by Gini Koch
Rohini came over as I began to calm down. “Is it inappropriate for us to offer assistance?” he asked me as Mom and I unclenched.
“I don’t think so, why?”
“If you recall, my people are the ones who provide the humanitarian assistance to the other planets when they need it. Perhaps we can help in some way.” Nice to see that the universal translator was working well, because I doubted that Rohini had said the word “humanitarian” in reality.
“It’s certainly worth a shot. I don’t know where the medical facilities are, though.”
White called Alfred over, and he agreed to escort Rohini and Bettini to the medical center.
“Where are they going?” a male reporter who’d gotten close to us asked. Looked around. Most of the press corps, like everyone else, was crying or looking stricken. Oliver was talking to Raj and looking like he was only holding it together because he was forcing himself to.
Mom and White did a fast fade. Clearly it was time for me to First Lady Up and deal with this without support. Go team.
Examined this guy. He looked upset. He was also young. Decided he was probably trying to keep his job. “To see if they can help.”
“Can they raise the dead?” The reporter seemed serious and rather hopeful.
“No, I don’t think so. They’re not E.T., they’re real people.” There were more reporters around us now. Not the entire press corps, but enough to ensure that whatever I said was going to be in or on more than one paper or TV channel.
“They’re giant, colorful penguins.” Again, he seemed serious.
“To us. But they’re people, just like all of us are. Sentient beings who feel their calling is a humanitarian one. Sort of like the Alpha Centauri System’s Red Cross.”
The reporters around me started talking and I put my hand up. They shut up. Amazing. If only that move worked all the time.
“Look, the President of our country and my good friend has just died in front of us. I’m not really in the mood to give you sound bites right now, and I can guarantee that no one else is, either. Please, show some respect and back off. Stop doing your jobs for these few minutes and just act like real people, okay? You’ll still have your jobs in the morning, but you’ll also still have your humanity.”
Then I turned my back on them and headed for Jeff.
CHAPTER 65
JEFF WAS TALKING with Mom, Chuckie, Cleary, Gower, Oliver, Raj, Ariel, White, Christopher, and the remainder of the Planetary Council, though Alexander was more “in” the group and the rest were sort of forming a protective core. Realized they were mostly warriors and that they were grouped around everyone else this way intentionally.
“Justice Quinn is here,” Cleary said as I joined them and took Jeff’s hand. He gave my hand a squeeze and I squeezed back.
A middle-aged black woman with a cute, short haircut dressed in a navy suit was being escorted in by A-C Field agents and Secret Service. Cleary hadn’t been exaggerating about the justice being raced over. Presumed they’d gotten her here via a gate.
Quick introductions were made. “I brought my Bible from home,” Justice Quinn said. “Just in case. Is that alright for you?”
Gower, who was on Jeff’s other side, nodded. “Your personal Bible is fine. The Bible was used when Jeff was sworn in as a Representative and Vice President.”
“Let’s get the press assembled then,” she said. “It’s a terrible tragedy, but I do know that everyone will want to see the pictures and video of this historic event. Not only are you the first President since Johnson to have to be sworn in this way, Mister Martini, but you’re also the first President whose lineage is from another planet.”
“Our first alien in chief,” Oliver said with some pride. “I’ll get the rest of the press corps ready.” He left the stage and went to his brethren. Hopefully to tell them to behave and act like grown-ups.
Precedent required that the About To Be Former First Lady be present. Mom and White went to get Elaine.
“We need to get a quarantine in place,” Jeff said. “Did anyone tell you about that?” he asked Justice Quinn.
She nodded. “Yes, Governor Cleary said that the C.I.A. felt that quarantine was necessary. However, this is, as I said, both necessary and historic. I’ll take my chances.”
Getting everything and everyone ready took what felt like forever but was, in reality, only about an hour. During that time I sent a text to Dad, asking if Mom had been sick before we’d left for Florida. Because if she had been, then Dad had been exposed and that meant no one in the Embassy was actually safe.
Thankfully, the answer was in the negative. So whether that meant that Mom hadn’t been in the room when Cliff had released the bioweapon, or if she hadn’t incubated it long enough the first time, I didn’t know.
She and Lucinda were literally holding Elaine up. I didn’t want to pull my mother away, but I had to. Jeff picked up what I wanted and he went to Elaine and hugged her, effectively holding her up and allowing me to grab Mom.
“When did you start feeling sick?” I asked her as soon as we were relatively alone. Motioned for Chuckie to join us, which he did.
“On the train, why?”
“Chuckie and I are worried that this is the result of a bioweapon. I’m trying to determine if Dad’s been exposed or not. Jeff wasn’t until the train, at least as far as we can tell.”
“We believe that’s why we were attacked,” Chuckie added. “So people would be in a confined space while the President and others were still in the contagious phase of the disease.”
Mom looked thoughtful. “When do you think it was originally released?”
“In the meeting you all were in regarding the message from the Planetary Council. Chuckie wasn’t there because he was shadowing Cleary.”
