Tag Archives: United States

The Eve of Election Day ’24

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We’re on the eve of Election Day and the coming 24-36 hours could be unlike anything the nation has experienced for some time, or ever before. Then again, tomorrow can end with a whimper instead of a bang, the election results are determined, and life goes on for 350 million Americans as normal. Time will tell.

Three states have prepared to activate their National Guards to prepare for possible election-related violence. We talked about Washington the other day. Nevada and Oregon have done the same, so the Pacific Northwest and the desert are seriously concerned about violence following tomorrow evening. In our nation’s capital, security preparations are also underway. Businesses are boarding up as fear of unrest rises. The White House is not immune either. Fencing is going up around there and the VP residence. I’m not sure what has precipitated all of these moves in DC and out west. Either worries exist about riots and other types of unrest if Harris ends up the loser, or vice versa.

I guess there is not much more to say at the moment. We covered supplies, scenarios and such. If anyone still has not purchased supplies and you’re feeling anxious about the decision, it is not too late to make a run to Costco either this evening or tomorrow. For everyone else, I’ll post an entry during Election Night. 😊

FDOA 2.0 Creative Epiphany

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Over the past weekend I took some time to work on a World War III scenario set to take place in October of 2024. The project has come together for the World War III 1987 blog which I have been working on for years. To make a long story short, I was blessed with a creative epiphany of sorts while working on this 2024 scenario on Sunday. I’ve spent a lot of hours trying to determine the best path for a Final Days of America 2.0 this summer. The effort has not brought forth much success—until about 24 hours ago. The concept hit me out of the blue when my mind was on another project altogether. This wasn’t the first time this has happened and probably will not be. Suffice to say, I’m growing more confident as time goes on about the backstory and scenario for which FDOA 2.0 can possibly kick off with.

It is still early, and the pieces are still coming together. So for the moment I will not reveal too much. On Wednesday night an entry on the subject matter will be posted, giving readers a broad concept about where this blog will start up on a regular basis once Labor Day is over. If anyone is looking for an idea of what the future might hold, take a look at the WWIII 2024 scenario entries on the World War III 1987 blog. Not sure how many of the readers here are familiar with that blog so I’ll include a link below. We’ll talk soon at midweek. –Mike

https://ww31987.wordpress.com/

American Collapse Scenario Part II

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American Collapse Scenario- Hypothetical       Part II

–Between Thanksgiving and New Years Eve of that year the United States of America positioned itself on the edge of collapse. The national state of emergency announced on the day of the Supreme Court bombing remained, but the curfew was immediately rescinded, owing to the heavy volume of Americans already in transit during the Thanksgiving holiday season. DC was turned into a military protected security zone. The DC National Guard was called up immediately and supported by a limited number of active-duty soldiers from nearby military bases (as a temporary measure according to the Pentagon). Checkpoints established around the capital after the weekend. For the remainder of the year tensions continued to rise. The US government announced that in light of the Supreme Court bombing, the winner of the year’s presidential election would be made official in early January and be certified shortly thereafter.

Year Two

January

On the 4th day of the year, recounts are completed across the United States and the Democratic candidate is declared the winner.  Demonstrations break out in a number of US cities and the Republican candidate calls the election ‘Nothing short of a Coup.’ Days later, with legislative and judicial actions against the election results being set in place, the FBI announced the arrest of eight people and women believed to be co-conspirators in the Supreme Court bombing. Three of the suspects have close ties with the Republican candidate. As the preparations for inauguration then approaches in Washington DC, rumors are leaked by an alleged US government official that the FBI is investigating the Republican candidate in the Supreme Court bombing investigation. The candidate is continuing to challenge the election results from his former campaign headquarters in Texas and has made no comment on the rumors.

In the early morning hours of 19 January over 100 FBI and other federal law enforcement agents descend upon the ranch serving as the Republican candidate’s campaign headquarters with an arrest warrant. Nearly as many Texas Rangers, Department of Public Safety officers, Texas National Guardsmen and civilians cordon off the ranch and deny the FBI and other agents from entering the property. A standoff ensued and by 6:00 AM Central Standard Time, the news was out and the world was growing aware of the drama starting to play out.

