D.C. Down (2023) Movie Script
Homelands report about Russian terrorist cell,
the Chistopol Network in D.C.,
certainly wasnt how I wanted to start off my day.
I havent even had my second cup of coffee.
Yes, maam.
Has CMW been able
to determine whether theyre biological-weapons capable?
To our understanding, they are not, Madam President.
For the moment.
What else?
DHS is warning against
an active shooter or shooters event,
based on chatter picked up by the FBI.
Hmm. So something like shopping malls,
mass transit, airports?
Yes, maam.
I know that the committee
specifically cleared the construction crews today
so that we could look at the new wing,
but I think we should focus on this Russian situation.
So reach out to them, and apologize,
and well get this rescheduled again next week.
Lilian, are you seeing this?
All right, you two,
Im off to meet Lance.
Uh, Ill be back in about an hour.
Katherine, you might want to see this.
Theres been a spike in seismic activity.
I dont think its anything to worry about just yet,
but what do you think?
Keep an eye on it,
and Ill monitor what I can while Im out.
Uh, maybe plant a microseismometer
in the field before I meet Lance.
Well keep watch, too,
let you know if we see anything unusual.
Oh, you and Lance should contact
whoevers constructing that White House addition.
Just make sure that renos mitigated against earthquakes.
Ill see if Lance can get us in touch with someone there.
All right, Im out.
I will check back in before I head to my afternoon lecture,
but call me if you see anything unusual before then.
We will.
What are you boring your students with today?
Dispersal theory?
Lubrication theory.
And it is not boring.
There are actually some very--
Hey, stop stalling,
and go give Lance the best news of his life.
Call me if you see anything unusual.
- We will. Go. - Go.
Uh, Ill be back.
Good work, guys.
Goodbye.
We now go live to Washington, D.C.,
for a special update
on the new White House expansion project.
News? Okay.
...has progressed significantly
since our last report.
Whats going on?
This is Gracie Hughes,
reporting to you from the White House.
President Powell and Vice President Jameson
are taking their first look
inside the new East Wing expansion this morning.
Oh, its so good theyre getting more space.
Whoa. Wh-Whats happening?
I think were having an earthquake.
Everyone, take cover!
Get down. Under the table.
The structures vibrating.
The workers were off.
Okay, were having an earthquake!
Quickly move out to the nearest exit.
Come on.
- Come on! Hurry! - Get out!
Everybody out now!
Out! Out! Get out!
Maam, get out of the building!
This way! This way!
Come on! Get out the building!
What is it, Rachel?
You all right?
- You okay? - Yeah. Yeah.
Is everyone all right?
You okay?
Yeah, yeah. Im fine.
That felt like a magnitude six.
Felt like the biggest quake ever.
We gotta go.
Very close to the surface.
No, we need to get her off the street. Miss!
Miss! Miss!
Miss!
Are you okay?
- Are you all right? - Is anything hurt?
- Look at me. - Are you okay?
Look at me. Look at me.
Are you okay?
All right. People, look alive.
We need to know the whats, whys, and hows
of what just happened ASAP.
It looks like it was a 6.3.
Oh, I hope Katherines okay.
Get her on the phone now.
On it.
This is Defense Secretary Harris.
Implement COGCON 1.
COGCON 1 is go.
Go! Go!
Agent Diaz.
The interns made it out, sir.
But the President and the Vice President did not,
along with one of my agents.
Do we have any idea of their last known whereabouts?
The interns said they pretty much booked it out of there.
But one of them said they were on the second floor
near a stairwell when the ceiling caved in.
Thats at least something to go on.
- Over here, everybody. - Sir.
- Secretary Harris. - Mr. Speaker.
Any word on the President or the Vice President?
Im afraid we lost contact with them, sir.
- Wow. - And we believe theyre
trapped somewhere on the second floor.
What are the chances that they could have survived that?
Uh, I dont want to speculate until we have more information.
COGCON 1 is already in effect.
We cant wait on rescue teams.
We need to initiate Archangel.
Well, if we lost contact with both of em,
someone needs to be in the position
to handle any nuclear threats from our foreign adversaries,
especially with the Chistopol Network in our own backyard.
Yes, Mr. Speaker.
Oh, man, Get Marine One here.
Im going to Camp David.
The minute I set foot down, we put into motion
Article One, Section One of the 25th Amendment.
Understood?
Brock, the President and the Vice President
will thank us for not waiting around
and getting all this going for them, know what I mean?
Of course, sir.
Theyre gonna love us for that.
Was the camera equipment still working
- after the quake? - Yeah, I think so.
Yeah? I think so. Check that footage.
Im gonna use that news crew to do a quick news conference.
The American people need to know whats going on.
Yeah, I was right.
The quake was shallow.
Its about seven kilometers down.
Aftershocks are definitely gonna cause some more damage.
Oh, thats not what I wanted to hear.
Hey, you sure youre gonna be all right?
Yeah.
Remember, we chose a house that,
in your words, would survive World War III.
Im gonna have plenty of work to do with this quake, anyways.
Hey...
Ill be fine.
Sorry. Id be the worst helicopter parent ever.
This is Lance Cushing.
Hello, Lance.
This is Secretary of Defense Harris.
Yes, sir.
Weve got a delicate situation here at the White House.
I need your expertise.
How soon can you get here?
Yes, sir. Im-- Im at the park,
but I can call in to work and be right in.
Ill handle the Farm.
You just get over here as quickly as possible.
Copy that, sir. Yeah.
Well be right over.
Whos that?
Secretary Harris.
He wants me over at the White House.
Clearance required.
This is Secretary of Defense Harris.
Authorization alpha, alpha, Quebec, bravo, niner, Zulu.
Confirmed.
Please inform the Directorate of Operations
that I have called in Lance Cushing.
Hey, look at this.
Citizens of the United States,
as you may well be aware of by now,
Washington, D.C., has suffered a major earthquake.
Hey, hey, turn that up.
They must know that the faults open.
...particularly to the new East Wing expansion.
But before rumors
and disinformation begin circulating,
I wanted you to hear the truth about the situation.
What Im about to tell you isnt easy.
Do we have any idea on the damage inside?
Is everyone accounted for?
Sir.
Thank you for coming, Lance.
Katherine, good to see you, too,
under the circumstances.
Of course, Mr. Secretary.
Whats going on, sir?
Id like your assistance
in our search for the President and Vice President.
They were last seen
on the second floor of the new expansion.
Of course. Anything we can do to help.
Outstanding.
Lets walk.
Speaker Wilder is just finishing up
a press conference informing our country
about the, uh, current situation.
Hell also be taking over the position of President
pro tempore to avoid any lapse of the countrys leadership.
Mr. Secretary, Ive been charting the earthquakes
at the Geology Departments network at Howard University.
The preliminary data Im seeing
indicates that was a magnitude 6.3
and approximately seven kilometers below the surface,
so we can expect some pretty severe aftershocks.
Good call bringing Katherine along.
And now thats--Wait.
I forgot to tell you something very important.
- The interviews... - Shes missing.
Wait here, please.
Well, really, the two of them shouldnt be in the same...
- Excuse me. - Okay? Okay.
Wrapped up the press conference?
I did. That couple you were talking to,
I recognize that lady.
Shes a seismologist, right?
Yes. Thats Dr. Katherine Greene.
And the gentleman, her fianc, Lance Cushing.
- Hmm. - He was a commander
in the Army Corps of Engineers.
He served under me in Iraq
before he went to work on the Farm.
He brought quite a few of my men
out of situations like this.
Im hoping together they can help us
in our search, rescue efforts.
Thats a good idea.
The more help we get, the better.
I want to know the minute you hear anything about
the condition of the President and the Vice President, okay?
- Well keep you apprised. - All righty.
Ill be right back.
Katherine.
Hey, Katherine, are you okay?
Im fine. Im fine. Im with Lance.
Is this about the President and Vice President?
Listen, you two. I just set up
a microseismometer on the White House lawn,
but Im gonna need your help.
Keep me posted on any unusual seismic activity, okay?
Well let you know A.S.A.P. if we spot any heavy spikes.
Are you ready to get to work?
Uh, sir, Ive got a change of clothes
in the car if you give me a minute.
Make it quick.
- Agent Diaz. - Yes, sir.
Can you check if they got back to you?
Mr. Secretary. Sorry I wasnt here sooner.
- It was my day off. - Dont be sorry.
This is Lance Cushing, a former Army combat engineer
with extensive search and rescue experience.
This is his fiance, Dr. Katherine Greene.
Theyre here to assist us in our rescue efforts.
Feel like getting your hands dirty, Mr. Cushing?
- Absolutely. - All right.
Lets get you suited up.
Youre probably familiar with most of the equipment.
You look like a...
Mr. Secretary, the seismometers are detecting
a lot of movement increasing in intensity.
Can we expect a stronger quake?
It could mean a substantial aftershock is coming or worse.
The first quake was just a foreshock.
There is a second quake coming,
and its gonna be stronger.
Understood.
- Good. - So thermal resonance detector,
structural integrity device.
Okay. Let me take this for you.
Okay.
Katherine.
Tell him about the dispersal theory
that you been lecturing about and the lubrication one.
Those are just theories, Lance.
Yeah, but theyre good ones.
Id like to hear them, please.
Okay. Well, we know that earthquakes
are largely surface phenomenon
when it comes to actual destruction.
If we could get some drill rigs out here
and bore holes into the perimeter,
then we could disperse the shock waves,
minimizing further damage
to the White House and its surrounding area.
Ill contact the Transportation Department.
No, sir, I can get drill rigs out of McNair,
- Belvoir much quicker. - Do it.
Okay. I got to get in contact with the Captain on watch.
Tell him about the lubrication theory.
That ones even more unlikely,
but essentially the idea would be to drill down
deep into the tectonic plates and flood them with water,
acting as a lubricant against the friction.
Think of oiling a sliding patio door.
But youre gonna need massive drilling equipment
to go down that far, plus a viable water source.
Katherine, can you direct the drill teams
where to go, what to do, right?
- Absolutely. - Great.
Uh, Captain?
Yeah. Sir, this is Lance Cushing
with the Directorate of Operations.
I cant tell whats going on.
- The theory isnt clear... - Right. Yeah.
Sir, listen. I need all the drill rigs
from McNair and Belvoir at the White House right away.
Uh-huh. Katherine. What are the drill specs?
At least ten meters.
Ten meters, sir.
Yeah, right away. Thank you, sir.
Okay. Were good to go.
Ill be back, all right?
All right, lets do this.
Someone get me hydraulics.
Help!
- Get this now! - Come on!
Come on, hurry!
We need a stretcher, neck brace, and I.V.s.
Okay, watch your step.
Yeah, thats right. Were gonna be using the 10-meter bits.
Yeah. Listen, Sergeant, when the drill rigs get here,
I want them to ask for Dr. Katherine Greene.
Shell tell the rigs where to go.
Yeah, thats right. My fiance.
Okay, McNairs sending out six rigs.
Belvoirs sending out another three.
- Agent Diaz. - Sir.
Can you see to the arrival of the rigs, please?
- Yes, sir. - Hey, Robbie.
- Hear anything? - No, maam. Not yet.
The two door entries we found,
think they have a lot of debris lodged behind them.
Couldnt budge em at all.
Engine 02 went for the concrete saws,
should be back in a few minutes.
And there were some folks who got caught
under a pile of rubble on the west side.
Okay. Thank you. Hey, you know what?
