"Ladies and gentlemen, please rise."
Maureen calmed herself slightly, resting her hands on the table as she gazed directly at the assembled crowd.
She didn't recognize most of them, only barely recognizing a few, such as the general who had spoken the loudest earlier, Army Chief of Staff General Craig.
While the Capitol Hill fire was still ongoing and casualties were still being tallied, a list of high-ranking officials who were confirmed missing had been compiled.
According to the reports Joy Reacher had received on the way here, not only had the FBI lost its director, but intelligence agencies like the CIA and DHS, and many other key government departments had also lost their top officials.
Worst of all, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Army General Al Kleiman, had also been killed in the fire, and the position of Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff was currently vacant.
While the President was nominally the head of the armed forces and exercised military authority through the Secretary of Defense, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, acting as military advisors, were the de facto executors.
Now that the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff has "disappeared," and the President and Secretary of Defense, though reportedly successfully hiding in the White House bunker, have lost contact, the entire federal military system is effectively paralyzed.
This is precisely why Maureen, the "designated survivor," was hastily sworn in as president.
Regardless of whether the service chiefs can reach a unanimous decision, any decision requires the president's approval before it can take effect.
Even an interim president is still the president; a snake without a head cannot survive. Whether to shoulder the blame or to uphold the Constitution, Maureen must remain firmly in this position, even if it's merely a "rubber stamp."
Of course, this doesn't mean the service chiefs, commanders, and second-in-command of other important departments truly need to respect her.
As they've demonstrated, no one cares about this woman who ascended to the presidency through unorthodox means, or rather, no one believes she can hold on long enough.
Perhaps the original president would be freed in the next moment and, with that, reclaim his power. Even if he were ultimately doomed, a snap election could be called at any moment.
Maureen, after all, had served as Zoe's chief of staff for several years and had already figured out most of the details on the way here. As a seasoned psychologist, she saw through the hidden agenda of everyone present. With
the Capitol destroyed, its leaders and members of Congress utterly annihilated, who among these generals, deputy secretaries, and deputy directors wouldn't want to seize the opportunity to advance further?
Whether it's the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Director of the FBI, or any other senior position, the normal process requires nomination by the President and confirmation by the Senate.
But with Congress now completely destroyed, this standard process is clearly impossible. The only option left is for Maureen, the "interim" president, to appoint a temporary position.
Not everyone present was aware of this, but rather than hastily currying favor with a previously obscure Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, a woman who had been thrust into office by a program and whose current tenure was uncertain, everyone unanimously chose to wait and see.
So Maureen decided to remind them.
When everyone at the rectangular conference table reluctantly stood up, she coughed lightly and said, "Please take a minute of silence to mourn all those who lost their lives in today's disaster."
They are our friends and our heroes."
Dana Moger, who was standing behind Maureen, raised her lips slightly when she saw this scene, but then lowered her head.
Rossi asked her to rush to the Pentagon as soon as possible because of some concerns, but judging from the performance of this female president who was forced to do something, such concerns were obviously unnecessary.
After the moment of silence, Maureen took a seat. While everyone was looking at her and not continuing the phone call, she asked loudly, "Who can tell me the current situation of the underground bunker in the White House, and is there any summary of the intelligence about the invaders? "
Everyone looked at each other, and no one spoke for a moment.
Although these people looked busy just now, 99% of the calls they made were nonsense. Just like Admiral Craig before, some orders did not need to be issued by him at all. The purpose was nothing more than to show his presence at this critical moment.
"Well, at present, 'PEOC' is still out of contact. As for the intelligence on the invaders, since the CIA Director was most likely killed in the Capitol, we are still looking for the relevant person in charge."
Maureen raised her wrist to check the time, and impatiently interrupted Admiral Craig's subsequent nonsense. "So it's been nearly two hours since 'Olympus' fell, and we still know nothing about our enemy?"
The scene suddenly became dead silent.
"The situation is this, Madam President." A female military intelligence assistant coughed lightly, breaking the awkward silence. "The on-site command center has been established, but because secure communications have not yet been established, the situation has not been fully summarized."
"Never mind secure communications. "Maureen waved her hand," Notify the person in charge on site immediately. Use whatever you have, whether it's a cell phone, a landline, or an Internet phone. We need to connect to the scene immediately to get first-hand information."
Dana Moger immediately asked loudly, "Who is responsible for the network communications here?"
In front of the pile of equipment against the wall, an old man with gray hair, glasses, and dressed like an engineer raised his hand and gestured over here.
"An FBI command vehicle has arrived at the scene. Contact David Rossi or Harry Tasker and tell them that the President is in the underground command center of the Pentagon."
Dana Moger said, looking coldly at the heads of various departments who were holding the phones and had not yet reacted. "As the Deputy Director of the FBI, I want to warn you first that no one is allowed to disclose any information to any media.
Otherwise, I don't mind cutting you open and hanging you outside the building."
"No, you are now the Acting Director of the FBI, Ms. Moger. Maureen's words startled Dana Moger.
Before she could react, still debating whether to offer a polite remark or simply say something like "Thank you for your trust," the department heads, who had been stunned just moments before, raised their hands and began to chatter away, introducing themselves and their departments to the President.
(End of Chapter)