The half-naked senator stared into the mirror and liked what he saw. His coppery hair, fashionably speckled with gray, was slicked back, exposing a widow's peak unaffected by age. His one uncovered eye stared out, its deep gray shade only highlighting a steely determination that was enhanced by the deep shadows beneath his eyelids. His square-jawed face was weathered, its creases and scars only serving to enhance a sagely countenance that was deeply troubled by the present - and his dimpled, shiny smile, a proud result of first-class living, gave him a fatherly, even heroic appearance. His body, though withered away from fifty-five years of restless living, still retained enough muscle to garner respect. He could count on his looks because almost everyone else trusted them.

"Everything I do, I do for everyone else," he whispered. After miming a firm handshake, he got dressed into his tailor-made pinstripe suit and grinned - these were clothes that he had earned. He strolled out of his bathroom, downing a coffee the wife had courteously left beside the door, and walked out into Capitol Hill. His Bugatti Veyron was waiting for him across his beautifully ordered lawn, and his tuxedo-clad chauffeur eagerly waved at him.

"Good to see you, Mr. Andrews."

"Likewise, son," Harrison Andrews replied in comfortably crisp, clear tones. "Take me to the capitol. Time to tell my people my truth."

Within an hour, Harrison was standing behind a podium. Thousands of eager faces stared at him, and with the news-fiends hovering around he knew millions of Americans had their attention focused on him. It had been this way ever since the disaster two months ago and Harrison would be a liar if he said he didn't love it.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I understand you have the right to have doubt about the latest bills we are passing. I will not denounce the allegations that I am merely, in the words of one American, "riding the publicity for the election" - I am sure you have all placed enough faith in our current president to deliver us through these troubled times far more effectively than anything I am capable of. But I assure you that I am acting in the best interests of all Americans, and that my only intention is for our nation to be secure.

As we are all aware of, the enforcement of martial law over the city of Fairport is a necessity that will remain indefinitely. We shall never forget the countless thousands of innocent men, women and children who lost their lives on that day of infamy, August 25th 2025, and the suffering of the millions who have lost their homes, loved ones, and practically everything save for hope. The perpetrators of this on-going atrocity will be brought to justice."

Applause followed this, and Harrison waited for whole minutes before it died down. He continued.

"There have been rumors that our armed forces have been mishandling the situation - that they are disorganized, inefficient, and actively impeding attempts to rescue and protect our people. Let me say that to insult the prowess of the brave men and women who dedicate their lives to preserving our way of life is to disregard the sacrifices they make in ensuring we prosper and live without fear.

In addition, the rumors of government contractors getting involved in policing and illegally trespassing the area are to be disregarded. Mark my words, we are carefully investigating the activities of Armacham Technologies - and, considering their track record and current role in supplying and supporting our rescue operations, they are a reliable, trustworthy, and patriotic ally. They are true Americans. You can trust them as much as you trust me."

"Liar," a woman's voice spat. Harrison stopped and smiled benignly at the severely dressed brunette, noting that a redheaded girl clung around her. "I'm sorry," he said. "I don't know what you are talking about."

"I said you're lying to us!" she hissed contemptuously, her face alight with anger. Harrison took note of how pretty she was. "You know what's really going on, and you're taking money to lie to our faces! ATC's nothing more than dogs your generals forgot to put a leash on!" The cameras were turning to her now, and she seemed a little taken-aback at this. Harrison sighed at the attention the heckler was stealing.

"What's your name, madam?"

"Amelia Fox, and my husband died for you!"

Harrison shook his head slowly. He vaguely recalled that name, and realized who she was talking about. She could be a problem.

"I am sorry to say that you are severely mistaken, my dear. What you are publicly accusing me of is nothing more than the product of rumors. Ignorant slander. Why, it even borders on treason. I am a descendant of a long line of patriots responsible for strengthening this country. I am a highly-decorated veteran of wars dedicated to preserving our way of life. I am your beloved senior senator of Washington State. Who are you to say I cannot be trusted?"

