Chapter 14

The President of the United States, or what was left of that country, was sitting in his comfortably appointed office viewing a movie. He had a bag of micro wave popcorn and was drinking a glass of ice cold Coke. The movie was the old John Wayne classic called, Stage Coach.

In the room with him was his wife, and several of his advisers. They had broken from a meeting and the president had decided it was time for a movie.

"Did you know, that this movie is credited for launching John Wayne's career?" The president asked his only surviving cabinet member, Roger Stanford.

"No sir. I was never a big, John Wayne, fan sir. I was more of the old Errol Flynn enthusiast. Now that was acting! That was adventure!" Roger finished.

Nodding, the president replied, "I can agree with you there. Errol was a swashbuckler, no doubt about it."

It was at that time that a knock sounded on the door. A Secret Service man passed through General Colton.

"Martin, your just in time to watch this movie with us. You only missed 10 minutes of it so far. John Wayne in that classic, Stage Coach." The President said to General Colton.

"Sorry sir. Something has come up. We just received a video satellite call from the French President." The General told him.

"So, we're sure? That asshole survived after all?" The president asked.

"Yes, sir. Voice pattern matches file records. Also, they are maintaining contact, and would like to speak to you as soon as possible, if not sooner. We can transfer the link to your office if you would like, sir." The General said.

Nodding, the president got up, and walked over to his desk. Pressing a button on the desk, a wall opened up, and the president found himself looking at an incredibly expensive wall video screen with camera.

The General picked up the presidents phone and spoke into it briefly. Soon, a picture formed and clarified into a room with several people sitting or standing around. A voice spoke in French, and shortly the French president came into the shot.

A red light came on on the camera in the president's office, and they were now live and face to face. Both men studied each other for a moment. The French president looked tired.

"Good day and congratulations on surviving the disaster." President David Manning, told the French President. There was a moment of silence as a translation was done.

"Thank you Mr. President. It pleases me that you too survived. However, I am disturbed and troubled. I have received news from our astronaut aboard the space station that you ordered all our satellites destroyed. Is this true?" Asked the French President.

"Of course it's true. Did you expect me to leave you anything in space with which to hurt the earth even more? No, Jock, I don't trust you French with anything that might prove deadly. Look what happened the last time you were invited to partake in a global venture? You effectively destroyed most of mankind." The president replied directly.

The French President glowered as he heard the translated words in his earpiece.

"You are very blunt, David. Surly you do not think we did this on purpose?" Responded the French President in an offended tone of voice.

"I think that you and your scientists were looking for glory. Shall I play back the world press announcement that was made by you and your board of scientists as you revealed your plan to shift the asteroids course to fall into the sun, thereby saving the world for all time?"

"Somehow, I failed to receive my notice of what you were planning with the asteroid. Nor did any other body receive notification. You also, at that same press conference told the world that the United States and the other countries involved in turning aside the asteroid were only delaying a certain disaster, and so you moved to end it once and for all. In fact, you told the world that we were being evasive in our duty to the world as a whole. We were failing the "Global Test" as you put it."

The French president had winced several times as the American President pounded home the incontestable facts.

"What you say is true, however one wrong done in innocence should not be compounded by a wrong of deliberate destruction. We did something wrong. However, you did something in turn that was even more wrong. You destroyed French property. We ask that you make right your admission and make restitution to us. What we did was wrong, yes. However it was done with good intentions. What you did was totally arrogant, and smacks of imperialism." replied Jock Pirrone.

"I see. What is it exactly you think we should give you in restitution?" The American President asked.

"Simply put, we need supplies. A lot of our country was destroyed by the tidal wave. We managed to tap into an English satellite and have discovered that you have fields of grain still growing. We need some of that grain sir." Responded the French President.

"Mr. President," David said slowly, "You have the temerity to ask us to supply you with food after you destroyed most of the world? How does the destruction of the world meet your 'Global Test, ' Jock? What makes you think that I will authorize any supplies shipped to France? Most of my countries ships went down during this disaster. You might have heard of it?