Author’s Note: I was contending with food poisoning for the last part of this week and haven’t been able to write as much as anticipated. I’ll finish up the Collapse Scenario by Sunday. It might be condensed a little depending on my real-world responsibilities. But I’ll give it my best shot. Hope you’re all doing well. –Mike  

American Collapse Scenario Part I.

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Author’s Note: I apologize for this entry coming a day or so later than scheduled. The American Collapse scenario is laid out in timeline format over two individual parts. The first will highlight incidents and events that brought about the spark which led to the collapse. For intent and purpose, consider this entry to be a prologue.  Part II will post on Wednesday or Thursday and examine the first 1-2 years of the American Collapse era.

American Collapse Scenario- Hypothetical

  • Political polarization and social strife have brought about a period of deep incivility as the US presidential election enters its general election season. Political violence flares in isolated incidents.
  • Common ground between the Riught and Left has evaporated. Distrust rises more with every passing day that leads to Election Day.
  • In late October 202X riots break out in Cleveland, spurred by the death of a minority civilian at the hands of police. In the coming days, riots and demonstrations break out in multiple cities across the United States.
  • Election Day arrives and departs. By early Wednesday morning no winner has been declared despite the Republican candidate being ahead by considerable margins in many states. Races in battleground states are not being called. As the morning goes on, the Democratic candidate refuses to accept the results as they progress, even as the electoral count surpasses 270 in the Republican’s favor.
  • Vote counting stopped nationwide on Wednesday afternoon due to evidence of ‘discrepancies in the voting returns’ appearing in four major battleground states. The FBI takes charge of the investigation. In states led by Democrat governors, National Guards are called up to bolster law enforcement numbers dealing with the urban riots and also to protect voting centers as the investigation commences and a recount is imminent.
  • Four days after the election FBI spokespeople announced that over 3 million votes could be declared illegal and removed. This would bring about a nationwide recount almost assuredly. In Washington DC Republican politicians and lawmakers express collective outrage. Lawsuits are filed by Republicans and Democrats as it becomes clear that the election result will inevitably be determined by the Supreme Court.
  • ‘Pro-Democracy’ riots grow and escalate on the heels of ‘voter fraud’ claims and rumors. Chicago, Detroit, New York City, and other major and mid-sized cities deal with urban violence. Concurrently, demonstrations by Republicans and supporters of their presidential candidate take place. Liberal supporters in the media waste no time labeling these as ‘Anti-Democracy Riots’ that border on insurgency.
  • By the middle of November, it’s clear the FBI’s investigation is not about to uncover evidence of voter fraud. At the direction of the FBI Director, the investigation will continue.
  • It is becoming evident the Republican candidate is the winner of the election, despite the Democrats refusal to accept the results of the election. The White House has been strangely silent in recent days concerning all things election related. Still, around the United States there is a feeling among a growing number of citizens that this situation will not end peacefully or civilly no matter who is declared the winner. 
  • On the Wednesday before Thanksgiving at 8:32 AM, an explosive device detonated at the US Supreme Court. One Justice was killed and another injured, but the remaining members had yet to enter the building. Within minutes, numerous claims of responsibility from right wing or conservative groups appear on social and legacy medias. Without proof the media is assessing blame on Republican supporters and the Republican presidential candidate. When it becomes public knowledge that the deceased Justice was one of the more liberal members of the Court, the lame duck current President of the United States releases a statement at 5:30 PM Eastern Standard Time announcing that a national state of emergency and curfew will go into effect at 11 PM EST that evening.

Reality Comes A Little Too Close To Our Fiction.

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Good evening, everyone.

I am sorry for not posting in a couple of weeks. My free writing time has been severely limited, although I’ve been working on FDOA future entries lately, mainly in the form of outlines and/or notes. I swear to you that my plan was to post an entry yesterday examining another possible scenario for a second American civil war and/or American collapse. Yesterday’s assassination attempt against Former President Trump has made me rethink when to post it. I believe the nation needs a few days yet to come to terms with what took place in Butler, Pennsylvania. For this blog, I think Saturday hit a little close to home. Let’s be truthful, ladies and gentlemen. We lucked out. Had the bullet impacted an inch to the left, this country could’ve been moving towards the second civil war which we have been discussing here in recent months.

