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BeCalmed |
| Written by sweetsmaybrey | |
| Friday, 27 June 2008 | |
All conversation ceased. "Good morning, ladies and gentlemen," the president said, making eye contact with all in attendance. He turned to his chief of staff. "Everyone here Cal?" "Yes, Mr. President." "Let's get started then. I have a warm bed to get back to." "Mary," the Chief of Staff prompted and the CDC Director got to her feet. "Mr. President." "Tell me why I'm here at three in the AM, Mary." With the push of a button a flat screen emerged from the far wall. One more click filled the screen with a multicolored map. "The Philadelphia metropolitan area, sir. The city itself has slightly under two million inhabitants; the entire MFA contains over seven million, including northern Delaware and southern New Jersey." " ******* blue states," the president cracked and the room filled with laughter. The CDC Director continued dryly, understanding the president's need to cut the tension. "There is no way to say this, Mr. President but to come right out with it. The Philadelphia MFA is 'ground zero' for a virus. We've had people on site for three weeks, performing tests of soil, water and air." "What are the symptoms?" the president asked. "A lack of aggression. A supernatural calmness both in words and action." "Sounds pretty innocuous. How did we find out about this?" The FBI Director stood and joined the CDC Director near the screen. He tapped the screen twice and different numbers and colors filled the map. "No one has been murdered in the Philadelphia MFA in three months, sir. That's after nearly four hundred murders in 2007." The Political Director nodded. "We've already taken credit for that, sir. Made us look good on the law and order front. We increased federal funds to the city of Philadelphia by three point two percent in the last two years. We've made considerable headway with the national press with the narrative that the administration drove these results." The president shot the PD a look and the FBI Director continued. "Not only have murders flat lined but all violent crime." He tapped the screen once more. "These are statistics from the area emergency rooms. Except for accidents, their customers have dried up." "No one is getting sick?" the president asked. "No, sir," the CDC Director responded. "The virus seems to have the effect of keeping any other sickness - cancer, heart disease, AIDS, anything - at bay. The only deaths in the region have been accidental. The AIDS clinics, even those treating sexually transmitted diseases, have practically shuttered. No one is dying of old age." "How long has this virus been active?" her boss, the Secretary of Homeland Security asked. They both knew that he knew the answer but he wanted the president to know also. "We estimate that the virus was born one year ago. Its spread is very slow but it is steady. Our testing shows that its origins are in the Philadelphia reservoir on Belmont Avenue in the city's North West section. The virus represents a combination of the pharmaceuticals that are present in all of America's urban reservoirs and, we theorize, chemicals illegally dumped into nearby rivers and creeks by the region's numerous drug and chemical firms." "You're fooling yourself if you think this was not terrorism," the vice president said. She was shaking her head vigorously before anyone could respond. The CDC Director began to answer but the CIA Director quieted her. "Mrs. Vice President, as you know, the CIA's opinion is that such a virus is beyond the capabilities of all known terrorist organizations." "Other nations perhaps? What about the usual suspects - Cuba, Iran, North Korea?" asked the president. "Russia?" chimed in the Secretary of State. The CIA Director shook his head. "So, what's the problem? Why are we here?" the Secretary of State asked. "Sounds pretty beneficial. A fountain of youth, a cure for violence, and a cure for all that ails us, the worst diseases known to man. What's the problem we're solving in the middle of the night?" "To answer that we will cede the floor to the Sec Defense," the CDC Director said. She and the FBI Director took their seats as the Sec Defense commanded the room. "The opinion of Defense is that this is a strategic weapon being deployed against the United States of America." "They just said this was not man made. Somebody better get the ******* story straight," the president boomed. The room quieted. "Seems clear to me. Someone is attacking us by curing cancer," the Sec State quipped while smoothing his blond mustache. "Let's hear him," the president rebuked sharply. The Sec Defense tapped the screen twice. "This is the spread of the virus by percentage of population infected. As you can see, today Philadelphia is at ninety percent infection. The outer edges of the infection include New York and Washington, at about two percent each." "How is it spread? Do