PART 1:
This is my first, and most likely, only story of 2022. I'm sorry, but I've just had a lack of ideas and creativity to write one. And with the cost-of-living crisis, I havent really been happy about using my computer. And I have Supported Internship (in the U.K.) coming in September.
This will be different from my other stories, as I will only be writing only a few bits about the film "The Day After Tomorrow". I know its inaccurate, but its good. Basically, I'm writing thoughts from my head about what in my mind should've happened in it, especially about the politics and correct some mistakes. This first chapter will revolve around the politics, as I think they should've done more about the President (Richard Blake, played by Perry King), the second about the science, which I will make some changes and corrections. I thought about doing an altered version of the film, but I couldn't be bothered, especially with the timings and all. Some of these changes in this chapter will be inspired by the novel of the movie, by Whitley Strieber.
TO THE PEOPLE OF UKRAINE, GOD BE WITH YOU!
PART 1
"Yes, sir. Yes, sir, I'm looking at it right now. Yes, it is." Vice President Raymond Becker said on the telephone, staring at the tv, at Camp David (this is where the meeting took place in the novel). A man in a black suit with brown hair then came up to his right, and said softly at Becker. "He's here. It better be important, you know how he is about Golf." Chief of Staff Tim Cooper said to him (There no Chief of Staff character, but in the novel, Blake was playing Golf outside with someone named Tim Cooper, so I thought, why not). "Thank you, Tim." Becker said softly to him, before focusing on the phone again, Tim heading towards the aides by the table in the rear of the room. Blake then entered the room from the open door, wearing a black coat and a cap with the Presidential seal on it, holding a gold club in his left hand, which he waved up and down as he walked. "What's happening, Raymond?" He asked. "I'll call you back." Becker spoke, then put the phone down, then turned to Blake. "Mr President, Los Angeles has been devasted by a series of tornadoes. On top of that, the FAA wants your approval to suspend all air traffic. Something about turbulence rising all over the U.S. "Becher explained. (I added the last sentence, as I wished he'd given a reason to do that). "What do you think we should do?" Blake asked. "Until we can figure out what's going on here, I don't think we have much choice, sir." Becker answered. (Btw, at first, I thought Blake looks like George W Bush, but now I see he kind of looks like Al Gore, but with a lot greyer hair (at the time, 2004), and Becker (played by Kenneth Walsh) certainly looks like Dick Cheney).
PART 2
Professor Tony Hall stood in the building, looking at his watch, Tom Gomez (Head of NOAA) came up before him. A nearby tv spoke about the weather, which hasn't hit the DC area, but local residents aren't taking chances, and that the storm season was the worst on record. "You better be sure about this, Jack. My ass is on the line." Tom told him. "You saw the model." Hall said replied. "I hope to God its wrong." Tom replied, before a door opened and Becker came out. "Mr Vice President." Tom greeted. "Tom." Becker greeted. "You've met Professor Hall." Tom said, gesturing at Hall. "Yes, we've... met." Becker coldly, staring at Jack, (remembering their bad encounter at the global warming conference in New Delhi) as they all began walking down the hallway. "Well, Professor Hall has some, uh, new information I think you should take a look at." Tom explained. "We've just got these results from our simulation model. They explain what's causing this severe weather." Hall added, as he gave Becker the file. Becker at the file like it was a bad drawing. "Look, I have to look at this stuff later. I have a meeting with the director at FEMA right now." Becker said, boredly. "This is very urgent, sir. Our climate is changing violently and rapidly, and its going to happen in the next 6 to 8 weeks." Hall added. "I thought you said this wouldn't happen for 100 years or so." Becker said sharply. "I was wrong." Hall replied. Becker scoffed. "Suppose your wrong this time, like all scientists." Becker replied. "I wish I were, but I'm sure that your aware about what's happening all around the world. The storm in Canada..." Hall said, ignoring the remark, but Becker interrupted, stopped and turned to face Hall. "The storms in Canada, let them deal with it. Look we're making all the necessary preparations. What more to you expect?" Becker asked, impatiently. "You have to start thinking about large scale evacuations right now, especially in the northern states." Hall answered. "Evacuations?" Becker asked incredulously. "Yes." Hall replied. "You've lost your mind, Hall. Now, if you'll excuse me, Professor, I have to go." Becker said, before turning around and continued walking, Hal standing still. He then stepped forward slightly. "MR VICE PRESIDENT! IF WE DON'T ACT NOW, ITS GOING TO BE TOO LATE!" Hall cried out to Beck, who stopped and looked at Hall, as he was handing the file to an aide. After Hall finished, he then turned to see a bin nearby, knelt towards it, and thew the file into it and walked out. (IN MY MIND, ATER A CONVERSATION LIKE THAT, I THINK HE WOULD'VE PUT IT IN THE BIN).
