Alas, Babylon - Chapter 4

Summary

In Chapter 4 of "Alas, Babylon," Helen Bragg faces the grim task of evacuating her children amidst growing international tensions. Mark, her husband, is left at a heavily fortified site ready for conflict, illustrating a world teetering on the edge of war. Meanwhile, Peewee Cobb, a skilled yet shy fighter pilot, becomes an unintentional catalyst for escalating conflict, after a missile he fires goes astray, striking a sensitive Syrian port. The resulting geopolitical tensions unfold rapidly, setting the stage for a potential global crisis. Randy Bragg deals with local disbelief and anxiety about impending war, highlighting the varying perceptions and preparedness of people during such turbulent times.

Highlights

• Helen Bragg feels torn between duty and family as she sends her kids to safety, reflecting the harsh realities of wartime decisions. 💔
• Peewee Cobb's accidental missile strike at Latakia illustrates how small actions can inadvertently escalate into major international incidents. 🎯
• Randy's interactions with the McGoverns showcase civilian skepticism and varying beliefs about the threat of war, grounding the broader conflict in personal narratives. 🤔
• The tense preparations in the Bragg household contrast with local apathy, underscoring the disparity in awareness and urgency. 🏠
• The chapter ends on a nerve-wracking note, with military alerts and escalating tensions framing an unknown future. ⏳

Key Takeaways

• Helen Bragg struggles with guilt as she prepares to evacuate, showcasing the personal toll of global conflicts. 🚪
• Mark Bragg, entrenched in military duties, illustrates the pressures and responsibilities of those protecting national security. 🛡️
• Peewee Cobb unwittingly escalates tensions after a missile accident, showing how minor errors can have massive impacts. 🚀
• Randy experiences local resistance to the idea of war, highlighting a community's denial amidst growing threats. 🏘️
• The chapter builds tension with the looming possibility of nuclear conflict, immersing readers in a gripping, suspenseful scene. 💥

Overview

Chapter 4 of "Alas, Babylon" thrusts readers into a world brimming with tension and uncertainty. As Helen Bragg embarks on a reluctant journey to ensure her children's safety, she embodies the personal conflicts faced by families amid geopolitical turmoil. Her story highlights a mother's obligation versus the instinct to stay united with loved ones.

In a dramatic turn of events, Peewee Cobb's single, errant missile transforms into an accidental catalyst for international crisis, striking a precarious balance of peace. Cobb's narrative underscores the cascading consequences of military actions, especially in highly charged environments where mistakes can spark significant geopolitical shifts.

Meanwhile, Randy Bragg navigates the skepticism and disbelief of his local community, reflecting a microcosm of broader public sentiment. As the narrative unfolds, the anticipation of conflict becomes palpable, and the chapter deftly sets up a tense atmosphere, leaving readers on edge about what might come next in this intricate tale of survival and resilience.

Chapters

• 00:00 - 05:00: Title: Helen Bragg's Departure Helen Bragg feels defeated as she prepares to depart. Despite her protests and a sense of misery, her husband Mark insists they leave and has packed almost all their belongings, paying extra for the baggage. The scene is set with a cold, snowy environment as Helen carries the tickets in her handbag.
• 05:30 - 15:00: Title: Encounter in the Eastern Mediterranean Sarah struggles with guilt as she prepares to leave a tense situation in the Eastern Mediterranean, feeling like a deserter. Standing in a busy terminal lobby, she is reassured by her companion, who insists it's wise to leave a high-risk area. Their intimate moment contrasts with the bustling surroundings, highlighting the personal impact of broader geopolitical tensions.
• 15:00 - 28:00: Title: PeeWee Cobb and the Latakia Incident The chapter "PeeWee Cobb and the Latakia Incident" explores a poignant moment between two characters engaged in a heated but affectionate exchange. The male character insists on the impossibility of them staying together during an unspecified impending event. He explains his inherent need to stay in a secure underground location for protection, a refuge unavailable to his partner, who would remain exposed above ground. The dialogue underscores a deeper emotional significance to their geographical separation, highlighting the constraints of their circumstances and the male character’s unspoken desire for her to join him in safety.
• 28:00 - 43:00: Title: Randy Bragg's Concerns and Encounters Helen realizes the importance of her survival for the sake of her children as Randy Bragg emphasizes the utmost priority of staying alive. Randy gives Helen a direct order to ensure her survival, as it directly correlates with the children's well-being. Meanwhile, Ben Franklin and Peyton keep themselves occupied at a newsstand, seemingly unaffected by the tense situation. The chapter highlights the personal struggles and responsibilities of the characters amidst challenging circumstances.
• 50:00 - 61:00: Title: SAC's War Preparations The chapter describes the children's excitement as they learn they'll spend Christmas vacation in Florida, leaving school a week early. Despite the rush of packing and meeting their father, they have few questions about the sudden trip. Helen seeks assurance from Mark that they can return home if the situation clears, and he promises they can.