- Come back with us this way. - Yes, maam.
Look. Looks like its 3/4-inch rebar.
Heavy stuff for the compression concrete
and whatever else was in there.
There should be a pocket around here somewhere.
Its just finding a place to breach.
Here.
Rachel.
Rachel. Rach.
Rachel, is your head okay?
Rach, we gotta talk.
We gotta keep talking,
cause y-you could have a concussion.
Y-Yeah. Sorry.
Im sorry.
Its very important to keep talking,
because...
Oh, God.
My mother told me not to go into politics.
But I did not see this coming.
How do you feel?
Wait. Can you move at all?
My phone.
Wheres my phone?
You already looked for your phone, remember?
- Okay. - Thats right.
I remember that.
And you dont have yours, right?
No. I gave it to the intern before I came in.
I didnt want my pocket bulging for the cameras.
Gotta look good. Youre the President.
Probably wouldnt be any cell reception, anyway.
Aw, probably not.
You think anybodys hearing it?
Well, Im pretty sure theyre looking for us.
They may not hear it right away,
but theyll eventually...
hopefully hear it.
Do you hear that? Theres people alive down there.
Maybe.
Im gonna take a look.
Please be careful.
Always.
Howd it look?
Yeah, it seems stable.
Looks like the adjacent wall fell down in one piece
and wedged up against the other side.
The breach goes a long way.
I think Im comfortable going all the way in.
Weve got a ram jack we can bring in just in case.
- Okay. Sounds good. - Robbie.
Go grab that ram off your truck for us, please.
Oh, if 02 still needs those concrete saws,
just tell them to hold on to them for the moment.
- Yes, maam. - How stable is it, really?
- Its stable. - Come back behind the cordon!
- Maam! - Please!
Is the President alive?
The nation has to know if you know something.
Its gonna be about 10 minutes
before we get that jack over here.
Lets make this quick, Ms. Hughes.
- Yes, Mr. Secretary. - Yeah, this is Cushing.
I need an E.T.A. on those drill rigs.
We had a problem.
They were already moved to another job.
- Yeah. - Im really sorry.
Copy that.
We had some issues pulling the rigs out of Belvoir.
They were on another job.
But the rigs from McNair
are crossing the bridge as we speak.
Copy that.
Okay.
So nine rigs should do the job.
Katherine says theyre bringing in
the 10-meter drill bits.
Sounds like theyre trying to prove
dispersal theory works.
Lets hope science is on our side.
Can you believe the 5.9 was over 10 years ago?
Wonder how much rebuilding
theyll have to do this time around.
My God, there was so much last time.
Traffic from the Arlington Bridge
was a nightmare.
Wait, those 10-meter drill bits are heavy.
How many drills would they need to attempt dispersal theory?
Im not sure, exactly. That was Katherines expertise.
Half a dozen, at least.
They wouldnt need to cross
the Arlington Bridge, would they?
Its very likely.
All of those drills crossing the bridge
one right after the other will be too heavy.
The bridge will collapse with the drills on it.
Theres been an accident with the rigs.
Uh, I mean, thats terrible.
Im sorry. My condolences to you and your unit, sir.
Yeah. Thank you, sir.
What happened?
They...
We lost three of the rigs.
The Arlington Bridge collapsed.
What about the drivers?
They didnt make it out.
I know what it means for you to lose your brothers.
Im so sorry.
Ah, it doesnt get any easier.
Thats gonna set you back.
I mean, you only have six drills now, not nine.
No, Ill make do.
I need to tell him.
Now, I feel very confident
the the President and Vice President will be found.
- That is all. - But, Mr. Secretary--
Ms. Hughes, Ive got a lot of work to do. Please.
Thank you for your time, Mr. Secretary.
What do you got?
Sir, we lost three of the rigs.
We gotta find another way through the rubble.
Heres the ram jack, Mr. Cushing.
Okay, thanks.
Im gonna need you out here running things.
- I understand, Chief. - Great.
Im gonna head in deeper, open up a rescue corridor.
Secretary, the first three drill rigs and
the engineers are approaching the first gate, sir.
Thank you, Agent.
Katherine.
Go find the President.
You be safe.
Always.
Okay.
Copy that, dispatch.
E.T.A. is two minutes.
This is Beck of the Virginia Lookout.
Were heading into D.C. to stop any looting,
disperse any unauthorized gatherings,
and assist first responders.
Make our presence felt.
Copy that.
See you there 1300 hours.
Yeah. Okay.
Whats up?
Whos, uh, got a sat phone? You got a sat phone?
- I got one. - All right.
Eddie and Rodney, you guys go together.
Me and Shawnll go meet everybody else up in D.C.
- Copy that. - Lets go.
I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute
the office of the President of the United States
and will, to the best of my ability,
preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution
of the United States of America.
Lets get to work, everybody.
Okay, here we go.
And...
Hello, everybody.
This is the President of the United States Pro Tempore,
Terry Wilder.
Look, its natural for us to want to maintain
a positive or optimistic outlook on things,
and thats good. We should do that.
We all want President Powell and Vice President Jameson
to be alive, right?
But at the same time, we must be prepared
for the truth, no matter how bad it is.
We must be prepared to defend our great country.
Mr. Pro Tempore.
Yes, Alice?
Um, the FBI just picked up movement
from some of the Chistopol Network suspects.
- Any idea where theyre going? - No, sir.
Also, sir, widespread violence and looting
have started up all over D.C.
The National Guard have called in assistance
from the neighboring states.
No, thatll take too long.
We need to establish a presence now.
All right, Alice. Thank you.
Yes, sir.
Yeah, traffic is a mess.
Well cross over the Roosevelt Bridge on foot.
Tell everybody to meet at the Marine Corps Memorial park.
Hey, man, traffic is messed up.
Tell everyone were meeting at the Marine Corps Memorial Park.
Whereabouts?
By the howitzer?
Yeah.
Meet by the howitzer.
Copy.
All right.
Looks like we got about 30 more feet.
Then theres something up there.
Headlamps flashing back at me.
I cant tell what yet.
Copy that.
Ah. Yeah.
I dont know why the lights not traveling further.
I gotta take a look.
What do you think?
Let me check the RTD.
These micro-TRDs only have a range of about 50 meters,
but its worth a try.
Yeah, absolutely.
Fire it up.
Ill take any encouragement I can get
before I go into something like that.
What is it?
Im picking up distortion,
but its right on the edge of the range of the periphery.
Now its not there.
I dont know.
Could be a false reading.
I wasnt able to get a lock.
All right.
Looks like the only way to check it out is through here.
Ah. Yeah. Ill go first this time.
This cant be right.
What? What is it?
Look. These meters are off the charts, okay?
I-I have run all the calculations.
These spikes in activity could mean another one
much sooner than 12 hours from now.
When?
Now.
Or three hours?
All right, about three meters to your left!
Okay, thats good! Stop right there!
Lilian, this better be good.
I am directing huge drills right now.
You need to secure those drill bits immediately.
Lilian, we cant abandon this project.
Get down! Get down!
Oh, damn it.
Oh, God!
Lance!
Oh, God, no!
Lance!
Diaz, go get her.
Yes, sir.
Lance!
- Dr. Greene! - Get out of my way!
You cannot go over there!
- Its not safe! - My fianc is in there.
I understand that, maam, but its for your own safety.
You all right?
Yeah. You?
Yeah. All good.
Ive got some bad news.
Yes. Its caved in up ahead.
Yeah. Were done here.
Were gonna have to find
somewhere else to try to get in.
Copy that.
Let me back up.
- All right. -
Weve got about eight feet clear.
All right, Im gonna set up the ram jack as a precaution.
Got a little bit of movement overhead.
Copy.
These aftershocks are building.
- My leg! - All right.
All right.
All right, hold on.
Looks like part of the walls collapsed on your leg.
Can you move?
No.
I think my right leg is broken.
All right. Im gonna see if I can wedge
the jack underneath, lift it up,
take the pressure off your leg.
You think you can push yourself out
if I take the weight off?
I dont have a choice.
Okay. All right.
Easy.
Easy.
Sorry. All right.
Not much room to operate.
Its okay. do what you gotta do.
Okay. Okay.
- All right. -
Can you move now?
Let me try.
I cant push back with one hand and hold on to the TRD.
All right, just put it to the side.
Ill come back and get it.
Copy.
All right, thats it.
Youre clear. Youre clear.
Youre doing good.
All right, your foots clear.
Youre doing good.
Youre doing good.
The TRD!
Ah, dont worry about it!
Come--Thats it.
Easy.
- Easy. -
- All right. -
All right.
I think I broke my tibia.
Okay, yeah.
No protrusion or broken skin.
At least its not a compound fracture.
You think you can scoot back on your butt?
Yeah.
I can do that.
All right.
Easy now. Lets get you out of here.
Come on. Come on.
Thats it. Nice and slow.
Thats it. I got you.
Thats it.
Go.
Thats it.
All right, all right.
Okay.
All right, I still got-- Doing good.
Doing good.
Th-Thats it.
Come on. Robbie!
- Robbie! - Coming!
The Chief broke her leg. I need a hand.
I got it. I got it.
Okay. You got her?
- You okay? - Yeah. Yeah, Im fine.
Okay, how bad was the foreshock?
I-Its gonna take a moment for it to register.
Did you find anything?
Im afraid not, sir.
You gonna be okay, Chief?
- Yeah, she will. - Yes, sir. Ill be fine.
Okay, its coming up.
Yeah, that was bigger than the last foreshock,
and subsurface tension is still increasing.
Okay, is that gonna affect the 12-hour time frame?
I mean, according to the logarithm, no,
but Im just-- Im starting to doubt it.
Okay, all right. I-- Hows the drilling going?
We dug three holes, but were gonna need a whole lot more,
and were gonna have to get after it.
Maybe stop six, seven meters
just to speed up the process.
Whatever you thinks best, all right?
- Sir. - Yes?
Im gonna go in. Im gonna find another entry point.
Get on it.
Robbie, come with me!
Yes, sir. Lets set her down.
- Whoa! - An aftershock!
Sir? -
Has to be a gas line.
Send help now!
- Give me the radio. - You all right?
We need to divert all available fire units.
- Lance. - Yeah?
Im not gonna be much use with a broken leg.
All hells breaking loose all over the city.
I could be more help out there than probably to you.
- Its all right. - Think you can handle this?
Ive got it. Thank you for everything youve done.
Good luck. Robbie. Nows your chance.
Stay here with Mr. Cushing.
All right, Captain.
- You stay with the drill rigs. - Yeah.
Robbie, come with me. Lets go!
Rachel?
Sorry about that, Madam President.
Just a quick little nap.
All right, uh...
I dont really want you laying down.
You gotta stay awake.
Its gonna be a lot harder
for you to stay awake if youre laying down.
But my head hurts.
I know.
I know it does.
Ah, Im sorry to be so close to you,
but I really dont have a choice.
Thisll keep you awake.
Ah, Ive had worse ringing in my ears than that.
Rachel?
Rachel!
No, no, no.
Rachel.
Excuse me, Katherine.
Of course.
Secretary Harris.
Yes, sir.
I havent heard from anyone.
Whats the status of the search?
Sorry, sir. Cushing is trying to find
another way into the rubble at present.
Okay, good.
Look, we have another problem.
We received intelligence that units
of the Chistopol Network are on the move.
They could be planning an attack.
Ill put a call in to the National Guard.
