President Bauer asked in surprise.
“What did you just say?”
“You must know the grounds for impeachnt better than I do, so I won’t bother stating them. Instead, I want to say this: If President Ronald is impeached, the Vice President will beco President.”
Mike Bauer is a distinguished Republican, a traditional conservative, and a devout evangelical. He is unassuming, sincere, and speaks only the truth, possessing a capacity for inclusivity that encompasses seasoned Republicans.
Ronald, lacking any support base within the party, chose him as a partner, and that choice proved to be correct. He beca the foremost reason for Ronald’s election by rallying traditional Republican supporters.
It was said that within the party, Mike Bauer made Ronald President, while outside the party, it was Kang Jin-hoo who did.
Having served as the Governor of Hawaii, this vice presidency marked the end of his political career.
If Ronald fails to be re-elected, that will be the end of it. Even if Ronald succeeds, he will retire in four years.
After that, he will likely lead a peaceful life. He has already prepared a ho in Hawaii to live with his wife.
However…
“The na of the President of the United States remains in history. If you asked soone to na past presidents, even a holess person lying on the street could na ten on the spot. But can you recall any nas of Vice Presidents?”
The President is the protagonist of history all by himself. His na will be eternally recorded, both during and after his term. However, the Vice President disappears from everyone’s mory as soon as their term ends.
Governor Simon suddenly spoke as if struck by a thought.
“Ah! There’s a na I rember: Harry Truman was also a Vice President.”
Harry Truman.
The only reason people rember him as a Vice President is one—
“If he hadn’t succeeded to the presidency upon Roosevelt’s death, would anyone rember his na today?”
It was a dangerous and secretive temptation.
Vice President Bauer felt a fla ignite in his chest.
The position he thought he could never attain… the chance to beco the protagonist of history had been given to him!
Simon spoke with a subtle tone.
“Please persuade the Republican senators to join the impeachnt.”
I didn’t think they would act solely for the national interest, expecting no reward in return.
Vice President Bauer asked Simon,
“What do you want?”
“It’s not just President Ronald who should be held accountable in this matter. If the President is impeached, all related parties must resign. The Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense, Secretary of Treasury, Secretary of Holand Security… and many others as well.”
Vice President Bauer understood what he was implying.
“Are you asking for that position?”
Simon did not deny it.
“Given the current situation, it will be difficult to stabilize the chaos solely with Republican power. The Democratic Party will contribute for the new president.”
It wasn’t a bad proposal.
The reason Ronald had been unable to show strong leadership since taking office was that Congress was dominated by the Democrats.
If the impeachnt passed, the Democrats’ influence would only grow stronger. Their support was crucial for stable governance moving forward.
Vice President Bauer looked at Simon. He thought that perhaps he and Simon would face each other in the next presidential election.
Winning would be great, and losing wouldn’t matter much. Regardless, he would go down in history as the President of the United States.
“I will first et with the Republican leaders.”
At his words, those gathered in the room broke into satisfied smiles.
***
New Jersey Governor Simon Underwood issued an ultimatum to Ronald alongside Democratic senators.
“I will give you three days. Within that ti, cease this madness and resign from the presidency. If you refuse, I will summon the House and Senate for impeachnt votes.”
It was anticipated that Congress would strongly oppose this. However, the actual move to introduce impeachnt was unexpected.
Unlike Korea, where a presidential impeachnt leads to a re-election, in the U.S., the vice president assus the position. Therefore, even if impeachnt is successful, a regi change doesn’t occur.
After watching the news, Taek-gyu asked, “Has there ever been an impeached president in U.S. history?”
“No.”
There had been close calls, though.
Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton were acquitted by the Senate, and Richard Nixon resigned just before passing in the House.
Instead of eting with the Democrats to persuade them, Ronald posted on Twitter.
[“The donkey brays, but the elephant marches on!”]
The donkey symbolizes the Democratic Party while the elephant represents the Republican Party.
