Tempered Steel

Chapter 3

The President fell into a fitful sleep after Butler and Hammond left. With all that was on his mind, he just couldn’t get into a deep sleep. So it was not surprising that, when the Secret Service agent entered the room to wake him, the President was found shaving in his bathroom. To the agent, the President looked tired — bone tired. The circles under his eyes appeared deeper and more pronounced. He even slouched in front of the mirror as he dragged the razor across his lathered chin. Despite this, the President smiled up at the agent and gave a slight wave of his hand, still holding the razor. That was one of the things that endeared the President to the agents in his detail. Despite any problems going on, the President always seemed to find the time to be pleasant and personable. He rarely lashed out at anyone, and at least so far, he hadn’t buckled at Agency restrictions. He was a genuinely nice guy.

“Can I get you anything, Mister President?” the agent asked.

“No, thanks Bill,” the President answered with a smile again. He also took time to find out their names. “I’ll be down for the usual in about 10 minutes.”

“Yes, sir,” the agent said, turning and leaving the room. The “usual,” meant coffee and some sort of pastry. Not a great breakfast, but at least it was something. He went back to his station relaying the message to the watch commander. He could tell by her grunt that his watch commander wasn’t too pleased with the “usual” either.

After shaving and putting on the normal business suit, the President left his quarters and, picking up his detail, made his way to one end of the second floor where they had set up the dining table for the meeting he had called the night before. The table was actually set at the end of the house in front of the large windows. As he walked down the hall he could see the early morning sunlight shining through the curtains. Mark Reeder, his Chief of Staff was pacing beside the table, lecturing two other men. As he got closer, he could see it was Captain Butler and Commander Hammond. The sound of the Chief of Staff’s voice was raised. He slowed a moment to catch the conversation before he got too close.

“I don’t ever want either of you two going behind me again to the President. My job is to make sure he gets the right information from the right sources, not from two people who don’t have any idea of the political repercussions of their actions,” he said tersely. Butler sat quietly. He was evidently used to such tirades. Hammond wasn’t.

“As I recall, you weren’t here,” said Roger in a steady voice.

The Chief of Staff almost exploded. “My whereabouts are of no concern to you or anyone else!” he nearly shouted. “As it was, I was busy walking from my home in Maryland to get here.”

“So no one can talk to the President until you make your way?” Hammond questioned.

“Listen, Mister Hammond. I don’t need you questioning me or anyone else in the White House. I have a political situation here in which you have NO say. I want you and Captain Butler out of here right now. I will give your apologies to the President. And Mister Hammond, I’ll thank you never to even visit the White House again,” he said turning beet red in the face. Then he turned and pointed at Captain Butler. “And you will be reassigned tomorrow. I suggest you start cleaning out your desk!”

“You are so full of shit.”

The Chief of Staff turned in a rage to Hammond again. Hammond sat in his chair and glared back.

“I have better time than to listen to someone who is so intent on pressing his own agenda he doesn’t see people trying to help. It’s people like you who helped me make the decision to leave my job. Well, for your information this isn’t a political situation, it is a military situation. Someone used weapons of mass destruction against our cities day before yesterday and probably killed off a couple of million people. We are at war with someone and we better start getting ready to knock heads. It was the two of us who got you the first form of communication last night, and the two of us who will probably get things started towards winning this war. So you can either get on the wagon, or you can find yourself some hole to crawl into while the leadership gets things underway. You’re right about one thing, I don’t know politics. I have no idea what you guys do and quite frankly don’t care. I’m just a civilian taxpayer who knows what he and his neighbors think. And right now we want to know what happened and what we’re doing about it. As for me, hand me a rifle so I can go shoot the son-of-a-bitch who did this.”

The Chief of Staff turned to the Secret Service agent in the room. “Get him out of here and never let him around me again!” he shouted.

“I don’t think so,” said the President as he rounded the corner.

The Chief of Staff swung around with his fists balled. “What?” he said as he turned.

The President calmly walked to his place at the table and set his coat on the chair beside it. “I said I don’t think so,” he said calmly.

