“We can now project that Congressman Lucas Powell will win reelection in the swing district of Virginia’s Congressional District 7. This seat was one of the top targets of Republicans for Powell’s opposition to Walton…”
Cheers erupted through the room at Lucas’ election night watch party. Lucas grinned and hugged his wife close to him before walking to the front of the room. His campaign manager was beaming as she handed him a microphone. Lucas looked out over the roughly fifty people gathered in the small pub, all of them with huge smiles as they clapped and cheered for him.
“Tonight we sent a message, District 7 isn’t for sale!” Lucas began and more cheers erupted.
This is why I do it, he thought as waited for the applause to quiet. The campaign had been grueling. He had to fight off a primary challenger and then head into the general election against a well funded opponent and an energized Republican Party. But he maintained the same stances and policies that got him elected the first time. He called for peace and he resisted the pressure from Walton Enterprises even as they funded hundreds of thousands of dollars into his opponent’s campaign. He looked up at one of the tv screens. His picture flashed with his share of the vote,
52.8% 176,687 Votes
In a district that was often decided by a few hundred votes, he’d won by thousands with a nearly six point margin of victory. He had been outraised and outspent four to one and he won.
“It is the honor of my life to serve as your Congressman and tonight I am deeply grateful that you sent me back for 2 more years. These are trying times but that doesn’t mean we give up. That doesn’t mean that we give into the loud minority who call for escalation. I will stand for you, I will stand for peace.”
There were more cheers and Lucas paused again, he saw his daughter and son in the crowd, smiling up at him. He pointed them out,
“Those are my kids, Dennis and Courtney, raise your hands guys.”
Lucas’ two young children raised their hands and the crowd clapped and cheered,
“And my wife, Samantha, who I couldn’t have done this without.”
There were more cheers,
“Every day when I look at my family, I am reminded of what I do this for. I am reminded that, despite the setbacks and the millions of dollars spent against me, despite the media and the smears against those of us who don’t want war, I have a duty to defend our future. I have a duty to go to work and come home and look my kids in the eye and tell them that I did everything I could to make sure that they grow up in better times than I did. I have that duty to them and I owe that duty to the people of Virginia and the people of the United States of America. I intend to do my duty and I thank you for giving me the ability to do so again tonight.”
Lucas finished and he passed the mic back to his campaign manager. The room erupted into cheers as he ran to his family and squeezed them tightly. The picture of the family hug was the one plastered across the local newspapers the next day announcing his reelection victory. Lucas framed one and hung it up in his office.
“When I won my election, I told the people in the room that night that I did this for my family. And that I had a duty to them to call for an end to this war because all of our children deserve a better future.” Lucas said as he stood on the floor of the House. “We all owe that duty to our children and our constituents. This war is untenable and we all know it. I know that some of the biggest donors are calling for more war, for more bombs, and more authorizations for military actions but I am pleading with you all to give a ceasefire a chance. There is no dignity in killing children. There is no dignity in killing civilians as they buy groceries or walk their dogs. War has costs, I know. I stand here today not only as a Congressman but as a Veteran. I speak against this war because I know that this can only end in one way. There is no winning, there is only destruction if we continue down this path.”
There was a smattering of applause and some booing, but Lucas continued,
“I ask this Congress to reject this authorization and hold off on passing more funding for the war effort until we can at least discuss a peace agreement with the Iron Alliance and ensure that our children have a future that isn’t defined by bombed out buildings and dead relatives. I am not asking us to surrender, I am asking us to explore another option. I yield the floor.”
Lucas finished and sat down as one of his colleagues began a floor speech lambasting him for “surrendering” to the Iron Alliance and “caving to the demands of the Communists.” But when the vote for the authorization of nearly one-billion of spending on military equipment came to the floor, it failed by a vote of 225-210 as 12 republicans joined every democrat in rejecting the bill. Lucas let out an involuntary whoop as he sprang up from his seat with his fist raised in victory. He quickly apologized and sat back down but he grinned so widely his face hurt.
He met with the President, the Senate Majority Leader, and the Speaker of the House that evening. It was decided that he would lead an envoy to Belgium to discuss a ceasefire agreement with the Prime Minister of Russia and military generals from China and North Korea. He would be accompanied by the President and the Secretary of Defense as well as the Chair of the House Armed Services Committee and the Senate Majority Leader.