In the House, if a majority votes for impeachnt, it will pass. Therefore, if the majority Democratic Party decides to vote, there’s no way to stop it. However, the Senate requires a two-thirds majority to pass.
While it might be difficult in the House, calculations suggested that if the Republicans united, they could effectively block it in the Senate.
But then…
“Despite nurous counsel and objections, President Ronald Stamper is destroying Arica by believing in Professor Mohan’s false claims and Kang Jin-hoo’s words. I have concluded that he has lost the judgnt necessary to continue in the presidency. I urge the public to support this. May God’s blessing be upon Arica.”
The speaker was none other than Vice President Mike Bauer!
He was, in effect, the leader of the Republican Party. His stance indicated that even veteran Republicans had turned their backs on Ronald.
With the Republican Party joining the impeachnt effort, they secured enough votes in both the House and Senate for passage.
[“Will he be impeached, or will he resign?”]
[21st Century Rasputin, Bringing Down the Supre Ruler!]
[Kang Jin-hoo is the true Big One!]
[Poll results show 91 percent overwhelmingly support impeachnt!]
The impeachnt vote date is September 28.
The future of the United States was heading in an unpredictable direction.
***
I hadn’t been able to sleep properly for several days.
I had dozed off leaning against the sofa, and again, I found myself standing there. The sa scene unfolded before my eyes.
What on earth are you trying to show ?
The man next to kept checking his watch and talking on his Bluetooth earpiece. The signal changed, and people crossed the street.
Once more, the ground split open, and I grabbed the hand of the man who was about to fall. Even knowing I couldn’t save him, I pulled him towards .
I could see the Rolex watch on his right wrist.
In that mont, the ground beneath gave way, and I fell into an endless darkness.
When I opened my eyes, the world was silent.
Taek-gyu asked.
“What did you see this ti?”
“The ti when the Big One is coming.”
Taek-gyu was taken aback.
“Really? What ti is it?”
“12:47. The Big One will co then.”
***
Though the 28th had arrived, the anticipated launch of the Nphone Z did not happen.
There was no launch, nor even a new product announcent, just like other companies.
It looked very different from what I had seen. Everything must have changed because of .
Everyone was eagerly wishing for this situation to end soon.
I received a call from Professor Mohan. He spoke in a weary voice,
[The movents of the San Andreas and Hayward faults are concerning. It feels like it’s truly right on our doorstep… but honestly, I’m not sure what to make of it.]
Professor Mohan was also suffering from criticism. Demands for his dismissal were flooding in at the California Institute of Technology.
The highest-level earthquake warning was issued for the San Francisco Bay area.
anwhile, the Democratic Party proceeded with impeachnt proceedings as promised. Ronald now had two choices left.
Be impeached or resign beforehand.
Ronald looked exhausted. His once passionate deanor had faded, making him appear like a man in his 70s.
“We should start preparing the resignation announcent soon,”
“Let’s wait a bit.”
Ronald gave a bitter smile at my words.
“What will change if we wait?”
“The Big One might co before that.”
If what I had seen was correct, it would certainly happen.
I kept checking my watch. Ti was passing anxiously.
And finally, it was 12:47, the scheduled ti.
The Big One… did not co.
The world remained silent.
As I felt a surge of confusion, Ronald looked at with a puzzled expression.
“Why is that?”
“Oh, it’s nothing.”
Why is nothing happening?
What I saw was the hand of a wristwatch. There could be a few minutes of discrepancy. However, even after 30 minutes and then an hour, still nothing happened.
Sothing is wrong!
Taek-gyu’s face turned pale.
My mind was in chaos, unable to think clearly. What did I misunderstand? Could it be that my actions influenced the earthquake?
What in the world did I do?
Outside, the shouts and screams of protesters could be heard. The police were clashing with the protesters trying to enter the White House.
After a mont, Ronald finished a brief call and hung up the receiver.
