by Mark Donovan
“At the heart of this “Act” is a plan to install a comprehensive MAGLEV rail system in every large and small city around the country. Yes, an improved and expanded public transportation system that will transcend anything that our cities offer today in the form of rail or bus lines. Moreover, the cities will be interconnected together via a network of new MAGLEV rail lines. When completed, the new rail infrastructure will dramatically reduce our country’s reliance on the automobile. The need for personal automobile use, for anyone who lives in a city or the suburbs of a city, will effectively be eliminated.”
Again the President paused for affect and to allow the concept to sink into the viewers’ heads.
“Due to the massive size and scope of this plan, we are going to need to temporarily raise additional revenues to support the build-out of the new MAGLEV rail system. We estimate the ten year cost for construction to be in the several trillions of dollars. As a result, as your President, I will need to ask you to share in the cost of funding this plan. Again, the increase in revenues required will only be temporary, so rest assured the sacrifice each one of you will make will not be a permanent thing.”
Again the President paused for effect before continuing.
“After much consultation with my staff, we’ve decided the most appropriate way to fund the “Transportation Movement Act” is through a mileage assessment fee placed on all automobile use, be it for personal or business use. Specifically, we will assess a fee of $0.02 on each mile traveled by an automobile, regardless of how many people are in the vehicle at any time. Similarly, we will assess a fee of $0.01 on each mile traveled by a product built and/or sold in this country. Based on our calculations this “mileage tax plan” will enable us to generate all the revenues required to fully fund the “Transportation Movement Act”. Our estimations even account for the fact that a certain percentage of people will decide to start carpooling more frequently to reduce the tax burden on themselves. We understand why they may do this, and we actually applaud them for doing so. By carpooling more, not only will they save on their share of the mileage assessment fee, they’ll be the first of our fellow citizens to take the necessary steps in reducing our country’s oil dependency and shrinking our carbon footprint.”
Again the President reached for his glass of water and took a sip before continuing.
“I understand that the mileage assessment fee may sound onerous to some of you. However, I ask that you think about the long term benefits for the country. With your support we will have a state of the art national public transportation system that every other country on this planet will envy. This benefit alone is reason enough to support our plans. However, if this isn’t reason enough for you, consider the jobs it will create. The new jobs created for just the construction of the MAGLEV rail system infrastructure will be in the millions. In addition, this new public transportation system will enable new businesses to start up and existing ones to thrive due to the improved infrastructure. Every city with a MAGLEV rail system will be a shining new light of economic activity in our country. And the fact that every city will be interconnected together via this new rail system will enable suburbs and rural areas to prosper as well.”
“The secondary benefit is that this new public transportation infrastructure will dramatically reduce our dependency on automobiles and foreign oil. As a result, every citizen of this great country will save money and time. No longer will we have to pay billions of dollars to foreign oil producing countries. And no longer will we have to suffer with grid lock on our nation’s highways. Moreover, and most importantly, we will have cleaner air and water due to dramatically lower carbon emissions in our country. Again, we will be a shining example to the rest of the world on what can be done when a country’s people are willing to invest in itself for the long haul.”
“So I close tonight asking for your support of our new vision and plans for the country. If you can rise up and let your voice be heard in support of this great cause, you will do your part in turning this country’s economy around and making our planet a healthier place to live. I urge you to call your congressmen and women and tell them to support the “Transportation Movement Act”. With your congressional member’s support we can get this plan passed in Congress and onto my desk so that I can sign it into law soon. With your help and my final signature, we can then take the next step in moving forward and restoring our country and this planet to its glory years. Thank you, good night, and God Bless.”
After the television camera’s red light went off, the President’s staff erupted in applause and cheers as he stood up from the desk where he was seated. In their self-serving opinions the President had just made a wonderful pitch for the Transportation Movement Act that would surely enable it to receive the necessary votes in Congress for passage. And most importantly, ensuring their positions of continued power and lifestyle.
“Fabulous job Mr. President,” said the Chief of Staff as he came up to the President and gave him a fist pump. “You knocked it out of the park tonight with that speech. I guarantee you your supporters are thrilled with it and will be gushing in the papers, online, and on television broadcasts about it all night, and for the next several weeks until we get this plan passed.”
“Thank you,” responded the President in a wide grin. He too felt like he hit a home run tonight. The message was clear, the cadence was perfect, and the tone was uplifting.
As the President started to leave the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room to go back to his private quarters he saw a familiar face come up on one of the television monitors.
Chapter 38 (March 18, Monday 8:30pm Eastern Daylight Savings Time)
As the President signed off, and the network technicians attempted to switch back to their headquarter studios, where their respective anchor reporters and commentators were anxiously awaiting to discuss and celebrate the Presidents new plan, every network lost control of its broadcast transmission ability. Television and computer screens across the country went temporarily black for a moment before a video image appeared on the screens. The video display came from a remote transmission feed emanating from a location in the central Midwestern part of the country.