you have to drink the water?" the president asked. The CDC Director responded. "Most directly, sir, yes. Sexual contact is another method, sir, similar to the spread of AIDS. It may also spread from touch, skin to skin contact, but this method is not very efficient. We theorize the virus could spread airborne similar to a cold but no one infected sneezes as no one gets sick." "How does this threaten the nation and who is responsible?" the president asked. The Sec Defense responded. "With all due respect sir, this is the gravest threat this nation has ever faced, greater that Al Qaeda and greater than the Soviets or Hitler. This attacks the soul of the country." "The American spirit," the vice president added. "Given its gravity, you're assuming that the attack is intentional." "Yes, sir," the vice president answered. "Who?" "I've surveyed the intelligence community, sir," the vice president said. "Without telling the president?" the NSA asked. "I'm National Security Advisor. When were you thinking about telling me?" "Let her continue, Morgan. There will be changes around here before the next election, I guarantee you. I'm getting tired of this cowboy ****." His blue eyes drilled into his VP. "Go on, Margaret." "Thank you, sir. The minority opinion, held by the CIA and army intelligence, is that this is not an attack but an accident of nature. The other thirteen intelligence agencies hold to the opinion that this is man made and that the nation having the most to gain and with the highest scientific capabilities to produce this virus is India." "India?" the president asked. "Yes, sir. Eliminating the United States as a world power opens the path for their dominance as a world economic power and would allow them greater influence in the Middle East and a clear path to eliminate their enemies, starting with Pakistan." The president shook his head. "I don't know if I buy that, Margaret." He motioned for the Sec Defense to proceed. "Militarily, lacking aggressive armed forces, we are defenseless to any threat. Economically, again lacking American assertiveness in the world economy, very quickly we will be at the mercy of the emerging world economies of India and China. Not to mention Russia and our so called friends in Europe." The PD chimed in. "We would lose our will to lead on the world stage, sir." "Let me ask a silly question," the Sec State interrupted. "Wouldn't this thing spread worldwide? Wouldn't the playing field eventually be level?" The vice president was shaking her head as the Sec State spoke. "Mr. President we can't take that chance. Such a strategy - doing nothing - would expose the United States to all of its enemies. There would be a window of time where we had the virus and others nations did not. We would be vulnerable sir, politically, economically and militarily." "I agree," the Sec Defense added. "General?" the president asked as all eyes went to the CJCS. "Sir, the Joint Chiefs concur that this is a threat. However, we don't agree that this is man made. And we would like to preserve the virus, once we have dealt with this problem, as one of our biological capabilities." "You want to use this against someone else? Who?" asked the NSA. "China," the Sec Def stated quickly. "They threaten the security of this nation now." "Here we go again..." the Sec State said before being interrupted. "Enough. I need options." The room fell silent. "Sir, if I may?" began the Sec State. "Before we discuss options, I would like the room - specifically the vice president, the Secretary of Defense and the CIA Director - to answer your initial question. Why are we here at 3 am? The CDC says this is a slow moving virus. Why do we have to make this decision now? What is the urgency?" The Secretary of Defense and CIA Director exchanged looks and both looked in the direction of the vice president. "Hell," the old woman said as she got to her feet. "This is about options, Mr. President." Deftly manipulating the touch screen a mug shot of a terrorist appeared. "Our friends in the ISI captured this man leaving the Pakistan tribal areas earlier today. In a backpack he had enough weapons grade plutonium to construct a dozen dirty bombs." She tapped the man's picture and documents, including some maps and schematics, came on screen. "A map of major cities on the East coast - New York, Boston, DC, Philadelphia. The plan apparently was to smuggle the materials through Mexico, to the East Coast where this person would either construct the bombs himself or enlist confederates." "Should I be more disturbed that a man obtained plutonium and was heading for our shores or with the fact that I'm the gotdamned last person to know this?" The president banged his hand on the table. The president's NSA shook his head and shrugged. "My apologies, Mr. President. We waited to give you the complete situation," the VP said. "So, what's your plan? What's this have to do with a do nothing Philly