“Sir, these men have been giving you bad advice, and I’m here to set you straight.”

That had been the wrong thing to say and he realized it as soon as the President’s eyebrows flew up. “Mark, I hired you because Mr. Knowles said you were the best person to have in this job. Since then, I have watched you bully your way around this office. It’s time you learned that I am the President of the United States, not you. I will determine who I listen to, and I will make the decisions on what is political or not,” he said with a determined look. He turned to Captain Butler. “Jim, call in a relief and have someone here tomorrow morning.”

The Captain got a surprise look on his face. “Yes, sir,” he said. Butler looked over at the Chief of Staff who was standing with his hands on his hips and a smirk on his face.

“It’s time to make some changes on the staff anyway,” the President said. He turned to Reeder. “Mark you are no longer needed in the White House. Thank you for your service and I’ll accept your resignation immediately.” He turned to Butler. “Jim, beginning this morning, you are my new Chief of Staff. Commander,” he said looking at Hammond, “I’d appreciate it if you could hang around a few days to help us get started. Nice little speech, by the way,” he said as he sat in his seat at the table.

The former Chief of Staff began to turn red again. “You can’t do this,” he said incredulously.

“Agent Fry, can you escort this gentleman to clean out his office and then out of the White House?” the new Chief of Staff said.

Agent Fry, who witnessed the whole affair, nodded. “Mister Reeder, would you come with me please?”

Reeder seemed to visibly deflate. His head slumped and his shoulders sagged. Without another word, he turned and left the room with Fry. Another agent took Fry’s place.

“I feel better already,” the President said with a grin. “Hope you two got better sleep than I did.”

“Not too bad, sir,” said Roger Hammond, taken aback from what had just taken place. He sat back in his chair and seemed to let out a breath.

“Why me?” asked Butler.

“Roger said it. This is a war — a military situation. I can’t afford either a politico or a bully around me right now. We speak the same language and think a lot alike. You have your shit together. I need that more than anything. If it gets to be too much, just let me know and you can have your old job back, but I think you’ll manage. As for the politics — well, I’ve been doing it for years anyway. Doesn’t pay to let someone do everything for you,” he said seriously. “Matter of fact, Roger, why don’t you take his place for right now? I’ll sign your new commission at the rank of Captain. I understand you were selected before you retired anyway. I’ll mark the last year down as a leave of absence. How will that do?”

Butler grinned and Hammond sat and nodded. “I wasn’t really expecting this. All I was hoping for was to get back to sea,” Hammond said.

“Maybe, but then you opened your mouth and got me talking to people around the world again. Then you opened it again and laid out exactly what I was thinking last night after you left and the Chief of Staff came in. So I guess you did it to yourself.” He reached over and shook Hammond’s hand. “Thanks for the wake up call. Now what has happened since last night?”

The three got down to business. Coffee was poured and the President even ordered up a real breakfast. By 9:30 a.m. the men went to the Oval Office conference center to speak to the first of the industrial leaders of the nation.

The men were sitting around the table in various moods. Most of the men looked like they had slept in their suits, even though they spent the night in a local hotel. Most knew each other. Nearly every communications leader and company was in the room. Not too many were talking. An uneasy tension filled the air. When the door opened and the President entered, several men almost jumped out of their chairs from fright.

“Please be seated,” the President said. He was followed by Butler, Hammond and Red Gross, the FCC Chairman. “I am truly sorry to have to summon you here today, but we are in a crisis. As you may or may not know, our nation was attacked day before yesterday by nuclear weapons exploding high in our atmosphere. This caused an electromagnetic pulse that effectively shut down this country. As of now, we have lost about two million people in this attack. I don’t have to tell you the seriousness of this situation. But you are the people I need to take the first step in getting out of it,” the President said as he stood before the men. There was a fire in his eyes that Butler had never seen before in the man. It was a look of complete determination.

The President sat down. “You probably all know each other. If anyone can start this ball rolling, you can,” he said. “We need to communicate. I need phones, teletype, radio, and TV. I need satellites back up eventually. But no matter what, I need to be able to talk to the people necessary to keep this nation moving. Now how do we do it?” He sat back and touched his fingers together.