The video image displayed was of the Vice President talking in a hotel room to a beautiful young woman in a red dress whose face was being purposely blurred. An articulate and methodical voice narrated over the video explaining where the Vice President was during the filming of the video and warning that the subsequent footage was very graphic in nature, even though much of it had been edited out due to its sheer vulgarity and violence.
The voice narrating was a synthesized version of Dana Cogswell’s voice. As the video continued to stream into living rooms and businesses all around the country, Dana explained what was transpiring between the Vice President and the young woman. As the video played out and Dana continued to speak, the viewers watched and listened to a horrible story unfold. In every living room across the country people stared intently and listened silently to what streamed out in front of them.
At the end of the fifteen minute video the narrator ended by summarizing that this is what our Vice President was doing at the International Summit on Global Climate Change. She then went on to rhetorically ask that if this is what our Vice President would do to a defenseless young woman, what other imaginable acts is he capable of. Finally, the video concluded with a still picture of the woman’s lifeless body lying on the beach. Five seconds later the transmission ended and the broadcast networks were able to restore their own transmissions.
Chapter 39 (March 18, Monday 6:45pm Mountain Daylight Savings Time)
As the video ended and the networks returned to their headquarter studios, anchor reporters and commentators looked at each other in stunned shocked. They looked like deer in the headlights as they faced the live cameras and tried to quickly process and digest what they had just witnessed. Dave, Dana and Ron just sat silently at the NSurv offices and waited for them to respond. The anchors wer
e lost for words only momentarily, however. Within seconds, they had regained their composure and had recovered enough to respond to what they had just witnessed. Immediately, each began to talk rapidly of a prank that must have just been played out across the nation and that obviously the image of the Vice President shown was really not him. They also began to rush to the defense of the Vice President by hyperbolizing on his impeccable career, both as a former senator and as the Vice President.
At that point, Dave shut off the television screens and looked at Dana and Ron and said with a grin, “I have to give the President credit, he did a hell of a job selling his plan tonight, but I think we upstaged him a bit. I think tonight, and for the next several days, the President and his administration are going to be dealing with another more pressing issue than his “Transportation Movement Act”. What to do with the Vice President?”
“Absolutely, the faces on the anchors and commentators was of pure shock,” responded Ron. “They were lost for words and now they’re in a panic defense mode for the administration. The public saw what it saw tonight, and there is enough corroborating evidence out there to support the video. I’m betting the Vice President will be sacked within the next two weeks.”
Dana listened to the two men talk but her mind had already shifted back to the President’s speech.
“In regards to the President’s speech, the public is not going to buy into any of it, particularly the folks living in the rural areas and even many who live in the suburbs,” said Dana. “The American public has been in love with their vehicles and associated independence since Ford introduced the first car. They will revolt against the President’s “mileage assessment fee”. It’s an outright joke and the American people won’t accept it.”
“You’re right,” said Ron, “The American public as a whole won’t accept the President’s vision and plans. But make no mistake; it isn’t about the American public. It’s about the congressional members and businessmen around the world that will profit from the “Transportation Movement Act”, and we can be assured they will profit considerably.”
“The President couched his new plans very carefully and articulately tonight,” Dave responded. “If anything at all, he gave sufficient cover for enough of those fence sitting congressional members to jump off to his side. I guarantee you many of them are already chomping at the bit to negotiate with the President and his minions on what they can get for their district, and more importantly for themselves, in return for their vote.”
“We’re going to need to act fast to catch the administration in the act of effectively bribing congressional members for their vote. This video tonight should slow them down for a few days, however, Ron you and your team are going to need to ship out to Washington the day after tomorrow. If we’re going to infect the congressmen with the nano-dust particles, and have any chance of catching them in the act of accepting administration vote bribes, we need to be at the annual congressional dinner on Thursday.”
“You know that even if we expose them for accepting bribes from the administration that both the administration and the congressional members will simply brush it off as typical negotiation tactics used on Capitol Hill,” said Dana.
“Yes, I’m sure they will use that line of reasoning as an initial defense,” responded Dave. “However, the preponderance of evidence that we will follow up with, showing the ties between them, the international billionaires and their companies positioned to profit from the “Transportation Movement Act”, and a corrupt national press, will make their excuses eventually ring hollow with the American public. They won’t get away with it this time. The networks tonight saw that they don’t have as much control over the airways as they thought they did.”
“I hope you’re right Dave,” replied Dana. “However, keep in mind every one of the players you just mentioned plays hardball and will stop at nothing to protect their interests.”
“Well, we will just need to make sure we are one step ahead of them at all times,” chimed in Ron.