I’m thinking that Thursday will a good day to publish the conclusion of the second civil war/American collapse examples. Between now and then I will make some changes in areas I think are a little too sensitive given what has been going on. Then we’ll move forward from there.

FDOA 2.0: Second American Civil War/Collapse Sample 1: Hamilton, Massachusetts Part III

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Election Day dawned and a feeling of excitement descended upon Hamilton. Chang supporters were out in full force, speaking animatedly about the presumptive victory coming that evening, the first female president, and the new era that was about to come for all Americans. The usual catch phrases were batted around: Equality for all, freedom, civil rights. If the presidential election were to be decided solely by the good citizens of Hamilton, Wendy Chang would win by a comfortable margin, if not by a landslide.

Mom was leaving work early. Since this was Election Day schools were closed and my father had the day off. When the polls opened, he was one of the first ones in the door and proudly cast his ballot. Then made his way to the local Chang ’24 office to do whatever the volunteers there do in the final hours before the polls close. I went out for the morning and early afternoon, hanging out with Rebecca and some other friends. Chang Fever infected them to a degree, but they were nowhere near as fanatical as our parents and other adults.

Around 1:00 Mom called to let me know she was on her way back from Boston and needed my help when she arrived. Apparently, my parents had decided to throw an Election Night party at the last minute. Mom was drafting me to help with the setup. I asked her how many people were coming and she casually said fifty or so. I still have no idea how they managed to get so many people to RSVP so quickly, but they did.

I picked Mom up at the train station, took her to vote, and then spent much of the rest of the afternoon picking up food, Chang signs from the campaign office, and other decorations. There truly was no escape from the election craze on that day. Everywhere I went it was the same thing. Long lines at the polls and a lot of Chang signs and paraphernalia in yards. I texted Rebecca and casually mentioned how funny it would be if Chang ended up losing. Of course, I didn’t think that would happen, yet given how stressful this election cycle had been for me I would shed no tears if Fletcher won.

Around 6:30 the first guests started to arrive. The weather was working against my parents that night. A very early season series of snow flurries and perhaps even a squall were forecast to push through the area later in the night. That meant we probably wouldn’t be able to make much use of the patio and outdoor space. The temp was quite chilly too. By 7:30 the house was packed with people. The guest list was made up of neighbors, co-workers of my parents, and their friends from town. Teachers from my school were even there. Awkward. It seemed that word had gotten around that my parents were hosting the official North Shore Chang Election Night Party because there were Democratic politicians from surrounding towns coming by. The mayor of our town was even one of the first to drop in.

The atmosphere was festive. My parents had caterers and a buffet. Alcohol was present and being consumed but not too much. I had a few of my friends over who tagged along with their parents. Rebecca was there, and so were Jenni and Morgan. We adjourned to my room upstairs for a bit and talked about our college choices, what was happening at school, and of course guys. Downstairs, it seemed like a victory party was taking place already. Everything was good. People were enjoying themselves, and overall the night seemed destined to turn out to be one to remember fondly.

And then the returns started coming in.

The first wave of returns went essentially according to the playbook. Fletcher won traditional Republican states, and Chang took the traditional Democrat states. No battleground states were called early, but by 8:30 all of New England save Maine and New Hampshire had been called for her, along with New York, and New Jersey. Results in states like Virginia, Ohio, and some early southern states were close, and no calls were made. There was some grumbling from people who were apparently expecting the election to be over and called by 9 PM. When it didn’t happen, they made their feelings known.

At 9:30 PM the dam broke. Virginia was called for Fletcher, causing absolutely dead silence in my house. North Carolina, Florida, and New Hampshire followed soon thereafter. New Hampshire! It caused havoc in my house. Fletcher did not just win the Granite State, he won it big. My father was growing angrier as more returns came in. The rust belt states were going Republican, and suddenly Chang was not keeping up. Fletcher had 224 electoral votes by 10:30 and it was clear he was now the clear front runner.

By then the party had started to clear out a bit. The guests were quite depressed as they departed and more than a few had red eyes and tears streaking down their cheeks. Mom was beside herself with sorrow while Dad simply seemed shell shocked. Still, he was holding out hope. But Fletcher had built up a lead in electoral votes that would be difficult to overcome. Like Biden and Clinton before her, Chang was facing the hard truth that outside of rock-ribbed Democrat states in the northeast, and on the west coast, the rest of America was not buying into the Democrats platform.