“We’re already working on the phones,” came one answer from AT&T. Unfortunately, most of the network is digital, but we have some backups. The system is being rewired right now so that I can get some basics up and running. We don’t have the satellites anymore, but I have copper wire and fiber optics. The fiber optics weren’t damaged, but the devices on either end were fried. I really need a couple of weeks.”

“Same here,” came the answer from Windstream. “Unfortunately, we also use a lot of fiber optics. That’s going to take some time to replace the systems, but we’re doing what we can.” The other telephone institutions were nodding their heads.

Brad Freeman from CBS chimed in. “Mister President, we want to help, but this thing knocked us all over the map. I have no hookups to keep the networks going. All the networks are in the same boat,” he said. The other men were nodding with him. “I don’t see how we can get anything going for a long time even after we get the replacement equipment.”

“My wire services are going back to the old teletype system,” said the man from Associated Press. We’ll be back up in three days, but the sources of information will be sketchy. We won’t be back to business as usual for months.

The arguments went around the table and soon everything grew quiet. No one had all the answers. The President couldn’t blame them; they had been hit hard and were still trying to get their businesses back on line. Everyone was looking inside the box. They needed a little push.

“Friends, I want to propose something,” said Gross, sitting behind the President. “I recommend that we set aside our differences as far as company boundaries and attack this from a systems point of view,” he said standing. “I propose all telephone communications be our first priority. We do what we can to get this country talking to each other again. That way not only can we get things done from the federal level, but Mom and Dad can make sure the kids are okay. That means everyone starts adding to this piece of the pie. From now on, we share equipment, manpower, services, all those things necessary to let the phones ring. Where are your sources for new equipment?” he asked AT&T.

“Mexico mostly, some from Canada. The U.S. sources are probably down hard.”

“Then I’ll get SecState to get word to whomever we need to get those parts to you as soon as possible,” said the President.

“May not even need that,” this time from Sprint. “We purchased a company that makes the stuff this past year and have a warehouse full of equipment down below Guadalcahara. How can we get it up here?”

The men were starting to talk to each other. Most had equipment in various places. In a few minutes there was enough to get the system back up in a limited way. There wouldn’t be internet, but that wasn’t really a problem, was it?

Butler stood up. “It sounds like the only thing you need is transport from your sites to the nearest centers. I’ll get some things set up with the transportation department and the military to get that online,” he said. “Just don’t be surprised when some Army trucks pull up to your warehouse.” That brought a few chuckles.

FCC continued. “As far as the networks go, we’re going to have to rely on the phone system and our friends at AP and UPI. If you guys can get the teletypes running again, then we can get the public in the loop.” He stopped as the Secretary of State entered the room. He quickly walked to the President and with a smile whispered in his ear. The President smiled as well and motioned for him to spread the news.

“Please excuse me, but I just got off the line with the Prime Minister. Great Britain is coordinating efforts to send over every transmitter they can get their hands on to replace ones damaged during this attack. The Government of the United States has purchased them and will be distributing to strategic stations throughout the affected areas. The transmitters may not be the same power, but at this point we can’t be choosey. The Germans are working closely with them. We should have a couple of hundred here within a few days. These will primarily be radio, since television requires larger sets. But we need to be back up across the country within two weeks. I’ll leave the distribution recommendations to you. They are also sending over new receivers to spread around. I hope to have at least a few television and radio sets in each community in a short period of time,” he said as he sat down.

