The Land of the Free (27 page)

The door to the Oval office opened
and a line of Cabinet members streamed in, led by Hanna Morgensen.  “Time’s
running out Mr. President,” she said.  “Get the launch codes and let’s do
this.”

“We’re not launching,” said Torres.

“Did you
see
what they did
at the Pentagon, Sir?” shouted Connolly.  “How can you not retaliate against
that
terror?”

“This is not the time to be
philosophical,” said Morgensen.  “We’re under attack and this is your last
chance.  The troops are closing in on the White House as we speak!  Do it now!”

 “No,” said Torres.  “Hanna, you’ve
manipulated me into this situation in the first place, and I think your goal
from the beginning was to have me launch this nuclear attack.  I have strong
doubts that the Chinese government was behind this invasion.”

“You’ve got to be kidding!” said
Morgensen.  “It’s their people, it’s their equipment.  Who would it be if not
for them?”

“Sir, who would have access to an
EMP nuclear weapon near Taiwan if not the Chinese?” asked Johnson.

“I’m satisfied that this whole
situation has been a setup,” said Torres.  “The mere fact that we have the
option to annihilate China right now is very strong proof that they didn’t plan
this thing.  And I believe Mr. Corson.  The Pentagon was the work of Ellis’ men.”

Seeing the situation deteriorate,
Connolly slid a pistol out of his jacket and pointed it at Torres.  “Mr.
President, I regret to inform you that as of this moment, you are mentally
unfit to execute your duties.  In the absence of the Vice-President, the role
of the Commander-in-Chief is assumed by the Secretary of State, Ms. Morgensen.”

“I knew you were a traitor, Bill. 
But I had no idea you’d take it this low,” said Torres.

Morgensen walked right past Torres
and sat down at his desk, already comfortable with her new role.  “As my first
act, I immediately order the launch of a nuclear counterattack against China,”
said Morgensen.  All Chinese infrastructure is to be destroyed, all cities are
to be leveled.”

Morgensen reached for the briefcase
containing the codes and communications equipment needed to launch nuclear
weapons, placed it on the desk and opened it.  She then removed an envelope
from her handbag, opened it and started to enter codes into the launch control
device.

“Stop, Hanna, that’s going to kill
hundreds of millions,” pleaded Torres, but he was ignored.  He then lunged
towards her but as he did, a shot from Connolly’s gun dropped Torres to the
floor.

In quick succession, a second shot
rang out in the back of the room, again jolting everyone.  John Corson did not
need to stop and think.  Seeing the chaos as an opportunity, he jumped at
Morgensen and shoved her away from the launch device, knocking her to the
floor.  The others all looked around to find the source of the second shot, and
saw Connolly lying dead on the floor.  Behind him stood Matt Simpson with his
Glock still drawn, and behind him stood the rest of the cabinet members who had
been excluded from executive session.  “My sworn duty is to protect the
President,” said Simpson.  “That stands even if the threat turns out to be
members of his own government.”

Torres was bleeding from the middle
part of his abdomen but stood up, hurried over to John and deactivated the
incomplete launch sequence that Morgensen had initiated.  He then put away the
device as well as the codes she had somehow obtained.

“Mr. President, are you okay?”
asked Kurdi.

“Never mind that,” said Torres. 
“Get the cameras in here right away.  I have an address to make.”

Torres took to the
podium, and after his introductory remarks, got to the point.  “As many of you
already know, there’s been a horrific massacre at the Pentagon.  I believe I’ve
lost dear friends who were there at the time.  Unfortunately, this is only one
of many such developments.  Last night and into this morning, the United
States, our country, was invaded by foreign troops.  Our ports, which have been
used to import everything conceivable, were co-opted to import the armed
invaders.  Our major cities are falling under their control as we speak.  Additionally,
a heavy mechanized army has crossed the Mexican border and is advancing through
Texas and into the heartland.  Their objective is probably to secure
infrastructure vital to the economy.