“But you think it was released after Jeff left the room, right?” Mom asked. I nodded. “Huh. I left the room, too. Charles had advised me of what had happened and I stepped out to ensure that all Agencies were put onto higher alert status.”
“When did you go back in?” Chuckie asked.
“I didn’t actually,” Mom said slowly. “Ariel, Fritzy, and Monica relayed information to me while I was out.” Fritzy was Fritz Hochberg, the Secretary of Defense. “I have two phones with me at all times, so I was on with them while I was relaying information to the Agencies.”
We all had two phones now, too, but that was so we could hide activity from our Secret Service details. That said details hadn’t strangled all of us yet was a testament to their dedication to duty.
“So I’m betting the Mastermind released it when he did for two reasons, one being that at least two people he wanted to infect had already left the room. He couldn’t delay because more people might take off, too, to do what you were doing but with their own people.”
“What’s the other reason?” Mom asked.
Looked at the Planetary Council. “So he’d have someone really easy to blame.”
Chuckie nodded. “I agree with Kitty, Angela.”
“We’re still in the realm of speculation,” Mom said. “I realize that it looks likely, but since we only have two dead, it’s not a definitive pattern.”
“Except that we know about the death virus that Lizzie’s traitor father was creating. I’m willing to bet all my Megalomaniac Girl Credits that the Conspiracy King and I are right again, Mom. That bioweapon has been created, and the Mastermind has the antidote and has taken it himself. Clearly the disease takes about a week to kill those it’s infected.”
“Buchanan and I verified that everyone who was in that meeting is sick,” Chuckie said. “Including people we’d think would have been given the antidote.”
“Like Strauss, honestly. She came on with an emotional overlay, meaning she wasn’t on our side. But she’s the first casualty, meaning she wasn’t given the antidote.”
> “Neither was Langston Whitmore,” Chuckie said. “Unless he’s faking it, which is always a possibility.”
“We need to get all those people into quarantine and under stringent medical attention.” And everyone here, my mother especially.
“That’s going to be all of D.C.” Mom said. “We’re talking about the top movers and shakers in politics.”
“The Center for Disease Control is going to need to be involved. Maybe we should call them, pronto. Mom, would that call come from you?”
Chuckie’s eyes narrowed. “Now, isn’t that interesting?” he said before Mom could reply. Turned to see what he was looking at. Cliff Goodman was in the room, along with the man who headed the Center for Disease Control, Wesley Green.
Green was an average-looking, slender, middle-aged white guy. He didn’t have the total politician look, possibly because he was a doctor, but then again, that didn’t mean he wasn’t a political animal. He was coming in with Cliff, which was suspect. Or it could mean Cliff wanted this guy to get sick and die, too. Considering that Strauss was dead and Whitmore was sick, it was a good bet for both.
“Speak of the devils and they appear.”
“Why are they here?” Mom asked.
Looked at the press corps. “The press has undoubtedly already shared that the Secretary of State and the President are dead.”
Oliver came over to us, looking ashen. “We just got word—the Speaker of the House has just passed away in a similar manner to the two deaths here.”
Mom, Chuckie, and I all looked at each other.
“No more arguing from me,” Mom said.
Chuckie nodded. “Meaning we all have less than a week to save anyone who’s been infected.”
“Yeah.” I swallowed hard. “Meaning, for starters, everyone in this room.”
CHAPTER 66
“GUANTANAMO AND DULCE have to be considered to be infected, too,” Chuckie said quietly. “As well as the towns we stopped in.”
“What’s going on that I’ve missed?” Oliver asked.
Filled him in on the highlights. “So, the Crazy Eights attacking us at Rocky Mount was actually a good thing.” Really wished I’d made Wruck give me a way to contact him. Wondered if he’d suggested the attack for the very reason of keeping us going or if it was just luck. We rarely had luck that worked in our favor, so voted for Wruck doing what he could.
“Apparently so. And Lorraine putting the Embassy on lockdown was also a very good thing.” Chuckie rubbed the back of his neck. “This isn’t the greatest way for Jeff to start his presidency.”
“Fortunately, he’s used to handling crises.”
Cliff spotted us, of course, waved, and came over. Nudged Chuckie’s foot with mine. He needed to get ready to act like Laurence Olivier and Meryl Streep combined.
“We heard the news,” Cliff said, as he hugged me. “It’s terrible.”
“It is,” Chuckie said, as he and Cliff did the manly hug-backslap thing and I made sure Cliff didn’t have a real knife or a hypodermic needle in his hand. “But what brings you here? Not that it isn’t good to see you,” he managed to add.
Cliff shrugged as he hugged Mom and I again made sure he wasn’t stabbing something into her back. “Jeff’s going to be sworn in as President. There’s times to take a gate, and this is one of them.”
“I’m here,” Green said, as Cliff shook Oliver’s hand, “because we received a quarantine request from President Martini. I need to know what’s going on and who’s affected.” Interesting that he was saying this in front of a known reporter.
“Not quite President yet,” I said. Decided we’d leave the what and who for later. If we got a later.