Alas, Babylon - Chapter 4 Transcription

• 00:00 - 00:30 chapter 4. Helen Bragg's battle was over and she had lost the tickets were in her handbag their luggage Mark had made them pack almost all the clothes they owned and paid an outrageous sum for the extra weight was piled on the baggage cart already wheeled outside onto the concrete fine snow settling on it she had lost and yet 15 minutes before playing time she still protested not in the hope that Mark would change his mind it was simply that she felt miserable
• 00:30 - 01:00 and guilty she said I still don't think I ought to go I feel like a deserter they stood together in the terminal Lobby a tiny Island oblivious to the human Eddies around them her gloved hand held to his arm her cheek was pressed tightly against his shoulder he pressed her hand and said don't be silly anybody with any sense gets out of a primary target area at a time like this you aren't the first to leave and you won't be the last
• 01:00 - 01:30 that doesn't make it right and it isn't right my place is here with you he pulled her around to face him so that her upturned mouth was inches from his own that's just it you can't stay with me if and when it comes I'll be in the hole protected by 50 feet of concrete and steel and Good Earth that's where my place is and that's where you can't be you'd be somewhere on the surface exposed if you could come down into the hole with me then you could stay darling this was something he had not said
• 01:30 - 02:00 before a fact she had not considered somehow it made her feel a bit better and yet she continued to argue although dispiritedly still I think my job is here his fingers banded her arm and when he spoke his voice was flat a direct order your job is to survive because if you don't the children won't that is your job there is no other you understand that Helen on the other side of the droughty terminal Ben Franklin and Peyton buzzed around the newsstand each with a dollar
• 02:00 - 02:30 to spend on candy gum and magazines they knew only that they were getting out of school a week early and were spending Christmas vacation in Florida that's all Helen had told them and in the excitement of packing and greeting their father and then packing more bags there have been no questions Helen said I understand her head dropped against Mark's chest if this business blows over you'll let us come home won't you sure you promise certainly I promise maybe we could be
• 02:30 - 03:00 home before the next school term don't count on it darling but I'll call you every day and as soon as I think it's safe I'll give you the word the loudspeaker announced Flight 714 for Chicago connecting with flights east and south the children ran over to them Peyton carried a quiver and a bow slung over her shoulder Ben Franklin a cased spinning rod his Christmas present from Randy the year before mark shepherded them outside and toured gate three he lifted Payton off the
• 03:00 - 03:30 ground and held her a moment and kissed her disarranging her red knitted cap my hair she said laughing and he put her down he noticed other passengers filtering through the gate he drew Ben Franklin aside he said behave yourself son Ben looked up at him his brown eyes troubled when he spoke his voice was intentionally low this is an evacuation isn't it Dad yes it was Mark's policy never to utter an untruth when replying to a question
• 03:30 - 04:00 from the children I knew it was as soon as I got home from school usually mother gets all excited and happy about traveling not today she hated to pack so I knew it I hate to send you away but it's necessary looking at Ben Franklin was like looking at a snapshot of himself in an old album you'll have to be the man of the family for a while don't worry about us we'll be okay in Fort repos I'm worried about you the boy's eyes were filling Ben Franklin was
• 04:00 - 04:30 a child of the atomic age and knowledgeable I'll be all right in the hole not if anyway dad you don't have to worry about us he repeated then it was time Mark walks them to the gate Peyton's glove in his left hand Ben Franklin's in his right Helen turned and he kissed her once and said goodbye darling I'll phone you tomorrow afternoon I've got the duty tonight and I'll probably sleep all morning but I'll call as soon as I get up she managed to say tomorrow he watched them walk to the
• 04:30 - 05:00 plane a small procession and out of his life at nine o'clock Randy awoke aware of half a dozen problems accumulated in his subconscious the problem of Transportation he had neglected entirely he certainly ought to have a reserve of gas and oil half his grocery list remained to be purchased he had not filled Dan Gunn's prescriptions he had yet to visit Bubba offenhaus and collect civil defense pamphlets he went into his bathroom turned on the lights and washed the
• 05:00 - 05:30 sleep out of his eyes lights what would happen if the lights went out several boxes of candles two old-fashioned kerosene lamps and three flashlights were cast in the sideboard downstairs a provision against hurricane season he had a flashlight in his bedroom and in another in the car he added candles kerosene and Flashlight batteries to his list everything except gasoline would have to wait until tomorrow anyway with Helen to help him fill the gaps it would be easy to lay in
• 05:30 - 06:00 all the essentials Saturday he changed his clothes shivering the nights were getting cooler downstairs the thermometer read 61 and he turned up the thermostat the Brag House had no Cellar they were rare in Central Florida but it did have a furnace room and was efficiently heated by oil oil he doubted that he'd have to worry about oil the fuel tank had been filled in November and thus far the winter had been mild in the garage Randy found two empty five-gallon gasoline cans he put them in
• 06:00 - 06:30 the car trunk and drove to town Jerry cling station was still open but Jerry had already turned off his neon sign and was checking the cash register Jerry filled the tank and two extra cans and as an afterthought Randy asked for a gallon of kerosene and five extra quarts of oil driving back on River Road Randy slowed when he reached the McGovern's all the lights were on in the McGovern's house he turned into the driveway it was 10 30. it was not necessary that he leave for the Orlando Airport until 2 am
• 06:30 - 07:00 it was near dawn in the Eastern Mediterranean when Saratoga working up speed in the narrowing Waters between Cyprus and Lebanon catapulted four f-11f tigers the fastest fighters in its complement by then the reconnaissance jet that had shadowed task group 6.7 through the darkness hours had vanished from the radar screens the Admiral staff was convinced another would take its place as on the previous morning but this day the snooper would