Well, Ive got an idea how to handle this.
The Guard is already stretched.
And as you know, it takes an act of Congress
to declare martial law.
I think we have enough on our plate
right now, dont you?
Yes, sir.
What are you thinking?
The Virginia Lookout
has offered assistance with security
and with rescue efforts.
The militia, sir?
Mr. Secretary, hear me out.
You know as well as I do they helped DCPD
shut down a near riot during the last elections. Am I right?
Y-Yes, sir, I do remember.
But they still are a militia.
Let me finish, please.
Yes, sir.
Sorry, sir.
Also several of them work
for Leesburg Construction in Virginia.
Theyll be bringing equipment.
They might be able to help in the search effort,
But the National Guard is stretched beyond their means
with the looting and everything going on.
The militia could be deputized
to assist them and the police.
We can use them as a deterrent.
What do you say?
We have to maintain a strong presence in D.C.
Harris, we have to.
Im sure we can find personnel from other agencies.
Everybody capable of assisting is out there, Mr. Secretary,
unless you want to call up the Color Guard
or the Navy Band.
Uh, understood, sir.
Good. Im glad we see eye to eye.
Now, a man named Beck will be your point of contact.
Ill be on the lookout, sir.
Keep me updated.
D.C. Peoples Army all present and accounted for, Beck.
Hey, guys.
All right, so were gonna head into D.C.
Whos got a satellite phone?
All right, make sure you guys pair up.
Were gonna go and help the National Guard
suppress any looting, any rioting.
Help out EMS, EMT with any kind of search efforts.
Couple of you guys can go to the White House with us.
Everybody understand what youre gonna do?
- Yeah, boss. - Lock and load.
Lets go.
Hey, hey, hey. Look. Look.
That looks like an H-beam.
Yes, sir, it does.
H-beams are used in construction stairwells.
The President and Vice President
were last seen headed for a stairwell.
Are you picking up anything?
No, sir.
Im gonna try a different frequency.
Okay.
Wait. Mr. Cushing...
I think I got something.
- Yeah? - Its faint, but...
I think its an S.O.S. Here. Listen.
Yeah.
You think itd be the President?
I dont know. Were gonna find out.
Do you have any idea how far it is?
Tough to say, sir.
Im gonna tell Secretary Harris.
- Yes, sir. - Good work.
Thank you.
Im sorry. Its no good.
Without those drill bits, were gonna need another plan.
I think its time to start running
lubrication theory simulations.
Thats just a theory.
So is dispersal!
But I dont think its gonna work
with the time and equipment we have.
On it.
- Mr. Secretary. - Lance. You hear anything?
Robbie thinks he might have found an S.O.S.
- Thats fantastic news. - Yeah.
President Powell served as a Naval officer
on a nuclear sub for several years.
It very well could be her.
Okay, yes, sir.
So, uh, how do we get into this mess?
Sledgehammers...
and as many hands as we can get.
Thats what I was coming to tell you.
Weve got some...
extra hands coming.
From where?
The Virginia Lookout.
Sir, the militia?
Im not fond of the idea either, Lance.
- Yeah. - But the Pro Tempore
made some valid points.
Apparently some of them work in the construction business,
so theyre bringing some tools with them.
The Guards have their hands full,
and now weve got some reports of some activity
with the Chistopol Network
Now, we use them as a show of force
and hopefully make the Network stand down.
Yeah, okay.
Listen, with all due respect, sir,
I just--I dont like it.
It adds an unknown variable.
Fully understand your concern, and duly noted.
However, it is at the request
of the acting President of the United States.
Yes, sir. Understood.
We should be on the lookout for a man named Beck.
No, I-I know a Beck.
Uh, he didnt get into the military,
because he failed medical.
Made a big name for himself in the private sector.
Lets just hope he brings something to the ballgame.
Yes, sir. Understood.
Excuse me. Mr. Secretary.
Several men from the militia, Lookout.
Agent, theyre clear.
Let them in.
The Pro Tempore sent them.
You gotta be kidding me.
Yes, sir.
Come on.
- Lets go. - Come on, men.
Mr. Beck?
Mr. Secretary.
- Thanks for coming. - Sir.
This is Mr. Cushing,
headlining the search effort.
Mr. Beck, we could use some of your men out on the perimeter
and in the city to assist with security.
I take it, uh...
these gentlemen are part of the construction workers.
They are.
Then lets send the rest of you out alongside
with the men from the police and the Guards,
and the three of you can assist Mr. Cushing
in the search efforts.
Split up, guys.
Lets go.
Lets go.
Pick out an access point yet?
Mr. Beck...
first I need to ask the rest of you
to, uh, take your weapons back to your vehicles.
You wont be needing them in the search.
Rodney.
Come with me.
Go with them, Agent.
Yes, sir.
Im so sorry, Rachel.
We want to try through here.
This part of the wall has stood up to the quake so far.
This way. Robbie.
The S.O.S. echo sounds pretty strong
- behind here, sir. - Okay. Great work.
Mr. Beck, lets try and punch through this wall,
see whats on the other side. Here.
Give me one of these sledgehammers.
Okay.
Hey, listen up, everyone!
This whole wall could fall down on top of us.
Careful.
Hey! Im in here!
Hey!
Hello?
Hello!
Yes, Im up here!
Can you hear me?!
Madam President?!
Whos out there?!
Maam, this is Lance Cushing!
Im here on order of Secretary Harris.
Ive got the Fire Department with me, Agent Diaz,
and some other rescue workers.
Is Agent Diaz with you?
Yes, maam. Im right here.
Okay. Thank goodness.
Thank you for coming.
Are you all right, Madame President?
Is you or anyone else in your party
in need of immediate medical attention?
Madame President?!
No one is in need of medical attention, Mr. Cushing.
All right. All right. All right.
Is the Vice President with you?
She is...
She is deceased.
Copy that.
Robbie, get Secretary Harris.
Please.
So whats next?
Uh, well, were gonna make our way to you, Madam President,
but we got a fair amount of debris in front of us,
so its gonna take a little time.
Okay.
Hey, we got a small excavator on the flatbed.
Im gonna see where theyre at.
Its not necessary.
Yeah, Im not getting reception.
Im gonna move around.
Yeah. Hey, its me.
Yeah, we found the President and the Vice President.
Apparently the Vice Presidents already dead.
- You know how? - Nah, I dont know how.
And where are they?
Theyre up on, like, the second floor expa--
of the expansion.
You have a plan?
We have to climb up.
Will it be messy?
Yeah, at this point,
its gonna have to be messy.
- Yeah, I get that. - Make it happen.
Well do what we can.
Did you get cell reception?
Yeah. It was kinda spotty, but I got through.
The excavator got caught up on the 66.
- Its gonna be a while. - yeah.
No. No.
No!
No! No!
Efforts are still underway
to rescue the hundreds still under buildings
caught in todays devastating 6.3 earthquake
in Washington, D.C.
Among those trapped are President Powell
and Vice President Jameson,
who have not yet been confirmed alive.
Speaker of the House Terry Wilder,
currently President Pro Tempore,
has promised to do whatever rescue efforts are necessary,
but warned citizens not to get their hopes up
in terms of the Presidents survival.
Speaker Wilder assures us that,
although the loss is devastating, he is ready
to take the presidential oath if necessary.
You okay? Was that the main quake?
Was the 12-hour time frame wrong?
Hold on. Im writing the logarithm now.
Sir.
Oh, God. Theres--
Somethings wrong.
Im gonna need to run a different one.
Just give me a second, okay? Okay.
The predicted foreshock rate has to be converted.
The overlapping coda waves are so close to the aftershocks.
Its obscured the magnitude threshold.
That wasnt the main quake.
Okay. Okay.
The main quake is gonna hit in less than three hours now.
Less than three?
We cant get more accurate than that, Dr. Greene?
Im sorry, Mr. Secretary,
but this technology, its all untested.
Quick! Quick! We need some stretchers now!
Im sorry. I didnt mean to snap at you.
Its okay, sir. Were all very stressed.
Whats our next course of action, Mr. Cushing?
Mr. Cushing?
Yeah. I-Im sorry, sir.
Look, I think I have an idea.
Katherine, the lecture you gave on lubrication theory,
could we do that?
Could we use the water from the Potomac.
Lance, we are talking about drilling seven kilometers--
No! No, no, no. Thats not what Im talking about.
Follow me on this, okay?
The Blue Line runs underneath the Potomac
and then virtually circles the White House
on the east, north, and west sides
before it splits the city in the middle.
Wait. I think I see where youre going.
Youre talking about creating a buffer.
Exactly! Yes. We just need to channel
the water from the Potomac into the Blue Line.
Yeah. No, yeah, yeah. Thats possible.
But how are we gonna get the water
into the Blue Line?
Theres a massive ventilation shaft
that runs perpendicular to the Blue Line.
We place breaching charges on the wall adjacent.
We need the blast to just create a fracture
in any of the structural walls,
and then the weight of the river would do the rest.
We need to make sure that all the transit lines
are evacuated and completely sealed,
but I think we could essentially stop
any more damage happening to D.C.
Dr. Greene?
If it was shallower than seven kilometers,
- Id say no way, but... - Aha!
Yeah. I believe this could work.
Okay, sir, can you call in the explosive ordnance we need?
- Course I can. - Great.
Im gonna find Robbie. Be careful.
Have you figured it out yet?
Theres just no way to get water to the vaults in time.
Theres not a big enough volume of water
or enough pressure where we need it.
Katherine.
Lubrication theory.
That was our thinking, too,
but weve been trying it.
Theres just-- Theres no way.
Theres nothing with enough water pressure
or enough volume to--
We can breach into the Potomac from the Blue Line.
Lance can create a monitored explosion
in the subway tunnels.
That way, we create a lubricated ring
not for D.C., but at least for the White House.
Plug that into the simulation.
Well run the simulations, but...
think that could work.
It has to. We dont have a choice.
- All right. - Okay, so...
- okay, the Blue Line. - Yeah.
I tried that. Now I gotta try that one over there.
Copy that, Rescue Two.
Rachel.
You hear that?
Thats the fire alarm.
Lance!
Yeah?
Oh, Lance, be careful.
Yeah, what is it?
You heard this before?
Thats the manual fire alarm.
Somebody pulled it. Give me a sec.
Whoever set that off
is somewhere near the East Colonnade,
ground floor.
All right, well, we need to dig our way in by hand, then.
Lets just use the evacuation corridor,
come up from underneath.
No secret. Everyone knows about it.
No, no secret.
But it does lead to some secret stuff,
national security stuff,
and keep people like you away from it.
- Mr. Cushing. - Sir.
Staff Sergeant Rawlings is trying to take
a team over to the Foggy Bottom Station--
We need to use the evacuation corridor, Mr. Secretary.
What?
Uh, they want to try to reach the President, sir.
Do you understand what youre requesting, Mr. Beck?
Ive worked in Echo Tier One, Mr. Secretary.
I understand national security.
The Doctor said we have less than three hours,
and I dont know if Mr. Cushings plans gonna work,
so why dont we attack this from both ends?
You wanna save the President or not?
As much as I hate to say this,
the national security must take precedence
over any single Presidents life.
Lets see what President Wilder says about that.
Wait. What?
Here we go.
President Wilder.
So what do you got? Did you find Powell yet?
President Wilder, we located President Powell
and Vice President Jameson.
Doctor says we have less than three hours
before the earthquake happens. Mr. Cushing has some plan
about blowing subways and flooding
with the Potomac River to act as a buffer.
