One / Kidnapped

Danielle had finished reprogramming the hand held device to receive information from a source that her keepers didn't want her to have.  On top of that she had broken into the security system yet again and rendered their quarters free of their "Peeping Tom".

"Sasha! Marsha! Alicia!  Please come here!  I have some news from home." The three young transwomen gathered around Danielle to observe the holographic projection that Danielle's hand held device emitted. 

 "In 2061, two hundred years after the first war of northern aggression began, the new Confederate States of America was formed.   Bishop Norman Bush, by altering the popular vote in his favor, became President of the United States and declared Marshal Law, abolishing all state governments and federalized all state resources.  The States of Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, Louisiana, Carribea, Texas, Tennessee, Kentucky, and  Arkansas formed the new Confederate States of America.  The Capital of the new CSA, Atlanta was made into a confederate district, Atlanta, D.A. which is the District of America.  Construction was completed quickly of a high wall outside the I-285 Perimeter as a physical barrier to protect Atlanta, D. A, from a similar fate from what befell Atlanta in the first war of northern aggression. "

The broadcast continued, "President Bishop Norman Bush refused to recognize the  New C.S.A. and sent troops to recapture the Kennedy Space Center.  When the US troops opened fire on the Florida Militia, a state of war existed between the USA and the CSA and the Second War of Northern Aggression began.  President Bishop Bush's Jihad extended beyond the CSA by making his interpretation of bible injunctions, Federal Law.  As such the existence of LGBT individuals were outlawed and they were compelled to turn themselves in to the federal government to take the 'cure' that had been commissioned and discovered by the fundamentalists who had backed Bishop Bush and stole the election for him. 

"Our sources indicate that this "cure" is nothing of the kind, but by introducing spontaneous physical restructuring of the brain results in identity death.  In the victim's final state it renders them highly suggestible akin to zombies.  This resulted in a mass exodus of LGBT individuals to the CSA.  Instead of being directed to refugee camps, the LGBT communities in the CSA were able to integrate the refugees into their communities.  The CSA, valuing the contribution of transwomen augmented the Phoenix Consortium (a transwoman think tank) in Atlanta, D. A. which became a quasi governmental entity, providing advice to the CSA government. The Phoenix Consortium decided to adopt the 'Bonnie Blue' flag as Confederate Women have done since the first war of northern aggression. "

A tone chimed.  The image of the man vanished and a woman appeared in the holographic projection instead.

"1800 Zulu report.  As the late unpleasantness goes against us, the northern aggressors are even bolder taking our citizens to do unspeakable things to them.  The aggressors were able to kidnap some of the members of our think tank, The Phoenix Consortium and remove them to foreign soil to do who knows what with them.  Among the citizens kidnapped were: Danielle Waters, Sasha Nabors, Marsha Brady, Alicia Masters ..."

The transmission stopped and the four of them were silent.  Danielle punched some keys on her handheld device then gave the thumbs up sign.  They all let out the breath that they had each held and began to relax again.

Sasha asked, "Did they penetrate security or did the signal become too weak to continue?"

Danielle responded "The signal failed but I wasn't taking any chances and I remodulated our countermeasures for their security." 

Marsha declared, "At least we know that the word is out about our kidnapping."

"It may also mean that we are on our own since they didn't begin the item with the code words that would have indicated a rescue was in progress.", Alicia observed.

Danielle stated, "We have to make a decision about eating the bishop's food.  It will be rich and delicious to tempt us but it will also be laced with their "cure"."

Sasha suggested, "I guess we need something to offer them.  What if we went on a vegetarian diet and drank only water?  They say that in order to survive digestion that the cure has to bound to animal meat products and it can't survive in a water solution either."

Marsha asked, "Do you think they might go for a wager?  We could prove that leaving us as we are would make us superior to the zombies that the cure produces.  "

Danielle queried, "Lets see a show of hands.  All in favor of the plan? " All the hands were raised.

Alicia volunteered, "I nominate Danielle to deliver our challenge to the powers that be."  Another show of hands had Danielle outvoted so she prepared to confront their keepers when they came with their first meal. 

It wasn't long before their keeper came to their room with a couple of carts full of food. 

Danielle explained their plan, "We have a proposition for you.  We feel like we will do better on water and vegetables.   If you will provide us those instead of the Bishop's food for a period of ten days and test us against 4 women who have been on the Bishop's food then you will know what feeding us this diet will enable us to do for you."

Their keeper could not make the decision himself but he did not compel them to eat what he had brought.  "I have another which I answer to who has compelled me to offer you this food.  I will ask the official who oversees me to come to hear your proposal."

The official who returned with the keeper told them that he found it intriguing and agreed to the terms.

At the end of the ten days the Phoenix group was compared to the zombies and the Phoenix group was found to be superior in all the ways tested.  Finally at the end of the time period the official had to agree that the four transwomen with their water and veggie diet had done much better than the zombies eating the Bishop's rich food so he agreed to make the test conditions permanent.