“You understand the stakes of this assignment, Congressman Powell?” the Speaker asked skeptically. “I will bring the authorization to the floor for another vote should you fail.”
“I understand, Mr. Speaker.”
The Speaker was one of the Republicans who had bucked his party and voted against the authorization despite the political risks that came with it. Lucas knew that he would not get a second chance should this meeting fail to produce an agreement.
Over the course of the next month, the President made the necessary arrangements and all three of the major nations in the Iron Alliance agreed to the meeting. Not everyone was happy with the upcoming meeting.
“What we are witnessing is a betrayal of our values as Americans. Our representatives take an oath to defend and uphold the Constitution but here we are, with the President and the Congress willing to sell out our values to the highest bidder,” Brian McCallum ranted in an early morning interview.
“Can you believe this guy?” Samantha asked as she poured a cup of coffee. Lucas looked at the screen and rolled his eyes,
“That guy is a piece of work. He’s only doing all this because he’s mad at me for making him look like an idiot during his hearing.” Lucas took a sip of his coffee, “And for launching another investigation into his company for selling weapons to both the US and the Iron Alliance.”
Samantha shook her head and changed the channel,
“I’m proud of you,” she said and Lucas smiled, putting down his coffee cup and sliding an arm around her waist. He kissed her cheek,
“Couldn’t have done any of this without you. I’m off to DC, I’ll be home late tonight.”
Samantha kissed her husband and waved him off,
“Go save the world, the only Congressman with a conscience I know.” she said. He laughed and let her go, fixing his tie as he exited the kitchen. He gave Dennis and Courtney a hug, grabbed his keys, and walked out of the front door.
Lucas got in the car and started it, turning to one of the radio stations that broadcast the news.
“It’s not about peace. Why are we begging our enemies to kick us? Are we really just going to roll over and take their attacks with no repercussions?” Brian McCallum’s voice came through the speakers and Lucas scoffed as he backed out of the driveway,
“It’s not a surrender, dumbass.” he muttered.
“I mean, I think it’s fair to question Congressman Powell’s motives here. He has a vendetta against Walton and our company is doing everything in its power to make sure that the Allied Forces are victorious. Can the Congressman say the same?”
Lucas rolled his eyes and focused on the road ahead. The man was insufferable but he wasn’t particularly well spoken. His antics played to a shrinking audience and Lucas never felt the need to respond to him. He’d already defeated him by virtue of winning reelection despite everything Walton had thrown at him.
“Joining us now is Congressman Reid from Charleston, South Carolina. Congressman Reid was one of the representatives who voted for the spending authorization that failed to pass the House. He’s here to tell us why he believes the authorization should be brought up for another vote before the historic summit in Belgium. Thank you for joining us Congressman.”
Lucas turned up the radio. Reid was one of his biggest opponents in Congress and the two were diametrically opposed on nearly every issue. It wasn’t surprising that he was on a talk show like this one, but Reid was also the Deputy Whip of the Republican majority so his words carried weight.
“Thank you for having me,” the Congressman replied in his thick southern drawl, “Here’s the deal. I have great respect for Representative Powell. He has served this country in our military and he works for his constituents, misguided as his politics may be. But the issue is that this summit is a fool’s errand. The Iron Alliance is not going to give us anything of worth to come to a lasting ceasefire. I think we need to pass this authorization and use the Teddy Roosevelt way of diplomacy, ‘speak softly and carry a big stick,’ and that stick needs to be a bomb. And the threat of more force. Then maybe we can get concessions that will be in an agreement that I can vote for.”
Lucas bobbed his head side to side as a sort of agreeing and disagreeing. He could see the representative’s point but passing another spending authorization would only inflame tensions. Unfortunately, Reid’s argument could sway some of the 12 who helped defeat the first attempt. Lucas would just have to hope that the Speaker wouldn’t bring it up for a vote within the next two weeks.
Lucas’ luck held up and the Speaker kept the authorization off the floor, referring to it as “on hold” pending the summit’s outcome. The day finally came for the envoy to depart and Lucas boarded Air Force One with the President, the Senate Majority Leader, the Chair of the Armed Services Committee, and the Secretary of Defense.
