BINOCULAR POV:
Of the Soviet Bridge, where their LOOKOUTS are staring right
back through their binoculars.
INT. SITUATION ROOM - DAY
The HISS of static. And then.
MCNAMARA (O.S.)
Mr. President?
INT. FLAG PLOT - THE PENTAGON - CONTINUOUS
McNamara is grinning wildly at the chaos unfolding in the
flag plot below. Phones are ringing everywhere.
ON THE LIGHT TABLE
The Watch Officers' hands fly from one notation to the other,
circling the Soviet ships, marking them DEAD IN THE WATER.
MCNAMARA
-- we've got reports coming from all
over! The ships are stopping! Some...
are turning around!
INT. SITUATION ROOM - CONTINUOUS
The room EXPLODES, victorious. Kenny and Bobby break into
big grins, grab each other. Kenny pumps the President's
hand. Rusk and Bundy slap each other on the back.
RUSK
We were eyeball to eyeball and I think
the other fellow just blinked.
The ruckus goes on for a minute. McCone comes back in.
MCCONE
Mr. President.
His voice is lost in the celebration. McCone calls out:
MCCONE (CONT'D)
Mr. President!
The hubub dies away.
MCCONE (CONT'D)
Sir, we have the tally from NSA. We
have twenty ships stopping and or
turning around. Six, however, appear to
be continuing for the line. Including
the Gagarin and Kimovsk.
The elation goes out of the room. Kenny looks at the
President. The President picks up the phone again.
THE PRESIDENT
Captain, have the ships you're observing
changed course?
CAPTAIN (O.S.)
No, Mr. President. They've just crossed
the quarantine line.
Bobby grips the edge of the table, immediately believing.
BOBBY
It's an accident. They must not have
gotten their orders yet. Let 'em go.
GENERAL TAYLOR
Unlikely, Mr. President. We've been
monitoring transmissions from both the
Gagarin and Kimovsk. Their radios are
working fine.
MCCONE
One ship, an accident maybe. Six: this
is intentional.
The President looks to Bobby. He has no answer. Kenny's
mind races over the variables, and he leans forward, intense,
suddenly understanding in a flash of insight:
KENNY
They're right. This is intentional.
He glances around the room. All of EXCOM is looking at him.
Bobby stares at Kenny, too shocked to feel betrayed.
KENNY (CONT'D)
Khruschev's stopped the 20 ships which
are carrying contraband, and he's
letting the ones which aren't go
through, hoping for an incident. I
think we should let them go.
Bobby relaxes. Around the table there are nods.
MCCONE
If we do, it erodes the credibility of
the quarantine. He'll just send more
through tomorrow.
The President looks at Kenny.
KENNY
Then we deal with it tomorrow. But
today he's stopped most of them. He's
done something smart here. We gave him
an ultimatum, and he's agreed to most of
it, preserving just enough room to save
face. We need to do something just as
smart now.
Bobby's nodding, following the argument. Kenny looks around
the room for support.
INT. FLAG PLOT - THE PENTAGON - CONTINUOUS
McNamara, pacing on the phone, jumps in.
MCNAMARA
Mr. President, I agree. Let them go.
Four of the six continuing ships are
still a day away from the line. They've
stopped all the ones we suspect have
weapons aboard.
It would look bad shooting up a
freighter full of baby food.
INT. SITUATION ROOM - CONTINUOUS
The President holds Kenny's gaze, then lifts the phone.
THE PRESIDENT
Captain, I want you to maintain contact
with those ships. Do nothing until I
order otherwise. Is that clear?
CAPTAIN (O.S.)
Yes, Mr. President. Contact only.
He hangs up, turns to Kenny.
THE PRESIDENT
I hope you're right.