• 07:00 - 07:30 receive a surprise task group 6.7's primary mission was to take station in the iskandarin gulf and give heart to the Turks who were under heavy political and propaganda pressure the Force's security would be endangered if it's perilously tight formation in this confined area was observed quite often the flood of history is undammed or diverted by the character and actions of one man in this case the man was not an official in Washington or the Admiral commanding task group 6.7 or
• 07:30 - 08:00 even the captain or Air Group commander of the Saratoga this man was inside James Cobb nicknamed PeeWee the youngest and smallest pilot in Fighter Squadron 44. insign Cobb was assigned to combat Air Patrol Duty on this Saturday morning simply because it was his turn he was scarcely five feet six inches tall weighed 124 and looked younger than his 23 years under a flat top haircut his redhead appeared knobby and outsized
• 08:00 - 08:30 his face was pinched and modeled with freckles in the presence of girls he was shy to the point of panic in the wonderful ports of Naples nice and Istanbul he distinguished himself as the only pilot in the fighting 44 who never found reason to request a knight's Liberty ashore when he climbed into the cockpit of his aircraft Peewee Cobb's whole character changed the instant his hands and feet were on the controls he became as large
• 08:30 - 09:00 and as fast as his supersonic fighter and as powerful as its armament as compensation for outer physical deficiencies he was gifted with superb reactions and eyesight he was rated Superior in rocketry and Gunnery he got a fierce thrill in pushing his f11f through the mock and to the limit of its capability he could outfly anybody in the Squadron including the lieutenant commander who led it and who had once said Peewee may be a mouse aboard ship but he's a tiger
• 09:00 - 09:30 and a tiger if I set him up with orders to shoot down the moon he'd try now for the first time Peewee Cobb was flying cap under wartime conditions in a fighter armed with live rockets and with orders to intercept and destroy a snooper if it appeared climbing steadily in the darkness he prayed that if the bogey came back it would attempt to penetrate his sector if it did nobody would laugh at his size his squeaky voice his face or his ineffectual awkwardness with women ever
• 09:30 - 10:00 again Peewee Cobb had been given a code name sunflower 4 and instructions to orbit over an area of sea off Haifa a stern of task group 6.7 if the Hostile reconnaissance jet came in from an Egypt in Egypt or Albania he would be in a position to intercept his fighter was armed with Sidewinders ingenious single-minded Rockets heatseekers a sidewinder's nose was sensitive to infrared Rays from any heat source
• 10:00 - 10:30 Peewee had fired two in practice they not only had destroyed the targets but had anarringly advantage of the tailpipes of the drones at thirty thousand feet Peewee judged he was on station and called for a radar fix the missile Cruiser Canberra closest ship in the formation confirmed his position as he circled the sky in the Southeast Drew light when the Sun Touched his wingtips the sea was still dark below then gradually the shape and color of
• 10:30 - 11:00 sea and Earth became plain he felt entirely alone and apart from this transformation as if he watched from a separate planet he checked his map far to the east he picked out Mount Carmel and a river and Beyond where the hills of megiddo also called Armageddon he continued to orbit his earphones crackled and he acknowledged Saratoga the fighter controller's voice said sunflower 4 we have a bogey he is at Angels 25 and his
• 11:00 - 11:30 Speed 500 knots your intercept course is 30 degrees go get him so the snooper was already north of him and racing up the coast hoping to hang on to the flank of the task group and observe it by radar from a position close to Friendly Syrian territory Peewee took his head in and pushed his throttle up to 99 Power he slid through the mock with a slight thrilling Tremor every 15 or 20 seconds he made minute alterations in course in response to directions from Saratoga which was holding both planes on its screens then
• 11:30 - 12:00 he saw it flicker of sun on metal diving at great speed he pushed the Tiger's nose over and followed reporting I am closing Target he touched the switch that armed his rockets and another calling for manual fire singly the Chase had carried him down to nine thousand feet and the bogey was still losing altitude it was a two engine Jet and il-33 Pee Wee believed and remarkably fast at this low level there was no doubt that the bogey knew
• 12:00 - 12:30 he was on its tail for a reconnaissance aircraft would be well equipped with radar his speed held steady at Mach 1.5 but at this rate of closure slowed far ahead Peewee saw the Syrian Port of the Takia reputedly built into an important red submarine base within a few seconds he would be within Syrian territorial Waters and a few more would carry him over the port itself at this point Peewee should have dropped the chase for they had already been strictly warned in the briefing against
• 12:30 - 13:00 violating anyone's borders he hung on in another five seconds the bogey jeans violently to the right heading for the port and its anti-aircraft and Rocket batteries and perhaps the sanctuary of an Airfield in the brown Hills and dunes Beyond Peewee turned the f11f inside him instantly shortening the range he pushed the firing button The Sidewinder leaving a thin pencil Mark of smoke rushed out ahead for an instant The Sidewinder seemed to
• 13:00 - 13:30 be following the Flight of the bogey beautifully and PeeWee waited for it to merge into the tailpipe of one of the jet engines then The Sidewinder seemed to waver in its course Peewee believed although he could not be certain that the bogey had cut its engines and was in a steep Glide following The Sidewinder Peewee lost sight of the bogey The Sidewinder daughter downward toward the dock area of the Takia it seemed to be chasing a train that
• 13:30 - 14:00 crazy rocket Peewee thought there was an orange Flash and an enormous ball of brown smoke and black bits of debris rushing up to meet him Peewee kicked his Rudder hard and climbed away from it compressed within his g-suit and momentarily losing his vision then the shock wave kicked him in the rear and he was out over the Mediterranean again he was asking for a vector back to his ship when another flash reflected on his instrument panel he banked a look back and saw a black cloud red Flames at its base rising from
• 14:00 - 14:30 Latakia 15 minutes after in sign Cobb freckles standing out on his white face like painted splotches was standing in Admiral's country of Saratoga trying to explain what had happened Randy Bragg pulled up in the rear driveway of the McGovern house wondering whether he should go in he was not exactly popular with the Elder McGovern's which was why lib visited him more than he visited her whenever he entered the McGovern home
