Again, do me a favor and send Nifty some cash. They have to pay for this somehow.
I could hear that the Doc was walking towards me from the other room with a deliberate stride. Once he arrived I asked "who's here?" "I cant say" he quickly responded as he handed me a gym bag with gym shorts, socks, gym shoes, and a t-shirt "quick get these on - quick!" "real clothes?" I asked, "not that leotard thing?" "PLEASE sean dress as quickly as possible!!!" I slowly put on the strange feeling clothing. The t-shirt had printing all over it. A whole bunch of small squares each with something drawn inside of each square. As I took a closer look I could see each block had a picture or diagram in it. Taken in aggregate, when held at arms length, it formed the words 'worth every sacrifice'. I asked the Doc "what's this supposed mean?" The Doc responded "I will tell you later, get dressed NOW!" The clothes were binding and and rubbed me strangely. "SEAN!!! PLEASE!!!" the doc implored me to hurry up. I finished tying my shoes and said "ok then, who are we going to see" "just follow me" the doc said already half way down the hall. I jogged a few steps and and caught up to the doc. We stepped into the huge exercise room. We walked quickly almost jogging to the basketball court. A tall masculine man with very short hair in a fancy uniform was there; wholly crap! I walked towards him assuming he was who was here to see me, and then from around the corner, I heard the distinct sound of a basketball swooshing through a basketball net. I looked over in the direction of the swoosh sound, and then heard the sound of the basketball bouncing on the floor twice after it went through the net and wham! - there was the president! Yea bother, the real president of these United States of fucking America, no shit, shooting hoops. He was wearing a set of grey sweats with the presidential emblem on the left chest where the pocket would be, if there were pockets on sweats, who spoke as we walked up to him. I didn't know if I was supposed to bow at the waist or go down on one knee with my head bowed and kiss his ring or what to do when meeting the president. I liked this president he seems to be honest and want to make things better for everyone and it looks like I will be meeting him in person; shit!
The president laughed when he saw me. I immediately thought it was because it showed that I didn't know how to greet him which made me a bit mad until he spoke. "I love the shirt." The president decreed. The Doc responded proudly "Yes Sir, we've been saving it for you until today at his unveiling". "It's great, thank you!" the president exclaimed. Out of feeling frustrated at not knowing what was so special about the shirt I had to ask the doc "what's so great about it?" The President responded even though I asked the doc the question "well this is a picture of fire, this here is a picture of an animal bone being used as a club, and this is a picture of a screw thread, and this is a lever, that is a wheel, and here is a pulley. This one is a bow and arrow, this is the first map I assume right doc, this is the first drawing on a cave wall I would guess, this is the first sailing ship, still don't get it? the president asked me. I got this feeling, you know the feeling, the one you got when you were in school as a kid. The one where some adult would put you on the spot and ask you a question in front of the class which they thought was obvious but you knew wasn't. The president stood there quietly, expressing with his body language that nothing more would be said until I answered, so I said "They are all inventions from a long time ago?" I queried meekly. The President beamed with a big toothy grin and exclaimed loudly "Yes!! but not just any invention, these were the inventions or discoveries that changed the world". "whats this one?" I asked turning a piece of the shirt upside down so I could understand it. "I'm not sure - what is it doc?" the president asked the doc. "Thats the first blast furnace" the doc responded and clearly couldn't stop himself from going on "this is the first forge, and this is the first paper making process, the first arch, and this is the first arched dam." The President asked "Why are some blue and the rest yellow?" The Doc responded "The blue ones are BC and the amber colored ones are AD. "I love how they form a picture of his face from far away and say the words 'worth every sacrifice' when you are close" said the president. Thanks" said the doc proudly. The president's tone then pivoted on a dime as if a he was just told something inside his head.
