SHADO Exit Strategy

Reading the story, 'Attack on Moonbase' in the new UFO 1972 Annual, I notice that there are a couple of references to Colonel Desica, Paul Foster's predecessor on Moonbase. Without getting into disputes about 'canon', it did get me wondering how SHADO would deal with departing operatives.

'Confetti Check A-OK' and 'Court Martial' underlined the tough security demands of SHADO. But how would they deal with operatives who had to be dismissed? If Paul Roper or Jim Reagan had survived their episodes, they could hardly have stayed in post but what would SHADO do with them? And remember Straker's speech to Foster at the end of 'Exposed'? Suppose Foster hadn't passed that battery of tests and they'd had to let him go?

I suppose the amnesia drug would have been a starting point, but how would SHADO account for a gap in their life? Presumably operatives receive their pay via an anonymous third party (The IAC?) - So would they continue to be paid that way? And would SHADO construct a cover story to explain what they'd been doing during their time with SHADO (and another cover story to account for their amnesia)?

Hi, Hofstede,

There's really only one possible answer...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygLg-7G0Xp0

Friday, October 23, 2020, 4:39:37 PM, you wrote:

Reading the story, 'Attack on Moonbase' in the new UFO 1972 Annual, I notice that there are a couple of references to Colonel Desica, Paul Foster's predecessor on Moonbase. Without getting into disputes about 'canon', it did get me wondering how SHADO would deal with departing operatives. 'Confetti Check A-OK' and 'Court Martial' underlined the tough security demands of SHADO. But how would they deal with operatives who had to be dismissed? If Paul Roper or Jim Reagan had survived their episodes, they could hardly have stayed in post but what would SHADO do with them? And remember Straker's speech to Foster at the end of 'Exposed'? Suppose Foster hadn't passed that battery of tests and they'd had to let him go? I suppose the amnesia drug would have been a starting point, but how would SHADO account for a gap in their life? Presumably operatives receive their pay via an anonymous third party (The IAC?) - So would they continue to be paid that way? And would SHADO construct a cover story to explain what they'd been doing during their time with SHADO (and another cover story to account for their amnesia)? If you reply to this email, your message will be added to the discussion below: http://shado-forum.com/SHADO-Exit-Strategy-tp4024042.html To start a new topic under SHADO, email [hidden email] To unsubscribe from SHADO, click here.

--
 Jonathan Andrew Sheen

http://www.leviathanstudios.com
Leviathan of the GEI (Detached.)
[hidden email]
[hidden email]
"What'dya expect? I'm a New Yorker!"
-Anonymous New York Firefighter, 9/12/01

It's nice that Franco Desica finally gets a mention, in a fictional setting, having been referenced many times over the years in factual books and articles.  He never actually appears in the series, but there's no reason why he couldn't have existed and he does appear in several of the early scripts.  And let's not forget that Paula Harris appears in at least one story in the original UFO annual.  

As far as Exit Strategies go; my guess would be that it would all depend on the circumstances.  If Paul Foster had failed to live up to expectations and wasn't recruited into SHADO, then the amnesia jab would have been the obvious choice - and maybe hypnosis to suggest that after the crash of the XV-104, he'd been in a long coma.  Paul Roper?  Maybe he'd have been sent to prison for treason or breach of the Official Secrets Act?  

I'll also speculate that even after a SHADO operative leaves active service, he or she would still officially be a member of SHADO until death and would be bound by their rules and regulations.  Would it be in their best interests to go shouting about Aliens and UFOs and secret bases under film studios?  Probably not.  I love the idea of a SHADO retirement home - or penal colony - such as 'The Village'.  What a shame we never got a UFO / The Prisoner cross-over!  Maybe we did?  Maybe Jim Regan survived the crash and - totally insane by then - became No. 48.  Then again... maybe not.  

Yes, I've got to admit 'The Village' had never occurred to me, but it does seem like a good option. When I was outlining my previous options, I forgot that a lot of the SHADO staff could have been paid through the Harlington-Straker payroll, so they could already have had a 'cover story' in place, but SHADO would still have needed a transition process in place to move people (securely) into the outside world. I guess it would always have been possible for Harlington-Straker's holding company to have a side interest in a retirement/care home. And the ex-SHADO operatives could have become either guests or staff depending on the circumstances under which they left SHADO.

There is, of course, also the rather sinister possibility that former members of SHADO could meet with unfortunate 'accidents' shortly after leaving the organisation.  An extreme measure but who knows...?

My guess is that 'most' SHADO operatives would never even dream of talking about SHADO, etc, after they retired or were invalided out of the organisation.  I'm sure that anyone identified as being a possible 'security risk' would be taken care of... one way or another.  Maybe if UFO had gone to a second series, such a scenario could have been explored.  As it is, we'll never know for sure.  

By the way, there's an interesting piece of dialogue in 'The Cat With Ten Lives' which suggests that Jean Regan actually knew about her husband's job, whereas in the case of Straker's wife and Paul Foster's girlfriend this clearly is not the case.  What did Regan's wife think he was doing when he was away and why had she been 'worried'?  Again, we'll never know.