A little before midnight when Fletcher was twenty electoral votes away from 270 my dad came over to where I was sitting and gave me a big hug.

“I’m so sorry,” he sobbed. “We failed you.”

I wasn’t really sure how to respond. Talk about awkward. So, I simply returned the hug and told my father, “It’s okay.”

While Dad and I shared our tender moment, my mother had gone outside and started an argument with our new neighbors across the street, the Hennes, who recently moved in and were big Fletcher supporters. Well, Mom caught the wife outside and unloaded on her. Dad and I went outside, Mr. Henne was there by this time as well. Instead of the settling things down, the men just egged them on. The Hennes called my parents liberal morons, and traitors. My parents retaliated similarly. It was fair exchange and kept on going until Mr. Henne looked down at his cellphone and started laughing uproariously.

“Iowa was just called for Fletcher. It’s official now. He’s over 270.”

I looked at my phone. Sure enough, Iowa had been called. It was now President-Elect Fletcher.

“Honey, let’s go inside. That pig Chang is probably going to concede soon. Let’s pop open some champagne and celebrate as we watch.” They went back into the house arm-in-arm.

My parents simply stood there for about another 30 seconds. Silent and numb as they absorbed the news. Then they walked inside, with me following behind, unsure of what to say if anything. They were traumatized. Caden called a short while later and he was an absolute wreck. I looked on social media to see what was happening and it was basically a civil war. Fletcher supporters were celebrating and gloating. Chang’s people were saying the election was a sham and she shouldn’t concede.

She did, however. A short while later the media reported that Wendy Chang had in fact called Fletcher, conceded and congratulated him. For better or worse, the election was over.

But the fight was only just beginning.

FDOA 2.0: Second American Civil War/Collapse Sample 1: Hamilton, Massachusetts Part I

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As a child I never fully appreciated the town I grew up in. I suppose this is a common complaint that most people lodge as they make the transition into adulthood. We gradually realize that our lives are not going to be made up of a consistent series of triumphs and rose gardens as we were led to believe when we were younger. Hamilton, Massachusetts was a wonderful town to grow up in. Its size was somewhere between a village and a small municipality, nestled on the historic North Shore of Massachusetts, not very far from the popular seacoast destination towns of Rockport, and Gloucester.

Hamilton was a town of roughly 8,000 residents, most of whom commuted into Boston every weekday morning for work. It was a commuter town, situated near highways, and home to an MBTA commuter rail station. The town was also exclusive, I guess you could say. Upper middle class and above, especially when talking about the equestrian farms and large estates that made up the eastern section of Hamilton. The downtown area was the center of town, consisting of shops, and businesses mainly owned by, and catering to the needs of local residents. There were no box stores, or major retail chains anywhere in the town limits. Those were available nearby, a short ride down Rt. 128.

The house I grew up in was on Fox Chase Drive, a wooded road directly across from Patton Park. The irony of this park’s name will become clear as my story goes on. It was a three-story colonial that gave the appearance of being far older than it was. The other homes in my neighborhood were similar in shape and size. We lived there through my entire childhood. To be honest, the house was much larger than we needed. My family unit consisted of four people: my parents, myself, and my older brother Caden.

Our neighborhood was close-knit. My parents were friendly with all of our neighbors, and close with a handful. Mom was an attorney for a firm in Boston and my father was principal of Hamilton-Wenham high school. I was part of a core group of neighborhood girls who had grown up together and forged tight friendships. As time went on and interests changed, we all went our separate ways of course, yet the neighborhood bond we had remained strong.

Hamilton was a very progressive town, which should really come as no surprise considering its location. Massachusetts in the late 20th and early 21st Centuries, truly led the way in progressive thinking and actions. We prided ourselves on our openness, and ability to accept and celebrate diversity. It didn’t seem alien or peculiar the way the town would come together to prevent an undocumented resident from being deported because of the archaic federal laws, and the animalistic instincts of the administration at the time. People with right-wing thinking generally gave Hamilton a wide berth. I mean, there was a handful of Republicans and conservatives who lived in the town, but these were Massachusetts Republicans. Mild, moderate men and women who respected human life. Not folks who screamed for walls to be built and embraced the nationalistic policies of men like Donald Trump.  

