Code Survival: Survival At All Costs

by I heart Lyoko

With America falling to the growing number of walkers, a United States Secret Service agent only has one priority on his mind - protecting his Commander-in-Chief and ensuring his survival at all costs. Will he succeed? Or will the leader of the free world become a part of the WALKING DEAD? (Part of the Code: Survival series.)

3. Courage

(I DO NOT own The Walking Dead, Code Lyoko, or any names/brands that might appear in the story. Any references to any person living or dead is merely a coincidence, and should NOT be taken as intentional. All of that being said, I hope you enjoy the story!)

---

"There's an infected man in this facility?! How the hell did that happen?!"

Dr. Emery was hurriedly walking alongside Agent Mettic and a dozen others as the entire Cheyenne Mountain Complex went into red alert. The news that Secret Service agent Steve Livingwood had been infected spread across the facility like, pardon the pun - a wildfire.

It was a struggle for officials to keep mass panic from starting since rumors and hearsay were flying all over the place as much as real facts were.

"President Resnick's dead!" some were saying - though of course it was completely untrue.

"Sacramento has fallen!" others were saying - something which was equally incorrect.

"Mount Weather's been overrun by the infected!" - as far as Agent Mettic knew, Secretary Lansing and everyone else were all still completely fine over there in Virginia.

"Hawaii is under martial law!" ... okay that rumor was actually true. But Agent Mettic was still annoyed at having to be reminded about it again.

"The Secret Service is holding the president against his will!" - a rumor which was as simply insulting as it was incorrect.

It was incredible to Agent Mettic how one man being bitten could cause so much chaos in so little time... He could only hope this issue hasn't plagued any of the surviving officials in Sacramento, Mount Weather, Fairbanks, or Honolulu.

After learning about what had happened to Agent Livingwood, Agent Mettic had him locked in a biolab for everyone's safety while President Resnick, Vice President Inouye, General Benavidez and Director Souers were all locked in a fortified safe room until the situation was put under control.

Whatever happens, the safety of those people could not be put in jeopardy. Until everything could be sorted out, Livingwood and the president were each kept under armed guard as far apart from each other as possible.

The worst possible situation had become a reality. The president and everyone else here were in mortal danger so long as an infected person was in here.

If this infection spread from Agent Livingwood to others, then the whole complex would probably have to be evacuated...

But Air Force One still needed to be repaired after that mess back in Maryland. Likewise, all of the other transport aircraft at the nearby Petersen Air Force Base were either going to or from Sacramento, were undergoing their own repairs, or were grounded for whatever other reason.

President Resnick and Vice President Inouye couldn't be evacuated by air right now, and it was too dangerous to use a motorcade on the surface streets with all those infected still in Colorado Springs and practically everywhere between the bunker and California's capital city.

Aside from Sacramento and the distant Hawaii, the equally-distant Fairbanks, some carriers in the Pacific, and Mount Weather, the Cheyenne complex was the only known safe haven left for Resnick, Inouye, and all of the other officials present.

And with no good way to get to Sacramento or any of the other places safely for the moment, Agent Mettic would be out of options when it came to keeping the POTUS safe if anything happened to this complex...

Naturally, Agent Mettic was pretty on-edge about the whole situation. The doctor with him wasn't making anything easier.

"Agent Livingwood got bit by an infected back when we were leaving Joint Base Andrews! He didn't say anything to me or any other agent until an hour ago!" Agent Mettic replied to the doctor as they walked. The whole hallway was filled with soldiers and scientists hurriedly going to and from other places in the complex.

Dr. Emery looked close to having a panic attack over this mess.

"Has Mount Weather been notified? Has Sacramento and Honolulu?! Fairbanks?!" the doctor demanded to know from the Secret Service agent.

"Yes, they all have!" Agent Mettic told him in a bit of a harder tone than he intended. "I sent the alerts myself only ten minutes ago! I told all of them that for the moment the infected agent has been contained, and that the president is secure and unharmed!"

"Livingwood has put all of us at risk, Agent Mettic!" Dr. Emery said out of frustration. How could the Secret Service foul up so badly?! "Your agency is charged with protecting POTUS and VPOTUS, if you somehow don't remember! How could you possibly screw up this badly?!

Agent Mettic was not in the mood to deal with whatever the doctor was insinuating.

"I'm aware of what the Secret Service does, doctor!" Agent Mettic frowned at the doctor. He could take a lot of harsh words but he could never let bullshit criticisms of the beloved agency he served in go without an answer. "And believe me, I'll make sure that Livingwood will get punished if he survives this!"

The doctor rolled his eyes in frustration. "You and I both know that he won't!"

Agent Mettic didn't bother to respond to that. Because he of all people knew that Doctor Emery was unfortunately correct.

Steve Livingwood was a ticking time bomb now...

---

Deeper inside the facility, President Resnick was patiently waiting in the safe room for the all-clear to come in... whenever the hell that would be.

With the president at the current moment was Vice President Inouye, General Benavidez, Director Souers, and a number of Secret Service agents who were busy guarding the room from any threat. The room was made of solid steel and there was only one way in or out - making it completely secure and cut off from the rest of the facility for the safety of these high officials.

At one point, Vice President Inouye glanced at one of the agents. She felt an uncomfortable sensation within herself when she looked at the submachine gun the agent, like all the others in the room, was armed with. How dangerous was the situation within NORAD if the Secret Service was bringing out automatic weaponry now?

"Any updates?" President Resnick impatiently inquired to one of the agents near him for the seventh time in an hour.

"None yet, Mr. President." the agent, a woman named "Cross", responded, her hold on her gun not getting any less tighter.

President Resnick shook his head in frustration. He's the Commander-in-Chief, he shouldn't be stuck in this damned room and kept so out of the loop like this...

Unable to keep himself in his chair anymore, the president rose and he started pacing back and forth throughout the safe room, his mind trying to comprehend how to handle a million different thoughts at once.

That infected agent... "Livingwood", if Resnick remembered the poor boy's name right... he was going to die, wasn't he? That's what he was told would happen to anyone who got bitten or scratched or infected in some other way by the undead. No exceptions.

That poor boy was infected while protecting him... It hurt the president to know that someone was going to die because he kept him alive at Joint Base Andrews...

"Tom, please sit back down." Vice President Inouye urged her friend to hopefully help ease him a little.

"I can't, Amaya." President Resnick shook his head dismissively. "We're stuck in this damned steel box and its driving me crazy being so cut off. Not to mention that I can't even go and see that poor boy who was bitten..."

"Mr. President, with all due respect, that agent died the moment he was bitten..." Director Souers told the president in a stern-but-respectful tone, though the tone also made clear his lack of concern or care for what happened to Livingwood. "There is no sense in risking your safety by deliberately going to the infected agent." Souers continued. "You shouldn't risk yourself for something senseless like going to see him."

"I don't care if there is any sense in it or not, George." President Resnick replied, his voice equally stern. "That man took a bite from one of the infected because he was protecting me... me! And he's going to lose his life because of it!"

The president lowered his gaze, a mix of guilt and frustration built up within him. "I don't know if I can ever truly repay a debt like that," he stated, "but I at least owe Agent Livingwood the courtesy of a last meeting and a personal 'thank you', man-to-man, before he dies... I owe him that, guys."

General Benavidez awkwardly cleared his throat. "Mr. President," he began to say, "Sir, I'm not saying that I agree with your wish to visit the infected agent, but I understand why you want to do it. Livingwood is a hero at the end of the day and it's natural to want to make it known to him..."

The general stood up, going to the president and placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"But your safety takes priority here, sir." General Benavidez continued. "We cannot afford to lose a president during a national emergency situation like this. The Commander-in-Chief must come first and foremost, now and forever. All surviving Americans need our leader to stay alive and not take any undue risks."

President Resnick, as much as he wanted to go visit Livingwood, did understand the concerns from Amaya and the others. After all, he was POTUS - so he of all people knew that his own safety was paramount. Last thing the nation needed right now was to go through another death of a president.

With a sigh of annoyance and resignation, Resnick simply went to sit back in his chair and rub his temples, as he's had a stress-induced headache plaguing him for the last couple of hours now. God, that poor agent...

"Alright, can someone at least give me a status update on what's going on out there in the country?" President Resnick asked, his tone making his irritation a bit more obvious than he intended to show. "What's the situation in Sacramento, Honolulu, and Fairbanks? Mount Weather?" he then asked.

Having already been prepared for such a question, General Benavidez pulled up a suitcase he had been carrying and he opened it up, taking out some official papers both from the military and from the remnants of the government in Sacramento. He laid them out on a table for the president to view.

"Sacramento is being besieged by thousands of the infected on all sides, General Benavidez informed the president, "but the defensive lines are holding strong now that armor and manpower has finally been coalesced around Sacramento County. Further reinforcements are also on the way."

"Thank God." Vice President Inouye sighed with relief. She had been worried about Sacramento ever since they fled Washington D.C. If Sacramento fell then they would never have any hope of stabilizing, saving, and rebuilding the United States...

House Speaker McCarthy was already present there along with other surviving officials of Congress. Some other survivors scattered in still-active military zones across the nation were to ultimately be sent there when the time was right, including the president, vice president, and the secretary of state who's still back at Mount Weather.

For all intents and purposes, California's capital was serving as the new national capital of the entire United States... or what was left of it at least.

Everything from here on out depended on the remnants of the U.S. government surviving in that city. It was their modern-day Alamo, but hopefully with a better ending.

If the country had any hope of overcoming this virus, Sacramento had to stay standing.

"Hawaii?" the president then inquired.

Benavidez pointed down to one of the papers sent in from the islands. "Oahu's currently under martial law, and so is the rest of the islands," he explained, "but luckily the infection there has already been quarantined and civil authority is still intact. So far, we have no major worries on that end."

"God bless all the hula girls of Honolulu..." Director Souers jokingly commented with a sly smile on his face.

"And what about Fairbanks?" President Resnick wondered, "What about Mount Weather?"

"They're both holding, sir." the general confirmed with a nod. "Mount Weather's security detachment is reporting little to no activity of the infected. If we're lucky, and if and when things finally calm down here and over in Sacramento, we might be able to finally transport Secretary Lansing here or, God willing - straight to Sacramento."

President Resnick and Vice President Inouye seemed happy to hear this. They were both upset about Edward Lansing being left behind by Director Souers at the White House, and they've been anxious to reunite with the man ever since. The Secretary of State was someone they needed by their side once they finally reach Sacramento, especially since most of the rest of the government was already dead or reanimated or missing...