Im requesting access to the evacuation corridor
to continue the search.
Thatll be a problem,
but its something I can solve later.
Right now, our objective is ensuring Powell
doesnt make it out of there alive.
- Are you with me? - Yes, sir.
- Cushing, is he still there? - Yes, sir.
Okay, I want him out of there. What about Agent Diaz?
- Is he still there? - Yes, sir.
Ah. Let me speak with Harris.
Here you go.
Yes, sir.
Mr. Secretary, what guarantee do we have
this plan of Mr. Cushings is gonna work?
None, sir.
Theyre basing it on a theory from Dr. Greene,
where well blast into the tectonic plates below
and flood them with water,
acting as a lubricant against their friction
and stop the quake.
Wait. Hold on a second. Youre telling me
that were basing saving the President
and the Vice Presidents lives on a theory?
Yes, sir.
But Im afraid thats our best chance
- at stopping the quake. - Right.
Whos in charge of placing these explosives in the subway?
Staff Sergeant Rawlings out of McNair, sir.
I want Mr. Cushing himself to do that.
Hes the expert. This is his mission.
Yes, sir.
I dont want to take any chances.
And I want Agent Diaz to take Beck and his men
into the E corridor.
We attack this problem both sides.
Are you with me?
- Yes, sir. - Very well.
Keep me apprised.
- Yes, sir. - Son of a gun.
Mr. Cushing.
Sir.
The acting President wants you to personally
take charge of the placing
of the charging at the Blue Line.
Sir, Sergeant Rawlings is more than capable of doing that.
I know that.
However, the acting President
instructed me to ask you,
seeing as you are the expert in this field.
He wants no room for error.
Yes, sir.
- Agent Diaz. - Yes, sir.
Per instruction of the acting President,
you will take Mr. Beck and his men
down into the E corridor
to continue the search.
Yes, sir.
Mr. Cushing...
its best that you get going.
Yes, Mr. Secretary.
Katherine.
Rodney, stay here with the Secretary
in case we need some more help with the search.
Got it.
Agent Diaz.
Sir.
I wish we could stop and help these people.
I just dont understand
the decision to use me for this.
I mean, any engineer is more than capable.
I guess they just-- they want to be safe.
Everyone knows that youre the best in your field.
Yeah, still.
Theres just something thats off about all of this.
And I dont trust Beck.
Pro Tempore Wilder sent him, Lance.
I know.
Theres Sergeant Rawlings.
How you doing, sir? Great to see you.
You as well. Thanks for your swift help.
You got everything we need?
Yes, sir. Dr. Greene.
Good to see you, maam.
This is Private Vincent. Hes from the Air Force.
- Pleased to meet you, sir. - Hes here to assist.
DCPC shut down the Blue Line.
Theyve evacuated everyone.
We should be good to go.
All right. Lets move.
Well make our way down to the ventilator shaft,
and thats where well place the charges, sir.
Excellent.
Straight down through here.
We have to go through Gate Two right down there, sir.
Copy that.
What kind of remote firing device were you able to get?
I got an MK 152.
But Im worried the frequency
might travel too far down there.
Might have to get real close to blow it up.
Well, lets hope it doesnt come to that.
Whoa, whoa. Wait.
Why is this?
Well, these walls are thick, Katherine.
Frequency may not travel.
I dont like that, Lance.
Its gonna be okay, sweetheart.
Its not gonna come to that, is it, Staff Sergeant?
No, sir. Itll work like a charm.
All right?
All right. Come on.
Well go down there,
follow the signs, sir.
Just me, Sergeant.
Got your firstborn on the way, right?
Yeah. Yes, sir.
But I was fully prepared to handle--
I know you were.
Id prefer if you
and your men stayed topside.
Yes, sir.
But be aware youre gonna be at the bottom of the Potomac.
The Blue Lines gonna run right next to you.
Therell be a large fan that feeds into the tube
above your head maybe 20 feet.
Make sure to get as far away as you can
from the shaft before you blow those charges.
Copy that, Sergeant.
How much time do I have?
Less than 90 minutes.
Its a generous estimate.
Not a problem.
Good luck, sir.
Thank you.
Its gonna be all right.
Served my first tour under Iraq with him.
Theres nobody better for this job.
I know.
You guys go first.
About 40 feet down those stairs.
Robbie, stay alert.
Yes, sir.
How much further?
Straight ahead.
Turn around slowly, Agent.
Grab that weapon off his waistband.
Check for any holdouts.
You should rethink not carrying a backup weapon, Agent.
Hes not gonna have another chance after today.
Grab his phone for me.
Whats after these stairs?
You ever see how fast a man
bleeds out of his femoral artery?
Up those stairs,
thatll take you to the interior
of the White House walls.
Then what?
Security control.
Then you go in the walls.
At the end, on your left,
theres a security panel you push open.
Youre with me.
Flexicuff him.
Keep him alive in case we need him.
Copy.
He gives you any trouble,
take care of him.
Gladly.
Oh, no, no, no. Come on.
Oh, damn it.
Come on.
Come on.
Lilian, give me some good news,
because we are literally setting it up as we speak.
Grady ran the simulation a dozen times.
It works every time.
This should do it.
Grady, if we all get through this and pull this off,
I am giving you your doctorate tomorrow.
You know Im gonna hold you to that.
Just make sure as soon as the explosives go off,
you are as far away from the subway tunnels as possible.
That water needs a place to be,
and it is going to move fast.
Okay, just keep a close eye
on all the activity happening here.
We need to know whether this works ASAP.
Come on.
Come on.
Okay.
What is it with all these earthquakes?
Its getting old.
Anything?
Nah. No, lets keep moving.
Get you a mocha latte or something?
No? Okay.
Hello?
Secretary Harris?
Secretary Harris?
Whats going on?
This guy Beck...
...ession... President, sir.
Do you copy?
Secretary Harris?
Secretary Harris?!
Is it happening, Doctor?
Is this the major quake?
- Doctor! - Youre not stopping me.
Im not trying to stop you. Im coming with you. Come on.
Well, something happened.
Did it work?
Unclear.
Nothings changing.
If we flooded the Blue Line for nothing--
Dont think like that.
Its going to work.
It has to.
Lance!
Hey.
Thank goodness youre okay.
- Yeah. - You blow the charges, sir?
I did. We need to get topside right away now.
Agent, whats going on?
This guy Beck and the guy with the tan vest
are not here to save the President, sir.
So theyre attempting to find President Powell?
Are they in the White House?
Yes, sir.
This guy Becks got my gun.
All right.
Ill send some help down...
to assist you all.
Harris out.
Agent Diaz says Beck
wants us down there right away to help with the President.
Son, did you hear me?
What? Let me see that.
The intensity should be increasing
at a faster pace than this.
Secretary Harris, I set off the charges.
- Lance... - Yes, sir.
I need you back here immediately.
Beck and his men are trying to kill the President.
Get back here, and quietly handle Beck
while I figure out how to contact the authorities...
to deal with the militia.
Yes, sir. Ill head back right away.
- Whats going on? - Staff Sergeant,
put a QRF on standby. The White House
- might be under siege. - Yes, sir.
Be sure to wait to hear
from either me or Secretary Harris.
- Yes, sir. - Lance, whats going on?
Ill explain on the way.
Yes.
Good.
Four.
Six.
Okay.
The delta value is decreasing.
The seismographs...
Are you seeing what Im seeing?
Nothing.
All seismic activity has ceased.
They did it!
They stopped the quake!
The quake! -
Yes. Yes. Yes. Fantastic.
Mm, I knew Katherine could do it.
Oh, my God.
Secretary Harris, I told Sergeant Rawlings
to initiate a QRF.
I instructed him to wait for your clearance.
Good thinking. Thank you.
Now, Agent Diaz dispatched one of the militia,
but he says Beck and his other man got into the White House.
- Are you armed? - Yes, sir.
Whats your PIL clearance?
Level two.
Okay. Okay. Good.
Youll be able to clear the ocular scanner
- to gain entry. - Okay.
Youre going to E5.
E5. E5.
Lance, that White House is--
its liable to collapse any minute now.
Its all right. Im coming back.
Okay?
Agent Diaz.
You all right?
Mr. Cushing.
Im fine.
This guy Beck and the guy with the tan vest
are up there looking for the President.
They got my gun.
All right.
Take this.
No, sir. You keep it.
Hes not going anywhere.
All right.
Where do I head from here?
Go straight ahead.
Thatll get you behind the walls of the control panel.
Theres a panel with a slight outline to it.
Thatll get you in.
All right. Ill be back.
Mr. Cushing!
With the President
and the Vice President.
You got it.
Hey, Beck. Psst.
Pssh. Over here.
Looks like somebody tried to open it from the inside.
Hey, is anybody in there?!
Yes! Yes, Im in here!
Please help!
Put your gun away.
Is that you, Madam President?
Part of the rescuers with Secretary Harris.
Yes. Is Mr. Cushing with you?
Uh, Mr. Cushings in another part of the building
searching for you, Maam.
Okay.
Well, can you get me out of here?
I think somethings blocking the door.
Yes, maam. Theres some debris out here.
Well clear it out and have you out in no time.
Madam President? You all right?
Yeah, Im fine.
Who exactly are you?
Speaker Wilder sent us to assist with the search.
Okay. Uh, thank you for coming.
- Is that the Vice President? - It is.
What are you doing?
Howd she die?
A beam hit her in the back of the head. Look, you guys,
we should really be getting us out of here.
This place could come down on top of us any minute.
Wh-Who are you, anyway?
Whats your name?
Have you found em yet?
Yeah, we found the President and the Vice President.
The Vice Presidents dead.
She died from the earthquake?
A beam hit her in the back of the head.
Well, wonderful.
Now we only have to fake Powells death.
Who are you talking to?
- Shh. - Yeah. Nah.
Im gonna make it look good.
Who are you talking to?!
Yeah, well take care of it.
Good. You do that.
And let me know when its done.
Okay, I demand to know who you really are.
Who are you working for?
Answer me.
I guess I can provide you some solace before death.
Speaker Wilder wants to be President.
Youre lying.
I have no reason to lie.
Grab her.
Well figure something out in the hallway.
Come on, Madam President.
Dont move!
Dont make me kill you.
Madam President, were ready now.
Thank you, Gracie.
Citizens of the United States,
we have overcome a monumental tragedy,
the loss of life and the near destruction
of our nations capital.
And I can inform you all
that some very brave people stepped forward
and made all the difference.
Thank you.
Lance, Katherine, thank you.
Thanks for bringing us onboard, sir.
Im so glad we were able to help.
You were both instrumental.
We couldnt have done this without either of you.
Thank you.
Well, I have somewhere I need to be.
To arrest Speaker Wilder?
Yes.
I want to be there personally.
You know, the Secretarys right.
We couldnt have done any of this without you.
Just think, you were worried about me just sitting at home.
- Yeah. -
You know, we didnt finish our coffees this morning.
I could really use some coffee.
Wonder where I can get go get some.
- Sounds... -
- Ill buy. - Oh, nice.
And, uh, theres something
that I wanted to tell you this morning
before all this.
Yeah. What is it?
Youre gonna get a chance to be a helicopter parent.
You are--You mean--
- Youre--Youre pregnant? - Yeah.
Yeah.
Really? Thats...
Thats--Thats fantastic news.
Can you--Can you even have coffee?