I was never what you’d consider politically astute despite the fact I came from a family of proud liberal progressives. In later 2027 and into early 2028 I was interested in the same things that most high school juniors are: getting into a good college, friends, driving in the near future…hopefully….and of course, members of the opposite sex. Unfortunately, despite the fact I wanted nothing to do with anything political, politics had everything to do with the life around us back then. A presidential election was coming up in November of 2028. Donald Trump would be leaving office after two terms, and it was generally accepted by progressives across the US that it was essential for Democrats to win in 2028 and win with a left-leaning progressive candidate. The nightmare scenario of a Republican winning and essentially cementing a third term of Trump policies couldn’t even be properly contemplated by Democrats.

In the leadup to the 2028 primaries, two dozen Democrats announced their intentions to run for president. For Democrats, it was nearly a carbon copy of 2020 when over twenty candidates cropped up in the primaries. This time, the expanding progressive wing of the Democratic party was determined to nominate a candidate who better represented its beliefs and policies. The pool of candidates included some moderates; however, the majority were dyed in the wool progressives and liberals to varying degrees.

Very early on, my parents were drawn to Wendy Chang, a first term senator from California. She was young, barely forty, a female and minority, and was a progressive who held an MBA and other advanced degrees. She was drawing a respectable amount of early support and by the time Iowa was on the horizon, Chang was slowly pulling ahead of the pack and establishing herself as a candidate to be reckoned with.

After the Winter Break 2027-28, we returned to school and were just flooded with talk about the presidential primaries. Our teachers were absolutely obsessed. When they weren’t talking up the virtues of voting, and how important this presidential election was going to be, they were quietly pushing their own favorite candidate. The level of talk at school mirrored what was going on in the media, and every day life really. People were talking about the primary race with urgency and emotion. The town’s proximity to New Hampshire only guaranteed that when the primary season started in earnest, Hamilton was primed to be a hotbed of political activity.

Schedule For FDOA 2.0 Collapse/Civil War Scenario Samples

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Okay, I’ve decided to post two samples of what a Second US Civil War scenario could look like on FDOA 2.0 if we move forward with it. The spark that ignites the conflagration comes in November of 2028, not long after bitter and contentious presidential election. From there it will be a slippery slope towards open warfare.  

Sample #1 will be a 24-year-old female discussing the buildup to civil war following the 2028 election and how it affected herself, her family, friends and hometown community of Hamilton, Massachusetts. This sample will provide some interesting background information and offer the perspective of a regular American caught up in the chaos.

Sample #2 is going to center on foreign involvement in the conflict, from the appearance of UN Peacekeepers to foreign governments and NGOs maneuvering to influence the war for their own benefit.

I’ll post these next week and see how they’re received. Have a good weekend, folks! 😊

Part II Introduction

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Part II Introduction

Evening, everyone.

Part II of the Final Days of America will start up with the first entry from Chapter 10 later this week. Part II is the next stage of the narrative, picking up on D+6, or seven days after the EMP attack against the United States. In this stage the focus of the story will begin shifting away from Christopher McAlister and the big picture to the plight of Dan Wertz and his family in Pennsylvania, and Peter Quinn who remains stuck in Denmark for the moment with his family.

I have an outline stretching from Chapter 10 through to the end of Chapter 12. What I’ll do beyond that remains to be seen. I might just wrap it up there. Or I could continue pushing ahead and see where it takes us. I’ve tried quitting this blog before and every time I do, it doesn’t take. I enjoy the subject matter a blog offers me a greater amount of freedom than professional writing does. Just ask my editor. 😊

Expect the first part of Chapter 10 to go up by Friday evening. Again, I apologize for not posting in a couple of weeks but I’ll try to stay on a fairly regular pace of posting entries through the next few weeks at least. –Mike

Final Days of America Narrative: Chapter 6 ‘Line of Succession’

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                                                            Chapter 6  

                                                       Line of Succession

“Have you talked with the Russians or Chinese?” the voice on the other end asked. This time it was the British Prime Minister, his third phone call in an hour.

“Our ambassadors in Beijing and Moscow are laying the groundwork for that now. When the Speaker gets airborne, he will make the calls.”

