Post by Brian on Oct 25, 2021 4:04:20 GMT -6
This is Air Force One is anyone reading, This is Air Force One, is anyone there?
President McMaster listened to the same call that had gone out at five minute intervals for the past several hours. So far there'd been no response to it. Exactly what had happened wasn't entirely clear.
McMaster saw the mushroom cloud from the Oval Office, it had struck somewhere along the east coast. In theory it took presidential authorization to order an attack or counter attack. In theory... the theory proved to be just that.
In a rush of events McMaster, his wife Sally and six secret service agents had been hustled off to Air Force One, they'd taken off without delay. They'd had a fighter escort at take off but the fighters had been lost in the clouds. No one knew for sure what had happened to them.
McMaster noticed grey clouds blooming all over the land as they took off, but it was so quick he couldn't be sure of what he'd seen. Now high above the clouds the golden glow while beautiful had its beauty detracted by what likely had transpired below.
The President suspected that only himself, his wife, the flight crew and the agents that come with them were the last surviving people of earth. Not for long either, for he knew that the plane couldn't stay aloft indefinitely. He noticed the pilot, Captain Skimmer approaching with a sadness in his eyes.
"Mr. President, sir I'm sorry, we are unable to raise anyone on the radio. Sir we have at best two hours of fuel remaining."
McMaster nodded at this unable to summon a decent response.
Sally came to his side, took his hand. He turned to look at her. So many things he wanted to say to her and now with time running out on them he couldn't manage a single word. He finally managed to mumble out an "I'm so sorry honey."
Her only response to was squeeze his hand a little tighter.
Shoulders slumped in dejection Captain Skimmer turned to go.
"Captain, " McMaster called out.
Skimmer stopped but didn't turn around.
"Captain, you did all you possibly could. No one could've asked you to do more. This is something that goes beyond any level of responsibility you have sir."
Skimmer turned then and saw his president saluting him. Returning the salute the Captain returned to the flight deck with a somewhat lighter step.
"You still have it Phil." Sally said. "I remember your first campaign and your last campaign, each one founded on the "NEVER SURRENDER" slogan. People believed they heard the truth in your voice, they loved you and what you stood for so you were elected time and time again, even to this high office."
McMaster merely nodded at this, unsure what to say, if anything at this point. Sally saw the despair in his eyes, the wish for something, anything he could do. She merely put her arms around him and whispered in his ear, "I know you'll soon have to decide if we must try to land the plane or just let it fall from the sky, but while you think on that decision, remember your slogan, Never Surrender."
McMaster looked out the window, offering up a prayer, that if not for himself, then for the good people here with him, if something could be done for them. He yelled the prayer in his thoughts, a desperate man wanting to save what was left of life on the planet.
His eyes widened in amazement as wisps of the clouds swirled off and formed what looked like an eye. He was not superstitious man but he wondered if maybe it was sign. He fervently hoped it was and that a miracle would come their way.
"Mr. President sir." It was Captain Skimmer. "I need a decision sir, do I try and land the plane or just keep going until we're forced down."
He heard Sally saying, "It's time Phil, It's time."
He felt the plane shudder... no, he was being shaken...
Blearily he opened his eyes. There above him was Sally shaking him awake.
"C'mon sleepy head, wake up, it's time to get to work." she said.
He reached up and pulled her down close to him saying "You'll make a beautiful first lady .. you know that?"
"You're aiming pretty high pretty quick for a sanitation engineer Phil, but I've been thinking."
"Yes Sally?"
"If you really want to run for council, and I think you should, a perfect campaign slogan for you would be "Never Surrender", let people know you won't bow down to every special interest group that demands attention, let them know... Phil, what's wrong?
Phil McMaster had turned a shade or two pale while Sally was speaking about his political future.
"Nothing honey, nothing at all, I'd better hurry or I'll be late for work. We can talk about this later."
Brian Paul Sullivan © 2007
President McMaster listened to the same call that had gone out at five minute intervals for the past several hours. So far there'd been no response to it. Exactly what had happened wasn't entirely clear.
McMaster saw the mushroom cloud from the Oval Office, it had struck somewhere along the east coast. In theory it took presidential authorization to order an attack or counter attack. In theory... the theory proved to be just that.
In a rush of events McMaster, his wife Sally and six secret service agents had been hustled off to Air Force One, they'd taken off without delay. They'd had a fighter escort at take off but the fighters had been lost in the clouds. No one knew for sure what had happened to them.
McMaster noticed grey clouds blooming all over the land as they took off, but it was so quick he couldn't be sure of what he'd seen. Now high above the clouds the golden glow while beautiful had its beauty detracted by what likely had transpired below.
The President suspected that only himself, his wife, the flight crew and the agents that come with them were the last surviving people of earth. Not for long either, for he knew that the plane couldn't stay aloft indefinitely. He noticed the pilot, Captain Skimmer approaching with a sadness in his eyes.
"Mr. President, sir I'm sorry, we are unable to raise anyone on the radio. Sir we have at best two hours of fuel remaining."
McMaster nodded at this unable to summon a decent response.
Sally came to his side, took his hand. He turned to look at her. So many things he wanted to say to her and now with time running out on them he couldn't manage a single word. He finally managed to mumble out an "I'm so sorry honey."
Her only response to was squeeze his hand a little tighter.
Shoulders slumped in dejection Captain Skimmer turned to go.
"Captain, " McMaster called out.
Skimmer stopped but didn't turn around.
"Captain, you did all you possibly could. No one could've asked you to do more. This is something that goes beyond any level of responsibility you have sir."
Skimmer turned then and saw his president saluting him. Returning the salute the Captain returned to the flight deck with a somewhat lighter step.
"You still have it Phil." Sally said. "I remember your first campaign and your last campaign, each one founded on the "NEVER SURRENDER" slogan. People believed they heard the truth in your voice, they loved you and what you stood for so you were elected time and time again, even to this high office."
McMaster merely nodded at this, unsure what to say, if anything at this point. Sally saw the despair in his eyes, the wish for something, anything he could do. She merely put her arms around him and whispered in his ear, "I know you'll soon have to decide if we must try to land the plane or just let it fall from the sky, but while you think on that decision, remember your slogan, Never Surrender."
McMaster looked out the window, offering up a prayer, that if not for himself, then for the good people here with him, if something could be done for them. He yelled the prayer in his thoughts, a desperate man wanting to save what was left of life on the planet.
His eyes widened in amazement as wisps of the clouds swirled off and formed what looked like an eye. He was not superstitious man but he wondered if maybe it was sign. He fervently hoped it was and that a miracle would come their way.
"Mr. President sir." It was Captain Skimmer. "I need a decision sir, do I try and land the plane or just keep going until we're forced down."
He heard Sally saying, "It's time Phil, It's time."
He felt the plane shudder... no, he was being shaken...
Blearily he opened his eyes. There above him was Sally shaking him awake.
"C'mon sleepy head, wake up, it's time to get to work." she said.
He reached up and pulled her down close to him saying "You'll make a beautiful first lady .. you know that?"
"You're aiming pretty high pretty quick for a sanitation engineer Phil, but I've been thinking."
"Yes Sally?"
"If you really want to run for council, and I think you should, a perfect campaign slogan for you would be "Never Surrender", let people know you won't bow down to every special interest group that demands attention, let them know... Phil, what's wrong?
Phil McMaster had turned a shade or two pale while Sally was speaking about his political future.
"Nothing honey, nothing at all, I'd better hurry or I'll be late for work. We can talk about this later."
Brian Paul Sullivan © 2007