“That brings me to another point,” said the President. He stood at his place at the table. “This is not going to be welcomed by many here, but it has to be said. When we get the broadcasting stations back up, I will be instituting censorship on the media until further notice,” he said. Arguments began around the room. The President’s hand went up to quiet them. “I know, freedom of the press and all, but we have a problem.” The men fell silent. “Whoever did this is expecting the United States to be offline for a period of time. For some reason, I believe they will be watching to see what we do and when we do it. I don’t want to give them any free information. Ladies and gentlemen, we are at war. Not some sort of incident, but a full-scale war. I am addressing the Congress this evening to request a declaration, and I am sure you know what the answer will be. What I am asking is that the American media systems not give anything of value to our enemies. By necessity, live remote broadcasts are off. We simply don’t have the ability to support it right now. Plus, live broadcasts can leak information that aids an enemy. Let’s not take that chance. Local news is fine, and some information about what the government is doing will be approved and sent out. But we are going to be very watchful of what is said to make sure whoever did this is in the dark about us. We are going to have to do this together or nothing will work. I’m not asking you to give up your freedoms. I am just not going to tell you very much, and hope you will respect that. Then I request that you ask first before you bring some things up. If it has to do with the military, ask first. If it has to do with the government, ask first. If it’s something someone sees us do locally, ask first. In every case, I will explain as necessary, or just say no until the event is over with. If any of you have questions, come to us and ask. I will tell you and trust the information will go no further. If it does get out, however, I will not divulge anything further to you or your organization. On this point, I am firm. Break my confidence, and you won’t get another chance.”

“We have to be a team here. Not just the people in this room, but throughout our entire nation. Together, we are going to win this war. Everything you and your company can do to help us will benefit everyone as a whole. So, just as I trust you, I am asking you to trust me,” he said to the men and women around the table. “If there are any questions, please ask them now.”

It was silent for almost a minute as each person thought through what was just said. The representative from Time Warner raised his hand. “Mister President, may we contact your office if we have a problem with something?” he asked haltingly.

“Yes, sir. If you want an answer to anything, contact us. I will tell you — and I mean the individuals at this table — anything you want to know. In that way, you will know what is being done and why. If we lose a battle, or win one, I promise I will work with you to get it out. I will let reporters report from the battlefield and from our units — just not live. If you are concerned, let’s talk. We’ll make the decision together, as a team.

The man nodded. “Mister President, I’ll add to the pot. I trust you are being sincere. As a former military man, I know how sometimes a reporter’s words have messed things up. So the influence of my company is going to back you. Anyone abusing this trust, will have a tough time getting a contract with us when it’s over.”

“Same here,” said the CEO of DirectTV.

“Me too,” came from DISH.

With the three major cable and satellite companies teaming up, the rest could read the tea leaves and lined up as well. A few more questions were asked on coordination issues and the President left for another meeting in the state dining room. This one was with transportation systems. Ford, GM, Chrysler, even Toyota, Honda, and Nissan were there along with major airlines and the train systems. Within an hour that meeting adjourned and things began to happen very quickly. The big event would be later in the evening.

“Mister Speaker, Mister President, Members of the House and Senate. It is with great regret that I find myself before you tonight. Just over 72 hours ago the United States was a nation at peace. For the first time in many years we were in conflict with no one. Yet, an unknown nation state, without provocation or warning, launched a premeditated, cold and dastardly attack against the United States using weapons of mass destruction,” the President said beginning his speech.

The chamber was more than three quarters full and not a sound could be heard. The men and women hung on everything the man was saying. He had already laid the groundwork. The leadership had been rounded up and meetings held. Butler had even set up a luncheon that day in a private room where the President could sit down with key representatives and give them the whole unvarnished truth about what happened. The President had even given them the “secrecy speech” to stress the dire situation they were all in. It had worked. He already knew there was a bipartisan swell of support for his ideas and actions. This was a mere formality.

He continued his speech. “This cold premeditated attack was well planned and executed — designed to cripple this nation. It used nuclear weapons to create an energy pulse high in our atmosphere. This pulse expanded out at the speed of light completely obliterating any electronic circuit and most electrical systems. In all, 79 of these weapons were exploded in our atmosphere. We lost all communications, phones, radio, television, our satellites, computers, automobiles and other forms of transportation. If it has a circuit, it was utterly destroyed. In some parts of our nation, electric power was temporarily interrupted. Our military has been crippled, since most of their equipment is based on computers and sophisticated electronics. I won’t get into why this happened. It did, and we must now deal with it.”