virus?" the president asked. "We leak the Al Qaeda materials to the press, ramp up the alert status. We heroically intercept several of the dirty bombs but one gets through, in Philadelphia." The vice president makes the statement with a straight face. "Just like that. Kill two million people." The Sec State smiled. "You can't be serious?" Silence dominated the room. "Can you?" "Mr. President, I reiterate that this is a threat. The CDC has proven that transmission is via the water supply and sexual contact. Eliminate the city water supply and what you have left is a disease passed on by sexual contact. And the destruction of that water supply has the collateral effect of destroying most of the carriers of the virus." "Human beings, Mrs. Vice President, they are human beings. 'Carriers' makes them sound like luggage," the Sec State corrected. "Casualty estimates?" asked the president. "A warhead strategically placed to maximize destruction of the city's water supply would kill a half million instantly, with another quarter million dead within thirty days," the CJCS said. "A terrorist attack on American soil - real or fake - would be a disaster for this administration and your legacy, Mr. President," the PD piped in. "James, this is not a political decision. We have to do what is best for the country. By God, we have to save our country," the vice president urged. "Why not just tell the residents of the city that the water is poisoned?" asked the Sec State. "Hell, bottles of the water will be on eBay within minutes. The **** will cross the country as fast as Fed Ex or UPS can carry it," the vice president responded. "Options people," boomed the president. "We could quarantine the metro area. No one gets in or out," the Sec Home Security said. "Is that what you recommend, Thomas?" "Yes, sir. No loss of life and it will give the CDC time to find a cure." The president turned toward the CDC Director. She was pensive, anticipating this question. "How far away are we from a cure, doctor?" "Could be days or could be years, sir. I simply don't know." "Can we hold these people for years? Is that legal?" the president asked no one and everyone. "We're doing it already, in Guantanamo Bay," the NSA answered. "But these are American citizens on American soil," the Sec State said. All eyes turned to the Attorney General. "There would a court case, Mr. President." "Can we win it?" "Probably not," the AG responded. "Other options? Right now we're deciding between dropping a nuke on ourselves or building the ******* biggest prison ever." More silence as the greatest minds in the government pondered the question. "Do nothing," the Sec State attempted. "No loss of life." "Until the Iranians bomb us back to the stone age," the vice president said. "Or the Russians," added the CJCS. More silence. "Can we simply destroy the reservoirs?" the AG asked. "That would slow transmission of the virus by half," the CDC Director answered. "Not good enough," the Sec Defense added. "If we set off the nuke, how much does that slow transmission?" the president asked. "To five percent of the present rate, sir," the CDC Director responded. "If we quarantine the area?" The CDC Director shuffled her notes. "Sixty percent, sir." "Mary, under the quarantine scenario, what's the likelihood of developing a cure before the virus overtakes the country?" "High probability, sir." The president nodded. "I've made my decision. We quarantine the area and destroy the reservoirs. Any idea how that would slow transmission?" "More than half, sir. We would have to run the models but my guess is thirty percent of the present rate of transmission given the combined actions." The president turned to the CJCS. "General, how soon before a quarantine could be established?" "One month. We would have to redeploy troops from Iraq and Afghanistan." "This is more important." "I'll get right on it, sir." The president got to his feet. "Cal, James, I'll need a communication plan on my desk by noon. Any everyone, no ******* leaks." He eyeballed the room. "Now, let's go back to bed."
His buzzing cell phone awakened the Sec State, asleep in his Georgetown home. "Yes?" "Mister Secretary?" "Yes?" "Sir, I hate to inform you but the President has died of a heart attack in his sleep. You're urgently needed at the White House." The Sec State returned to the White House in time to witness the vice president taking the oath of office. Following the ceremony the new president ushered her Secretary of State into a small meeting room. Waiting inside was the Sec Defense and the CJCS. The newly minted president and Sec State joined the others at a small table. The president gently patted the Sec State's hands. "Mister Secretary, a matter of great urgency has come to my attention. I have just been made aware that several dirty bombs have been transported onto American soil."
Copyright 2008 sweetsmaybrey |
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