PART 3
"How long will the storm last?" Blake asked, sitting the old Situation Room (The Situation Room used to be smaller and had brown wooden walls). Down the table sat members of his cabinet, including Tom, all facing Hall. The cabinet members had white fold up cards before them, saying their office. (Inspired by images I've seen of meetings in the new Situation Room) On his left sat the Secretary of Transport (a black man), the Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff, General Arthur Watkins Jones Pierce (The general who says a lot in this scene, his names in the novel), The secretary of Commerce (a balding man), and Tom. On Blake's right sat the Secretary of Defence (Malcolm Walving), (The grey-haired man behind Becker) the vice President (Becker), the Secretary of State, (Angela Linn) (The brown-haired woman who talks a lot in this scene, her name is in the novel) and the Secretary of the Interior (a Latino women). (Instead of the three generals at the table, I made two of them cabinet members, so they are in suits instead of uniforms, and added a third one, due to the situation, and that there should've been more Cabinet members. It is not known who the man on Becker's left is, so I decide to give him a name and position). "The basic rule of storms is that they continue until they run out of energy, when the conditions that created them are corrected. In this case, we're talking about tremendous amount of energy. The superstorm will last 7 to 10 days. When it's over, ice and snow will cover pretty much the entire Northern Hemisphere. The ice and snow will reflect sunlight, cooling the Earth even further, with an average temperature close that of the North Pole." Hall explained. (I got a bit from the novel, and have decided to change the temperature parts, you'll see in the second chapter. The ice in the arctic reflects sunlight, helping the world, that's a key reason for why losing it to melting would be very bad.). "What can we do about this?" General Pierce asked. "Head as far south as possible." Hall answered. "That's not amusing, professor." Bek scoffed. "Where do you suggest they go?" Linn asked. "The further south they can get, the safer they'll be. Texas, Mississippi, Louisiana. Parts of Florida that aren't flooded. Mexico would be best." Hall answered. (I'll add something about Florida's flooding in the next chapter). "Mexico? Maybe you should stick to science and leave policy to us." Becker replied, In disbelief. "Well, we tried that approach. You didn't wanna hear about the science when it could've made a difference." Tom said back across the table. Hall then stared at Blake. "Mr President, if we're gonna survive this storm, and I don't mean personally, I mean survive as a species, we need to stop thinking nationally and start thinking globally. Its not just America that's in danger." Hall said to him. "Professor, may I remind you that our duty is to protect America first." Becker scoffed. "Then protect the American people. Now's the time to start planning for the future. Make alliances, ask for help. Pretty soon, we're gonna have to beg." Hall added. (This was inspired by the novel). Blake then cleared his throat. "What exactly are you proposing, Professor?" He asked slowly. Hall then got, went over to the map, then drew a line across half the country. "Evacuate everyone south of that line." Hall explained. Everybody else's eyes widened. "Wh-wh-what about the people in the north?" Blake asked, fearfully. "I'm afraid its too late for them. If they go outside, the storm will kill them. At this point, their best chance is to stay inside, try and ride it out. Pray." Hall explained. With that, Hall then got his bag and walked out, Tom following behind him. "We can evacuate half the country because one scientist thinks the climate is 'shifting'". Becker said, using speech marks, raising his left index finger up when he said one. "Every minute we delay is costing lives." Linn said back. "What about the other half of the country, Angie? We just tell them to stay at home?" Becker asked sharply. "If professor hall is right about this storm, sending troops north will create more victims. We have to saver the people we can right now." Linn answered, as Tom came back into the room. She's right, Raymond. The people of the north are in God's hands now." Secretary Walving said. "We take the same approach in triage on the battlefield. Sometimes its necessary to make difficult choices!" Pierce said. "I don't accept that abandoning half the country is necessary." Becker. "Maybe if you would've listened to him sooner, it wouldn't be." Tom said simply. "Bullshit! Its easy for a loose cannon like him to suggest this plan. He's safely here in Washington in his slippers while the Governor of Montana is snowed in!" Raymond said angrily. "His son is in Manhattan. And that's above the line." Tom announced, gesturing at the map. That silenced the room. "I thought you should know that, before you started questions his motives, and his hastiness