Then, as he continued, General Benavidez cringed. "Fairbanks is going to have its own issues soon enough though..."

"What makes you say that?" President Resnick inquired. What trouble was Fairbanks in?

Before Benavidez could respond, the occupants of the room heard a voice speak outside. Then, the door was opened by one of the Secret Service guards who was out there.

Agent Mettic walked into the room and the guards out there shut and locked the door behind him, following their duty to keep the president safe and secure above all else.

"Sorry I'm late..." Agent Mettic said to everyone else, giving a respectful nod to the president and vice president.

"No harm done." President Resnick nodded back at his head agent.

"What kept you, if you don't mind me asking?" Vice President Inouye asked just to satisfy her own mild curiosity.

"A certain doctor that doesn't understand the difference between 'urgency' and 'gravity.'" Agent Mettic said, rolling his eyes as he was reminded of the annoying man.

The president, vice president, General Benavidez, and Director Souers all simply glanced at each other at that. None of them personally took Dr. Emery to be an annoyance... well, maybe Souers did, but he didn't really like anyone to begin with.

Agent Mettic went to take his place on the far side of the room where he'd get a clear view of the entrance at all times. He was certain nothing and no one would get through that door without the permission of the Secret Service, but he still had his trusty pistol under his jacket with a full magazine ready to go.

As Mettic took his place, the interrupted conversation continued on.

"As I said," General Benavidez resumed from where he left off earlier, "Fairbanks is going to have some issues. Food is growing more and more scarce and its getting more and more difficult for us to ship supplies up north to them."

"Why is that, Miguel?" President Resnick inquired.

"The majority of our available resources and men are devoted toward Sacramento and its defense." General Benavidez answered. "Sir, I don't embellish or overstate or try to be dramatic when I say that Sacramento is our only hope. If we lose that city, we'll lose any chance of regaining our hold on the continental U.S."

"And a lot of people will die..." Vice President Inouye realized with a solemn sigh. If Sacramento is lost to the infected, the government wouldn't be able to move the hundreds of thousands of survivors there all the way to Honolulu or Alaska in less time than the walkers would need to take the city. Many would have to be left behind to whatever fate would await them... just like Washington...

Limited resources. Too many places which needed them. A very bad problem in a time like this.

They wouldn't dare unless they had no other options left, but they may need to make some decisions which they never hoped to make in this crisis...

"Well, why don't we just abandon Fairbanks?" Director Souers suggested, "The survival of that city doesn't matter compared to Sacramento or Honolulu."

"No, that wouldn't be doable..." General Benavidez told him. "Aside from the fact that Fairbanks is one of our last standing cities and that we need every inch of ground that we can hold, there's tens of thousands of survivors up there right now."

He continued. "If we did decide to abandon it after all we've done to build it up as a refugee destination, it would take too long and take up too many resources to evacuate all the people there to Hawaii or California. We've got too many people up there to protect."

"... and if we just leave them?"

Silence fell upon the entire room. Even Agent Mettic briefly turned wide-eyed in astonishment by what he had just heard. The president, vice president, and Joint Chiefs chairman could only look upon Director Souers with stunned expressions.

... abandon thousands of refugees to die? Did they hear him right?!

Sensing how the others had reacted to his suggestion, Director Souers cleared his throat and began to speak again.

"What I mean by that," he began, "is that I'm simply asking question of whether its appropriate to risk losing the greater good just to help Fairbanks..."

Director Souers glowered at the others as he spoke to them. "What's the lives of twenty or thirty thousand refugees in Fairbanks compared to the seven hundred and fifty thousand and counting currently in Honolulu, or the nearly one million we've got in Sacramento? Or even the future of this country?"

The CIA director pointed down at the map laying on the table, specifically at Fairbanks. "What will happen when supplies will inevitably start to run low and people up there get desperate?" he asked the others, "You forget that Fairbanks is very far from the continental U.S., and that we've only got so much supplies to spare. The days of U.S. military logistics being the envy of the world is over..."

Souers continued. "Since resupplying them is easier said than done, what'll happen in the winter when fuel runs out and the electric grid fails and people won't have the power to heat their homes? What'll happen when they run out of food...? It'll be like a city-wide Donner Party, that's what!"

Another moment of silence came and went before the president made his opinion on Director Souers' idea clear.

"...I've already ordered continuous shipments of supplies and troops to the refugees in and around Fairbanks until I say otherwise." President Resnick declared.

"What?!" Director Souers honestly sounded aghast at what he heard. What on earth was going through Resnick's mind?! He couldn't be so foolish!

Afer a moment to collect his thoughts, Director Souers continued. "Sir, with respect, Fairbanks and all the people up there aren't nearly as important as Sacramento is!" he protested, "We need to cut our losses and coalesce everything we've still got on the mainland into Sacramento County while we still can-"

"The lives of tens of thousands of our people are always important, George. Especially in times like this." Vice President Inouye interjected with a deep glare on her face.

Before Souers could continue, Resnick spoke next. "I refuse to let people starve and die when they can still be helped, George..." he stated, "If Fairbanks can survive with our help, then we're obligated to do everything we can for them."

Director Souers looked annoyed by all of this before. But now he looked close to furious...

"Mr. President," Director Souers began, not even bothering to hide his anger. "Sir, with the highest respect, we can't allow Sacramento to suffer from any more hardship than it already has to just for the sake of some distant shithole like Fairbanks! The future of these United States - the future of humanity - depends on Sacramento holding firm against the dead."

The CIA director continued his rant. "We need to pull out all of our troops and supplies from Fairbanks while we still can, regardless of the refugees there, and we-"

"No." President Resnick suddenly interrupted, his voice firm and full of fire now. "I've already been forced to give the order to begin napalm-bombing dozens of our cities and kill God only knows how many surviving Americans alongside the infected... I won't sit by and allow more to senselessly die if I have anything to say about it."

The president's glare was as icy as it was strong. "Those are our people. Our fellow Americans..." he stated, "and we don't abandon our own."

Vice President Inouye, General Benavidez, and Agent Mettic all alternated between looking at President Resnick and Director Souers...

The two men had locked eyes and glared at each other... but Souers was the one who cracked first.

Souers soon turned his head to avert the gaze of the Commander in Chief. Then, President Resnick practically demanded his answer.

"Are we clear on this, Director?"

When Director Souers turned to look back at the president and respond, his voice was much softer... but the utter anger in it couldn't be mistaken.

"... crystal, Mr. President."

The president continued to glare at Director Souers for a few more moments before the vice president cleared her throat. She wanted to change the subject ASAP...

"As much as an issue as Fairbanks is," Vice-President Inouye began, "I think we've got another issue rising out of Philadelphia... and I worry it'll be a bad one."

Upon hearing this, the anger left Resnick's face as he turned to look at the vice president.

"Philadelphia?" President Resnick blinked. "What about Philadelphia? Last I heard we were busy pulling all military assets and surviving citizens out of the city, right?"

"... I think it's best if its only you and I speak about that later, Tom."

As curious as the president was about this, he decided to just drop it for now. Whatever Amaya wanted to tell him could wait until they were alone...

Suddenly, the PA system across the facility crackled to life and a voice announced that the facility-wide lockdown had finally been lifted. The VIPs were now free to exit the safe room, and all were anxious to do so.

Deciding that he was no longer needed here for the moment, and since he had some personal business he still wanted to attend to, Agent Mettic headed for the door after he asked and received from the president permission to be dismissed for the time being.

"Goodbye for now, Mr. President. Madam Vice President." Agent Mettic bid his farewell to the two leaders for the moment. "Director. General." he also nodded respectfully to the CIA Director and Joint Chiefs Chairman who was with them.

President Resnick, Vice President Inouye, and General Benavidez all bid the agent goodnight... Director Souers didn't. Nor did he seem to even notice the agent as he left.

As he headed toward the security door, Agent Mettic got the attention of one of the Secret Service agents in the room.

"You know the drill - guard everyone in here with your lives." Agent Mettic reminded the other agent of his current orders. Obvious or not, the orders still had to be said.

"Yes sir." the agent, a man named "Dietrich", nodded at his superior.

Agent Mettic nodded at him and then he proceeded to leave the room. As he did so, the four VIPs all stood up from their seats and prepared to leave as well.

"I'd like to get an update from CDC Atlanta by the morning." President Resnick requested from the others as he stood from his chair. "Are Dr. and Dr. Jenner and the other surviving scientists there all still working on the anti-virus efforts?"

"So far, yes. Our facilities here and in Sacramento are being fed data and video logs from them both." Director Souers replied with a nod. Then he added, "Though as you remember, the clock is ticking for their facility. They don't have a lot of time left to go."

"... yes ..." the president cringed slightly. Those two and everyone else there had willingly doomed themselves just to try and save countless millions... he only wished the Jenners and their colleagues could be saved too.

... reluctantly, Resnick pushed the couple out of his mind for now. He had a doomed Secret Service agent to try and visit and he had to focus on that ...

With nothing else left to go over for the time being, the four VIPs left the safe room, all four under the security of the Secret Service agents that Agent Mettic left behind.

As they walked, Vice President Inouye glanced at the back of Director Souers' head, and her stomach twisted a little inside her as she thought of his suggestion on what should happen to Fairbanks and all the unfortunate people there...

How could anyone be so callous toward human life...?

---

Agent Mettic felt like his fucking chest was going to explode from how hard his heart was beating.

For the last twenty five minutes, the Secret Service head agent was sitting in his meager room and was just staring at the government-issue laptop in front of him, silently dwelling on his thoughts which were interupted with the infection of Steve Livingwood being revealed.

There was a very important question circling over and over again in Agent Mettic's mind - "Do I call him?"

It was a simple question, but one with a lot of weight behind it. After all, given how bad the world was right now, Agent Mettic might not get a chance to do so ever again...

With a sigh of defeat in his failed self-resistance, Agent Mettic decided to settle this the old fashioned way. He reached down into his pocket and pulled out the old Morgan Silver Dollar he kept in there for good luck - something which he and the president and the whole damned country desperately needed nowadays.

The agent raised his father's old lucky heirloom and gave it a flip. When the coin started to fall, he caught it in mid-air and slammed it against the back of his left hand.

Heads, he'd call him. Tails... well, he wouldn't. Life would go on either way until you get ripped apart by one of the infected, right?

Agent Mettic took a deep breath before removing his hand, revealing the coin standing on the back of the other.

Heads...

