Chapter 5: The Date

Kenneth woke up in his Clearyville home feeling a bit tired. It was Saturday, and he usually slept in until noon, Saturday being his day off from the responsibilities of being president of a developing country. But today was different. Today he would be meeting with Michelle, his Department of Defense head. It was strictly a trip for business, he kept telling himself, as he had asked her to tell him a bit more about the Commonwealth and its situation with the NSF, and Paradite. For a while, he had been wondering if the two were connected. But he had kept thinking that it was impossible. He just got informed of it mere months ago. But plenty of things have happened since then; Soltria being occupied by the NSF, its president being killed (as far as he had heard), and Follomer being attacked, though it wasn’t confirmed that the group was the NSF. Kenneth had heard that the Chancellor’s daughter had been affected. He sent his condolences. But oddly enough, after the attack on Government Hill, the Commonwealth had been very quiet. Development proceeded as normal, with no unusual threats. Knowing that worrying about a problem only makes it worse, Kenneth stopped thinking about it for now, and got in the shower. He hated waking up, but it was always easier with a long, hot shower. After he had soaked and washed for long enough, he wrapped himself in a towel and headed to his bedroom. Deep in thought, he didn’t immediately notice a mysterious figure outside one of the windows. He went to his room and began getting dressed. All the while, the mysterious person lurked around the outside of his house, seemingly searching for something. All of a sudden, he disappeared. Two minutes later, the alarm went off. Kenneth, who was in the middle of choosing something to wear, abruptly got up and ran downstairs. By the time he got there, the man who had been lurking outside his house was surrounded by no fewer than 10 Secret Service officers.

Michelle told him to meet him at a little coffee shop close to the new Air Force Base, named SchulmAir Force Base after a significant contributor, a Bruce Schulmanator. Though he had not met him personally (apparently he lived in an alternate universe, Kenneth was told, and that he shouldn’t try to understand it), if possible, he would visit him or have him visit and thank him.

The coffee shop was near the intersection of Routes 8 and 19, and Route 8 was five minutes away from his house. As he approached the intersection of the road he was on and Route 8, his cell went off.

He answered it.

He could head to the capital now and miss meeting Michelle, or meet Michelle and risk a breach of national security. As the cars behind him began to make their presence known, he knew he would have to make a decision. Before the light turned red he went into the intersection…..

What do you think he decided? To turn, and go to the capital, or go straight and meet Michelle? Find in Chapter 6!