• 14:30 - 15:00 Randy felt as if he were stepping into an enormous department store window the entire front of the house facing the tamook one was plate glass clamped between thin stainless steel supports and every piece of furniture appeared unused as if a price tag and warranty would be found tied to one of the legs Lavinia McGovern herself had thought up the basic plan collaborated with the architect and supervised the construction the architect pleading a hotel Commission in Miami had returned
• 15:00 - 15:30 part of his fee and absented himself from Fort repos before the foundation was laid on his first visit Randy had not endeared himself to Lavinia she took him on what she called The Grand Tour proudly showing off the multiple heat pumps ensuring constant year-round temperature the Magnificent kitchen with electronic ovens and boilers operated from a central control panel the cunning round holes in the ceiling which sprayed gentle light on
• 15:30 - 16:00 the dining room table bar bridge table and strategically placed abstract statuary the television screens fared into the walls of the bedroom living room dining room and even the kitchen and the master bathroom's free-form tub which extended through the wall and into a tiny shielding Garden there were no fireplaces which she called sip producers or bookshelves which were dust catchers all was new modern and functional when we came down
• 16:00 - 16:30 here Lavinia said we got rid of everything in Shaker Heights and started fresh bright and new see how I've brought the river right to our feet she indicated the expanse of glass what do you think of it ranty tried to be at once tactful and truthful it reminds me of an illustration out of modern living but but Lavinia inquired nervously Randy feeling as if he was being helpful pointed out that in the summer months the sun's direct Rays
• 16:30 - 17:00 would pour through the glass walls and that the afternoon heat would become unbearable no matter how large and efficient the air conditioning system I'm afraid that in the summer you'll have to shudder that whole Southwest side of the house he said is there anything else you think is wrong Lavinia asked her voice dangerously sweet well yes that indoor outdoor bath is charming and original but come spring it'll be a freeway for moccasins and water snakes on cool nights they'll plop
• 17:00 - 17:30 in and swim or crawl right into the house at this point Lavinia had squealed and clutched at her throat as if it was suffocating and her husband and daughter had carried her into the bedroom the next day plumbers and Masons remodeled the sunken tub eliminating the outdoor feature later lib explains that her mother dreaded snakes and had been solely responsible for the design of the house Randy never felt comfortable and lavinia's presence thereafter and Lavinia while attempting to be gracious
• 17:30 - 18:00 sometimes became pale and grew faint when he appeared Randy's relations with Bill McGovern were little better on occasion after a few extra drinks he disagreed with Mr McGovern on modern's political social and economic since bill for many years had been president of a manufacturing concern employing 6 000 people few of whom ever disagreed with him about anything he had been affronted and angry he considered Randy an insolent young loafer an
• 18:00 - 18:30 example of decadence and once what might have been a good family and a sadly scrambled Egghead and so had informed his daughter So Randy sitting in his car hesitated he was certain to be coolly received lib didn't expect to see him until the next day and he had a hunch she needed him now he guessed a considerable argument was going on inside lib would be verbally overpowered by her father and Mark's warning would go unheeded Randy got out
• 18:30 - 19:00 of his car lib opened the north door before he could ring I thought I heard a car in the drive she said I'm glad it's you I've got troubles Bill McGovern was standing in the living room wrapped in an ankle-length white bathrobe smiling as if nothing were funny Lavinia McGovern her eyes swollen and pink against pallid skin lay back on his Shays she held a handkerchief to her nose bill was bald square shouldered and rather tall his nose was beaked and his
• 19:00 - 19:30 chin prominent and strong in his toga of toweling and with feet encased in leather sandals he looked like an angry Caesar so here comes our local Paul Revere he greeted Randy what are you trying to do frighten my wife and daughter to death Randy regretted having come in but now that he was in he saw no point in being anything less than Frank Mr McGovern he said ordinarily he dressed lib's father as Bill you aren't as bright as I thought if I gave you a
• 19:30 - 20:00 hot tip from a good source on the market you would listen this is somewhat more important than the market I thought I was doing you a favor he turned to leave lib touched his arm please Randy don't go Elizabeth when her parents were present he always called her Elizabeth I'll leave things the way they are if you need me call Lavinia began to sniffle audibly in a worried voice Bill said now don't rush off half cocked Randy I'm sorry if I was rude there are certain things you don't understand like what Randy asked Bill's voice was
• 20:00 - 20:30 conciliatory just sit down and I'll explain Randy continued to stand now I'm twice as old as you are Bill said and I think I know more about what goes on in this world after all I know quite a few big men the biggest all these War scarers are concocted by the Pentagon no offense meant to your brother to get more Appropriations and give more handouts to Europe and jack up taxes it's all part of the damnable inflationary pattern that's designed to
• 20:30 - 21:00 cheat people on pensions and with fixed incomes and so forth now I know your brother thinks he's doing the right thing and I appreciate your telling Elizabeth but chances are your brother's been taken into have you been listening to the news for the past few days yes oh I'll admit it looks bad in the Mideast but that doesn't scare me we might have a little brush fire War like Korea sure but no atomic war nobody's going to use atomic bombs just like nobody used gas in the last tour you'll guarantee that a bill
• 21:00 - 21:30 locked his hands behind his back I can't guarantee it of course but only the other day I was talking to Mr oftenhaus you must know him run civil defense here well he isn't worried says the only real danger we face is being overrun by people swarming out of Orlando and Tampa he doesn't even think there's much chance of that Fort or pose isn't on but any Main Highway but he does say we'll have to watch out for the Dinges keep him under control please Bill Lavinia said say
