Chapter 8
created: 2023-06-04T10:39 updated: 2023-06-04T10:
Chapter 8
Sarah walked into Cassie's office, followed by Doctor Jones and Addison. Cassie looked at the three of them.
"Doctor, I just received word from the WHO, This is a lot worse than I could have ever imagined..." Doctor Jones said. "The WHO has reported that on a global scale, we are at one hundred boys for every girl..." Addison and Sarah glanced at each other. Cassie reached up and rubbed her temples.
"Shit..." She said, locking eyes with Sarah. Nothing else needed to be said as Cassie's eyes told Sarah everything she needed to know. Sarah calmly turned and walked out of the office and sat at her desk, picking up the phone. She dialed a number from memory.
"Cheryl, It's Sarah, I need to speak to the Senator. Is he in?" Sarah listened for a second. "Ok, I need him to call the office when he gets in. We just got some info from the WHO that could change the time table on everything. If I can get into that meeting with COS and DCOS that would help as well. I can get Cassie and Dr. Jones in on it too." Sarah listened for a few more seconds. "Alright, thanks, Cheryl." Sarah hung the phone up and went back into Cassie's office.
"Short of starting the plan now at least with our staff, I don't know what we could do in the short term." Doctor Jones was saying.
"I've already given Sarah the authorization to purchase a device so that she can give a report to the Senator..." Cassie glanced at Sarah.
"The Senator is in with the White House Chief of Staff and the Deputy Chief of Staff. Cheryl said she's going to try to get us in that meeting." Sarah sat in a chair, and looked at Addison.
"Can I get in on that too?" Addison suddenly asked.
"Get in on what?" Cassie asked, not sure if Addison meant the device or the phone call with the Senator.
"A device as part of a test run." Addison said, dropping her head and looking at the floor.
"Yes, I'll even sign off on it as an agency purchase. Get with Sarah as to the details of it." The phone in the corner of the room rang. It only rang if Sarah had forwarded the calls from her phone to it.
"That might be the Senator." Sarah said, jumping up and answering it. "Director Robinson's office, This is Sarah, how may I help you?" Sarah listened for a second and then spoke. "Yes, Sir, Let me transfer you to the polycomm in the center of the table." Sarah hit a few buttons and then ran over to the polycomm and hit the button. "Mr. President, you're on with Director Robinson, Doctor Jones, Doctor Jones' assistant Addison and myself."
"Alright, I have Chief of Staff Donahue, Deputy Chief of Staff Millhouse, National Security Advisor O' Leary, White House Communications Director Seawell, Spokesman Ignally, Speaker Halliday, and Senator Gordon here. The Senator has brought your proposal up for us to read, Sarah. Good work on that. Cheryl said that your call seemed urgent; What's going on?" Sarah looked at the three other people in the room. Cassie and Dr. Jones nodded. "We just received word from the WHO on the problem that we first discovered in our own country. The WHO is reporting that we are currently at 100 boys for every girl born on a global scale. If you have read Dr. Jones' report then you understand why this is very bad news." There was the sound of something hitting the table and then the President's voice.
"Cynthia! Get the Vice President over here now. He needs to drop what he's doing and get here!"
"I'm going to get this onto the floor of the House as soon as I get back to the chambers. This went from bad to worse pretty quick...." Speaker Halliday said.
"Dr. Robinson, how quickly could you guys get up here?" The President asked.
"Flight time from Hartsfield to Dulles is approximately two hours, Mr. President." Cassie and Sarah locked eyes. "Who all do you want to come up?"
"The four of you, Cassie." President Whiteside said. Addison's eyes got wide. "You guys have four hours. I'll reconvene the group then. See you guys in a little bit."
"Thank you, Mr. President." Cassie said as the line disconnected.
Sarah rushed to the phone in the corner. She dialed a number and then listened for a second. "This is Sarah Wilson, I need a gulf stream sitting in the hanger with Paul and Rich at the controls in an hour." She listened for a few seconds. "I'm the assistant to the director."
"I need to run home and get stuff. How long are we going to be there?" Addison said.
"Plan for an overnight stay, just in case." Cassie said.
"Yes, there will be four of us for the manifest, Director Robertson, Doctor Jones, His assistant Addison Walton, and my self, Sarah Wilson. We are going to Dulles, we need to be at the White House by 1800. We might be arriving in stages." Sarah was saying into the phone. "Yes. We would like an assistant on the flight up and back, and the Iridium will be required."
"Head home and get what you need. Remember that you are going to the White House and if we end up staying the night, you and Sarah can bunk together.
"Ok, Thanks." Sarah said, hanging up the phone. "A gulf is waiting for us in fourteen. Paul and Rich will be onboard."
"Alright. We still have bags here, right? " Cassie asked Sarah.
"Yes," Sarah said. "We might need to do some ironing, but we still have the bags here."
"Alright, Get them down to the Yukon." Cassie said, picking up her laptop and dropping it in it's carrying case. "
Sarah nodded and left the office, gathering her own stuff up to take on the plane to Washington. After dropping her laptop in the bag, she poked her head back into Cassie's office. "Are we going to eat on the plane or should I have Wanda bring something up?"
"Have her bring us up something that will be quick and not too messy to eat. We might be eating on the road. Also have her send up stuff for Doctor Jones and Addison. I'm sure that she knows our culinary preferences by now..." Cassie paused for a moment, looking out the window. "Make sure that Kierstin knows that we are going back to DC so she can handle everything for us..."
"Already done..." Sarah said, opening a closet and pulling out two suitcases. "I let her know before I packed up my laptop. I wish I had something more comfortable to wear on the second plane ride to DC for the day." The phone in the corner rang.
