Fail Safe by Eugene Burdick, Harvey Wheeler Page A
Authors: Eugene Burdick, Harvey Wheeler
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the newspaper people about an emergency," the President said to the secretary. She scribbled in her notebook. "Also call the Vice-President and tell him exactly what has happened. He will know what to do. Call Senator Fuibright and ask him to call the Vice-President. Better have him drop by the Vice-President's office."
The President came to a stop in front of the elevator. He shook hands with the major. He turned to Buck,
"Hello, Buck," the President said. "I remember seeing you in your office a while back."
"A while back" had been several years, but even so Buck was flattered.
"Yes, sir," Buck said. "I am the Russian translator." Without a verbal order, but more by motion of his body, the President moved all of them into the elevator, induding the secretary. Despite its GI color, Buck realized that the elevator was new and efficient. Its one odd feature was in the back: a large wheel with a plaque above it which said, FOR ELEVATOR OPERATION
IN CASE OF POWER FAILURE. TURN TO RIGHT TO LOWER. TURN TO LEFT TO RAISE.
The doors of the elevator snapped shut and instantly they were propelled downward. To Buck it seemed that they were dropping like a stone, in a free fall. His knees loosened slightly as the floor dropped beneath him, but he stiffened; he felt a sad and desolate heaviness in his viscera. He braced against the wall for he had the sensation that he might become sick. He had no notion of how far beneath the White House the bomb shelter was located. To vomit here, in this impeccable GI elevator with the officer-operator and the President leaning comfortably against the wall and the secretary listening to his words, and the wooden major standing at an apparently easy attention, would be too much.
They came to a cushioned stop after a few seconds. Buck's knees bent a few inches, but so did those of everyone else in the elevator. He felt relieved.
The doors snapped open. They stepped out into a large room which held half a dozen desks. On the left there was a luminous screen which covered the entire wall. It was somewhat like a movie screen, but it had thickness, a texture to it. Strange objects crawled across it, wormlike and glowing. Buck had only time to no-
rice six green crosses, five of them standing alone, and one with a queer blob of light a few inches from the cross.
Sitting behind the desks were a number of people who were vaguely familiar to Buck. He recognized one, a special assistant to the President, and realized that the others were also special or White House assistants or staff men. All of the men in the room came to a relaxed attention. The President nodded, but did not speak. The heads of all the assistants swung back to the luminous walL The President turned right and led his little group through a door which was swung open by a captain, his naval aide.
"That's all, Major," the President said casually. The major did not go into the other office with them.
Buck felt respect for abilities he did not possess. First, he realized that all of the assistants were at ease with the President, and, considering their credentials, degrees, books written, speeches made, reputations established, crises survived, toughness established, and the rumors of their outspokenness, he was not surprised by their poise. Secondly, he marveled at the peculiar physical ease of the President. It showed in the way he had indicated that the major should not come farther with them. It was not humiliating, it was not brusque, it was not even very obvious. It was merely a kind of easy shrug which told the major a good deal, but was not offensive.
The President led them into a small office. It held a medium-sized desk which had a number of telephones on it. There was a chair on each side of the desk. The sound of the air conditioning was like a massive pulse. The President sat down behind the desk. He motioned to Buck to sit in the other chair. The President turned to Mrs. Johnson.
"Look, Johnnie, it won't work with Pete and
The President came to a stop in front of the elevator. He shook hands with the major. He turned to Buck,
"Hello, Buck," the President said. "I remember seeing you in your office a while back."
"A while back" had been several years, but even so Buck was flattered.
"Yes, sir," Buck said. "I am the Russian translator." Without a verbal order, but more by motion of his body, the President moved all of them into the elevator, induding the secretary. Despite its GI color, Buck realized that the elevator was new and efficient. Its one odd feature was in the back: a large wheel with a plaque above it which said, FOR ELEVATOR OPERATION
IN CASE OF POWER FAILURE. TURN TO RIGHT TO LOWER. TURN TO LEFT TO RAISE.
The doors of the elevator snapped shut and instantly they were propelled downward. To Buck it seemed that they were dropping like a stone, in a free fall. His knees loosened slightly as the floor dropped beneath him, but he stiffened; he felt a sad and desolate heaviness in his viscera. He braced against the wall for he had the sensation that he might become sick. He had no notion of how far beneath the White House the bomb shelter was located. To vomit here, in this impeccable GI elevator with the officer-operator and the President leaning comfortably against the wall and the secretary listening to his words, and the wooden major standing at an apparently easy attention, would be too much.
They came to a cushioned stop after a few seconds. Buck's knees bent a few inches, but so did those of everyone else in the elevator. He felt relieved.
The doors snapped open. They stepped out into a large room which held half a dozen desks. On the left there was a luminous screen which covered the entire wall. It was somewhat like a movie screen, but it had thickness, a texture to it. Strange objects crawled across it, wormlike and glowing. Buck had only time to no-
rice six green crosses, five of them standing alone, and one with a queer blob of light a few inches from the cross.
Sitting behind the desks were a number of people who were vaguely familiar to Buck. He recognized one, a special assistant to the President, and realized that the others were also special or White House assistants or staff men. All of the men in the room came to a relaxed attention. The President nodded, but did not speak. The heads of all the assistants swung back to the luminous walL The President turned right and led his little group through a door which was swung open by a captain, his naval aide.
"That's all, Major," the President said casually. The major did not go into the other office with them.
Buck felt respect for abilities he did not possess. First, he realized that all of the assistants were at ease with the President, and, considering their credentials, degrees, books written, speeches made, reputations established, crises survived, toughness established, and the rumors of their outspokenness, he was not surprised by their poise. Secondly, he marveled at the peculiar physical ease of the President. It showed in the way he had indicated that the major should not come farther with them. It was not humiliating, it was not brusque, it was not even very obvious. It was merely a kind of easy shrug which told the major a good deal, but was not offensive.
The President led them into a small office. It held a medium-sized desk which had a number of telephones on it. There was a chair on each side of the desk. The sound of the air conditioning was like a massive pulse. The President sat down behind the desk. He motioned to Buck to sit in the other chair. The President turned to Mrs. Johnson.
"Look, Johnnie, it won't work with Pete and
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