“Why haven’t you done it yourself, Mr. Secretary?”

“Simple. I am not the president. The first voice the Russian and Chinese hear needs to be that of the president or his designated successor. Not me.”

“Like it or not,” the PM explained. “You are the leader now, temporarily or not. I suggest that you get out in front of this now. Otherwise, a vacuum will form. America crippled and leaderless, the consequences could be catastrophic.” The man’s words originated from fears for his own nation as well as for those of his nation’s best friend.

“Which is why I have been in touch with our closest allies constantly since this began. Non-allies and potential enemies are another story though. Give it another hour, Mr. Prime Minister and you’ll have a leader to speak with.”

“The President is dead, you’ve been told. Was this confirmed?”

“It has been. As well as the Vice President and Secretary of State. The president pro tempore of the Senate was in the air on a commercial flight. We’re assuming she’s dead unless we find out otherwise. The Speaker is next in line after the vice though.” The battle staff commander appeared in the doorway of the conference room. “Mr. Prime Minister, I will be back in touch with you within the hour. Things are becoming busy here now. Goodbye.” McAlister stared up at the brigadier general.

“NAOC-Alternate is on the ground at Andrews, sir. We’re in contact crew.”

“How did it go?” McAlister asked, remembering the earlier conversation about landing in such adverse conditions.

“As well as can be expected. They’re boarding everyone now and expect to be airborne within ten minutes.”

“Ask the pilot about what things are like at the base. And what did he see around the city when they came in.”

“Would you like to talk with him, Mr. Secretary? I can connect him in here.”

“Yes.” Chris nodded his head.

“His name is Colonel Mayhew,” the general said as he set up the connection through the phone on the table. “Colonel, the Secretary of Defense is here with me. Go.”

“Mr. Secretary,” the pilot’s voice crackled through. “My name is Colonel Mayhew.”

“Evening, colonel,” McAlister spoke quickly. “Tell me about the situation on the ground there?”

“Comms are down at the base, sir. The runways are clear and operational but no aircraft here are airworthy to my knowledge. They are getting some generators going but the main power is out. We’ll be airborne soon.”

“What did the area look like when you were coming in?”

“A lot of smoke and some fires. Plane crashes. We saw debris and fire from one on the other side of the Potomac. The Beltway is packed solid with cars. ATC is down. We haven’t heard anything from the regional control center or TRACON.”

“And you did not see anything else in the air anywhere around the capital,” McAlister stated instead of forming as a question.

“There’s no one else up there, Mr. Secretary,” Colonel Mayhew confirmed. McAlister accepted his answer,

“What happens next on your end?”   

“Once we take off, we’ll climb to altitude and refuel. Then we start heading west to secure airspace unless STRATCOM changes its mind, sir”

“We might alter your orders after you’re in the air,” McAlister let him know. “How many people are you taking onboard right now?”

“Roughly fifty, sir. I can’t say for sure who all is back there. The battle staff commander will be in touch once we’re up. I know he has the White House chief of staff back there and he wants to talk to you.”

“Ok. Call us back when you’re in the air again.”

It was becoming unnaturally dark now. No streetlights came on, no lights in houses, no headlights from cars in the street. The grandfather clock in his home office said it was 7:13PM. Inside their house Lori had two hurricane lamps going, backed up by a selection of candles. Dan took one of the lamps and went out into the backyard. Right off of the walkout basement entranceway was a hand pump for the well. Every home in Winding Creek had its own well. Intended as a novelty item, the builders had included a fully functional hand pump too. It proved its worth through a few days-long power outages over previous years. The hand pump and well were nothing short of a miracle now. No matter what happened in the coming days and weeks, Dan took solace knowing his family would at least have water.

The family and their guests sat down to dinner once Dan and the others came back from Walmart. Burgers that Lori had out to thaw earlier and salad. Dan cooked them up on the grill which still had a full tank of propane. He cooked the entire dozen, encouraging everyone to eat them now before they went bad. The food in the refrigerator was cold yet. He made sure to keep the door closed off now to extend the life of the food as much as possible. Fred and Renee stayed for dinner and then Fred went back home. Renee would stay as previously decided, until her husband made it back.

