Read Online 36 Hours: A Post-Apocalyptic EMP Survival Fiction Series by Bobby Akart - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Bobby Akart
Tags: Science-Fiction, adventure, Literature & Fiction, Fantasy, Action & Adventure, War & Military, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Religion & Spirituality, Christian fiction, futuristic, Teen & Young Adult, post apocalyptic, Dystopian, Christian Books & Bibles, Mysteries & Thrillers
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friend to perform another important function, one that was short on ceremony, and long on disaster . He was going to brief the White House staff and the National Security Council on the threat of AR3222.
Lemmon passed through the southwest gate of the White House complex and presented the guard with his NOAA-issued identification card. The guard quickly found his name on the appointment list, and Lemmon was escorted up West Executive Avenue toward the West Basement entrance.
Once there, his identification was checked again, and another secret service agent delivered him down the stairs, past the White House Mess, which was being cleaned up following morning breakfast for senior White House staff.
They approached a locked door and Lemmon was provided access for his first, and last, visit to the brain center of the White House. Behind these layers of security was the White House Situation Room—a five-thousand-square-foot complex of rooms located on the ground floor of the West Wing. The main conference room was surrounded on three sides by two small offices, multiple workstations, computers, and sophisticated communications equipment.
The well-appointed space was soundproofed, but small and slightly cramped. Every square foot was functional. Most visitors were impressed by the location and technology but were often surprised at the compact size.
While it was widely known that important meetings were held here, the importance of the Situation Room in the daily activities of the National Security Council and White House staff, together with its critical role in Washington’s network of key national security operations and intelligence centers, was less understood.
It was commonly referred to as The Woodshed . The Situation Room was born out of frustration on the part of President John Kennedy after the Bay of Pigs debacle in Cuba. President Kennedy felt betrayed by the conflicting advice and information coming to him from the various agencies that comprised the nation’s defense departments. Kennedy ordered the bowling alley built during the Truman presidency removed and replaced with the Situation Room. It was his way of gathering all the players in one room so they couldn’t point fingers of blame in other directions.
Before the age of electronics, President Kennedy required at least one Central Intelligence analyst to remain in the Situation Room at all times. The analyst would work a twenty-hour shift and sleep on a cot during the night.
Other Presidents, like Nixon and Ford, never used the Situation Room. In most cases, a visit from the President was a formal undertaking, happening only on rare occasions. President George H.W. Bush, a former CIA head, would frequently call the Situation Room and ask if he could stop by and say hello.
Lemmon didn’t expect to see the President this morning, but he certainly expected his briefing to make its way upstairs rather quickly. He took his seat at the opposite end table from several empty chairs which were reserved for the White House Chief of Staff, the National Security Advisor, and the President’s Chief Political Advisor. He was greeted with a few smiles, but was largely ignored by the other attendees, who knew each other from their daily activities.
Everyone at the table except him was provided the day’s briefing reports called the Morning Book. A compilation of the State Department’s Morning Summary, the National Intelligence Daily and other agency-specific advisories, the Morning Book set the tone for the business of the White House on any given day.
The first order of business was AR3222 and Lemmon’s presentation of a threat analysis to the highest levels of government. Lemmon was warned that the White House Chief of Staff was gruff and abrasive. He was not interested in long explanations. Further, Lemmon was told the President ran her administration on polling data, focus group interaction, and the advice of her political team. The media portrayed the
Lemmon passed through the southwest gate of the White House complex and presented the guard with his NOAA-issued identification card. The guard quickly found his name on the appointment list, and Lemmon was escorted up West Executive Avenue toward the West Basement entrance.
Once there, his identification was checked again, and another secret service agent delivered him down the stairs, past the White House Mess, which was being cleaned up following morning breakfast for senior White House staff.
They approached a locked door and Lemmon was provided access for his first, and last, visit to the brain center of the White House. Behind these layers of security was the White House Situation Room—a five-thousand-square-foot complex of rooms located on the ground floor of the West Wing. The main conference room was surrounded on three sides by two small offices, multiple workstations, computers, and sophisticated communications equipment.
The well-appointed space was soundproofed, but small and slightly cramped. Every square foot was functional. Most visitors were impressed by the location and technology but were often surprised at the compact size.
While it was widely known that important meetings were held here, the importance of the Situation Room in the daily activities of the National Security Council and White House staff, together with its critical role in Washington’s network of key national security operations and intelligence centers, was less understood.
It was commonly referred to as The Woodshed . The Situation Room was born out of frustration on the part of President John Kennedy after the Bay of Pigs debacle in Cuba. President Kennedy felt betrayed by the conflicting advice and information coming to him from the various agencies that comprised the nation’s defense departments. Kennedy ordered the bowling alley built during the Truman presidency removed and replaced with the Situation Room. It was his way of gathering all the players in one room so they couldn’t point fingers of blame in other directions.
Before the age of electronics, President Kennedy required at least one Central Intelligence analyst to remain in the Situation Room at all times. The analyst would work a twenty-hour shift and sleep on a cot during the night.
Other Presidents, like Nixon and Ford, never used the Situation Room. In most cases, a visit from the President was a formal undertaking, happening only on rare occasions. President George H.W. Bush, a former CIA head, would frequently call the Situation Room and ask if he could stop by and say hello.
Lemmon didn’t expect to see the President this morning, but he certainly expected his briefing to make its way upstairs rather quickly. He took his seat at the opposite end table from several empty chairs which were reserved for the White House Chief of Staff, the National Security Advisor, and the President’s Chief Political Advisor. He was greeted with a few smiles, but was largely ignored by the other attendees, who knew each other from their daily activities.
Everyone at the table except him was provided the day’s briefing reports called the Morning Book. A compilation of the State Department’s Morning Summary, the National Intelligence Daily and other agency-specific advisories, the Morning Book set the tone for the business of the White House on any given day.
The first order of business was AR3222 and Lemmon’s presentation of a threat analysis to the highest levels of government. Lemmon was warned that the White House Chief of Staff was gruff and abrasive. He was not interested in long explanations. Further, Lemmon was told the President ran her administration on polling data, focus group interaction, and the advice of her political team. The media portrayed the
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