An Unlikely Phoenix

by Frank Zafiro

  More applause, and then more standing. The President let it go on for a little longer this time, so much so that it actually receded on its own. He glanced down at his note cards before continuing.

  “All right, so the American people have made it clear who they want to lead them, but they’ve also been clear on what they want. They want their country back. And I’ve been working tirelessly for twelve years to give it to them. And I’ve had great success. Phenomenal success. No president ever before has had so much success. But there’s still more work to be done.

  “I have been consulting with some very smart people on this issue. Tremendously smart people. And I’ve put together a plan that is just incredible. You’re going to be very happy when you see this plan. You’ll be thrilled. We’re going to roll it out over the next year, and there are a lot of small details that make it work, but tonight, I am going to give you the big picture. Because things are gonna change, folks. You’re going to get your country back. I made America great again, just like we promised, and I’m going to keep making America great, always.”

  Applause exploded. Some senators and representatives leapt to their feet. No one remained seated. Ryan heard a few scattered calls of “MAGA” from the crowd.

  The President beamed and let it play on for a long while, finally waving them back to their seats. “Let’s get to the meat of it. Because that’s what matters. Back when I was in business, making my fortune, that’s all I cared about. People would come to me, and they’d sing a good game, but all I wanted to hear from them was the bottom line. And the American people deserve the same consideration, because you’re smart people.”

  He stared into the camera meaningfully. “Get ready, because the liberals and the America haters are not going to like this. But all that should do is reinforce for you what a tremendous idea it really is. It is an idea whose time has come, and one all true Americans can embrace.

  “Think about that for a second. True Americans. Are you one? I know I am. I know I only have men and women in my cabinet who are, and only support men and women in Congress who are. But there are people out there who don’t understand what that means, to be a true American. These are the people who want to coddle terrorists.” The President began counting off on his fingers. “You’ve got these musicians and actors who try to tear our country down. And of course, you’ve got the race riots just two years ago. These people have lost sight of what it means to be a true American.”

  A cheer built up in the crowd.

  The President shook his head vehemently. “Listen, folks...if you call yourself African-American, Muslim-American, Gay-American, or any other hyphenated anything-American, then you’re not a true American in my book. Nothing, and I mean nothing, should go before the word American. Nothing!”

  The audience vaulted to their feet again, giving him thunderous applause. It went on for a full minute.

  During that time, Ryan glanced over at Andrew. The black man stared at the television, silent. Anger radiated off of him like heat. When he seemed to feel Ryan’s gaze, he turned to meet it, and Ryan looked away. A stab of guilt and shame hit him in the chest, and he felt the weight of the sins of his skin color.

  “Tell me you’re not buying this shit,” Andrew said, through clenched teeth.

  “Not for a second,” Ryan answered, and that gave him the courage to look Andrew in the eye.

  “Yeah, well, you’re in the minority these days.”

  “You’re telling me.”

  That brought a slight, strained smile from the big man.

  On the television, the president held out his hands. “Thank you. You’re very kind.” He waited for the assembled group to sit down, then continued. “So here’s what we’re going to do, folks. You’re going to be very happy with this, believe me. Because we’re cleaning house. It’s that simple.

  “If you are not an American citizen right now, today, then I am officially telling you to leave our country.”

  A swell of applause began in the audience, but the President spoke over it.

  The sinking feeling in Ryan’s stomach grew.

  “Oh, Nathalie,” he whispered.

  “If you refer to yourself as a hyphenated American, that time is over. You need to decide which side of the hyphen you want to be on. Either drop whatever is before the word American, or you will be asked to leave our country.”

  The applause grew.

  “If you’re not an American, a true American, then we simply do not need you here. We don’t want you here. We want our country instead. So you’re leaving. Within one year, anyone not a citizen or any citizen who claims status as anything other than American will be gone. And if you don’t go on your own, then we will come for you. We will find you and deport you, and quite frankly, you might not get sent to a country of your choosing. So take advantage of this amnesty period, and get out.”

  Loud cheers joined the applause.

  “We have everything we need within the borders of our own nation,” The President continued. “We have all of the natural resources, all of the know-how, the talent, all of the labor, all of everything. We don’t need other nations. They might need us, but we don’t need them. And so, as part of this initiative, we are closing the borders. We will not be admitting anyone to this country without strict review, and maybe not even then. And the same will apply to Americans leaving the country. Because if we’re going to have tight borders, folks, they can’t be tight just one direction. That doesn’t work.

  “Americans will have the next six months to get their affairs abroad in order before the full restriction kicks in, but I am instituting closer scrutiny on every traveler immediately, in or out. This is a necessary move, and quite frankly, folks, it is long overdue. If we’d had this kind of vigilance in 2001, we would have prevented the tragedy of 9/11, I guarantee it. Think of that when people try to argue against this policy. Tell it to them. They won’t have an answer, because there isn’t one. That’s because this is the best move.