Yes! Lance, lets go.
This has been a wild day.
the Chistopol Network in D.C.,
certainly wasnt how I wanted to start off my day.
I havent even had my second cup of coffee.
Yes, maam.
Has CMW been able
to determine whether theyre biological-weapons capable?
To our understanding, they are not, Madam President.
For the moment.
What else?
DHS is warning against
an active shooter or shooters event,
based on chatter picked up by the FBI.
Hmm. So something like shopping malls,
mass transit, airports?
Yes, maam.
I know that the committee
specifically cleared the construction crews today
so that we could look at the new wing,
but I think we should focus on this Russian situation.
So reach out to them, and apologize,
and well get this rescheduled again next week.
Lilian, are you seeing this?
All right, you two,
Im off to meet Lance.
Uh, Ill be back in about an hour.
Katherine, you might want to see this.
Theres been a spike in seismic activity.
I dont think its anything to worry about just yet,
but what do you think?
Keep an eye on it,
and Ill monitor what I can while Im out.
Uh, maybe plant a microseismometer
in the field before I meet Lance.
Well keep watch, too,
let you know if we see anything unusual.
Oh, you and Lance should contact
whoevers constructing that White House addition.
Just make sure that renos mitigated against earthquakes.
Ill see if Lance can get us in touch with someone there.
All right, Im out.
I will check back in before I head to my afternoon lecture,
but call me if you see anything unusual before then.
We will.
What are you boring your students with today?
Dispersal theory?
Lubrication theory.
And it is not boring.
There are actually some very--
Hey, stop stalling,
and go give Lance the best news of his life.
Call me if you see anything unusual.
- We will. Go. - Go.
Uh, Ill be back.
Good work, guys.
Goodbye.
We now go live to Washington, D.C.,
for a special update
on the new White House expansion project.
News? Okay.
...has progressed significantly
since our last report.
Whats going on?
This is Gracie Hughes,
reporting to you from the White House.
President Powell and Vice President Jameson
are taking their first look
inside the new East Wing expansion this morning.
Oh, its so good theyre getting more space.
Whoa. Wh-Whats happening?
I think were having an earthquake.
Everyone, take cover!
Get down. Under the table.
The structures vibrating.
The workers were off.
Okay, were having an earthquake!
Quickly move out to the nearest exit.
Come on.
- Come on! Hurry! - Get out!
Everybody out now!
Out! Out! Get out!
Maam, get out of the building!
This way! This way!
Come on! Get out the building!
What is it, Rachel?
You all right?
- You okay? - Yeah. Yeah.
Is everyone all right?
You okay?
Yeah, yeah. Im fine.
That felt like a magnitude six.
Felt like the biggest quake ever.
We gotta go.
Very close to the surface.
No, we need to get her off the street. Miss!
Miss! Miss!
Miss!
Are you okay?
- Are you all right? - Is anything hurt?
- Look at me. - Are you okay?
Look at me. Look at me.
Are you okay?
All right. People, look alive.
We need to know the whats, whys, and hows
of what just happened ASAP.
It looks like it was a 6.3.
Oh, I hope Katherines okay.
Get her on the phone now.
On it.
This is Defense Secretary Harris.
Implement COGCON 1.
COGCON 1 is go.
Go! Go!
Agent Diaz.
The interns made it out, sir.
But the President and the Vice President did not,
along with one of my agents.
Do we have any idea of their last known whereabouts?
The interns said they pretty much booked it out of there.
But one of them said they were on the second floor
near a stairwell when the ceiling caved in.
Thats at least something to go on.
- Over here, everybody. - Sir.
- Secretary Harris. - Mr. Speaker.
Any word on the President or the Vice President?
Im afraid we lost contact with them, sir.
- Wow. - And we believe theyre
trapped somewhere on the second floor.
What are the chances that they could have survived that?
Uh, I dont want to speculate until we have more information.
COGCON 1 is already in effect.
We cant wait on rescue teams.
We need to initiate Archangel.
Well, if we lost contact with both of em,
someone needs to be in the position
to handle any nuclear threats from our foreign adversaries,
especially with the Chistopol Network in our own backyard.
Yes, Mr. Speaker.
Oh, man, Get Marine One here.
Im going to Camp David.
The minute I set foot down, we put into motion
Article One, Section One of the 25th Amendment.
Understood?
Brock, the President and the Vice President
will thank us for not waiting around
and getting all this going for them, know what I mean?
Of course, sir.
Theyre gonna love us for that.
Was the camera equipment still working
- after the quake? - Yeah, I think so.
Yeah? I think so. Check that footage.
Im gonna use that news crew to do a quick news conference.
The American people need to know whats going on.
Yeah, I was right.
The quake was shallow.
Its about seven kilometers down.
Aftershocks are definitely gonna cause some more damage.
Oh, thats not what I wanted to hear.
Hey, you sure youre gonna be all right?
Yeah.
Remember, we chose a house that,
in your words, would survive World War III.
Im gonna have plenty of work to do with this quake, anyways.
Hey...
Ill be fine.
Sorry. Id be the worst helicopter parent ever.
This is Lance Cushing.
Hello, Lance.
This is Secretary of Defense Harris.
Yes, sir.
Weve got a delicate situation here at the White House.
I need your expertise.
How soon can you get here?
Yes, sir. Im-- Im at the park,
but I can call in to work and be right in.
Ill handle the Farm.
You just get over here as quickly as possible.
Copy that, sir. Yeah.
Well be right over.
Whos that?
Secretary Harris.
He wants me over at the White House.
Clearance required.
This is Secretary of Defense Harris.
Authorization alpha, alpha, Quebec, bravo, niner, Zulu.
Confirmed.
Please inform the Directorate of Operations
that I have called in Lance Cushing.
Hey, look at this.
Citizens of the United States,
as you may well be aware of by now,
Washington, D.C., has suffered a major earthquake.
Hey, hey, turn that up.
They must know that the faults open.
...particularly to the new East Wing expansion.
But before rumors
and disinformation begin circulating,
I wanted you to hear the truth about the situation.
What Im about to tell you isnt easy.
Do we have any idea on the damage inside?
Is everyone accounted for?
Sir.
Thank you for coming, Lance.
Katherine, good to see you, too,
under the circumstances.
Of course, Mr. Secretary.
Whats going on, sir?
Id like your assistance
in our search for the President and Vice President.
They were last seen
on the second floor of the new expansion.
Of course. Anything we can do to help.
Outstanding.
Lets walk.
Speaker Wilder is just finishing up
a press conference informing our country
about the, uh, current situation.
Hell also be taking over the position of President
pro tempore to avoid any lapse of the countrys leadership.
Mr. Secretary, Ive been charting the earthquakes
at the Geology Departments network at Howard University.
The preliminary data Im seeing
indicates that was a magnitude 6.3
and approximately seven kilometers below the surface,
so we can expect some pretty severe aftershocks.
Good call bringing Katherine along.
And now thats--Wait.
I forgot to tell you something very important.
- The interviews... - Shes missing.
Wait here, please.
Well, really, the two of them shouldnt be in the same...
- Excuse me. - Okay? Okay.
Wrapped up the press conference?
I did. That couple you were talking to,
I recognize that lady.
Shes a seismologist, right?
Yes. Thats Dr. Katherine Greene.
And the gentleman, her fianc, Lance Cushing.
- Hmm. - He was a commander
in the Army Corps of Engineers.
He served under me in Iraq
before he went to work on the Farm.
He brought quite a few of my men
out of situations like this.
Im hoping together they can help us
in our search, rescue efforts.
Thats a good idea.
The more help we get, the better.
I want to know the minute you hear anything about
the condition of the President and the Vice President, okay?
- Well keep you apprised. - All righty.
Ill be right back.
Katherine.
Hey, Katherine, are you okay?
Im fine. Im fine. Im with Lance.
Is this about the President and Vice President?
Listen, you two. I just set up
a microseismometer on the White House lawn,
but Im gonna need your help.
Keep me posted on any unusual seismic activity, okay?
Well let you know A.S.A.P. if we spot any heavy spikes.
Are you ready to get to work?
Uh, sir, Ive got a change of clothes
in the car if you give me a minute.
Make it quick.
- Agent Diaz. - Yes, sir.
Can you check if they got back to you?
Mr. Secretary. Sorry I wasnt here sooner.
- It was my day off. - Dont be sorry.
This is Lance Cushing, a former Army combat engineer
with extensive search and rescue experience.
This is his fiance, Dr. Katherine Greene.
Theyre here to assist us in our rescue efforts.
Feel like getting your hands dirty, Mr. Cushing?
- Absolutely. - All right.
Lets get you suited up.
Youre probably familiar with most of the equipment.
You look like a...
Mr. Secretary, the seismometers are detecting
a lot of movement increasing in intensity.
Can we expect a stronger quake?
It could mean a substantial aftershock is coming or worse.
The first quake was just a foreshock.
There is a second quake coming,
and its gonna be stronger.
Understood.
- Good. - So thermal resonance detector,
structural integrity device.
Okay. Let me take this for you.
Okay.
Katherine.
Tell him about the dispersal theory
that you been lecturing about and the lubrication one.
Those are just theories, Lance.
Yeah, but theyre good ones.
Id like to hear them, please.
Okay. Well, we know that earthquakes
are largely surface phenomenon
when it comes to actual destruction.
If we could get some drill rigs out here
and bore holes into the perimeter,
then we could disperse the shock waves,
minimizing further damage
to the White House and its surrounding area.
Ill contact the Transportation Department.
No, sir, I can get drill rigs out of McNair,
- Belvoir much quicker. - Do it.
Okay. I got to get in contact with the Captain on watch.
Tell him about the lubrication theory.
That ones even more unlikely,
but essentially the idea would be to drill down
deep into the tectonic plates and flood them with water,
acting as a lubricant against the friction.
Think of oiling a sliding patio door.
But youre gonna need massive drilling equipment
to go down that far, plus a viable water source.
Katherine, can you direct the drill teams
where to go, what to do, right?
- Absolutely. - Great.
Uh, Captain?
Yeah. Sir, this is Lance Cushing
with the Directorate of Operations.
I cant tell whats going on.
- The theory isnt clear... - Right. Yeah.
Sir, listen. I need all the drill rigs
from McNair and Belvoir at the White House right away.
Uh-huh. Katherine. What are the drill specs?
At least ten meters.
Ten meters, sir.
Yeah, right away. Thank you, sir.
Okay. Were good to go.
Ill be back, all right?
All right, lets do this.
Someone get me hydraulics.
Help!
- Get this now! - Come on!
Come on, hurry!
We need a stretcher, neck brace, and I.V.s.
Okay, watch your step.
Yeah, thats right. Were gonna be using the 10-meter bits.
Yeah. Listen, Sergeant, when the drill rigs get here,
I want them to ask for Dr. Katherine Greene.
Shell tell the rigs where to go.
Yeah, thats right. My fiance.
Okay, McNairs sending out six rigs.
Belvoirs sending out another three.
- Agent Diaz. - Sir.
Can you see to the arrival of the rigs, please?
- Yes, sir. - Hey, Robbie.
- Hear anything? - No, maam. Not yet.
The two door entries we found,
think they have a lot of debris lodged behind them.
Couldnt budge em at all.
Engine 02 went for the concrete saws,
should be back in a few minutes.
And there were some folks who got caught
under a pile of rubble on the west side.
Okay. Thank you. Hey, you know what?
- Come back with us this way. - Yes, maam.
