by Adam Yoshida
But that didn't mean that there still weren't millions of Democrats left in the rest of the country. Mitchell Randall, though he was a Republican himself, was getting the votes of millions of these people simply because he was a shade to the left of Terrance Rickover.
Given these conditions, the Acting President had been forced to depart from his original intention of making a "governing" choice when it came to the Vice Presidency. Instead of picking one of his loyal lieutenants - he'd learned towards asking Mark Preston to take on the job while also retaining the Secretary of Defense role - now he'd been forced to make an electoral one. That was what had brought him to Kentucky.
"Fired up and ready to go, Mr. President," replied Governor Chan with a broad smile.
"Alright, that's good," said Rickover as he listened to Kentucky's Attorney General finish his introduction.
"...ladies and gentlemen, the President of the United States!"
Rickover walked out onto the stage, deliberately taking a decisive little hop with his final step as he finished ascending the stairs. Amidst all of the lights and tumult he firmly grasped the hand of the Attorney General and then turned to wave to the crowd as it cheered mightily.
"Well," began the Acting President, "that was a heck of an introduction. Thank you."
"These last years have been incredibly difficult ones for our country and for all Americans. We have been asked to think about what it means to be a citizen of the United States. We have been forced - some of us excruciatingly so - to ponder the true meaning of loyalty. Much has been asked from all of us. More, probably, than it was ever fair to ask. Yet it was necessary that it be asked all the same."
"Some of us have passed the tests of these years. Some have failed. Some have been absent. The man I am here to talk about today, however, is one of those who has passed. He is one of the few men who stepped into this fiery trial and has emerged on the other side with universal respect and affection. He is a man to whom the people of the United States owe a great debt."
"When the government in Washington, as led by Kevin Bryan, refused to recognize the legitimate verdict of the Congress - and of the people - and determined to perpetuate themselves in office, every citizen of this nation was given a choice to make: does party come before country? We do not need to dwell today on the poor choices that some made and continue to make. Instead, I want to talk about those who took profoundly moral positions at great risk to themselves. I want to talk about those who stood for America in those difficult days."
"Kentucky is one of the front-line states. Next door are Virginia and Illinois, parts of which continue to be controlled by the enemy to this day. More of them used to be. And when the time came to choose - to decide where the loyalty of Kentucky ought to lie - there were many in this state, including many in elected office and many in the Governor's own party who wished to side with power over principle. Indeed, some of the closest friends of the Governor of this state conspired to do just that. They conspired to deliver Kentucky to the regime in Washington and they invited the Governor to join in their scheme. Great rewards from Washington were promised as compensation for such a deed and dire punishments for non-compliance were suggested."
"What did the Governor of Kentucky do in this emergency? Well, you already know the story. He feigned cooperation with the conspirators and invited them to a meeting-place. And when they arrived to execute this conspiracy - this act of treason against the United States of America - what did they found? Did they find the Governor of Kentucky, eager to join them in subverting the laws and the Constitution as other chief executives were? No. They found the Kentucky State Police there to place them under arrest."
"That was just the opening act of a long history of meritorious acts. Recognizing the dangers posed by the global economic dislocations caused by this war and the related chaos around the world, the Governor recognized that the outmoded economic models of the past - models that relied upon massive regulation of private affairs - could not hope to create the conditions for an economic revival and so he reached across the aisle and began a thoroughgoing program of economic reform that has managed to improve the economy of Kentucky even through it remains on the front lines of a war. He has stood strong against those who would attempt to tear apart our country by engaging in acts of terrorism upon our own soil in support of our foreign enemies."
"Ladies and gentlemen, I take great pride in presenting to you the next Vice President of the United States: Governor Aaron Chan of the great state of Kentucky!"
The crowd went wild as the Governor burst forth onto the stage. Rickover grasped his hand and raised it into the air as the crowd's applause rose to even-greater heights.
After an ovation that lasted nearly a minute, the Governor took his place at the podium and the crowd quieted somewhat.
"Thank you, Mr. President," began Governor Chan, "I don't think I ever expected to end up here. Certainly, as the child of immigrants who ran an auto repair shop in northern Virginia, I don't think that I ever dared dream much more than I would make my parents proud by going a little farther than they did. It is sad that they can't physically be here with me today to see this, but I know that - wherever they are - they must be incredibly proud."
"These are unsettled times in America and in Kentucky. I believe that every citizen has a duty, regardless of their own political ideology, to ensure the survival of the Republic. That is what I have done as the Governor of this great state. I had no ambitions for higher office. Indeed, before the events of recent years I had simply hoped to return to the practice of law after my own term of office was concluded. That being said, as a patriot, I believe that I have no more right to refuse to assist the Commander-in-Chief in bringing this war to a successful conclusion than a soldier has the right to refuse orders at the front. I am fully enlisted in this cause."
