A House of Dynamite

Captain Olivia Walker is informed of an imminent PLA exercise, suspicious chatter between Iran and its proxies, and silence from North Korea after a ballistic missile test. The briefing establishes the mounting geopolitical tension that drives the crisis. It sets the tone for the Situation Room's immediate response.

The SBX-1 radar detects an unidentified ICBM in flight over the northwest Pacific. It is initially presumed to be North Korea, but the missile enters a low orbit and is on a trajectory toward Chicago with only minutes left until impact.

A video conference links the White House Situation Room, the Pentagon, and other commands as the crisis escalates. The president joins in as officers reassess options, and DEFCON level is raised to 2.

At Offutt AFB, Gen. Anthony Brady is informed of the launch and participates in the conference call. B-2 bombers under INDOPACOM are scrambled, and Brady notes mobilizations by China, Russia, and Iran, before presenting OPLAN 8010 and urging immediate retaliation.

Reeves accompanies the president to a basketball event while Baker begins work at the Pentagon. The president is evacuated by the Secret Service, and Baker attempts to evacuate his estranged daughter from Chicago, but his efforts fail.

Deputy National Security Advisor Jake Baerington rushes to the PEOC with NSA advisor Ana Park, considering attributing the launch to North Korea. Park suggests NK may possess submarine-launched missiles, and both warn that a failure of DSP satellites to detect the launch could indicate a cyberattack on U.S. command and control.

Baerington speaks with Russia's foreign minister, who denies Russian and Chinese involvement and threatens retaliation if Russia is targeted. He exits to present the idea to the Russian president, while Baerington pushes for restraint through diplomacy.

With the ICBM nearing Chicago, the president confirms his nuclear command authority with Brady through the 'biscuit'. Brady then advises consulting with his nuclear aide, Lt Cdr Robert Reeves, about retaliation options.

The two GBIs fail to intercept the approaching ICBM, prompting the president's airlift by Marine One to an undisclosed location. In flight, he reaffirms his nuclear authority with Brady, is briefed on Baerington's conversation with the Russian foreign minister, and informs the First Lady, who is in Kenya, of the looming disaster.

Secretary of Defense Reid Baker commits suicide by jumping from the rooftop helipad. His death underscores the personal toll and the pressure on leadership during a nuclear crisis.

Rogers and Park enter the Raven Rock Mountain Complex to coordinate continuity of government operations. In Alaska, Major Gonzalez kneels outside Fort Greely as the defense posture tightens.

Reeves presents two major retaliation options drawn from the OPLAN to the President. The President remains torn between Baerington's non-retaliation stance and Brady's pro-retaliation stance, describing the situation as living in a 'house of dynamite' and weighing the consequences of each choice.