by Kurt Winans
“That would be the goal of the United States Mr. Ambassador. What can we do to rectify the misunderstanding?”
“In accordance with your statement of simply wishing to get out of our way in regard to vacating sovereign Texas soil, I have an easy solution for you that would help us both to enhance our friendly relationship.”
“And what would that be Mr. Ambassador?”
“We would like the United States to vacate all of their active and inactive military bases and installations present on Republic of Texas soil. In addition, we request that you surrender all future rights or claims to them.”
During the early morning hours of Thursday January seventh, President Harwell sat at his desk in the oval office and listened with great interest to a verbal accounting by his Secretary of State. The man’s report in regard to his initial meeting with the Republic of Texas Ambassador had been comprehensive, while also containing more than one element of surprise. The Secretary had begun by listing the topics that he and the Ambassador had discussed and subsequently agreed upon.
One such agreement was that the two countries would keep their borders open toward each other for the entire calendar year of 2027. As a consequence there would be no need for a citizen of either nation to obtain a passport for the purpose of entering the United States from Texas or vice versa. Both parties had also agreed to revisit that position for the calendar year of 2028 and beyond, but unless there had been numerous security breaches within the coming year, each man believed that there would be no need to alter the contract. The terms of that agreement were conditional of course, and based on a mutual concession that the border with Mexico along the Rio Grande River would require vigilant monitoring for security purposes. It was further penned into doctrine that the financial responsibility, and the necessary manpower for the task, would fall solely upon the Republic of Texas. In return Texas would receive a formal apology from the United States for having inadvertently jeopardized the security of that border region, but the apology would contain verbiage stating that the cause had been via an accidentally non-communicated withdrawal of protective agents during the first hours of the New Year.
As to the surprises of the report, President Harwell had, and would continue to, ponder over the implications of them. The Secretary revealed the previously unknown identity of the Ambassador, and even though the President hadn’t ever really seen eye to eye with the former Senator, he realized that the man was a seasoned professional who should not be taken lightly. The second, and more significantly important of the surprises, came when the Secretary informed the President of what had essentially been a demand from the Republic of Texas.
Although the Ambassador’s request of the United States was initially thought by the President to be a ridiculous suggestion, the Secretary maintained a contrary opinion. His argument centered on the importance of maintaining friendly relations with Texas beyond what had already been exhibited. That could be accomplished while demonstrating a level of trust between the two governments by yielding to Texas in this matter. To further stress his point the Secretary mentioned that since the United States had already abandoned every other government facility within Texas, vacating and turning over the military bases could be spun as a logical move. The Secretary understood that the logistics of vacating numerous bases and facilities would be difficult, while also admitting that he couldn’t fully comprehend the magnitude of doing so without additional information.
Much to the President’s surprise, that belief of relinquishing the bases was echoed throughout the next few hours by Christopher Westin and several members of the President’s most trusted inner circle. That circle included Mrs. Dawson, with her sage advice providing the final validation that such a course of action could be prudent. His circle had each, in their own way, reminded the President of the benefits that could be gained by such a gesture of good will, while at the same time pointing out that there was no call for any United States military forces to be present in Texas. The newly reborn republic was not an enemy of its former parent nation, nor did any of the many bases within its defined borders, with the possible exception of a few, offer any strategic advantage with regard to the region. In short, an operating base within Texas was far less relevant to the present military agenda of the United States than one much closer to Syria.
Their argument had merit to be sure, but to state an opposing thought, the President was quick to point out one glaring factor. In his opinion, abandoning a military base anywhere in the world, whether on friendly soil or not, could be viewed by hostile nations as a weakness. Privately Jordan Harwell believed that the danger in such a perception could prove to be significant in the future, as although it was widely recognized that Syria was the major point of focus at the time being, the day could come when military forces of the United States would need to respond to an alternative threat. However in spite of that personal belief, the President had been swayed to the view of the majority.
As there were no other scheduled meetings within the upcoming hour, President Harwell took advantage of the time afforded him after the Secretary had departed. While further contemplating the major topic of the morning, he had Mrs. Dawson place a call to the office of Vice President Sutherland. Once the connection had been made, his instructions to that office were to have the Vice President break away from presiding over the current Senate session immediately. He further stressed an imperative need for the Vice President to call the President so they could discuss a matter of vital importance. Although it was no secret to those close at hand that the two men hadn’t always agreed on a wide range of topics, they had always found a way to work beyond those differences for the betterment of their party affiliation and the country at large. However that seemingly unified front as perceived by many within the American public, false though it may have been, had been strained to the point of change during the course of the nearly two months since the attack upon the three military academies. As a result of that strain, Vice President Sutherland was noticeably upset at having been called away immediately to speak with his boss as opposed to waiting until the upcoming lunch break.
