Level 7

As a reason for making peace they pointed out that there was no longer anything to dispute: no territory, no strategic positions, no wealth, no markets, no uncommitted areas—nothing. “And,” they added, “peaceful relations may add some fun to life underground, which is not very interesting.”

So the enemy’s lot is similar to ours. We have not been told exactly what their system of shelters was, but they are all graves except for the military one, which must correspond to our Level 7. Our enemy has shrunk even more than we!

And now we should make peace for the fun of it. As good a reason as any, though it is the queerest political motive I have ever struck!

After lunch today we were told that our radio staff were trying to get in touch with Level 5. They were asking for instructions.

On Level 7 there is no recognised authority to decide matters of such moment as peace treaties. We waged the war at the command of a gadget, except for the two orders which had to be given locally for purely military reasons. We could have been told what to do by the political leaders on Level 5—who may still be able to give us orders. Not the same leaders, of course, but the men who hanged them.

Level 7’s internal affairs are managed on Level 7, naturally. Our own administrative officers deal with such things as timetables for the use of the lounge, marriage arrangements and so forth. But they cannot take any political responsibility.

So we are trying to get instructions from Level 5. They may have heard the enemy’s radio message themselves, of course, though it was addressed to “Our comrades in pushbutton war on the other side of the globe.” That is why we have taken the initiative in the matter of the peace treaty—in case Level 5 does not take it.

SEPTEMBER 23

No, Level 5 does nothing about it. They have not replied at all. Perhaps they cannot. There are no authorities left, maybe, or nobody to receive radio messages.

Somebody on Level 6 or 7 will have to make the decision. But who?

The general loudspeaker system has just announced that Level 7’s three chief administrators have decided to hold a referendum. The peace treaty question is to be decided by a majority vote. A truly democratic answer.

Voters are instructed to press a red button, identify themselves and say whether or not they want peace. Level 6 will be asked to participate, of course, their votes being added to the democratic pool.

I am in favour of peace, and I intend to record my vote as soon as I have finished writing this entry. I am sure most people will feel the same way. Down here on Level 7, at least. I do not know how Level 6 will react. Up there they are defensive button-pushers, and I have no idea what kind of character was looked for when they were selected. They may be very different from ourselves, which makes their views on peace hard to guess. We shall just have to wait and see what they say.

SEPTEMBER 24

Level 6 is silent. Last night, and again this morning, our people broadcast the voting arrangements and asked Level 6 for their comments. But they did not even acknowledge the receipt of our message.

This is most curious, for physically they are the nearest to us of all the shelters. Our transmitter has been checked and found to be functioning properly. Presumably something has gone wrong with theirs.

In the meantime we have informed the enemy that consultations are going on concerning their peace proposals.

SEPTEMBER 25

Level 6 is still silent. Like the grave.

There must be something seriously wrong there. It cannot be just a matter of the transmitter. PBY Command, with its team of specialists trained to operate, check and repair the most complicated electronic gadgets, would be the last to be silenced by the breakdown of a radio transmitter.

More and more people down here are saying that Level 6 has perished. Probably so suddenly that they did not even have time to broadcast the news.

But what could have happened there? Perhaps their atomic reactor exploded—if this is possible. Perhaps the plants suddenly died and left people with no air to breathe. Perhaps….

Who can know what really happened? No one has lived long enough in the caves to know all the things that can go wrong. It is impossible to anticipate everything. Though we knew how aircraft worked, there were still crashes. Railways had been operated even longer, but that did not prevent the occasional accident.

So why should we be surprised if a shelter perishes, even one which looks completely safe? Look at what sometimes happened to submarines. And what are our levels but subterraneans?

Why should we consider ourselves so completely safe? Just because the surface is so fatally dangerous?

SEPTEMBER 26