It was early and the sun had yet to break through the dark of the night. Lucas was escorted onto the tarmac by the Secret Service after a security screening where the President was waiting with the Secretary.
“Good morning, Mr. President,” Lucas greeted the President with a salute which the President returned.
“Good morning, Representative Powell. Ever been on Air Force One before?” he asked.
“Can’t say that I have, sir,” Lucas replied.
“Well you’re in for a treat. Here comes our last two,” the President said. Lucas turned to see the Chairman and Senate Majority Leader walking briskly toward them.
“Good morning gentleman,” the President said, “Shall we depart?”
The men agreed and the President led the way onto the plane. They entered and Lucas looked around in awe as they walked through the massive plane towards the President’s office. The President gestured towards the couches for them to sit and the three men sat down as the President took a seat behind the desk that looked like a slightly smaller version of the Resolute desk in the Oval Office.
“Representative Powell, what’s the plan for the summit?” the President asked.
“First I think we make it clear that the US will make no concessions without concessions from the Iron Alliance. We move for a ceasefire agreement with the understanding that each side will immediately cease aggressions and withdraw from airspace and waters that belong to either alliance. This is not the end to the war but a pause in fighting so we can determine a more permanent solution with all members of the Allied Forces,” Lucas said.
“I can agree with that. Gentlemen?” The President looked at the other men in the room.
“I have no issue with that, but I need to bring tangible concessions from the Iron Alliance to my party if we are to pass any agreement,” the Chairman of the Armed Services Committee responded.
“I take it that withdrawal and ceasing of bombings on us and our allies is not enough?” Lucas asked and the Chairman shook his head,
“No, not for representatives like Reid.”
“Then I am open to suggestions,” Lucas said.
The five men discussed and hashed out a plan for an acceptable agreement that they believed could pass both the House and the Senate. By the time the plane landed in Antwerp, they were convinced that if they could get the other nations to agree, the war would soon be coming to an end. They were escorted to the hotel where they would be staying that night and the group convened one last time for dinner.
“Powell, I think you should take the lead on the negotiations.” the President said and the others agreed,
“I appreciate that sir, but I’m just a House Representative. I think it would be more appropriate for yourself or another one of you to lead the discussion.” Lucas responded.
“No, the President is right,” the Chairman said and Lucas looked at him in surprise, “Don’t look so shocked, Representative. You and I may not agree on much but you have a knack for this and your heart is in the right place. We’ll provide support but I think that your approach is going to be what wins over these other nations. Especially after your floor speech.”
“I agree.” the Senate Majority Leader added.
“I appreciate your confidence, gentlemen. Let’s bring back good news,” Lucas said and he raised his glass of wine for a toast, “To a better future.”
“To a better future,” the men responded in unison and they tapped their glasses together before taking a drink.
The next morning Lucas walked behind the President as they entered the room where the summit was to be held. Press lined the walls with their cameras aimed directly at the table where the political leaders would be discussing. The entire process would be televised, raising the stakes for all involved. One wrong statement and the entire deal could tank. The tie around Lucas’ neck suddenly felt too tight and he nervously pulled on it.
The Russian Prime Minister entered along with two military generals and they greeted the Americans with firm handshakes and cold stares. They stood behind their seats and awaited the arrival of the representatives from China and North Korea. The two nations’ envoys arrived in short order and greeted the other parties similarly to the Russians though they were noticeably warmer with the representatives from their allied nations than they were with Lucas and the others in the US envoy. Everyone took their seats and the meeting began. The Russian Prime Minister spoke first,
“Our country is agreeable to this ceasefire only under the condition that trade sanctions be lifted. The embargo on our shipments is causing great economic duress,” he said.
Lucas looked to the Chairman of the Armed Services Committee who shook his head,
“Prime Minister, with all due respect, we cannot promise anything more than the withdrawal of our forces at this time. But that does include the release of the naval blockade in the Black Sea,” he countered. The Prime Minister was silent,
“You will disband the blockade?” he asked after a moment, looking directly at the President.
