Drew craned his neck to watch as the cameraman continued to set up the light and camera behind where Drew and Tori were sitting. Every minute of the discussion would be captured on the two cameras.
Behind him, Drew heard new voices, and he turned to see President Tolley walk into the office with her chief of staff. Drew and Tori jumped up, and the president smiled and shook their hands. Elise took a spot along the wall behind the president’s chair. Tori and Drew quickly found their seats once more. Drew focused on steadying his breathing to calm his rapid heartbeat and avoided direct eye contact.
President Tolley was far more attractive in person than on TV. Even though she was dressed down in a pair of tan slacks and a short-sleeve navy top. Her dark-brown hair tied into a tight bun accentuated her bright blue eyes, which seemed to leap out and grab at him. Every time he caught her eyes looking at him, he got a fluttery feeling in his stomach.
Tori motioned for her cameraman to begin rolling the camera.
“Madam President, thank you so much for the opportunity to sit down with you this evening,” Tori said.
“My pleasure,” President Tolley said, her legs crossed casually. “But we both know why we’re really here.” She gave Tori a half smile and then turned to Drew. “Mr. Hudson, you caused quite a stir this morning that I can’t say I was thrilled to hear about, even if The Counter View is my husband’s favorite show and you are his favorite student.” She grinned and gave him a wink, making his face flush. The president turned back to Tori. “Anyway, I was eager to meet this impressive young man you discovered today and to hear what he has to say. I’d like to have an open discussion with Mr. Hudson about autonomous weapons systems. But I don’t have much time left this evening. So, shall we begin?”
Tori frowned slightly before launching into her first question. “Madam President, I understand the autonomous weapons legislation is currently on your desk and waiting for your signature. Have you decided what you’re going to do?”
President Tolley ignored the question and turned to Drew instead. “Mr. Hudson, I was rather impressed by the arguments you made on The Counter View today. What do you think I should do?”
Drew jerked his head back. She’s asking me for my opinion?
For a moment, his mind went blank. He hadn’t expected to be consulted for advice. And definitely not on camera. Drew’s heart pounded hard as he struggled to find something insightful to say.
President Tolley gave him an encouraging smile. “Imagine you were president for a day and had to make this decision on behalf of American citizens. Would you sign or veto the bill?”
“I guess I’m not sure,” Drew said, scratching his head. “It’s much easier to have an opinion when I’m not the one responsible for the decision.” He grimaced at her.
President Tolley tilted her head and laughed out loud. “Touché. But you argued so vigorously against fully autonomous weapons systems earlier today. You don’t think we should field such systems on the battlefield?”
“No,” Drew said firmly. “I think it would be a grave mistake. But if I’m thinking about it from your perspective as the president, I’m not sure you have much of a choice. Ironically, I’ve heard the decision called the Terminator Conundrum. No one wants to build the Terminator, but everyone feels compelled to do it when one country goes down that road.”
Next to him, Drew could feel Tori getting restless. She was crossing and uncrossing her legs and shifting around in her chair. He couldn’t imagine Tori enjoying being cut out of the interview but it wasn’t up to him.
“But don’t I have a choice?” President Tolley asked. “I could choose to veto the bill and take a stand if I wanted. Isn’t that what you demanded from me this morning?”
“Um, I didn’t mean…” Drew stammered.
“It’s okay,” President Tolley said, reaching out her hand. “You were right to call me out. It’s my prerogative as president to make the choice. If the United State refuses to field such systems, maybe other countries would follow our lead and refrain from developing autonomous weapons systems as well.”
She agrees with me?
“And what if some don’t?” Drew asked, suddenly feeling overwhelmed with the burden of responsibility.
Did I convince the president to veto the bill?
“That’s my worry as well,” President Tolley said. “I’m curious what you think about our history with nuclear weapons. Do you think the U.S. had a choice in developing nuclear weapons during World War Two?”
“No,” Drew said quickly and then thought for a moment. “But that situation was different. Back then, we were in the middle of a world war, and Germany was winning. We also thought they might be developing nuclear weapons. The U.S. needed whatever advantage it could get in the war, and we needed to get there first. Today, we’re not at war.”
“But as you implied before, if we don’t get there first with our own autonomous weapons systems,” President Tolley said, “then Russia or China might beat us to the punch and win a key advantage on the battlefield. That’s the thing I wrestle with most. If I decide to veto the bill today, am I causing harm to the American people in the future? Will I be responsible for the loss of lives in some future war?”
Drew shrugged. Now that he considered all the ramifications, he was no longer as comfortable with his black and white views about autonomous systems.
“There’s something else,” President Tolley said. “There’s a disproportionate power in being first that can be used for good. We saw that with nuclear weapons as well. If the United States develops and fields autonomous weapons systems first, then the U.S. could help set global norms on restraint. But if our country doesn’t have any of these autonomous weapons systems itself, it would be a lot more difficult for us to tell other countries how they should be used, controlled, and eventually eliminated.”
Drew wrinkled his brow. “Are you saying we need to develop them first in order to one day get rid of them?”
That would be ironic.