The brief conversation with President Harwell then revealed a rather shocking request, but without letting on that he actually agreed with the decision, Vice President Sutherland obediently carried out the desire of his superior. That desire had been to place top priority within the Senate discussions of the afternoon toward the question of closing all military bases in Texas, and he hoped that any deliberation of the proposal would be expedient. The President wanted the Senate to vote in favor of such a motion, and if possible, to do so within the upcoming week.
From his post within the oval office, Agent Bishop had listened to everything that had been discussed. He thought that his opinion could be solicited by the President at any moment, but unfortunately that opportunity never arose. Although Heath had his doubts as to the wisdom of the President’s decision, his professionalism to duty kept him from offering any comment on those doubts without an invitation to do so. At the present time he possessed only small fragments of evidence to support his gut feeling, so bringing forth his opinion could be occupational suicide. However there was something about the intentions of Texas that troubled him.
Following his discussion with the President, a thought of opportunity knocking suddenly occurred to Vice President Sutherland. Before returning to the Senate chamber, he decided to savor a few quiet moments in a secluded office to mull over the implications of that opportunity and how it could best be utilized. Based on what he deemed to be a serious fracturing of their relationship during the previous month, the Vice President had spent some time thinking about President Harwell and if they belonged on the same re-election ticket for the fall of 2028.
Some within the beltway felt it had become obvious that the terrorist attacks of the past November had rightfully taken a toll on the President, but the subsequent secession of Texas roughly seven weeks later had been an even more unthinkable act.
The latter of those two events, and how it had been received, had become the prime catalyst for the problems which were festering between the two most highly elected officials in the land. Added to that strain, at least in the mind of Vice President Sutherland, was the verbal threat of unworthiness toward him that the President had expressed in the process. Times in the White House had not been easy of late, as the nation which existed when President Harwell won the election of 2024 was no more. America’s way of life had been threatened, and quite frankly, punched in the mouth by an enemy both foreign and domestic. Therefore the stress level normally associated with the thankless job of Chief Executive had become magnified. As a consequence it was unclear at the current time as to whether the President could, or would, be able to emerge from the resulting cloud that hung over him. Regardless of that debatable point, the Vice President needed to determine if he would stand as a friend, or foe, throughout the potentially turbulent process.
Accordingly, his thoughts then turned to what would happen if he chose the former. Should his posture as a humble subordinate and friend be recognized and accepted, then he could continue in his current capacity as Vice President. If President Harwell subsequently maintained enough popularity and faith from the American people to secure a second term in office, then Vice President Sutherland could use those years of additional experience, and the probable endorsement of his boss, for both a resume and platform builder in his 2032 attempt at higher office.
There were other scenarios to ponder, as the aforementioned stress now heaped upon the President might lead to failing health. Should he meet with an untimely death, it would vault the Vice President into the role of President at an earlier time than planned. For that matter there was always the possibility of assassination, but that was unlikely with the level of protection afforded to the Chief Executive. To be honest, that was an extremely negative way to think about how he could ascend to the Presidency, and in response Vice President Sutherland inwardly scolded himself for entertaining such thoughts. After all, if he did ascend to the office of President in such a negative manner, that same horrific fate could be waiting for him via the efforts of another misguided individual.
Putting ascension to the Presidency by default aside, there was also the possibility of President Harwell losing his bid for a second term in 2028. If that were to be the case, then the political career of the Vice President would be left as little more than dead in the water. Sure he could make an attempt at the lecture tour for large appearance fees as many of his political predecessors had done, but that was not his ambition. Conversely, Vice President Sutherland could decide to stand as a foe to the President. Although he had no knowledge of current discussions which could lead to the man’s resignation or impeachment, perhaps something could be mustered up which could entice people to discuss the subject. Then by having distanced himself from the President, he could avoid being pulled down into the quagmire with him.
Regardless of standing as friend or foe, Vice President Sutherland realized that there was another thought to consider in regard to his own status. Even if President Harwell were to remain in office, he may not be the choice as his running mate for the election which now stood less than two years away. Should such vital information be withheld from him for a prolonged period of time, the result could be detrimental. The party would nominate their chosen candidate at the convention in eighteen months, and if much more of that time passed without an announcement of intent, it would be nearly impossible to mount a serious challenge of his own.
While returning to the Senate chambers after realizing that the matter needed more complete thought, the Vice President also realized that he could get an early read on the situation by testing the waters. Although it could be considered as a risk to do so, he jumped at the chance to use the President’s proposal of Texas military base abandonment to his own advantage.
