Richard Stephenson - Collapse

Stacy Reid was in complete and utter shock. It was a good thing she was sitting down because if she were standing, she would have collapsed. All of the color drained from her face. Why had Malcolm not told me any of this? He has never kept secrets from me. He asks for my input on everything. He doesn’t always heed my advice but he always considers it. What the hell is going on?

It was clear to everyone in the room exactly who was hearing this information for the first time. Of course Governor Prince knew. Director Jimenez, Admiral Mack, and Secretary Lafferiere were not surprised in the slightest. Shock and betrayal dawned on the faces of those who had been kept in the dark for so long. Those just let in on the secret looked to at least one person in the room as if to say, “You knew? How could you not tell me?”

Stacy Reid was so hurt and angry that hot tears slowly streamed down her face. She was already writing her resignation letter in her head. She was the first to speak. “Since we’re putting all the cards on the table, Mr. President, can you tell us about the recovery efforts? Is the USS Nimitz able to do anything to help the survivors? Is she making progress with the cleanup?”

President Malcolm Powers was caught off guard. He had hoped that the answer to that question would be implied. He exchanged glances with the men in the room who knew the answer.

“Wait. The Nimitz isn’t there, is she?” The president’s Chief of Staff didn’t say anything else. She needed to collect herself and try to make sense of it all. She wanted to give the president the benefit of the doubt. He deserved the opportunity to explain himself before she said something she might regret.

The president took a deep breath and continued. “I’m afraid Stacy is right. The devastation in Florida is like nothing we’ve ever seen. We were simply not prepared. Citizens didn’t have the means to evacuate. The assumption was that when Luther came ashore the second time, people would take things seriously and get out of the way. I’m sure everyone in this room in the same situation would drain their bank accounts to get their families to safety. That was the assumption we made. Sadly, it wasn’t true. People just sat around waiting to be saved. No one had any sense of self-preservation. No one took responsibility for their own lives. They just sat back and waited for a rescue…,” the president looked down at the floor and lowered his voice “…that never came.”

The president continued to stare at the floor. His face reflected torment and suffering. Regret. Anguish. Shame. Malcolm Powers considered himself to be a learned armchair presidential historian. He garnered strength and wisdom from his predecessors. Many of the decisions he had made in the previous seven years were based at least in part on the successes and failures of the men who came before him.

One of the earliest lessons he learned was that a president cannot make decisions based upon the approval of the people. Every decision made is met with opposition. Sometimes the right decision, the one that is clearly for the good of the people, can be met with overwhelming opposition. Some of the most beloved presidents in history were at some point hated by the people and had abysmal approval ratings. Malcolm knew that history would be his unbiased judge. Time would either lift him up with the giants or crush him down with the failures.

The people in the room looked at each other, waiting to see if someone would say something to fill the very awkward silence. The president looked up and spoke.

“We are at a turning point in the war. The Empire of Iran must be stopped at any cost. If we are not successful in our efforts, Iran will either continue to conquer the globe or destroy it in the process. When Luther finally completed his carnage, we were already committed to taking the Port of Gibraltar. We could not spare a single ship in the Atlantic; we just barely managed to gain control of Gibraltar. On the other hand, we could not give the American people the appearance that we were doing nothing; they needed to be able to believe that their government could help and protect them. That’s why the cover story was given to the media. I now face the decision on whether or not to make good on the promise to help the people of Florida and still maintain control of Gibraltar. That is why all of you are here; I need to know if I can accomplish this task. We must also take into account that Hurricane Maxine is headed for Texas and is just as powerful as Luther. The floor is open people, speak freely.”

FBI Director Gill spoke first. “Mr. President, I’m not sure I understand what you’re asking. What are your options?”

“Thank you, Mr. Gill. Yes, I suppose I should elaborate. The Enterprise and the George Washington are on station awaiting orders. They were en route to the Port of Gibraltar. The plan was for them to enter the Mediterranean and head to Tel-Aviv. The Fifth Fleet is in the Indian Ocean ready to move to the Persian Gulf. Once they’re both in place, the invasion of Iran will begin. We project that in six months time the Empire will be fractured enough that we can take back the Middle East.”

President Powers stood up and walked over to the window. Much to everyone’s surprise, he lit a cigarette. Malcolm had smoked like a chimney when he was in the Navy. When he retired, he quit the habit and had not smoked in seven years. Stacy Reid wondered when he had resumed the old habit.

“Before the day is out, I must decide whether or not to send the Enterprise and the George Washington to Tel-Aviv or order them to turn around and head for Florida and Texas. As long as we hold Gibraltar we have time for them to come back to our shores and help put our broken country back together. Florida is quickly becoming a post-apocalyptic war zone. Hurricane Maxine is headed for Texas and I fear the devastation will be the same.” The president walked back over to his chair and sat down. “I want you all to speak freely. Don’t try to placate me, please. I need honest input.”

Governor Prince was the first to speak up. “Why is this even a question? Florida is in ruins; people are dying every day from murder and starvation. I can’t believe anything else is more important!”

CIA Director Jimenez coughed and hacked to clear his throat. “You gotta look at the bigger picture. I know you’re more concerned with your precious little state and it’s your entire reason for existence. We have to think on a global scale. The president is right, The Great Empire of Iran must be stopped at all costs. We project that within a year they will invade Europe; if they are successful, they will be headed across the Atlantic.”

Governor Prince was livid. Every time this old bastard opened his mouth, she hated him even more. “Must be stopped at all costs? Are you serious? Neither of you care about American lives, do you? These are civilians, not soldiers. Innocent men, women, and children are suffering right here within our own borders. To hell with your war and your fear tactics! I’m not naive. You’ll say anything to get what you want.”

Admiral Mack interjected before the Director of the CIA started screaming. “Governor? If I may?”

“Yes, Admiral, please.”

“Ma’am, I can assure you that Director Jimenez is telling the truth. He is not exaggerating. In fact, I respectfully disagree with his assessment.” Roberto Jimenez scowled, looking at Admiral Mack with great scorn. “Based on the intelligence I have seen, Governor Prince, the Empire of Iran has the capability to invade Europe within six to nine months.”

Director Jimenez wiped the scowl off his face and almost smiled. “Thank you, Admiral. I’d love to compare notes with you.” Governor Prince was visibly upset but maintained her composure.