"Let us be very clear on what the cause us. We have gone to war - we have endured and suffered much - for the freedom of all Americans. It would be a supreme betrayal of our cause and of all of those who have already given so much if we were instead to decide to settle for the freedom of some Americans."
"Therefore, I am proud to, despite the fact that we bear the labels of different parties, have accepted the offer of the President to serve as his running mate in the forthcoming election. I will fight from one end of America to the other for the fundamental principle that no Americans will be abandoned to foreign control and that no compromises will be made of our liberties. I will be proud to embark upon this campaign with the President and even prouder when the day comes that I will work alongside him in the White House."
CHAPTER TWO
The Excursion
Temporary Seat of the Government of the United States, Colorado Springs, Colorado
For a moment everyone in the room stood, dumbfounded as they looked up at the image of General Jackson.
"On whose authority did you develop this... plan?" asked General Xavier Monroe, finally breaking the silence.
"I did this on my own initiative, both as an officer of the United States and in recognition of my... special connection to the Western Republic," answered Jackson flatly.
"Well," said Secretary Preston, "from a strategic point of view, it's brilliant. I don't know why we hadn't previously considered it. The former Canadian provinces in the East are every bit as much of the Federation as are the captive states at the present time. They're clearly a part of this war."
"Just looking at a map, and without any particular military expertise: it's a heck of a long trip," noted the Secretary of State.
"If you give me the forces I need to launch the offensive - fast, mobile forces with plenty of air cover - and maintain our supply lines as outlined in the plan, then I am confident that we can complete this operation in no more than a month from the day of our first incursion," answered Jackson.
"Ok," said the Acting President, finally speaking up, "I want to make sure that I've got this straight. The plan is that your XII Corps is
augmented by an additional Armored Division, creating a force of three mechanized and/or armored divisions and that this force will transit eastwards as though it's joining the primary force set to invade Illinois, only at the last minute the force will instead peel off, dash across Ontario, and then turn and march to the sea at New York City?"
"That's a fair summary, Mr. President," replied Jackson.
"And you have somehow acquired the full cooperation of the government of the United Western Republic in this?"
"Yes, Mr. President," said Jackson.
"And I don't want to know more about that?" asked Rickover with a slight wink.
"I don't think that you do, sir," answered the General.
"It seems that today is the day for sudden inspiration," said the Acting President as he looked down at his tablet.
"I'm sorry, sir?" said the Secretary of State.
"Tell them about the rest, Mark," said the Acting President.
The Secretary of Defense cleared his throat.
"Well," he began, "this morning we received a proposal from General MacKenzie. More of a notification, actually about a substantial alteration in the plans for the offensive action by the Third Army."
"Specifically," Preston continued, "the General plans to accelerate the timeframe for the arrival of a portion of force, which he intends to command in person. He wants to take the 1st Cavalry Division and the 4th Infantry Division - which are loaded on faster and more modern ships - along with his four Carriers and fast escorts and he wants to run them up to the Atlantic Coast at high speed. His slower ships and a handful of escorts would be sent into the Pacific and unload on the West Coast. Except, possibly, for the 82nd Airborne, which he argues could be landed in friendly territory somewhere and then relocated to the CONUS by air."
"And what does he plan to do with these forces when they get on the ground?" asked General Monroe, who was somewhat disgruntled to be hearing about this for the first time now.
"He's drawn up preliminary plans to move against the Federation's left and then to break their lines and bypass Washington, leaving it to be taken by the Army of the South while he drives to the north."
"In other words," said General Monroe, "with all due respect to you, General Jackson, what we have here are two combat commanders who want to go it on their own, instead of waiting for the general offensive that we've planned."
"With all due respect to you, General Monroe," said Jackson from his screen, "the assessment that I have arrived at - and I expect that General MacKenzie has come to as well - is that we simply may not have the time for the sort of coordinated offensive that was originally contemplated if we are going to win the war. Our timetable has been scrambled by the changing political winds. No offense intended, Mr. President."
"None taken, General," replied Rickover, "none taken."
The Acting President, newly returned to Colorado, looked down at the conference table and gently tapped it with his hand. The unveiling of the Rickover-Chan ticket had managed to pick up a few votes, but the bleeding continued and he didn't know if he could stop it.
"This morning, as for some days past, it seems exceedingly probable that this Administration will not be re-elected," he began, "then it will by my duty to so cooperate with the President-elect, as to save the Union between the Election and the inauguration; as he will have secured his election on such ground that he cannot possibly save it afterwards."
"Mr. President?" said Secretary Preston.
"Lincoln," said Ira Skelton quietly.
"In the late summer of 1864," explained Rickover, "Abraham Lincoln wrote that out and asked his Cabinet to sign it without reading it. It was, in effect, his emergency plan for the salvation of the nation. Well, gentlemen, I think that today we find ourselves in pretty much the same place. Senator Randall is now ahead in the polls and the people are wild for peace, even if it damns the nation."
