Chapter 282: A Talk with the U.S President

"Okay, it all begins with an individual named Lin Feng. And this person...well I wouldn’t call him a person, have these supernatural abilities that turned humans into zombies, as well as summon strong variants," Richard revealed but he was only met with silence.

"Do you expect me to believe that sir? Are you making a mockery of this situation?"

Richard understood the incredulity in the President’s voice; the situation did sound like something out of a science fiction novel.

"I know how this sounds, Mr. President, but I assure you, I am entirely serious. Otherwise, how would you explain logically the beginning of the apocalypse? Where simultaneously, in all major cities, zombies appeared. A virus doesn’t behave that way, it doesn’t spread globally all at once. This was orchestrated, and Lin Feng is behind it," Richard said, his tone firm, trying to convey the seriousness of the situation.

President William was silent for a moment before responding. "It’s a difficult pill to swallow, Mr. Gonzales. But given the circumstances we’re in, I can’t dismiss your claim outright. I need evidence, something concrete to show my advisors and to justify any cooperative action we might take."

Richard nodded, even though the President couldn’t see him. "Understood, Mr. President. We have drone and satellite footage, and other data that can corroborate our claims. We’ll compile everything and send it to you securely. The question is how..."

Richard glanced at Sara and asked. "Is that possible?"

Sara nodded enthusiastically. "Absolutely, sir. We can compile and encrypt the data into a secure digital package. I’ll use asymmetric encryption with a public key for the White House and a private key that only we have. This will ensure that only the intended recipient can decrypt and view the contents."

"That’s assuming that the President is in the White House," Richard said, focusing back on the call. "Mr. President, where are you located?"

"I’m afraid I can’t disclose that. We don’t even know who you are. What country you are affiliated with? China or Russia?"

"Mr. President, we are affiliated to no one. We are an independent organization that was formed solely to respond to the global crisis. We operate in the Philippines but are not officially affiliated with any government," Richard clarified.

There was another wave of silence again. It seems that the president is discussing something with his advisors, debating whether to disclose their location to an unknown organization or not. After one minute, the president returned.

"Okay, we are not in the White House anymore. We already evacuated from it two months ago. How about this? I will give you the necessary details to transmit the date here in Cheyenne Mountain Complex.

Richard quickly replied, "Thank you, Mr. President. We will securely transmit all relevant data to the Cheyenne Mountain Complex. We appreciate your willingness to consider our information."

"Make sure that the information you send is accurate and verifiable. We will analyze it thoroughly before making any decisions about our next steps," President William stated firmly.

"Understood, Mr. President. You can expect complete transparency from our end," Richard assured him.

After the call ended, Richard turned to Sara. "Let’s get that information packaged and sent to Cheyenne Mountain as soon as possible."

Sara nodded, her fingers already flying over the keyboard. "I’ll prioritize this. We should have everything ready to send in a few hours."

***

While waiting for Sara, Richard and Mark were looking at a map of the United States.

"Okay, the Cheyenne Mountain is located here," Richard pointed his finger on the map, indicating the location in Colorado. "It’s a military installation and was once the center of NORAD. It’s probably one of the most secure places in the country right now."

Mark nodded, studying the map. "Are you planning on sending a group there for a direct contact?"

"Well, I need to show some sincerity that I need an ally in this world. Even when we have the system, it’s best to have some friends that can join you in the fight," Richard said. "But...I do have some questions for the president, let’s see if he can answer them. Get me in line with the president again."

Richard motioned to the operator, who quickly began the process of re-establishing the secure line to the President.

Soon, the operator signaled that the line was connected. "Mr. President, it’s Richard Gonzales again. I appreciate your cooperation, and we’re proceeding with the data transmission. However, I have a few questions if you have a moment."

"Go ahead, Mr. Gonzales," President William responded.

Richard proceeded with his questions. "Firstly, can you give us any insight into the current situation in the United States? Like, you are supposed to have the best military on the planet, even devised a plan against the zombie apocalypse. Yet, in an instant, like any major country in Europe, you failed."

"I can’t explain it either. It just happened all of a sudden and there was no time to react," William answered.

"How about the military?"

"We still have some forces left, most of them on the side of the navy which are just floating off the coast of the mainland United States. This is confidential but it doesn’t hurt telling the truth so on the day of the apocalypse, all of our bases, domestic and abroad showed signs of infection. We don’t know how they got them but it just happened."

"It’s Lin Feng, you are going to see how he is doing all of this chaos."

"Lin Feng...the name sounds Chinese. But I can’t tell that it was China that did this as their country also collapsed."

"You’ll understand soon enough, Mr. President. You will see what you think is impossible is actually happening. Our world has changed, and the threats we face are beyond conventional understanding," Richard said gravely.

"I look forward to reviewing your evidence, Mr. Gonzales. If what you say is true, it will require a complete reassessment of our current strategy. And possible partnership with your firm."

"I appreciate it, Mr. President," Richard said sincerely.

***

Two hours later.

Sara raised her hand. "I’m done. Sending all the files to the Cheyenne Mountain Complex now," she announced.

Richard nodded, watching as Sara initiated the transfer. "Good work, Sara. Let’s hope this opens their eyes to the reality of what we’re facing."

As the data was sent, Richard and Mark discussed their next steps. "Once they review the information, we should be ready to discuss potential strategies and support," Richard said.

Mark agreed. "We should also consider our own preparations. If the U.S. government decides to collaborate with us, we need to be ready to integrate their resources and personnel into our operations. We can’t let them know your powers."

"Don’t worry, I’ll keep it confidential."