"Right, tell me our plans for dealing with these invaders!" Oliver Cole shouted, his voice echoing through the meeting room. He was no longer able to maintain a calm expression, especially with public opinion already turning against the government. The situation had become politically dangerous, and every possible response seemed to carry consequences that could damage his administration. What frustrated him most was that the people occupying American soil were not behaving like a conventional invading army, making it difficult to deal with them through ordinary legal means.
"Unfortunately, sir, that is not something we can simply decide on our own," said Summer Woods, the director of the CIA. She remained composed, though the expression on her face suggested that she was not pleased with the conclusion her department had reached. "At the moment, there are no laws that clearly forbid them from being in the state or carrying out what they are doing."
Oliver's expression darkened as Summer continued explaining the problem. The soldiers had weapons, but the right to carry weapons was protected by the Constitution, at least under circumstances that could be interpreted as lawful. The killings themselves could also be described as acts of self-defense, especially considering that the situation had supposedly involved one man facing approximately three hundred armed opponents.
"And even if we tried to prosecute that man, we would never get a jury to convict him," Summer continued. "The circumstances would make it nearly impossible, and forcing the issue would create a diplomatic disaster."
The room remained silent as the implications settled over everyone present. The government could not easily arrest the soldiers, confiscate their weapons, or declare their actions illegal without creating a legal argument that might collapse in court. Even if the administration managed to push charges forward, the public reaction would likely be disastrous. Many Americans were already sympathetic toward the Church after witnessing the rescue operation, and any attempt to punish the people involved could be portrayed as the government attacking religious protectors.
"The only real ground we can stand on is that they did not enter the country through the proper channels," Summer said with a sigh. "We could argue that they are trespassing on American soil, but even that would seem weak. It is not exactly a strong legal foundation for confronting a force of this size."
"Right, and anything heavier than that would require me to go through Congress," Oliver replied bitterly. "And Congress will not want to vote on this issue. Even members of my own party can see how unpopular it would make them with voters."
Oliver leaned back in his chair, rubbing his forehead as the pressure continued to build. When he had first taken office, he had expected the presidency to be difficult, but he had not expected every decision to become a battle against the country's own political structure. He had only recently managed to claw back a small amount of authority from the Wall Street elites and the powerful interests that had spent years influencing the government.
Now, just as he had begun to regain some control, another crisis had appeared.
"I'm beginning to regret becoming president," Oliver muttered, though nobody in the room pretended not to hear him. "This job is far more stressful than I expected."
He paused before looking toward Summer again.
"So I still need to speak with the elites to get this problem out of the way?" he asked, his voice carrying a faint trace of hope. It was almost as though he was begging her to tell him that there was another option available, one that would not force him to negotiate with the very people he had spent so much effort resisting.
"Yes, sir," Summer answered.
The response immediately ruined whatever hope Oliver had been clinging to.
The rest of the cabinet had remained unusually silent throughout the discussion. Unlike Oliver and Summer, most of them were representatives of powerful families, major conglomerates, and wealthy financial interests. They had already been receiving an earful from their backers because the president had disrupted their plans regarding the breathing method. Their organizations had made serious mistakes, and everyone in the room knew it.
However, they also understood that there was no longer any realistic way to change Oliver's mind about that decision.
The breathing method had become part of his legacy.
No matter how badly Oliver performed during the remainder of his presidency, the fact that he had helped create and distribute an effective breathing method would ensure that future generations remembered him positively. People would thank him for it for decades, perhaps even centuries, and that meant the decision was no longer something the powerful families could simply pressure him into reversing.
They had lost that battle.
Now, they were facing the consequences of the president's actions while trying to prevent the situation from becoming even worse.
"Yes, sir, that is the best option available at the moment," Summer said. "However, I would also like to bring another matter to your attention."
Oliver looked at her with growing irritation.
"The CIA has spent the last week analyzing the Church's motives, and we have reached a troubling conclusion."
The atmosphere in the room changed immediately. The cabinet members who had previously been staring at the table or avoiding eye contact now turned toward Summer. They had all been interested in the Church's actions, but hearing that the CIA had completed an analysis made them realize that the matter was more serious than they had initially assumed.
"Well, get on with it," Oliver said impatiently. "What did you find?"
Summer took a breath before continuing.
