Chapter 9
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It took some convincing, but president Odonnell convinced Secret Service to allow him to return to the White House on July 27th. He had to address the american people, and it might have a calming effect if he did it from the Oval Office. As the helicopter landed on the White House lawn, he noticed picnic tables stacked in the background. In all the excitement, he had forgotten that there was suppossed to be a picnic here today with members of Congress, their families. The staff must have moved the tables to give him a safe place to land. The president was grateful to them, they must have had to fight their own fears and doubts to do this job, he would have to thank them later. The president spoke with congressional leaders, they agreed that certain emergency measures were neccessary to restore order and so agreed to certain actions, provided that the people enacting these measures were subject to oversight. Shortly before the sun set the president addressed the nation.
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Odonnell: My fellow americans, citizens of the world. We have been hit hard today. Millions of people, as much as one percent of the entire population of the world, have dissapeared. By now we are all familiar of the images of planes suddenly crashing into cities. Children screaming for their parents, parents screaming for their children. Unborn children, whose mothers dissapeared, dying on the street, with doctors unable to save them. Because many doctors dissapeared, our hospitals are stretched thin with so many injured. Millions are searching for loved ones, for many it will not be a happy ending. I know the grief that many of you are feeling, my own 17 year old granddaughter was among those taken. We do not yet know what caused this. We do not know where they were taken, or if they will come back. We do not know if this will happen again. All I can promise is that we will do all we can for you now. Congressional leaders have agreed to support certain emergency measures, which our legal experts insist will stand up to scrutiny. Our soldiers have been forced to the streets to restore order from this chaos. If you obey the laws, you have nothing to fear from these soldiers. Those who riot, who use this tragedy to steal, to rape, to murder, they will be dealt with harshly, and swiftly. I am placing a temporary freeze on all prices and wages. Banks will close for one week, but ATMs will remain and allow americans to access immediate money. You will be able to continue doing your jobs, and you will continue to pay your bills. We will also redirect medical and food resources to those who need it, to ensure that more people do not die unneccessarily. We may have some dark times ahead of us, but I have faith that we will overcome, we will not give in. I know that we are a world of many faiths, but I would like to lead us in a prayer. You should feel free to pray in your own fashion. God, I ask for your strength in this time of crisis and heartbreak. Please help us through this time, and please protect those who have been taken, wherever they might be. Amen, and Awomen.