He'd call him...

After taking a moment to stuff the old coin back into his inner suit pocket again, Agent Mettic turned on the laptop and he clicked his way into one of the secure U.S. Secret Service information channels being used across the entirety of the United States. He typed in authorization codes which the president himself trusted him with. Codes which could get him into any government server below "top secret" level.

Agent Mettic clicked onto one of the channels and entered a U.S. Army National Guard database. There, he scrolled his way down a description list of active-duty soldiers until he found the profile of the guy who he was looking for. Seeing the face of the soldier made the agent pause for a moment.

"Hmm..." Agent Mettic thought to himself with surprise as he looked at the soldier's profile picture, "guess I didn't think John would look so different after all this time..."

After that, Agent Mettic began to read through the soldier's information on his profile...

...

UNITED STATES ARMY NATIONAL GUARD SERVICE RECORD C-847190-JM-1

CLASSIFIED: FOR OFFICIAL GOVERNMENTAL USE ONLY

...

Name: Jonathan Mettic.

D.O.B: 06/15/1975.

Place of Birth: Burlington, VA.

Current Residence: San Francisco, CA.

Height: 6,2"

Sex: Male

Build: Average.

Weight: 160 lbs.

Eyes: Blue.

Hair: Brown.

Unit: Delta Squad, E Company, 1st BN, 160th Infantry Reg., 40th Infantry Div.

Branch: California Army National Guard.

Rank: Sergeant.

Serial Number: 678452056.

Blood Type: A-

Military Status: Active Duty. National Guard units in all 50 states currently federalized for domestic military operations under presidential decree.

Infection Status: Uninfected.

...

Known Family: ...

...

Agent Mettic's face fell a little as he read through the "known family" section on his brother's profile. He decided to take a moment to go down memory lane...

The first name he saw was that of his and John's father...

"Father - Richard Mettic.
Status: Deceased.
Notes:
- Mayor of Burlington, VA (1967 to 1979),
- United States Senator from Vermont (1980 until death in 2001)."

...

His father, God bless the man, was a United States Senator who represented Vermont in the capitol for twenty-one years. He was always regarded as a good man of integrity among those in both his party and the opposition. A man who, in the words of a somewhat obscure friend of his named 'Ronald Reagan', seemed to: "bleed red, white, and blue."

Senator Mettic's two decades in the senate saw him make many friends on both sides of the aisle. Americans everywhere from Maine to Hawaii knew his name and held great respect for him. Even adversaries held praise to his name, as was proven during some of his diplomatic trips to places like Moscow and Tehran.

Anyway, to sum it up, Senator Mettic was a highly-regarded and very kind man, but he was also the best friend of the president who his son now protects with his life. Richard Mettic and Thomas Resnick were as close as brothers while they were growing up together in Burlington. The closest that two men could be brothers without being of blood relation.

The friendship between Agent Mettic's father and Tom Resnick was so strong that when his second child was born, he even named the boy "Thomas" after Resnick himself... Resnick and his wife Catherine became the boy's doting godparents.

The future president and his future first lady always treated the young boy as if he was their own son. Senator Mettic and his wife would've gladly done the same for Resnick and Catherine's child if they were able to have one...

The two men had practically been attached at the hip for most of their lives. When Mettic was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1980, Resnick signed on to be one of his senatorial aides. In 1990, Resnick, who learned how to fly at a young age, left Congress to serve as an F-14 combat pilot over the skies of Iraq and Kuwait during the Persian Gulf War. After the war ended, the combat veteran made the decision to run for Congress himself.

In 1992, Resnick was elected to the House of Representatives in his own right, winning re-election four more times. In 2000, he left the House and won an election which put him in the United States Senate.

As the newest senator of the State of Vermont, Resnick got the Senate seat right next to his colleague and best friend's. For the next several months, the two men worked side-by-side while their state prospered...

Then, on one beautiful day in June of '01... Senator Mettic died. An unexpected and unsurvivable heart attack. One moment he was here, and gone the next...

Agent Mettic found his lifeless father slumped over in his favorite chair in the study of the Mettic mansion in Burlington. The memory still haunted him to this day...

His dad... God, the agent only wished that his dad would've lived long enough to see his best friend actually be elected as the President of the United States. It would've been one of the proudest moments of his dad's life had he been here to see Resnick's victory...

With a sigh, Agent Mettic followed the list down to the name of his mother...

...

"Mother - Patricia Graham-Mettic, Ph.D., M.D., Ed.D.
Status: Deceased.
Notes:
- Harvard University Class of 1974 valedictorian.
- World-renowned cancer researcher.
- Star pupil of famed French computer scientist, Waldo Schaeffer, Ph.D., M.D., Ed.D,."

...

Patricia, his mother, was a saint walking the earth. She was always Mettic's hero when he was a child, and they were as close as a mother and son could get.

The woman was also a hell of a lot smarter than he ever hoped to be. Her Ph.D and M.D. and Ed.D, the years of tutelage under some of the greatest scientific minds which both Europe and America had to offer, and the decades she spent contributing toward cancer research all led to some serious breakthroughs which benefited all mankind.

Thanks mainly to her work, countless lives were saved or at least elongated during the international efforts to cure several different types of cancers. Had she had more time to continue her work, there was a genuine possibility that she could have found the cure for cancer itself: the holy grail of modern medicine...

... that simply made her loss to a rare type of cancer ten years ago about as ironic as it was devastating. She saved countless people, but couldn't save herself ...

Not a day went by where Agent Mettic didn't think of his mother or what else she could have done in her field had she still been alive. He was certain that she would've done so many more wonders for this world if she just had more time... but it wasn't meant to be.

What he wouldn't give just to have a few more precious minutes with his mom again...

...

"Brother - Ryan Mettic.
Status: Alive.
Notes:
- Special Agent, United States Secret Service.
- Currently assigned toward tasks of importance to American national security. (All further information is classified to all below Alpha-level clearance.)"

...

Well, Agent Mettic certainly didn't need to think about himself. That'd be both silly and narcissistic. And both were traits which he personally abhorred.

So, the agent simply passed his own name and went to the name of his other brother...

...

"Brother - Thomas Mettic.
Status: Deceased.
Notes:
- Staff Sergeant, United States Marine Corps.
- Killed in action by enemy sniper on 11/24/2004, Second Battle of Fallujah.
- Posthumously awarded Purple Heart, Bronze Star."

...

Thomas Mettic, the agent's second-eldest brother, was the child that was named in honor of the future President of the United States. And fittingly he was always the bravest of the three Mettic brothers when they were growing up in Vermont.

So it wasn't a big surprise that the young Thomas would end up joining the marines after 9/11. But he didn't get sent to Afghanistan like their brother John, who was already a part of the Vermont Army National Guard, initially did.

No, Thomas got sent over to Iraq after the invasion in '03 happened. He fought in Nasiriyah and Baghdad, then he was killed during the chaos of Second Fallujah. "An enemy sniper spotted Tom as we pushed deeper into downtown and the bastard got lucky" was what Thomas's commanding officer explained to him and John in a condolence letter.

Agent Mettic and John at least took solace in the next thing the guy wrote: "a shell fired by one of our tanks made sure the sniper was rendered 'unlucky' pretty quickly."

...

"Sister - Elizabeth-Anne Mettic.
Status: Deceased.
Note: died in infancy on 7/04/1979."

...

Next, Agent Mettic read the name of Elizabeth-Anne, his sister.

There wasn't much that could be said about Elizabeth-Anne. Agent Mettic's, John's, and Thomas's little sister was the "family angel" as Agent Mettic's mom always used to say. But that was only because Elizabeth-Anne died of an illness when she was only two years old. Agent Mettic and his brothers sadly never got much of a chance to know her and he deeply regretted that...

In memory of his late little sister, John would go on to name his only child, his daughter, after her. It was a touching tribute, but one which unfortunately didn't matter much due to what happened to the daughter...

...

"Daughter - Anne Mettic.
Status: Unknown.
Note: declared missing since: date not listed."

...

... Agent Mettic's niece. Anne. His niece who was stolen from her parents shortly after childbirth and who the agent had resigned himself to believing dead by this point.

Agent Mettic had never even got the chance to meet Anne since she was taken from the hospital before he was even able to schedule time to fly out to Burlington. He was still part of the Secret Service back then, but he was just a junior agent assigned to the team which protected then-President William Milton's daughter, Pamela. He had and still has duties which were more important than even his own family...

Agent Mettic's inability to forgo his duty during a time of deep family tragedy drove a deep wedge between him and his surviving brother. They fought. Some punches and more than a few seemingly-unforgiveable words were said during that, and as a result they haven't spoken for the last fifteen or sixteen years...

... Jesus Christ, he didn't realize that his family and its history was fucked up.

...

"Wife - Evonne Carlyle-Mettic.
Status: Alive.
Note: separated but not legally divorced from marriage to Jonathan Mettic since: date not listed."

...

The loss of Anne also drove a wedge between John and his wife, Evonne Carlyle... so they separated.

The couple didn't actually do a legal and formal divorce, as neither husband nor wife could bring themselves to end a marriage they each put so much work and love into. But Evonne didn't want to stop searching across the whole country for their precious daughter even after John gave up and lost hope. John himself moved out to California to get away from everything in Vermont, and he's been there ever since...

Agent Mettic's face fell as he read the list of names, the names of his family living and dead and unknown. He knew John was okay, but who knew where Evonne was these days. And it was a bigger question to ask if Anne was even still alive before the outbreak let alone during it. A lot could happen in the course of a decade and a half...

It was fucked up to think this, and he realized it, but he thought that the ones who were already gone were the lucky ones. He couldn't imagine someone like his mother or his father having to go through the horrible ordeal of the Wildfire Virus...

Shaking his head as he pushed those kind of thoughts out of his mind, Agent Mettic continued reading the information on his brother's profile.

...

Current Deployment for Sgt. Jonathan Mettic: Assisting 1st Battalion in ongoing civilian evacuation efforts by air from Travis Air Force Base; Fairfield, CA.

Destinations of Civilian Evacuation Aircraft from Travis AFB:

- Sacramento, CA. (PRIORITY DESTINATION.)

- Honolulu, HI. (PRIORITY DESTINATION.)

- Fairbanks, AK. (SECONDARY DESTINATION.)

Further evacuation support toward Travis AFB and other AFBs on West Coast provided by five Carrier Battle Groups of the United States Navy:

- USS Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Battle Group - currently operating off coast of San Francisco, CA.
Roosevelt carrier group and other assets of U.S. Pacific Fleet ordered to ferry refugees from San Francisco Bay area to Honolulu, HA.

- USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Battle Group - currently operating off coast of San Diego, CA.
Lincoln carrier group and other assets of U.S. Pacific Fleet ordered to ferry refugees from San Diego-Tijuana metroplex to Honolulu, HA.

- USS Ronald Reagan Carrier Battle Group - currently operating off coast of Los Angeles, CA.
Reagan carrier group and other assets of U.S. Pacific Fleet ordered to ferry refugees from Greater Los Angeles area to Honolulu, HA.

- USS George Washington Carrier Battle Group - currently operating off coast of Los Angeles, CA.
Washington carrier group and other assets of U.S. Pacific Fleet ordered to ferry refugees from Greater Los Angeles area to Refugee Staging Area #125, near Homer, AK. Military land and air convoys moving refugees inland to Fairbanks.

- USS Nimitz Carrier Battle Group - currently operating off coast of Seattle, WA.
Nimitz carrier group and other assets of U.S. Pacific Fleet ordered to ferry refugees from Greater Seattle area to Refugee Staging Area #122, near Seward, AK. Military land and air convoys moving refugees inland to Fairbanks.

...

Psychological analysis on Sgt. Jonathan Mettic:

Cleared for continued active service in both combat and non-combative roles. No serious mental issues diagnosed or detected.

Prior troubles in relation to his daughter (declared missing on: date not listed) has been raised as a factor of concern among military psychologists, but is now seen as a non-factor due to the growing need for more soldiers in the midst of the ongoing Wildfire Virus.

Memo: Sergeant Mettic has been held to high praise by superiors and subordinates in the context of the fight against those infected by the ongoing Wildfire Virus. Sgt. Mettic's experience and knowledge gained from combat in the Bosnian, Afghanistan, and Iraq Campaigns has all been viewed as "extremely useful" in ongoing efforts countering the infected currently besieging the cities in the San Francisco Bay area. Sergeant Mettic's unit has-

...

Okay no, that was all already getting way too boring for the agent to read anymore. Especially since he already read about the deployments of the carrier groups and some of the finer details of nationwide civilian evacuations already. As a government man and not a military one, it was more or less all drivel...

With a sigh, Agent Mettic clicked on his brother's communication profile and found the call button. But before he could press it, he suddenly froze with a puzzled expression.

... the fuck was he even gonna say to him? "Hey bro, I know its been fifteen years since we last talked and I know that the world's literally in the middle of an apocalypse, but how's your Sunday going for you? Find your little girl yet? How's your no-longer-existing marriage? Still pissed about how 'The Sopranos' ended? :D"

Agent Mettic sputtered his lips in reaction to his own thought before he finally put his fingers on the mouse, summoned up a bit of inner courage, and clicked the button. He knew his brother was issued a laptop just like this, him and all other active-duty soldiers out there... so, if he wasn't busy with something, he'll hopefully answer soon.

The message Agent Mettic sent to his brother, the first thing he's said to him in fifteen years, was pretty simple.

"... hey, John ..."

Several moments went by for Agent Mettic where there was nothing but silence from the other end of the line. No sign of anything being typed. Not even any notification of the message actually being seen by Sergeant Mettic.

For a bit, Agent Mettic thought that his brother might've been out helping with the evac, and he was about to just shut off the laptop and go back to his duties... but to his relief, he suddenly saw the notification pop up that his brother had seen the message. But an audio link was established by John instead of a typed message being sent in reply.

Agent Mettic hurriedly grabbed an earpiece from his jacket, wirelessly connected it to his laptop, and stuck the thing in his ear. He turned it on and heard his brother for the first time in forever...

"John...?" Agent Mettic hesitantly asked into the earpiece.

After a moment, he heard his brother's voice for the first time in the last decade and a half. Actually hearing him made Agent Mettic flinch slightly from surprise.

"... Ryan? Is that you?" he heard his brother's surprised tone of voice. After a moment of stunned silence, he added: "It's... been a long time..."

"Yeah... yeah, it really has been a while." Agent Mettic replied, a little unsure of what exactly to say to his brother.

"Uh, yeah. Yeah, it... has..." his brother's voice trailed off. Clearly, he also had no idea what to say.

Several long moments passed where neither brother said anything. In an effort to dispel the awkwardness, Agent Mettic broke the silence himself.

"... how's it going?"

That was a stupid thing to say. Utterly stupid thing to say.

Honestly are you a moron, Ryan? How can you be an idiot when your mother nearly cured cancer for Christ's sake!

"... 'how's it going'?" John asked incredulously on the other end.

"... yeah ...?"

"Fifteen years since we last talked and the world's collapsing, and the best you can do right now is 'how's it going'? Seriously?"

"C'mon, man, give me a break. You know I'm not that good with stuff like this..."

Agent Mettic heard his brother snort on the other end of the call. "Yeah, you got that right..." John dryly told him. "You were always the quiet one out of all of us growing up... Sometimes you spoke so rarely that it made Tommy and I think that in a past life you were one of those Buddhist monks who took a lifelong vow of silence."

"If that's the case," Agent Mettic began to retort, "then you were probably a circus clown in your past life, John. Tommy too, but he was more of a 'king's jester' type."

"The sad thing is that if he was here he'd probably agree with you."

Now it was Agent Mettic's turn to snort in amusement. Same ol' John... it was almost like the last decade and a half never happened.

After a moment, Agent Mettic decided to change the subject. "Seriously, though..." he began, "how've you been lately, John? Been a very long time..."

"I wish I could say I was doing well, but in a time like this...? I've already seen enough horrors to last a lifetime, man..."

Agent Mettic's face fell. It's been a long time since he heard his brother speak, but that voice sounded so much more tired than when he last heard it...

"For what its worth, I understand..." Mettic assured his brother, remembering things from during the Fall of Washington. Things he'd never forget for the rest of his life...

John was silent on the other line, but he was grateful for his brother's kind words. He just didn't want to go into detail about some of what he's seen...

Agent Mettic changed the subject again, much to his brother's relief.

"What's the SITREP out in your area right now?" Agent Mettic wondered.

"About the same as most places." John admitted with a sigh, "Los Angeles is gonna fall any day now... San Diego and San Francisco are both upgraded to Catastrophe stage. Sacramento is still holding but there's a lot of infected - 'walkers' some are callin' them now - who are trying to break into the city."

"What about you? You're over at Travis AFB close to San Francisco, right?"

"Yeah, I am. Not sure how long my unit and I will remain here though. Heard we might get reassigned to rescue efforts in San Francisco soon."

"How's the EVAC efforts?"

"So far, we've gotten around forty to fifty thousand people out. They're all going to be screened for infection and eventually sent to Honolulu, Sacramento, and Fairbanks."

Forty to fifty thousand refugees. Forty to fifty thousand who won't be doomed to die thanks to John and all the other National Guardsmen who were there.

It was a drop in the puddle all things considered, but Agent Mettic was very proud of his brother. It couldn't have been easy...

"You hear about anything out of Sacramento?" Agent Mettic asked, "I heard the troops are having a tough time holding the line..."

"Reinforcements are heading there right now and they'll arrive within the next couple of days. The troops in Sacramento will hold, thank God."

Agent Mettic sighed with genuine relief. He was certain that those reinforcements would be enough to hold the city...

"Where are you right now?" John suddenly inquired. The question sounded casual... but even after fifteen years there was still some genuine brotherly concern behind it.

"I'm not at liberty to say..." Agent Mettic told him in response. His duty came first - the president's whereabouts couldn't be told to anyone unauthorized. Even family.

"Is the president okay?"

"... I'm not at liberty to say anything about him personally either."

"The vice president?"

"... can't really say anything about her either, John."

A moment went by before John, in mock-annoyance, asked:

"... what are you at liberty to say, Ryan?"

Agent Mettic bit the inside of his lip.

"... well, we left the White House completely unlocked if you wanna make your way there and nab yourself a souvenir." Agent Mettic joked to try and ease a bit of the tension. "I promise that if you survive the trip, I won't tattle on you if you nab one of the paintings, or take one of the president's ties, or write 'Johnny Mettic Wuz Here' on one of the walls in the Lincoln Bedroom, or take a dump in the president's toilet and not flush, or-"

John snorted at that. "Yeah, yeah, I get it. Don't be a fucking smartass." he chastised, though it was clear he was trying hard not to laugh.

Agent Mettic chuckled at his big brother's response. Yep... John hasn't changed much in the last decade and a half.

"Not to sound like a complete dick or anything, Ryan," John then began to say, "but... is there a reason you wanted to call after all this time?"

"Well... I wanted to see if you were doing alright, man..." Agent Mettic truthfully told his brother. "I know that its been a while since we last talked, and I know that we didn't exactly leave on the best of terms back then... but ever since this started, I've been really worried about you..."

"Yeah, well... I'd be lying if I said I wasn't thinking the same kind of thing about you. Worried as well, I mean." John admitted back. Felt good to say something like that after all these years. "Not many of us Mettics out there anymore. And I'd rather not see what's left of the family be eaten alive by a horde of Satan's rejects, y'know...?"

Agent Mettic smiled upon hearing the revelation. Unknown to him was that his brother was smiling too...

"I've missed you..."

After a moment, he heard his brother speak again. "... I've missed you too, Ryan."

The agent felt very grateful to hear that. He smiled for a moment, but then it fell as he lowered his gaze in shame.

"I'm sorry about everything that happened the last time we spoke..." Agent Mettic apologized to his brother. Something he had wanted to do for a long time.

"Ryan, you don't need to-"

Ignoring his brother's attempt to speak, Agent Mettic continued. "I said a lot of stupid shit which I never should've said to you, man..."

"Ryan, look-"

"And Christ, I even punched you! And right after you lost Anne!" Agent Mettic said with utter self-disgust toward himself, "John, I'm so, so fucking-"

"RYAN!"

Agent Mettic immediately stopped ranting. With his silence, John spoke up and told him what he didn't realize he desperately needed to hear...

"... you don't have anything to say sorry for," John assured him, "it's all in the past and I've gotten over it a long time ago. You're my brother and I love you, you fool..."

That was all which needed to be said... It was all in the past, and the brothers didn't hate each other.

It was the best news Agent Mettic and John both had in a long time.

An alarm on John's wristwatch was suddenly heard through the voice call. Agent Mettic could hear his brother grumble a little in annoyance as the moment was ruined.