When subsequently bringing the matter to the attention of the Senate, Vice President Sutherland sought support for a potential future run at the White House and his own Presidency by exhibiting strength of leadership. He did so by suggesting that President Harwell had failed to recognize an important aspect within the proposal, but that it could be rectified. By surrendering to Texas all of the bases within her borders, that action could, and most probably should, be utilized by the United States for leverage as a future bargaining chip. After all, Texas still possessed a significant portion of what had previously been part of the domestic oil supply within the United States. He knew that any potential accessible and inexpensive energy source to help feed the nations insatiable hunger was always of concern to the American voting public, so the opportunity for one such source should not be overlooked. Although that commodity of oil now lay buried in foreign soil, Vice President Sutherland felt there was no need to jeopardize the future availability of those reserves by not giving Texas everything that she wanted.
With his most pressing concerns of the new Texas constitution neatly wrapped up from the long sessions of the previous four days, Samuel left Austin early Friday morning for his return drive to the Tillman family mansion. Even if he had wanted to use it, which was rarely the case when traveling back and forth to Austin, his jet was not available at the present time. His two daughter-in-law’s, Ashley and Courtney, had taken the three youngest of his grandchildren to Colorado on the previous Sunday for a week of some post new year skiing and winter fun. Having other members of the family use the Gulfstream G280 was almost never a problem for Samuel, and in this case he had actually given them his blessing to do so, but he had placed a condition upon the duration of their trip. He would need the plane for business matters on the upcoming Tuesday, so it was imperative that they returned with the plane no later than the afternoon of Monday the eleventh.
Throughout the years Samuel had enjoyed the commute to and from Austin by way of car whenever possible, as the drive of roughly two hundred miles through small towns and open Texas landscape gave him time to think. More often than not he would also stop for a break or a meeting at College Station, which in his mind was an added bonus. Therefore the absence of his jet provided Samuel with another opportunity for such a journey, but on this particular trip, one hugely significant item would make it more exhilarating than any of the countless others.
Based partly on Samuel’s close relationship with many senior members of the Texas government structure, coupled with a quite insistent level of persuasion toward number five that his recommended sites were the most logical choices, Samuel’s proposal to her for each of the three was quickly ratified on Thursday afternoon. Then by decree of number five Samuel was offered the opportunity of informing the administrative hierarchy of Texas A&M University of their decision in person, and he gladly accepted the honor.
Soon after arriving in his familiar old stomping grounds of College Station, Samuel made his way toward the offices of the University President to request an unscheduled audience. His request was welcomed, and when shaking the man’s hand moments later, Samuel uttered the words, “Congratulations are in order for you and this fine institution sir.”
“Well thank you Samuel. Although congratulations are always welcome from you, I’m not aware of any reason why you would be offering them today.”
“I understand my old friend, but don’t feel bad. You could not possibly have known in advance of this glorious news. Just believe me that you will be overjoyed, and that my congratulations are more than justified.”
“Alright then Samuel, you have my attention. What is this glorious news?”
“My desire of many years, and surely that of others, will come to fruition in the near future. Texas A&M University’s College Station campus has been rightfully selected by the Legislature in Austin as the site for our republics version of West Point.”
After a few seconds of silence followed by a gulp of astonishment, the University President replied, “Excuse me!”
“You heard me.”
“Are you serious Samuel? This Coll
ege Station campus is to become a full-fledged military academy?”
“Yes it will. Well that is to say, not exactly.”
“That’s rather vague Samuel. Could you please explain what you mean?”
“Of course, as clarity is paramount. Let me begin with the role of College Station.”
“The role of College Station? Are there additional roles?”
“Yes. Texas A&M as an entity will play multiple roles in the future, but it will all begin here. The College Station campus and its facilities will serve as our main military academy, while also continuing to provide, as it always has, a wide range of educational disciplines beyond those of military endeavors. This will ensure that the desires of all those who are enrolled will be met. After all, we don’t want those current or future students who meet our admission criteria to attend a different institution if they can pursue their ambitions here.”
“Alright Samuel, I see your point.”
“Excellent. Now the Legislature has also decided that the scope within the Corps of Cadets will be magnified and their numbers expanded as we move forward.”
“So how much expansion are we talking about?”
“A few thousand I should think, and the desire of the Legislature is to have that increase in the Corps of Cadets take place at the beginning of the next academic year.”
“But that’s slightly more than seven months from now. That will be a huge challenge of reorganization given such a brief timetable.”
“Indeed, but you have capable underlings to move things along. And perhaps the Tillman fund can help with what is needed to make that reorganizational goal a reality.”