"Doc, I need this SCIF pared down to just the two of us please." the president said to the doc; and implicitly to the the guy in the fancy four star uniform. "You mean me and you Mr President" the Doc asked "ha ha no" the president responded "me and sean" The General responded "yes Mr. President, but are you sure..., ...if he's self conscious now..." the president said "I'll be fine and take the secret service with you" "Mr President - ...you know we cant do that" one of the secret service guys uttered quietly just for the president to hear. I hadn't noticed the agent as he was standing in a shadow nearly directly behind me. I realized he was behind me for a reason. They were all afraid of me. The self aware comment, the secret service guy hidden in the shadows standing behind me. No one wanted the president to be alone with me. "This is one of those rare cases where I get my way". The president retorted to the agent and went on to say "I want 100% privacy. This discussion will be officially 'eyes only POTUS'... I really need you to obey my direction for a change." "Yes Mr President but I'll have to make a call first sir" the agent said. The Doc quickly interjected to the president with a sort of questioning tone "I'll have to have the cell phone repeaters turned on for him to make a call. "ok so do it!" The president snapped at the doc. "you know Mr President, that will violate the SOP for security". The president said in an exasperated tone, with tiny spaces between the words for emphasis, showing his frustrations at all of the obstacles that prevented him from having a private conversation with me "turn... on... his... cell... phone - under my authorization". The Doc took a little pendant out of his pocket and pressed a button and spoke into the device "I need a cell phone repeater turned on for 15 minutes in the main hall. Authority Pegasus confirmed by streetcar." Blue lights then started flashing around the room" The Doc said to the agent "make your call... you have 10 minutes." The president turned to me and said "maximum security prisoners have more control over their lives than I do". The president said it loudly enough so that the secret service guy could hear it but the agent chose to ignored it as he was pulling out his cell phone and dialing numbers.
The agent then spoke into his cell phone and said "Pegasus, code of the day 902...38...116... delta-gamma... blue-forward, location- lemon tree... with honda and da vinci... correct da vinci... no mistake... Pegasus wants a 100% empty SCIF... no with de vinci... yes only da vinci and Pegasus... I am aware... I've expressed that sir... no sir, I wont... the president then grabbed the hand of the agent while the agent was still holding onto the phone and pulled the phone to his own ear and said "Mike I need this. I briefed you on it this... it's a national security imperative... Yes... no... not leonardo... yes -da vinci... yes I know... Yes, you know I know his capabilities,... which is why I have to have this conversation alone. MAKE THIS HAPPED MIKE!." All the while the agent was protesting saying that the president wasn't allowed to talk on his phone. The president in turn ignored the agent's protests. The agent kept threatening to let go of the phone but the president kept his hand squeezed tightly against the phone. Then the president said "Thanks Mike... I know, I know... but if he is 1/10 what you say he is then that's not a secret he couldn't find out for himself if he wanted to. I know... I know... but at some point it becomes silly. No, I'm not too worried if the doc knows, I have a great deal of trust in the Doc as well... I understand... no I'll need 30 min - I'll be fine. Thanks for letting the president make one decision as president this once... ha, ha, no, I wont get used to it" A wry smile came over the presidents face as he let go of the phone and said "your boss wants to say something to you." The agent put the phone to back up against his own ear and said "its atlas... yes sir... he seems calm, almost bewildered... no I've not been with him but for a few seconds... but no nothing loud or hostile... yes he seems in control... yes sir... 20 minutes, no more... I have logged your priority alpha-delta override sir. Just then another agent's phone rang who immediately answered it with "Toms automotive service..." then this other agent gave the same code of the day and all the other mumbo jumbo. Eventually he said to the agent called Atlas "I have a priority override confirmation code 167323." Atlas responded "145095" the second agent said "sir that's not right" Atlas carefully responded "145 - 7 - oh95 sorry" Atlas carefully annunciated the numbers this time as if another mistake would be a major problem. "Ok Confirmed sir" responded the second agent. Atlas then said "167323" into his phone and then said "beginning now" and then turned off his phone and put it away; as did the other agent. Then Atlas said "everyone is to withdraw to outside this SCIF by executive priority override alpha-delta. Then I heard the other agent say into his wrist "Executive priority override alpha-delta independently confirmed with a code of the day." Then the four agents, two of which were still hidden in the shadows, started walking towards the closest door. Atlas motioned for the doc and General to head towards a door and the president followed them all. The Doc pulled out his pendant and spoke into it saying "shut down the cell phone repeaters". The blue flashing lights went off as he was walking to the door with the throng of people; leaving me alone in the middle of the room. Given that no one had motioned for me to do anything I just stood there, in place, feeling left out of all the cloak and dagger stuff. As they walked though the door atlas said to the president "I'll see you in 20 minuets sir" "ok" the president responded and closed the door behind them. The president then pushed a button next to the door which caused red lights to start blinking in various locations around the room. At the same time a buzzing sound started near the doors. The president walked back to me and picked up the basketball again.