  “This is all part of a shift in policy.” He hesitated, cocking his head, and making a strange expression. Then he gave his head a shake. “You know, actually, that’s not exactly true. We’ve been working toward this policy since my first term. We heard the voice of the people and have been on our way to this point since way back then. Like I said, government is here to serve the people, and that’s what we’re doing. Serving.

  “So the United States is finished being the world’s policeman. We have already backed away from being the savior that everyone looks for to solve the problems they created. What did that get us? We poured tons of money into foreign aid and development and disaster relief, and what happened? Everyone expected more, that’s what. And they hated us even though we were helping. I don’t know about you, but it felt like coming across some kind of bum on the street, back when this was a nation that had bums on the streets. But you remember, if you’re old enough. These people, they hold out their hand and ask – no, they demand – you give them money. Your money. And why? Because you have it and they don’t. It doesn’t matter that you worked for it, that you sacrificed for it, or that they didn’t do a damn thing. No, all that matters is that they feel like they are somehow entitled to what you earned, and they believe it is your responsibility to give it to them. And what happens when you do? They hate you anyway. Maybe they hate you even more than before. And I’ll tell you what else happens, folks. You get more bums coming at you with their hands out.”

  The President shook his head, affecting an expression somewhere between anger and sorrow.

  “So we stopped giving out money. And they hated us for that, too, but what’re you gonna do, right? What’re you gonna do?” He sighed. “Well, now we’re done cleaning up the messes around the world, too. We’re going to focus on the United States for a change. Just like we made sure to feed our own people first, now we’re going to make sure our own people are safe first. Instead of sending young Americans to die in some other country for some other p
eople, they are going to serve right here within our own borders. Let the rest of the world take care of itself for a change. We’re going to take care of each other right here in the U.S. of A.!”

  The cheers had been building and now they exploded once more, seeming to be even louder than before. The President soaked it in, his face lifted imperiously as he looked out into the assembled legislators.

  “America first!” he yelled, and pumped a fist in the air.

  That sent the crowd into a near frenzy, and he smiled at them.

  “So make no mistake,” he boomed over the cacophony in the Capitol building. “Let every nation know that we shall see to our own needs before we consider theirs. And everyone in this country who is not an American...it is time to get your exit plan in order. Because a new dawn is rising in America, a new order, a new way that is the old way, a time of America for Americans! It should have happened a long time ago, but that doesn’t matter because it is happening now. It is the will of the people and I am making it happen. I am making America great, always.” He raised his fist in salute, then opened it in a brisk wave, turned from the lectern and walked away.

  Ryan sat, stunned. He barely registered Andrew turning off the television and joining him in his silence. Nathalie’s image hung in his mind’s eye, and he struggled to make sense of what he had just heard.

  “Damn,” Andrew said, his voice low and raspy.

  “I’ve got to call my wife,” Ryan said. “We’ve got to...figure things out.”

  Andrew nodded slowly. “I imagine so. But from the sounds of it, the man in the White House already did all the figuring.”

  “This can’t be happening.” Ryan shook his head in disbelief. “I thought it was bad before, but...”

  “But now he’s upping his game.” He met Ryan’s eyes meaningfully. “You best get yourself correct, Officer. Because the only thing that these party dudes hate more than someone who isn’t one of them is someone who they think oughta be.”

  Ryan stood and used his cane to move laboriously toward the door. He had a long way to go and not much time to get there.

  Part II: ALEXANDER

  Sacramento, California

  USA

  February 2029

  Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it on to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.

  Ronald Reagan,

  40th President of the United States

  From a 1961 address to the annual meeting of the Phoenix Chamber of Commerce

  Chapter 7

  As what was viewed by many on the left as the White House’s continual march toward extremism progressed, relations between several states and the federal government deteriorated. Long before anyone envisioned an actual war, a political and cultural war came into being. Battle lines were relatively clear, opposing opinions loudly stated (to the point of becoming jingoistic and certainly propagandistic), and this led a slow but inexorable escalation in which all parties found themselves becoming more entrenched as time passed.

  California emerged as the leader of the opposition. While Hawaii and Alaska both predated the Golden State in objecting to federal measures and were even the sources of the first rumblings of secession, the overwhelming population and economic strength of California, coupled with its social and cultural prominence, pegged it early on as the de facto leader of a loose, unofficial coalition of liberal states who defied federal mandate. While there were states such as Wisconsin that likewise spoke out, these few states were isolated and ultimately cowed by their very geographic location. Thus, the true division over the proclamations the President made in 2028 and the policies his administration pursued in 2029 became one in which, for the most part, the West Coast stood alone. Firmly backed by Hawaii and Alaska, and slightly more tentatively by Oregon and Washington, California was the center of this opposition.

