▁by ▁the ▁myster ious ▁" F ac eless " ▁( Paul ▁Hard wick ), ▁who ▁was ▁a ▁top - level ▁government ▁official ▁t apped ▁into ▁the ▁P CD . ▁The ▁whole ▁government ▁machine ▁was ▁head ed ▁by ▁Home ▁Secretary ▁Dan ▁M ell or ▁( John ▁Sav ident ), ▁replaced ▁in ▁office ▁in ▁Series ▁Two ▁( supp osed ly ▁through ▁K yle ' s ▁efforts ) ▁by ▁Kate ▁Smith ▁( Y v onne ▁Mitchell ). ▁ ▁Background ▁ ▁Ex position ▁in ▁this ▁series ▁was ▁mainly ▁performed ▁by ▁facts ▁occasionally ▁dropped ▁into ▁dialog ue ▁requiring ▁the ▁vie wer ▁to ▁piece ▁together ▁the ▁basic ▁scenario . ▁ ▁This ▁state ▁of ▁affairs ▁was ▁precip itated ▁by ▁an ▁ir rec over able ▁national ▁bank rupt cy ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 1 , ▁trigger ing ▁mart ial ▁law ▁followed ▁by ▁a ▁general ▁election ▁in ▁which ▁only ▁ 2 0 % ▁of ▁the ▁elect or ate ▁voted . ▁The ▁economy ▁( and ▁imports ) ▁dr ast ically ▁contract ed ▁forcing ▁string ent ▁r ation ing ▁of ▁housing , ▁goods ▁and ▁services . ▁ ▁These ▁are ▁distributed ▁according ▁to ▁a ▁person ' s ▁Life Score ▁as ▁determined ▁( and ▁constantly ▁review ed ) ▁by ▁the ▁P CD ▁on ▁beh alf ▁of ▁the ▁union - domin ated ▁social ist ▁government . ▁As ▁a ▁consequence , ▁the ▁higher - status ▁individuals ▁appear ▁to ▁be ▁civil ▁servants ▁and ▁union ▁leaders . ▁An ▁exception ▁to ▁this ▁are ▁import / export ▁agents , ▁who ▁appear ▁to ▁be ▁imm une ▁to ▁state ▁control ▁due ▁to ▁their