Eunoia Read online

  The Defense Secretary sat back down still mumbling under his breath. The President stared at the man coldly for a moment until turning back to her Chief of Staff.

  “Let’s get started,” the President ordered.

  The door to the Situation Room closed and locked, and the room was suddenly filled with the sound of hissing air. Short of a direct nuclear strike, nothing was getting in.

  Screens flickered to life on the wall opposite the President as various leaders of countries from around the world appeared on them. Some looked concerned, others were angry, but, after reading the intelligence provided by the US, most were looking confused.

  “Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you all for taking my call. I realize the last few days have been stressful for many of us…”

  “You could say that Madam President,” the British Prime Minister said, his cold blue eyes examining his American counterpart suspiciously.

  “My British colleague is being much kinder than I would be,” France’s President said with a scowl. “My aides have told me this report you’ve sent is ludicrous to the point where we’ve wondered if perhaps this is nothing more than a case of mass hysteria.”

  “Is there a chance of water or food poisoning?” the Canadian Prime Minister added. “Ergot poisoning was suspected to be the cause of the famed Salem Witch Trials. That might account for the various descriptions…”

  “You all have the internet in your countries…” the President said quietly. “I trust you’ve seen the footage.”

  “Are we certain the incidents aren’t some kind of viral marketing prank?” This question came from the Dutch Prime Minister.

  The President shook her head. “We have several dozen good men and women who are dead because of these attacks. I can assure you, this is no viral prank. I’ve seen the bodies myself. Ladies and Gentlemen, I do not mean to alarm you, what we’ve seen, what we’ve experienced over the last few days is unlike anything we’ve encountered before. This is not just a threat to the United States and her people, but to your own as well.”

  The various leaders of globe erupted as they began talking, blaming, and attacking one another for not containing Kline when they had the chance.

  “People, please!” the President shouted over the din. “The videos you’ve seen online and the information provided to you by our intelligence reports is everything we know about Kline and the situation so far. We only ask that that in return, if you know anything, if there are any kind of files on this sort of thing, please, we ask you to send out to everyone present here today what you know. We need to know if there are more of these stones out there and what kind of damage they can do.”

  The French President shook his head, his face still red from all the shouting. “Impossible. This report is nothing more than fodder for conspiracy theorists, madmen and fools.”

  “Russia and her people believe in it,” the President said. “We have reports that they’ve already made a deal with Kline to help him govern once he has consolidated his power.”

  “Perhaps it’s time to deploy NATO,” Italy’s Prime minister interjected. “It could act as a…”

  “Absolutely not!” The German Chancellor thundered. “Deploying NATO troops now could be seen as provocation by the Russians bringing Europe closer to war than it has been in more than 70 years!”

  “Don’t be a fool Helen,” the President said softly. “This is what I’m trying to tell you. The whole world is at war.”

  This made the German Chancellor pause. There was a certain scary truth to those words.

  Suddenly, a loud crash sounded from outside the steel door, as a low thrumming began reverberating through the room. The Secret Service instantly reacted, surrounding the President, withdrawing their weapons.

  “What is it?” Shauna demanded. “What’s going on?”

  The Secret Service protective detail, never more than a few steps away from the President, stepped forward, crowding around her, their guns drawn and eyes constantly moving. The lead agent stepped forward and grabbed Shauna, drawing her back behind the protective wall of Agents.

  “There is a threat to Castle. We’ve been instructed to keep the President on lockdown. This facility should remain secure no matter what happens upstairs.”

  The President glanced at Shauna who nodded quickly, confirming what the agent said.

  The French President looked concerned, “Is everything all right Madam President?”

  “Everything is fine Thomas,” the President responded sharply. She turned to her Chief of Staff, giving her the signal to mute the audio. Shauna nodded, and quickly hit a button, turning off the microphones in the room. The President turned toward the lead Agent.

  “What’s the situation?”

  “Unclear,” the agent’s voice was slow and steady, as if whatever was happening upstairs was part of everyday normal activities. But, his eyes and body language told a completely different story. Whatever was happening wasn’t good.

  For a few moments, the room was silent, a dozen eyes all staring at the massive steel door.

  Suddenly there was the sound of a muffled gunshots outside in the hallway. The six agents in the room, turned, aiming their weapons toward the door.

  The agent-in-charge swallowed, and held his gun out at the ready.

  “Chris?” The President asked. “What’s happening out there?”

  The agent held up a hand, shushing the President, and for the first time since she barely took second in the Iowa caucuses, the President felt nervous.

  The President looked over at the agent in charge. His eyes were zeroed in on the door to the Situation Room, aiming his weapon and ready to fire.

  For a moment, it seemed as if nothing would happen.

  Then the sound of metal tearing apart began to screech and echo throughout the room. The enormous steel door to the Situation Room began to split in half, as the agents held their ground, waiting for a target to present itself.

  The door crashed in, the steel screaming in protest as the heavy doors were torn off their hinges. Metal, wood, and debris crashed into the Situation Room and the Secret Service agents began firing their weapons at the dark shadow silhouetted in the dust-filled doorway.

