Acts of Sedition

by Dennis Stephan

  As the station rejoined new programs in progress, Saul turned up the volume to better hear the latest news.

  “I just received VAPTs from several people from our nation’s Capital,” Rakeem pauses as he listens through his earpiece. “These are unconfirmed reports, but it seems that most of the riots around the country are over. WTTG Fox News reports that military helicopters continue to circle the city, as tanks and light armored vehicles surround both The White House and Capitol Building. But according to sources, some key members of this rebellion have been arrested. Citizens are asked to abide by the curfew and to return to their homes. Peace has apparently been restored for now. These are just preliminary reports that have not yet been confirmed. Stay tuned to CNN as our reporting on the Civil War continues.”

  And we’re off.

  Rakeem took a deep breath as he composed himself during a commercial break.

  Chapter 76

  The ‘Independence Day Massacre’, as the media dubbed it, lasted seven days. Starting on the 8th day, July 11th, things quieted down considerably, with only minor scuffles and signs of civil disobedience. But martial law remained in effect. Checkpoints were in place and authorities rounded up dissidents and subversives who were on a threat to national security list developed over the past year. In the key battleground areas, houses were searched for weapons as people phoned a threat hot line; informing on their neighbors. Americans hated the Martial Law. Even though some of their liberties were curtailed under President Abbas, they still had more freedom than most countries. Under martial law all civil rights were suspended and military justice applied.

  The climate in the country looked an awful lot like the Second Red Scare and the Black Scare, dark periods in history. The first, in the 1950s, was ushered in by Senator Joseph McCarthy who was on a crusade to stamp out Communism. The latter began in 2032 when Senator Ted Baxter, fearing the rise in Islamic extremism, launched a similar campaign against Muslims. In both instances, the senators were making accusations of disloyalty, subversion, and treason without proper regard for evidence. As in those cases, this situation found citizens turning on fellow citizens, making unfounded accusations, to direct scrutiny away from themselves and their families.

  So the announcement that Martial Law was concluding on July 31st was greeted with great enthusiasm. The 8 pm curfew was eased to 11pm, a time that was much more agreeable to restaurants and movie theaters, both of which relied heavily on evening business. Club owners who relied on late night and early morning business were still dismayed but the American public, which had been feeling like captives in their homes, was feeling a little better.

  The latest statement from the White House indicated that, while it would take years to completely repair the damaged infrastructure, progress was being made with air and ground transportation returning to normal. Adding to the increasing optimism of the citizenry was the announcement that shortly after the end of Martial Law, National Guardsmen would slowly be redeployed to their bases of origin with local, state, and federal authorities returning to their regular duties in law enforcement.

  But while everything appeared to be settling down, with Americans returning to work and normal activities, tensions still ran high. Friends and loved ones were lost and there was only one person to blame. Americans, who typically had short attention spans, were not going to forget the carnage. The pain in their hearts would linger for years.

  For Abbas, squashing this coup d’etat was a great victory. In hindsight, he no doubt went overboard by using foreign troops. But the president was thrilled that his administration had effectively been able to restore order and that his presidency was uninterrupted and had another historical moment that would add to his legacy, his glory, and the glory of Allah.

  The ongoing investigation yielded significant results. Search and seizure ensured that thousands of weapons were confiscated and out of the hands of potential enemies. In DC alone hundreds of dissidents, including Demetri Kotsopouos had been arrested. His execution was carried out by firing squad on August 5th, one month to the day following his conviction for treason for his indefensible actions on July 4th when he “mercilessly, and with great malice,” took the lives of three of the president’s closest friends and supporters.

  The average person understood that Kotsopouos’ punishment fit his crime. However, the continued unrest in the country worried Abbas. People became outraged when friends and relatives were rounded up and charged with treason. To appease them, the president decided to temporarily stay the executions of those who had been convicted. What difference would a few months make if it helped him restore order?

  Later that month, six field officers fearing charges of conspiracy and treason surrendered to the Secret Service. After two weeks of questioning, the administration had a clearer picture of their role in the failed coup and about the men to whom they reported.

  The six were told that they might be brought up on lesser charges if they cooperated. As a result of their testimony those members of the Joint Chiefs involved in the insurrection were arrested and accused of multiple counts of sedition, conspiracy, and treason. Oddly, not only did Admiral Barrington escape prosecution but he received a promotion. The rest were being held in Leavenworth for what the president expected would be a speedy trial and execution. As proof that no one is above the law and that military justice is swift, all six of the cooperating officers, despite what they were promised, were convicted of treason and sentenced to death as well.