Before this all
happened this morning, a nuclear device was detonated high in the air above
Taiwan.  While we believe that the high altitude of detonation ensures that the
blast itself will not cause any death or destruction on the ground, all
electronics in the region have been disabled.  Our military forces, gathered as
they were in one spot, have been rendered inactive.  Secretary of State Hanna
Morgensen attempted to manipulate me into launching a massive retaliatory
nuclear strike against China which would have killed perhaps 500 million
people.  There were important contradictions in the case against China, so I
refused to order the launch.  She attempted to do so herself, resulting in a
struggle which resulted in my being shot in the abdomen, by CIA Director Bill
Connolly.  Given the current situation, I do not know if I will be able to
access medical treatment, and my survival is in doubt.

With what strength
I have left, I issue the following orders to our military personnel.  Under no
circumstances are you to initiate hostilities against the Chinese people. 
There will be no nuclear strike.  Understand that while I am aware that the
assets and soldiers currently invading the United States are Chinese, the order
to invade did not come from the Chinese government, but was accomplished
through a rogue element of the Chinese military working with American
traitors.  Accordingly, I would ask China to pursue any means necessary to
achieve the withdrawal of their rogue troops from US territory.

The logistical
management of these operations was in the hands of Morningstar Security
Services, whom I had previously banned from conducting any business with the US
government.  Morningstar CEO Derek Ellis is the presumptive head of operations
for the invasion.  I am issuing an order for the arrests of Mr. Ellis and Ms.
Morgensen on charges of treason.  Mr. Connolly was killed by the Secret Service
at the time he shot me.

Today you awoke to
a changed world.  Your country has been occupied by hostile forces under the
command of the ruling interests.  Instead of fighting on your side, Homeland
Security has paralyzed the transportation grid, to better suit the needs of the
occupiers.  I order them to disband immediately.

I hereby order all
Federal employees to support the people in their resistance.  Collaboration
with any administration set up by the invaders will be judged harshly when the
American people prevail.  Any actions taken by agents of the government against
the peopl,e will be considered acts of treason, which is punishable by death. 
All police, emergency workers, and of course soldiers, are instructed to
support the people in their resistance.

I reiterate that
this occupation is not legitimate.  The ruling interests have manipulated us
into their debt.  Now they are attempting to use that debt as justification to
enslave us.

I urge you the
people to resist this enslavement.  If you can take up arms, please do so.  If
you are unable to fight, use passive resistance.  This is not a license to
violence against each other, which will be judged harshly if it occurs.  It is
a call to legitimate self defense.

It is probable
that we will soon lose free access to the airwaves, and the internet.  It will
fall upon you, the people, to organize yourselves.  Use ham radio if you can
access it.  Use your social networks, your churches, your schools.  The US
government cannot do it for you.  It has to come from you, the people.

I order all
military personnel around the world wherever they may be, to return promptly to
the continental United States to join in the true fight for freedom.  We need
you now more than ever.  Implicit in this order is that the United States
hereby suspends all armed conflicts abroad.  Your only important mission is now
at home.

I declare all
bonds issued by the United States government to be frozen until such a time as
we can determine which ones are held by the entities behind this invasion. 
Those bonds will be declared null and void.  Those parties will suffer a total
loss of their capital.”

Torres slumped over, and paramedics
quickly rushed to his aid.  He waved off their efforts to get him out of his
seat.  With great effort, he continued.

“If this is to be
the last time I address you, then I have more to say.  I was the head of a
government that considered you subjects to be policed, regulated, compelled,
and suspected of disloyalty.  We’ve largely lost your trust, and I’m not asking
for it back today.  I was the head of that government, and I take the blame.