  Several agents shoved the President down to the floor, piling on top of her as cover, while the rest began firing their weapons at whatever was coming through the door.

  The smell of gunpowder filled the room as the President removed her hands from her ears, hoping the ringing would go away.

  Their clips empty, the agents stood in a semi-circle, all of whom thinking the same thing.

  Did we get him?

  The Agent-in-Charge moved first. He stepped forward and the rest of his agents followed behind in a wide V formation, ready to pick up any target that might lunge at him.

  “Clear,” the Agent said. He turned back to the Situation Room, looking confused, “He’s gone…”

  Before he could even get the words out, the Agent-in-Charge – who had been serving with the President since she was first assigned Secret Service protection – began to change, his body ossifying into a grotesque statue.

  Kline stepped out from behind him, still holding the man’s shoulder, only letting go once the agent finished transforming. Kline looked over his work with the satisfied air of someone who had a particularly good day at work.

  “I think this would look lovely on the South Lawn, don’t you?” Kline asked with a smirk.

  Shauna screamed, and the entire room erupted into chaos. The remaining agents began firing their weapons at Kline who casually moved through the copper jacketed storm as if they were nothing more than gnats.

  The President watched in horror as Kline sped around the room beheading the remaining five agents sworn to protect her.

  He stepped back in front of the President’s hiding place, holding two of the severed heads in front of her.

  “You’re going to have to hire some new people,” Kline said dryly, casually throwing them to the g
round in front of her. “Get up.”

  The President got out from under the desk she was hiding behind, and slowly stood, smoothing out the wrinkles in her dress and blouse.

  “You’ll never beat us you know,” the President said softly.

  Kline barked out a quick laugh, “What, pray tell, do you base that on?”

  “History is never kind to those who use their power to commit harm against others,” the President replied.

  Kline sniffed, and shrugged. “Americans have a wonderful idiom – something about the exception proving the rule. I am that exception Madam President.”

  He turned to the bank of monitors, filled with the shocked expressions of leaders from around the world.

  “So, who do we have with us tonight?” Kline asked, surveying the monitors. “Thomas, always nice to see you.”

  “Kline,” the English Prime Minister looked at him, his eyes pleading with him. “Whatever you want, we can make a deal. You do not have to murder…”

  “I shall do whatever I want Thomas!” Kline shouted back at him. “Your dealings with me in the past should have proven that much. If you don’t believe I’m a man of my word, your countrymen will not fair well under my administration.”

  The English Prime Minister slowly sank back into his chair, the look of defeat on his face evident. Kline watched him with the same satisfaction that a dog trainer would have upon teaching an unruly dog a new trick.

  “Good,” Kline said. “Now, perhaps we can get down to business.”

  The leaders of the world became silent as Kline sat at the head of the table (normally reserved for the President of the United States). Kline motioned to the President for her to sit down next to him.

  “Madam President, if you please… “

  The President refused. She stood up straight and looked away from Kline.

  Kline rolled his eyes, “Madame President, you would do well to remember that the lives of your people are in my hands.”

  The President turned her head to look back at the billionaire for a moment, as if gauging what he would do if she defied him. She stepped forward, and pulled out the chair on Kline’s right sitting down. She turned her body back to the monitors, refusing to look at the man who had just killed some of her best friends.

  Kline watched the President obey him with some satisfaction. The world’s leaders would submit to his every command, lest he destroy them and their people. He inhaled and smirked at his triumph. After years of planning and waiting for the right moment, his time to rule was finally here. He turned to the world’s leaders.

  “As you may have seen over the last few days, I am…” Kline raised his hands, “…a god walking amongst you. The world is mine now. Your lives will now be spent obeying me and my every order.”

  “And what shall you do with it?” The President asked, still refusing to look over at Kline.

  Kline smiled. “I plan on changing the course of the world’s future. It’s quite simple really. If you are with me, you shall see prosperity and wonders unlike anything you could ever imagine.”

  “And if we are against you?” Germany’s Chancellor demanded.

  “The punishment for that is…” Kline made a show of licking his lips, “quite severe.”

  There was a snort of laugher and Kline looked up sharply at the bank of televisions in front of him, looking for who dared defy him.

  “Who was that?” Kline asked softly.

  “You can’t possibly stand against us all.” It was the Lutvian President, who had until now, been completely silent, allowing the larger countries to deal with Kline.

  “President Ithanica, isn’t it?” Kline asked, looking up at the monitors. “A tiny country, filled with oil, royalty and corruption. A beautiful place to do business in my experience.”

  Kline stood and approached the monitor that displayed the Lutvian president’s image. “Tell me Mr. President, do you truly feel this way?”

  A moment passed as the satellite transmitted Kline’s message halfway around the world. Chuckling softly under his breath, President Ithanica stared back at Kline, his black eyes a sea of hate for the man staring back at him.

