The Night

by Steinwachs, Mark

  The room was silent other than sobs from Tom Kimball. Janice watched on her monitor, only seeing as much as the camera showed. No one spoke. The faces she could see looked much like Tom’s—puffy eyes, slouched bodies, worn and defeated.

  The president wiped his hand across his cheek and stood. His gaze went around the room and then to Janice’s monitor. He was in his early fifties but looked ten years younger, his black hair kept short and styled. His green eyes—they caught her, like they caught everyone. In an instant she felt him read her. His stare was too much. As she was about to look away, he looked at the table.

  Janice watched the president raise his hand and slam it against the polished wood. She jumped, as did the two other people in her office. Everyone Janice could see on her monitor looked at the president.

  Eyes still downward, the president spoke. “We have all lost loved ones this morning,” his voice low and crisp, “I watched—watched as the Secret Service shot my wife, my son. They killed them. I saw it.” He looked up, unable to hold back tears, but his voice never wavered. “They are gone. I do not know what happened to them. I do know that the last time I saw my wife and son was last night before I went to sleep. What I saw this morning, I do not know. I will find out. We will find out.”

  He stopped and looked across the room. Janice watched, waited. Her office was silent. The others stood behind her, watching the monitor as well. Drawn to it.

  The president continued, “You will lead this nation. You will do it right now. Each one of you made the decision to be leaders of men,” his voice twisted, anger around the edge of it. “You can see what is going on around us. Do you think that you are alone in this? Do you think that there is one person right now that is unaffected by this—this—outbreak? We do not have time to grieve. You will do your jobs. Is everyone clear on that? Use the hurt, the anger, focus that energy, and lead this nation with me. I need you, each one of you. You are all here for a reason. We move forward and we do it now. The question is, what is our first step?”

  President Lansing stood still. No one said anything. One minute passed. Two.

  “No one has anything to say? No one? Fine, since those I’ve trusted to advise me sit in silence, here is what we are going to do. All government, military, and emergency personnel will report to their stations and be on call until further notice. We will instruct everyone to stay in their houses or someplace safe for the next forty-eight hours. That will give us two days to figure out what the hell is going on.

  “Mr. President,” Senator Paulson began, his southern drawl dragging out each word, “to lock the country down, tell everyone—everyone—to stay in their homes, that is not only impossible, but unacceptable. It sounds as though you intend to take this country hostage, scare the American people, and then you can save the day.”

  A few of the others in the room nodded in agreement.

  The president stared at Senator Paulson, his eyes slightly widening, then narrowing. He took one more breath before speaking. “Your comment is noted, Senator. But that is not what is going to happen. We are going to get all emergency, military, and government officials to their post. After two days, all of us will decide how to proceed. But we need time to figure out what is happening first.”

  “I’ll tell you what is happening,” said someone from behind the camera. Janice couldn’t see who, but the male voice sounded familiar. “Homeland Security dropped the ball big time and any minute a video is going to surface from a goddamn cave where some faction or another is going to claim responsibility.”

  Director Kimball looked up and opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

  The voice went on. “I told you this would happen. I’ve been saying it for years. We are weak and they saw that. Once again, the mighty United States has been attacked by terrorists and your precious Homeland Security was powerless to stop it. We need to end this now, Mr. President.” The voice began to get louder, and Janice realized who it was. George Benson, the highest rated talk radio host in the country. Janice despised him, not because he was too far left or too far right, but because he was too extreme in whatever way he wanted to be that day. What the hell was he doing there?

  Director Kimball bellowed with rage and lunged out of his chair. He dove past the camera and Janice couldn’t see what was going on. It sounded like a chair hit the wall, multiple voices filled the room now. Janice could hear the scuffle, but her attention was on the president. He stood there. His lips pursed. He closed his eyes.

  “Enough of this!” President Lansing said. The room went silent again. “Get up, both of you. Feel better now, Director Kimball? What about you, George? This isn’t your radio show. We all need to work together. Would anyone care to tell me what type of terrorist attack this is, please? Well?”

  George spoke again. “I am not the expert on terrorists, that’s your guys’ department.” He nodded at Director Kimball.

  The president cut in. “I said enough of that, George. Try again.”

  “As I was saying, I’m not an expert on terrorist attacks, but just because we don’t know what it is right now doesn’t mean it isn’t one. What else could it be?”

  Janice saw a few of the others nodding. She knew what it could be. No. She knew what it was. Now she had to somehow convince the people in that room.

  President Lansing took over once more. “So, Mr. Benson thinks it’s a terrorist attack. If it is, what did they do? That still doesn’t explain what is going on. People are going crazy and attacking each other. And it’s all over the country, and it happened all at once.” He looked at Janice, then over to Surgeon General Young and General Coleman. “Any thoughts from the medical community?”

  General Coleman began. “We have nothing solid as of yet. We are gathering information as fast as we can. We need at least another—”

  “Nothing solid?” Senator Martha Adams cut in. “Nothing solid? What more do you want? People have gone crazy. It’s obviously some kind of mind control. Who knows what your kind can cook up these days.”