Look. Looks like its 3/4-inch rebar.
Heavy stuff for the compression concrete
and whatever else was in there.
There should be a pocket around here somewhere.
Its just finding a place to breach.
Here.
Rachel.
Rachel. Rach.
Rachel, is your head okay?
Rach, we gotta talk.
We gotta keep talking,
cause y-you could have a concussion.
Y-Yeah. Sorry.
Im sorry.
Its very important to keep talking,
because...
Oh, God.
My mother told me not to go into politics.
But I did not see this coming.
How do you feel?
Wait. Can you move at all?
My phone.
Wheres my phone?
You already looked for your phone, remember?
- Okay. - Thats right.
I remember that.
And you dont have yours, right?
No. I gave it to the intern before I came in.
I didnt want my pocket bulging for the cameras.
Gotta look good. Youre the President.
Probably wouldnt be any cell reception, anyway.
Aw, probably not.
You think anybodys hearing it?
Well, Im pretty sure theyre looking for us.
They may not hear it right away,
but theyll eventually...
hopefully hear it.
Do you hear that? Theres people alive down there.
Maybe.
Im gonna take a look.
Please be careful.
Always.
Howd it look?
Yeah, it seems stable.
Looks like the adjacent wall fell down in one piece
and wedged up against the other side.
The breach goes a long way.
I think Im comfortable going all the way in.
Weve got a ram jack we can bring in just in case.
- Okay. Sounds good. - Robbie.
Go grab that ram off your truck for us, please.
Oh, if 02 still needs those concrete saws,
just tell them to hold on to them for the moment.
- Yes, maam. - How stable is it, really?
- Its stable. - Come back behind the cordon!
- Maam! - Please!
Is the President alive?
The nation has to know if you know something.
Its gonna be about 10 minutes
before we get that jack over here.
Lets make this quick, Ms. Hughes.
- Yes, Mr. Secretary. - Yeah, this is Cushing.
I need an E.T.A. on those drill rigs.
We had a problem.
They were already moved to another job.
- Yeah. - Im really sorry.
Copy that.
We had some issues pulling the rigs out of Belvoir.
They were on another job.
But the rigs from McNair
are crossing the bridge as we speak.
Copy that.
Okay.
So nine rigs should do the job.
Katherine says theyre bringing in
the 10-meter drill bits.
Sounds like theyre trying to prove
dispersal theory works.
Lets hope science is on our side.
Can you believe the 5.9 was over 10 years ago?
Wonder how much rebuilding
theyll have to do this time around.
My God, there was so much last time.
Traffic from the Arlington Bridge
was a nightmare.
Wait, those 10-meter drill bits are heavy.
How many drills would they need to attempt dispersal theory?
Im not sure, exactly. That was Katherines expertise.
Half a dozen, at least.
They wouldnt need to cross
the Arlington Bridge, would they?
Its very likely.
All of those drills crossing the bridge
one right after the other will be too heavy.
The bridge will collapse with the drills on it.
Theres been an accident with the rigs.
Uh, I mean, thats terrible.
Im sorry. My condolences to you and your unit, sir.
Yeah. Thank you, sir.
What happened?
They...
We lost three of the rigs.
The Arlington Bridge collapsed.
What about the drivers?
They didnt make it out.
I know what it means for you to lose your brothers.
Im so sorry.
Ah, it doesnt get any easier.
Thats gonna set you back.
I mean, you only have six drills now, not nine.
No, Ill make do.
I need to tell him.
Now, I feel very confident
the the President and Vice President will be found.
- That is all. - But, Mr. Secretary--
Ms. Hughes, Ive got a lot of work to do. Please.
Thank you for your time, Mr. Secretary.
What do you got?
Sir, we lost three of the rigs.
We gotta find another way through the rubble.
Heres the ram jack, Mr. Cushing.
Okay, thanks.
Im gonna need you out here running things.
- I understand, Chief. - Great.
Im gonna head in deeper, open up a rescue corridor.
Secretary, the first three drill rigs and
the engineers are approaching the first gate, sir.
Thank you, Agent.
Katherine.
Go find the President.
You be safe.
Always.
Okay.
Copy that, dispatch.
E.T.A. is two minutes.
This is Beck of the Virginia Lookout.
Were heading into D.C. to stop any looting,
disperse any unauthorized gatherings,
and assist first responders.
Make our presence felt.
Copy that.
See you there 1300 hours.
Yeah. Okay.
Whats up?
Whos, uh, got a sat phone? You got a sat phone?
- I got one. - All right.
Eddie and Rodney, you guys go together.
Me and Shawnll go meet everybody else up in D.C.
- Copy that. - Lets go.
I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute
the office of the President of the United States
and will, to the best of my ability,
preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution
of the United States of America.
Lets get to work, everybody.
Okay, here we go.
And...
Hello, everybody.
This is the President of the United States Pro Tempore,
Terry Wilder.
Look, its natural for us to want to maintain
a positive or optimistic outlook on things,
and thats good. We should do that.
We all want President Powell and Vice President Jameson
to be alive, right?
But at the same time, we must be prepared
for the truth, no matter how bad it is.
We must be prepared to defend our great country.
Mr. Pro Tempore.
Yes, Alice?
Um, the FBI just picked up movement
from some of the Chistopol Network suspects.
- Any idea where theyre going? - No, sir.
Also, sir, widespread violence and looting
have started up all over D.C.
The National Guard have called in assistance
from the neighboring states.
No, thatll take too long.
We need to establish a presence now.
All right, Alice. Thank you.
Yes, sir.
Yeah, traffic is a mess.
Well cross over the Roosevelt Bridge on foot.
Tell everybody to meet at the Marine Corps Memorial park.
Hey, man, traffic is messed up.
Tell everyone were meeting at the Marine Corps Memorial Park.
Whereabouts?
By the howitzer?
Yeah.
Meet by the howitzer.
Copy.
All right.
Looks like we got about 30 more feet.
Then theres something up there.
Headlamps flashing back at me.
I cant tell what yet.
Copy that.
Ah. Yeah.
I dont know why the lights not traveling further.
I gotta take a look.
What do you think?
Let me check the RTD.
These micro-TRDs only have a range of about 50 meters,
but its worth a try.
Yeah, absolutely.
Fire it up.
Ill take any encouragement I can get
before I go into something like that.
What is it?
Im picking up distortion,
but its right on the edge of the range of the periphery.
Now its not there.
I dont know.
Could be a false reading.
I wasnt able to get a lock.
All right.
Looks like the only way to check it out is through here.
Ah. Yeah. Ill go first this time.
This cant be right.
What? What is it?
Look. These meters are off the charts, okay?
I-I have run all the calculations.
These spikes in activity could mean another one
much sooner than 12 hours from now.
When?
Now.
Or three hours?
All right, about three meters to your left!
Okay, thats good! Stop right there!
Lilian, this better be good.
I am directing huge drills right now.
You need to secure those drill bits immediately.
Lilian, we cant abandon this project.
Get down! Get down!
Oh, damn it.
Oh, God!
Lance!
Oh, God, no!
Lance!
Diaz, go get her.
Yes, sir.
Lance!
- Dr. Greene! - Get out of my way!
You cannot go over there!
- Its not safe! - My fianc is in there.
I understand that, maam, but its for your own safety.
You all right?
Yeah. You?
Yeah. All good.
Ive got some bad news.
Yes. Its caved in up ahead.
Yeah. Were done here.
Were gonna have to find
somewhere else to try to get in.
Copy that.
Let me back up.
- All right. -
Weve got about eight feet clear.
All right, Im gonna set up the ram jack as a precaution.
Got a little bit of movement overhead.
Copy.
These aftershocks are building.
- My leg! - All right.
All right.
All right, hold on.
Looks like part of the walls collapsed on your leg.
Can you move?
No.
I think my right leg is broken.
All right. Im gonna see if I can wedge
the jack underneath, lift it up,
take the pressure off your leg.
You think you can push yourself out
if I take the weight off?
I dont have a choice.
Okay. All right.
Easy.
Easy.
Sorry. All right.
Not much room to operate.
Its okay. do what you gotta do.
Okay. Okay.
- All right. -
Can you move now?
Let me try.
I cant push back with one hand and hold on to the TRD.
All right, just put it to the side.
Ill come back and get it.
Copy.
All right, thats it.
Youre clear. Youre clear.
Youre doing good.
All right, your foots clear.
Youre doing good.
Youre doing good.
The TRD!
Ah, dont worry about it!
Come--Thats it.
Easy.
- Easy. -
- All right. -
All right.
I think I broke my tibia.
Okay, yeah.
No protrusion or broken skin.
At least its not a compound fracture.
You think you can scoot back on your butt?
Yeah.
I can do that.
All right.
Easy now. Lets get you out of here.
Come on. Come on.
Thats it. Nice and slow.
Thats it. I got you.
Thats it.
Go.
Thats it.
All right, all right.
Okay.
All right, I still got-- Doing good.
Doing good.
Th-Thats it.
Come on. Robbie!
- Robbie! - Coming!
The Chief broke her leg. I need a hand.
I got it. I got it.
Okay. You got her?
- You okay? - Yeah. Yeah, Im fine.
Okay, how bad was the foreshock?
I-Its gonna take a moment for it to register.
Did you find anything?
Im afraid not, sir.
You gonna be okay, Chief?
- Yeah, she will. - Yes, sir. Ill be fine.
Okay, its coming up.
Yeah, that was bigger than the last foreshock,
and subsurface tension is still increasing.
Okay, is that gonna affect the 12-hour time frame?
I mean, according to the logarithm, no,
but Im just-- Im starting to doubt it.
Okay, all right. I-- Hows the drilling going?
We dug three holes, but were gonna need a whole lot more,
and were gonna have to get after it.
Maybe stop six, seven meters
just to speed up the process.
Whatever you thinks best, all right?
- Sir. - Yes?
Im gonna go in. Im gonna find another entry point.
Get on it.
Robbie, come with me!
Yes, sir. Lets set her down.
- Whoa! - An aftershock!
Sir? -
Has to be a gas line.
Send help now!
- Give me the radio. - You all right?
We need to divert all available fire units.
- Lance. - Yeah?
Im not gonna be much use with a broken leg.
All hells breaking loose all over the city.
I could be more help out there than probably to you.
- Its all right. - Think you can handle this?
Ive got it. Thank you for everything youve done.
Good luck. Robbie. Nows your chance.
Stay here with Mr. Cushing.
All right, Captain.
- You stay with the drill rigs. - Yeah.
Robbie, come with me. Lets go!
Rachel?
Sorry about that, Madam President.
Just a quick little nap.
All right, uh...
I dont really want you laying down.
You gotta stay awake.
Its gonna be a lot harder
for you to stay awake if youre laying down.
But my head hurts.
I know.
I know it does.
Ah, Im sorry to be so close to you,
but I really dont have a choice.
Thisll keep you awake.
Ah, Ive had worse ringing in my ears than that.
Rachel?
Rachel!
No, no, no.
Rachel.
Excuse me, Katherine.
Of course.
Secretary Harris.
Yes, sir.
I havent heard from anyone.
Whats the status of the search?
Sorry, sir. Cushing is trying to find
another way into the rubble at present.
Okay, good.
Look, we have another problem.
We received intelligence that units
of the Chistopol Network are on the move.
They could be planning an attack.
Ill put a call in to the National Guard.
Well, Ive got an idea how to handle this.