However that was not the last word on the matter.   The whole wager and the results and the four women's continuing on the veggie and water diet came to the attention of the Bishop himself.   The Bishop could not imagine what might be the basis for that ruling.  He had the four women brought before him so that he could determine the truth himself.

Danielle, Sasha, Marsha, and Alicia all appeared before the Bishop.  After a four hour long interview, the Bishop found that there were no one in the whole United States who was as wise as those four women.  It would be a waste to not take advantage of their superior intellect.  First the Bishop allowed the special diet they enjoyed to continue.  Also the Bishop appointed each of the women to important places in his government .   In the final analysis after continually consulting them for their wisdom, The Bishop decided that each of them were 10 times smarter than his most intelligent advisors.  The four transwomen excelled at executive branch offices in the government.

All seemed well but that didn't last long.

Two / Android

One more cost the captive ladies had to face for being in the public eye is that they actually go by the aliases they had been given. President Bishop Norman Bush had taken a liking to them and what they could do for him so he had given each of the ladies his last name. While being thought of as being related to the Bishop opened some doors, it also isolated them from the rest of the people in government who assumed that they were the bishop's spies when that would be furthest from the truth. Danielle had to use the name Belinda Bush. Sasha had to use the name Sarah Bush. Marsha had to us the name Michelle Bush. Alicia had to use the name Andrea Bush. They only had identity papers in the USA for those new names so they were stuck with them.

In the second year of the bishop's term of office. Bishop Bush was a little more wackier than normal. He had trouble sleeping , so the sleep experts came. They tried everything in their arsenal but even with making conditions as perfect as they could for normal sleep, The Bishop tossed and turned. The dream repeated each night but the Bishop who had never remembered his dreams, could not remember this one in spite of all the things they tried failed. They were beside themselves as if there was some higher power preventing them from getting the Bishop to remember his dream.

Finally it was too much for the Bishop and he put out the call, first for the therapists but expanded it to anyone who had any background in philosophy at all in the USA. Wild eyed Bishop Norman addressed the assembled eggheads. "I keep having a dream and I must know what it is. This could be a matter of national security so anything goes!"

The Senior White House Therapist acted as spokesman for the group, "Our great 'Commander in Chief'! We'll set up a session for you to tell us the dream and we will give you the interpretation of the dream! Deal ... or No Deal?"

Even more wild eyed and angry the Bishop responded, "No Deal! If you do not reveal the contents of the dream which I can't remember and since your brought it up, the interpretation too, you all will be involved in a tragic accident. A bit of germ warfare will get loose in one of your closed conferences and regrettably there will be no survivors. If you on the other hand comply and reveal to me both the dream and its interpretation, I will reward you beyond the limits of your avarice with wealth, and fame."

"It wont be any trouble to interpret the dream once we know what it is, Mr. President!"

"You could feed me a load of crap with that interpretation but if you can tell me what my dream is then I will recognize it and I will know that you know what you are talking about and not just blowing a lot of hot air!"

"Mr President, psionics is a myth. You know that! You have all the records of the money the military wasted trying to make it work. If you really are as chummy with your higher power as you say then you should be able to find out yourself but a higher power is the only solution to your demand."

"Secretary of Defense, General Eric Areson!"

"Yes Mr President!"

"By covert presidential order, confine anyone who has any background in therapy or philosophy to the germ warfare test facility below the Pentagon. I want all my eggs in one basket so they can put their egg heads together and get me an answer. If they don't have an answer by the time the last one of them is put in the room, close it up and let loose the virus and wipe them out! Do I make myself clear, General?"

"Perfectly clear, Mr President."

"Make it so!" The military began escorting all of the assembled eggheads out of the room. Transportation was waiting to transfer them to the Pentagon as directed. Significant by their absence were the four transwomen from the Phoenix Consortium. General Areson did not trust mere soldiers to handle the four women correctly so he went to retrieve them himself.

Eric found Belinda talking with Sarah, Michelle, and Andrea over their vegetarian meal sipping their water.

Eric entered the conference room and told them, "I'm sorry ladies but the President has issued orders that everyone with your qualifications is to be put to death immediately."

Belinda asked, "What's this about, Eric and what's the rush?" Eric gave Belinda and her friends an exact account of the Bishop's sleep problems and everything that had happened at the White House conference with the therapists and philosophers.

Belinda looked grim and said, "When the President gave us his last name, he issued orders that we all would have special access to the oval office. I am going to rely on that executive order and go see the President now."

Eric told her, "That's an acceptable interpretation. I'll just stand by with Sarah, Michelle and Andrea until you come back, Belinda."

Belinda lost no time but went straight to the Oval Office and with her special pass she was able to go right in to see the President.

"Belinda, please be seated. It's always a pleasure to speak with you." Belinda made sure the Bishop was receptive because she had quickly slipped into her quarters and replaced her ordinary below the knee skirt with a specially made micro mini skirt. The Bishop was a leg man and Belinda had the best looking legs of any woman in the White House.