“But the worst part was actually an accident. These weapons were designed to go off high above us where no radiation and no blast effect would kill people or destroy buildings. Yet two of these devices failed to detonate in our atmosphere. They went off when they struck the ground in Dallas, Texas, and Memphis, Tennessee. I sent a task group into each city to determine the damage and casualties. They should arrive shortly. We estimate that casualties exceed 1.7 million of our citizens. We will do everything we can to bring relief to survivors and help those cities in this recovery effort.”

“At the same time, we lost another 24,800 people who were flying in aircraft at the time of the bursts and, as a result, lost control and crashed. Others were lost in accidents due to the same cause. But the reason for these deaths is all due to the aggression of the nation that launched these weapons. I tell you now, these deaths will not go unpunished,” he said emphasizing the last four words.

Applause surged through the gallery as every person stood and expressed their agreement. It was evident that everyone was angry at what happened and was ready to do something about it. The President wondered if it had been the same way during Roosevelt’s speech after Pearl Harbor.

“All of the weapons used were launched within 50 miles of our coasts. Who did it, we do not yet know. They acted as thieves. They sneaked up on our coasts and struck, then departed, leaving no traces. So, as we speak, we still do not know who did this. But we are not alone. These same type devices were used in the Pacific against our allies Japan, Korea, the Philippines, Indonesia and other nations on the Pacific Rim. Someone is intent on eliminating the capabilities of certain nations. Again, we are not alone. Since that day our staunch ally, Great Britain, has come to our aid. They were the first to tell us what knocked us down, and the first to offer their hand in friendship. Great Britain stands beside us.”

Applause resounded again.

“Since this happened, more than eighty nations have been in contact with us via the hotline. All deplore this dastardly act and offer their assistance.”

More applause.

“And we have not been sitting idle. We have met with industrial and business leaders of this nation. Already we are working to restore the communications so quickly taken from us.”

Applause.

“I have taken the steps to get the trains and other forms of transportation operating again to keep our people fed and electricity flowing.”

Applause again.

“Over the coming weeks I will be working with the military leadership to field an Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps that will be ready to mete out the justice our American casualties cry out for.”

Applause

“But to do everything needing to be done, we must work together. We must find the ways to restore what this nation lost, to stand up to those who struck out at us, and to take the steps to make sure this never happens again.”

Applause.

“The United States has been struck from behind. We have been wounded by an unknown assailant that remains hiding like a coward in the dark. We have been knocked to our knees. But we have not been knocked out.”

Applause.

“One of my staff said it right. This is not a political situation. It is a military one. No one deplores sending our young men and women into combat more than I, but that time has come.”

Applause.

“Therefore, I ask the Congress to declare that the United States is now in a state of war.”

The House erupted in applause as everyone jumped to their feet, applauding and yelling their support. After a few moments, the President continued.

“We will continue to search for our attacker. We will find the nation responsible. And when we do, they will feel the full power and might that this nation can produce.”

The men and women stood cheering again.

“I will work closely with the Congress to bring about our ultimate victory and to set right the peace of the world. We did not start this fight. Until two days ago, we harbored no ill will toward any nation on this earth. In fact, we have set the standard for peaceful coexistence with all nations. But this fight has come to us, and we will not back away.”

Applause.

“We have a long way to go. I do not know how long this will take, or how far this shall go. But go we will, and together we will achieve ultimate victory,” he said completing his speech.

The floor erupted one last time, and the Congress voted quickly to place the United States on a war footing. Within minutes the orders went out to everyone. All veterans and retirees were ordered activated and to report to the nearest reserve center. All military industrial centers began bringing in workers, retirees, and hiring new labor to begin gearing up. A draft was instituted, and the call went out to gather any and all pieces of working military gear. The United States was activated. The nation was gearing up for war.

Colonel Claire Richardson was bone tired. She had spent a day in the CH-46 flying to Memphis. While there, she surveyed the destruction, set some things in motion, and 24 hours later was flying back. It was particularly dark around Washington as the helicopter approached the city. With the imposed blackout, no landmarks could be seen. The helo made a turn to the left and, looking out the window, Richardson saw someone signaling with a lamp. In a moment a crewman came aft and approached her.