"We analyzed the reasons behind the Church's decision to come here, and the only logical conclusion we could reach is that their actions were intended as a warning from the System."
Several cabinet members stiffened.
"A warning?" Oliver repeated.
"Yes, sir," Summer replied. "A warning directed at the United States government to get its underworld under control, particularly the corrupted humans operating within it."
The words hung heavily in the room.
Summer's expression became more serious as she continued laying out the reasoning behind the CIA's conclusion.
"It makes very little sense for the Church to deliberately agitate the United States government over only a few believers if their actual goal was to gain more followers or territory. If they wanted more believers, they could have gone to Africa. Christianity is still widespread in many parts of that continent, and the Church could have gained considerable support there."
She glanced around the room before adding the most uncomfortable part of her argument.
"Furthermore, if their goal had been influence or strategic expansion, Africa would have offered them considerably more value. By putting a stop to the unrest in the region, they could have gained both public support and a strategically important foothold. Instead, they came here and created a confrontation with the United States."
The faces of the cabinet members slowly changed as they realized what Summer was implying.
She was not merely saying that the Church had acted against American interests. She was suggesting that the Church had been sent to deliver a message on behalf of the System itself. The rescue operation, the public execution of criminals, and the arrival of the soldiers could all have been part of a larger warning aimed at the American government.
Summer was effectively accusing them of allowing the situation to become this severe.
"Wait," Oliver said slowly. "Are you saying that we could face the same kind of punishment Russia received because we allowed corrupted humans to operate on our soil without properly dealing with them?"
Oliver was already aware of the weaknesses within American law enforcement. The official standing order was supposed to be simple: corrupted humans were to be killed on sight. Yet he also knew that the order was not always followed in practice.
Many politicians and businessmen maintained connections with gang members and criminal organizations. These corrupted humans were useful to powerful people who wanted to conduct illegal activities without directly involving themselves. As a result, prosecuting them was often difficult, especially when the people protecting them possessed money, influence, and political connections.
"Yes, sir," Summer replied. "That is precisely what we believe."
Her tone was grim as she continued.
"Our recommendation is that you intervene immediately and put an end to these practices. It is not worth allowing the nation to lose such an enormous amount of profit simply because a handful of greedy people wanted to make a few million dollars."
Summer's expression was serious, but it was nowhere near as severe as the faces of the cabinet members around her. Several of them looked as though they had just bitten into something extremely sour. They knew exactly who Summer was referring to, and they also understood that the CIA had likely already identified the individuals and organizations benefiting from corrupted humans.
More importantly, they knew that Summer was not merely speaking about criminals.
She was speaking about their backers.
The cabinet members understood that passing this information to the powerful families and conglomerates would not be easy. Those groups would not appreciate being accused of allowing corrupted humans to operate under their protection. They would certainly resist any attempt to dismantle their networks, especially if doing so threatened their profits or exposed their connections to the public.
Oliver tapped his fingers against the desk for nearly a minute.
The room remained silent while he considered his options. He had already been forced to deal with the Church, the foreign soldiers, Congress, the wealthy elites, and the growing anger of the American public. Now he was being told that the country's own criminal networks might have attracted the attention of the System.
Eventually, Oliver made up his mind.
"Right, John, I want you to put the military on alert and prepare them to respond to an invasion," Oliver ordered. "We need these corrupted humans out of our country, and I will not hear arguments against it."
John immediately straightened in his seat.
"We will not debase our country any further by becoming the first superpower to fall to corrupted humans," Oliver continued. "I will prepare a speech. Summer, I hope you already have an executive decision drafted and ready for me to sign."
He pushed himself out of his chair.
"I need to speak to the American public."
Oliver began walking toward the exit, but just before he left the room, he stopped. He turned around and looked directly at John, his expression becoming colder and more serious.
"Oh, and John, do not forget that the order to execute corrupted humans on sight is still in effect," Oliver said. "That includes politicians and businessmen. No matter how powerful they are or how corrupt they have become, they are to be killed."
The room fell completely silent.
Oliver did not wait for a response. He turned around and left the meeting room, leaving the cabinet members to deal with the implications of his decision.
"Yes, sir," John replied.
He saluted before leaving the room as well, though unlike the others, he did so with clear excitement. For the first time in a while, the military had been given a direct and unambiguous order, and John appeared more than ready to carry it out.