• 21:30 - 22:00 hell the Dentures are liable to panic and start looting oh the local like Daisy our cook and Missouri the cleaning woman may be all right Mr offenhaus is talking about the migrant labor the orange Pickers and so forth so if Mr oftenhaus isn't worried then I'm not worried Mr offenhaus strikes me as a pretty solid businessman Randy knew that Bubba oftenhaus had been picked to head civil defense because he owned the only two ambulances with which
• 22:00 - 22:30 the addition of black scroll work doubled his hearses in for her pose did you talk to him about Fallout he asked well no I didn't Bill said Mr offenhaus said they sent him some booklets from Washington but he's not passing them around because they're too gruesome says why worry about something you can't see feel hear or smell says it's just as bad to frighten people to death as to kill them with radiation and I must say I agree with him Lavinia said if it came I suppose we'd
• 22:30 - 23:00 have rationing like last time and all kinds of shortages Bill don't you think we ought no I won't think of it please let's not talk about it anymore it's horrid she dabbed at her eyes and tried to smile Randolph when your sister-in-law comes won't you bring her over for dinner afterwards we could play bridge wouldn't you like to play a rubber now I know you're going to stay up to move the plane and I'm too overwrought to sleep I'm sure Helen will be delighted to come to dinner Randy said as for bridge I'll
• 23:00 - 23:30 take a rain check I still have some things to do at home good night Lavinia sorry I upset you lib came out to the car with him didn't get very far did I he said you started dad thinking that's far overhead he earned multi-jet engines on that night there were three quarters of the Moon he looked up and seen nothing knew the Jets were military aircraft too high for their running lights to show against the bright sky on any night and if you listened for a while you could hear the B-52s and 47s
• 23:30 - 24:00 and 58s but on this night there seemed to be more of them where are they from Liv asked where are they going I guess they're from McCoy and mcdill in Eglin and Homestead Randy said and I don't think they're going anywhere much they're just stooging around up there because they're safer up there than on the ground and when you can hear them floating around like that high you know you're all right I see lib said for the second time he
• 24:00 - 24:30 kissed her good night when he reached home it was almost midnight he made coffee and yawning turned on the radio and turned an Orlando station for the late Network news the first bulletin jerked him Wide Awake from Washington the official Arab radio in a broadcast from Damascus claims that American Carrier planes are conducting a violent bombing on the Harbor of Latakia this news broke in Washington just a few moments ago there has been no reaction from the Pentagon which at this hour of
• 24:30 - 25:00 the night is lightly staffed however it is reported that high Navy and defense Department officials are being summoned into emergency conference we will give you more on this as we receive it from our Washington Newsroom here is the text of the official Arab broadcast at about 6 30 o'clock this morning please remember that it is morning in the Eastern Mediterranean which is about seven hours ahead of American Eastern Standard Time low-flying jet aircraft of the type used on United States aircraft carriers and bearing United States
• 25:00 - 25:30 Insignia brutally and without warning bombed the harbor area of Latakia it is reported that civilian casualties are high and that many buildings are in flames that was the text of the Arab broadcast and that is all the hard news we have at the moment Latakia is the most important Syrian Harbor within the last few years it has been heavily fortified and there has been extensive construction of Submarine pins under the direction of Russian technicians it is generally regarded as one of the most
• 25:30 - 26:00 powerful anti-western Naval bases in the Mediterranean it is known that units of the United States sixth Fleet are now in the Eastern Mediterranean and that these units have been shadowed by fast unidentified aircraft the Network announcer went on to other news and Randy's phone rang he picked it up irritated it was Bill McGovern did you hear the news Bill asked yes I'm trying to get more of it what do you think I don't think anything yet I want to hear our side of it sounds to me like we're starting a small
• 26:00 - 26:30 preventative War Bill said I don't believe that for an instant Randy said you don't prevent a war by starting one well we'll see who's right in the morning Mark Bragg missed the first news flash on the Takia at that moment he was straightening up the house before driving to Offutt to assume direction of intelligence analysis in the hole he had been recalled from the Puerto Rico Mission because sac's commander-in-chief General Hawker felt that this newest crisis of senior members of his
• 26:30 - 27:00 operations and intelligence staffs should maintain around-the-clock watch an attack is rarely planned to conform to a victim's five-day 40-hour week so Hawker divided his most experienced officers into three shifts covering the whole day as sac's third ranking intelligence officer Junior to the A2 and his Deputy both brigadiers Colonel Bragg naturally drew the most honorous hours midnight to 0-800 at 11 PM Omaha time while the Damascus
• 27:00 - 27:30 broadcast was being repeated Around the World Mark was in the children's room feeling like an intruder it was the silence that discomforted him he found himself tiptoeing listening for the missing sounds the house was as still as Northern woods in winter when all the creatures are gone Ben Franklin's room looked as if it had been ransacked by a band of monkeys rather than that a 13 year old boy had packed Mark clothes dresser drawers and picked up ties clothes hangers shoes and socks
• 27:30 - 28:00 never in pairs he supposed all boys were like that Peyton's room looks no different than if it had been an ordinary day as if she had been invited to a slumber party at the home of a friend and would return in the morning her bed spread was uncreased and the Furry toy animal that held her pajamas rested precisely in its Center as always she had forgotten it her doll collection carefully propped up on a tier of shelves formed a silent audience to his silent inspection Peyton hadn't asked to take her dolls to
• 28:00 - 28:30 Florida perhaps she was outgrowing dolls or perhaps she didn't realize when she left them that it might be forever her desk was neat pencils aligned as if it squads right school books stacked in a pyramid he picked up the books and took them downstairs he would mail them from offit in the morning after he was off duty Payton was a tidy and thoughtful little girl in looks and temperament much like her mother he loved her he loved them both they have been very satisfactory children the