"Director Robinson's office, This is Sarah." Sarah said into the phone. "Yes, Kierstin, it should be the same numbers as this morning. I believe that we will be onboard the same plane. I'll call you as soon as the system's online." She listened for a few seconds. "Ok, Thanks."
Cassie pulled up to the gate as a car pulled up behind the Yukon. "Good evening, I'm Doctor Robertson, We have a plane waiting in hanger fourteen." She said as Sarah's phone beeped. She fished it out of her purse and looked at it.
"Addison's behind us." Sarah said, spinning as much as she could in the seat to look behind the Yukon.
"Alright, have her follow us once we get inside the gates." Cassie said. Sarah quickly typed out the message and sent it. Cassie turned her attention back to the guard. "The car behind us is part of our group. We're still waiting on Doctor Jones."
"Alright, you guys are cleared to go to fourteen. You know where it is, right?" The guard reached inside the guard shack and pushed a button, causing the gate in front of the Yukon to slide open.
"Sure do. This is my second trip there today." Cassie replied. Her voice dry. She wasn't accustomed to being summoned to Washington twice in one day, but when the President himself said to get up here, you took the next available flight. Cassie pulled the Yukon in the hanger and parked it Addison rolled in and parked next to them, Her eyes wide. Sarah guessed that she hadn't seen a single enclosed space this large before. Addison pulled in next to Cassie and parked her car, getting out. Sarah reached over and opened her door, pushing it with her foot.
"Thanks, Cheryl," Sarah said pushing the door shut behind her. "I'll let you know our wheels down time when we go wheels up." Addison glanced up as Doctor Jones pulled his black Lexus into the hanger and backed in next to the Yukon. Cassie grabbed the bags out of the Yukon and headed for the plane. Paul met her at the door, holding his hand out to take the bags. Cassie handed them off to him.
"The engines are warm, we are just waiting on everyone to board before we get airborne, we have priority out of Hartsfield and Priority into Andrews," Paul said, shouting over the engines. "The White House called to inform us that there is a motorcade waiting at Andrews." It was quickly becoming obvious that the President wasn't fooling around.
"Alright. I'll get everyone onboard," Cassie said, turning and heading back down to the tarmac. She walked up to Doctor Jones, Addison and Sarah. "Let's go!" Cassie said load enough for them to hear her. The group went up the steps and sat down onboard the aircraft. "Paul, we're on board, lets get up in to the air."
"Gulf 983AT, Requesting permission to taxi to holding for takeoff." Rich said into the headset. The communications system was set so that everyone heard the traffic.
"Tower to 983AT, permission to taxi to holding at Echo 1," A voice came from the speakers. "Also be advised, we just got word on MilAir that you guys are to stand by for Freedom Flight. They are five minutes out, and will be doing a touch and go, circle and join on your wing."
"983AT copy, taxi to Echo 1 and hold pending arrival of Freedom flight." Rich said.
"What's going on?" Addison asked, her voice shaky.
"Have you ever flown before?" Cassie asked, leaning forward to peer out the window as the plane left the hanger under it's own power.
"Nope," Addison replied, meekly.
"Well, Paul and Rich are two of the best guys that I've ever flown with since I joined the CDC." Cassie said, turning her gaze to the young woman in the seat next to her. Sarah was sitting at the table and Quentin was sitting across from Cassie, also at the table. "I'm guessing that Freedom Flight is a military escort up to DC. We may have one on the way back too. We'll have to wait and see."
"Freedom Flight Lead to Hartsfield Tower." The radio crackled
"Go Freedom Flight" came the voice of the controller.
"Have 983AT hold at the far end of the runway, and permission to take off as soon as we are back up."
"983AT copies direct."
"983AT Roger." The plane rolled forward, turned ninety degrees and stopped. From behind the plane there was a loud roaring sound. If Sarah didn't know what was going on, she would have been freaking out. From the front windows, three shadows crossed the plane, touched down letting out a puff of smoke and instantly was airborne again.
"983AT, Clear for take off, Departure knows that you are with Freedom Flight, you can disregard contacting them."
"Roger, Gulf 983AT cleared for takeoff, Freedom Flight has Departure, Good Evening Atlanta." Paul said.
"983, Freedom Flight Lead, Switch to 332.4, if able. If not able switch to Guard."
The plane touched down with a slight bump. Sarah and Addison had decided that they would share the measuring kit that had already been ordered and that the sizes on the belts would be similar. They had also found a company that sold the devices that had different colored waist bands. That had intrigued both Sarah and Addison, who felt that having a choice of color might make the whole idea more palatable... The two of them looked at each other.
"Pink." They said at the same time.
"Shit," Sarah said as the plane stopped. "I need to revise the proposal... We now have two possible vendors..."
"Let the President know when we get there," Cassie said, standing as the plane stopped. Off the starboard wing a line of police cars and limousines sat, red and blue lights flashing. Paul walked back and opened the door.
"We're going to leave the luggage on board, if we end up staying overnight, call and we'll have it sent to wherever you guys end up."
"Will do," Cassie said, watching as the stairs lowered to the ground. Addison and Sarah grabbed their bags and walked down the steps, There was a police officer standing at the foot of the stairs.
"Second limousine, please Ma'am." He said with a smile. There was a man in a suit standing next to an open rear door of the limo. Cassie slid in and Sarah followed, sitting across from Cassie. Addison slid in and sat next to Sarah and then Dr. Jones sat next to Cassie. The suit outside the limo shut the door and ran back to a Suburban that sat behind the limo. The motorcade left the airfield at a high rate of speed and made way for the White House.