“The House of Representatives has passed the impeachnt asure. The Senate vote will be held shortly.”
An interview with the Speaker of the House was on TV.
He explained the result of the impeachnt vote and said, “Impeachnt of the president is a deeply sorrowful event. For the sake of not leaving a stain on Arican history, I urge President Ronald to make a decision swiftly.”
Ronald lightly clapped his hands and got to his feet.
“Well, that’s it.”
It had already been over two hours since Big Won was supposed to arrive. Yet, nothing happened. The San Francisco Bay visible on TV remained tranquil.
Now the Senate vote was set to begin. There was no more ti left. This was Ronald’s final opportunity.
I could not dissuade Ronald from announcing his resignation. It was his last shred of dignity.
Now wasting money is no longer an issue. Everything is truly over!
What went wrong?
If Ronald hadn’t listened to , neither of us would have ended up like this.
How is he feeling?
“Are you blaming ?”
Ronald chuckled softly and gave my shoulder a light pat.
“It’s my decision, my judgnt. There’s no need to bla anyone.”
He had often found himself in controversy due to his flippant behavior, not very presidential. But on the brink of resignation, he looked more presidential than ever.
Ronald headed to the press room for his resignation announcent, leaving just the two of us.
We remained silent for a long ti.
Taek-gyu asked, looking puzzled.
“What’s going on? Why hasn’t the earthquake happened?”
“I don’t know anymore.”
Was it a mistake with the date, or was there another reason?
Just a mont ago, I had been so certain. Now, I couldn’t even comprehend the truth.
What had I really seen?
Was it truly the future, or just an illusion of my own making? Perhaps Big One never existed at all?
What do I truly want?
Is it preferable to have an earthquake to gain sothing, or is it better to not have one at all, even if it ans losing everything?
Do I wish for the earthquake to happen, or do I wish it won’t?
mories of the accusations against resurfaced, along with all I had done to prevent the earthquake disaster. Was it truly aningless?
Ronald appeared on the TV screen with a caption reading, “White House Ergency Statent.”
Although the reason for the press conference was not revealed, everyone knew it was about his resignation.
Once Ronald resigns, all ergency asures will cease. After that, even if the Big One cos, there will be nothing we can do.
It truly feels like everything is over.
In that mont, my vision blurred, and I heard a ringing in my ears.
“So… just… arrived in… San Fran…”
I could tell it was the voice of the man standing next to , not the one speaking at the podium.
What is he saying?
“This ti… JP Morgan… definitely… IPO…”
Could it be…
Taek-gyu asked , “What’s wrong?”
I muttered, “That man was a JP Morgan employee.”
“Who is that guy?”
“JP Morgan’s headquarters is on Wall Street. He’s here on a business trip to San Francisco.”
Taek-gyu blinked, clearly confused. “What does that matter now?”
“The East and West have a three-hour ti difference.”
Smartphones automatically adjust ti by checking GPS and cell towers. But an analog clock needs to be manually adjusted.
But what if he hadn’t adjusted the ti separately?
Then, at the ti of the earthquake, the local ti isn’t 12:47 but 3:47!
After hearing this, Taek-gyu looked at his watch in shock. “It just passed.”
I turned my head toward the TV.
Ronald read his prepared statent in a calm voice.
“Dear citizens, I hereby resign from the presidency of the United States…”
I felt my legs weaken, as if I might collapse at any mont. It felt as if the ground beneath was shaking.
No!
It’s not an illusion. The ground is actually shaking!
Taek-gyu fell to the floor, and Ronald, visible on the screen, staggered while holding onto the podium. The startled voices of the reporters flowed through the broadcast.
“What was that?”
“What’s happening?”
“Could it be…?”
An aide dashed into the fra and whispered sothing into Ronald’s ear.
At that mont, Ronald crumpled the announcent he was holding. Then he stared directly at the cara and said,
“The Big one has co.”
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