  One thing that still bothered the president was the fact that the leader of the coup, retired General Josh Redmond, was still at large, and his whereabouts were unknown. He seemed to have vanished completely as a sweep of his home by the FBI and interviews with friends and neighbors proved fruitless. They were unable to uncover any evidence at the home, and there was neither evidence of foul play nor any indication of how, or to where, the Redmonds had escaped. While President Abbas secretly hoped that the Redmonds had committed suicide as an honorable way out of the mess they created, he knew deep down that this was wishful thinking on his part. No, his enemy was still around. But the president felt secure in his belief that, even if General Redmond was alive, it was unlikely that he would ever be heard from again, let alone have enough support for another attempt to unseat him.

  By October 4th, just 3 months after the initial attacks, order had been fully restored and the local authorities had things under control. While the rebels had not gotten to him, Abbas was sure that there were cells that were not going to go away soon. The incidents of violence, though far fewer than they had been even a week ago, served as constant reminders that the republic was still in disarray. In fact, just down the street from The White House, a newly built mosque was blown apart. Forty Muslims, who were in the Mosque for noon services, were killed. Most states kept their National Guard units on high alert.

  Maybe it was a false sense of security, but Abbas believed that the coup was over, the democracy had been restored, and he believed that it was time to move on. He felt the need to deliver a State of the Union Address. While the timing was unusual, the president felt that with all that had transpired; with all of the turmoil of the past few months, Americans needed to hear firsthand that the union had prevailed. Americans needed to be know that he, in no uncertain terms, was fully in control.

  Chapter 77

  It was 8:50 pm. Angela sat quietly in the day room watching TV. While a little out of the ordinary, given that this was only October, the president’s State of the Union address would begin shortly. He had delivered one every month since the start of the coup attempt.

  “I was a part of that,” Angela absent-mindedly said out loud with pride as images of past fighting in the streets of the country’s major metropolitan areas flashed across the screen. Surprisingly she was still alive having only recently been charged, tried, and convicted of treason.

  A reporter for MSN was giving background information to the audience as if he thought everyone watching had be
en asleep for the past three months. What a moron, thought Angela. Next, images of armed guards and armored personnel carriers in the streets of Washington filled the screen just before the cameras shifted to the House of Representatives Chamber in the Capitol.

  First, the deputy sergeant at arms addressed the speaker of the house and loudly announced the newly appointed vice president and members of the Senate, who entered and took their assigned seats.

  Next, the he addressed the Speaker again and loudly announced, in order, the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, The Chief Justice of the United States, and the Associate Justices, and the newly constituted Cabinet, each of whom entered and took their seats when called. The justices took the seats nearest to the speaker's rostrum and adjacent to the sections reserved for the cabinet and members of the Joint Chiefs.

  The sergeant at arms stood just inside the doors, faced the speaker, and waited for the president to ready himself for his entrance into the chamber. Finally, just after 8 pm as Abbas reached the door, the sergeant at arms announced "Mister Speaker, the President of the United States."

  Angela watched, with tears in her eyes, as the president walked down the aisle to thunderous applause; shaking hands and kissing friend and foe alike. “He has to put on an act, like he’s friends with everyone and they’ll all work together in a spirit of cooperation,” said Angela to no one in particular.

  After handing copies of his speech to the speaker and vice president, the president prepared to make his address as the Speaker introduced him to the Representatives and Senators, stating: "Members of Congress, I have the high privilege and distinct honor of presenting to you the President of the United States."

  “Mr. Speaker, Mr. Vice President, Members of Congress, fellow citizens:

  “Three months ago, a civil war was fought on American soil for the first time in over 180 years. The casualties in this conflict were eclipsed only by those of the Civil War of the 1860s. Over 400,000 Americans lost their lives, and another half million were wounded over the course of just a few weeks. The cost of the damage to the infrastructure of our county runs in the trillions. There can be no price put on the destruction of monuments and national treasures; lost to our children and future generations. Many historic buildings that represented the early struggles of our founding fathers and that paid homage to many great Americans are gone. During the fighting Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Old State House and Faneuil Hall in Boston, Old Quaker Meeting House in Flushing Queens, and Tudor Place right here in Washington were destroyed. But the carnage went beyond our large eastern cities. Historic and religious buildings in small towns also were heavily damaged. The Mother Mosque of America in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, the oldest mosque in North America, was burned to the ground. Also, 1,000 mosques and over 600 churches and synagogues around the country were either destroyed or suffered significant damage.”

  “I’m extremely saddened that devastation of this magnitude had to occur. Traditionally ideological differences are settled through peaceful means in a country like ours. Apparently, that is not always possible; as evidenced by the utter disregard for the electoral process that some traitors have shown over the past few months.”