Chapter 40 (March 18, Monday 8:45pm Eastern Daylight Savings Time)
As the video began to play out over the television screens in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room, President Coleman and his staff, as well as all of the White House communication technicians, looked on in riveted horror. They could not believe what they were seeing. The First Lady had to take a seat as she nearly fainted at the horrible act unfolding on the screen in front of her. Meanwhile the Vice President slipped out of the room quietly.
Only the Chief of Staff spoke, yelling out invectives at the television screens to both the perpetrators who were transmitting the image and the Vice President. He knew, as well as the President and several others in the top administration, that what they were watching was a true and unfortunate event. He kicked himself for deciding not to attend the conference. He might have been able to have prevented this disaster from happening if he had gone. The Vice President had burned them several times in the past, but this incident was too much. It was indefensible. He had to go. Though the national press would run cover for the Vice President and the administration the best they could, there were still too many rogue reporters out there that would do some fact checking and corroborate this film in short order.
The President gazed briefly over at the Chief of Staff as he quieted down. The President showed a combination of anger, disappointment and fear on his face. Ken Hardy gave him one quick hard look that was easy to understand. He was going to need to ask for the Vice President’s resignation tomorrow morning. However, the bigger issue the President thought was how he was going to quickly and quietly put this whole affair behind him. Getting rid of the Vice President was a step in the right direction, however, Congress and the public would demand more answers and actions. For him though, chief on his list of questions was who filmed the Vice President’s actions and how did they override the nation’s media broadcast transmissions. If he didn’t find out quickly who was responsible for this video release tonight, and shut them down fast, his new “Transportation Movement Act” and his career would be over soon. He knew Hardy already had a lead on who was behind the video, but he had to ratchet up the effort in resolving this problem. He changed his plans for retiring for the evening, and walked back to the Oval office. He needed to make some phone calls tonight to some very powerful and tech savvy men that could potentially help him find the producers of this video.
Chapter 41 (March 19, Tuesday 9:00am Mountain Daylight Savings Time)
Dave walked into the Material Science Research Lab where he was greeted by Dr. Gillian and Ron. Dr. Gillian had called him yesterday afternoon to tell him he had some new things to show him that would add a new level of capability to NSurv’s surveillance arsenal. Dave also wanted to see how Dr. Gillian was coming along with another item he was going to need in a few days.
“Good morning Dr. Gillian and Ron,” Dave said as he walked into the lab.
“And good morning to you to Dave,” responded Dr. Gillian in a proud parental sounding voice. “I am glad you and Ron had time this morning to come by. My team and I have made some significant enhancements in the nanoscopic dust particle technology area that I wanted to go over with you and demonstrate.”
“Excellent,” Dave responded. “So what do you have for us?”
“Well, as you’re already aware, the current nano-dust material that you’ve been deploying in the field has a limited transmitter and receiver range of only 200 meters. The reason for this is that the nano-dust material is capable of converting, and effectively siphoning off, only a minimal amount of power from the target host. Moreover, the battery storage capability of the nano-dust material is severely restricted. In most urban areas, or as long as there is an active mobile phone within this range, these limitations are acceptable. We can configure and control the nano-dust and it can transmit information back to us. Beyond that range, however, we can begin to lose the ability to control or receive data from it. Again, in most deployments this
limitation is acceptable. But as we are all aware, there are surveillance situations that go beyond the typical urban situation. Case in point, Mr. Barbas and his yacht are anchored off of St. John Virgin Island as we speak. When Mr. Barbas turns his cell phone off, there are no other Wi-Fi links within a 2km radius of where he is currently anchored. The next closest Wi-Fi hot spot where Mr. Barbas’s ingested nano-dust could link up to is in Cruz Bay on St. John.”
“Agreed, it has been a concern for us,” commented Ron.
“Well, I’m pleased to report that my team has addressed this application limitation,” responded Dr. Gillian proudly. “We have improved the biologically based energy conversion and battery storage functions of the nano-dust material such that the nano-dust configured cameras and audio sensors in the host body can now transmit and receive signals up to a range of four kilometers. We achieved this by making two major enhancements to the nano-dust material. First, we improved the nano-dust’s ability to more efficiently convert the sugars that course through the targets blood stream into electrical energy. Second, we improved the battery storage capability of the nano-dust particles. As a result, we can provide more power to the configured nano-cameras and audio recorders in the targets’ bodies.”
“That’s fantastic,” responded Ron.
“And we’ve done even more,” added Dr. Gillian proudly. “We’ve also improved the performance of the nano-cameras and audio sensors. As you are aware, the current video quality is limited to black and white and is relatively low resolution. We’ve now improved our nano-camera configuration programs to allow us to produce high definition color image quality from the nano-dust configured cameras. Similarly, we’ve done the same for the nano-audio sensors. Let me show you.”
