"Totally Recalled…"

Summary: Another acting exercise for new and somewhat baby-blued mom, Mrs. Penelope Hofstadter and her entourage. For the prequel of sorts, read "Sheldon Swifties LXXV: 'The Creation Fluctuation'…"

In the late 22nd century a young and supposedly happy housewife finds herself drawn to another existence on the Mars colony, currently under the crushing heel of a brutal dictator… ("And his vicious secret police chief girlfriend!" Bernadette hisses.

"supposedly happy"…Leonard sighs. Maybe this wasn't such a good…

"Guys." Howard sighs to group. "I don't know if I can do the Dictator. Mom came to me in a dream last night and started complaining, "Now, ya wanna be Hitler?"

"Fine. I'll be the Dictator." Bernadette notes. "You be the sidekick."

"Actually that does somehow seem to fit…" Howard nods.

"Hey, we have a former secret police chief right here, you know?" Raj fumes.)

Disclaimer: They're all Chuck's. Except Penny Hauser.

Oval Office, The White House, United Nations of Earth…2168…

"Hey, Mr. President…" beaming smile on holoimager. "Hey, folks." Friendly wave. "Thank goodness this subspace transmission system that brilliant inventor Rotwang Wolowitz created works so well and we can talk in real time, without a thirty-seven minute light speed delay. Welcome to Mars, everyone!"

"Adminstrator Corversant." Stern look.

"So…How's it hanging, Brent?" Corversant, a rather attractive diminutive (Bernadette grimly eyeing a nervous Leonard a long moment…Then nodding. OK…We'll let it pass.) young blonde woman in formal 22nd century attire of metallic silver uniform, with white collar, and several medals. "Earth still holding together?"

"My Cabinet and I would like to discuss a few concerns with you, apart from our regular meeting." The President, a likewise diminutive but handsome figure, seated in his dark suit, UN flag pin prominent.

"Hey, that's what I'm here for." Corversant, pleasantly. "Fire away, guys!"

"The Secretary of State has had some disturbing reports…" the President turned to the said, seated, Secretary…A young, somewhat nervous-looking dark-haired woman in formal attire, who nodded.

"Really? Like what? Not our radical hotheads acting up again?" Corversant smiled. "They do all the time. I tolerate it. Hey, I'm all about free speech and thought, ya know?"

"Our investigators…" the Secretary began.

"Oh, yeah, nice guys. But I thought they said things were great here?" Corversant eyed her.

"So, they did…" the Secretary frowned. "But on careful examination, at the behest of some other operatives of more junior grade…"

"What?" Corversant, suddenly grim. "You mean to say, Brent?" she turned to eye the President in his chair. "You've had spies planted on me? On my Mars? Our, Mars, I mean." She corrected hastily.

"It's standard practice Bernadette." The President noted. "Though not me, specifically."

"Well, that's better. Then you did it, Lucy?" Corversant grimly eyed the Secretary of State. "Not very nice…"

"It's standard practice…As the President says." The Secretary noted, a bit nervously.

"To cut to the chase, our more hidden agents suggested our official investigators might have been…Manipulated." The President, sternly. "Using certain mind-control techniques, in violation of basic human rights as well as the UN constitution…?"

"What? That's terrible. And ridiculous." Corversant, shaking head.

"Whoever would do such a thing?" she asked, innocent look. "Maybe they just liked what they saw."

"No, we don't think so. And the attempt by one of them to assassinate me kinda convinced me." The President noted.

"Oh, Brent?! That's awful. But you know, people do get discontented. And your administration has been down in the polls, I see, on PBS Newshour." Corversant shook head. "I hear it's only our shipment of Helium 3 and iron and other minerals for the new fusion systems and to supplement Earth's depleted ore stocks is the only thing keeping your ass in office now."

"Maybe you just have a few real malcontents on your team…" she grinned.

"Bernadette. You not only manipulated our investigators and then tried to have a couple of them assassinate me, your administration on Mars is said to be brutal and corrupt." The President frowned.

"Lies! Why, Brent Targaryen? How can you say that to me?!" sad-eyed, shake of head, the unspoken "and after all we've been to each other?". "Corrupt? That's garbage from a few haters and radicals!"

Could at least say brutally efficient, she thought.