  Needless to say, this resistance was not well received by the White House.

  — From An Unlikely Phoenix by Reed Ambrose

  SENATOR ALEXANDER DERRICK wanted very badly to punch Carl Young in the face. In a legal sense, he’d probably get away with it. Technically, Young was employed by the New American Party. He wasn’t an elected official and his public profile was negligible outside of the small political circles he moved in. Alex doubted the police would even be involved, much less arrest him for smashing the man’s nose.

  There would be a political price to pay, however. Young’s handlers were still courting Alex, and sending their pet back to them all bloodied would signal an end to that courtship. And while Alex knew that their efforts to win him over would ultimately be in vain, his purpose now was to keep them talking as long as possible.

  If they’re talking, you’re winning.

  That little gem came from his brother, who was a cop in St. Louis. Ryan had been wounded in the line of duty nine months ago, and Alex had gone back home to see him then. But it was actually a few years ago at Thanksgiving, after the two of them had knocked back a few drinks, when his little brother dropped this particular bit of wisdom on him. Ryan had grown philosophical, telling Alex that their jobs weren’t really that different. Both mostly involved talking, and as long as people were still talking, both of them were winning. It was only when the talking stopped that somebody had to lose.

  Alex reminded himself of that every time he wished Young would just shut the hell up.

  “Everyone knows it’s these fringe elements driving all this talk,” Young was saying from the plush, high backed leather chair across from him. “Between the Hollywood types and the Berkeley crowd, they’re whipping up all the moderates with their reckless behavior.”

  Alex glanced over at Miriam Slake. She didn’t react, even though her district included exactly the so-called fringe elements Young was deriding. Miriam’s face was unreadable, however, as she stared at Young implacably. The only sign of her frustration that Alex could read was in the tight grip of her fingers around her untouched drink.

  “I’m not sure why you’re talking to me about this, Carl,” he responded. “I don’t represent Hollywood or Berkeley.”

  Carl grinned tightly and without humor. The action stretched his skin across his skeletal features. “Let’s not be coy,” he said. “You carry a lot of weight in the Senate. People look to you for approval. They look to you for direction.”

  “I think you’re overstating my influence,” Alex said.

  “Is that what you’d like us to believe?” Young’s fake smile didn’t waver. “That your position as Majority Leader is merely ceremonial?”

  Alex shrugged. It was a delicate dance with these people. He had to make them think that he was powerful enough to influence those that they wanted influenced, but not so powerful that he could simply command them to do as he bade. These men from Washington that Young represented had to believe that his influence would work...but only eventually. That bought them all something precious – time. So it was in that narrow space in between too powerful and not powerful enough where he walked now.

  “My position gives me a voice, yes,” he said. “And so does my seniority. But it doesn’t make me an executive, Carl. At the end of the day, I am still just another state senator. I’m not the Governor, or the President.”

  Young’s smile twitched at the mention of the Governor, but he quickly recovered. “No one is asking you to be the President. We’re just asking you to be who you are – a senior member of the legislature. And as a senior member, to influence these...radicals within the rest of the legislature.”

  “Now you want me to reach across the hall to the State Assembly as well?”

  “No need,” Young said easily. “You show leadership in the Senate and bring these people around, and the Assemblymen from those same districts will follow suit. It’s i
nevitable. It’s human nature.”

  “Do you really think that some of the more dedicated Assembly members are that easily swayed?” Alex shook his head. “You called them radicals, and in one sense, I have to agree with you. Many of them believe in their stated principles very strongly. They were elected based upon those ideals. They’re unlikely to readily abandon their positions or surrender their convictions.”

  Young shrugged. “Some will, some won’t. We’ll address the recalcitrant ones at a later date.”

  And how will you do that? Alex wondered, but didn’t say it. Instead, he held his hands up in a gesture he knew conveyed reasonableness. “I can only promise to speak with my fellow senators. I can’t promise what their eventual course of action will be.”

  “Who amongst us can?” Young said. “And that is all we are asking of you. To have a conversation. To influence.”

  “And I will. I’ll talk to the moderates first. Lay the foundation before I approach those with more entrenched views.”

  “A smart strategy. But don’t take too long. The White House is watching the events here with a concerned eye.”

  Alex had a fleeting vision of the giant, demonic red eye of Sauron atop a black tower in the classic Lord of the Rings films he and Ryan watched as kids. That eye had been scarier to him than even the black orcs on the battlefields. Perhaps even at that young age, he had an inkling about the nature of power. The orcs were monstrous and scary, but the power that sent them was even more worthy of fear.

  “Something wrong?” Young asked.

  “No, why?”