Revisiting 'Fail-Safe' Page #7

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We should recommend

a full-strength strike immediately.

That's not our decision.

It's the Pentagon's or the President's.

Those people don't know the situation

the way we know it.

An enemy trying every trick in the book....

They're in the political game,

we know what to do.

If we act now,

we have enough bombers in the--

That's enough.

Colonel, you're talking mutiny.

Keep it up and I'll have you removed

from the War Room.

The Russians are back on the line.

Yes, Marshal Nevsky.

Please give us the longitude and latitude

of your two planes left in the air?

Sergeant Collins.

I can do that,

but we can't give you their altitude.

We're getting distorted signals.

Will you please give us the position

of the two planes?

We can fly fighters at different altitudes.

I will.

Sergeant Collins, give the Russians

the longitude and latitude of our bombers.

Yes, sir.

7880 north.

5850 east.

On a heading of 205 degrees.

The Ambassador and the Soviet delegate

are on and have been briefed.

Thank you.

Jay, where are you?

On the top floor of the embassy

in Moscow, Mr. President.

Where are you, Mr. Lentov?

In the UN building in New York.

Whatever happens...

...both of you stay exactly where you are

until I release you or the Chairman does.

Is that clear?

-Yes.

-Yes.

Chairman's on.

''I suppose there is a reason

for these other people to be with us.''

There is, sir.

''Then let us hear your reason.''

Not tough. Like he's ready.

''In a few minutes,

the bombs may be falling.

''I have brought our forces to full readiness.

''Without satisfaction,

I must release those forces.

''So, what do you propose, Mr. President?

''My experts tell me that one or two

of the bombers will likely get to Moscow.

''Have you made a decision?''

Yes, I have.

It is my decision.

I take full responsibility for it.

Mr. Swenson, are you on the line?

Yes, Mr. President.

-General Bogan?

-Here, sir.

This is what will happen,

if even one of the bombers gets through.

It will drop two 20-megaton bombs

on Moscow.

Our Ambassador will probably hear

the sound of engines...

...seconds before the bombs drop.

He'll certainly be aware

of the defensive missiles going off.

A few moments later,

the bombs will explode.

I'm told that what we will hear...

...will be a high, shrill sound.

That will be the Ambassador's telephone

melting from the heat of the fireball.

When we hear that sound,

the Ambassador will be dead.

Jay, do you understand

you are to stay exactly where you are?

I understand.

''Is this your plan?

''To sacrifice one American

for five million Russians?''

-No! Listen to me.

-''Do you really think that--''

Listen.

I have ordered one of our bombers...

...into the air from Washington.

In a few minutes,

it will be circling New York City.

It's carrying two 20-megaton bombs.

The moment I know Moscow has been hit...

...I will order those bombs released.

Ground zero will be

the Empire State Building.

When we hear the shriek

of Mr. Lentov's telephone melting...

...we will know that he is gone...

...and with him, New York.

Holy Mother of God.

How can he do that?

What else can he do?

Five million people.

This, Mr. Knapp,

is where we've always been headed.

There is no other way, Mr. Chairman.

Unless you feel...

...that the offer itself is enough...

...showing good intentions.

''Would you think it was enough...

''...if Russian bombers were flying

against New York?

''Could you accept

only my good intentions?''

No.

''I would like to say

that your action is unnecessary.

''Unfortunately, I cannot.''

Well, let's hope that I won't have to do it.

Colonel Grady, we're at 900 feet.

Pierce?

What do you see out the window?

Lights. Village lights, I guess.

Movement on the roads?

Yeah. Cars, a few trucks.

But no blackout?

Everything looks normal.

You'd think they'd be in bomb shelters.

How far from Moscow are we?

Thirty-eight minutes to target, sir.

-How many planes left?

-Us and Number 6. They got the rest.

Flynn?

Still here, Grady.

What's your condition?

Slight wing damage from shrapnel...

...but all it's done is reduce our speed,

down to 1,350 an hour. Drag even.

Still got any of your decoys?

A few.

We have the bombs, you don't.

I'll need you to take those fighters

off my tail.

Whatever you say.

Thanks, Billy.

No sweat.

You take care, now.

You, too.

General Bogan?

Yes, Marshal Nevsky.

Why has one of your planes

appeared again?

That's Number 6, the decoy plane.

It's trying to draw your fighters away

from the plane that's carrying the bombs.

I see.

It's not armed.

You don't have to worry about it.

Thank you.

We shall try for a kill in any case.

You pull your fighters away,

the other bomber will slip by.

You'll never catch it.

It has no bombs aboard.

It's of no danger to you!

You'll let the other bomber through!

Jesus! Jesus!

Excuse me.

Excuse me, one moment.

There has been....

Marshal Nevsky has collapsed.

It appears....

I don't know....

General Koniev....

General Koniev is now in command.

General Bogan.

Nevsky sent his fighters

after a plane that had no bombs.

That means the other bomber

will almost certainly get through.

He can't recall them?

No time. Our bombers are very fast.

Nevsky realized it too late.

It was too much for him.

General Bogan, this is General Koniev.

Do you have the remaining plane

on your screen?

No, we do not.

We are unable to pick it up on radar

and it's flying so fast...

...that our anti-aircraft is almost useless.

I must assume your plane will get through.

Yes.

We have only one chance left.

I intend to concentrate

all our remaining rockets...

...in the estimated path of your plane

and fire them simultaneously.

Our hope, is to set up

an impenetrable thermonuclear ceiling.

It has a chance.

Thirty minutes to target.

You know, General, we almost met once.

In a most unlikely place.

Yes?

In Persia, during the war.

Korammshar on the Gulf.

You were delivering planes to us

and I was there to accept them.

But our paths never crossed.

I just remember the heat.

Yes. It was unbearable.

Like being in a steam room.

And your pilots, I remember them...

...the way they took off in those planes.

They'd lift up their wheels

before they were off the runway.

Never saw anything like it.

They were in a hurry to get the Germans.

General, what is your location? Moscow?

No, I was ordered to leave.

Your family....

It's a hard day, General.

Yes, a hard day.

Goodbye, comrade.

Goodbye, my friend.

They're going to fire off all their rockets

at once.

Colonel Grady, sir?

Yes?

The indicator shows a number

of rocket engines...

...ignited ahead of us.

They should show on the radar screen

in a moment.

What do we know of them?

They home in on heat producing engines,

like an airplane.

They can't be aiming at us, we're too low.

They'd blow themselves up.

What are they doing?

What else do we know?

If they're like ours,

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