• 28:30 - 29:00 house was intolerably quiet in the whole house the only sound was the ticking of clocks driving toward offit and his job Mark felt better when he turned into the four-lane highway that ran South to the base he saw that it was 11 30 and flipped on the car radio it was then that he heard the Arab charge that Latakia had been bombed by American planes and in addition a rather strange statement from Washington a Navy Department spokesman the
• 29:00 - 29:30 newscaster said denies that there has been any intentional attack on the Syrian Coast Mark stepped down on the accelerator and watched the speedometer needle pass 75. on a turn the back wheels weaved ice he forced himself to concentrate on his driving soon he would know everything that was known in the hole which meant everything that was known to American intelligence and the worldwide news networks everywhere meanwhile it was pointless to guess or end up in a ditch a useless casualty
• 29:30 - 30:00 with no Purple Heart twelve minutes later Mark entered the War Room 50 feet underground blinking in the brilliant but shadowless artificial sunlight he glanced at the map panels nothing startling he walked onto the offices of A2 intelligence in the inner office Dutch Klein Deputy A2 and a buck General in his early 40s waited for his relief an electric coffee maker steamed on Dutch's desk two ashtrays were filled with crushed cigarette butts Dutch had
• 30:00 - 30:30 been busy Dutch said I guess you've heard the news I caught it on the radio it's not true is it it's fantastic Dutch touched a Sheaf of pink flimsies decoded priority messages on his desk two hours ago sixth Fleet scrambled fighters to intercept a jet snooper an inside from Saratoga an insign mind you cited the bogey and chased him all the way up to Levant he closed at Latakia and fired a bird whether it was human error or an erratic
• 30:30 - 31:00 rocket isn't clear anyway everything blew Dutch a muscular keg-shaped man with a round rubbery face groaned and sank back into his chair automatically the fortifications of the port area of Latakia came into focus in Mark's mind large stores of conventional mines Torpedoes and ammo he said they usually have four to eight Subs in the new pins and a couple of Cruisers and escort vessels in the harbor he hesitated thinking of something else worse
• 31:00 - 31:30 fire and blast could have cooked off nuclear weapons if they were in combat configuration that could well be what do you make of it worst foulup on record Dutch said glad it's the Navy and not us I mean how do you think the Russians will react Mark asked the question not because he thought Dutch could give him the answer but as a catalyst to his own imagination intelligence wasn't Dutch's primary interest on the way up to two stars in command of an air division
• 31:30 - 32:00 Dutch had been forced to assimilate two years of staff part of his education to Mark the intelligence job with all its political and psychological facets was a career in of itself he had a feel for it the capacity to stir a head full of unrelated facts until they congealed into a pattern arrowing the future Dutch said maybe it'll throw them off balance it might upset their timetable Mark agreed but I'm afraid they're all set it might have just given the Kremlin a cost of spelling an excuse
• 32:00 - 32:30 Dutch lifted himself out of the chair I leave it with you the CNC was in here until a few minutes ago he said he had to get some sleep because he might be even hairier tomorrow if there are any important political developments you're to call him operations will handle the alert status as usual for 30 minutes Mark concentrated on a pile of flimsies the latest intelligence from NATO Smyrna Naples the Philippines Eastern Sea Frontier and the summaries from Air Defense command and the CIA
• 32:30 - 33:00 when he was abreast of the situation he crossed the War Room to operations control the senior controller on duty was Ace Atkins a former fighter pilot like Mark an eagle Colonel he was called Ace because he had been one in two Wars because of proven courage and absolute coolness he was at the desk now occupied with the red phone a few inches from his fingers one code word into Ace's red phone would sac's 2000 bombers and start the countdown at the missile sites
• 33:00 - 33:30 it would take another word spoken by either General Hawker or with his authority to launch the force Ace slight wiry looked up and said welcome to bedlam the control room separated from the War Room by heavy glass was utterly quiet Mark said I'm worried I wish Washington would come forth with a complete statement as things stand now most of the worlds believe we attacked Latakia deliberately
• 33:30 - 34:00 why don't the Navy information people give out they want to they've got a release ready but they're low Echelon and you know Washington not very well I know it well Mark said and I think I can pretty well guess what's happening everybody wants to put his chop on it because it's so important but for the same reason nobody wants to take responsibility the Navy Pio probably called an assistant secretary and the assistant secretary called the secretary and the secretary probably called the Secretary of Defense by that time the information agency and state department
• 34:00 - 34:30 were involved by now more and more people are getting up and they are calling more and more people Mark looked at the clocks above the War Room Maps telling the time in all zones from us to Guam it's 2 A.M in Washington now as each man gives his okay to release it turns out that somebody else has to be consulted eventually they'll have the Secretary of State out of bed and then the White House Press Secretary maybe he'll wake up the president until that happens I don't think that there will be any full statement
• 34:30 - 35:00 they said my God that sounds awful it is but what worries me most is Moscow what's Moscow saying not a word not a whisper usually Radio Moscow would be screaming bloody murder that's what worries me as long as people keep talking they're not fighting when Moscow quits talking I'm afraid they're acting Mark borrowed a cigarette and let it I think the chances are about 60 40 he said that they've started their countdown
• 35:00 - 35:30 Ace's fingers stroked the red phone well he said we're as ready as we'll ever be 14 of the force is Airborne now and another 17 percent on standby I'm prepared to hold that ratio until we're relieved at 0800 how's that sound to you mark as always the responsibility to act lay with A3 Mark Bragg as A2 could only advise he said that's a pretty big effort you can't keep the whole force in the air and on standby all the time I
• 35:30 - 36:00 know that and yet he stretched I'll Trot back to my cave and see what else comes in I'll check in with you in an hour on his desk Mark found copies of three more urgent dispatches one from the air attache in anarcha reported Russian aerial reconnaissance over the Azerbaijan Frontier another from the Navy Department gave a submarine sighting 200 miles off of Seattle definitely a skunk the third received by the state department from London in the highest secret classification said