  “Mr. Kline, I grew up in one of the toughest neighborhoods in the world. I’ve seen hundreds of men like you. You are just another bully. No different than the punk kids who tried to intimidate me and my brother while walking home from school every day.”

  The President of Lutvia cocked his head to one side, staring down at Kline with barely concealed contempt. “You believe your strength and powers are all that you shall need to conquer the world. You are mistaken sir. You’ve badly overestimated your position.”

  “President Ithanica, you’ve seen what I am capable of, have you not?”

  The Latvian President rolled his eyes, waving his hand at Kline, “Tricks. Mass hysteria. You’re a charlatan, a con man, which I fully intend on exposing to the world.”

  Kline watched the Latvian President for a few moments, and nodded.

  “All right.”

  President Ithanica looked confused, as if unable to understand what Kline was saying. “What do you mean?”

  “It means you can go Mr. President,” Kline said. “Your services will no longer be required.”

  President Ithanica, looked around at his fellow world leaders, bewildered by what he was hearing, when just then, there was a bright flash of light, washing out the monitor until only static remained.

  The President looked over at Shauna, “What happened? Where’d he go?”

  The Chief of Staff glanced down at the technical readouts in front of her, concern passing over her face. “There’s no signal ma’am.”

  “And there won’t ever be one from them again,” Kline said, examining his fingernails.

  The German Chancellor looked off screen, as a disembodied voice began talking. It was hard to make out, but the message was clearly bad. His eyes went wide and his face went pale. The German Chancellor slowly sank down into his chair, holding a hand over her mouth.

  “What happened?” The President demanded. “Helen, what did he tell you?”

  “They’re gone…” the German Chancellor croaked. “The entire nation was just…”

  “Nuked,” Kline called out. “I used the nuclear weapons you have stationed in Turkey to teach our Lutvian friend a thing or two about power. There is nothing left of that country besides fire and misery.” Kline glanced up at the bank of monitors, his expression deadly serious, “Just as it shall be in your nations should you all defy me at any point.”

  The leaders cried out in shock and incredulity, some were consulting with aides off screen as they sought to confirm what Kline had told them.

  “You fool,” the Turkish Prime Minister shouted. “Latvia was a former Soviet satellite, and part of the dead man’s hand network.”

  At this, the President looked up at Kline, her eyes going wide. “By God Kline, what have you done?”

  Kline only smiled, lazily spinning around in the office chair.

  An automated announcement installed during the coldest parts of the cold war began flashing red. The President glanced up at it, instantly knowing what it meant.

  A nuclear launch had been detected.

  The President turned to Shauna whose entire body was shaking, as she thought of all the things she had wanted to do in her life, but would never be able to accomplish after the sea of nuclear hellfire fell on the US.

  “How long until they get here?” The President shouted at her again.

  “Plus or minus thirty minutes,” Shauna replied, her voice cracking. “The situation room was meant to serve as an emergency shelter, but with the door gone…” she trailed off, her meaning clear.

  “Oh please,” Kline said, rolling his eyes. “Even if his nukes got off the ground, I’ll just delete them out of the air,” he glanced over at the President’s incredulous look. “Yes, I am that powerful. Watch.”

  Kline closed his eyes, his mind reaching out into the world, fe
eling for the doomsday weapons hurtling through the air towards the United States. He took a deep breath, and began snapping his fingers rhythmically.

  Somewhere over the North Sea, the hundreds of ICBMS launched from Russia began disappearing one by one. They were simply deleted out of the sky until soon it was as if they had never existed.

  “There we are, that should be the lot of them…” Kline said, smiling as he turned back to his audience. “You were saying?”

  “That’s impossible,” the President said. “No one could… just wave ICBMs out of the sky.”

  Kline’s smile turned into a sneer. He snapped his fingers and the tablet held by the Chief of Staff flew out of her hands and into Kline’s. He pushed the tablet’s screen in front of the president.

  “See for yourself.”

  The President glanced over at her chief of staff who was frantically typing on her tablet looking for radar returns of the launched missiles. Her eyes went wide.

  “Shauna?” the president asked quietly.

  “The…” her voice caught, as if unable to believe what she was seeing. “The missiles are aborting over the North Sea,” Shauna said, the relief evident in her voice. She looked up in wonder, “They’ve disappeared from early warning radar.”

  “Of course they have,” Kline said, sounding annoyed. He turned back to the group of slack faces staring at him. “Does anyone else wish to test my abilities? Or was that demonstration sufficient?”

  There was no response. The leaders of the world had witnessed what Kline was capable of. And no one wanted to become the man’s next example.

  “Excellent,” Kline clapped his hands together in glee. “Let’s talk about division of labor around the world, shall we? For this, I’d like to introduce you to my new assistant, Nathaniel Ash. Nathaniel, do come in. Don’t be shy.”

  Ash stepped into the Situation Room, glancing around the room of men and women he had once been sworn to protect. But now they were a sea of blank faces. Kline’s voice followed him everywhere now - ever since the billionaire had taken control of his mind back in New York. If he even considered disobeying, the pain came on quickly and was debilitating.