24 (TV Series)

Day 2: 10:00 p.m.-11:00 p.m. (2003)

Dennis Haysbert: President David Palmer

Photos 

Quotes 

• Jack Bauer : [Jack is on the phone with the President discussing who will fly the bomb]  We have a few volunteers, Sir. President. All of them good men.

  President Palmer : Whoever it is, tell him he has the undying gratitude of every citizen of this country and tell him we will take care of whatever family he leaves behind.

  Jack Bauer : Yes Sir, I will.

  [the president ends by asking to call him back when the plane is in the air] 

  George Mason : Funny, huh. I don't see any volunteers, when's the last time you flew a plane?

  Jack Bauer : I can get it in the air and put it down, George.

  George Mason : So can I. I'm current, I'm instrument rated, and I'm going to be dead by the end of the day anyway

  Jack Bauer : The problem is you could be dead any minute

  George Mason : I can hang on for another half hour: that's all we need right?

  Jack Bauer : If you blacked out and this plane went down before it got to desert a lot of people are going to die and I know you don't want that

  George Mason : Come on Jack

  Jack Bauer : I know what you're trying to do. But I have to say no

• Jack Bauer : [Over the phone]  Sir, when will you have a decision?

  President Palmer : We're analyzing now: when will the plane be ready?

  Jack Bauer : Ten minutes Mr. President

  President Palmer : Alright I'll get back to you before then. In the meantime prepare for the two possibilities we discussed and coordinate with the FAA

  Jack Bauer : Yes Sir

  President Palmer : Alright, we're ready to assemble. I'll get back to you in a couple of minutes with a final decision

  Jack Bauer : Yes Sir

• Mike Novick : I wish I could say I have more faith in these recommendations...

  President Palmer : [Interrupts him]  as best you can

  Mike Novick : Yes Sir. I'll discuss the ten kiloton detonation in the Pacific Ocean and Lynn will do the same for the Mojave Desert: in the time available, the plane can get roughly eighty miles off shore. If it splashes down a few minutes before detonation, the bomb will off underwater. The ocean will absorb a large amount of the radiation. However prevailing winds will blow a moderate amount of fallout back over the city of Los Angeles. Overtime there will be high incidents of cancer and other radiation related diseases

  President Palmer : But there would be no immediate causalities?

  Mike Novick : We can't be certain Mr. President. The shipping lanes into the Port of Los Angeles are extremely busy. In the eighty square miles off the coast of LA, the Coast Guard counts some two dozen freighters flying flags from around the world. Plus, an unknown number of fishing or pleasure vessels. It's likely one or more will be sunk or capsized by the affect of the blast

  President Palmer : What's the impact on the environment?

  Mike Novick : The blast will wipe out a substantial pocket of bio diversity. Keystone species would be exterminated. The food chain would be contaminated and the regional ecological infrastructure would collapse. Marine resources like offshore drilling, commercial fishing, and even recreational beach usage would be hazardous or impossible for many years. The ecological economic affects will be devastating

  President Palmer : What about the desert?

  Lynne Kresge : We can designate a ground zero in the Mojave, sufficiently isolated so inhabitants won't be immediately affected. Local towns could be evacuated within hours of the immediate blast without any serious long term effects for the inhabitants. However, we can't rule out the possibility of isolated campers and hikers who would be killed or contaminated by the blast. Now if the wind shifts substantially, during the next few hours it could create fallout over Las Vegas but the best meteorological projection indicates that is a very, very slight possibility

  President Palmer : Long term effects?

  Lynne Kresge : An area of a few square miles around ground zero would be highly radioactive for decades but the truth of the matter is we don't get food or any significant resources from the desert anyway so the overall health effects is relatively small

  President Palmer : Sounds like the desert is our best option

  Lynne Kresge : Yes Sir, we do agree with that but there is one more thing" in the desert ground zero has to be a precise location, a Depression below sea level surrounded by mountains so hopefully it can contain the fallout. Potential targets are being researched as we speak

  President Palmer : Alright

  Lynne Kresge : The point is Mr. President is that the plane isn't a military craft. It doesn't have any of the equipment needed to deliver a payload accurately. To endure the necessary level of precision, the pilot will have to go down with the plane

• Lynne Kresge : [Referring to the flying the bomb into the desert]  it's a suicide mission

  President Palmer : [Stands up in disappointment]  why can't we push the bomb out the side door of the plane?

  Mike Novick : It's too imprecise: if the pilot is flying low enough to insure accuracy, he would be killed by the blast anyway

  Mike Novick : One man dies Mr. President, to ensure the safety of millions

  President Palmer : [Immediately calls Jack]  Jack,

  Jack Bauer : Mr. President

  President Palmer : [Telling which option he chose]  the desert

  Jack Bauer : Yes Sir

  President Palmer : My people tell me the pilot has to die

  Jack Bauer : CTU came to the same conclusion. The bomb has to be put down on specific coordinates. I'm sorry Mr. President there isn't another way

• Lynne Kresge : Sir, there's a preliminary draft of your statement tomorrow morning

  President Palmer : [to Mike]  how's the plane going?