The Guard is already stretched.
And as you know, it takes an act of Congress
to declare martial law.
I think we have enough on our plate
right now, dont you?
Yes, sir.
What are you thinking?
The Virginia Lookout
has offered assistance with security
and with rescue efforts.
The militia, sir?
Mr. Secretary, hear me out.
You know as well as I do they helped DCPD
shut down a near riot during the last elections. Am I right?
Y-Yes, sir, I do remember.
But they still are a militia.
Let me finish, please.
Yes, sir.
Sorry, sir.
Also several of them work
for Leesburg Construction in Virginia.
Theyll be bringing equipment.
They might be able to help in the search effort,
But the National Guard is stretched beyond their means
with the looting and everything going on.
The militia could be deputized
to assist them and the police.
We can use them as a deterrent.
What do you say?
We have to maintain a strong presence in D.C.
Harris, we have to.
Im sure we can find personnel from other agencies.
Everybody capable of assisting is out there, Mr. Secretary,
unless you want to call up the Color Guard
or the Navy Band.
Uh, understood, sir.
Good. Im glad we see eye to eye.
Now, a man named Beck will be your point of contact.
Ill be on the lookout, sir.
Keep me updated.
D.C. Peoples Army all present and accounted for, Beck.
Hey, guys.
All right, so were gonna head into D.C.
Whos got a satellite phone?
All right, make sure you guys pair up.
Were gonna go and help the National Guard
suppress any looting, any rioting.
Help out EMS, EMT with any kind of search efforts.
Couple of you guys can go to the White House with us.
Everybody understand what youre gonna do?
- Yeah, boss. - Lock and load.
Lets go.
Hey, hey, hey. Look. Look.
That looks like an H-beam.
Yes, sir, it does.
H-beams are used in construction stairwells.
The President and Vice President
were last seen headed for a stairwell.
Are you picking up anything?
No, sir.
Im gonna try a different frequency.
Okay.
Wait. Mr. Cushing...
I think I got something.
- Yeah? - Its faint, but...
I think its an S.O.S. Here. Listen.
Yeah.
You think itd be the President?
I dont know. Were gonna find out.
Do you have any idea how far it is?
Tough to say, sir.
Im gonna tell Secretary Harris.
- Yes, sir. - Good work.
Thank you.
Im sorry. Its no good.
Without those drill bits, were gonna need another plan.
I think its time to start running
lubrication theory simulations.
Thats just a theory.
So is dispersal!
But I dont think its gonna work
with the time and equipment we have.
On it.
- Mr. Secretary. - Lance. You hear anything?
Robbie thinks he might have found an S.O.S.
- Thats fantastic news. - Yeah.
President Powell served as a Naval officer
on a nuclear sub for several years.
It very well could be her.
Okay, yes, sir.
So, uh, how do we get into this mess?
Sledgehammers...
and as many hands as we can get.
Thats what I was coming to tell you.
Weve got some...
extra hands coming.
From where?
The Virginia Lookout.
Sir, the militia?
Im not fond of the idea either, Lance.
- Yeah. - But the Pro Tempore
made some valid points.
Apparently some of them work in the construction business,
so theyre bringing some tools with them.
The Guards have their hands full,
and now weve got some reports of some activity
with the Chistopol Network
Now, we use them as a show of force
and hopefully make the Network stand down.
Yeah, okay.
Listen, with all due respect, sir,
I just--I dont like it.
It adds an unknown variable.
Fully understand your concern, and duly noted.
However, it is at the request
of the acting President of the United States.
Yes, sir. Understood.
We should be on the lookout for a man named Beck.
No, I-I know a Beck.
Uh, he didnt get into the military,
because he failed medical.
Made a big name for himself in the private sector.
Lets just hope he brings something to the ballgame.
Yes, sir. Understood.
Excuse me. Mr. Secretary.
Several men from the militia, Lookout.
Agent, theyre clear.
Let them in.
The Pro Tempore sent them.
You gotta be kidding me.
Yes, sir.
Come on.
- Lets go. - Come on, men.
Mr. Beck?
Mr. Secretary.
- Thanks for coming. - Sir.
This is Mr. Cushing,
headlining the search effort.
Mr. Beck, we could use some of your men out on the perimeter
and in the city to assist with security.
I take it, uh...
these gentlemen are part of the construction workers.
They are.
Then lets send the rest of you out alongside
with the men from the police and the Guards,
and the three of you can assist Mr. Cushing
in the search efforts.
Split up, guys.
Lets go.
Lets go.
Pick out an access point yet?
Mr. Beck...
first I need to ask the rest of you
to, uh, take your weapons back to your vehicles.
You wont be needing them in the search.
Rodney.
Come with me.
Go with them, Agent.
Yes, sir.
Im so sorry, Rachel.
We want to try through here.
This part of the wall has stood up to the quake so far.
This way. Robbie.
The S.O.S. echo sounds pretty strong
- behind here, sir. - Okay. Great work.
Mr. Beck, lets try and punch through this wall,
see whats on the other side. Here.
Give me one of these sledgehammers.
Okay.
Hey, listen up, everyone!
This whole wall could fall down on top of us.
Careful.
Hey! Im in here!
Hey!
Hello?
Hello!
Yes, Im up here!
Can you hear me?!
Madam President?!
Whos out there?!
Maam, this is Lance Cushing!
Im here on order of Secretary Harris.
Ive got the Fire Department with me, Agent Diaz,
and some other rescue workers.
Is Agent Diaz with you?
Yes, maam. Im right here.
Okay. Thank goodness.
Thank you for coming.
Are you all right, Madame President?
Is you or anyone else in your party
in need of immediate medical attention?
Madame President?!
No one is in need of medical attention, Mr. Cushing.
All right. All right. All right.
Is the Vice President with you?
She is...
She is deceased.
Copy that.
Robbie, get Secretary Harris.
Please.
So whats next?
Uh, well, were gonna make our way to you, Madam President,
but we got a fair amount of debris in front of us,
so its gonna take a little time.
Okay.
Hey, we got a small excavator on the flatbed.
Im gonna see where theyre at.
Its not necessary.
Yeah, Im not getting reception.
Im gonna move around.
Yeah. Hey, its me.
Yeah, we found the President and the Vice President.
Apparently the Vice Presidents already dead.
- You know how? - Nah, I dont know how.
And where are they?
Theyre up on, like, the second floor expa--
of the expansion.
You have a plan?
We have to climb up.
Will it be messy?
Yeah, at this point,
its gonna have to be messy.
- Yeah, I get that. - Make it happen.
Well do what we can.
Did you get cell reception?
Yeah. It was kinda spotty, but I got through.
The excavator got caught up on the 66.
- Its gonna be a while. - yeah.
No. No.
No!
No! No!
Efforts are still underway
to rescue the hundreds still under buildings
caught in todays devastating 6.3 earthquake
in Washington, D.C.
Among those trapped are President Powell
and Vice President Jameson,
who have not yet been confirmed alive.
Speaker of the House Terry Wilder,
currently President Pro Tempore,
has promised to do whatever rescue efforts are necessary,
but warned citizens not to get their hopes up
in terms of the Presidents survival.
Speaker Wilder assures us that,
although the loss is devastating, he is ready
to take the presidential oath if necessary.
You okay? Was that the main quake?
Was the 12-hour time frame wrong?
Hold on. Im writing the logarithm now.
Sir.
Oh, God. Theres--
Somethings wrong.
Im gonna need to run a different one.
Just give me a second, okay? Okay.
The predicted foreshock rate has to be converted.
The overlapping coda waves are so close to the aftershocks.
Its obscured the magnitude threshold.
That wasnt the main quake.
Okay. Okay.
The main quake is gonna hit in less than three hours now.
Less than three?
We cant get more accurate than that, Dr. Greene?
Im sorry, Mr. Secretary,
but this technology, its all untested.
Quick! Quick! We need some stretchers now!
Im sorry. I didnt mean to snap at you.
Its okay, sir. Were all very stressed.
Whats our next course of action, Mr. Cushing?
Mr. Cushing?
Yeah. I-Im sorry, sir.
Look, I think I have an idea.
Katherine, the lecture you gave on lubrication theory,
could we do that?
Could we use the water from the Potomac.
Lance, we are talking about drilling seven kilometers--
No! No, no, no. Thats not what Im talking about.
Follow me on this, okay?
The Blue Line runs underneath the Potomac
and then virtually circles the White House
on the east, north, and west sides
before it splits the city in the middle.
Wait. I think I see where youre going.
Youre talking about creating a buffer.
Exactly! Yes. We just need to channel
the water from the Potomac into the Blue Line.
Yeah. No, yeah, yeah. Thats possible.
But how are we gonna get the water
into the Blue Line?
Theres a massive ventilation shaft
that runs perpendicular to the Blue Line.
We place breaching charges on the wall adjacent.
We need the blast to just create a fracture
in any of the structural walls,
and then the weight of the river would do the rest.
We need to make sure that all the transit lines
are evacuated and completely sealed,
but I think we could essentially stop
any more damage happening to D.C.
Dr. Greene?
If it was shallower than seven kilometers,
- Id say no way, but... - Aha!
Yeah. I believe this could work.
Okay, sir, can you call in the explosive ordnance we need?
- Course I can. - Great.
Im gonna find Robbie. Be careful.
Have you figured it out yet?
Theres just no way to get water to the vaults in time.
Theres not a big enough volume of water
or enough pressure where we need it.
Katherine.
Lubrication theory.
That was our thinking, too,
but weve been trying it.
Theres just-- Theres no way.
Theres nothing with enough water pressure
or enough volume to--
We can breach into the Potomac from the Blue Line.
Lance can create a monitored explosion
in the subway tunnels.
That way, we create a lubricated ring
not for D.C., but at least for the White House.
Plug that into the simulation.
Well run the simulations, but...
think that could work.
It has to. We dont have a choice.
- All right. - Okay, so...
- okay, the Blue Line. - Yeah.
I tried that. Now I gotta try that one over there.
Copy that, Rescue Two.
Rachel.
You hear that?
Thats the fire alarm.
Lance!
Yeah?
Oh, Lance, be careful.
Yeah, what is it?
You heard this before?
Thats the manual fire alarm.
Somebody pulled it. Give me a sec.
Whoever set that off
is somewhere near the East Colonnade,
ground floor.
All right, well, we need to dig our way in by hand, then.
Lets just use the evacuation corridor,
come up from underneath.
No secret. Everyone knows about it.
No, no secret.
But it does lead to some secret stuff,
national security stuff,
and keep people like you away from it.
- Mr. Cushing. - Sir.
Staff Sergeant Rawlings is trying to take
a team over to the Foggy Bottom Station--
We need to use the evacuation corridor, Mr. Secretary.
What?
Uh, they want to try to reach the President, sir.
Do you understand what youre requesting, Mr. Beck?
Ive worked in Echo Tier One, Mr. Secretary.
I understand national security.
The Doctor said we have less than three hours,
and I dont know if Mr. Cushings plans gonna work,
so why dont we attack this from both ends?
You wanna save the President or not?
As much as I hate to say this,
the national security must take precedence
over any single Presidents life.
Lets see what President Wilder says about that.
Wait. What?
Here we go.
President Wilder.
So what do you got? Did you find Powell yet?
President Wilder, we located President Powell
and Vice President Jameson.
Doctor says we have less than three hours
before the earthquake happens. Mr. Cushing has some plan
about blowing subways and flooding
with the Potomac River to act as a buffer.