"You dissolved the Martian Council and Tribunate. Suspended all civil liberties and declared martial law. Arrested your political opposition."

"Eh, they were doing nothing but talk, in a crisis situation. And my 'opposition' is all on my side now. As for dissolving legislative talkfests, actually, Brent, you really oughta consider sending the UN Congress home."

"And violate my constitutional oath and duty?" the President frowned.

"Eh, your Duty is to keep Earth hummin'… Like I do, Mars." Smile. "Just talk to my 'opposition' leaders, they appreciate everything I'm doing to keep this colony functioning despite our shortages and the recent solar flares threatening our existence here. As does your own UN garrison commander…" coy smile.

"Because they've been manipulated like our investigators where they've not committed outright treason. Bernadette, you're violating your official oath of office. The UN Congress is ready to hear charges against you and pass legislation to have me remove you and put Mars under direct Earth authority."

"And you say I'm violating my oath? You're trying to grab my…Our…Mars! This is nothing but a powerplay. I…We…Of Mars…Won't stand for it. We knew you were plotting to seize control here. We'll cut off all exports to Earth! At once!"

"You can't resist the UN military if we vote to move in." the President pointed out.

"Go ahead and try…You'll find we of the Colonies may be small but we have some surprises…Mr. President. This meeting is over! Down with Earth's oppression! Free Mars and the other colonies rise! Here and now!" Corversant sneered, her image immediately fading out.

"And there we have it, ladies and gentlemen…" the President sighed to the seated Cabinet. "Lucy, inform the Congress officially and tell them I declare Mars in a state of rebellion under Corversant's dictatorship and request immediate permission to restore order with UN forces."

"Mr. President, I think we should take care here…" Lucy noted cautiously. "Mars, the asteroid mines, and our new Jupiter station colonies are essential to Earth's economic recovery. Corversant may lack military power and numbers but she has a stranglehold on resources. Her people control not only Mars but the asteroid and Jovian bases."

"All the more reason for us to move quickly, Lucy." The President shook head. She nodding, but eyeing other Cabinet members.

Like we'd have this problem if our President hadn't nominated his girlfriend/mistress as Adminstrator of Mars and the Colonies…

"The UN Congress won't approve military force easily, Mr. President." Another Cabinet member, Secretary of Defense, Jadan Singh, pointed out. "And she may not be lying about 'surprises'. Not to mention the difficulty of invading a planet from Earth, given we believe our garrison there is compromised. It will take months to assemble a proper force and at least three months to get it to Mars even with our fusion drive."

"Surprises as in the famed…Or, infamous…Ancient Martian technology?" the President eyed him.

"We have reason, from the very same agents who exposed Corversant's actions against our investigators…That some ancient tech does still exist. And Corversant's people have been studying it, even utilizing it." Singh noted. "While concealing its existence from the UN. We can't be sure what we may face in an attack."

"We can't let rumors guide us…" the President, firmly. "Earth must act."

"There are many who will see this as an attempt to seize Martian and colonial resources, sir." The Secretary of State noted. "Corversant had mounted quite a PR campaign to the effect that Earth was making unfair demands…While keeping her hand in the campaign concealed. She's been preparing for an independence drive for some time now. It was only the legislature that's been holding her back, despite her increasing harassment and rough treatment. And now, however artificially, she seems to have found a way to get even some firm opponents on her side."

"I know." The President nodded. "I've seen the protests and been asked the questions. Singh? Have we been screening all personnel for signs of the mind-control Corversant's been using? And do you have anything on that?"

"We have, sir. So far we've found ten people, mostly junior levels, implanted in the government and a few journalists who've been playing her line. As to the nature of the control, it's not Martian tech…" Singh paused.

"Are you familiar with the Recall Corporation, sir?"

…

("Well?" Leonard eyes the group cast.

"I know I love it…" Bernadette beams. "Though of course I'm nothing like that in real life…Right, Mr. President?" turning to Howard, now fitted with his Fritz Lang director's monocle.

Uh…Howard, eloquently.

"I got Leonard to give you the name Brent Targaryen, Howard…You owe me." Bernadette, darkly.

We are the real stars, again, right? Sheldon notes to Amy…Who sighs a bit…

Well…)

…