reAs the "Samaritans" suffered steady defeat on the virtual cyber battlefield, time was turning against Jack.
An AI, already lacking computing power, had planned to steal computing nodes by hacking into data centers and supercomputer rooms, but was beaten to a pulp by the well-prepared Kate.
Forget cracking the final password; even the "Samaritans" themselves were in a difficult position.
Sensing something was amiss, the Department of Defense, under the orders of Acting President Maureen, began inspecting military networks at all levels.
Cyber warfare forces quickly developed multiple firewall repair plans and began providing technical support to private power grid companies in various states and federal agencies that were exploiting their neighbors.
On the surface, the attack on Washington, D.C., with the Capitol reduced to a blaze, seemed like a massive loss.
However, if we set aside symbolic considerations, including international impact, and strictly measure the economic losses caused by tonight's power outages, the damage likely far exceeded the damage to the Capitol and the White House.
Americans have become accustomed to certain things. Whenever a power outage strikes at night, ordinary people instinctively grab their shotguns and guard their doors to protect their families. Firefighters, hospitals, and police departments are immediately mobilized and deployed to their respective positions.
The reason is simple: in major cities across the country, including Los Angeles and New York, except for a few wealthy neighborhoods with dedicated police stations, a widespread power outage at night is like the starting gun for riots.
Within half an hour, the sound effect, reminiscent of New Year's Eve in Serbia across the ocean, erupts: a continuous crackling sound.
Shortly after Maureen's national address, states experiencing power grid problems declared states of emergency. With the exception of a few who were clueless, most governors quickly approved the federal order to deploy the National Guard to their major cities.
States and the federal government have always had two different approaches to responding to natural and man-made disasters. After all, natural disasters are inevitable. Even if a fire from the mountains threatens to reach the state capital, the governor will still take vacations or travel as needed.
However, when it comes to man-made disasters, especially mass zero-dollar shopping, it's not so much that state or city governments will react quickly, but rather the federal government.
This is because the military would be deployed.
The struggle over command of the National Guard has always been at the heart of the struggle between federal and state power.
While the president is nominally the commander-in-chief, the vague language of the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution places the day-to-day command of each state's National Guard on the governors.
Simply put, unless something major is happening, the governor controls the National Guard. However, generally speaking, unless something major is happening, the governor doesn't seem to need to deploy the National Guard.
There are generally only two types of major disasters: local insurrection and severe natural disasters. In these cases, the federal government, or the president, can bypass the governor and directly dispatch the National Guard.
There's no definitive definition of what constitutes a severe natural disaster. Typically, in cases like the California wildfires, the state government issues a local disaster declaration, which allows the federal government to request the deployment of the National Guard to help maintain public order. The governor then signs and approves the request, completing the full process.
Of course, this is just about maintaining public order; disaster relief is out of the question. There's only one country in the world that can truly commit its military, and dares to do so, to natural disaster relief.
However, this is only the norm. Occasionally, a state government might believe it can handle the situation, or the governor might be away from home, leading to widespread public outcry that the federal government can't handle it. The federal government can then bypass the governor and dispatch the National Guard directly to the affected state.
This practice is known as "federalization," and while it can draw protests from governors and state legislatures, it's not unconstitutional and is legal.
Most power struggles occur in these situations.
What would truly lead to serious conflict, even to constitutional questions, would be something like the 1957 Little Rock incident (Chapter 828).
Or perhaps, to quell the chaos caused by the previous president's roundup of "illegal immigrants," he deployed the National Guard to Los Angeles to cooperate with ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement).
Perhaps it was truly God's blessing on America. Upon learning that the nation's capital had been attacked, the entire Congress implicated, and the president's condition uncertain, most states, including the usually more buoyant "wealthy" states of California and Texas, offered their cooperation to the acting president.
Whether this was due to the successful rescue of the president's "husband," Congresswoman Zoe Anderson, or the political influence her family holds in California and Texas, remains unknown.
The terrified congresswoman spoke to the media immediately after her escape. Though dusty and bedraggled, her beauty remained undimmed, and she quickly became a public hero.
Although the media, trapped outside, had yet to grasp the true nature of what was happening inside the White House, the bodies scattered on the lawn and the military's lackadaisical stance hinted at a clue.
The sudden appearance of a dashing congresswoman, carrying a Victor submachine gun, clearly seized from "terrorists," and with a bloody stain on her cheek, surely sent the media into a frenzy.
This was part of the Pentagon's plan. Treating funerals as celebrations is a common political tactic, and nothing can distract the public from anxiety like a headline-grabbing, ready-made news story.
Now that there was an acting president and a heroine who rivaled the heroic figures in Hollywood blockbusters, and whose attributes were "perfectly correct," the unknown fate of the "former" president and "former" first lady seemed less significant.
However, this scene was clearly not what the men hiding in the White House bunker had hoped for, and they quickly lost their composure, leading to a new development.
"The bunker door is open, and the Secretary of Defense is being escorted into the elevator." Kate, who had regained control of the White House's internal surveillance, updated Jack as usual.
On the White House's basement level, Jack, now dressed in a new outfit, fist-bumped with the members of SEAL Team B, finally standing before Captain Jason.
Jack wore a faint smile, while Captain Jason's expression was murderous, reminiscent of their first meeting years ago.
However, Jack was no longer the small-time LAPD officer awaiting rescue by the SEALs, and they were no longer facing a group of mindless monsters.
"I entrust my life to you. Seize the opportunity. I don't want to be draped in the Stars and Stripes at such a young age."
Jack, now wearing a black hood, equipment stripped from a previous captive, and a bulletproof vest, accepted an HK416, also seized from Jason Hayes.
"Even if we all die, guys like you won't survive."
Jason punched Jack in the chest, dispelling the slightly tense atmosphere with his usual military joking.
Sonny Quinn, a bearded Texan, stuffed two offensive grenades into Jack's bulletproof vest, muttering to himself,
"Be careful, Lucky boy. Damn it, why is it always you who's in the spotlight and responsible for saving the world?"
(End of this chapter)