Our system of
politics is called
democratic
, but in reality it is a far cry from
that.  Candidates for higher office have to be compliant to the ruling
interests before they have a chance for the nomination of either major party. 
Money plays an outsized role of course, but it’s not enough.  The commentators
on network TV and the print pundits are paid a lot of money for their ability
to shape the debate in terms favorable to the ruling interests.  And candidates
live or die by the collective commentaries from the pundits.

I worked for most
of my adult life to be acceptable to the ruling interests, and my reward was
this office.  I owed my loyalties to the ruling interests, and my role was to
implement their dictates while selling those acts as good for the people, or
for spreading democracy, or fighting terrorism, or drug trafficking.

The ruling elites behind
this operation have always insisted on bailouts of existing interests, even
when they undermined the economy and hindered new ventures and new
entrepreneurs.  If there were not bailouts, there would be bankruptcies in
record numbers, and much of the economy would grind to a halt.  As severe as
the disruption would be, the recovery would be relatively quick.  But the
leaders of the new economy would be a different group of people than the
previous owners.  This is what scares them most.  They owe their privileged
positions to fortuitous circumstances.  Yes, they or their forefathers were
ambitious and capable.  But so were hundreds of times as many who enjoyed only
modest success.  Those in the right place at the right time were those who
enjoyed outsized rewards.  But the solution is not more regulation, or taxes. 
Those regulations and tax revenues have always ben co-opted to serve the
current power interests.  The solution is to let failure fail.  Only then will
those who caused the crisis suffer the loss that is their due, and only then
will competent people have their chance to run the economy.

For those of you
who have imagined that things worked like this, you have largely been
marginalized as conspiracy theorists.  It may surprise you to know that the
more outrageous conspiracy theories are indirectly supported by the same ruling
interests, so they can tarnish you by association.  I don’t receive phone calls
from New York or London every day telling me what to do.  Instead, it’s made
very clear by major donors to a new President which people must fill certain
key cabinet posts.  It only takes one or two people in the right position, and
with the implicit backing of the ruling interests, to steer policy in the
administration.  I spent my career being amicable to these interests, and I
understood when I was expected to take a certain action.  I lacked the
character to act independently or to defy those interests.”

Torres paused,
took a drink of water, and continued.

“Now, my time is
short.  I want to go past these vague generalities.  You’ve heard vague
generalities from Presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy, and history has managed to
muddle their exact intents.  Secretary of State Hanna Morgensen was placed in
my administration to pull my strings.  It was she who manipulated me into an
artificial confrontation with China.  It was her who insisted that I place all
available troops in Taiwan, leaving our country undefended.  This, our country,
is not just a
homeland
to be secured for those who feel they own it. 
Certainly it is our home, but it has always meant more than that.  Its ideals
always transcended those of a simple home.  It was supposed to be defended by
the Department of Defense.  But our Defense is in Taiwan, the Middle East, and
over a hundred other places in the world, playing offense.

It is inevitable
that the White House will shortly be captured by the invading forces.  When you
hear from their representative, who will presumably be Mr. Ellis, you may be
told that I am charged with concocted crimes.  Pay no attention to my fate.  I
am in fact guilty of neglecting your freedoms, and of implementing the agendas
of the ruling elites at your expense.  No charge he can make is worse than
that.  I do not deserve your loyalty.  But your country
does
deserve
your loyalty.  The principles of self-governance that were once embodied by the
United States deserve your loyalty, and regaining them will require a fight. 
Work together and you will prevail.  And when you do, the people must choose
how to govern themselves.  That’s a freedom worth fighting for.  God Bless all
of you.”

Torres finished speaking and
slumped down to his desk, fighting for breath.  The paramedics lifted him from
his chair and put in on a sofa.  He was fading quickly.  Simpson said, “Sir
it’s time to get you out of here.”

“It’s too late for that now,” said
Torres, weakly.  “Get my family out of here, and get yourselves to safety.”

The color faded from Torres’ face,
replaced by a pallor John Corson had come to know only too well.  John came
over to him and said, “Sir, we can still save you if we get out now.”