affair with the overthrow of the government has passed. This is more appropriate for the President or President-elect to decide not me.”
“General, you are revered throughout the world, some religions have deified you, and people trust what you say. I am not sure the current President-elect will create the same sense of urgency that is needed to face this threat.”
“You do realize worldwide panic will break out, anarchy will spread everywhere and we may not survive that? All right, I will sit down with the President-elect and his newly formed Cabinet to express your desire, but he or President Cantwell may very well opt to make the announcement, I have no control over that decision.”
“Thank you General, I will wait to hear from you.”
Alex buzzed Sandi’s office and asked her to come in. As Sandi walked in he turned and looked at her, she knew something was wrong, she had learned to pick up on his facial expressions… he had a look of desperation.
“Alex, what’s wrong?” she hurried to his side.
Alex’s hand began to tremble, his voice cracked; his stomach was churning as he relayed the startling news he and Professor Kumar had just discussed. They needed to start contingency planning immediately.
“Dear God, Alex, this can’t be happening, please tell me this is not happening?” Sandi sat down in a chair, she inhaled deeply aghast at the prospect of what he had just relayed to her. The emotions rushed forth overwhelming her; she began to cry with her hands to her face. With all that they had endured—all she had endured—to face the possibility that this nightmare may very well come true was just too much.
Alex sat down across from her and pulled his chair close. He placed his hands on her face, looked her directly in her eyes and spoke softly while she cried almost mournfully.
“My sweet, dear Sandi, I am so sorry, I love you, and that love is what drives me to love life.”
—“Alex?” tears streaming down her cheeks.
“Honey, if I could make it go away I would, but this is real and we have children and grandchildren to think of, they’ll be looking to us for guidance and leadership,” Alex tried to calm her while struggling to get himself under control.
“Alex I’m so tired, we’ve given nearly everything we could to this country, you have performed magnificently …it’s just not fair.” She became engulfed in the moment once again sobbing into her hands, shaking her head back and forth.
“No…God no, it can’t be…please tell me this can’t be Alex?”
Holding her hands in his, picking her chin up, and looking into those tear filled smoky blue eyes.
“You have been my rock through all of this, look what we’ve accomplished, and all the trials we have been through together, you and I stood up to all the challenges. We’re an unbeatable team you and I, now don’t cry for us, cry for the millions who are going to vanish in six months. We have living people we must take care of, our family and close advisors, like Ted Jeffers and Pete Cernak. What about Tina and Mike? We don’t have the luxury of letting down, they need to be positioned to survive this, we’ve got to get organized and move quickly,” Alex spoke softly to her.
“Alex, you know I would walk through fire for you, tell me what you want me to do?” Sandi said as she took a deep breath, lifted her chin, and straightened her back.
“Right now, gather your strength, and remind yourself that I love you. I have to go to the President-elect and break the bad news. You are my strength always remember that.”
Alex walked into the briefing room where the President-elect and his quickly convened Cabinet were seated.
“Alex, we’re all here, you have the floor,” President-elect Thomas Coble said.
“Thank you Mr. President, Cabinet members. I have distressing news; this morning Professor Kumar of Cal Tech in Pasadena informed me that the comet Sedna/Kern p236 has changed its normal orbit and is in fact headed for an intercept with earth in approximately one hundred eighty-seven days.”
For a brief moment there was an eerie silence, it was terror being held in abeyance by desperate people trying to cope with information so devastating that it took their breath away. Then, the first utterances from the shocked group of men and women penetrated the quiet.
“Dear God—heavens—lord help us—my God—how is this possible?—is this some kind of sick joke?—this can’t be happening.” The tension became too much for some, several became nauseous and excused themselves. Others sat comatose, in disbelief at what they had just heard. Many stared expressionless off into space, their eyes glazed over.
“My God Alex, in a little over six months? Why wasn’t there an earlier indication of this catastrophe coming our way?” the President-elect inquired.
“Unfortunately, the Circle’s false program prevented the scientists from adequately screening for this. They discovered it only a month ago after one of their deep space satellites became available and they had been properly repositioned. Professor Kumar and a host of world renowned experts have verified the findings and according to him the conclusion is incontrovertible.”
The room began to fill up as the Cabinet members who left the room filed back in and others at the briefing table began to recover from the shock. Coble stood and paced around the table, one hand up to his chin, the other hand trailing behind him. He stopped—
“Alex, this Cabinet—this President—are not prepared to handle this. We’ve just been elected to office. I haven’t even been sworn in and many of the Cabinet members don’t have their second in commands in place yet.”
There was a general sense of agreement among all in attendance, nodding positively, some heads bowed, others still reeling from the revelation. But, what the President-elect said was in fact reality.
The President-elect’s National Security Advisor, Homer Bailey spoke.
“Mr. President, General Hanken so ably organized the massive redeployment, and then single handedly put together a far reaching and comprehensive survival strategy. But I think what was most impressive was how he handled the country while President Betts was indisposed, vigorously pursuing the conspirators who were eventually brought to trial. It is my strongest recommendation he be given full reign to prepare the nation for this cataclysmic event. We simply do not have the luxury of time for all here to become acquainted with what has to be done and implement a strategy. General Hanken already has the strategy in place; let him execute it…that’s what he does best.”
“Homer, I’m inclined to agree with you. How do the rest of you feel about this suggestion?” The President-elect polled his Cabinet. There was little hesitation on anyone’s part, they knew Bailey was right.
“Well, I hate to be cast as a President who backed off from a challenge, but I can’t let pride get in the way. We are talking about a survival end game here. General Hanken you are the most valuable military man this country has had in a long time. You championed the nation and restored democracy. You’re a modern day hero, we need you to step in and take over. The people of the United States need you once again. Mr. President, this is your call you’re still the sitting President.”
Arthur Cantwell, the current President, and the former Cabinet member who succeeded President Betts after his untimely death, stood