to leave." Tom added. (I think he should've mention Halls hastiness as well). We're gonna follow Hall's plan." Blake announced, before he stood up, everyone then doing the same. (Its White House protocol that everyone should staff after the President stands). "General." Lake said. "Sir." Pierce replied. "Give the order for the National Guard to evacuate the Southern States." Blake ordered. "Yes, sir." Pierce replied, Blake then turned his head to the right. "Secretary Walving, Linn, the rest of you, evacuate the government and the Pentagon to the South." Blake said, before turning to the Secretary of Transport. "Try and get some planes in the air and some people on ships to the Caribbean and South America, to make room. Everybody understand?" Blake asked the others, facing down the table. "Yes, sir." Everyone answered, before Blake turned and walked away. (I think he should have given more orders). Blake walked down the hallway, when he saw Tim Cooper walk down the other end. "Cooper." Blake said. "Sir." Cooper replied, as Blake stopped in front of him. "Begin evacuating all White House personnel to the south. That includes Secret Service." Blake ordered. "Sir?" Cooper asked incredulously, but the look on Blake's face told him he was serious. "I… yes, sir." Cooper added, before he turned and went the other.
PART 4
"Breaking new from the U.S.- MEXICO border. Just half an hour ago, Mexican officials closed the border in the wake of so many U.S. refuges who are fleeing south from he approaching storm, which has now reached Dallas. Word is also coming through that our evacuation ships and planes are being ordered to turn around by the nations they are heading to." The female reporter said on one of the T'V's in the Cabinet Room, which as now an emergency command. The whole Cabinet was sitting at the table, surrounded by aides and military officers, the table covered in maps, papers and phones. Everyone had stopped and looked at the TV when they heard about the border and listened to the rest of the sentence, except the Transport Secretary, who was on the phone. "Uh-huh. Uh-huh. They've just confirmed it." He said to Becker across the table. Becker then slammed his hands on the table with an angry yell, before he got out of his chair and stormed out of the room. Secretary Linn went after him. Becker went to the Situation Room, where Secretary Walving, and some of the Joint Chiefs and their aides looked at maps and papers. "Have you heard, Malcom?" Becker asked in the doorway. "Yes, I've heard it." Walving replied. "Come on." Becker said back angrily. (The rest of this part is based on a deleted scene). Becker, Linn, Walving, and the Transport Secretary rushed to the Oval Office. General Pierce was sitting on one of the sofas on the phone with two of the Joints Chiefs behind him. All round them people were carrying and packing portraits and objects. "Mr president, the Mexicans have closed the border!" Becker cried as they stopped in front of the Resolute Desk. "And the South American countries are insisting we turn our ships and planes around." The transport Secretary added. "And the Mexican Ambassador?" Blake asked. "He's dead. A tree fell on his car." Linn answered. "Sir, we can open the border by force if we have to. General, what are your options?" Becker said, having turned around to ask Pierce. "We have the Third Corps at Fort Hood ready to go, sir." Pierce answered, having placed his fingers on the mouthpiece. (This was inspired from the novel). "Excellent." Raymond replied. "Have you lost your minds?! We're facing the greatest ecological disaster in human history, and your talking about going to war?!" Linn asked loudly. "We are talking about survival!" Becker said back. "What about Sovereign Rights?" Linn asked him. "What about them? America is built on land stolen from the Indians, so is Mexico. The only claim nations have on land is force, sir. Give the order, and we'll break that border down." Becker told Blake, as if losing his mind. Blake, who'd been staring out the window during this argument, seeing the snow ravage the world outside, hearing the whooshing wind, turned around. "I will not start a war, Raymond." He said, before the looked down at the floor slightly, taking a step forward while he did so. "Neither will the Presidency of Richard Blake make any more stupid mistakes." He declared, before facing the Transport Secretary. "Tell the planes and boats to continue going, for now." Blake ordered, before facing Linn. "Get me the President of Mexico on the phone immediately. We're going to ask for help." Blake ordered, taking Hall's words. "After hours of uncertainty, traffic is moving swiftly from the United States into Mexico. Word is our planes and ships are being allowed to continue to their destination. This is only possible because the President was able to negotiate a deal to forgive all Latin American debt in exchange for opening the border and allowing the planes and ships to continue." The woman later announced on the news.
