This is Simon, he's interested in our work here." "Alpha 17." " 17?" " New blood, eh?" "We can always do with that, provided it's suitably blue, of course." "Controller, I should've told you a report came in from Temperature Records." "It was 100 plus in Eastbourne yesterday." " Nice for the bathers." " But not in accord with the Master Plan." "No doubt one of those freak variations, Alpha 16." "We only have general surveillance." "Just as you say." " Just going to pop for some tea, 16." " Not a bad idea!" " One has been at work 20 minutes!" " 25!" "Shall we pop together?" "You pop and I'll follow." " They're exactly alike!" " Yes, perfect secretaries." "There's a lot I don't get around here." "I realise some things must've changed but..." " When were you here before?" " That day we..." " l came from Liz's place." " Simon!" " We came to see Commander Traynor..." " Don't mention that name!" "Well, I brought you here to give you an idea of our plan as a whole, didn't I?" "This way." "These are the new conurbations." "London, Cardiff, Manchester, Glasgow, Belfast." "The whole populace will live here..." " (Simon) Everybody?" " lt makes economic sense." "Communications." "We've cleared wasteful living space so we can construct fast, efficient throughways like these, you see?" "Geographical reconstruction is done according to the overall European plan." "We can divert rivers and re-site lakes as we choose." "We can even move mountains." "The Atlantic Sea Curtain holds back water pumped from our latitudes into the Southern Ocean." "(Simon) Why does that have to be done?" "Since the melting of the polar icecaps, we've had a flooding problem." "We've gained a climate for development but on the other hand..." "Sorry, I didn't know you were engaged." "Oh, er, come in, Alpha Four." " A young friend, Simon." " Old-fashioned nomenclature." "He's applying for Controller status." "I wanted a word about this Atlantic Sea Curtain." "Alpha Four is my second-in-command." "The synthetic rubber sheeting for the next stage hasn't been made as required." "Once the sea-bed cable was laid, I gave orders to start producing it." " Have you checked the computer?" " Yes." "No record." "That's not possible!" "I authorised commencement!" "Curiouser and curiouser." "I would've cleared it up with you yesterday but you weren't in." " No..." " Off gallivanting and out of reach." "I was on special business yesterday afternoon." " l'll clear up the mystery." " l hope so." "We have to complete our section of the Curtain by the New Year." " l'm aware of that." " The Americans are already ahead." "Yes, thank you, Alpha Four." " He's called Alpha like the others." " What?" "Last time it was Alpha Four." "Alpha 16, Alpha 17, now Alpha Four." " That's right." " Why Alpha?" "Don't worry about such things!" " l'm only trying to find things out." " Yes, I know," " but you wouldn't understand." " And why not?" "You simply wouldn't!" "It has nothing to do with the Master Plan." "Alphas are just..." "rather special people in our society." "If it makes you any the wiser, they're what are called clones." "This is the central computer for the Master Plan." "All information is correlated here." "Each department feeds in its instructions and... (Bleeping)" "'Sorry to disturb you but it seems there's some trouble about the sea-bed cable.'" "That's all finished with!" " 'Afraid not...'" " All right, I'll be right over!" " What's wrong?" " Look around by yourself. I'll be back." "(Bleeping)" "(Chuckles softly)" "What are you doing?" "Commander Traynor!"