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Gee, sir, that last remark doesn't exactly make all the sense in the world. |
Major, you're talking like one of them! |
Well, I'm not, sir. Honestly, sir. |
Don't be offended, Major. Our President holds the same views. |
Don't you think he knows something about this, General Ripper? |
I'll tell you what I do think. If they say they're for disarmament, I say anyone who says they're for disarmament is either a traitor or a damned fool. |
But, General, we're on our toes. We haven't agreed to anything for years. Inffact, a a lot of people say we never will. |
But if they suddenly opened up and gave us the inspection we want, we'd agree, wouldn't we? |
If they gave us what we think we need, yes, I guess we would. |
And you'd like to see that? |
General, what's good enough for the President and all the experts he's got working on the thing, is good enough for me. |
Do you think we'd cheat? |
No, sir. I'm sure we wouldn't. |
Do you think they would cheat? |
Look, sir. I'm no expert on the subject, but I've read some pretty sharp ideas the big boys have. Like, say, both countries agreeing to a million dollar reward and international protection for anyone who gives evidence of cheating to the inspectors. You can't hide those things without a lot of people knowing about it. ... |
Major, I hate to say this, but I think you've been enemy indoctrinated, and you don't even know it. |
Major, those are my boys out there dying. |
Yes, sir. Why don't you stop the fighting, sir? |
To peace on earth, Major. |
Peace on earth. |
General, now that you've done that, I beg you to recall the Wing. |
Major, I happen to believe in a life after this one, so I believe I will have to answer for what I have done. I think I can. |
Combat Operations Center, Major Mandrake speaking. |
This is General Ripper speaking. |
Yes, sir. |
Do you recognize my voice? |
Certainly, General. Why do you ask, sir? |
Why do you think I ask? |
I don't know, sir. We just spoke a few minutes ago. |
Youddon't think I'd ask if you recognized my voice unless it was important, do you, Major? |
No, sir. |
Good. Has the Wing confirmed holding at Xpoints? |
Yes, sir. |
All right, Major. I'm putting the base on condition Red. |
Condition Red! |
That's right. I want this flashed to all section immediately. |
Yes, sir. What's up, General Ripper? |
You're a good officer, Major Mandrake. You have a right to know. It looks like we're in a shooting war! |
A shooting war! |
Yes, Major. This looks like it's going to be it. |
But...what kind of a shooting war? Have they hit any of our cities yet? |
Major, that's all I've been told. Just got it on the red phone. The base is to be sealed tight. And I mean tight. |
Yes, sir. |
Let me worry about that, Major. I've still got my red line to the Air Command. |
That's right, sir. |
We don't want to be vulnerable to saboteurs calling up and pretending to be different people from the President down, do we? |
You're right, sir. |
No calls from inside out. No calls from outside in are even answered. No calls. |
I understand, sir. Nothing comes or goes without your personal sayso. |
No calls at all. With or without my sayso. My voice can be imitated too, Major. |
Yes, sir. I just thought of something, sir. How do I know I'm talking to you now? |
Who do you think you're talking to? |
To you, sir. But how do I know? |
Are you trying to be insubordinate? |
No, sir. |
I hope not. Now, as soon as you do what I told you, have PlanR radioed to the Wing. |
PlanR???? |
Are you hard of hearing, Major? |
No, sir. PlanR to be radioed to the Wing. |
As soon as you've done that, shut down the communications center. Lock it up and assign the personnel to base security details. |
General Ripper, if I shut down the communi cations center, there'll be no radio or teleprinter contact with Air Command head quarters or anyone, for that matter. |
Are you questioning my orders, Major? |
No, sir. I'm just bringing the facts to your attention, sir. |
You're a good officer, Major, and you're perfectly right to bring these facts to my attention. |
Thank you, sir. |
Now, as soon as you've done that, double up on all base security teams. Our enemies are plenty smart, and there might even be an attack on the base by saboteurs. |
Yes, sir. |
And lastly, all privately owned radios are to be immediately impounded. They can be used to issue instructions to saboteurs. Air Police will have lists of all owners. |
Yes, sir. One thing, Mister President. |
Yes? |
Under a condition red alert, the base will probably be sealed off and defended by the base security troops. |
I am aware of what a condition red alert implies. |
Well, sir, they may not allow the Special Service troops to enter the base. |
That's a very wise deduction, General. |
Thank you, sir. But what shall I tell them to do if they are denied entrance? |
Under the circumstances, General, what would you think they should do? |
Well...I suppose penetrate the base by force. |
You see, you knew the answer all the time, General. |
But that would mean some of our own boys will get hurt, Mister President. |
What do you suppose is going to happen if General Ripper's planes start bombing their targets? |
That certainly would be a problem, sir. |
I didn't speak to him, sir. But Colonel "Bat" Guano was in command of the Special Service battalion, so I would imagine he did. |
I want him upped to Brigadier General, and recomended for the D.S.C. |
Yes, sir. |
Well, Mister President. |
What kind of trouble? |
Well, sir, about fortysix minutes ago one of my base commanders, General Jack D. Ripper, sent out attack orders to the thirtyfour B90's of the 843rd Bomb Wing, under his command. |
General Schmuck? |
Yes, sir. He issued attack orders to |
May I be stupid enough to inquire WHY IN HELL THE BASE COMMANDER OF THE 843d BOMB WING DID A THING LIKE THAT ??? |
To be perfectly honest, Mister President, we really aren't sure. |
You aren't sure! |
Not exactly, sir. You see, Colonel Puntrich at Air Command HQ received a call from him about twenty minutes ago. He asked General Ripper if he had issued the Gocode and the attack order, and General Ripper said: "Sure, the orders came from me. They're on their way in, and I advise you to get the rest of Air Command in ... |
Damn it! Damn it! I've been telling you all for years you've got too damned many psychoes in the service. |
Be fair, Mister President. Didn't we initiate the Human Reliability tests for all personnel handling nuclear weapons? |
Buck, when I told you to give them right up to the top, you said we couldn't insult a general officer by asking him to pass a test to see if he's a psycho. |
Just a second, sir. He's got films of the War Room in that thing! |
I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to take the film out. |
Yes! |
General Schmuck? |
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