  “My kind? What do you mean, Senator?”

  “You know what I—”

  Another voice cut in. “How dare you insult—”

  Another one. “The Senator is right. It’s got to be some kind of—”

  Voices got louder, overlapping each other. The tone started to change, getting rough, aggressive. “Republican lies” and “Democratic Party bullshit” rang out like gunshots. Janice watched as President Lansing rubbed his temples. He didn’t say a word.

  She looked at the other two people in her office. “Now?” she mouthed to them. They both shrugged. Real helpful, thanks, guys. Well, I bet I can shut them up for a moment.

  “Zombies.”

  The president’s head turned in her direction. His eyebrows raised.

  “Zombies,” Janice repeated. No one heard her over the commotion, no one except the president.

  He slammed his palms hard against the table. The noise resonated over the voices and once more the room went silent. “I believe Dr. Boshifski has something to say. I don’t think I heard her right because—well, please say that again, Doctor.”

  Everyone looked at her now. She saw General Coleman nod slightly. Did he know? Did they know already?

  “Zombies,” Janice said.

  Silence.

  Janice looked around the room. Is my mic off?

  “Zombies. They are zombies,” she said once more.

  “We heard you, little lady,” Senator Paulson said. “I believe I can speak for the group when I say, that is impossible.”

  “My name is Dr. Boshifski, Senator. You will kindly address me as such.” Janice’s voice was cold and clinical. “If you speak for the group, then I will leave this meeting now, as I have no reason to be here.” She looked directly at President Lansing.

  He locked eyes with her and said, “He does not speak for the group. But, Dr. Boshifski, you claim that there has been an attack on American soil by creatures from horror stories. You have thirt
y seconds to state your case or I will remove you from this meeting.”

  Janice wasted no time. “People are going crazy and attacking each other, yes? They are also biting each other, which is being glossed over at this point. My team has been in contact with area hospitals and has spoken with doctors and nurses that we trust and have worked with for years. They say patients have died and then come back in this ‘crazy’ state. Died, come back, and then attacked and bit people. What does that sound like? I was tasked by the CDC five years ago to study the probability of a ‘zombie-like’ outbreak. There have been rumors of this kind of research going on since the 1950s. There has been no proof, of course. My team and I have the most accurate information at this moment.”

  She took a deep breath and continued. “We are getting reports in from other hospitals all over the country of the same types of occurrences. The early reports are that the only way to stop these people is to destroy their brain. Take them out at their head. What we don’t know at this point is how it started, where it started, how fast it takes to turn, how it spreads. We do have theories for that one, though. I can’t see it any other way. Fiction has become reality.”

  Janice stopped. She didn’t know how close she was to her thirty seconds but she had made her point.

  Senator Paulson spoke. “Now, Dr. Boshifski, that sounds very interesting and I’m sure there are thousands of teenagers who would be most enthralled by that statement, but I am not one of them.”

  General Coleman spoke up. “She is right, Senator. USAMRIID has been kept abreast of this study by the CDC since its inception. I do not want to believe it either but what limited evidence we have points that direction. Now, what do we do about it?”

  “Have you all lost your minds?” the Senator replied. “You know what? Never mind. Mr. President, please tell the country we have been attacked by zombies. When we have found the real reason, you will look the fool.”

  “Senator Paulson,” the president said, “now is not the time to play Democrats versus Republicans. If you feel you have something to gain out of what is happening to our country right now, then so be it. If any of you in this room are going to try to use what is happening for personal gain, then you are to leave right now. We do not have time for such petty things. The country is being attacked by something that, at every indication we have right now, is zombies. If that is truly what is happening, then we are facing a danger greater than we ever have before. Every course of action we decide upon from this moment forward will be forever scrutinized. Each one of you in this room will be looked at by generations long after we are gone. How will they look at you? What will they say?”

  Senator Adams spoke up. “You can’t be serious, Mr. President. You are going to lock down the country and tell the American public we are being attacked by zombies? That is ridiculous. I will not be a part of this.” She stood and began to walk out of the room.

  “Senator Adams, you may leave if you wish, but if you breathe a word of this to anyone, I will have you tried for treason. Is that clear?” President Lansing said, his eyes on hers.

  He waited for her next move, but Senator Paulson spoke up instead. “How dare you threaten her, Mr. President. She is one of the most respected members of the Senate!” He pushed himself out of his chair and took two steps forward. He stood at arm’s length from President Lansing. No one else in the room moved.

  “No, Mr. President, you will not threaten her like that. You do not have the power for that. You speak of the greater good of the country and yet here you are, twisting everything to give yourself more power.”