"It was good to hear from you again, Ryan, but I've gotta head back out there." John said, his voice making clear that he didn't like the premature end to the call. "The way things are going, I don't know how many more civilians we can get out of the Bay Area... I think a lot of people are gonna be left behind..."

"You just keep doing your best, John. Just like always." Agent Mettic gave a bit of encouragement. He knew his brother. Come hell or high water, he'll get the job done...

"I'll say the same to you, Ryan." John replied with the same sense of encouragement. "Make sure that wherever you are, you keep the president safe. We need him."

"I'll die before I let any harm come to him. I swear..."

"Well just try to make sure neither of you die, okay...?"

Agent Mettic assured his brother that they would be fine. It was good to know that they still seemed to have a relationship even after all this time...

After another moment, John said, "... it really was good to hear from you again, Ryan. Really good."

The revelation brought a smile to Agent Mettic's face for the first time since before the outbreak.

The two surviving Mettic brothers were finally reunited again after all these years...

"You too, John..." Agent Mettic told his brother with a new cheery tone to his voice, "call again soon?"

"Yeah... Yeah, we'll do that the next time we're both free." John promised him. It was only a matter of 'when' now, not 'if.'

After that, the two brothers bid each other a good night and then they ended the audio call.

Once the connection with his brother was severed, Agent Mettic took off his earpiece and set it down next to the laptop. He continued to just sit there for a little while as he thought about things, and then he plopped himself backwards onto his shitty cot as a smile grew on his face...

For the first time in a while, he felt joyous...

---

After a few hours, the facility-wide lockdown was lifted and everyone within was allowed to resume normal duties. Among them was the president, who was on his way to somewhere important with a few of his Secret Service guarding him...

President Resnick couldn't stop thinking of that poor boy, Livingwood, who was bitten while protecting his life. That boy sacrificed his life just for an old man like him...

The president's face fell as he thought about this. Ryan had told him that Agent Livingwood was only twenty-four years young... he still had a whole life he had to live. But now it would come to a far premature end deep in an underground bunker... it just wasn't right.

As he approached the doors which led to the biolab that Livingwood was being held in, the president spotted two guard standing with their rifles by the doors. He also spotted Dr. Emery speaking to another doctor about something which he couldn't hear...

"Excuse me, Doctor Emery?" President Resnick inquired with as polite of a tone as he could muster.

The doctor jumped slightly from surprise at hearing the president's voice. The other doctor, stunned to see the president here, decided that whatever she had to say to Dr. Emery could wait until later, and she hurried off back to her team's lab back down the hall.

"Mr. President!" Dr. Emery said with surprise, but he calmed himself after a moment. "I apologize for being startled, Mr. President. I didn't expect you..."

"No harm done..." the president kindly smiled at the doctor.

Dr. Emery nodded. "What can I do for you, sir?" he asked.

"I was wondering if I could go in and speak to Agent Livingwood for a time..."

President Resnick knew that the doctor would probably be disagreeable to his request. What he didn't expect was for the doctor to be so taken aback by the request that his face immediately turned pale.

"I, uh..." Dr. Emery had to take a moment to find his words again, "I-I'm sorry, Mr. President, but we can't let you into this room. It's too dangerous."

"I'm willing to accept the risk."

Dr. Emery somehow turned even more pale. What on earth was going through the president's mind?! Was he insane or suicidal?!

"Sir... that man is infected..." Dr. Emery tried to make the president see reason. To make him see sense.

"I'm aware." President Resnick said with a nod, "but I want to go in there and see him regardless..."

The doctor stammered in disbelief and shock, "I- I can't allow that sir!" he protested, "No! No, you can't go in there and I refuse to let you put yourself at risk!..."

Both the president and the doctor stared at each other for a moment, the doctor looking with disbelief and the president looking with a blank expression on his face.

... after a moment where nothing was said, the president began to approach closer toward the doctor. His face hardened as he did so.

"... I'm the Commander-in-Chief. The President of the United States of America." President Resnick firmly reminded the doctor just who he was and what power he held.

Dr. Emery took a step back, his eyes widening like a doe's caught in headlights. The president continued to advance on him, his mood turning more dark.

"I'm going to go see that poor boy in there..." Resnick continued with a deep glare, "and no one is stopping me..."

---

The president won.

After Dr. Emery, his team, and the armed guards all finally acquiesced to his request, President Resnick went into the biolab and he spotted the quarantine room which Agent Livingwood was being kept in.

For his own safety, the president was made to wear a yellow hazmat suit to keep any trace of the virus away from his body. Furthermore, Dr. Emery and his team also made him take an armed Secret Service agent to protect him in case anything went wrong. There was still many unknowns about the virus and no one wanted to take chances, including President Resnick.

After Resnick and the agent donned their hazmat suits and went into the quarantine room, they saw the doomed Agent Steve Livingwood laying on a medical bed. He looked pale and sweaty, and his face was contorted with pain from the symptoms of his infection...

When Livingwood weakly turned his head and saw that the President of the United States himself was here, his eyes weakly started to widen.

"M- Mr. President, sir..." his soft voice said with awe.

Before the president could reply, Livingwood tried as hard as he could to sit upright in his medical bed out of respect to him. He would've tried to stand and salute right then and there had he not felt so weak and pained...

When President Resnick realized that Agent Livingwood was trying to sit upright, he hurried over to the man's side and gently pushed him back down onto the bed. The poor man was already dying, he didn't need to feel more pain or discomfort than he already did - especially not for the sake of something as trivial as presidential decorum.

"Easy, son... don't try to sit up." President Resnick urged. "Just try not to move too much if you can help it, okay...?"

Agent Livingwood nodded and he reluctantly allowed the president to lower him gently back into the bed. The poor boy looked so pale...

After ensuring that Livingwood wouldn't try getting up again, President Resnick pulled up a chair to sit by the agent's bedside. The hazmat-clad Secret Service agent who came with the president went to stand by the door to give them space, though he still kept his gun ready for even the slightest indication of Livingwood turning feral.

"How are you feeling, son...?" President Resnick asked him in a gentle tone. "Are... are you in any pain...?"

"Y- Yes..." Agent Livingwood answered truthfully, his voice raspy and tense. "M- My bones feel like they're made of glass... and I- I'm heatin' up like a furnace..."

President Resnick's face fell at this. This poor boy was suffering because of his duty to protect him...

Another moment went by before Livingwood spoke up again.

"I... I'm sorry, sir. For everything I've caused..." the infected agent apologized to his Commander-in-Chief.

"Son, you have absolutely nothing to apologize for..." President Resnick told his agent, his tone as kind as it was fatherly. "It was just an accident and you got scared, that's all. No one got hurt or infected over it... I hold absolutely no blame toward you. I've got more to apologize for than you do..."

That knowledge seemed to comfort Agent Livingwood. Resnick was certain that the poor boy must've felt terrible about everything going on here...

"N- No, sir... no you don't..." Livingwood assured. "All of us... All of us took the oath when we went into the service... we- we all knew what we were signing up for..."

"Your biggest risk was taking a bullet for me, not something like this..." President Resnick stated. His voice dripped with sadness.

"A- All of us took the oath to protect you, Mr. President..." Livingwood repeated himself. "I- I willingly put my life in this... Don't feel guilty or anything, okay...?"

President Resnick sighed at that, giving him a reluctant nod in response. Though he didn't dare tell him that he knew he would hold guilt over this for the rest of his life.

"H- How mad is Agent Mettic...?"

"He was a little angry," the president admitted, "but I've known him since he was born. He'll calm down and realize it wasn't your fault..."

Agent Livingwood didn't respond to that. The president simply pressed on to another topic.

"Is there anything that I can do for you, Steven...?" President Resnick asked, "anything which might help ease your pain a little...?"

"... got any shawarma, sir?"

President Resnick, surprised at the joke-not-joke request, couldn't hold back a soft chuckle. "Sorry, son..." he said, "I'm fresh out of... whatever that is... at the moment."

"Y- You should try it sometime, sir..." Agent Livingwood tiredly chuckled as well. "I- I managed... managed to get some when you went to that NATO conference in Istanbul last year... T- The cafeterias here are serving it too..."

"... how was it?" the president couldn't hold in his curiosity. Even in a moment like this, his love and appreciation of foreign foods managed to take a hold of him.

If Agent Livingwood could shrug, he would've. The best he could do was just a simple wave of his hand. President Resnick wasn't entirely sure whether that meant 'shawarma is good' or 'shawarma is bad', so he just decided to take the answer as it was - shawarma is shawarma.

In any case, President Resnick decided to shift the conversation from this random little 'shawarma off-shoot' of theirs.

"I've spoke to the doctors before I came in..." President Resnick said, trying his damndest to not cringe at his own words. "They told me a bunch of medical jargon which I couldn't understand a word of... but it sounded optimistic. Real optimistic."

Agent Livingwood looked at the president curiously, seeing that weird smile on his face. The smile of a man who was trying really hard to believe his own words...

Resnick continued. "I think that maybe when you're all better and back on your feet, you and I could meet for lunch..." he offered. "I could have-"

But then, Livingwood's smile suddenly faded away, and was replaced by a look of grim seriousness. The president didn't dare continue what he was saying.

"Sir... with all due respect... please don't bullshit me..." Livingwood told his Commander-in-Chief bluntly.

President Resnick knew what Agent Livingwood meant by saying that. Dr. Emery must not have told him...

The president let out a solemn sigh, and he met the agent's gaze man-to-man as a single tear welled in his eye.

No lies, no "bullshit", from here on out.

"... I'm so sorry son ... I'm so, so sorry," Resnick began, his voice full of sadness and sympathy and regret, "but... you will go to Heaven and be with the Lord this day..."

Agent Livingwood lowered his gaze, having already suspected the worst. The confirmation still brought him to the edge of breaking down in fear for his own life...

He was going to die today...

He was going to die today...

He was going to die today...

Forcing himself to take a deep breath to regain his calm, Agent Livingwood simply nodded. Today was the day in which he would lose his life...

"Is there any family you'd like us to contact for you?" President Resnick then offered. "A wife? Parents...? Girlfriend, maybe?"

It took a few moments for Agent Livingwood to find his voice again. When he spoke, it was softer than before...

"I- I have a wife, Mr. President... her name's 'Clara'." Agent Livingwood told the president, "A- And I've got a three year old girl with her... 'Roselyn'..."

"Roselyn..." the president murmured the name of the daughter with a sad astonishment. Of all the names...

