The Plague

In Short

First published in 1961, The Plague is a fast-paced science fiction short story that plunges readers into the heart of a bizarre national emergency. When a non-fatal illness sweeps across the United States without hitting neighboring countries or showing up in municipal water supplies, a overwhelmed military clerk and his quick-witted colleague are left to manage the crisis. Ignored by high-ranking officials until panic looms, they parse through fragmented statistical reports to isolate the common denominator among the victims. The story endures as a lighthearted, clever procedural that celebrates grassroots problem-solving over bureaucratic posturing.

The Story

The narrative opens inside the Pentagon's forgotten Office of the Civil Health and Germ Warfare Protection Co-ordinator. The office, usually an obscure backwater managed by non-commissioned officers, is suddenly overrun with panicked generals, screeching telephones, and mounting news reports. A strange, debilitating epidemic is sweeping the nation from Alaska to Florida. Victims suffer from severe fevers and dizziness, yet no one dies, leaving military intelligence entirely baffled and terrified that an insidious foreign agent is softening the country up for an all-out invasion.

Because the official officer in charge was recently retired and his replacement never arrived, Sergeant Major Andrew McCloud finds himself unexpectedly running the entire operation. Alongside Corporal Bettijean Baker, Andy works under extreme fatigue, surviving on coffee and cold sandwiches while coordinating with frantic hospitals across the country. Higher-ranking officers attempt to pull rank and arrest the pair for insubordination, but a sensible two-star general intervenes, recognizing that Andy and Bettijean are the only ones making headway. He orders the proud colonels to take messages at the switchboard and lets the noncoms handle the investigation.

As data pours in, the mystery deepens through a series of glaring contradictions. The disease hits small business owners, artists, college students, and writers in places like Aspen and Taos, yet leaves big-corporation workers, politicians, doctors, dentists, and postal workers entirely untouched. Entire towns fall ill, while neighboring rural valleys report zero cases.

The breakthrough occurs in their own outer office when a young clerk collapses. While comforting her, Andy asks her to detail her exact movements over the past day. She tearfully confesses to writing a personal letter to her mother during a short break. Realizing what she did that no one else in government offices normally does, Andy searches her purse, grabs her personal mail supplies, and rushes them to the lab.

The tests confirm his theory: the poison is located on the adhesive backing of standard four-cent postage stamps. Big offices use meter machines, government agencies use franked mail, postal clerks use wet sponges, and doctors rarely write their own mail, but students, writers, and small-office workers regularly lick their stamps. With the mystery solved, the lab formulates a simple antidote, saving the nation from mass panic. The general rewards Andy and Bettijean with a thirty-day furlough and promises of officer promotions, leaving the pair to celebrate their victory together.

How It Unfolds

The crisis erupts Sergeant Major Andrew McCloud attempts to maintain order in a chaotic Pentagon office as frantic high-ranking military brass demand answers about a mysterious, non-fatal plague sweeping the country. With the official lead officer missing, Andy asserts his authority to coordinate the national emergency response.

Patterns fail to form Andy and Corporal Bettijean Baker work through the night to map out reported cases across the United States. They quickly discover that the illness spreads without infecting water supplies or respecting geographical boundaries, striking housewives and writers while inexplicably sparing doctors and government employees.

Insubordination and support A pompous colonel attempts to relieve Andy and Bettijean of duty for failing to observe military etiquette during the crisis. A two-star general steps in, countermands the colonel's orders, and forces the officers to work the phone lines under the noncoms' direction.

The clue in the office A young typist in their outer office collapses from the illness, prompting Andy to question her about every detail of her day. When she admits to writing a personal letter to her mother, Andy realizes what sets her apart from other Pentagon staff and searches her belongings.

The culprit revealed Lab results verify that the epidemic is caused by a toxic substance on the gummed backings of four-cent postage stamps. Andy outlines a national broadcast strategy and medical response, earning a thirty-day leave and potential officer commissions for himself and Bettijean.

The People

• Sergeant Major Andrew McCloud: A capable, boyish-looking noncommissioned officer who has spent two years tucked away in the Pentagon. He wants to solve the nation's medical emergency without falling victim to military bureaucracy, standing his ground against overbearing officers to keep the investigation focused.
• Corporal Bettijean Baker: A sharp, supportive clerk whose warm manner and quick mind keep the office running smoothly. She wants to protect Andy from meddling brass and assist in organizing the chaotic flow of incoming hospital reports.
• The Brigadier General: A pragmatic two-star officer who values results over military protocol. He wants to prevent nationwide panic and potential foreign invasion, eventually placing high-ranking colonels under the command of Andy and Bettijean to get the job done.
• The Chicken Colonel: A rigid, arrogant officer obsessed with rank and military niceties. He wants to assert his authority over the noncoms, but ends up relegated to answering switchboard phones on the general's orders.

In Its Own Voice

"All the brass hats in Washington had suddenly discovered this office deep in the recesses of the Pentagon."

Andy finds himself surrounded by panicked officers as a minor administrative station becomes the center of a national defense effort.

"People deathly ill, but nobody dying. And doctors can't identify the poison until they have a fatality for an autopsy."

Bettijean and Andy struggle to make sense of a mysterious agent that cripples the public without causing any reported casualties.

"Did you ever see a post office clerk lick a stamp? They always use a sponge."

Andy lightheartedly points out the final detail that explains why postal employees remained completely immune throughout the entire outbreak.

What It's Really About

The Plague explores the comedy and frustration of institutional inertia during an unpredictable crisis. It satirizes how rigid hierarchical structures and official red tape can cripple an organization, contrasting top-heavy military command with the practical common sense of everyday working people. By making the source of the outbreak an everyday item rather than an airborne weapon or high-tech delivery system, the narrative highlights how easy it is to overlook simple explanations when searching for complex conspiracies. It ultimately argues that clear observation and practical ingenuity are far more valuable than titles or military authority when faced with an unprecedented problem.

Why Read It Today

This short story offers a light, entertaining retro-futuristic mystery that reads quickly and delivers a satisfying conclusion. Readers who enjoy mid-century science fiction, workplace comedies, and procedural puzzle-solving will find much to admire in its lean structure and brisk pacing. The narrative captures the distinct Cold War anxiety of its era—replete with fears of sudden germ warfare and hidden sabotage—while treating those worries with a reassuring, optimistic touch.

The narrative does show its age through mid-twentieth-century military tropes, period-specific workplace dynamics, and an absolute reliance on outdated technology like physical postage and paper directories. However, these elements add to its nostalgic charm rather than hindering the story. The fun comes from watching two low-ranking military clerks outsmart a room full of panicked superiors simply by paying attention to the small details of everyday life. It leaves the reader with a warm, comforting reminder that simple logic often triumphs over bureaucratic absurdity.