Dan was of half a mind to go out and look for Sean. His neighbors were in their late thirties. Newly married after each had gone through difficult previous marriages. They were trying to have a child. Sean was a pharmaceutical salesman for a firm out near King of Prussia. He made good money, but not enough to afford a house here in Winding Creek. That’s where Renee’s parents came in. They helped with the down payment and ensured that the mortgage was paid every month without diluting their daughter and son in law’s bank accounts.

Sean had probably been somewhere on Route 222 South between Reading and Lancaster when everything went down, Dan figured. Going up there to find him was pointless with no lights and roads full of stalled vehicles. As much as he wanted to go, common sense told him to sit tight and wait. Maybe in the morning if Sean had yet to arrive, he’d revisit the issue.

He walked around the side of the house and then to the front yard, looking up at the sky. It was strangely beautiful. The clear night sky and lack of illumination on the ground just enhanced the brightness of the stars. He hadn’t seen a night sky like this since his time in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. And back then, like now, the beauty of the moment was offset by the dangers around. A soft red glow against the horizon off to the northeast gave testimony to that. A plane crash perhaps? He wondered. What the hell was going on? Now, with a free moment to think, he opened his mind to the possibilities.

The scenes on the upstairs TV just before everything took place had yielded some clues but left many important questions unanswered too. The government had been in the process of evacuating Washington, so whatever happened obviously took even the US government by complete surprise. Was it an attack? Or an unexpected solar flare? Both possibilities made sense given the sudden loss of power. EMP probably then. Nearly everything that contained electronics of some type was affected. But some cars were working. Admittedly, Dan did not know the intricate details of EMP, however, from what he saw, this looked mightily similar to what an EMP event was.

What was taking place beyond his little corner of Pennsylvania? Was the rest of the country like this? Were they at war and if so, who was the enemy? More to the point, was the US military retaliating already? His eldest son was out in the Mediterranean now aboard a destroyer. Was he in the fight now?

Dan sighed and looked up the street. Candle lights were now becoming visible in some homes. Bringing his thoughts back to the present, he thought about his own family. With what they had on hand thanks to the bankrupt Army Navy store owner, and the items he and Fred picked up that evening, they were in good shape. His neighbors might not be in good condition though, especially if whatever this was dragged out for weeks or months, God forbid. The neighbors around here certainly were not ready for this psychologically. Neither was Dan, but at least he never considered something like this to be outside of the realm of possibility. Winding Creek was a development consisting of eighty houses. The residents were upper middle class to straight up wealthy. Folks used to getting what they wanted and when they didn’t, blaming someone else for it. This golf club community was insulated from the real world. Now the real world was going to be intruding and Dan hoped his friends and neighbors were ready. A quick trip to the gun safe earlier in the evening ensured that his own weapons were ready. He’d load one handgun later and keep it close by. Lori wouldn’t like it but that was something he could handle.

The front door opened and someone walked out carefully while holding something in their hand. Through the darkness, Dan could tell it was Alex.

“Dad?” the boy called softly.

“Yeah, it’s me,” Dan answered. His son came up and stood next to him. “ How is everybody doing?”

“Good, I guess.” His son shrugged his shoulders. “Mom lit a few more candles. Her, Meagan, and Renee are sitting in the family room talking.” Dan was tempted to ask what they were talking about but left it alone. He pointed to the small square object in Alex’s hand.

“What do you have there?”

“One of the survival radios from downstairs in that box. It winds up, so I tried to get a station.”

“Any luck?”

“Nope. Only static. That’s why I came out here. Thought it might work better.” He pressed a button, wound it up and turned it on. Nothing but static across the dial. “Guess not.”

“Give it time. Keep trying every once in a while though. Sooner or later, we’ll get something.”

“I hope so,” Alex grumbled. He clicked the radio off and put it into his back pocket. He peered up and down the darkened street and then up at the sky. “Whatever happened is bad, isn’t it?” he said after a minute.

“I think so,” Dan answered reluctantly. He spoke softly so as to not disturb the tranquility around them. “Tomorrow will tell us a lot.”

“Be straight with me, Sad. What do you think is going on?” Dan always believed in never lying to family. Especially during an emergency. This situation qualified as that. So, for the next five minutes, he told his son what he believed was probably happening.

