Line of Succession {CONTINUING DEVELOPMENT}

Chapter 2: Tragedy that Night

"Bad things do happen; How I respond to them defines my character and the quality of my life. I can choose to sit in perpetual sadness, immobilized by the gravity of my loss, or I can choose to rise from the pain and treasure the most precious gift I have: Life itself."

-Walter Anderson

The next morning, September 22nd, 2047. Jessica wakes up, actually seeing that her husband is actually sleeping in for once in his entire Presidency. She looks at the alarm clock on her nightstand on her side of the table: 6:12 A.M. She decides to get up, and get ready for her ceremonial duties for the day, putting on a fashionable dress, since there was going to be a special occasion that evening (The Joint Session), she might as well look good for the cameras. 

Her husband slowly wakes up and gets out of his side of the bed, looking at his alarm clock, the time saying 6:18 A.M.

 "You are up early..."  Said the President, very sleepily.

"Yep, I did not want to disturb you sleeping...you know?" The First Lady said, genuinely not wanting to wake the President.

"Yeah..." He said, trailing off as he tries to wake himself up, and starting to get ready for his day.

She goes to the bathroom and puts on her makeup, evening it out on her face, and washes off the extra makeup, and heads out of the bedroom, and walks down the hall, ready for her ceremonial duties and upholds the traditions of the most secured residence in the entire world. It was a job she was destined to uphold during her husband's term.

Later that night, President Garcia is in the bedroom, putting on his suit, and puts on a long coat, since the ride from the White House to the United States Capitol is around 15 minutes, it will probably be a cold one as well. He gets ready and prepares to leave the WH and heads to the front entrance, where the Presidential Limousine is waiting for its passenger. Jessica is named Designated Survivor, (even though the position is not in the line of succession), but she decided not to go at the last moment, in the first place, since she felt a little queasy, as if she knows that something is going to happen, but she cannot tell what it is going to be.

The President leaves the White House and the limo drives off, leaving the front gate and driving down the street, with other black vehicles, which seems to be USSS cars, in pursuit, protecting the President at all costs, because it will be a catastrophe if they lost the President. 

Jessica heads back to the bedroom, and once again gets into her comfortable nightgown she wears every night, and gets into the bed, and turns on the TV. She uses the remote to and heads to the C-Span channel, and waits for the Speech to start.

Meanwhile, some Turkish insurgents are in an apartment around 3 blocks from the Capitol, loading weapons. Their goal is to kill the President, and hopefully all members of the United States Congress, the reason why is because they do not want the interventionalist and the 'Best country in the world.'

President Garcia arrives at the U.S. Capitol's West Side, USSS agents waiting at the door as he is surrounded by most of his agents. They go inside, and the Sergeant at Arms of the United States House of Representatives waits at the door to the House chamber, where most of the Senators and Representatives, (including the Vice President and the Speaker of the House) are proceeding to sit down. A couple of minutes later, the SAA walks in and says: 

"Madam Speaker, the President of the United States!"

The Representatives and the Senators get up and clap as the President shakes hands and slowly heads to the Podium, and stands there, waiting for the people in front of him to stop clapping, and he begins to speak as they sit down.

"Members of Congress, and my fellow Americans, we are the verge of war, against one of our good allies."

An hour into the speech, after stating the reasons why they should declare war on the Turkish Republic, not on the Government defending itself, but on the rebel group that is trying to overthrow the government, at the same time, some gunshots are heard in the House chamber, and the screen glitches out and turns into the C-Span logo, stating that there is some technical difficulties going on. Jessica gets kind of uneasy, but at the same time, Secret Service agents open the door and walk into the bedroom, making her jump a little bit, but not making her uneasiness any better.

Madam First Lady, we need you to come with us." 

 "Why? What is going on?"

 "We do not know, but we need you to come with us, for your safety."

She does that, they leave the room and she starts walking down the hallway, in her nightgown, she gets a little bit embarrassed, but quickly gets over it.

A couple of minutes later, the Secret Service agent, he gets a notification on his phone, notifying that the President and everyone in the Cabinet are dead, in other words, the First Lady shall become the President at once.

 "Madam First Lady, it has been confirmed, your husband and everyone in the Cabinet is dead. However, even though your role is not in the line of succession, you are the only one, at this time, confirmed to be alive." Said the Secret Service Agent, with a very serious tone in his voice, as if he is actually being serious about what he just said.

"What? Can you simplify that for me please?" She said, her voice turning from a soft tone, into a more stern and commanding one.

"In other words, you are now the President of the United States. Please come with us for you to be sworn in to become the 50th President of the United States."

She stops, and looks at them, both terrified and surprised at the same time; she cannot believe that this is happening. Why her? Why is she the one chosen to become the President? What makes her even thought of becoming the Head of Government and State?