'Soon there will be much to keep me busy. After your press conference today, I'll be in charge of getting rid of those damned dogs. I look forward to being at your side for that.'
Evan grabbed her arm and hoisted her from the chair.
'Yes, you will be at my side. Remember that, Sharon. I don't need you and your vendettas screwing anything up. I want you to smile. I want you to be happy. You've gotten everything you've always wanted, you saw the end of Trevor Stone. Now get over it. Move on.'
'Easy for you to say, Evan. What have you lost? There is still a debt owed for what he did at New Winnabow. Tell me, who was the assassin who put the bullet in my father's neck?'
A straw broke in Evan's back.
'Enough! I won't have this, Sharon. Instead of spending your time scheming, maybe you should spend more time with your son. Or is he just an inconvenience now?'
Sharon's hand cocked. A voice interrupted the blow.
'Mr. President,' a forty-something woman with strawberry blond hair and a scar on her face interrupted the brewing fight. 'Yes? Yes, what is it?' 'Chancellor D'Trayne has arrived. The press conference is ready to begin.' With that, the woman withdrew. Evan painted on a smile. Sharon calmed and forced a smile of her own. 'I need you by my side now, Sharon.' 'Whatever you say, Mr. President.' — Armageddon caused much damage to the White House grounds. In the years since humanity's armies chased the lizards from D.C., the Senate, Evan Godfrey, and other like-minded politicians and historians invested in fixing, repairing, and otherwise returning the White House to pre- Armageddon form. They, by and large, succeeded. However, the scars of destruction still lingered and Evan chose one such scar as backdrop for his big speeches.
While the lawn grew as green as ever, the trees and shrubs between the south face of the White House and the West wing had been burned to nothing and removed. Instead of full-grown replacements transplanted from a nursery, Evan Godfrey insisted on planting new trees and shrubs as a symbol of America's rebirth. For the next several years, he would stand there and deliver initiatives and speeches and progress reports to the eager media with those baby plants growing behind him in the same way he planned to grow the nation anew.
In that cozy corner of the new seat of power gathered two dozen members of the press on folding metal chairs facing a podium bearing the seal of the President of the United States. Around that podium lurked Brad Gannon in slick hair and a pearly-white smile as well as Chancellor D'Trayne in all his silver glory. No one noticed Dante, mixed with a security team, watching from the roof.
Ray Roos escorted Evan and his wife to the edge of the yard then waited behind. The President approached the podium; Sharon lingered off to the side. The press stood in a sign of respect but he quickly motioned for the reporters to be seated.
'My fellow countrymen, today marks the end of the greatest struggle in the history of mankind. The war is over.'
Evan let that sink in, not only for the men and women in the audience, but those who watched on T.V. While only the local population witnessed the announcement live, the tape of the conference would soon play from sea to shining sea.
'Ten years ago alien armies marched through interplanetary gateways to wage war upon our people. Why did they come? Did we provoke this aggression? I have spent years searching for that answer. With the help of Chancellor D'Trayne, I have finally found the truth. This has been a coordinated invasion with the aim of defusing the danger humanity represents to life throughout the universe. That danger comes not from our weapons or technology, but from the nature of our persons. In short, you will find the answer as to 'why' not by looking toward the stars, but in reading a history book: crusades, holocausts, inquisitions and Dark Ages. Whether due to religious zeal, unbridled nationalism, racism or merely our natural inclination toward violence, mankind has a history of brutality and militarism, and the universe took note.'
Evan took a moment to make eye contact with the reporters and, most important, the camera lens.
'The intelligent life forms of the galaxy came together for a pre-emptive strike on mankind before our technology could turn us into a threat to other civilizations. This was not a decision made lightly and one that went against the otherwise peaceful nature of these cultures. Before we pass judgment, consider that pre-emptive war has been a distasteful but common action among our own race. While we cannot excuse this act of hostility that has brought misery to our world, we must come to terms with the reality of our nature.'
Evan cast his eyes down, shook his head in sadness, and sighed: the perfect picture of a man who has accepted the faults of his people.
'Still, I am not one to give up easily; not when the fate of my people is at stake. In recent days I have worked closely with Chancellor D'Trayne who has been in contact with the other races. Based on his experience in California, he managed to convince the invaders that there is another way besides war without end. He has convinced his brethren that the people of this nation can overcome their instinct for violence, that we can be good neighbors, that there can be an end to the struggle that has already cost so much to all sides.
'As I have explained to the Chancellor, I cannot speak for all of humanity. I can only speak for those of us in our tiny nation. I have assured him that our people seek peace. I have assured him that we only want to live our lives and return to the world we knew before the invaders came. He has accepted these assurances, with conditions to ensure the cease-fire holds.' Murmurs rolled through the audience. 'Conditions?' 'Cease-fire?' 'Assurances?' Evan calmed the gathered with a wave of his hand.
'Our aggressive military campaign will end. We will live within the boundaries of the continental United States, and as long as we do so there will be no more attacks, no more war. In a manner similar to United Nations peacekeeping missions in the old world, Witiko observers will be positioned throughout our nation and government so as to monitor our good intent. We will demobilize three of our eight active army divisions and several of our combat air wings. The dreadnoughts will be restricted to flights within our borders and K9 breeding programs will be curtailed. With our defensive line on the east coast and the eventual construction of a similar line off California, we will know security and will not need such a large military force. Instead, demobilized troops will either transfer to Internal Security or…' Evan licked his lips, smiled, and in a fatherly voice told, '…or they can go home. They can go home to be with their families, to raise their children, to build farms or businesses. In short, they can go home and live again; live without war. In short, life will return to normal.'
Again, worried looks throughout the press corp.
'My friends,' Evan assured, 'the truth is that we have won the war. Our soldiers and the workers at home have removed the organized alien armies from our lands. We can be proud of their sacrifice. Our choice now is either to risk losing all we've gained by continuing this fight to foreign lands or celebrating our victory and sheathing our swords. We will maintain a strong home defense to secure our borders and monitor the activities of the newcomers to our planet. Many details remain to be reconciled and much work must be done to transition from a war footing to a normal way of life. Nonetheless, this is a day for rejoicing. We have known a time of war; now this is our time of peace.'
– Another flash bulb, another pose, this time Evan shaking D'Trayne's hand in the Oval office.
'Okay, that will be enough for today, thank you ladies and gentlemen,' the middle aged woman with the scar-Evan's Administrative Assistant-hustled the press away leaving the room to the President, D'Trayne, and Ray Roos.
Evan slumped into the chair behind the big desk and D'Trayne paced. Roos watched from a position near the closed door.
'Your media asks a lot of questions,' D'Trayne said.
'Yes, all good questions, Chancellor. Guarantees. What kind of verification do we get that you're keeping your end of the bargain? People are understandably wary.'
'You have received my word. I will work on getting something in-what did you call it? — 'writing.' But you already appear hesitant in fulfilling your end of the bargain. We originally discussed a fifty-percent demobilization of the armed forces.'
Evan stood and jabbed a finger toward the silver alien. 'Three divisions for now, Chancellor. No more until I feel comfortable that I have those assurances. I only jumped into this cease-fire announcement so quick because I want the military under control.'
'And have you succeeded? Are your internal enemies no longer a concern?'
Roos interrupted the conversation, 'Well, there, hold on for a sec, this is where I've got a little cold water to throw on this parade.' Ray tapped his thumb on his thigh as he told them, 'My folks have gone through the ashes for
