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doctor’s voice broke slightly.
    Paulson turned off the intercom link. “I wish we could keep the plane pressurized longer after we land.”
    Farrow nodded. “Me too. But the pilots tell me that the pressurization systems are connected to the landing gear so that when we touch down, the cabin automatically depressurizes. They have no way of altering that.”
    “Very well then, we have some choices to make.”
    The Secretary looked squarely at Paulson with his dark narrow eyes. “You know what you have to do, Mr. President. We have to preserve what’s left of the United States government above all else. That means one of the bio-suits needs to go to you and at least two Secret Service agents for your protection. The other five should go to staff or elected officials based on seniority.”
    “There are no other elected officials on board. And as for protection, I think one agent is sufficient.”
    “I strongly disagree, sir. You need at least two. We have no idea what the situation is on the ground. There may be survivors at the base. We’ve seen what happens when people start to panic; they can become animals. No, we need to keep you protected at all times.”
    “Very well then,” Paulson said, his head nodding in a slow bob. “Which two do you recommend?”
    “Colonel Steve Demetrius is our most knowledgeable security expert, with over twenty years’ experience. He’s a good man—smart, strong, and able to handle diverse situations. He’s my first pick. Second would be Special Agent Dante Jones. He’s a bit younger than Demetrius and has about fifteen years of experience. He’s highly skilled in multiple weapons and is a former special ops.”
    “I know both men; they’re good choices. So that leaves us five spots.”
    “I would also recommend including a doctor in the group. Rosemary Peebles is the best choice. She’s trained in emergency medicine as well as surgery. She’d also know how to operate any of the medical and decontamination equipment that we’ll encounter at the Greenbrier base.”
    “Good idea,” said Paulson. “So that knocks us down to four spots. I think you need to have one of those spots, Cameron. It’s crucial for this government that you remain safe. I’ll need your expertise when we get to the base and set up operations.”
    “Very well, Mr. President. I accept and will do everything in my power to ensure that this country survives. Now for the last three spots.”
    Farrow pulled up the roster listing everyone on Air Force One, along with their vital information including job titles and descriptions. They both scanned the list.
    “Everyone is equally valuable in their own way,” Paulson said. “What criteria do you think we should use?”
    Farrow stood and began to pace, his posture for thinking mode. “We have to account for the fact that none of the passengers without bio-suits may survive the trip from the airport. So the eight individuals in bio-suits may be responsible for trying to rebuild the government. I think you need people with the broadest knowledge base. Specialized experts just won’t cut it in this new world.”
    Paulson studied the list again.
    Who would be the best generalists? 
    No one really stuck out. Other than military and security personnel, there were lawyers, businessmen and women, and Washington bureaucrats. No survivalists, that was for sure.
    “I’ve met just about everybody on the flight and know several of them well,” Paulson said. “But I don’t know how any of them would perform in such a stressful extreme situation. I would just be guessing.”
    Farrow looked at the list, squinting at the names and profiles. “I have to agree with you. No one really stands out based on the limited information we have here. If we had more time to interview and vet them, we could make a better decision.”
    “Unfortunately, we don’t have that luxury. I could just randomly pick them myself, but I think we need some sort of buy-in from the