“If that is what this ceasefire requires, then yes. I will disband the blockade. But I expect the same from you, Mr. Prime Minister.” the President replied.
“We have no blockade for the US.” the Prime Minister retorted.
“No, Mr. Prime Minister, you do not. But there is a blockade outside of our ally, Japan’s territory by both your fleet and the Chinese Navy that will need to be mutually disbanded if we are to disband our blockade from the Black Sea. I think that to be fair, don’t you?” Lucas asked.
“I am agreeable to that.” the Prime Minister answered.
“I am not,” the Chinese President chimed in, “We are not going to release that blockade when the US has been funneling troops and weapons through Japan and threatening North Korea and ourselves. Yesterday there were four military exercises in Kamakura alone.”
“I understand your frustrations but I would like to reiterate that this ceasefire agreement as it stands would lead to a pause in those exercises and in the movement of American soldiers into the nation of Japan,” Lucas said calmly.
“How are we supposed to trust that your allies will not simply continue the war while the US convinces us to stand down?” one of the Russian military generals asked.
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“The Allied Forces have entrusted us with this ceasefire negotiation and will follow through on the terms of whatever agreement we come to,” the President assured him.
“Americans have a funny way of promising one thing and then secretly doing another,” the Prime Minister remarked and the President sucked his teeth,
“That is very rich coming from the former Soviet Union,” he replied coldly.
“Gentlemen, please!” Lucas interjected, standing up from his chair and drawing the attention of the others, “We are here because continuing this war is mutually assured destruction. This war has led to mass casualties and no clear resolution. We stand at the precipice of nuclear annihilation and nuclear missiles have already been used on both our territory and your own. The people of Maui will likely never recover from the IBM that was launched into their island and I know that the people of North Korea feel the same about the way in which we responded. We have made mistakes in this war, I know that. But can anyone at this table say that they are truly proud of where this war has led?” He paused. No one answered.
“We all know there’s only one way this ends if this agreement doesn’t go through. We owe the people that we serve more than that. We can’t allow our tempers and our long grudges to get the best of us. Let us approach this meeting with empathy and assuming the best intentions. When we give our word, we intend to honor it and I hope that we can expect the same from you. It wasn’t too long ago that we were all trade partners and allies. We have ancestors who defeated the Nazis together, I guarantee it. We have been on opposing sides and we have been on the same side in conflicts. I ask that we bring the spirit of our countries and the willingness to preserve them to these negotiations. Please.” he finished and there was silence except for the clicking of cameras as the press photographed Lucas.
“There is sincerity in your words, Representative. Fine, let us discuss,” the Russian Prime Minister said after a long pause. Lucas sat down,
“Let’s get started then.”
The group discussed for hours as cameras filmed them. Lucas acted as a facilitator and mediator, guiding the discussion along and working them through roadblocks. He pushed for concessions and agreements and disarmed arguments. Late into the night, they came to a final agreement. The US would end its blockades in the Black Sea and the Port of Shanghai while Russia and China would end their blockade on Japan and allow supplies to be delivered to Taiwan for the duration of the ceasefire. The Allied Forces would cease military exercises outside of the Iron Alliance and the Iron Alliance would do the same. Each nation would stop moving their soldiers through their allies and withdraw from the borders of opposing nations.
The ceasefire agreement would need to be ratified by each nation before going into full effect but the Iron Alliance and Allied Forces agreed to temporarily enact its provisions while their respective governments worked to ratify the agreement. It would immediately go into effect for the next 30 days and only ratification would extend it. Lucas had reservations over that provision but he agreed when it became clear there would be no agreement otherwise and it allowed the US government to claim a level of ownership over it. Lucas hoped that it would be enough to satisfy the Republicans.
The flight back to DC was one of triumph. Every one of the men believed that they had come to the best possible agreement and there was a general feeling that it would easily pass through the House and Senate and reach the President by the end of the month.
“I suspect it’ll be Senator Powell soon,” the Majority Leader remarked and Lucas laughed, shaking his head.
“No, it’ll be President Powell next,” the President remarked.
“If only he was a Republican,” the Chairman added and they all laughed. The group drank champagne and arrived in DC slightly inebriated and filled with euphoria.
