Crimson Tide Page #3

my command...

a checklist, a target

and a button to push.

All I had to know

is how to push it.

They'd tell me when.

They seem to want you to know why.

I would hope they'd want

us all to know why, sir.

At the Naval War College...

it was metallurgy and nuclear reactors,

not 19th-century philosophy.

[Stifled Laugh]

"War is a continuation

of politics by other means."

Von Clausewitz.

I think, sir, that what he was actually

trying to say was a little more...

- Complicated?

- [Men Laughing]

Yes, the purpose of war is

to serve a political end...

but the true nature of war

is to serve itself.

[Laughing]

I'm very impressed.

In other words, the sailor

most likely to win the war...

is the one most willing to part

company with the politicians...

and ignore everything except

the destruction of the enemy.

You'd agree with that.

I'd agree that, uh, that's what

Clausewitz was trying to say.

But you wouldn't agree with it?

No, sir, I do not. No, I just think

that in the nuclear world...

the true enemy

can't be destroyed.

[Chuckling, Tapping Glass]

Attention on deck.

Von Clausewitz will now tell us

exactly who the real enemy is.

- [Laughing]

- Von?

[Men Laughing]

In my humble opinion,

in the nuclear world...

the true enemy

is war itself.

[Martha And The Vandellas]

Everywhere I go your face I see

Every step I take

- You take with me

- [Singing Along With Tape]

Nowhere to run to, baby

Nowhere to hide

Got nowhere to run, baby

Nowhere to hide

I know you're no good for me

But free of you

I'll never be, baby

[Yelling]

Move!

Fire in the galley! Chief of the watch,

sound the general alarm!

[Alarm Ringing]

[P.A.] Forward damage control, bring

additional fire extinguishers to the...

- [Coughing]

- Fire's out of control. He's hurtin'.

- You hit the kill switch?

- Couldn't get to it. Too hot.

[Fire Roaring, Men Shouting]

[Alarm Ringing]

[Shouting]

[P.A.] Attention, all hands.

Fire has been contained.

Damage control party,

assess damage and report to Control.

- Initiate weapons system readiness test.

- Aye, sir.

[Tapping Keyboard]

All right, station a reflash watch.

This thing could flare back up again.

[Computer Beeping]

[Beeping]

Conn/Radio:
We are receiving

flash traffic emergency action message.

Recommend alert one.

Recommend alert one.

Alert one. Man battle stations missile

for weapons systems readiness test.

- Spin up all missiles.

- What the hell is he runnin'

a missile drill now for?

- You're in charge.

- Aye, sir.

[P.A.] Man battle stations missiles

for weapons system readiness test.

Spin up all missiles.

This is an exercise.

- [Men Chattering]

- Captain's in Control.

I agree.

The message is properly formatted.

Sir, we have a properly formatted

emergency action message...

for weapons system

readiness test, sir.

- I concur, sir.

- Where's the X.O.?

- Sir.

- Good of you to make it, Mr. Hunter.

Get the authenticator.

[Panting]

Get the authenticator.

[Coughing]

Let's go.

Sir, request permission

to authenticate.

Permission granted.

Authenticate.

"Alpha, Alpha, Bravo,

Echo, Charlie, Zulu, Tango."

"Alpha, Alpha, Bravo, Echo,

Charlie, Zulu, Tango."

- Captain, message is authentic.

- I concur, sir.

- I agree.

- Message is authentic.

Sir, your captain's

missile key.

Set condition 1Sq for WSRT. This is

the captain. This is an exercise.

Set condition 1Sq for WSRT.

This is the X.O. This is an exercise.

Captain, that fire in the galley

could still flare...

Now is not the time.

Make your depth 150 feet. All stop.

Make my depth 150 feet.

All stop. Aye, sir.

Weapons/Conn:

Simulate pressurizing, all tubes.

Weapons/Conn:

Simulate pressurizing, all tubes.

Conn/Weapons:
Simulate pressurizing,

all missiles. Aye, aye, sir.

Simulate pressurizing,

all missiles.

Simulate pressurizing,

all missiles. Aye.

[Beeps]

All stations, proceed to 1Sq.

Ready all missiles for launch.

Come on, guys. Let's go!

Weapons/Captain:

Report approximate time

for 1Sq.

Captain/Weapons:
Approximate time

to weapons system 1Sq:

Fourteen minutes, sir.

Ship is at launch depth.

Ready to hover, sir.

- Very well. Commence hovering.

- Commence hovering. Aye, sir.

Control/Sick Bay: Chief Petty Officer

Marichek is undergoing cardiac arrest.

- We're beginning CPR.

- Chief of the watch, on the 1MC.

Gentlemen, may I have

your attention, please?

We've received word that a shipmate

is experiencing a medical problem.

We're terminating the drill. Mr.

Mahoney, take the conn. I'm going below.

- X.O.

- [Mahoney] Aye, sir. I have the conn.

Clear.

Clear.

It's okay, Chief.

Thank you, sir.

Sorry, sir.

[Classical]

[Classical]

[Softly] Hiya, boy.

Hiya, hiya, hiya.

How ya doin'?

Oh, boy. Yeah.

So, Mr. Hunter, do you think

I was wrong to run that drill?

Not necessarily, sir.

- Do you think I got that man killed?

- No, sir.

One thing had nothing to do

with the other. It was an accident.

- Would you have run the drill?

- No, sir, I wouldn't have.

Why not?

The fire in the galley

could have flared back up.

- I would have seen to it first, sir.

- I'm sure you would have.

Me, on the other hand, I tend to think

that's the best time to run a drill.

Confusion on the ship

is nothing to fear.

It should be taken advantage of.

Lest you forget, Mr. Hunter, we are

a ship of war, designed for battle.

You don't just fight battles

when everything is hunky-dory.

What'd you think, son? I was just

some crazy old coot putting everyone...

in harm's way

as I yell "yee-haw"?

That was not

my first thought, sir.

But there's no excuse. At the time

I was fighting the fire in the galley...

I did not agree

with your call, sir.

Take a seat.

[Sighs]

Just so we understand

each other...

I don't have any problems

with questions or doubts.

As I said to you before, I'm not

seeking the company of kiss-asses.

When you got somethin' to say to me,

you say it in private.

And if privacy doesn't permit itself,

then you bite your f***ing tongue.

- Are we clear about that, Commander?

- As a bell, sir.

Those sailors out there

are just boys...

boys who are training to do

a terrible and unthinkable thing,

and if that ever occurs...

the only reassurance they'll have

that they're doing the proper thing...

is gonna derive from their unqualified

belief in the unified chain of command.

That means we don't question each

other's motives in front of the crew.

It means we don't

undermine each other.

It means in a missile drill...

they hear your voice right after mine,

without hesitation.

- Do you agree with that policy, sailor?

- Absolutely, sir.

We're here to preserve democracy,

not to practice it.

There'll be a memorial service in

the enlisted men's mess at 1100 hours.

- Go see to it.

- Aye, aye, sir.

Oh, Hunter.

Short of the outbreak

of World War III...

the ship sinking or being

attacked by a giant octopus...

I'd like to be undisturbed

for the next 30 minutes.

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