President Tolley nodded. “Well, that’s my fear. I also wonder if my energy is better spent dealing with an older problem which we might be more ready to fix.”
Drew scrunched his face. “You mean, nuclear weapons?” He stole a glance at Tori. Her face said it all. She wasn’t happy with the way the interview was going. But the president didn’t seem to notice. Or maybe she didn’t care. Drew suppressed a smirk.
President Tolley nodded. “If we can’t solve the nuclear weapons problem, how can we talk about ridding the world of autonomous weapons systems? It seems we humans are finally ready to learn our lesson when it comes to nuclear weapons. I can’t think of any country’s leader who thinks nuclear war would be a good idea.”
“Madam President, are you saying humans have to learn our lessons the hard way?” Drew asked. “That we have to develop autonomous weapons systems to experience how terrible they are before we decide to eliminate them?”
President Tolley nodded, and her face looked suddenly grim. “I’m worried that we do.”
Drew felt a new surge of energy in his chest. “But what if instead of fearing that we can’t stop countries from developing autonomous weapons systems, we decide to have the courage to persuade them not to,” Drew said. He took a breath and then continued, “What if we do the unexpected? You could veto the bill and immediately call for arms control negotiations for autonomous weapons systems. Didn’t you just successfully conclude the clean energy deal with China? I seem to recall many pundits claiming you wouldn’t achieve any meaningful steps on that initiative. But look at what you accomplished. Maybe the U.S. and China could lead the world on this issue together.”
“Mr. Hudson, you’ve given me a great deal to think about,” President Tolley said, clasping her hands together loosely. She went silent for a moment and then looked back up at him. “I’m wondering if you might like to work for me.”
Drew squirmed in his chair, his heart now pounding. “At the White House?”
She smiled. “Wouldn’t you like to help me head up a multilateral negotiation to limit autonomous weapons systems? We need brilliant young people just like you to lead the way,” President Tolley said, smiling broadly at him. “Of course, it would be an internship to start off, but then we’d figure out how to create a position for you.”
Drew’s heart felt like it was shrinking for a moment. “Ma’am, I’d be honored to work for you… but I can’t afford to work for free. And I just lost my job because of—”
President Tolley laughed out loud. “For free? You don’t think the president of the United States can find the funds to pay her interns? Don’t worry, we’ll pay for your time. An internship is just the fastest way we could bring you on board. Are you interested?”
“Yes!” Drew nodded quickly, his cheeks flushing red. “Yes, ma’am. Thank you very much. I’m sorry… I’m confused. Does this mean you’ve decided to veto the bill?”
Before the president could answer his question, Tori said, “Madam President, I have a source inside the Pentagon who claims that our early warning satellite network went offline today, nearly leading to a nuclear exchange.”
What?
Drew turned to look at Tori, his face aghast.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” President Tolley said, her face turning a few shades paler than before.
“My source at the Pentagon said we came within seconds of ARC launching a nuclear war against both Russia and China today,” Tori said. “He also claimed that Centoreum Tech cheated on the test earlier this afternoon. Would you care to comment?”
Drew’s mouth fell open. We almost started a nuclear war today?
President Tolley frowned, got up from her chair, and motioned urgently to her chief of staff.
“This interview is over,” Elise said, rushing over to the first camera and fumbling with it, presumably looking for a way to remove the memory card. “Unfortunately, I’m going to have to confiscate the video footage,” she said, finally managing to remove the memory card from the first camera.
“You can’t do that,” Tori said, leaping out of her chair to stop Elise from reaching the second camera. Drew shrank back in his chair and grabbed the arms, watching the chaos unfold. Tori’s cameraman stood there as if frozen, apparently in complete shock at how the interview had fallen apart.
“This is not what we agreed to earlier today,” Elise said, her eyes flashing with anger as Tori blocked access to the second camera in an apparent standoff.
“Well, I didn’t agree to be sidelined for a one-on-one conversation with Drew, either,” Tori said, her eyes narrowing. She put her hands on her hips and glared at Elise and then at the president.
“Would you prefer if I called Secret Service?” Elise growled.
Tori threw up her hands and moved to the side. “Fine. Go ahead and take the footage. I’ll just run with what I have from my source, and you’ll read about it in the headlines later this evening. And believe me, he gave me plenty to go on. There was something about you issuing the rescind order?”
President Tolley pointed with her index finger, her jaw clenched. “I have an inkling about who your source might be. Having just been fired an hour ago for insubordination, he’ll come across as a disgruntled employee. I will also see to it that he faces charges for leaking highly classified information.”
“But do you think that will matter to his base of support?” Tori asked, her arms tight across her chest.
For several moments, they stood face to face in angry silence. Drew’s eyes darted between Tori and the president, wondering what either of them would say or do next.
“What if I were to offer you an exclusive?” President Tolley asked.
Tori’s ears appeared to prick up.
“I’ll give you your footage back,” President Tolley said. “You’ll air the clip between me and Mr. Hudson on your show tomorrow as agreed. But you’ll not say or print a word about what you’ve learned from your source… that is, until we’ve completed a full investigation of ARC and Centoreum Tech.”