That feeling was short-lived. The next morning Lucas turned on the tv and the running headline was Powell Surrenders Power: Ceasefire Agreement a ‘Historic Mistake’ featuring none other than Brian McCallum.
Lucas pinched the bridge of his nose and groaned. He took out his cell phone and called his comms director,
“Can you get me on one of these networks please?” he asked.
“On it,” his comms director responded and hung up. Within five minutes, Lucas received a text,
“Tonight, Crossfire. You and McCallum with the hosts.”
“Got it.” Lucas text back. He sighed as he got ready for work. He kissed his wife, hugged his kids, and headed to DC.
By the evening, Lucas arrived at the DC studio for the network he would be appearing on with Brian McCallum and a few rightwing hosts. It was a hostile environment but Lucas knew it reached an audience that he needed to win over. It was the most popular network among Republican voters and if he could get their support, he could win over the majority party and ensure that the ceasefire agreement was ratified.
“Congressman Powell,” a voice said and Lucas turned to see Brian McCallum standing in front of him.
“Mr. McCallum.” he replied flatly. He extended his hand but Brian just narrowed his eyes,
“See you at the table,” he said. Lucas dropped his hand and went over to talk to one of the producers. He was soon mic'd and seated at the table on the opposite side of McCallum. The hosts greeted him and made small talk until the cameras started rolling,
“Good evening America. Welcome to Crossfire, where current events are debated with representation across the political spectrum. Tonight we have Walton Enterprises CEO Brian McCallum and Virginia Congressman Lucas Powell joining us to discuss the ceasefire agreement that came from this week’s historic summit at Belgium. Mr. McCallum, Representative Powell, thank you for joining us,” one of the hosts, a blonde woman wearing a red dress with an American flag pinned on it, introduced the two.
“Thank you for having me,” Lucas responded.
“Always happy to be here,” Brian said.
“Representative Powell, let’s start with you. You led the charge against the last authorization which failed in the House and you worked as the lead negotiator in the ceasefire agreement. Critics have called this agreement a surrender, but you have referred to it as necessary progress. What do you have to say to people like Mr. McCallum here, who believe the US should give no concessions in this war?” the female host asked.
Lucas straightened up in his chair and looked directly into the camera,
“I’m glad you asked that, thank you. The US is not giving concessions, but we are not continuing to escalate this war. The ceasefire gives us time to pause the fighting and have real discussions about what an end to this war looks like. It is not sustainable nor is it justifiable for us to bomb innocent civilians or fund attacks by our allies that cause mass casualties of people who aren’t fighting in this war. The Chairman of the Armed Services…”
“There are consequences in war and every war will have civilian casualties. We’ve suffered from them. I am sure the people of Maui would love to hear why you are focused on ending the bombing of the citizens of the Iron Alliance when the island has been decimated by their actions.” Brian interrupted. Lucas took a breath and looked to him,
“The actions taken by North Korea that led to the mass casualty event in Hawaii are unconscionable, but we can only expect more of those incidents if we continue at the pace we are now. We need…”
“See? This is why people are fed up with Washington elites. Because they give canned non-answers and make excuses for our enemies. Powell, you went into that negotiation and traded away the United States’ sovereignty and dignity. The people of Hawaii and the people of America are ashamed.” Brian egged on the Congressman but he kept his composure.
“I understand, Mr. McCallum, that you have a vested interest in maintaining this war with your company, Walton Enterprises, making record profits from munitions sales. But those same bombs will soon be dropping on us, especially considering how your company sells them to the Iron Alliance.” Lucas responded coolly.
“That has not been proven,” Brian retorted.
“Representative Powell, I think there are people who are rightfully concerned. I mean, what does it say to the rest of the world when they watch our troops and ships withdraw from the nations of Russia, China, and North Korea after they have done so much damage to us? What does that say to the widow of a soldier who died fighting for the Allied forces? Other countries are going to look at this deal and see us as pushovers,” one of the other hosts, a man in a black suit who also had an American flag pinned to his lapel, inserted his opinion.
“Except that is not what this ceasefire does and the way it is written is to allow just a pause. Then we can have a real discussion about reparations for the damage done to our nation. This is why the Chairman of the Armed Services Committee, a member of the Republican Party, is in support of the ratification,” Lucas said.