PART 5:
(This part is entirely my creation). Tim Cooper stood by a window of the Residence (The central, house part of the White House), watching through the darkness and snowfall, the last of the helicopters to get the Cabinet out, landed. He then went straight to the Oval Office in the West Wing, past the clear/empty rooms and hallways, seeing Blake on the phone, his face down on the table. "Mr President." Cooper said, Blake looking up. "The helicopters are here. Its time to go." He announced. In the cabinet Room, where everyone still in the White House had gathered, everyone was either pile up important maps and papers, the rest putting on overcoats, hats, scarfs and gloves. Suddenly, Blake then entered the room, followed by Cooper. "Sir, we need to get you on Marine One immediately." Tim said, clearly begging, as they entered. Silence filled the room as Blake looked at them solemnly. "I'm not leaving." He announced. Gasps and murmurs filled the room, as Raymond, Linn, and Walving and the Cabinet widened their eyes. "This isn't the time for jokes, Richard." Becker said. Blake didn't answer, instead he tuned and stepped towards the nearest window half block by snow. "I now realise the magnitude of my mistake." Blake spoke slowly and regretfully, staring at his reflection in the window. "And I that I'll be damned by history for not doing enough. And if Hall was right, then this great house, the legacy of Lincoln, Roosevelt, and JFK, will be lost forever. I'll be the last President of the United States to stay in the White House." He added, before he signed and turned around to face his government. "And while I'm at it, I might as well try and get as many people as possible evacuated." He added, then faced, Becker. "Raymond, Linn, and the rest of you, you are to go and join the refugees heading south to Mexico." Blake then ordered. "Go to Mexico? The land of immigrants? Theres no way I'll go there." Becker hissed back. Blake then took at step closer to him. "Go, Raymond. That is an order." Blake said calmly but yet sternly, his eyes narrowly. "No. Never." Becker replied, throwing his overcoat, which he hadn't put on yet, onto the chair he was standing next to, a lot of muttering going around, as he was disobeying an order from the President. Then, suddenly, looking more angrier than they ever seen him, Blake then slapped ecker on the face with his right hand. Many of the others gasped at the sight. "You will go." Blake ordered, loudly. Becker just stared at him, recovering quickly. "Yes, Richard." Becker said, before picking up his overcoat and started putting it on. Everyone then continued as they were. All except Secretary Walving, and General Pierce, who took their coats off. Blake then came up to them. "Get your coats on, guys." He ordered. Walving shook his head. "The Secretary of Defence is supposed to be with the President in times of crisis. Besides, I think the people of the north would want someone from the Government going down with them." Walving explained, as he then sat down in the nearest chair. "And, even if it's an order, I chose to do the same, be with the President, a higher duty than my own life." Pierce added. (Inspired by the novel). Blake then turned to Cooper, who straightened his back. "Me too, Mr President." Cooper replied proudly. Blake then turned to face the three men. "Thank you." Blake spoke. Then everyone else began heading to the doors. Becker headed as well, but, after a step or two, he stopped, turned around, walked to Blake, and held out his right hand. Blake at it, then Becker's face, then shook it with his left hand. Becker then turned around and headed to the doors. "The Vice President and the Cabinet have left the White House. But President Blake has chosen to stay behind, with the Secretary of Defence, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and a skeleton crew. Roads are impassable across the northern U.S., and as far south as Pennsylvania." The radio said in Hall's, Frank, and Jason's white pickup truck. (I changed that because I felt the warnings would have gone out ages ago by then).
