TICK

Sir, the first line of defense in Los Angeles stopped responding, the Cheyenne Mountain liaison officer said.

TOCK

Fort Eustis surrendered. A hub of transportation and aviation was lost.

TICK

Fort Smallwood lost connection to Cheyenne.

TOCK

Houston just went dark.

Space Force Command is down.

Mar-A-Lago.

Fort Knox has.

Coronado.

TICK

The Pentagon is being contested, came another report.

The bunker below the situation room was in a frenzy, as it seemed like there was a competition over who could deliver the worst news to the president as fast as possible. Each analyst and liaison officer was shouting to be heard over the others, and that was just the most important information. The stream of defeats seemed endless and came in faster than even an entire large room like the one they were in could contain.

Base after base and city after city fell to ARES forces in every state. The NORAD joint bases fell just as fast, despite Canada having basically no dog in this particular fight. It didnt take long before Americas Canadian allies abandoned their equipment, raised the white flag, and fled back to the north with their tails tucked between their legs. They said they were reinforcing critical locations at home in preparation for the fight to come, but everyone knew what they were actually doing.

...

TICK

Sir, things arent going very well. Whats your orders? General Dunford asked. The constant announcements of the falling cities and military bases was getting to him; he had grown up in an era where the idea of American Exceptionalism was formally taught and strictly adhered to and was mentally unprepared for his entire belief system to be brought crashing down around him like this.

Theyll be at the White House in a matter of hours if we dont stop them before they arrive, shouted DNI Coats.

What can we do? Our 500 billion dollar per year military is surrendering to them in waves. So what can we do? the acting secretary of defense sighed, a look of defeat on his face. Were going down just like Saddam did years ago, only faster.

We should surrender, the secretary of state suggested.

The acting secretary of defense slammed his palms on the table and stood up, leaning over it and casting a glare at the secretary of state. Youre a fucking coward! he growled.

Youre calling ME a coward?! Your fucking department is the one responsible for protecting the country, but just what is IT doing right now!? the secretary of state yelled back across the table.

Were fighting to the last man before we surrender! We have never, are not now, and will never surrender to anyone until every last red-blooded American is dead!

You stupid son of a bitch. Just because youre not the one fighting on the front lines yourself and your family is safe from the attacks, you think you can parade your pathetic bullshit in front of me? You think you can cover your fear in a flag and counter it with a patriotic attitude? If youre so gung fucking ho, why dont YOU go to the front line and fight yourself, Rambo? the secretary of state sneered. Youre just wasting my air in here, you pathetic sack of shit! You only made it in here because a much better man than you was forced to resign anyway!

And you want us to roll over and be their slaves!?

The secretary of state let out a frustrated shout and grabbed fistfuls of his hair. Then he raised his head and, with bloodshot eyes, shouted, Did you even take a fucking second to think that I might have a plan? Did you even think for one fucking second to ask if I had a plan? Im saying we surrender and preserve our forces, then prepare for a later counterattack to catch them off guard! We have no idea of what theyre capable ofnone! We need to know their true power level before we can make an attempt at round two, you fucking moron!

TOCK

TICK

While the cabinet members fought among themselves, each shouting to be heard over the others, President Trump had his own particular headache to deal with. He had heard a report of ARES forces being dropped into a mostly unpopulated area, seemingly as an afterthought or a mistake. The only reason the analyst had reported it to him was that it was somewhat out of character for the invaders, who had, up until then, only targeted areas of strategic significance. Even Las Vegas was a blow to an American industry, reliant on tourism as it was.

The location itself was somewhere nobody but Trump knew was of actual significance, and he couldnt mention it to anyone, either. That was what was giving him a headache.

They know, he thought. The Edenians were headed straight for the Morgans. How could they fucking know!?Do they know about our deal? Whatll they do if they capture us? Question after question passed through the presidents mind, none of which he had an answer to. But the questions continued coming, relentlessly trampling through his mind like a herd of elephants.

Will they kill us? No, they cant do that. They need my cooperation, so at least Im safe... but the Morgans will probably die. Also, theyll need the current government to cooperate, at least for a while, or the citizens will take things into their own hands and make it practically impossible to govern the country. And if they cant govern us, theyll have to retreat, so their victory will be short-lived.

Enough! Trump shouted, causing everyone at the table to immediately pipe down and look at him. Surrender, for now. Lets analyze the situation and choose a course of action when we know more, he continued in a calm, assured tone. He was internally elated that the Morgans and Rothschilds would soon be eliminated by Arons forces.

TOCK

Silence weighed heavily at the conference table; even the rest of the room seemed quieter, despite the shouting and hubbub still going on among the analysts and liaison officers. Everyone was weighing the presidents order and seemed to be on the verge of accepting it, until....

TICK

I cant let you do that, the Acting Secretary of Defense, Patrick Shanahan, said. He reached into his coat and drew a pistol, then pointed it at President Trump.

TOCK

BANG!