“Twelve republicans betrayed our nation, including the Speaker, but the vast majority of our party made sure to do the right thing by the soldiers who have fallen in this war.” Brian responded. He turned directly to the camera, “Understand that the American people are watching and Walton Enterprises will always support candidates who uphold the nation’s ideals. I am urging congress to vote no on this surrender to the Iron Alliance.”
“Brian, it is not a surrender,” Lucas said. He was beginning to realize that coming on the show was a mistake.
“But if it’s not a surrender, then why are we only asking them to remove blockades and stop military exercises. There’s no repercussions for the Iron Alliance in this agreement.” the woman host said.
“Again, that’s because…”
“That’s because the Congressman has forgotten the ideals of America and he went into this negotiation with only one agenda, his own. Not the agenda of the American people, not the agenda of those we are still mourning in Maui, not the agenda of those of us sitting around this table, but his own political agenda,” Brian cut off Lucas. Before Lucas could respond, the hosts cut to their next segment and Lucas knew he wouldn’t get a chance to respond. He thanked the hosts for their time, removed his mic and headed home dejectedly.
The rightwing media was brutal. Headlines calling Lucas the “Communist Congressman” flooded their website’s front pages, another one quoted survivors in Maui chastising the deal with the headline “Mourning in Maui,” and others slammed Lucas with plays on Brian’s “political agenda” comment. His staff fielded calls from angry republicans across the nation and Lucas had to petition the Speaker for increased security as death threats began rolling in.
Even corporate media opinions seemed to cool on Lucas and an opinion poll was released showing only 38% of Americans approved of the agreement while 47% disapproved and the remainder didn’t know enough to have an opinion. Lucas continued to make appearances on networks and push for the agreement, but Walton Enterprises took it a step further and soon lobbyists flooded the halls of the House of Representatives, pleading with the Republicans to reject the agreement.
Finally, the Speaker brought the agreement to a vote for ratification. There were only 15 days left until the agreement expired and Lucas knew if it failed to pass in the House on its first vote, there was no chance of it going into effect. He took the floor and gave an impassioned floor speech, calling for reason and a pause to the fighting to allow for discussion over ending the war and getting justice for those who had perished in the conflict.
Lucas listened to the roll call of the vote as each representative was called.
“Daniel Reid, South Carolina?”
“Nay.”
Lucas knew that one was coming but he had hoped that Reid could be won over. He looked down at the tally on his sheet. 195 in favor, 175 opposed. It was going to be a close vote.
“William Stevens, Illinois?”
This was the Chairman of the Armed Services Committee, a pivotal vote. If he voted no, the agreement was dead. But if he voted yes, other Republicans might follow suit. There was silence.
“William Stevens, Illinois.” the House Parliamentarian called again.
“Nay.”
Lucas felt his heart drop, it was over. The final votes rolled in and the Parliamentarian called out the final tally,
“With a vote of 209 in favor and 221 opposed, the agreement fails.”
Cheers went up from the Republicans as Lucas felt a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. He walked over to Chairman Stevens and looked at him. The Chairman frowned,
“It’s just politics, Powell, nothing personal,” he said. Lucas shook his head and went down to the well.
“Mr. Speaker,” he said into the mic. The room fell silent and the Speaker looked at Lucas quizzically,
“The floor recognizes the gentleman from Virginia,” he said.
“Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today will live as a day in infamy. We have rejected our last chance to end this war in favor of lobbyists and political pressure. I know that in this chamber are good people, men and women who care deeply about this country and who come into these hallowed halls to work towards a better future. But this vote does not reflect those noble goals. History will not be kind to us for failing to preserve our union like we did today. When there remains no nation to govern, we will realize the error of our ways. It has been my honor to serve but I can no longer stand in this body proudly. Today I am resigning from Congress, effective immediately. May God bless the United States and may God have mercy on our souls. I yield.” Lucas said with a deep heaviness in his voice.
He walked out of the chambers as it burst into an uproar with some representatives jeering, others clapping, and others yelling down to him to try and get him to reconsider. He ignored all of it as he went to his office and grabbed the photos of his family from the walls, sighing as he grabbed the framed newspaper page from his election night victory. He walked out of the Congress feeling utterly defeated.