In years long passed, 'Roselyn' was the exact name which Resnick and Catherine wanted to use if they ever had a daughter together. They tried their best to have a child, though sadly the couple were never blessed enough to actually have a child together... the closest they ever got was Thomas Mettic, then his brother Ryan...

Resnick and Catherine having a child was just never meant to be... and his wife's infertility was the president's only grievance which he ever had with his Lord on high.

President Resnick brought himself out of his thoughts about Catherine and the child they never got to have, bringing his attention back to Agent Livingwood.

"I'll write them both letters. And I'll make sure they're both taken care of..." the president promised the agent. "you have my personal word on that."

Agent Livingwood seemed to be put at a greater ease by that. If he had to go, he didn't want to leave without knowing his family would be okay...

A long moment passed where neither man said anything. Both simply had no words to make any of this better...

After a while, President Resnick suddenly realized that there was something he wanted to know...

"Are you of a faith, son? A believer...?" the president wondered.

Livingwood gave a weak nod, "I'm Catholic, sir..."

President Resnick smiled softly. "Laudetur Iesus Christus." he said to the agent, giving him a traditional Catholic greeting - "Praised be Jesus Christ" in Latin.

"In aeternum!" although he felt extremely weak by this point, Livingwood enthusiastically replied in the traditional response - "for evermore."

There wasn't anything that could be done for Agent Livingwood now... his life was going to end in a short time. There wasn't any hope of preventing the infection from killing him and beginning the process of reanimating him...

... but so long as he had his faith, he knew he would be alright in the end.

"... Sir ...?" Agent Livingwood asked after another moment.

"Yes, son...? What is it...?"

With a slight reluctance, the agent asked this of his president, "... can... can you say a prayer for me...?"

A prayer for a good man... Resnick couldn't think of any better use of such an act. And he nodded in affirmation at the doomed man on the bed.

"... I'd be honored to, son ..."

The Secret Service agent and the President of the United States both closed their eyes and bowed their heads... then, the president spoke.

"Almighty, eternal God, heavenly Father," President Resnick began the prayer, "comfort and strengthen this your servant, and save Steven through your goodness. Deliver him from all anguish and distress... release him in your grace, and take him to yourself in your kingdom; through Jesus Christ your dear Son, our only Lord Savior, and Redeemer..."

President Resnick trailed off as he suddenly felt a hand set on top of his covered one. He opened his eyes and saw it was Agent Livingwood.

A moment went by where neither man said anything, just looking deep into each other's faces.

Then, they smiled toward each other in full peace and acceptance as to what would happen...

"... amen." the two men said together.

---

...

...

Secret Service Agent Steve Livingwood died at exactly 6:02 PM that night. He had suffered through his infection for approximately twenty-one hours...

The agent's last breath came peacefully and quickly. He was euthanized via gunshot only ten seconds after his death was confirmed, mercifully preventing his reanimation.

President Resnick stayed by the young agent's side until the very moment he left this world, though he didn't stay to watch an armed soldier come in to euthanize him. The young agent had lost consciousness only one hour before the end finally came, so he at least didn't suffer for as long as others infected with this illness had.

Agent Livingwood had met his end with dignity, and with peace and comfort. In a time like this, it was a good death. And now he was in the arms of his Lord for all eternity...

The president knew the poor man probably couldn't hear a word of his, but before Livingwood passed away, Resnick spent all his time at the agent's bedside. He read the unconscious agent some memorized verses from the Bible, or said some comforting things about his upcoming journey to Heaven, or said anything else which he hoped Livingwood would find peace in listening to. Resnick could only pray that was enough of a good start toward repaying his debt to the agent for his sacrifice...

The agent's body would be studied by Cheyenne Mountain scientists for the next couple of days before being airlifted to Sacramento for further tests and studies on fighting the ongoing pandemic. Once they exhausted all scientific use of Agent Livingwood, his remains would be cremated and buried with full honors befitting a fallen protector of the President of the United States.

Furthermore, President Resnick took the time to write out two letters - one for Mrs. Clara Livingwood, and one for her now-fatherless daughter, Roselyn. He hoped that what he wrote would provide them at least some comfort after they lost their husband and father. He also took the liberty of writing two other letters addressed for the families of the two agents who died back at Joint Base Andrews, even though he didn't actually have confirmation that those families were still alive.

Steve Livingwood and the two agents who were lost during the evacuation from Washington were the only martyrs that President Resnick could stomach living with. He swore to himself after Livingwood passed that no more of his Secret Service would die for him, and it was an oath he intended to keep for the rest of this crisis.

No other person sworn to protect the president would die for him. None.

But for now, President Resnick couldn't focus on Livingwood or what happened to him. He had a job to do at this moment - he had to rally the citizenry and the military.

Sitting behind a desk with the presidential seal on the front and with the flags of the presidency and the United States behind him, President Resnick was watching as people finished setting up the final touches of the set.

He wouldn't have bothered with any of this but the people here were insistent - the president had to look good on TV. A strange priority during a time like this but one which Resnick didn't have the will to complain about.

On the desk in front of the president was a speech consisting of several pages worth of words written by a volunteer speechwriter. The president's official speechwriter, "Gary", unfortunately had been declared missing and presumed dead ever since that mess back at the White House.

The president always liked Gary, even if he always smelt like onions for some reason... and he didn't dare ever try asking about it out of fear of causing offense.

President Resnick studied the pages over and over again. He was going to read directly from them in any case, but he liked knowing in advance what was written and what he would like to edit in or out himself. A dark blue fountain pen in his jacket would do the trick. A gift from his wife six anniversaries ago, their first while as President and First Lady of the United States.

Ten minutes went by where the last touches were made and the president made his final little personal edits to the speech. President Resnick liked a lot of what the volunteer wrote and he knew that the boy did the best he could given the circumstances, but... well, with all due respect... he was no Gary. God rest Gary's strange onion-scented soul if he was dead...

As the last of the final preparations were made, President Resnick reached into his suit jacket and pulled out a photograph of his late wife, one of the ones he grabbed during the evacuation of the White House. It was taken during their first honeymoon so many years ago...

With a sad smile, the president affectionately kissed the picture of Catherine before setting it down onto the table. Her presence there would be the anchor he needed to give the most important speech of his presidency.

With Catherine's image looking back at him, President Resnick knew he was ready now.

"Three... two... one...!"

The red "off air" light on the wall suddenly turned to a green "on air." With that, every American currently near a working TV or radio would now hear President Resnick...

The president took a moment to clear his throat. Then, he began his speech...

"Good evening, my fellow Americans..." President Resnick began, "Tonight, I address you not as the President of these United States. Nor do I address you as the leader of a nation, nor the elected representative of the free American people. Tonight, I address you merely as Thomas Joseph Resnick: a fellow American, and a fellow citizen of the besieged human race."

Over the last days, our nation and the entire world has experienced horrors that were previously unimaginable, and mankind as a whole has been forced to face the greatest challenge that it has ever known: survival."

Agent Mettic and Vice President Inouye listened intently to the president from behind the camera and microphone crews. The agent and the vice president were interested in hearing what President Resnick was saying tonight. This speech was going to go down in history.

"The Wildfire Virus has spread to nearly every corner of the earth... to every city, to every nation, to every continent: even as far as the international scientific research stations in frozen Antarctica. Many nations, even the strongest, struggle to survive this time of trials, and many governments the world over have already fallen to the infected horde. Even the United States itself hangs on the precipice.

But for the first time in the history of our planet, there exists a species which has the tenacity, the will, and the power to fight against its own extinction...

... us. Humanity."

As the president spoke, a few dozen people had gathered with Agent Mettic and the vice president to listen with them. The entire room was silent save for the president.

President Resnick continued to give his speech. "The human thirst for excellence and knowledge; every single step we have taken for the advancement of science; all of our combined modern technologies and imaginations; and even the wars that we have fought have all provided us the tools to wage this terrible battle. It is a battle unlike any that humanity has ever known, but it is one that shall be won.

Throughout this nation's history, and indeed the history of all civilization, we have seen moments of spectacular triumph, and we have counted the minutes through some of humanity's darkest hours pre-Wildfire. Great empires have risen, fallen, and from the dust and rubble they have risen again.

Through developments in science and an often reckless pursuit of knowledge we have answered some of the greatest questions of our time. We have cured diseases. We have given sight to the blind, and hearing to the deaf. Things that would have been unspeakable, impossible only a hundred years ago have become commonplace features in all of our daily lives.

... but in the face of the Wildfire Virus, all of this means nothing."

The president paused for only a moment to collect his thoughts, then he continued once again.

"I won't lie to you, my fellow citizens. Cities and nations have fallen. Millions around the world are believed dead at this moment." Resnick spoke. "Our valiant military, which are currently continuing their brave fight against the infected, has taken very heavy losses as well. The horde is growing in numbers at a rate for which nothing could have ever adequately prepared any nation on earth.

We are not losing... but, at this moment, we are certainly not winning either...

But our advanced weaponry and our technological might isn't the key to victory in a fight such as this..." Resnick reasoned to the people. "I like to think of that which will ensure our salvation as being our secret weapon. The one special thing which, when we find ourselves in times of turmoil and chaos, we turn to, and which always sees humanity through...

... our courage."

Agent Mettic couldn't hide a grin when he heard this. Damn, his president knew just what to say and exactly how to say it...

One of the technicians in the room raised his fist and almost let out a shout - a battle cry more or less, in his euphoria from the president's words. However, a stern look from Vice President Inouye was more than enough to ensure the guy stayed quiet. Last thing they needed was for this speech to be interrupted...

"We have all lost many whom we cared about... We have all lost many whom we held dear to our hearts..." President Resnick struggled not to cringe, not to show any emotion at the memory of his dear wife. "Even... Even my own wife... the woman who I loved more than anything else on earth..."

He had to keep himself together for the people... he couldn't break down in tears while giving a speech as important as this...

Continue on... Continue for the people...

For the people...

The president briefly was silent, collecting his emotions before they could escape him. The memory of his Catherine used to be a source of comfort... now it simply fueled the painful reminder that she was gone, and that he would never see her again for the rest of his earthly life...

It took a moment, but Resnick finally cleared his throat and forced himself to continue, pressing the emotions deep down within himself.

"... but through all of the chaos which we currently face; through all of the discord; through all of the pain and suffering and death, our courage is always there to nourish our souls and elevate our species above its origins." Resnick made himself continue. "With our courage, our species shall triumph over this pandemic, and all citizens of the world shall see these traumatic days behind them... and the memories of those we have lost shall help guide our way and soothe our heartache all the while.

