[ WP ] On 9/11 al-Qaeda hijacked not 4 but hundreds of airplanes . The second Tower has just been hit..

In front of him, a man laid down, panting, drenched in sweat, like he ran the run of his life. He did. 
 
 On his desk, two or three phones were ringing. He did n't care. He knew what was happening. The United States of America were on the verge of destruction. He had n't see it coming. Not on this scale. The threats from the Talibans had been addressed too lightly. And now, he had to deal with the consequence. Facing the most difficult choice in his life, the President decided to cross the line. Morality had no word to say in this case. 
 
 He took the mobile phone in the interior pocket of his jacket, and made a brief call, before putting it back in the pocket. The Operation was launched. The man who was lying down seconds ago was now standing on his two feet, but still in a state of exhaustation. The President did not care about that, and started walking outside of the Office, urging him to follow his steps. The man executed his order. 
 
 They passed a group of clueless guards. The guards tried to accompany the President and his man, but he made clear he did n't need protection. Soon enough, the President and the man were standing in front of a wardrobe, on the end of a rarely frequented corridor of the White House. Instead of opening the doors of the piece of furniture, he put his hand over the top of it, and struggled for a second or two before he heard a little click, and then a much louder click. Only after the latter he opened the wardrobe, which revealed a passage for a hidden room. The President entered the newly opened room, and the man followed, not asking any question. 
 
 On a wall, hundreds of monitors were showing different places in America. In the streets, into the buildings of Wall Street, every important place of the United States were displayed on the screens. On the center of the room, a long armchair, which looked like a dentist's chair, was waiting for someone to connect the helmet device lying on a table right next to it. A scientist ( the man presumed, by his white blouse ) welcomed the President. He warned him about `` precautions'', `` responsability'' and `` not ready to be used'', but the President did n't listen. He did n't have time. In minutes, America would fall into chaos. The scientist flayed his arms, trying to stop the President. The most important man in the world pulled off a gun from his jacket, and fired at the scientist. A huge red hole appeared on his head. 
 
 The man was petrified. The President just killed someone in cold blood right in front of him. And now he was staring at him. He was daring him to stop him. The man did n't move. The President stopped watching at the man, and sit on the armchair. He put the helmet device on his head. On it, there was a switch. He flicked it on `` ON''. 
 
 Huge electric arcs burst out of the helmet, electrocuting the President. Or so it seemed. Somehow, he did n't look like he was suffering. He looked in control. His hands were gripping tightly on the arms of the chair. On the screen, the pictures changed. They were now showing the insides of planes. Men in black and armed with guns, threatening the life of the passengers, but also those of millions of Americans. 
 
 The man did not understand. But he did not ask questions. Because it was how he was taught. Suddenly, the electric arcs intensified. The man looked at the screens, and little by little, the men in black seemed to disappear. Like erased from reality. The President was clenching his teeth. Now he looked in pain. But he kept going. The man understood he was the reason the terrorists were being removed from history. The device, he did not know what it was. All he knew is that it was saving America from impending deaths. 
 
 Eventually, the President lost his self-control. He screamed in pain. But he kept going. The man could not believe his eyes. The man who had it all, money, glory and power, was sacrificing himself and his incredible life, and he could only watch him, helpless, thinking about how he could never do that. 
 
 The room was shaking. It was going to explode. The President knew that. The man knew it too. He shouted him his last words, before ordering him to go. The man nodded, and ran towards the exit, without turning back. 
 
 He ran. He heard an explosion. The blast propulsed him into the wall, and he lost consciousness. 
 
 When he woke up, he was surrounded by a dozen of guards, holding him in the line of fire. He stood up slowly, and spoke. 
 
 `` The President died for us. People must never know. Take me to the surgeon. I have to replace him. This was his last will. Do it now.'' 
 
 The guards would have never agree in normal conditions. But under all this confusion, they followed the only one who gave orders. 
 
 -- - 
 
 `` Finally, even after two terms, I was never able to be like him'', said George W. Bush to his confident, a man who gained his trust and to whom he revealed the truth. `` He was selfless, daring, and... just great, all around.'' 
 
 The confident nodded. For receiving all the praise the new Bush repeatedly gave to the original during those last ten years, the original must have truly been a great man. 
 
 `` I was never rich. When I replaced him, I had everything he had. The money. I lost track of what was important in this world. I failed him.'' 
 
 The sadness in his voice really hurt the confident. George W. Bush was a great friend of him. Even if some of his decisions were really debatable, he was a good person. He tried his best to succeed to his mentor when he was not qualified enough. But with courage, he did it. He worked hard. The people around him were toxic, though. They manipulated him like a puppet, and the confident could only watch it from the shadow he belonged to. 
 
 `` Do you think he hates me, from where he is?'' 
 
 The confident saw George's teary eyes and his begging for an answer. So he answered truthfully and honestly. 
 
 `` He's probably disappointed with some of the choices you made.'' 
 
 This answer was devastating for W. But the confident did n't stop there, and continued. 
 
 `` But he knows you've done your best. I do n't think I know anyone who would be capable of going through what you've been. You have overcome his expectations by a far margin. I've already told you, George. You're a hero, in your own way.'' 
 
 George W. Bush laughed. The words of his confident had had the healing power he needed. Maybe he exaggerated the toughness of the situation, but still, he felt much better after having heard those moving thoughts of his best friend. 
 
 The confident glanced over his watch. 
 `` It's 9. I have to go.'' 
 `` Until next time, friend'', said George. 
 
 The confident left the ranch of the ex-President. He sighed. 
 
 `` Surviving the explosion was the best thing that happened to me. Maybe not for America, but thanks to you, I was able to free myself from this inevitable march for power I hated so much. Thank you, new George.'' 
 
 The original opened the driver door of a Cadillac DTS, attached his seat belt, and drove off to his home.