Samantha greeted him with a hug when he got home, squeezing her husband tightly.
“You did the right thing,” she said before repeating a catechism he’d heard before, “Grant me the patience to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference.”
“Pretty sure it’s ‘serenity’ rather than patience.” Lucas mumbled, still holding onto his wife. She pushed him back gently,
“Same difference,” she replied.
Within two weeks, as the temporary ceasefire agreement expired, the nation fell back into war. Lucas’ floor speech proved to be prescient as bombs began to rain down on US cities as the Iron Alliance attacked with a renewed aggressiveness. Nightly news showed images of bombed out buildings and hospitals as the numbers of casualties piled higher and higher. Public opinion of the war fell to record lows but still the Congress passed more authorizations to increase war time spending.
And then the unthinkable happened. Lucas was watching the live streamed vote of yet another war powers bill when the feed went black. He typed “Congress vote” in the browser of his phone’s search engine and his feed was flooded with links that had the heading Congress Bombed during War Powers Vote, Story Developing. Lucas clicked on one of the links which contained a live feed from DC, somewhere outside of Pennsylvania Avenue. It was focused on the dark clouds of smoke and the wailing sirens from the fire trucks that rushed towards the House of Representatives. Lucas watched in horror.
He called one of his former colleagues from his cell. The line rang and then went to voicemail. He called the number again, same outcome. He called another Congressperson and got the same results. Then his phone started ringing, it was Samantha,
“Hey,” he answered,
“Did you see?” she asked, her voice thick with emotion.
“Yea,” he replied quietly.
“Lucas, it’s awful. They don’t think there’s any survivors.”
Lucas felt sick to his stomach. The people in that building had been his coworkers and his friends. For nearly seven years, he had seen them almost as often as his family. And now it was possible that every single one of them was dead.
“Are you on your way home?” he asked.
“Yes, I just picked up the kids, we’re on the way.” Samantha replied.
“Be careful,” Lucas said.
“I will, I love you.”
“Love you too,” Lucas replied and Samantha hung up. Lucas felt a pit in his stomach as he processed the news of the congressional bombings but he knew he couldn’t wallow in pity. He needed to get everything together for the family to get to a bomb shelter. As a former Congressman, his credentials would allow him to get them into one of the FEMA shelters in the Northern Virginia area.
He grabbed a suitcase and started packing the kids’ clothes into it first then clothes for his wife and then himself. He filled a second suitcase with sheets, toiletries, batteries, and phone chargers and left the fully packed suitcases by the door. He could hear tornado sirens wailing outside, likely being used as air raid sirens. He checked his phone for the time and tried to estimate how much longer it would be until his wife arrived home with the kids. He heard her pulling into the driveway and he grabbed the suitcases and ran outside.
“Open the trunk!” he called to Samantha as she rolled down the window. The trunk on the SUV opened and Lucas threw the suitcases in before going back inside and grabbing a case of bottled water and putting it in the car as well. He shut the trunk and got into the passenger seat. He gave Samantha a kiss and looked back at the kids,
“Hey guys, we’re going on a little trip,” he said.
“Where are we going?” Dennis asked. Lucas smiled,
“A camp. We’re going to have a sleepover with some other people.” he replied and Dennis smiled before looking back down at the tablet in his hands.
“Can I bring my stuffie?” Courtney asked. Lucas looked over to his daughter in her car seat,
“Do you have it with you?” he asked and she shook her head.
“It’s inside,” she said. Lucas sighed and nodded,
“Ok, I’ll go get it,” he said and he opened the door and got out of the car.
Lucas walked back into the house and went to Courtney’s bedroom, searching for her small pink stuffed elephant that she called “stuffie.” He saw it peeking out from underneath her comforter and he grabbed it, turning around to leave the room.
And then the bomb fell.
Lucas’ ears rang as he pushed through the piles of debris that now covered him. He could smell fire. His vision was blurry and he moved in a haze, getting stuck as his foot sank through what was his daughter’s bedroom door. He stumbled through the smoke filled house as the fire alarms mixed with the blaring tornado sirens and the roar of the fire consuming his home. He pushed through the smoke and stepped out of the gaping hole that was once the front of his house. His heart sank as he saw the empty driveway.
