A. B. and C. - Recap

At the Green Dome, a nervous Number Two receives a call from his superiors. They demand an update on Number Six and inform Number Two he's not indispensable. He then calls Number Fourteen and tells her to bring the experiment forward. Number Fourteen warns him she's only tested on animals but he tells her to prepare for tonight.

That night, Guardians bring a covered figure into Number Fourteen's laboratory. It's Number Six, and Number Two warns her that he's not to be harmed or she'll answer for it. She prepares to inject the slumbering Number Six with a drug and explains that they'll convert his brainwaves into electronic signals and then bring it up on a screen. They see his resignation televised. She has three doses of the drug, and warns Number Two that a fourth dose would kill Number Six. Number Two believes that Number Six was going to sell out to one of three individuals: "A," "B," or "C." He wants Number Six to "meet" each one. They all attended Madame Engadine's famous parties in Paris, and he provides Number Fourteen with the necessary tape information. She feeds it into Number Two's thoughts and he begins to dream that he's in Paris, dressed in a tuxedo and attending Engadine's party where classical music plays. He goes inside and Engadine greets him. He informs her he's starting an English holiday, somewhere quiet where he can think.



Number Two feeds in a tape of "A," a spy and defector. He appears at the party and spars verbally with Number Six. Number Six refuses to have anything to do with him but "A" persists, asking if he's happy in his new life. Number Six feigns ignorance but A asks what he has to sell. Number Six he has nothing to offer and prepares to leave the party. Number Two wants to force him to stay but Number Fourteen warns that the dream must take its course. However, as Number Six leaves he finds "A" at the door waiting. "A" has his men escort Number Six out to a car. They drive through Paris and into the countryside to a manor. He's taken out of the car and attacks his abductors. He defeats them and Number Two is satisfied that Number Six wasn't selling out to "A." Number Two wants to proceed to "B" but Number Fourteen warns that Number Six needs 24 hours to recover.



Number Six wakes up the next morning in his flat, tired and woozy. He looks outside and finds Number Fourteen outside buying flowers. He vaguely recognizes her from his drugged stupor and notices an injection mark on his wrist. He approaches Number Fourteen at a cafe and says that he saw her in a dream. She feigns ignorance and he notes that she's new and she's one of them. She leaves and Number Six goes to the Green Dome. He spars verbally with Number Two who asks him again why he resigned. Number Six doesn't answer but reveals the injection mark on his wrist. Number Two pretends not to notice it, raising Number Six's suspicions. He claims to have gotten it in his sleep and Number Two suggests he might need a checkup. He mentions Number Fourteen and leaves. Number Two considers what he's said... and the red phone rings. He promises that they'll have the answer in two days.



That night, a maid serves Number Six hot chocolate and leaves. He drinks it and promptly collapses, and is then brought back to the lab. Number Six is back at Engadine's party in Paris. She wonders where he's been and asks about "A," confusing Number Six. Number Two introduces "B" into the dream: a female spy. She doesn't show up immediately and Number Fourteen concludes that Number Six is resisting. A maid approaches Number Six with a note from "B." Engadine insists on seeing it, and it's a request for a meeting at the arbor. A jealous Engadine nonetheless wishes him well. Number Six goes to the arbor and finds "B" waiting for him with champagne. Number Six notes that her enemy "A" was at the party earlier and warns "B" against him. They dance and "B" asks him about his holiday. Again, he says he's going off to think. Meanwhile, Number Fourteen notes that Number Six is resisting and burning out the drug faster than anticipated. She comes up with a way to put words into "B"'s mouth, although she's not sure if Number Six will hear her voice and wake up. She has no choice but to proceed and Number Six hears "B"s voice. Number Fourteen tries to engage Number Six's sympathies by saying the people after her want to know why he resigned. She suggests that Number Six talk about his resignation but he notes that it doesn't sound like her. "B" warns that "they" are here but he thinks she's being manipulated and she's not who she pretends to be. He prepares to leave but two men attack them. He defeats them but a third man holds a gun to "B"'s head. Number Six doesn't believe in her and asks her several personal questions. When "B" is unable to answer, Number Six strolls off.



Number Six wakes up the next morning and finds a second injection mark on his wrist. He watches Number Fourteen and follows her through the Village to a hidden door in the woods. He goes to the door and finds it closed. He's unable to gain entrance but climbs the rockface above and finds a ventilation shaft. He makes his way to the laboratory and enters it once she leaves. Number Six turns on the monitor displaying a playback of the party tape. He finds the folders of "A," "B," and "C" that contain the tapes. He quickly puts everything back where he found it and then finds the syringe with the third dose of drugs. He replaces most of the contents with distilled water, leaving enough to give it the same color. He then leaves the laboratory and walks through the Village, where a restless Number Two sees him on his security monitors.



That night, Number Six secretly dumps the drugged hot chocolate and has a glass of water. He then feigns unconsciousness and is taken to the laboratory where Number Fourteen gives him the final (fake) drug dosage. This time the image is wildly distorted and rock music plays instead of classical. Number Fourteen concludes the strain is too much for Number Six, but Number Two orders her to continue. Number Six clutches at his head and then finds a mirror. Adjusting his image, he brings the party into focus. Meanwhile, Number Two doesn't have much info on "C." He's in disguise and known to attend Engadine's parties. Number Two figures that by process of elimination, "C" is the only one left and Number Six will find him. A blonde woman approaches him and offers him a job if he's free. He expresses interest and she gives him an earring to bet at the roulette table on number six. Number Six places the bet and receives a key for his winnings. He finds Engadine holding a similar key. Number Two is surprised that she's "C" but orders her brought to the Village. Meanwhile, Number Six and Engadine proceed outside and she asks him if he's sure of his decision. He has papers from London to pay his "fare," but Engadine warns that once he goes through the door, there's no return. They use their keys to open a door and the image starts to spin and then goes dead. Number Six collapses and Number Fourteen attempts to revive him while warning they've pushed him as far as they can. Number Two insists on continuing so they can find out what Number Six was selling.



Engadine drives Number Six to a meeting and informs him that she works for someone else. Number Two names the fourth individual "D" as Engadine drives Number Six to a church and lets him off. He goes inside and finds himself on a street. A man's voice welcomes him and Number Six demands to see him. A masked figure approaches Number Six, who says his papers are important to his future. Number Six refuses to turn them over until he knows who "D" is. He says they must "all" know and "D" wonders who he's referring to. Number Six reaches for the mask, saying they mustn't disappoint "them," the people who are watching. He yanks off the mask to reveal... Number Two.



Number Six strides back to the doors and opens them to reveal the Village. In the dream, he walks through the forest and enters the laboratory, where Number Two and Number Fourteen are waiting for him. He gives the dream Number Two his papers, and the real Number Two insists he open it. Inside are travel brochures: Number Six says that he wasn't selling out and it wasn't the reason he resigned. The dream Number Six then lies down on the table, the image goes black.. and the images of his resignation play again. Number Fourteen frees Number Six while the red phone rings for Number Two...



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