"Lincoln was re-elected," pointed out Secretary Simpson.
"And we will hope for the best - for our own taking of Atlanta, as it were - but we must now prepare for the worst," said Rickover.
The Acting President turned to face General Monroe.
"General," he said, "I know that you don't like what we've got planned here, but I've got to go with my own best judgement. Both of these operations are approved, with one additional element."
"Mr. President?" said General Monroe.
"I want it timed so that both begin simultaneously. And, as soon as possible after that, I want the rest of our forces to move against Washington and then Chicago."
USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76), South Atlantic Ocean
"Well, Admiral," said General Dylan MacKenzie from the Combat Information Center of the USS Ronald Reagan , "this is going to be your show for a little while. Get us home and I'll see it that they make you a Fleet Admiral and award you the Navy Cross."
Admiral Layton looked at the General quizzically.
"If they made me a Fleet Admiral," said Layton, "I'd outrank you, General."
The General smiled and slapped the Admiral on the back.
"Don't worry about that, Admiral," he said, "if we win, I am certain that I will be more than adequately taken care of in that regard."
"Admiral Layton," said the senior communications officer, "Admiral Collins is on the line for you."
"Very well," replied Layton as he picked up a phone.
"Sir," came the voice of Rear Admiral Olivia Collins, who was flying her flag from the USS Cape St. George , an aged Ticonderoga -class Cruiser, "Task Force 47 stands ready to depart on your orders."
"Task Force 47 is authorized to change course and commence its mission," replied Admiral Layton.
"I wish that we were going with you, sir," said Admiral Collins quietly.
"I wish so as well," said Layton. He hated to lose both Collins, who was a fine officer, and also to lose the Cape St. George , whose 122 Vertical Launch System cells the fleet could badly use. However, the portion of the fleet that was going to head further south and then cross into the Pacific was going to need a good officer to lead it - for there could very well be enemy submarines and other threats lurking across the South Atlantic - and the gas turbines that powered the Cape St. George had proven to be problematic at best in recent months, making her the major combatant that could most readily be spared from the main body of the fleet.
"Good hunting, sir," said Collins.
"Thanks. I'll see you back home," said Layton.
"Task Force 47 departing," reported one of the officers in the CIC.
"Admiral," said General MacKenzie, extending his hand, "I'll leave to to your work. I know that we've had our differences, but I trust you to see us through."
"General," replied Layton, accepting the offered hand, "we're going to make this happen together."
MacKenzie nodded and turned to exit the CIC as Layton turned to face the rest of the officers around him.
"Ladies and gentlemen," he ordered, "take us home."
Democratic Union, Temporary Office of the American Commissioner, Chicago, Illinois
"Mr. High Commissioner," explained General Eugene Wesley, "with all due respect, these reports are not meaningless and they must cause us to reconsider several elements of our strategy as contemplated."
"General," replied the High Commissioner, "as you know, I am not a novice at these things..."
The General held his tongue on that one.
"...and you are not the first officer to come to me with reports of imminent catastrophe unless we make a sudden and radical alteration in our plans. I understand that these are challenging times, but I don't think that anything whatsoever is served by sudden or precipitous panic."
"Mr. High Commissioner," said Minister Gerald Ransom, whose stature has been enhanced by the change of government in the East and the role that he had played in that upheaval, "I don't think that General Eugene is arguing that we ought to take sudden or ill-considered action. We must, as always, be careful in all things that
we do. But, at the same time, we can hardly ignore the suggestion that the enemy has made a major alteration in their own plans."
"Well," said the High Commissioner, "what would you have me do? Kevin Bryan let you military people talk him into launching a spoiling attack against an offensive by the rebels and look what happened to him: today he's effectively a prisoner and he will go down in history as the last President of the original United States."
"I don't think that anyone is arguing for a pre-emptive attack of that nature this time, sir," said Ransom, "but that, instead, people are arguing against any sense of complacency. Our strategy is to sit back and wait for the Colorado government to throw its punch, to absorb that blow, and wait for the political calendar to do the rest of what must be done for us. I still believe that's a viable strategy, but a sufficiently hard blow by the U.S. Government could also cause our entire arrangement here to unravel or, alternatively, it could buy Terrance Rickover just enough popularity to stay in office at which point, short of a nuclear war, this thing is finished."
"Well," said the High Commissioner thoughtfully, "what would you have?"
"Our best intelligence," explained General Wesley, "is that the United States fleet in the South Atlantic has split into two parts. One part we have gathered, largely by their efforts to retrovision via South America, appears to be headed into the Pacific. We don't presently have an exact location on the other part, but our best guess - the only reasonable inference - is that it headed to the north and that it is probably moving very fast. Faster, in fact, than any of our planning to date has anticipated."