"You can't lie forever," She snapped back. "We'll find out who you really are." Her daughter, at this point, sobbed and the woman immediately stopped to embrace her. Her anger appeared to dissipate, leaving only weak resignation behind. Two guards quietly escorted her out the door without resistance. Harrison continued as though she had never existed, extensively laying out the plans for the future.

After several hours of exhausting Q&A, in which practically every news agency and corporate representative in existence along with the odd foreign minister shook hands and asked carefully scripted questions, Harrison retired to his office. He had just sat down on his chair, smoking a pipe that had been his family's for generations, when his phone buzzed. He opened it up and read the encoded message.

Not impressed, senator.

Your boy is useless. Get Salyers to listen to him. We all need Wade intact.
Think about your future. Everyone's future. Not just mine.
-GA

Harrison frowned. Genevieve was never impressed. The woman was smart, ruthless, and a prime bitch - and he admired that in a woman. Her attitude reminded him of himself. He suspected her frigidity came as much from her job as it was from her relying on brains rather than beauty. It hadn't been her looks that had once drawn Harrison's eyes...

Despite the security measures he had put in place, it was dangerous for her to directly contact him. That's where Hoyle came in. The little man was a buffer between her, the frustratingly skeptical Salyers, and Harrison himself. Hoyle was his launderer, his eyes and ears, the man he could always rely on for the gritty details.

He dialed Hoyle's number, and immediately received the answer. "Hello, senator," the man drawled. Despite his appreciation of the man's abilities, Harrison would never enjoy the condescending tone Hoyle always seemed to have. "Nice speech."

"What did the Board tell you?" Harrison demanded.

"They haven't caught on yet, but they're about to. They still think there's no chance of salvaging the situation."

Harrison sighed. "Aristide's point is that the situation will only get worse in the future if we continue to keep things going the way they are. They have to send in a proper containment team NOW and get control of the Origin girl. Damn it, the corporates have enough people in bed with them to buy the whole city!"

He didn't care to lower his voice; only April could hear him anyway. "They already own the city and crapped in its backyard, and now they're twiddling their thumbs about this? Fuckin' corporates..." He swallowed, and then softly continued. "Men like you are the only people they'll care to talk to. God knows I've stuck my neck out far enough."

Hoyle was unimpressed. "What do you think I've been trying to do, Andrews?"

"Not enough. How have the trackers been faring?"

"Good progress on most of them. I'll warn you about the woman - she's playing me as much as you've been playing her."

"Dodgson?" Harrison sighed wearily once more. "They've all got agendas."

"I've been trying to dig into her files, see if there's anything she might want. I think you might know more."

"Enough to eliminate her once she's finished. You know how much I hate loose ends."

Hoyle chuckled at that. "Well, I'm gonna take Genevieve for a drive. She seems pretty assured things are going to be fine - Salyers even complained about how she's doing better than the rest of the directors."

"Damn right she is. Keep pressuring those buffoons with everything you got." Harrison snapped, and with that he closed the connection. Then he buried his face in his hands.

What could he do? He knew what he was doing was going to turn out all right for everyone involved in the long-run. He knew the majority loved him, that hecklers and dissidents were just oddities natural in any disaster. He knew both Armacham's leaders and his own countrymen were counting on him to deliver.

But the fear remained. The Fox woman was right - he couldn't keep lying forever. One day, someone outside of the loop would catch onto the fact that he was colluding with criminals and then he'd be finished. The worst traitor in American history. His only consolation was that, if he was going down, he was taking Armacham and the brass down with him - every last one of those bastards.

The door opened, and the secretary meekly poked her head out.

"Mr. Andrews, you alright?"

Harrison looked up, smiled warmly, and said, "I've been meaning to have another discussion with you, my dear April." As the girl nervously sidled towards him and he ran his hands up her slender back, he gazed out the window. Somewhere, beyond that beautiful blue sky, lay an impossibly still mushroom cloud.