fear most! If the Jung believe us to be a threat, they will undoubtedly respond to that threat before it is too late!” the senator declared, pounding the podium at just the right moment to emphasize his point. “Should we spend on defense? Yes! Should we have warships in space? Of course! But they should not be given the capability of faster- than-light travel! For that is exactly what the Jung fear! An enemy that can reach out and attack them where they live! We need to stop this insane build-up immediately! We need to seek out the Jung leadership and establish a peaceful dialog in order to ensure the safety of not only the Earth, but the entire Solar System! I honestly believe that if the Jung Government sees that our only concern is to rebuild our world and coexist peacefully with the other human inhabited systems in the core, they will see no cause for aggression!”
The senator paused one last time, looking to his wife for that unwavering look of support that she was always there to provide. And he got exactly that look from her on this night.
“What we need is sane, sensible leadership, and not fear-mongering. What we need is someone who will put the needs of the people of this nation and of this world, first. What we need is someone who is more concerned with the rebuilding of this country and this world, right here, right now. And not the building of others…”
In a nearby anteroom, Nathan finished tucking in his shirt and put on his jacket. He paused to gaze at her reflection in the mirrored tile over the mini-bar as she pulled her evening gown back up over her perfect body. She knew he was watching her reflection, but she didn’t seem to mind.
“Zip me up?” she asked playfully.
Nathan turned around and stepped up to her as she turned her back to him. “I’d rather un-zip you again, ma’am,” he admitted as zipped up the back of her dress.
“Now, Ensign,” she teased as she turned to face him. “I think we’ve settled the score with that schmuck enough for one night. Besides, don’t you think we should get back before the senator finishes his speech.”
Nathan was admiring her from behind as she headed for the door, when it suddenly dawned on him. “Wait, I don’t think I ever got your name?” He didn’t really care, it just felt like the polite thing to say.
“Oh, that’s sweet, really,” she giggled. “But I don’t think names are necessary.” She began to walk away, turning back slightly to look at him as she took hold of the door knob. “Let’s just say that I’m doing my part for our boys in uniform, and leave it at that.” She flashed him a sly smile, opened the door and left the room, leaving the door standing open behind her.
From outside, Nathan could hear his father ending his speech.
“And that is why I have decided, that it is time for me to run for the office of President of the North American Union!”
The crowd outside exploded in excitement at the senator’s startling announcement. Nathan just rolled his eyes.
“You have got to be kidding me.”
“Nathan, honey,” his mother called as she approached him at the bar. He had already finished half the bottle, and was bound and determined to finish the rest in short order.
“Hello Mother,” he greeted, trying to sound sincere.
“I knew you’d show up,” she declared, kissing his cheek. “I hope you didn’t miss your father’s speech?”
“No such luck,” he mumbled, picking up the bottle.
“Oh put that bottle away, Nathan,” she scolded. “You know how your father feels about that stuff.” She grabbed a candy from the bar and handed it to him. “Here, sweetie. Have a mint.”
She stepped back and looked at him in his dress uniform. “Oh Nathan, I have to admit you do look handsome in that uniform. But did you have to wear it tonight of all nights? You know how your father feels about the fleet.”
“Founders Day is a patriotic holiday, mother. And as you can see,” he defended as he gestured toward the crowd, “I’m not the only one in uniform.”
“I know, dear. But you are the only member of the Scott family in uniform. Now come on, honey,” she added as she straightened his tie, “let’s go make nice for the cameras.”
Why are the women in this family always straightening my tie?
The journey through the mingling crowd was as painful as Nathan had remembered it to be from his father’s last campaign. A never ending stream of “yes ma’ams” and “yes sirs”, along with stories about sons they all seemed to have that were his age, or daughters they thought he should meet. Only this time, there was a new twist. It seemed that every old fart he greeted felt obligated to tell him a story about their days in the service. Of course, Nathan played it all off masterfully, just as his father had taught him. But it was all so pretentious and pointless. He really wished that he had gotten the chance to finish that bottle before his mother had found him. Instead, he would just have to distract himself as best he could with the image of that sexy little brunette as she slipped her dress back on.
But then, he saw his father up ahead, talking to the other politicians in his party. And he saw the look in his father’s eyes when he spotted Nathan, in his uniform, dutifully following his mother through the crowd. That same look of disappointment that he always seemed to get from his father.
“Nathan! So glad you could make it, son!” the senator exclaimed as Nathan and his mother approached. Nathan knew his father was just putting on a show for the crowd. The man could’ve been a professional actor.
“How are you doing, sir?” he asked in perfect military fashion.
“What’s with the sir crap?” his father exclaimed, holding out his arms. “Give your old man a hug!” He wrapped his arms around Nathan and gave him a warm embrace. As expected, without missing a beat his father turned them both to face the nearest camera for a shot that would surely reach every link on the Earth-Net within seconds. It should have been no surprise to Nathan that his father would take an irritant and turn it into a photo-op. Nathan flashed a toothy smile for the cameras, unnaturally freezing for the customary few seconds to allow all the photographers and video cameras to collect their content. Nathan hated this part of his father’s life. But even more so, he hated how he had become so accustomed to it that he played the part automatically without any forethought. It was something he definitely was not going to miss.
“Senator Scott!” one of the reporters hollered over the barrage of questions already being shouted at them. “How do you feel about your son’s enlistment, considering your position against the EDF?!” Nathan stole a glance at his father, knowing he would be quick to disarm the potentially embarrassing issue.
“Why, I’m as proud as any father could be!” he said. His statement had been made with such conviction that Nathan almost believed it himself. “What father wouldn’t be proud of a son that has the courage and fortitude to take a stand for what he believes in?” The senator turned directly to the man asking the question, and more importantly to the reporter’s camera man. “And just for the record, I want to make it perfectly clear that I am not against the Earth Defense Fleet. I simply want to restrict their capabilities to sub-light operations only, so as not to provoke the Jung Dynasty into any undue actions. We still have a long way to go in the rebuilding our own civilization, before we start dreaming of colonizing other worlds again.”
“Perfectly played, as usual,” Nathan thought.
“Ensign Scott,” another reporter shouted, surprising Nathan. “How do you feel about your father’s position on the military?!”
It was an over-simplification of an extremely complicated question. But that didn’t seem to matter to Nathan, as he blurted out the first thing that came to mind. “My father serves the people in his way, and I serve them in mine.” Nathan turned away from the cameras to retreat to safer ground, his father following behind him as he placated the press with a few more sound bites on his way out.
“Jesus, Nathan,” his father exclaimed as he followed him into the study, his protection detail closing the doors behind them. “I see you’re still just blurting out whatever is on your mind.”
“They don’t care what’s on my mind.”
“Oh yes they do. They care about every word, every syllable, every action. Hell, they’re even analyzing your body language these days. Anything they can take and twist into something that will swing votes their way.”
“It never seemed to matter much before.” Nathan loosened his tie and took a seat on the sofa.
“You were fifteen during the last campaign. Nobody cared what you thought at that age,” he pointed out as he paced around the room. “Besides, I was only running for the senate back then, not the presidency of the most influential nation on the planet. Hell, the last three North American presidents have been selected to serve as the leader of the United Earth Republic. Someone has to lead this world safely into the next century. If I can win this election, then I’m almost certain to be sitting in Geneva within a year. Then I can really do something to help keep