  “I’m pleased to report tonight that our union is strong. Over the past few months, we’ve worked hard at rebuilding the trust of the American people, rebuilding some of the key components of the infrastructure like roads and rail lines that were compromised, and restoring aspects of our government through key appointments and in some cases special elections. I’m happy to report that we have completed this part of our recovery and that our government is fully functional. The stock exchange and most financial institutions have been back in operation since July 14th. The hospitals, especially in our cities, while overcrowded are functioning well. Our economy, though sluggish early on, is making a recovery.”

  “We’ve accomplished a lot, my fellow Americans, but there is still much to do. I’m confident that with your help, we will achieve the goals that we’ve set forth.”

  “I’d be remiss if I did not recognize some of my loyalists killed during the uprising and thank some of the people who were by my side in bringing this conflict to its rightful conclusion.”

  “First off, I lost a very dear friend when Omar Khalid was assassinated. Then, former Vice President Syed Rashad, along with some key members of my administration and 20 members of Congress lost their lives in separate, but coordinated attacks shortly after fighting broke out on July 4th. We should all mourn these patriots and never forget them. Their deaths are a loss to the entire country. I, personally, will miss their invaluable countenance but most of all their friendship.

  “I’d like to thank President Amjad Waseem of Syria and President Muhammad Tahan of Iran for their understanding and acceptance that the events that resulted in the deaths of some of their warriors were collateral damage that resulted from the coup attempt here in our country. They have both agreed to an armistice. As part of that treaty, all political prisoners held in the Middle East have been released. The United States has agreed to make reparations of $50 billion to compensate both countries for damages to their war planes, tanks, and military installations that our forces attacked in early July.” “Included in this total was compensation to the families of the Syrians and Iranians who lost their lives on US soil. It is my hope that we have lasting peace and that our countries will remain strong allies.”

  “To my friends, allies, and the many Americans who have supported me in our quest for a more disciplined roots-based America, I pledge that we will not be deterred in achieving the goals that I set, over three years ago, when I took office. This insurgency serves as proof to the world that our country is strong and that even this major test could not shake our confidence or destroy our union. I promise you that I am more committed than ever to the future of our great nation and to ensuring that my vision of a greater America is realized.”

  “In closing, many of my enemies who staged the July 4th coup, including some of the rebel leaders and all of the Joint Chiefs, have been captured and are awaiting the long overdue death sentences that have finally been handed down by the courts for their treason. To those still at large, I say that you are all public enemies of the United States, war criminals to most of the world, and my personal enemies. I will not rest until we have captured and sentenced you for your heinous crimes. I will never forget my pledge.”

  “Thank you, may Allah bless you, and may He bless the United States of America.”

  Angela, still crying, was ushered from the day room back to her cell. All of the “so-called” traitors had been required to leave their small cubes for the sole purpose of seeing that their treachery had failed, and their incarceration, trials, and sentences were the result of their flawed thinking and actions. President Abbas had ordered the prisoners to watch the broadcast as punishment partly because he wanted to rub their failure in their faces but also because he wanted them to understand fully what his father had taught him years ago. Change doesn’t come easily or without a price. The United States is still the strongest Democracy in existence. But in a Democracy, the only way to change the government is through the long and arduous task of voting. After all, isn’t that how he got elected?

  While their trials took longer than normal because of the recent turmoil, Angela, Nicky, Qasim, and the Joint Chiefs had all recently been convicted of treason and were awaiting execution. Death row, in the recently reopened Leavenworth Prison, was overcrowded now, but it would be less so in 22 days when their sentences were carried out. There would be no appeals.

  At the closing of the speech, President Abbas left the speaker’s platform and after shaking the hands of each member of his cabinet, walked down the aisle to loud and very jubilant applause. As when he entered, he stopped to shake the hands of friends and supporters who were standing as a show of respect and support. Tarif Mansour, who had written this famous speech, bowed with hands clasped before giving the president a kiss on the cheek.

 
; Looking straight ahead, Abbas raised a fist and then pointed it right at the cameras.

  As he reached the midpoint between the front and the back of the room, there was a loud explosion in front of him followed by several more in a matter of seconds. The columns that surrounded the chamber began to crumble. People started screaming as they tried to head toward the exit doors. Unfortunately, all of the doors were demolished and the upper level that housed visitors and the press corps began to topple.

  Outside, the distant rumble of devastation pierced the ears of those nearby who bore witness to a cloud of dust flying around like a sandstorm in a desert. The entire south side of the Capitol building seemed to implode. Explosions were heard every second moving in a counterclockwise motion around The Capitol Building until the final and largest explosion occurred near the very top of the dome ensuring its complete collapse. The building was reduced to rubble in a matter of seconds.