Madam President: 2024

“Madam President, will you step outside with me, please?” the chairman asked as the VP reentered the situation room with the SecDef, SecState, and Nari. The chairman turned, facing the VP as she stepped outside. “Madam, I must inform you that the chiefs are extremely nervous about you’re not yet having the cabinet votes to be our official acting president. There simply is no precedent for the US being guided in military action by a vice president.” Low tones, she thought, he’s just trying to do his job on an impossible day. “We’re in a jam here, General. The attorney general tells me that, as we stand here, I have no real authority to initiate military action. Plus, I lost a vote.” “You lost … ?” The chairman looked up at the ceiling, then back at her. “How for the love of God does that happen?” “I’ll be frank, General. Some politicians see this as an opportunity to stop my succession. I am weighing the needs of our country against criticism I will receive for overreaching my authority.” “Yes, ma’am.” “The political debasement of the process is my concern. You and I must deal with these tanks.” She stepped closer. “General, I understand your situation. You have lost your commander in chief, and you and I are in limbo. However, if you don’t accept me, you have no commander. And certainly you don’t want to be in a circumstance where you have to take a military position without backing from civilian leadership.” “Why can’t you and I both work through Jay?” Caddel asked. “As secretary of defense, he is the highest-ranking official at the Pentagon.” “The SecDef answers to the president. There’s no precedent for his setting up shop on his own. Plus it doesn’t solve your problem because, like me, he is not authorized to initiate military action. Also you’d have two different leaders.” She shook her head. “That’s not satisfactory at all.” She placed a hand on his arm. “I appreciate the delicacy of your situation. But right now, I am the only civilian leader that you have. And we need to work together, regardless of what happens the rest of the day, so that we can hand our country over intact to whomever the appropriate civilian leadership is. Right now, that appropriate civilian leadership de facto is me. Unless you want to start working with Madam Speaker of the House.” “No, ma’am,” the chairman said, shaking his head. “That would not be my first choice.” “In the meantime, I commit to you that my chief of staff and I are working assiduously to procure the votes I need. I will tell you in all candor that some people are working against us. However, I am confident that we will have the eight votes we need to have today. Do you understand me?” The chairman straightened. “Yes, ma’am.” “And if I don’t and the situation remains dire, then I will order you to launch a strike. And I would like you to carry out that order. I take full responsibility for my instructions, and I have no problem telling that to your chiefs as well.” “What happens to you when this is all done?” “Well, General,” she said, looking up into his brown face, “I will have to take my whippings as I go.” They walked back into the situation room. The VP took her seat, the packed room quiet in an instant. “I would like a strong military, non-Article 5, non-nuclear response by the United States and Germany alone,” the vice president announced. “It will be a conventional attack, tank against tank. The Russians want an easy win. They will not anticipate fighting face-to-face with us. We will clip both pincer arms while giving them no rationale for a nuclear counterresponse.” “He may go nuclear anyway,” chief of staff army, General Bolivar, said. She looked at him. “That’s right, General. Putin may act with a massive nuclear strike requiring our devastating counterresponse. He has talked about, but so far has not drawn from, his nuclear arsenal. But you have a point. “General Caddel,” she said, looking over at the chairman, “what is our current defense posture?” “Fade-out, ma’am.” She thought for a moment. “Please take us to Roundhouse.” No one said a word. “That’s … that’s DEFCON 3, ma’am. Quite a step,” CNO said. “It will let him know we’re watching him and are ready for anything. Plus, our priority is to protect our own people.” She stood up, seeing Nari flash a card that showed a “5” replaced with a “6” Thank God. Just two left. “I appreciate and understand your respect for chain of command. We are in a challenging position now because I require eight cabinet votes to be official acting president. Yet I only have six at this point, just having gained one a moment ago. I am fully confident that I will get eight soon. “However, if we cannot wait and the situation remains critical, I will order you to initiate hostilities. I want the record to reflect that you are clearly following my order as the senior civilian leader of the United States and that you are not moving on your own initiatives. “What happens with votes at the end of the day happens. But we cannot stand and wait while Russia or China or even Korea takes advantage of a delay in transferring command authority. The responsibility is wholly mine. Are there any questions about that?” The room was silent. “Very well. Should I give the order, I want those Russian and Belarusian tanks obliterated. They shouldn’t be able to sell the remaining parts for scrap metal. I don’t want these tanks used for another incursion anywhere in the world.” “Understood, Madam President,” General Bolivar said, “but we don’t have much time. We can move M1A1 Abrams and speak to the Germans about moving Leopards into the necessary positions. But those enemy tanks are only one hour thirty away from the border. We can meet them in an hour and fifteen minutes, but we must have the order now to move.” She looked at General Caddel, who nodded his head. I didn’t ask for this. It landed on me. I’m in the midst of it now. She took a deep breath. Total command. “I authorize the commitment of resources to this attack. General, please place your tanks. Let’s move.”