  President Lansing closed his eyes and lowered his head. “No, Senator Paulson,” his voice a harsh whisper. “How dare you? Did you watch your family die today? Well, I did. I saw it with my own eyes. What Dr. Boshifski said is true. Horrible. Vile. Unbelievable. But true.” He looked up and opened his eyes, now red and watery as he fought back tears. “I do not seek more power, but I will do what I have to, to protect our nation. Do you understand that, Senator? I don’t care if you hate me. I don’t have time for such bullshit right now. I have to protect as many citizens as I can and I need all of your help to do it.” He looked around the room. “Now, go if you want. Your selfish actions will follow you for the rest of your days. I will see to that.”

  Both senators sat back in their chairs. The president wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. “Please. We all must work together. Our world changed in a way no one in this room could imagine. There is no time for party lines or secret handshakes and back-end deals. From here forward we will truly be one united nation.”

  Janice watched President Lansing sit in his chair, he seemed to have aged in the last few minutes. People in the room shifted in their seats. She wiped the tears that had started falling. He was right. Nothing would ever be the same again. She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked behind her. William looked at her and Garrett stood beside him. No one in that room could have imagined this, but the three of us could, she thought. We have. I hoped we were wrong.

  “Dr. Boshifski?”

  Janice turned back to the monitor. “Yes, Mr. President?”

  “I need you to say it one more time. I do not want anyone—ever—to be able to question our actions from here forward. Tell me, Doctor, what is happening in the United States of America?”

  The hand on her shoulder squeezed tighter. She looked at the men she saw on camera. General Coleman gave her a hint of a nod and Janice answered the president. “The United States of America has been attacked by zombies.”

  “Thank you, Dr. Boshifski. Now you will tell the American people that.”

  The Burden

  It’s very easy to look back and say why didn’t the government do this or why did they choose to do that? It’s easy to second-guess. Instead, we should admire the strength and courage our leaders possessed, knowing that every word, every sentence would be judged. The men and women who led the nation were like every other American, dealing with loss and confusion. For a minute, really think about the decisions our leaders had to make. Remember the backlash they got from the American public over the curfew, the rationing, the loss of life at the hands of zombies and humans alike. Imagine having to choose what cities got the limited resources. Watching as country after country slammed their borders shut, cutting off all ties, and condemning America.

  The Night was not the death of America. We are here today, recovering and growing stronger.

  Each one of us grew up reading about the struggles of our country, the Revolution, the Civil War, the Great Depression, and I could go on. But every one of us in this room lived through the last decade. Years from now students will read about The Night and the names of our leaders will be etched alongside the men that shaped our great nation: Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Roosevelt; men who carried this country with strength and conviction through the most bleak times in our history.

  The man that carried us through those early days ten years ago still leads us, President Stephen Lansing. I am truly honored that he has taken time to be here today.

  Mr. President, I have spent many nights trying to come up with words that express my feelings for what you have done and had to endure. I keep coming back to one phrase. One simple, honest phrase.

  Thank you.

  Excerpt from “The Decade”

  Dr. Rudolph Graham

  The president stood behind the door, prepared to re-enter the War Room. It had been an hour since he left. He needed more time but they were waiting on him. For him to lead them. He knew his first few decisions would shape history forever. Since dawn he had watched his family killed by Secret Service agents, consoled cabinet members, communicated with world leaders, conferred directly with the top minds in the medical community, and then focused his attention on the men and women on the other side of the door to debate where the country goes from there.

  He wasn’t the only one to have experienced loss that morning, everyone had. The difference? He was the President o
f the United States of America and he would lead. He would be strong for the country, strong for his people. He would act with conviction and purpose. He would stand up for his actions and not back down. He would take the hate and go to sleep each night knowing he was doing the best he could for his beloved country. He would hold on to the belief that the hate would turn to understanding over time. That’s all he could ever hope for after what he would have to do.

  He looked at his watch. It was 12:30 in the afternoon. His country was fighting the urge to erupt into chaos, and no matter how appropriate his decisions may be, it might still end up that way. He took one last deep breath and opened the door.

  A voice in the War Room announced President Lansing’s return. The assembled group settled themselves wherever they could. There were maps and classified documents strewn throughout the room, walls of monitors showed feeds from news agencies across the world, but none of that mattered now, he had learned everything he could from them. With a calm confidence he walked the few steps to his chair. He stopped behind it and instead of sitting, he pushed the chair to the side and stood at the head of the table.

  Everyone watched the president. He was a striking figure at six foot four inches tall. In his early fifties he still had a toned athlete’s body. His vibrant green eyes—that’s what many people said won him the election—were windows into his being, exposing his emotion, his sincerity. It had been said that he would be the only honest president; his eyes would give away any lie he tried to tell.

  President Lansing stood before them: cabinet members, congressmen and women, senators, justices of the Supreme Court, generals, and doctors. He looked at them, into them. The room filled with a reserved intensity. The infighting of the previous meeting melted away. The room was filled with nervous tension and fear. He was glad, fear would lead them in the right direction. The fear he saw in his group was not about losing their jobs or even their lives. It was the thought of losing the country they loved. He knew this select assembly would follow his lead and help guide this great nation through the tough times ahead.