Marine Security Guards from Marine Security Forces Regiment, Detachment Washington, stand guard outside of the 1 Observatory Circle, the Vice Presidential Residence (1/21/17)
JB Fort Jackson-Puller Hall Chapel #1
Arlingdale, Columbia Commonwealth
Four miles from the Federal District
1/19/17
+1 Hour from X-Hour
And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, "KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS." Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds which fly in midheaven, "Come, assemble for the great supper of God, so that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of commanders and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them and the flesh of all men, both free men and slaves, and small and great." And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone. And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh. The words on the page cried out as he flipped through the Book. Relevation was never his favorite book in grade school. It never appeared to make any sense. It seemed almost wholly full of doom and gloom. However, today, just an hour before he would change Columbian History forever, quotes about the apocalypse seemed fitting to General James White. The former Raider was a man of small stature and great intensity. A man who had given his all, his life and then some, to the Corps and his beloved Country. Standing idle would be the end of his very soul.
"Are you okay, brother?" said a grey-haired man in ODUs with a stoll around his neck and a Colonel's eagle patched on his chest. It may have been one in the morning, but leave it to the Chaplain Corps to be there.
"Yes, Chappie. Thank you." White replied with a sigh.
"It may not be my place, but I can tell something troubles you. The Book of Revelation isn't exactly casual reading for many. Perhaps related to the events of tomorrow?" the Chaplain said, taking a seat in the wooden pew behind him. He was a pastor. White was his flock, regardless of his rank.
"I'm confused as to the Lord's plan, Chappie. It feels as if everything we've ever worked for is in danger."
"I think every man can feel that sometimes. However, what something you must remember, is that you must trust in the Lord. You are his instrument here on this Earth and by your very presence here, I think he's well-pleased with your performance so far. You are here to carry out his plan. What you work for, he came up with, and what he will take away, he came up with. You must simply seek to act justly." Chappie replied, in a reassuring, and perhaps slightly patronizing, tone.
"Then, why Chappie, do we spend our money fighting the enemy abroad when it turns out they were in our backyard this whole time?"
"Because, my son, the evil of men is not something measured. Free will means that the evil of this world is truly real and it is insidious. It infects everything and everywhere. It is an equal opportunity employer. That's why good men, like yourself, must ride out to meet it."
"And how do you know I am a good man, Chappie?" White queried, puzzled by the Chaplain's odd response.
"That's for you to decide." the Chaplain responded. White turned to face the man in the pew behind him, finding only an empty seat.
Fairford, Federal District
Organized States of Columbia
1/20/17
X-Hour, 0100
The pre-dawn silence above the district was shattered by the roar of engines. Four EA-18G Growler electronic attack aircraft of VMAQ-3 quickly went to work. Contrary to popular belief, the ALQ-99 electronic attack pods utilized by the EA-18 were able to target far more networks than just radio. Broadband and Satellite Communications were soon jammed as the various headquarters of almost all of D.C.'s Intelligence Community offices went into lockdown. Just across the Annadale River at Joint Base Annadale, the hangers of HMX-1, home to the famous MH-60s that transported the President, were flooded with Law Enforcement Marines from the Provost Marshall's Office as reports of an "active shooter" situation quickly spread across the base. Just minutes later, the bridges across the Annadale and Elizabeth Rivers were cordoned off by Military Police elements of the Federal District's National Guard. Teams from the Department of Homeland Security and Federal Bureau of Investigation immediately shuttered Metro Center and L'Enfant Plaza and promptly closed the Metro system. Just moments later, a No-Fly Zone notice and a total ground stop was issued by the Federal Aviation Administration for a 45-square mile radius around Fairford. Air Traffic at Biltmore-Fairford, Fairford National, and Fairford-Dulles stopped immediately as Air National Guard and Active-Duty F-22As alike quickly took to the skies as reports of airliner hijackings flooded the National Aerospace Defense Command Center.
At the Biltmore Hotel Alexandria, President-Elect Daniel Pounce sat in the massive reclining chair found in the aptly-named "Presidential Suite". It was the nicest place he had ever stayed in, without a doubt. The booze was great. Perhaps most importantly, however, the water wasn't yellow when it came out of the faucets, unlike his childhood home in Central Louisville. In fact, it wasn't until he got into Dickson-White on scholarship that he knew what hot water felt like in the shower. Times were tough, but he got ahead, with the generous support of others who shared his views. Who would have thought that the outsider, the one they said would never win, would somehow make it to the nation's highest office? He laughed. Their fears will all be allayed tomorrow.
A knock on the door interrupted Pounce's train of thought. "Come in!" He answered. It was likely another Secret Service agent from his detail, here to brief him on the security situation for tomorrow. He shifted in his chair to face the door, putting his drink down on the coffee table in front of him, just in case he had to great someone more formally. The door slammed open abruptly, the bright light of a flashlight blinding him.
"DOWN ON YOUR KNEES! DOWN ON YOUR KNEES! HANDS ON YOUR FUCKING HEAD!" "INTERLACE YOUR FINGERS!" multiple voices shouted, almost in unison. Pounce barely had time to get out of his chair before he found himself face down in the carpet, a boot pressing down on the center of his back.
Emergency Alert System Broadcast (Columbia Commonwealth)
1/20/17
0800
EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM NOTIFICATION
- Code: Select all
------THIS MESSAGE HAS BEEN TRANSMITTED AT THE REQUEST OF THE ORGANIZED STATES DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY OFFICE OF CIVIL DEFENSE AND NATIONAL READINESS--------
AT APPROXIMATELY 1:00 AM FAIRFORD STANDARD TIME, A STATE OF EMERGENCY WAS DECLARED FOLLOWING A NATIONAL SECURITY EMERGENCY WITHIN THE FAIRFORD METROPOLITIAN AREA.
DUE TO HEIGHTENED LEVELS OF DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE ACTIVITY, RESIDENTS OF THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES: ALEXANDRIA, ANNADALE, ARLINGDALE, FAIRFORD, BILTMORE HEIGHTS, JAMESTOWN, FRANKLIN, PRINCE THOMAS, AND QUEEN MARY ARE ADVISED OF AN IMMEDIATE AND MANDATORY CURFEW OVER THE NEXT TWENTY-FOUR TO FOURTY-EIGHT HOURS.
RESIDENTS ARE TO BE ADVISED TO OBEY ALL INSTRUCTIONS FROM CIVIL DEFENSE AUTHORITIES, LAW ENFORCEMENT, AND MILITARY PERSONNEL AND TO TUNE INTO 162.45 FM FOR FURTHER UPDATES FROM CIVIL DEFENSE AUTHORITIES.