She crossed her legs and smiled deeply at the Bishop and began, "Mr. President, I have heard about your misfortune with your dream. I am certain that if you can give me some time that I can deliver where the others would not even try. General Areson pointed out that myself and my girlfriends are in the same classification as those who are condemned. "

"I never intended for this to involve you Belinda or your friends but Areson is right that it is applicable to you now. Let me give added orders to General Areson.." He speed dials the General who answers on his cell and tells him to confine Belinda and the other three transwomen to White House Guest quarters.

"General Areson will be escorting your girlfriends to White House guest rooms where you will be under house arrest until your deadline expires tomorrow morning. " He motioned for a White House guard to accompany me.

"Thank you for your kindness, Mr. President. I won't let you down." She stood and the guard escorted her out of the oval office to a suite of 2 rooms. General Areson was waiting for Belinda joined by Sarah, Michelle, and Andrea.

General Areson told us, "I'm glad that you ladies received the reprieve . The Guards will watch over you tonight and I will be back in the morning for the conclusion of this matter. Good luck, ladies."

Sarah asked, "What in the world shall we do? None of us are anymore psychic or psionic than the rest."

Andrea responded, "That much is true but we all have faith in The One. The One is real and unlike that phony religion that the Bishop and his cronies try to pawn off on us."

Michelle agreed, "The One has been known to do the impossible. The One has kept us safe thus far and without The One we would already be dead.'

Belinda spoke, "Michelle is right that The One is our only hope. I ask that you three hold a prayer vigil around my bed tonight. Pray that The One will allow me to dream the same dream as President Norman Bush has dreamed and also reveal what it means."

Each of the ladies had a hand touching Belinda's shoulders and each told her that she would do as Belinda asked. Belinda changed into her nightgown and got ready for bed. She went to sleep quickly as her friends kept a prayer vigil over her. Thru out the wee hours of the morning the transwoman trio lifted up their prayers to The One.

The ladies were faithful and with morning's first light, as promised General Areson was let into the bed chamber where Belinda had arose and put on her clothes and was ready for the day.

"Belinda, What do you have to report?"

"General, you can halt the execution. I have the answer that the President wishes." The General gave the order to stand down the execution and he and the guards escorted Belinda along with her girlfriends into the presence of the President.

"Mr. President, this woman taken from the Phoenix Consortium claims to have the answer you requested." announced the General.

"Very well, General Areson." the President concluded and turned to Belinda " Are you able to make known to me the dream and what it means?"

"Mr President, the secret that you have demanded to know from the therapists and philosophers of the USA is beyond their comprehension. But The One reveals secrets. The dream that The One has given to the President is a revelation of the past and of the future. This dream was given to you in response to thoughts that you had to reveal your place in history and of your legacy. But as for me, I don't have the secret because I am smarter than anyone else in the USA, but The One has provided the secret for our preservation and for your edification." said Belinda and she paused a moment.

Belinda took a deep breath and continued, "Mr. President, you saw a huge Android more awesome and expensive than anything that you had ever seen before. The Android's head was made of gold. The chest and arms were made of silver. The belly and thighs were made of bronze. The legs were made of Iron. The feet were made of part iron and part clay. Next you watched as a stone which was too perfect to have come out of any quarry struck the android at it's feet. The impact shattered the android and the stone rolled over what remained crushing it all together in a lump. The stone became a mountain that filled up the whole earth. That is the dream." She looked over and saw that the President looked at her in recognition that what she had told him was the entire truth. She looked over at her girlfriends who were a little less tense now that the first test was passed .

Belinda continued, "Here is the interpretation, Mr. President. The Android represents the world wide governments of the Earth. Each of the empires covered the entire known world. The Gold Head represents ancient Babylon, the first world wide empire. Next the chest and arms of silver represents the Medes and Persians who overthrew Babylon and had their own world wide empire. Next came Alexander and the Grecian Empire represented by the bronze belly and thighs, The legs of Iron represent the Roman Empire which divided into eastern and western empires. The feet represent a world wide empire which has not yet appeared. The stone represents The One who will judge the nations and form a perfect government that will cover the whole earth. The One values you as a leader and has chosen to reveal to you what has been and what will be."

It was not the President but Norman who fell at Belinda's feet with fear. The others in the Bishop's sect took this as a sign from the Bishop and they began lighting prayer candles and the chamber was filled with sweet smells.

President Bishop Norman Bush finally composed himself and stood to face Belinda and spoke, "Truly The One who as done this is real and is a revealer of secrets." The president promoted Belinda to Major of Washington DC and also made her Secretary of Science and Engineering Development. The Bishop had problems with administering the USA since he abolished all the state governments. Belinda urged the President to appoint her friends regional administrators over areas spanning a number of former States. They soon left and each set up offices within their district to administer. Danielle hugged each one and Sarah, Michelle, and Andrea hugged each other. They all promised to stay in touch. They were joined by a military escort to protect them not only for the transport but in their new positions as regional administrators.

Belinda administered both her cabinet post and mayoral matters from a special office in the White House working very closely with the President. Belinda and her girlfriends administer their new posts flawlessly. The one thing that they could not eliminate was the bigotry of the scientific community which could not stand to have transwomen in such prominent positions.