The General - Recap

Number Six is enjoying coffee when he sees a helicopter comes in to land. He notices a man watching him, a man who hastily looks away as Number Six glances his way. A loudspeaker announcement on behalf of "the General" informs everyone that students taking the three-part history course should go to their homes to witness a lecture by the Professor on television. Everyone promptly leaves except Number Six, and the waiter closes down the cafe. Number Six notices a poster of the Professor mentioning "Speedlearn." The man watching Number Six, Number Twelve, approaches him and asks if he believes a university-level three-year degree in three minutes is possible. Number Six doesn't discount it and the man advises Number Six to enroll. They spot people running along the beach after a single man with the helicopter in pursuit and Number Twelve notes they're after the Professor. Number Six goes down to the beach and finds a tape recorder playing the Professor's words, giving anyone listening an urgent message. Number Six hides the tape recorder in the sand as the Village guardians approach and offer to drive him back home so he can participate in the Professor's lecture. Number Six watches as the Villagers catch up to the Professor and capture him.



Number Six arrives home and finds the announcer informing the viewers of the success of the three-years/three-minutes course. The Professor's wife appears and conveys the Professor's apologies for running late. She's interrupted when the Professor come on to laud the virtues of Speedlearn, which will eliminate years of tedious schooling. The Professor explains that he was skeptical until he met the General, but now he believes that it can be accomplished. An image of the Professor appears on-screen as the viewers are told to simply watch and relax. Number Six blanks out during the fifteen seconds, dropping his glass. He comes out of his trance and cleans up as Number Two arrives. His assistant uses a detection device while Number Two claims that the Professor lost his lecture notes on the beach. Number Six denies knowing anything about it and Number Two's search turns up empty. Number Two offers a deal for freedom in return for the tape recorder but Number Six doesn't bite. Number Two suggests he participate in the Speedlearn and then tosses out a number of questions on European history. Number Six is startled to discover that he can recite off dozens of facts about history, as Number Two recites it along with him.



Number Six calls the operator and discovers that he knows the exact same facts, in the exact same words, as Number Six does. Number Six goes to the beach to recover the tape recorder but discovers that it's gone. He hears a twig snap and and pulls the watcher out: it's Number Twelve. Number Twelve asks if he wishes to leave and show him the tape recorder. He describes it as Number Six's "passport" and suggests that Number Six make a deal with it. Number Six admits he doesn't trust anyone. Number Twelve leaves but asks him a basic question that requires more than rote recitation. Number Six is unable and Number Twelve recommends he get some special tutoring. After he leaves, Number Six plays the tape and the Professor says that people are being tricked and SpeedLearn is slavery: the only way to gain freedom is to destroy the General.



The next day, Number Six goes to the cafe to discover that everyone can recite European history word-perfect. Meanwhile, Number Two assures his superiors that Speedlearn is going splendidly and the Professor will cover after a couple of days of rest. He resents the educational programming being treated as a military exercise. Number Twelve arrives and reports on the Professor, then suggests they're not handling him properly. He suggests they treat him as a crank and a troublemaker. Number Two warns him to guard his opinions. Number Two then goes to the surveillance room and monitors the Professor, who is hospitalized and tells the doctors not to distract him from his work on the next lecture. They take him away for "mild therapy" and the doctor feeds the Professor's lecture into a scanning device that converts it into a computer tape. Number Two then tunes into the seminar and is surprised to find Number Six there. He talks to the Professor's wife, trying to get her to talk of the General. She says that her Professor is the one who knows the General. Once she goes away, Number Six slips out of surveillance range and goes into the Professor's house. He finds a room filled with covered sculptures. The Professor's wife arrives and demands to know who he is. He asks how long she's been there and how she and her husband have earned such privileges. She says they came voluntarily. He removes the covers from the sculptures and finds that many of them are of Village residents, including himself. Number Two comes in and the Professor's wife denies having invited Number Six in. The doctor has sedated the Professor and put him to bed, but Number Six goes in and smashes in the Professor's head, revealing it's a dummy. Number Two cancels his offer, informing him the Professor no longer needs the tape recorder. Number Six he doesn't either and tosses it to Number Two before departing. The doctor is concerned but Number Two tells him to do his job. The Professor's wife wonders why Number Six keeps asking about the General, and Number Two admits he's obsessed with the General himself.



The Villagers are celebrating the wonders of Speedlearn, reciting their information on command. Even Number Six participates, and then spots Number Twelve. Number Six goes to his flat to find the lights have short circuited. He gets a call telling him to stay there and wait for a repairman to arrive. The repairman determines that someone sabotaged the lights and Number Twelve arrives and orders the repairman to get batteries. Number Twelve gives Number Six a pen with a micro inside and two electro-passes, and tells him to get the Professor's true message out tomorrow. When the lights (and surveillance devices) come back on, Number Twelve informs Number Six that he'll be fined for sabotage, and should go to his office in Administration the next day.



The next day, two board members arrive at the Administration building and use their electro-passes to enter the building. They turn over papers to Number Two, who tells them to summon the board. Number Twelve gains entry while Number Two examines the miniaturized computer tape containing the lecture. He's satisfied the experiment will be 100% successful. The board members continue on, wearing top hats and dark glasses: one of them is Number Six in disguise. Meanwhile, Number Two goes to the projection room and turns over the micros, ordering the projectionist to prepare for transmission. Number Six prepares to enter and tests the portal with a tossed portfolio: it's electrified against anyone without an electro-pass. Number Six uses his pass to gain entry. Number Two is addressing the board members and has Number Twelve explain Speedlearn. Number Six makes his way to the projection room and knocks out the guards, then goes inside. The projectionist is preparing the micro for transmission and Number Six renders him unconscious and takes his place, but not before being stabbed in the hand. He substitutes Number Twelve's micro for the intended one. Meanwhile, Number Twelve explains that the information is imprinted directly on the brain. Number Two prepares for the demonstration but when they visually scan the various rooms, he notices the blood and zooms in to identify Number Six. He sends guards in to knock Number Six out and then has his technicians send the proper transmission.



Number Twelve interrogates Number Six but Number Two notes that he won't succeed. The Professor's wife calls Number Two and asks to see her husband, and Number Two informs her she can once he's complete the first phase of the operation and it may be some time. Number Six wonders if they need the Professor and Number Two concedes that they need both of them. Number Two notes that they have to determine Number Six's conspirators and makes an appointment to see the General. He boasts that no problem is insoluble to the General. They proceed to a nearby chamber where the Professor is working on his next lecture. Again, Number Two insists that there is no question that the General is unable to answer. The Professor converts another of his lectures into computer tape. He then pulls aside a curtain to reveal... a computer. The Professor created it and feeds in the computer tape. Number Two boasts that they can place any information they want in a student. He then has the Professor introduce the problem of who is the traitor in the Village and how Number Six obtained the electro-passes, which are only available through administration.



Number Six interrupts and says that he has an answer that the General can't be solved. A scornful Number Two agrees to let him test the General. Number Six types four characters on a sheet of paper and converts it into a computer tape. He offers it to the Professor, who feeds it into the computer. The General overloads and the Professor tries to compensate. He's unable to switch it off and is electrocuted in the process. The guards move in and Number Six fights them while Number Twelve tries to pull the Professor to safety and is electrocuted himself. Number Two considers the damaged computer tape and asks what question Number Six posed to it. Number Six explains he gave it the one insoluble question: "Why?"



Later, Number Six goes to give the Professor's wife the news about her husband.


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