Im requesting access to the evacuation corridor
to continue the search.
Thatll be a problem,
but its something I can solve later.
Right now, our objective is ensuring Powell
doesnt make it out of there alive.
- Are you with me? - Yes, sir.
- Cushing, is he still there? - Yes, sir.
Okay, I want him out of there. What about Agent Diaz?
- Is he still there? - Yes, sir.
Ah. Let me speak with Harris.
Here you go.
Yes, sir.
Mr. Secretary, what guarantee do we have
this plan of Mr. Cushings is gonna work?
None, sir.
Theyre basing it on a theory from Dr. Greene,
where well blast into the tectonic plates below
and flood them with water,
acting as a lubricant against their friction
and stop the quake.
Wait. Hold on a second. Youre telling me
that were basing saving the President
and the Vice Presidents lives on a theory?
Yes, sir.
But Im afraid thats our best chance
- at stopping the quake. - Right.
Whos in charge of placing these explosives in the subway?
Staff Sergeant Rawlings out of McNair, sir.
I want Mr. Cushing himself to do that.
Hes the expert. This is his mission.
Yes, sir.
I dont want to take any chances.
And I want Agent Diaz to take Beck and his men
into the E corridor.
We attack this problem both sides.
Are you with me?
- Yes, sir. - Very well.
Keep me apprised.
- Yes, sir. - Son of a gun.
Mr. Cushing.
Sir.
The acting President wants you to personally
take charge of the placing
of the charging at the Blue Line.
Sir, Sergeant Rawlings is more than capable of doing that.
I know that.
However, the acting President
instructed me to ask you,
seeing as you are the expert in this field.
He wants no room for error.
Yes, sir.
- Agent Diaz. - Yes, sir.
Per instruction of the acting President,
you will take Mr. Beck and his men
down into the E corridor
to continue the search.
Yes, sir.
Mr. Cushing...
its best that you get going.
Yes, Mr. Secretary.
Katherine.
Rodney, stay here with the Secretary
in case we need some more help with the search.
Got it.
Agent Diaz.
Sir.
I wish we could stop and help these people.
I just dont understand
the decision to use me for this.
I mean, any engineer is more than capable.
I guess they just-- they want to be safe.
Everyone knows that youre the best in your field.
Yeah, still.
Theres just something thats off about all of this.
And I dont trust Beck.
Pro Tempore Wilder sent him, Lance.
I know.
Theres Sergeant Rawlings.
How you doing, sir? Great to see you.
You as well. Thanks for your swift help.
You got everything we need?
Yes, sir. Dr. Greene.
Good to see you, maam.
This is Private Vincent. Hes from the Air Force.
- Pleased to meet you, sir. - Hes here to assist.
DCPC shut down the Blue Line.
Theyve evacuated everyone.
We should be good to go.
All right. Lets move.
Well make our way down to the ventilator shaft,
and thats where well place the charges, sir.
Excellent.
Straight down through here.
We have to go through Gate Two right down there, sir.
Copy that.
What kind of remote firing device were you able to get?
I got an MK 152.
But Im worried the frequency
might travel too far down there.
Might have to get real close to blow it up.
Well, lets hope it doesnt come to that.
Whoa, whoa. Wait.
Why is this?
Well, these walls are thick, Katherine.
Frequency may not travel.
I dont like that, Lance.
Its gonna be okay, sweetheart.
Its not gonna come to that, is it, Staff Sergeant?
No, sir. Itll work like a charm.
All right?
All right. Come on.
Well go down there,
follow the signs, sir.
Just me, Sergeant.
Got your firstborn on the way, right?
Yeah. Yes, sir.
But I was fully prepared to handle--
I know you were.
Id prefer if you
and your men stayed topside.
Yes, sir.
But be aware youre gonna be at the bottom of the Potomac.
The Blue Lines gonna run right next to you.
Therell be a large fan that feeds into the tube
above your head maybe 20 feet.
Make sure to get as far away as you can
from the shaft before you blow those charges.
Copy that, Sergeant.
How much time do I have?
Less than 90 minutes.
Its a generous estimate.
Not a problem.
Good luck, sir.
Thank you.
Its gonna be all right.
Served my first tour under Iraq with him.
Theres nobody better for this job.
I know.
You guys go first.
About 40 feet down those stairs.
Robbie, stay alert.
Yes, sir.
How much further?
Straight ahead.
Turn around slowly, Agent.
Grab that weapon off his waistband.
Check for any holdouts.
You should rethink not carrying a backup weapon, Agent.
Hes not gonna have another chance after today.
Grab his phone for me.
Whats after these stairs?
You ever see how fast a man
bleeds out of his femoral artery?
Up those stairs,
thatll take you to the interior
of the White House walls.
Then what?
Security control.
Then you go in the walls.
At the end, on your left,
theres a security panel you push open.
Youre with me.
Flexicuff him.
Keep him alive in case we need him.
Copy.
He gives you any trouble,
take care of him.
Gladly.
Oh, no, no, no. Come on.
Oh, damn it.
Come on.
Come on.
Lilian, give me some good news,
because we are literally setting it up as we speak.
Grady ran the simulation a dozen times.
It works every time.
This should do it.
Grady, if we all get through this and pull this off,
I am giving you your doctorate tomorrow.
You know Im gonna hold you to that.
Just make sure as soon as the explosives go off,
you are as far away from the subway tunnels as possible.
That water needs a place to be,
and it is going to move fast.
Okay, just keep a close eye
on all the activity happening here.
We need to know whether this works ASAP.
Come on.
Come on.
Okay.
What is it with all these earthquakes?
Its getting old.
Anything?
Nah. No, lets keep moving.
Get you a mocha latte or something?
No? Okay.
Hello?
Secretary Harris?
Secretary Harris?
Whats going on?
This guy Beck...
...ession... President, sir.
Do you copy?
Secretary Harris?
Secretary Harris?!
Is it happening, Doctor?
Is this the major quake?
- Doctor! - Youre not stopping me.
Im not trying to stop you. Im coming with you. Come on.
Well, something happened.
Did it work?
Unclear.
Nothings changing.
If we flooded the Blue Line for nothing--
Dont think like that.
Its going to work.
It has to.
Lance!
Hey.
Thank goodness youre okay.
- Yeah. - You blow the charges, sir?
I did. We need to get topside right away now.
Agent, whats going on?
This guy Beck and the guy with the tan vest
are not here to save the President, sir.
So theyre attempting to find President Powell?
Are they in the White House?
Yes, sir.
This guy Becks got my gun.
All right.
Ill send some help down...
to assist you all.
Harris out.
Agent Diaz says Beck
wants us down there right away to help with the President.
Son, did you hear me?
What? Let me see that.
The intensity should be increasing
at a faster pace than this.
Secretary Harris, I set off the charges.
- Lance... - Yes, sir.
I need you back here immediately.
Beck and his men are trying to kill the President.
Get back here, and quietly handle Beck
while I figure out how to contact the authorities...
to deal with the militia.
Yes, sir. Ill head back right away.
- Whats going on? - Staff Sergeant,
put a QRF on standby. The White House
- might be under siege. - Yes, sir.
Be sure to wait to hear
from either me or Secretary Harris.
- Yes, sir. - Lance, whats going on?
Ill explain on the way.
Yes.
Good.
Four.
Six.
Okay.
The delta value is decreasing.
The seismographs...
Are you seeing what Im seeing?
Nothing.
All seismic activity has ceased.
They did it!
They stopped the quake!
The quake! -
Yes. Yes. Yes. Fantastic.
Mm, I knew Katherine could do it.
Oh, my God.
Secretary Harris, I told Sergeant Rawlings
to initiate a QRF.
I instructed him to wait for your clearance.
Good thinking. Thank you.
Now, Agent Diaz dispatched one of the militia,
but he says Beck and his other man got into the White House.
- Are you armed? - Yes, sir.
Whats your PIL clearance?
Level two.
Okay. Okay. Good.
Youll be able to clear the ocular scanner
- to gain entry. - Okay.
Youre going to E5.
E5. E5.
Lance, that White House is--
its liable to collapse any minute now.
Its all right. Im coming back.
Okay?
Agent Diaz.
You all right?
Mr. Cushing.
Im fine.
This guy Beck and the guy with the tan vest
are up there looking for the President.
They got my gun.
All right.
Take this.
No, sir. You keep it.
Hes not going anywhere.
All right.
Where do I head from here?
Go straight ahead.
Thatll get you behind the walls of the control panel.
Theres a panel with a slight outline to it.
Thatll get you in.
All right. Ill be back.
Mr. Cushing!
With the President
and the Vice President.
You got it.
Hey, Beck. Psst.
Pssh. Over here.
Looks like somebody tried to open it from the inside.
Hey, is anybody in there?!
Yes! Yes, Im in here!
Please help!
Put your gun away.
Is that you, Madam President?
Part of the rescuers with Secretary Harris.
Yes. Is Mr. Cushing with you?
Uh, Mr. Cushings in another part of the building
searching for you, Maam.
Okay.
Well, can you get me out of here?
I think somethings blocking the door.
Yes, maam. Theres some debris out here.
Well clear it out and have you out in no time.
Madam President? You all right?
Yeah, Im fine.
Who exactly are you?
Speaker Wilder sent us to assist with the search.
Okay. Uh, thank you for coming.
- Is that the Vice President? - It is.
What are you doing?
Howd she die?
A beam hit her in the back of the head. Look, you guys,
we should really be getting us out of here.
This place could come down on top of us any minute.
Wh-Who are you, anyway?
Whats your name?
Have you found em yet?
Yeah, we found the President and the Vice President.
The Vice Presidents dead.
She died from the earthquake?
A beam hit her in the back of the head.
Well, wonderful.
Now we only have to fake Powells death.
Who are you talking to?
- Shh. - Yeah. Nah.
Im gonna make it look good.
Who are you talking to?!
Yeah, well take care of it.
Good. You do that.
And let me know when its done.
Okay, I demand to know who you really are.
Who are you working for?
Answer me.
I guess I can provide you some solace before death.
Speaker Wilder wants to be President.
Youre lying.
I have no reason to lie.
Grab her.
Well figure something out in the hallway.
Come on, Madam President.
Dont move!
Dont make me kill you.
Madam President, were ready now.
Thank you, Gracie.
Citizens of the United States,
we have overcome a monumental tragedy,
the loss of life and the near destruction
of our nations capital.
And I can inform you all
that some very brave people stepped forward
and made all the difference.
Thank you.
Lance, Katherine, thank you.
Thanks for bringing us onboard, sir.
Im so glad we were able to help.
You were both instrumental.
We couldnt have done this without either of you.
Thank you.
Well, I have somewhere I need to be.
To arrest Speaker Wilder?
Yes.
I want to be there personally.
You know, the Secretarys right.
We couldnt have done any of this without you.
Just think, you were worried about me just sitting at home.
- Yeah. -
You know, we didnt finish our coffees this morning.
I could really use some coffee.
Wonder where I can get go get some.
- Sounds... -
- Ill buy. - Oh, nice.
And, uh, theres something
that I wanted to tell you this morning
before all this.
Yeah. What is it?
Youre gonna get a chance to be a helicopter parent.
You are--You mean--
- Youre--Youre pregnant? - Yeah.
Yeah.
Really? Thats...
Thats--Thats fantastic news.
Can you--Can you even have coffee?
Yes! Lance, lets go.
This has been a wild day.