Some feet back was the car. The front of it had been completely mangled and twisted bits of metal jutted out of the frame. It had been blown backwards and was now upside down with the tires pointing up at the sky. The car was collapsing inward, surrounded by a sea of broken glass due to the warped metal caused by the blast.
Lucas ran towards the car that his family was in and got onto his stomach to try and see if he could pull them out, ignoring the glass shards lodging into his skin. He saw Courtney first. Her small body dangled over the roof of the car, suspended by the buckles of her carseat. Her head lolled to the side and her eyes stared blankly ahead as a thin stream of blood trickled from her nose. Lucas felt a deep sob well up from within his chest and he looked down to the ground, unable to stand the sight of Courtney’s lifeless body. Then he saw Dennis.
Dennis was laying on the roof of the car, splayed out across the metal that was pressed into the road. His neck was bent at an odd angle and his blond hair was covered with glass and ash. Lucas reached for his son and felt the side of his neck, struggling to push the front half of his body through the bent window frame of the SUV. There was no pulse. Lucas felt as though he had been sucker punched. He laid his head down on the ground and cried, ignoring the pain as the glass shards sunk deeper into his skin, drawing blood. He turned his head and looked to the driver’s seat where Samantha had been sitting. He immediately recoiled from the sight that greeted him, scrambling backwards out of the car.
The bomb had landed close to the front of the car and Samantha had bore the brunt of the explosion. There was no skin on her face or arms anymore and the sinewy muscle underneath was exposed. Her bloodshot eyes bulged over a gaping hole where her nose had been and a ghastly grimace was on her face with her teeth fully exposed.
Lucas jolted awake in a cold sweat as that image appeared in his nightmares. It had been almost two years since then and he dreamed of them every night. Lucas couldn’t remember what happened after that but he ended up at the FEMA camp somehow. Maybe he had been dropped off there, he could never be sure. When chaos broke out when the power and all telecommunications went down, he left the camp and started living on the streets, staying in the bombed out shells of houses on some nights, sleeping in the forest or mountain caves on others.
He needed answers and he went to the only place he could think to find them, Washington DC. It took him a number of days to walk to his former place of employment and he arrived exhausted and on the verge of dehydration. Immediately he noticed the strangely pristine nature of the White House.
The rest of the city maintained its decrepit and dead look with shells of buildings and crumbling infrastructure hanging over rusted out vehicles. But the White House looked the same as it had before the bombings of the city. Lucas began to walk towards it. He snuck across the lawn, avoiding windows and doors and crept along the side of the building to try and see if he could find any clues.
He was thrown backwards by a blazing fireball crashing into the front of the White House. Lucas braced himself as he felt the searing heat for just a second. He realized that, despite his proximity to the explosion, he remained unharmed. An odd vibrating sensation spread down his spine. He ducked behind one of the bushes out front and listened as more explosions rocked the building. He slowly started to head towards the entrance when there was a flash of radiant white light. He shielded his eyes and felt the skin of his arm begin to burn as he retreated backwards.
When the light stopped, the White House reformed itself. Lucas looked at the burn on his arm and grimaced. He crept up along the side of the walls and carefully peered over the ledge of the window. Inside of the Oval Office, he saw two men. One in a deep red suit and the other in a navy blue suit. The man in blue was sitting behind the Resolute Desk and the man in red was on one of the couches. He couldn’t make out what they were saying. He watched as the one in blue got up and a ball of light materialized in his hands.
Lucas stared at them with his eyes narrowed, scrutinizing the two strange men. They started to appear as if he was viewing them through water. The edges of their skin seemed to waver and the one in blue seemed as if he was glowing. Something at the back of Lucas’ mind told him to look away. There was another burst of bright white light from within the Oval Office and a deep guttural intonation began resonating from the room. Lucas sprinted down the lawn and towards the road as his hair stood on end.
He looked back to the White House and he swore that he could see the man in blue standing at the window and staring back at him for just a brief second. The windows went dark and Lucas could no longer see inside. Now he was standing alone in the street with the strange buzzing at the back of his skull and his mind filled with questions.