“Colonel, we have been told to take you straight to the White House. We should be there in about five minutes,” the crewman yelled over the noise of the engines and rotors.

Richardson nodded. She knew from such a short message they probably didn’t know the reason behind the change. She only wished she had a chance to straighten up a little before seeing the President. After a few minutes she noticed a small ring of lights over which the helo lowered and positioned itself. The Sea Knight came to rest in the circle just in front of the White House. She could see someone on their way to the chopper, not even waiting for the rotors to slow. Richardson left her seat to meet the person at the door.

General Black’s outstretched hand was accepted and he quickly ushered Richardson out of the Sea Knight and through an opened door of the mansion. The brightness of the lights inside made her squint. “You’re the first one back, Colonel,” Black said. “We wanted to hear it from you right away,” he said as they walked briskly through the halls and finally into a heavily guarded Oval Office.

The White House had almost become an armed camp. But inside, the President came from behind his desk to greet her warmly. The President ushered her, Black, and a man he introduced as the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to the sofa and chairs in front of the fireplace. Coffee and some snacks were on the table. A mess specialist poured some cups of the dark brew before departing. “Colonel, I appreciate your efforts. What can you tell me about Memphis?” the President asked.

Richardson set her briefcase on a low table beside the sofa and pulled out a pad of paper covered with notes she had taken that day. “I hope somebody can read these,” she said as she handed the papers over. “They need to be transcribed and the materials rounded up. Basically, civilization came to a standstill in Memphis, Mister President. It was a ground burst in the heart of the city. No buildings are standing within two miles. There is a crater and there is residual radiation. The blast extended out another seven miles before it stopped breaking every pane of glass. The city’s hospitals were downtown, but some outlying hospitals and clinics have set up rudimentary services. No electricity, no water, no sewer, and the infrastructure to restore them is almost nonexistent. They need everything — tents, cots, blankets, food, water, medical supplies, and portable generators to keep things operating. You name it, they need it,” she said solemnly. “There is no transportation system and the survivors are on foot trying to find refuge. The Red Cross ran out of supplies the first day. They only had local supplies and couldn’t get more in. There was some rioting for fresh food, but I let people know pretty quickly that only canned food would be safe. The neighboring towns of Bartlett, Germantown, and West Memphis are sending everything they can, and a lot is being delivered by tractor on small flatbeds. In some instances drivers have been attacked and the food taken before they got to their destinations. In what’s left of the city, bodies can be seen everywhere. There are no mortuary services and, frankly, no one wants to go in and pull the bodies out.

“I spent yesterday setting up a military perimeter to keep things contained. We have a few Guard units escorting as many of the supplies we can, but there aren’t enough. Sir, we need manpower to get things down there and set it up. I recommend we send in some medical teams that know radiation poisoning and have the tools to deal with it. I talked to the mayors of the neighboring towns. They are having water shipped in and are trying to get the electric lines back up, but their resources are limited. When I talked to the National Guard COs, I ordered them to get their people online and lend a hand immediately. It’s difficult under these circumstances, but things are moving. In my notes you will see the places I set up for four evacuation stations. They are the Liberty Bowl and University of Memphis on the east, the international airport in the south and the town of West Memphis in the west. Each is on a major thoroughfare and has easy access along with some shelter to work for a while. I wish I could have stayed, but you needed the information,” she said finally, slumping back into the couch.

The President smiled at the Colonel. “Colonel, you did a nice job, but it needs a good touch to finish it. I’m going to have to send you back down there tonight, but at least you won’t go empty handed,” he said. His expression changed as he became more serious. “Did you happen to find anything out about the Vice President?”

She could see some hurt in the man’s eyes as she shook her head. In a softer tone she said, “No, sir. I was told he and his party were downtown when it happened. There’s nothing left of the hotel sir. I’m sorry.”

The President nodded sadly, then smiled. “It’s no matter. We have a lot to do.”