To all who are watching, to all who may be praying or not right now, just know that everything possible is still being undertaken by the United States and all other surviving nations to continue to fight against this pandemic.

As one of my distant predecessors spoke to a crowd during that tragic day of April 15th, 1865, many years before he himself became president: 'Fellow citizens! God reigns, and the government still lives!'"

... Resnick didn't bother to mention how the original quote actually said - "The government at Washington still lives!" Wouldn't have been accurate since they weren't even in Washington D.C. anymore. So Resnick made sure to give a profound mental apology to President Garfield for the little edit to his words...

"We continue the work to save the human race from extinction at the hands of these terrible creatures... and I swear to you all that no matter how long this terrible struggle lasts, that we, the United States Government, the brave American people, and our valiant military, will succeed in overcoming it..."

...

...

The more President Resnick spoke, the more people tuned in across the entirety of the United States, whether in safe zones or in infected areas.

From the refugees in Honolulu to the remnants of the U.S. government in Sacramento. From struggling Fairbanks, Alaska, to stable Mount Weather, Virginia...

From a group of six brave schoolkids... six 'warriors'... who were sheltering in an abandoned house in who-knows-where Georgia, to a group of mobsters in New York City...

From all of the elderly U.S. war veterans in a Chicago veterans home, to two young lawless whippersnappers in a muscle car evading the infected cities and towns by going deep into the deserts of Arizona and New Mexico...

From a lonely girl with a bandana over one eye who had nothing to keep her company except for a pocket radio and her bad memories, to a close-knit trio of a brother, sister, and a girlfriend all sheltering together with a group at some motel in Macon, Georgia...

From two sisters and their psychopath of a father in a Tennessee hardware store, to a whole group of people surviving by an abandoned quarry outside of Atlanta, to a potty-mouthed man sheltering in his basement with his beautiful Lucille by his side...

From a lone criminal trapped in a jail cell in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to a beautiful farm deep in the Georgia countryside, to a dysfunctional family desperately trying to find any sort of safety and shelter in Los Angeles...

From a gathering community in Alexandria, Virginia to, a national guardsman who was simply trying to do his duty at an air force base in Fairfield, California, to a 'governor' that was rising up and taking charge over dozens of survivors in Woodbury, Georgia...

From the troubled kids of a West Virginia boarding school, to a baseball star and his brother and their family listening to their car radio while escaping from Baltimore...

... everyone far and wide was listening to the words of Thomas J. Resnick. The Commander in Chief, the President of the United States.

"I wish..." the president suddenly trailed off from his words before pausing for a long moment, drawing looks of confusion and curiosity from those watching him speak.

Eventually, Resnick sighed and shook his head. "No... No, wishing is wrong... It's the wrong word to use here right now."

President Resnick sighed and he set the papers of his speech face down on the table in front of him. Agent Mettic and Vice President Inouye shared a glance of confusion, but it didn't take long for them both to realize what the president was about to do...

They realized that rest of this speech would be from his heart, not from words on paper...

Everything from the president's mouth will all be improvised from here on out.

Resnick took a deep breath and continued. "What I mean, ladies and gentlemen, is that... I believe in the power of God..." he explained to all the survivors who were listening to him now. "I know that a lot of you out there don't believe in Him, and I respect that. But even so, I would still like to offer a prayer for the survival of our great nation and our species. Because I believe that God, whomever you do or do not hold that to be, hears all prayers... especially ones during dark times such as this."

The president bowed his head. "If you do not wish to partake in this prayer, then I respectfully ask you to please lower your head, collect your thoughts, and to please maintain a respectful silence, if only for those we have lost thus far..."

As President Resnick bowed his head and clasped his hands, everyone in the room with him did the same - even those who weren't religious or who were outright atheist. Taking part just simply felt like the right thing to do in a moment as important as this...

A moment later, the president began his prayer for the nation, for the world, and for all of the human race...

...

"O Lord... for those of us who have not yet been made ill by the ever-present virus, we are tempted to feel like we are doing all things right, and that perhaps the virus which befalls us will eventually pass over us like the plagues passed over the Israelites and felled the Egyptians... but we know better.

This virus that has attacked our beautiful blue world is no respecter of persons... It has no boundaries. Earthly life has no natural defenses against its torrent. We, humanity, the creatures for whose sin your holy son gave his life on the cross, are all at risk...

But with our strength and determination and courage, I pray on behalf of us all for our salvation and victory...

I pray for our right to continue to exist as a species. I pray for our military to overcome the growing hordes of dead. I pray for the continued safety and bountiful salvation of Sacramento, our bastion of light in this world of growing darkness. I pray that our fate does not lie in extinction...

Gracious God, I pray for the victims of this horrible disaster. I pray that you would comfort the lives that were spared, that you help separated families be reunited, and that you would take care of those all across our world who have perished, whether they be friend or foe to this country...

Lord, I also ask that you protect all those brave men and women who are doing everything they can in the battle to help the human race, and also those who make sure that things run smoothly in saving and repairing this great country - the United States of America - now seven score years since its founding...

But above all else, Lord... I ask you to ensure that no matter what happens from here on out, we shall never find ourselves without our courage or our hope. And that at the end of this terrible time of trials, after all of the horror which we have experienced and shall come to experience, America and all her peoples shall continue to endure under the burning light of liberty...

Oh God... give us strength..."

...

As the president made that prayer for the nation and for the people, there was more than a few misty eyes in the room. Among them was Vice President Inouye, who had to take her handkerchief out from her suit jacket to wipe her eyes with it.

Her friend spoke perfectly... beautifully, even...

"Bravo, Tom... bravo..." the vice president whispered mostly to herself as she wiped her eyes. Agent Mettic reached out and gently patted her shoulder, much to her gratitude.

The president turned and saw Inouye was wiping her eyes. He and his friend gave each other a caring smile before he looked back to the camera.

"So, Lord of Life, we ask you to stay near us for better and for worse, in sickness and in health, and may not even death part us from you... In thy grace we trust, and in your name we pray... amen."

President Resnick took a glass of water and sipped from it. His prayer concluded, the president set the glass back down a moment later and then looked back at the camera.

"Humanity's story is one of darkness and light, and each chapter has its role in keeping us whole. United. Bonded to one another in kinship and brotherhood." Resnick told the American people. "No nation, no ruler, and no individual man or woman alone can truly ever claim to achieve perfection in anything...

But despite that, as we face the darkest hours in the history of mankind, I believe that we can in good confidence say that we will fight so that our children, and our children's children, will have a future. To ensure that our courage will save our species. And to ensure there's still many more chapters left in the story of humanity... and to ensure that we will all live to see a better tomorrow...

Death and destruction will define this moment and of many more moments to come... But I have faith in both God and the American people that it will not define our future.

Survival is possible, my fellow Americans. It must be. And, so long as we stick together in this difficult time, it certainly will be..."

With that, the technician who Vice President Inouye shut up finally began breaking down in tears. He would've started openly sobbing had Agent Mettic not hurried over and covered the man's mouth with his hand, saving the speech from being interrupted...

Agent Mettic's eyes and the eyes of the technician's met. A simple threatening glare from the agent was enough to silence the man once again.

President Resnick continued. "So may the Lord bless you all, may the Lord keep you, may the Lord lift his divine countenance upon you and all you love and care for, and above all else may he give you peace and safety during this crisis. I wish you all nothing less..."

With a smile, President Resnick nodded to the camera before finishing his speech.

"May God bless the United States, and may God bless each and every one of you through the rest of these trying times.

Goodnight... stay strong... stay safe... and thank you."

Finally, the broadcast was concluded, and President Resnick let out a satisfied sigh. Those who were silently watching the president speak roared into applause, the speech resonating deep within all in the facility and far beyond it.

President Resnick stood from the desk and he put the picture of Catherine gently back into his suit jacket's inner pocket. He left the set, going to shake the hands and pat the backs of some of the people who had gathered to watch him speak.

It took time to make it through the crowd of watchers and well-wishers. But eventually, with the aid of a couple of his trusty Secret Service agents, President Resnick made it through and went to join Agent Mettic and Vice President Inouye, who both looked upon him with pride.

"That was perfect, Mr. President." Agent Mettic praised his commander-in-chief.

Vice President Inouye nodded in agreement as she went to hug the president. "I think a lot of people out there really needed to hear everything you said..." she observed, then she smiled as the hug was broken. "You were wonderful, Tom... well done." she praised.

"Thank you..." President Resnick smiled back at Inouye and Mettic. If they liked it then he must've done something right.

"The country really needed to hear all of that." Agent Mettic commented. "I think your words will have done a lot more good than you realize, sir."

"It was just things I felt needed to be said, that's all..." President Resnick dismissed with a smile. "If they help some people out there in any way, then I'll be honored."

With that, Agent Mettic took the lead and started leading the president and vice president out of the room and back toward their suites deeper within the facility.

As the trio walked, they came across more people in the halls who stopped to shake the president's hand or express their joy in his speech. Agent Mettic understood how all of them felt but he still had a job to do, so he carefully ushered people out of the way so that Resnick and Inouye could continue walking.

It took only ten minutes for the trio to reach the sector of the base where the presidential suite was. As they walked, the vice president glanced over to Agent Mettic.

"I know this will be a bit random," Vice President Inouye began after a moment, "but I wanted to thank you for everything that you and the Secret Service have done so far."

Agent Mettic gave her a nod. "Just doing my job, Madam Vice President," he told her, "you don't need to thank me for any of it. It's my honor and privilege."

"No, I mean it," the vice president insisted, "this whole time you and your team have been working so hard and we've shown so little gratitude..."

"You and the president owe me nothing, ma'am... but I appreciate that nevertheless."

Vice President Inouye turned and noticed a soft smile was on Mettic's face, but only for a brief moment before it disappeared. She was glad that he knew she was thankful...

As they turned down a hall and walked, both Agent Mettic and Vice President Inouye noticed that they had lost someone who was with them...

"Mr. President...?" Agent Mettic blinked in surprise and genuine confusion, glancing around to find nary a trace of the most powerful man on earth.

"What the...?" Vice President Inouye trailed off as she looked down the empty hallway.

After a moment, both the Secret Service agent and the Vice President suddenly doubled back and retraced their steps to try and find their lost companion. "Where's Waldo" had officially become "Where's POTUS."

One of the pair found that comparison to be nothing less than amusing as hell. The other... well, he definitely didn't.