PART 6:
(This is one of my favourite bits as I think it was a brave move what Blake did in the movie, staying as long as possible). An armoured Humvee stopped behind a DC Police car, a soldier (his uniform half covered in snow) by the side of the road and the White House fence, spoke into his radio, over the howling wind, then looked at the White House, The Residence half buried by a mountain of snow, the only lights coming from it in the West Wing, where the trail of vehicles ended. Inside the West Wing, only a handful of small lights were now on to converse fuel for the backup power generators. Uniforms and suits have been ditched for coats and warm clothes. General pierce, wearing a thick blue coat, followed by Secretary Walving, who wore a grey over coat and a Ushanka hat, walked into the Oval Office, some Secret Service men in coats and beanies stood outside the door, one just inside the room. The room was now dark, lit only by the Resolute Desk lamp, the snows more than halfway blocked by snow. (I think the now should have been higher in the windows by then). On the desk were maps and papers. Blake, wearing a black jumper and a white shirt underneath (I think what he was wearing looked like what you'd wear in the Swiss Alps or the Rockies), was busy on the phone, in his left hand, his elbow on the desk, his right index finger covering his ear to hear over the wind. Tim Cooper, sitting in a chair opposite of Blake, wore a black overcoat and gloves, stood up and turn half to the right, facing the others. "Mr president." Pierce greeted as he came up to them, Secretary Walving a few steps back, Blake immediately raising his right index finger, as he finished the call. "Sorry, gotta go. Thank you." Blake said before he placed the phone down. "I've assembled a motorcade for a, uh, last ditch attempt to get us out of here alive." Pierce explained. Blake nodded. "Very well, you may go." He replied. "Respectfully, sir, we request that you come with us." Pierce said back. "I told you, Arthur, I'm not leaving." Blake said back, then the lamp flickered a bit, Pierce and Walving looking around to see the light outside the office doing the same. They then faced Blake again. "I'm sorry, sir, but we're almost out of power. You won't be able to do anything when that happens." Walving said, taking a step forward. "Pierce then shook his head. "Sorry sir, but you have to decide now, we can't wait any longer. We'll be the last ones out the door." Pierce explained. Blake moved his eyes down for a second or two then looked up. "All right." He announced, tapping his hand on the Resolute Desk as he stood up. Secretary Walving then turned around and began to walk out. A Secret Service man approved and gave Blake a coat (the coat I saw in the movie hardly seemed appropriate), held up in his right hand, then held out some gloves in his left hand, which Blake took, then the man walked out, Pierce standing and watching Blake, then started walking out slightly ahead of him.Cooper then grabbed a beanie on the desk and followed the others out, getting in front of Blake and the General. Out of the door, Cooper and the other men, Walving already on the way, the headed down the hall to the West Wing outside entrance. Blake and Pierce stayed for a second, Blake looking back at the Oval Office for a last time with a sign, then walked away, the General behind him.
PART 6:
9 hours later, a military helicopter handed in the U.S. refugee camp in Mexico. The Mexicans had earlier given them permission end have some lightly armed troops and helicopters in their sovereign territory for security. It landed when it had authorisation and a soldier got, carrying a piece of paper, gave it to a soldier who had a Humvee waiting. The other soldier, with the paper, got in, and was driven, to a part of the camp that was a row of tents that were fence off, a sign by the fence made of crates that said "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA GOVERNMENT IN EXILE HEADQUATERS", the U.S.-Mexican flags painted on the bottom. Most of those tents served the Cabinet departments, others used for civil and military command. The Humvee stopped at the end, and the soldier got out and walked to the tent in front of, a banner above it, saying "EMERGENCY WHITE HOUSE", two soldiers guarding the doors opened them, and the soldier waking in, and found Secretary Linn. "Madam Secretary." He greeted, then handed her the paper. A few seconds later, her eyes widened. She then turned around and walked towards Becker, who sat at the end of the assembled tables for the remainder of the Cabinet to meet, looking over papers. "Raymond." She announced. He looked up and stared at her. "9 hours ago, the President left the White House in a motorcade. Last contact was 5 hours ago in Virginia." Linn said, handing Becker the paper. "Given conditions up there, I think its safe to say… they didn't make it." Linn expressed sadly, which made Becker look up at her. (I wonder how they knew that the motorcade got caught in the storm, since they were hundreds of miles to the south, and that if they were alive or dead, and that it said all that on one piece of paper).