Cliff smiled at me. “Soon enough, Kitty. Welcome to the rank of the First Lady.”
“Thanks. I think.”
We all managed a chuckle, forced on my, Mom, and Chuckie’s parts, and probably Oliver’s, too. But still, we managed.
“How’s your head?” Cliff asked Chuckie quietly.
“Holding up. For right now, at least.”
“I’m here if you need me, buddy.”
“Thanks. You have no idea how much I appreciate that.” Chuckie sounded totally truthful. Go Olivier-Streep.
“Can you tell me what’s going on that the President feels that we need a quarantine?” Green asked. So apparently we weren’t going to be able to leave the whats and wherefores for later. At least Oliver was the only member of the fourth estate present.
“We’re suspicious that both Monica and Vince just dropped dead after being sick with what appeared to be a flu for a week,” Mom said briskly. “Especially since they seemed better earlier this evening. We have a variety of others who appear to have the same illness, and we were advised that the Speaker of the House, who also appeared to have the flu, has also passed away.”
“Who else is sick?” Cliff asked, just as if he honestly didn’t know.
“The entire Cabinet and the Joint Chiefs of Staff,” Chuckie replied. “Barring a few exceptions. You both seem fine, for example.” He sounded relieved, not suspicious. Both Cliff and Chuckie were great actors apparently. A loss for stage and screen both.
Green looked a little worried. “I just started having the sniffles earlier today.”
“That’s how it starts,” Mom said. “I’ve got it, whatever it is.”
Green looked more worried. Cliff did, too, but his eyes opened a little wider for just a moment and not due to shock. He wanted my mother to die, of that I was certain.
Thankfully we were called to get ready for the official swearing in, because I wasn’t sure if I could keep up the acting required not to just tackle Cliff to the ground and beat him to death.
Oliver took his place with the rest of the press, and I took mine. Justice Quinn was to my left and Jeff to my right, facing each other, so they were in profile to anyone on stage or in the audience and I was facing the audience, meaning the press corps and everyone who wasn’t a visiting dignitary. Elaine was next to Jeff, on his left, so near to me. She wasn’t crying right now, but I figured it was a momentary reprieve. Took her hand in mine and she squeezed my hand tightly.
We were essentially in the center of the area between the stage and chairs. For whatever reason, Justice Quinn hadn’t wanted us up on stage and no one had argued about this. The Planetary Council were on stage, Rohini and Bettini as well, and presumably Justice Quinn thought that standing next to them would give her and Jeff too much competition for the room’s attention or something.
“It’s my sad duty to have to swear in a new President of the United States in this manner,” Justice Quinn said once everyone was in their seats and had quieted down.
“And my sad duty to accept it in this way,” Jeff said.
“However, as leadership passes to you, Jeffrey Martini, please remember the oath you will now give to me and to all of the American people.”
Jeff nodded. “I will.”
“Then please place your left hand on this Bible, raise your right hand, and repeat after me. I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”
Jeff cleared his throat and was quiet for a long moment. Wondered what he was about to say, if he was going to go off script, say that, no matter what, he wasn’t going to accept, point at Cliff and shout, “J’accuse!”, or something else. Elaine squeezed my hand again and I squeezed back.
Then he took a deep breath, let it out, and spoke.
“I, Jeffrey Stuart Martini, do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”
Everyone in the room applauded, at least everyone I could see i
n between camera and cell phone flashes, which was most of them. Could hear the Planetary Council’s applause behind us.
And, just like that, Jeff was the President of the United States.
CHAPTER 67
JEFF SHOOK JUSTICE QUINN’S HAND. As she removed the Bible from between us, he stepped over and kissed my cheek. Then he put his arm around Elaine and hugged her.
“Whatever we can do for you, we will,” he said. “Just tell me what you need and we’ll make it happen.”
She nodded. “I . . . it’s still too new, Jeff. But, thank you.” She still had hold of my hand and pulled me closer. “I heard something—you believe Vince and Monica were murdered?”
“We do,” I said. “But we’re going to need to do autopsies a soon as possible to have a hope of determining how.”
“Whatever you need me to do to expedite that, let me know.”
“We’ll let Tito know—I think if we can get the bodies to Dulce or get Dulce doctors here, we can speed things up.”
“Then we’ll make that happen,” Elaine said. “I’ll go find Doctor Hernandez and ensure that whatever needs to be signed and so forth is.”
She went off with her Secret Service detail to grab Tito and do whatever was necessary.
We should have been flying right back to Washington—to reassure Congress and all the citizens that the transfer of power had been done and things were under control, and to actually take some control—and as soon as possible, too. But quarantine made that difficult.
Cliff, of course, was making most of the problems, though he’d set it up to seem like he was trying to help.
Chuckie pulled me aside while everyone was arguing staying here or not. “Because the former First Lady okayed it, we have Dulce medical here. They’re processing everything at top speed, which NASA Base is equipped for. Having the Shantanu here is also a help. They have truly advanced medical tech that should mean we have answers sooner as opposed to later.”