Chapter 56
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A part of Eve wished she were working today. Doing something would've at least let her feel useful. Pacing around this room, waiting for news, was driving her crazy. Ironically Pierce had been one of the agents who protected Mason from a neo-nazi plot two years ago. If the president was targeted by fanatical racists, that wasn't un-expected. But by a secret service agent, that was scary. Perhaps a further sign that society was breaking down. At 8pm acting-president Allen addressed the nation.
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Allen: My fellow Americans. At 12:15pm, eastern standard time, an attempt was made to assasinate president George Mason. The president has survived, and is in stable condition. Enacting the 25th amendment, the cabinet has made me acting-president, until George Mason is physically fit enough to resume his duties. The shooter, Aron Pierce, is dead. At this time, there is no evidence that anyone else is involved. It will be investigated thoroughly. I urge you all, in the strongest possible terms, not to engage in rumors you may have already heard, or will soon hear. Stopping ELE, and building the Arks, remain our top priorities. All of our thoughts and prayers remain with president Mason and his family. But we must not allow our fears and grief to interfere with the important work at hand. Whenever any person's life is taken unneccessariy, whether in defense of the law, or in defiance of the law, by an individual or institution, whether it is about race or religion, then we as a species are degraded. Yet we are seemingly tolerating a rising level of violence. Why? What has this created or achieved? The victims, and the perpetrators, have been rich and poor, black and white, young and old, famous and unknown. Our lives on this planet are too short, the work we must do too important, to allow this spirit to rule us any longer. We will persevere. We are all in this together. We must all live together, or die alone.