Tori’s eyes widened. “So, it was all true…”
“Do you agree to those terms?” President Tolley asked. “And I don’t care if your source has gone to other news stations. You’ll say nothing about it until the investigation is complete. Do you agree?”
“And I’ll get the first look at the investigation report?” Tori asked.
“You’ll get exclusive access.” President Tolley pressed her lips together and nodded.
“Okay, it’s a deal.”
The president reached out her hand, and Tori shook it. As soon as the president released Tori’s hand, she walked back over to Drew and said smiling, “Now, let’s see about getting you that job.”
57
Détente
MORGAN
2000
Oval Office
The White House
Morgan entered the Oval Office and stood still for a few moments, her heels sinking into the plush oval carpet. She rubbed her wrists and stretched her arms. They were quite sore from being tied up in zip ties behind her back for several hours. Morgan’s stomach ached angrily from hunger, but she was more worried about other things—her uncle fleeing the country, her mother’s involvement in Harrison’s assassination, the mystery of her newfound sibling, and the prospect of getting fired from her job at the White House.
When she was finally released from custody, David had filled her in on everything that had transpired in the Situation Room with the ARC system. Her heart filled with pride when she learned about her friend Grace’s performance in the midst of a nuclear crisis. Unfortunately, David wasn’t able to reveal anything about Tolley’s plans for her. That she’d have to hear from the president herself.
President Tolley sat stiffly at her desk and scribbled her signature on a piece of paper.
“Is that the autonomous weapons legislation?” Morgan asked tentatively, eager to ease the tension in the room.
Tolley nodded.
“You just signed it?”
“Actually, I just vetoed it,” Tolley said, rising from her chair, walking around the desk, and offering Morgan a seat on the couch where they’d sat earlier that day discussing China’s missile test.
Taking a seat, Morgan said nothing. She didn’t quite know how to respond to the news. It was a surprising move, but then again not all that shocking. Somehow, deep down, Morgan had seen the veto coming since the cabinet meeting earlier that morning. Watching Tolley navigate the likes of Burke with ease and knowing the president’s beliefs, she couldn’t imagine the president would just roll over, cave to the pressure, and sign the bill because it was the popular thing to do. No, Tolley struck her as a woman of principle, and her decision would be based on her own judgment. For better or worse, she’d chosen a hard road for her presidency. Morgan eyed the president with a newfound respect.
“Are you surprised?” Tolley asked, appearing to study the expression on Morgan’s face.
“Not really,” Morgan said matter-of-factly.
Tolley raised an eyebrow. “Well, then maybe you know me better than I know myself. Because I didn’t know what I was going to do until about thirty minutes ago.”
“After your experience with the ARC system today, I don’t think you had much of a choice,” Morgan said in a reassuring tone.
“What about my decision to shut you out of the White House?” Tolley asked, frowning slightly. “Did I make the right choice there?”
Is this a trick question?
Morgan grimaced, thinking about what might have happened if she hadn’t broken into the White House to alert the president about the ARC system. “I’m sure you made the best decision you could at the time. You couldn’t have known Grayson was attempting to marginalize me to keep you from learning the truth about him. Even I didn’t see that one coming.”
Tolley took a deep breath. “Well, I do regret my decision. I’m sorry I put you through the wringer today. I trusted the
wrong person.”
“Ma’am, it happens to all of us. After what I learned about my family members today, I could never hold it against you.”
“Your uncle fled the country,” Tolley said curtly, frowning.
“I know,” Morgan said, a sharp pang of guilt stabbing her chest. She felt badly for letting her uncle escape and get away with whatever he’d done. Though at the time, she had other more important things to do. “Jack wanted me to come with him to avoid getting caught up in the mounting evidence against my family. When I refused and told him I was planning to get back into the White House somehow, he handed me that drive Elise gave to you.”
Morgan had hoped the drive would curry favor with the president, but now she wasn’t so sure anything could save her. Maybe it wasn’t that valuable after all.
How could Tolley ever trust me after all of this?
“But you stayed behind,” Tolley said. “Not only that, you got yourself taken into custody. Why?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” Morgan asked. “I didn’t want our country to turn into a pile of nuclear ash.”
“Hmm…” Tolley murmured, unconvinced, and stared at the floor. “The FBI has evidence your mother was involved in Nightfall.” Now she gave direct eye contact to Morgan, an unexpected fierceness in her eyes. “And I think you and Jack have been keeping that a secret from authorities.”
Morgan flinched.
“It now appears your mother was behind Harrison’s assassination as well,” Tolley said. “Along with your sister? How could you know nothing of it?”
Morgan gulped. “Ma’am, I’ve suspected my family’s involvement in Nightfall for some time, but I didn’t have any tangible evidence to report to authorities. You may not believe it, but I only took the job on the national security staff to keep an eye on my uncle and President Monroe. At the time, it seemed painfully obvious to me that my uncle Jack and President Monroe were using the al Makhtar jihadist group as a cover story for Nightfall. I suspected there was far more to it. And I worried that they were hiding the true source and extent of the operation within the United States. Possibly even hiding their own involvement.”
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