"Madam Vice President, did you see where he went?" Agent Mettic asked with growing concern as he walked a bit faster than he should've.

"Slow down, Ryan, he's probably fine..." Vice President Inouye assured. Lord, her friend always gets so worked up whenever he loses sight of Tom...

Mettic honestly looked shocked to hear her say that with no concern. "Madam Vice President, he's POTUS!" the agent bluntly told her. "I can't just 'lose' the president! It's not like losing your car keys or your phone - its unthinkable for a Secret Serviceman to just 'lose' his president!"

Inouye snickered in amusement. "He's a grown man, Ryan. And you seem to forget that right now all of us are completely surrounded by hardened concrete and reenforced carbon steel buried 2,000 feet under a mountain." she stated. "Trust me - he's fine."

The man and woman turned back down one of the hallways they had walked through only moments before. By then, Agent Mettic's concern had grown to worry and even a slight amount of panic, but outwardly he was keeping his cool. Well, maybe not in Vice President Inouye's mind. She could tell he was panicking already.

Thankfully, Agent Mettic didn't end up falling into a stress-induced panic attack which would have made all the years of his Secret Service training pointless. He and Inouye finally found President Resnick just standing in the middle of the hall and looking toward something.

"Oh thank god, there you are!" Agent Mettic said with relief, drawing another snicker from the vice president.

The agent and the vice president hurried over to meet with the abandoned head of state. Before either of them could speak though, the president held up his hand toward them. The act made both of them freeze on the spot.

"Shhhh..." President Resnick politely shushed them, "I'm trying to decide on what I want..."

"'What I want'?" Vice President Inouye blinked before following the president's gaze.

The vice president and Agent Mettic noticed that President Resnick was looking at a menu taped up to a wall. It was only then that they realized Resnick had stopped himself right at the entrance to one of the cafeterias here in the mountain complex.

The two read through the menu, seeing that there was a great variety of meals being served today. The trio read through just some of the stuff on the menu...

Spaghetti. Meatloaf. Cheeseburgers and fries.

Mashed potatoes and gravy. Mac and cheese. A variety of fish...

Apple pie and ice cream...

Kung Pao chicken...

Nachos with extra cheese...

Biryani...

Shawarma...

"Ohhhh..." Agent Mettic said with realization as to why President Resnick stopped here. Now he felt a little stupid... When the fuck was the last time that POTUS ate anything?

"... I'm hungry." the president said before turning from the sign. "What about you guys?" he wondered.

"I could eat." Inouye admitted before turning to look at their head agent. "What about you, Ryan?"

Agent Mettic shrugged in a renewed sense of casualness now that he was certain Resnick was okay. "Mr. President, Madam Vice President, with all due respect... you're my bosses." he politely reminded the two. "I eat when you guys eat. And besides that, I'm on the clock."

"Well, in that case, consider yourself off the clock by presidential order." President Resnick grinned as he suddenly wrapped his arms around his friends, creating a bit of a foolish appearance for the trio, "So since this is one of those extremely rare times we're all free, how about the three of us go and check out what they're cooking in the cafeterias tonight? There's a wonderful shawarma on the menu today... and I'm buying."

"Ooh, shawarma." Vice President Inouye already mentally-drooled at the thought of such a food. It was among her favorites.

"Sir, pardon my French, but what the hell is shawarma?" Agent Mettic blinked. To him, the food sounded a bit... Canadian, maybe?

"No idea." President Resnick admitted, but then he grinned. "Guess you and I and Amaya will have to charge in and find out for ourselves, won't we?"

Neither Mettic and Inouye bothered holding in their laughter as President Resnick led them into the cafeteria. The president likewise laughed with his two best friends all while still cheerfully keeping his arms around them both as they walked in together...

... when he finally dug into his fresh hot shawarma five minutes later, the president realized what Livingwood had meant.

---

"Yes sir, everything's still pretty chaotic over here... Yes sir... Yes, Resnick's speech seemed to resonate throughout this facility and beyond..."

Agent 'X' tapped their finger impatiently against the table their secret radio was on as they spoke with the leader of the conspiracy, "A", who was broadcasting to him via another radio from an undisclosed location.

So far, the plan to remove President Resnick and Vice President Inouye from power, "Operation: Rubicon" as it was called, was running smoothly. Resnick's inspiring speech aside...

The conspirators were currently busy gathering all the men and firepower they needed for their mission to save the nation from its ineffective and cowardly president...

"Some here have already started calling it the 'Courage Speech'," 'X' stated what they had overheard in the aftermath of Resnick's speech, "and I even heard someone say it'll resonate in history alongside the Gettysburg Address itself, if you can believe that nonsense..."

That damned speech by Resnick today set the conspirators and the grand plan back though, albeit slightly...

Across the surviving parts of this country, there had been a noticeable uptick in support for the president's "leadership" within the military, citizenry, and the government itself. It wouldn't stop what was coming, but it was still an unnecessary thorn in the side of all the plotters...

There would have to be a new contingency in place to deal with that issue for when Operation: Rubicon is launched... there couldn't and shouldn't be any room for Resnick loyalists and other traitors in the upcoming new era.

"No sir..." 'X' replied to their superior. "No, that Secret Service agent who got infected and died didn't turn out to be much of a problem. Aside from causing a brief panic, the boy's sudden death did nothing to further our goals for us. We still are on schedule."

Another Secret Service agent out of the way was a good thing, even if it wasn't done by the conspirators... though Resnick and Inouye still had Ryan Mettic and the rest of the man's team to protect them. More work will have to be done in neutralizing or outright eliminating Mettic and all of the other USSS agents when the time comes...

Mr. Mettic certainly couldn't stop the conspiracy even if the fool figured things out... But he was still a headache, and he simply had to be removed from the equation while he was still removeable. Give him death preferably, if only to ensure that this thorn in their side wouldn't grow to an infection later, after everything is said and done...

"Yes, the tap that we had planted on Mr. Mettic's computer is still working." 'X' responded to another question. "I'm sure that you can see it all on your end too, but he spoke with his brother Jonathan earlier. Apparently for the first time in about a decade and a half."

'A' said something in response, to which 'X' replied: "No, it is my belief that the brother isn't a threat. I see no need to recommend Jonathan Mettic for either termination or indefinite imprisonment now or in the future. He seems like he might even turn out to be useful to us later on, in my opinion."

With the issue of Mettic and his brother tabled for now, 'A' moved on to another topic.

"An 'idea'...?" 'X' wondered aloud after hearing A's sudden suggestion. "What idea do you have in mind this time, sir?"

As they listened to the leader, 'X's face suddenly lost the color in it. As if they had been told about something which was nothing short of horrifying.

"A- Apollyon?! Him?!" 'X' asked in horror. "Sir, I understand what we're doing, but you're talking about using that beast on U.S. soil to try and-"

'X' stopped in mid-sentence as the leader interrupted them. After being harshly chewed out for several long moments, a frightened 'X' regained the ability to speak again. "I- I apologize, sir... I didn't mean to speak out of turn..."

'A' said something else, and their stern tone made it very clear that 'X' should follow their orders without further protest. Otherwise...

"Y- yes sir," 'X' gulped at the threat given to them by 'A'. "I- I'll make sure of it..."

"Apollyon" - the dirty little secret of a very select few in America's military and intelligence leadership. A man, a monster, who was known and feared by many for doing the dirtiest and most inhumane jobs that few human beings ever would...

The beast of a man's name was unique, but it certainly wasn't chosen at random... he had earned it himself.

Originally, "Apollyon" was the name used by the Ancient Greeks for "Abaddon", the deadly being named as the destroyer, the exterminator, in Christian apocalyptic theology. Pretty fitting given the circumstances these days, even X had to admit.

Apollyon was only biblical... but now it was true flesh and blood. And it was a creature which 'X' never wanted to cross paths with in their life...

'X' couldn't even begin to count how many people that man has killed, how much suffering he's caused globally to people both good and bad...

The only thing 'X' knew for certain was that if that monster was unleashed on U.S. soil, he would certainly live up to his namesake. 'X' knew very well that the only reason why Apollyon would get called to duty was for something very critical to Operation: Rubicon... perhaps even involving Resnick somehow.

A lot of people were going to lose their lives once that creature is sent out...

But... things were getting bad out there... real bad... If Apollyon can put a dent in the walkers and help to keep order once Rubicon begins, wouldn't it be worth some excess casualties...? After all, it wasn't like innocent people haven't already suffered too much thanks to those cowards Resnick and Inouye...

If the nation was going to get through this pandemic which it faces now, then some hard choices would have to be made and some people were going to have to be sacrificed for the greater good. God will judge all of the conspirators later... all that mattered was saving the country from the fools who were going to destroy it.

All of this was going to be about sacrifice and saving lives...

Sacrifice a thousand people to save a million...

Sacrifice a town to save a whole city...

Sacrifice an army division to save the whole army itself...

Sacrifice a president to save a nation...

Though these thoughts and more crossed their mind, 'X' quickly pushed them away. They had a job to do and a country to save, and right now they had to focus on that.

With codewords and other tricks, 'A' informed 'X' about the progress that has made by their fellow conspirators and their agents. To 'X', it was astonishing at how much had been done or was being done, and that seemingly no loyalist officials in Sacramento, Honolulu, or the surviving members of the Resnick Administration was noticing any of it.

The conspirator groups were either graced by God for this, or they were the greatest miracle workers in history. Maybe this plan would actually succeed...

It was a lot of complexity... a lot of pieces to the puzzle they worked so hard on for the last weeks...

Would all of this be enough, though...? It had to be... the fate of this country and its surviving citizens were counting on it...

This had to work...

"Yes sir, I'll see to it..." 'X' said in response to something 'A' had told them. Another order which had to be fulfilled. One which was very important...

After that, the connection was cut from 'A's end. Their conversation was done for today, and it would be some days before their next rendezvous.

With a tired sigh, a stressed 'X' rose from their chair and hid the secret radio back in its hiding place. Then, 'X' hurried out from the dark room to get back to where they were supposed to be before anyone got suspicious...

President Resnick, Vice President Inouye, their entourage, and their 'heroic' protector, Agent Ryan Mettic...

These people and their loyal allies were the only things standing between what was left of America and its salvation from the walking dead...

As they hurried down a hallway, 'X' had only one thing on their mind...

"... God willing," 'X' thought, "these people won't be a problem for us much longer ..."

---

("Anne Mettic" belongs to AquaDestinysEmbrace!)