Stranded States

The Day Of

November 10th, 2035, 1:30pm. White House

"Thanks for the update. Let me know when the budget has been finalized." The phone is set back down on its block. "God, what a day."

President Gregory Keller, letting out a deep sigh, leans back in his chair, seeing that he had finished all of the paperwork on his desk. He pushes his graying hair back as he reaches over to his desk and presses a button this the desk phone.

"Hey, Jackson?"

A young man responds on the other end. "Yes, Mr. President?"

"Could you come collect the paperwork from this morning?"

"I will in a few, Mr. President."

"Alrighty. Thanks."

He lets go of the button and turns the chair around, looking outside the window. With winter on its way, the snow was starting to fall. Being a native from Florida, he rarely ever saw snow aside from his limited traveling. Even so, seeing it had a calming sense to him. It had been over a year since he was sworn in as President of the United States and it had been not been easy. Leading a nation is difficult, but leading a nation through an isolation after decades of globalization is a different task altogether. Even though he has built up the nation greater than when he started, the weight of not doing enough sat on his shoulders. As the sense of calm had changed into a contemplation about breaking the UN's isolation, it was soon interrupted by the sound of someone walking it. Turning around, he was that it was Jackson, his aide and personal confidant, standing at the doorway.

"Is everything ok, sir?"

"Yeah...Everything is fine..."

"You were staring off again, sir."

"I'm just...thinking...

Knowing what Keller was talking about, Jackson lets out a sigh and steps further into the office.  He's been around and talked to the President enough times to know what is on his mind.

"You know, what you have done is more than anyone could ask for. The people love you. The media is calling you the new Roosevelt. You are leading us through a global isolation and we are doing better than in recent years. I've heard some wonder why we didn't go into isolation sooner".

Both Jackson and Keller had a chuckle from the particular comment before Keller lets out another sigh.

"I know that I've done a lot. I have the pens to prove it. But, it feels weird being the president of the largest global power and yet, I can't have any relations with said globe. And that's what's bothering me. I want to interact with my fellow world leaders. I want the people to not feel so coped up within it borders, as large as they are. I want us to continue what we have done internationally for the past 30 years, but..."

"But you don't want to undermine what we, as a nation, have accomplished since the isolation and, by breaking the isolation, you break the trust that was built with the people. It also goes against your own promises that you made during your election."

Keller gives Jackson a smile, follow by another chuckle.

"I wonder why I didn't make you my VP."

"I don't think I could take more responsibilities than I do now."

Both of then have another laugh together before Jackson walks over to the desk and picks up the stack of papers.

"I'm sure that we'll be back in the world stage again. Maybe it'll come sooner than expected"

The moment he says that, the lights inside the office start to flicker heavily, followed by the ground shaking. When this happening, Keller reaches for the desk phone, but all he got was dial tone. Jackson looks outside to see if there is anything changing, but what he saw was not what he expected. In the sky, lights like the Aurora Borealis shined in the sky before, in an instant, disappearing. The shaking subsides and the lights stop flickering. Both Jackson and Keller look at each other, feeling startled and confused. Nothing having the same question: What had just happened? With about an hour and half of speculation and and receiving little answers, the desk phone start to ring. Keller reaches for the phone and picks it up, clearing his voice.

"This is the President."

An older man's voice comes out on the other end. "Mr. President, you're needed at the Pentagon."