Object
West Wing Public-Address Intercom
A wall-mounted PA unit: a rounded metal grille set into the corridor plaster with a recessed push-to-talk button and a small indicator lamp. Compact and institutional in finish, the device throws a clipped, authoritative voice down corridors so that a single announcement can arrest conversations. Staff move from banter to business when the grille crackles; when the unit falls silent or becomes unreliable its absence reads as a bureaucratic, practical gap.
2 appearances
Purpose
To broadcast announcements, summons, and brief, authoritative messages across West Wing corridors so multiple staffers can hear and respond simultaneously.
Significance
Functions as the administration's built-in line of command: the intercom's clear, commanding tone channels institutional authority and coordinates immediate action. In the Hickory crisis its failure or silence amplifies isolation and operational breakdown, turning infrastructure outage into a narrative sign of collapsing communications and managerial helplessness.
Appearances in the Narrative
When this object appears and how it's used