PART 7:
A helicopter landed outside a building in northern Mexico, the sign on the outside saying, "CONSULATE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA", the same in Spanish beneath it. (The U.S. Embassy is actually in a busy part of Mexico City, and there are no hills there. Plus, in the speech, Becker said "a consulate", which is different from an embassy). From out of the helicopter came Tom Gomez, who was allowed past the military and Secret Service guards, was taken inside the building into an office, where an aide open the door and he walked in. "Mr President." Tom greeted, seeing Raymond Becker, now President, as Blake and been presumed and then declared dead, turned around from the window he was facing. Tom no longer saw the powerful, aggressive Washington politician he had previously seen. Instead, he saw a man who had been touched by God, (Got that from the novel). deep with regret, with a few facials growing on his chin, and bags under his eyes. (I'd have liked him to have a few facial hairs growing, with bags under his eyes or bloodshot eyes, to show his emotional strain. And in earlier times, I used to think, "He's President of what? Half the United States had been covered with snow, and the people in the south had been evacuated into Mexico. So he's President of…people?".). "I've just received a short-wave radio transmission from Jack Hall. He made it to New York. He says there are survivors." Tom explained. Becker blinked with surprise and relief. "Thank you, Tom. That's… that's good news." Becker said humbly and softly, before looking sadly down at the floor again. (I am a bit surprised/confused by how much Becker changed at the end). "These past few weeks have left us all with a profound sense of humility in the face of natures destructive power. They have also forced us to re-evaluate our priorities. For years, we operated under the belief that we could consuming our planets natural resources without consequence. We were wrong. I was wrong. The fact that my first address to you today comes from a consulate on foreign soil, is a testament to our changed reality. Not only Americans, but millions of people all around the world are now guests in the nations we once called the third world. The Europeans in Africa, the Chinese in India, the Japanese in Australia. In our time of need, they have taken us in and sheltered us, and I am deeply grateful for their hospitality, which has highlighted the need for better cooperation in the future. We mourn the loss of a spirted leader who courageously gave his life to evacuate as many people as possible. For days now, we have despaired about the fate of the people who are trapped in the north. Today, there is cause for hope. Only a few hours ago, I received word that a small group of people survived in New York City. Against all odds and in the face of tremendous adversity. I ordered an immediate search and rescue to bring them to safety and look for more survivors. The fact that people survived this storm proves the indomitability of the human spirt. And I'd personally like to say to Dr Laura Hall, your husband and son are alive." Becker said in his first address as President on The Weather Channel. (I got some of this from the novel., and added the final sentence from my mind. I think they should have said more about the rest of the world, and you'll hear a bit more about that in the next chapter. The survivors' homes had been destroyed by then, so I changed it to safety. Theres no way those helicopters would have been able to get from Mexico to New York with making several refuelling stops along the way, which they described in the novel.).
(Honestly, I don't understand at all what the Astronauts and the end means by "The air so clear?", so I would have gone for "The Earth so white?". Ad it focused mainly on North America, and I think it should he done a revolving move at the final sequence, show the full scale of the disaster!)
And that's the first on most likely only two chapters done! This might be the biggest chapter I have ever done! Sorry if its so big! By the way, I have climate anxiety! I believe in climate change, which REAL and is HAPPENING! Ill try and get the next chapter, which will focus on the science, in the next few weeks.