FEMA spoke up. “We anticipated a lot of what you will need and already loaded it on trains out of Petersburg. The other things you listed will be gathered up and brought in on the next available transport. I must admit, there are some things we didn’t think of, but make a hell of a lot of sense. I’ll be incorporating them in the next load. If all goes well, I should have additional FEMA teams on the ground there in a couple of days to help out. Until then, I am sending along an HF communications truck so we can have some voice communications,” he said. “Whatever you need, just ask for it, General.”

“The 46 is refueling and will take you down to Petersburg,” said Black. “The trains leave in three hours. I have detailed 2000 troops from Quantico and Fort Belvoir to be under your command. They are already loaded and waiting. Your staff is also embarked. There is a supply train, a passenger train for the troops and medical personnel, and a vehicle train we scared up to help with the transport. Claire, get down there and help those people,” Black said with a smile.

Richardson looked slightly overwhelmed. She was already tired beyond limits, but things were going a little too fast. The details were okay, but there were two things that stuck out. FEMA called her a General and Black had addressed her by her first name. A questioning look came over her face. “So I am in charge of the whole thing,” she said, more as a statement than a question.

The President almost laughed. “I need people who can get a job done. I don’t have time for bureaucrats or politicians, I need things done and right now. From what I have seen tonight, you are the one to do it in Memphis. Get down there and keep going,” he said. Then he reached behind his desk and pulled something out. “But I do need someone with a little more clout than a Marine Colonel,” he said.

Black started unbuttoning Richardson’s eagles as the president pulled out a set of single stars to replace them. “I heard you were up for it anyway, so I used my influence to speed up the process,” he said as he fastened them on. “Claire, just get down there and make a difference. I’m counting on you,” he said as he shook her hand.

“I won’t let you down sir,” she said totally overwhelmed. “I’ll contact you every day on our progress. If I run into trouble…”

“I’ll take care of it,” the President said with a nod. “You have the authority of the White House until I say stop. But more help will be on the way. All the government agencies will be reporting to you. We’ll do it together,” he assured her.

“Then, sir, I have the conn,” she said coming to attention. The sound of a helicopter starting up was heard faintly through the walls.

“Thanks, General. I appreciate your help,” the President said. “Now, I believe your chariot awaits,” he said.

The two shook hands and the two generals left the Oval Office. “That’s a tall order,” FEMA said to the President after they left.

“Yea, I know, but I think she’ll do just fine. Glancing through the papers she gave us it looks like she has her act together.”

“I agree. She has a pretty detailed set of plans. I’ll make sure my people don’t get in the way. Any word from Dallas?”

“Not yet, but hopefully by tomorrow we should hear back. Are the trains ready for Dallas?”

“I got some old rolling stock from Chicago on its way via Arkansas. The trains are making a stop there to make a requisition and should be ready tomorrow afternoon. It’s getting hard to piece all this together. Two separate disasters of this magnitude are using about everything up,” FEMA said rubbing his chin. It had been a long day.

“I know, but we have to do it. Our biggest problem is going to be scraping together things to fight this war,” the President said before collapsing into his easy chair. “We’ve got to do that too.”

Admiral Pedro Alvarez looked outside his window. The word had reached the government about how bad it was in America and he was concerned. America was not liked in a lot of places and was not especially admired in South America. His small country had maintained friendly relations, but there wasn’t much that interested the United States in his country. Alvarez earned his college degree at Georgia Tech and returned to his small navy to try and get it into the 20th century, if not the 21st. He gazed out at several ships sitting at the pier. They were some of the first real ships used in his navy and now were worn almost out. His men kept up the maintenance, and they still performed well when needed. But he had newer ships and these vessels were awaiting the scrap yard.

An idea came into Alvarez’s head as he looked at the ships. The United States was preparing to go to war with someone. They had been dealt a serious blow. They were probably looking everywhere for ships to help in this. Anyone helping them in a time of need would benefit greatly after that war. After making up his mind, he walked to his desk and placed a telephone call. Within eight hours four old destroyers made their way out of the harbor and turned north.