CHAPTER 8

Summary

The 7-12 directive is explained as a method of cauterizing an area infected with extraterrestrial bacteria using a nuclear device. Project Wildfire has been given a nuclear device in the event of contamination, but the President retains the final say on whether or not to detonate it. The Hudson Institute had been contracted to think of the scenarios in which a satellite might need to be cauterized in the U.S., a neutral country, or even in the Soviet Union. Exploding a nuclear bomb for any reason would violate existing treaties and cause an international incident. For this reason, the President hesitates to use the bomb in Piedmont, instead choosing to have the National Guard cordon off a hundred mile radius around the town and wait.

Notes

Since the Cold War is at its height in the sixties, destroying the alien bacteria with a nuclear could create as many problems as it solves. In order to avoid unnecessarily alarming the Soviets, the President retains control over the decision to drop the bomb, instead of giving that authority to the Project Wildfire scientists. In the case of Piedmont, the President does not follow Stone's recommendation to nuke the town and prefers to simply isolate it instead.

CHAPTER 9

Summary

Aboard an Air Force fighter on the way to Nevada, Dr. Hall reads a file on Wildfire. On the front a warning states that anyone disclosing this information will be fined up to twenty-thousand dollars; but Leavitt reminds Hall the information is so sensitive that anyone reading it without permission would simply...disappear. The file states the origin of the facility's construction, purpose, and explains the various levels of decontamination. Strangely, both the files listing personnel and the file explaining the Odd Man Hypothesis have been deleted from Hall's folder. As he ponders this, the plane touches down in Flatrock, Nevada.

Notes

As we later learn, Hall is the ‘odd man' in the Odd Man Hypothesis. And yet, that section of his file is deleted so that he can't possibly know his role until he is quarantined within the Wildfire research facility. It's as if the team doesn't want to reveal this key portion of information until it's too late for Hall to back out of his commitment.

CHAPTER 10

Summary

Emerging from the plane, Hall sees nothing but a sparsely furnished Quonset with two pilots and a guard sitting inside. Leavitt and Hall drive a blue unmarked sedan down a pockmarked road towards the installation. As they drive, Leavitt confirms that the site down, in fact, have its own nuclear weapon capable of incinerating the entire area. When Hall mentions that the Odd Man Hypothesis section had been deleted from his file, Leavitt responds that it will all be explained later.

The two men drive into the Wildfire compound, which is surrounded by a cornfield and a chain link fence to make the entire facility look like a government agricultural project. As they walk through the station and enter an underground elevator, Leavitt explains that the cover is a fully functional agricultural station designed to grow foods in highly alkaline soil. Everything about the facility is designed to draw as little attention to the project as possible. Hidden sensors and guard dogs also protected the base.

Upon entering level 1, Hall must remove all this clothing, watches, rings, etc. and put on new clothing, in order to avoid bringing in unnecessary contaminants. Both fingerprint screeners and voice identification modules are used to verify Hall's identity. Afterwards, a robotic medical machine scans Hall for fungus, allergies, and also gives him an intravenous needle and booster shots. Walking down the red corridor to meet with the team, Leavitt explains that each of the five levels is painted a different color. Finally, Hall enters a room marked Conference room 7 where the rest of the team is waiting for him. Stone removes a red key on a chain from his pocket and hands it over to Hall. When Hall expresses confusion as to the purpose of the key, Leavitt reminds Stone that Hall has not yet been informed of the Odd Man Hypothesis.

The men sit down and Stone explains how the process through which the nuclear device can be detonated in the event of major contamination. Stone's silver is inserted on level one. It prepares the device for countdown and can never be removed. Hall's red key, however, will be inserted at the facility's lowest level. There is a three minute delay between the insertion of the Stone's silver key and detonation. During this window, it is Hall's responsibility to think the situation through and decide whether or not to call it off by inserting his own red key.

In response to Hall's questions, Stone points out that Hall is the only single member of the team. Army studies conclude that unmarried individuals tend to respond better under stress than married individuals. Hall's marital status, when combined with his occupation, makes him the ideal person to make the final decision on incinerating the station. The responsibility is his alone.

Notes

It is interesting to fantasize the lengths to which the government will go in order to keep its plans a secret from the very people it's trying to protect. Crichton paints a picture of a secret underground laboratory designed to develop biological weapons. On the surface, however, it appears to be nothing more than a crop research facility.

The key to this entire chapter involves the Hall not being informed of the Odd Man Hypothesis until he is already quarantined within the facility. By the time he learns of his responsibility it is too late for him to turn back.