• 36:00 - 36:30 Downing Street had authorized the RAF to arm intermediate-range missiles including the Thor with nuclear warheads in an hour Helen's plane would touch down in Orlando in two hours if the plane was on time Helen and the children would be in an area of relative safety Mark prayed that for the next two hours at least nothing more would happen he held fast to the thought so long as there was no war there was always a chance for peace as the minutes and hours eroded by and
• 36:30 - 37:00 no word came from Moscow he became more and more certain that a massive strike had been ordered he diagnosed this negative intelligence as more ominous than almost anything that could have happened and determined to awaken General Hawker if it persisted at 3 30 in the morning Randolph Bragg waited in Orlando's Air Terminal for Helen's flight with only a few night coaches scheduled from New York plus the non-stop from Chicago the building was almost empty except for sweepers and
• 37:00 - 37:30 scrub women when he saw a plane's Landing lights Randy walked outside to the gate on the other side of the field near the military hangars used by air sea rescue command he saw silhouettes of b-47s part of the wing from McCoy he deduced using this field in accordance with a dispersal plan the military hangers and operations building were bright with light which at this hour was not usual the big transport came in for its Landing approached on the taxi strip
• 37:30 - 38:00 pivoted to a halt before him and cut its engines he saw that only a few people were getting off most people would be going on to Miami he saw Peyton and Ben Franklin come down the steps been incongruously wearing an Overcoat Peyton carrying a bow of quiver of arrows over her shoulder then he saw Helen and she waved and ran out to meet them Randy rumpled Ben Franklin's hair the children were both Allied and tired he leaned over kissed Peyton and relieved her of the bow slung over her shoulder
• 38:00 - 38:30 Helen said she's been watching Red Robin Hood she thinks she's made Marion Helen was wearing a long cashmere coat and carrying a fur Cape over her arm she appeared fresh as if starting rather than completing a journey she was slight Mark sometimes referred to her as my pocket Venus yet Randy was never aware of that except when he saw her completely relaxed at all times her body seemed to obey the physical law that kinetic energy increases Mass her abundant Vitality she somehow
• 38:30 - 39:00 communicated to others so that when Helen was present everyone's blood flowed a little faster as Randy's did now she tiptoed to kiss him and said I feel like 10 kinds of a fool Randy he said don't be silly they walked down toward the terminal she presented him with a Sheaf of baggage checks Mark made me take everything we're going to be an awful nuisance also I feel like a coward you won't when you hear what just happened in the med Ben Franklin turned suddenly awake and said what's happened
• 39:00 - 39:30 in the med Randy Randy looked at Helen inquiringly she said it's all right both of them knew about it I didn't realize it until we were on the plane children are precocious these days aren't they they learn The Facts of Life before you have a chance to explain anything while they waited for the luggage Randy spoke of the news they listened Gravely Ben Franklin alone commented sounds like the kickoff I guess dad knew what he was doing nothing more was said about it for a
• 39:30 - 40:00 Time Randy felt relieved when the suburbs of Orlando were behind them and with the traffic at thin at this hour he was holding to a steady 70. he thought his apprehension illogical why should he be upset by the remark of a 13 year old boy when he was sure the children slept in the back seat he said they take it calmly almost as a matter of fact don't they yes Helen said you see all their lives ever since they've known anything they've lived under the shadow of War
• 40:00 - 40:30 atomic war for them the abnormal has become normal all their lies they've heard nothing else and they expect it they're conditioned Randy said a child of the 19th century would quickly go mad with fear I think in the world of today it must have been pretty wonderful to have lived in the Years say between 1870 and 1914 when peace was the normal condition and people really were appalled at the idea of war and believed there'd never be a big one a big one was
• 40:30 - 41:00 impossible they used to say it would cost too much it would disrupt world trade and bankrupt everybody even after the first world war people didn't accept War as normal they had to call it the war to end war or we wouldn't have fought it Helen what has become of us Helen busy tuning the car radio trying to bring in fresh news said you're a bitten of idealist aren't you Randy I suppose so it's been an expensive luxury
• 41:00 - 41:30 maybe one day I'll get conditioned I'll accept things like the children Helen said listen she had brought in a Miami station and the announcer was saying that the station was remaining on the air through the night to give the news of the new crisis now we have a bulletin from Washington he said the Navy department has finally released a full statement on the deltakia incident earlier today a Navy carrier-based fighter fired a single air-to-air rocket at an unidentified Jet Plane which had been shadowing units of the sixth Fleet
• 41:30 - 42:00 this rocket exploded in the harbor area of Latakia the Navy calls it a regrettable mechanical error it is possible that this rocket struck an ammunition train and started a chain explosion the statement emits the Navy categorically denies any deliberate bombardment we will bring you further bulletins as they are received the Miami station began to broadcast a medley of second world war patriotic songs which Randy remembered from Boyhood one was praise the Lord and pass
• 42:00 - 42:30 the ammunition it sounded tinny and in poor taste but Miami's entertainment usually was in poor taste Randy said Do you believe it is it possible Helen didn't answer she was staring Straight Ahead as if hypnotized by the headlights beam and her lips were moving he realized that her mind was far away she had not heard him Randy had them all in their rooms and asleep by 5 30. he had carried all their luggage 11 bags upstairs he went to his
• 42:30 - 43:00 own apartment and collapsed on the studio couch in the living room Graf jumped up and snuggled under his arm almost at once without bothering to loosen his belt or remove his shoes Randy slept it was oh 500 at off at field with Dawn still more than two hours distant when General Hawker unbidden returned to the hole the general followed in the tradition of the vanderberg norstad and Lemay he received his fourth star while still in his 40s and now at 50
