The Andromeda Strain (6 page)

TOP SECRET

CODE FOLLOWS

AS

CBW 9/9/234/435/6778/90

PULG COORDINATES DELTA 8997

MESSAGE FOLLOWS

AS

WILDFIRE ALERT HAS BEEN CALLED.

REPEAT WILDFIRE ALERT HAS BEEN

CALLED. COORDINATES TO READ

NASA/AMC/NSC COMB DEC.

TIME OF COMMAND TO READ

LL-59–07 ON DATE.

FURTHER NOTATIONS

AS

PRESS BLACKFACE

POTENTIAL DIRECTIVE 7-L2

ALERT STATUS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE

END MESSAGE

DISENGAGE

This was an automatic cable. Everything about it, including the announcement of a press blackout and a possible directive 7–12, was automatic, and followed from Manchek’s call.

Five minutes later, there was a second cable which named the men on the Wildfire team:

UNIT