1985

11.05

Mike regained consciousness in the Ministry of Love. He was on the floor of the monitoring department of the building. He reached up and knocked a tissue off the back of his head, which was previously held in place with dry blood. The pain in his skull made him feel sick but he sat up against the wall, he squinted his eyes as he felt blood wash around his head.

The office was a bright white with sterile lights. Rows of desks were manned by people listening to phone calls or telling reports to speakwrites. The rows of people were hunched over desks, posting notes into tubes or scraps into memory holes, robotic in their demeanour. The room was filled with grey sounding murmurs. The only other sounds were the scribbles of ink pencils on pads and headphones being plugged into jacks.

Dave was sat filing a report in the front row and he noticed Mike was up. He came out from behind a bank of desks and handed him a cup of water.

'The suspect, we pulled in this morning, the bloke with his mother, he's ready  for interrogation.' said Dave.

'What happened at the terraced houses?' said Mike.

'Suspect is still at large. Extensive damage to the local area and the reputation of the thought police. If we get another chance at her we'll need to get it right or heads will roll. We are waiting for next orders from Frank.'

Mike took his hand from the back of his head and looked at the blood on his hand.

'Don't be too embarrassed Mike, from what I can tell she was military trained. And while you were out cold she almost took out a helicopter with an automatic rifle.'

'Automatic rifles, helicopters. This is not the normal urban cell of dissidents.' said Mike. Dave shot him a look.

'That's not for us to say is it Mike. We don't do the thinking round here, we take the orders.'

Recognising his lapse in conduct, Mike composed himself 'Of course Dave, I think I must be concussed.' Dave looked at the microphone under the large telescreen above him.

'If you are ready, let's start the interrogation. I'll head things up in this one, you provide a threat.'

Dave popped a report into a tube and got up to head out the room. Mike popped two pain killers.