• 43:00 - 43:30 considered it part of his job that he remained slim and in excellent physical condition once Warfare except among the untutored Savages had been fought during the daylight hours this had changed during the 20th century until now rockets and aircraft recognized neither Darkness nor bad weather and were handicapped neither by oceans nor mountains nor distance now the critical factor in Warfare was time measured in minutes or seconds
• 43:30 - 44:00 Hawker adjusted his life to this condition in the past week he had not slept more than four hours at a stretch he had trained himself to catnap in his office for 10 or 20 minute periods after which he felt remarkably refreshed the engineers who designed the hole had arranged that the commander-in-chief's command post be on a glass enclosed balcony from which he could see the War Room maps and all the activity on the floor below and be surrounded by his staff in this moment it wasn't operating like
• 44:00 - 44:30 that at all Hawker had his feet up on the desk in the control room he was drinking black coffee from a green dinosaur mug and rapidly reading through a stack of the most important operational and intelligence dispatches occasionally the General fired a question at one or the other of his two Colonels Atkins and Bragg an A2 staff sergeant came into the room with two pink flimsies and handed them to Mark Bragg the general looked up inquiringly Mark said from the Eastern Sea Frontier Patrol planes on the Argentina Bermuda
• 44:30 - 45:00 access report three unidentified contacts these skunks are headed for the Atlantic coast sounds bad doesn't it I think this one sounds worse Mark said all new service and diplomatic Communications between Moscow and the United States have been an operative for the last hour this comes from usia the news agencies have been calling their Moscow correspondence all the Moscow operators will say is sorry I am unable to complete the call
• 45:00 - 45:30 and there's been no reaction to Latakia from Moscow at all none sir not a whisper the general shook his head slowly frowning lines appearing and deepening around the mouth and eyes his whole face undergoing a transformation growing older as if in a few seconds all the strain and fatigue of weeks months years had accumulated and were marking his face and bowing his shoulders Mark said this is the witching hour you know this is the bad one their submarines have had
• 45:30 - 46:00 a whole night to run in on the coast if that's what they're doing we're in darkness they'll soon be in daylight Dawn is the bad time what time does it start to get light in New York and Washington sunrise on the Eastern Seaboard is 710 Eastern Standard Ace Atkins said Washington's clock red 641. Mark Bragg's mind raced ahead if an attack came they could count on no more than 15 minutes warning if they used every one of those minutes with maximum
• 46:00 - 46:30 efficiency retaliation could be decisive but Mark feared a minute or even two might be lost in necessary communication with Washington he made a bold proposal may I suggest sir that we ask for the release of our weapons this was the one mandatory essential act that must precede the terrible decision to use the weapons under the law the president of the United States owned the nuclear bombs and missile Warheads General Hawker was
• 46:30 - 47:00 entrusted with their custody only before Sac could use the weapons the permission of the president or his Survivor and a line of succession must be secured if an attack were underway that permission would come almost but not quite instantly the general seemed a little startled don't you think we can wait mark yes sir we can wait but if we get it out of the way it could save us a minute maybe two the danger and the necessity
• 47:00 - 47:30 of not having a communication snafu must be just as apparent in the Pentagon or the White House or wherever the president is as it is here what do you think Ace Hawker asked I'd like to have it behind us sir the general picked up one of the four phones on Atkins desk the phone connecting directly to the Pentagon Command Post in this CP day and night was a general officer of the Air Force this duty officer was never out of communication with the president the Secretary of Defense and the chairman of
• 47:30 - 48:00 the Joint Chiefs of Staff the general spoke briefly into the phone and then waited keeping it pressed against his ear Mark's eye followed the red second hand on the desk clock this was an interesting experiment the general said yes John this is Bob Hawker I want the release of my weapons Mark knew that John was the chairman of the Joint Chiefs yes I'll hold the general said the seconds raced way the general said thank you John it is now 11 40 Zulu you will confirm by teletype
• 48:00 - 48:30 goodbye John the general reached across the desk and wrote an ace Atkins log weapons released to SAC at 1144 Zulu the operations log was kept in Greenwich time Mark said I timed it one minute and 35 seconds I hope we don't need it Hawker said but I'm glad to have it the worry lines became less conspicuous around his mouth and eyes his back and shoulders straightened now that the responsibility was his with Communications and
• 48:30 - 49:00 entanglements minimized he accepted it with confidence his manner said that if it came he would fight it from here and by God win it as much as it could be one the general poured himself another cup of coffee Ace Atkins told the general with your permission I'm going to scramble 50 percent of our tankers at Bluey West one Thule Limestone and Castle they'll be sitting ducks for missiles from Subs they're right under the gun they wouldn't get 15 minutes
• 49:00 - 49:30 the general nodded Ace flipped two keys on the intercom and dictated an order beside Ace's desk a tape recorder steadily turned monitoring phone calls and conversations the general glanced at it and said do you realize that everything in this room is being recorded for posterity they all smiled on all the clocks another minute flipped the direct line from NORAD North American air defense in Colorado Springs buzzed Ace picked it up said Atkins Sac operations listened said Roger I repeat
• 49:30 - 50:00 object may be missile fired from Soviet base and in Dar peninsular the emergency priority teletype machine from NORAD began to clatter it's only one Mark thought it could be a meteor it could be a Sputnik it could be anything the NORAD line buzzed again Ace answered and repeated The Flash as before for the general and the tape recorder Dew line High sensitivity radar now has four objects on its screen speed and
• 50:00 - 50:30 trajectory indicates they are ballistic missiles Presque Isle and Homestead report missiles coming in from sea we are skipping the yellow this is your red alert the general gave an order Mark Rose and said I think I'd better get back to my desk the general nodded and smiled thinly he said thanks for the 95 seconds