"Well young man, you're quite the special accomplishment aren't you" the president asked, partially rhetorically and partially wanting an answer, so I sheepishly replied and dodged the question "Mr President, you know I'm not a young man." "Oh I know, I've been pouring money into you since my first day in office. You've cost me more than an aircraft carrier already." The president changed the topic and said "I understand that you don't remember but we sometimes play a bit of basketball when I visit you. Now that you are really conscious do you want to try some one-on-one with the commander and chief?" the president asked. I very sheepishly said "I'm not very good, and now I'm a bit smaller,... but I would be honored". "great" the president said, "It may surprise you but I've played basketball with you many times before; and you've never lost." The president fired the ball into my chest and I dribbled it a bit until I felt like I had a pretty good feel for it. Then I charged the net at full tilt and pivoted around the president jumped and released a 3 point swoosh. "I can see you're still just as good as ever" the president congratulated me. We continued to play basketball for nearly an hour. The president told me how important I was, etc etc. He said it was nice to have me chat back with him for a change.
Then out of the blue he said "I hear you are uncomfortable with a mission where you may have to cause the death of innocents; especially helpless children." I replied that he was right. He then brought up examples of Lincoln, Washington, even himself that has had to give orders that would certainly result in the deaths, and sometimes horrible deaths, of innocents including children. He made all the platitudes and asked for my honest thoughts. I said, "I'm smart enough to know all the arguments you have made. But it feels different to specifically harm innocent individuals than it is to have caused collateral deaths". The president was well scripted for this question and delivered it back to me thick. But I could tell he knew I knew the arguments and said "You know that I know that its repugnant... but can I count on you?" and I responded to the president that yes I would follow his direct orders. The president threw the ball way over my head and it bounced off the backboard and rolled off the rim. "Well we've played a great game." He went on to say after a pause as if he was deciding if he wanted to tell me the next part "If you ever want to know if an order is directly from me, listen to the order carefully. There has to be a date in the order that should be followed by a word starting with the same letter as the day of the week of the date mentioned. Also so that you know if the message has been modified the number of words should equal the year mentioned divided by 7 and rounded down after subtracting the day and adding the month number. Only you are to know that. If you hear of an order that violates either of those rules, then get out of wherever you are, call this number 202-456-7734. No one will answer but leave a date by subtracting three from the month and 4 from the day when you can show up at the white house disguised as a tourist. When you arrive join the tour, ask where the presidents bunker is while on the tour. ok?" the president finished. "Yes Sir, but what if that makes a negative date" I responded. "just let it wrap so like if you wanted to meet July 2nd you would say April 29 if you wanted to meet on January 1st you would say..." I interrupted "October 28", The president said "right, well I need to get back, but your first assignment is important, and you should feel good doing this one! No one will get hurt and it will let you try yourself out some. Later sean" the president said as he picked up the basketball and handed it to me and walked to the door. He pressed the button, turning off the red flashing lights and then opening the door to a few stressed and relieved secret service agents and the general. I just stood there. In the room with a basketball handed to me by the president.
The Doc came back into the room and asked "so how was that?" I responded "amazing" he's pretty honest. "yea I think so as well. I went on "but I don't think I am supposed to tell you what he said" the doc replied "no, no you're not." You now have what is known as an operational secret that only two people are to ever know - you and the president."