  Mike Novick : Mr. President, it's at three thousand feet and climbing

  President Palmer : Out of the city yet?

  Mike Novick : No, Sir: it's too soon for that but they say they'll clear the main population in the next ten minutes

  President Palmer : [Handing her the statement after reading it]  this is a good start. I want to go over it again. In the meantime call Davidson, get Air Force One ready as soon as possible

  Lynne Kresge : Sir, do you mind if i ask, where are you going?

  President Palmer : Los Angeles

  Mike Novick : Mr. President, if I may speak frankly I'm not sure if that's a good idea. It may be too "hands on" for lack of a better term. The people want to feel your managing events, not caught up in them. In any case I doubt Secret Service would even hear of it

  President Palmer : The Secret Service works for me. I don't work for them

  Lynne Kresge : Mr. President, I do agree with Mike. Once word gets out this has bomb gone off, there's bound to be a certain amount of civil unrest and I don't think your Administration should be associated with that

  President Palmer : The whole country will be traumatized by the news of this bomb. Especially the people in Los Angeles. I'm going to do everything I can to assure them that everything is under control, understood?

  Lynne Kresge : [Before walking away]  yes Sir. I'll call Davidson immediately

  President Palmer : Thank you. We'll leave for the airport now

  President Palmer : Mike, who ended up flying the plane? Did you get a name?

  Lynne Kresge : Yes Sir, Jack Bauer. I would've told you sooner but I figured you had enough on your mind already

• President Palmer : [Over the phone]  what is it Mr. Almeida?

  Tony Almeida : Mr. President, we have a recording of Syed Ali collaborating with high ranking officials from three Middle Eastern countries in preparation in today's terrorist attack

  President Palmer : How long ago did this come to our attention?

  Tony Almeida : Just in the last few minutes

  President Palmer : Who else knows?

  Tony Almeida : Our Division headquarters Sir

  President Palmer : You have ties to the other agencies including the Pentagon which means everybody knows

  Tony Almeida : I tagged it a section four security but I did think it was important to keep going on the authentication process as quickly as possible

  President Palmer : And how long would that be?

  Tony Almeida : We should have initial confirmation within the hour Sir

  President Palmer : Let me ask you another question Mr. Almeida? Why would Syed Ali record a conversation like this in the first place?

  Tony Almeida : Mr. President, half the time these people don't trust each other anymore they trust us. My guess is that Ali wanted "ammunition" to protect himself. In case any of these three countries turned against him

  President Palmer : Alright. Thank you Mr. Almeida. I'll let you get back to work. Good job. Please pass on my appreciation to the rest of your staff

  Tony Almeida : Thank you Mr. President

• President Palmer : [after talking to Tony Almeida over the phone]  there's evidence that there's three governments in the Middle East behind this bomb

  Mike Novick : Yes Sir, I gathered that

  President Palmer : We could be at war soon, and once it begins, there's no guarantee that it will be limited to only these three countries. I've been thinking all day about something Lincoln said during the Civil War: "I claim not to controlled events, but confess plainly that events controlled me." It's bad enough someone tried to smuggle a nuclear weapon into this country, worse that they succeeded. Once this bomb actually goes off, my options will narrow very, very quickly

• General Bowden : [after entering his office with Lynne standing nearby]  Mr. President,

  President Palmer : General Bowden,

  General Bowden : I understand the bomb is over the Mojave now and it should detonate without causing immediate loss of life

  President Palmer : That is our hope

  General Bowden : That's wonderful news Mr. President: congratulations on a truly remarkable achievement

  President Palmer : Thank you General

  General Bowden : And now perhaps it's appropriate to begin to discuss the matter of retaliation

  President Palmer : Go on

  General Bowden : Yes Sir, up to now the Joint Chiefs have been assuming the bomb was the work of the terrorist group Second Wave, now it appears that Second Wave had the backing of at least three governments

  President Palmer : That's not definite yet General

  General Bowden : No Sir, I understand that but for planning purposes I think we should proceed as if it is. I request authority to activate plans to invade the countries in question

  President Palmer : Activate? We have plans already in existence?

  General Bowden : We have plans for every conceivable contingency Mr. President

  President Palmer : I see. So what do you mean exactly by "activate"?

  General Bowden : Putting the relevant military units on alert, beginning logistical operations, coordinating intelligence sources regarding the probable level of resistance to invasion by American forces

  President Palmer : Talk of an invasion is premature

  General Bowden : I agree Mr. President, this is only the planning stages

  President Palmer : [after looking at Lynn]  activate your plan General but take no steps to implement without my direct authorization

  General Bowden : [Before leaving]  of course Mr. President

  President Palmer : Lynn, we may be talking about World War Three