“It might not be that bad,” Dan said in conclusion. Or it could be worse, he left unsaid. “Tomorrow will tell us a lot. For now, don’t say anything about this to the ladies, ok”

            “Sure, Dad.” Alex went back to the dark sky. The kid was scared, his father knew, and for good reason. In one swoop his blanket of security had been swiped away. Life would never be the same for Alex. Or anyone else, for that matter.

“We knew Iran had nuclear weapons but not ICBMs for God’s sake. Where the hell did, they come from?”  McAlister wondered aloud. The other men sitting around the conference table wondered the same thing. For that matter, so did everyone around the world. The question was important and demanded an answer. However, further questions needed to be answered as well.

“What matters now is how many warheads and missiles they might have left.” General Warner answered. “Is this over or will there be another volley coming soon? The same goes for North Korea. Hell, the ROKs have got to be going insane right now.”

“The Israelis certainly are,” McAlister shook his head wearily. “I spoke with their PM earlier and he’s holding back for the moment. But if we waiver or take too much time retaliating they are going to turn Iran into a parking lot.” Izzo sighed. “What’s the latest on the vice and president pro tempore?”

“Sir, we haven’t heard anything from the Vice President,” the battle staff brigadier answered. “I spoke to the Secret Service a few minutes ago through the NMCC. No word.”

Chris nodded. “And Senator Hastings?” Barbara Hastings was the president pro tempore.

“Se took off from Dulles half an hour before the attack warning came in. Commercial aircraft, heading to Maine for an awards dinner. We have to assume the worst. EMP plays hell with unshielded aircraft.”

McAlister thought about that. The Speaker of the House was number three in the line of succession. If the vice president was located, she’d assume the duties of the presidency, as per the Constitution. Until then, the Speaker would be the acting president. Hell of a way for the country to get a new chief executive, but the circumstances were unusual to say the least. The phone on the desk buzzed. He lifted it.

“Yes?”

“Sir, this is the communications officer. I have the White House chief of staff on the line.”

“Put him on.”

“Stand by.” There were a few clicks and a beep, then five seconds of silence before Frank Browne’s voice came through.

“Chris?”

“Hey Frank. How are you doing?” McAlister nearly laughed at the greeting he gave, given the situation.

“About as well as can be expected. What the hell is going on?”

“Are you in the air yet? Have you been briefed?”

            “First answer: Yes. Just took off from Andrews not long ago. Second: No. People are still getting situated. The Air Force colonel with me is setting a brief up in the conference room for everyone in ten minutes. When I got on board, I said I wanted to speak to you as soon as I could. Is the President with you?”

Jesus, he doesn’t know, McAlister realized. Well, there was no time to soften the blow.  “He’s not here. Frank. There’s a lot going on. The briefing will get you up to speed but for now here’s the situation in a nutshell, for your ears only. The President is dead.” He outlined the attack, the discovery of Marine One and then got to the next order of business. “We haven’t been able to find the Vice President yet. They’re looking, but no idea how long it will be. The Speaker of the House is next in line. You’d better get him to the phone now. He’s the acting president.”

“Shit,” Browne whispered softly as the magnitude of what was happening struck home. “Chris, there’s something you should know,” he said after ten further seconds of silence.

“What is it?”

“The Speaker is incapacitated. Once he realized what had happened it triggered a nervous breakdown. His family was on a flight coming back from vacation down in the Caribbean. The flight surgeon here had to sedate him heavily. He’s in no condition to assume the duties now.”

“Oh, God, “ McAlister groaned.

“The president pro tempore?”

“She was in the air so we’re assuming she didn’t make it.”

“Okay. Well,…SecState is out,” Browne continued on, mentally ticking off a list. “Treasury is empty at the moment. Which leaves….”

“Me,” Chris answered flatly. “I’m next.”

“You are. I know you might not like it, Chris. But the country needs you. You’re the president.”

“Brief everyone there. I’ll get back to you in a few.” He hung up and turned to the battle staff commander. “Talk to the aircraft commander and then Omaha. Have NAOC-Alternate head to Barksdale. We’ll rendezvous with them . And have General Coleman get another aircraft to DC as soon as possible.”
“Yes Sir. Anything else?” McAlister thought for a minute.

“Yeah. Make sure there’s a judge waiting for us in Louisiana.”