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program. We’re still working on tracking down those who are responsible.”
    “What is it exactly that you’re suggesting, Chancellor?” the Italian president asked.
    Andrea slid her palms across the desk’s smooth, glossy surface. She kept her head down, looking for the right words. Whatever she said next could trigger paranoia in each of her allies, something that was unadvisable in the current climate. “While I don’t believe that any coordinated plans are currently in motion, I believe that some may happen quickly. Since the events at the G7 Summit, we’ve had our own program used against us in the worst ways possible. It was a coordinated attack that over a dozen terrorist organizations are taking credit for, though we have determined none had a hand in orchestrating it. We’re dealing with someone who is organized, who is lethal, and who is intelligent. We need to be prepared for the worst-case scenario.”
    “And how would you like us to do that, Chancellor?” the Japanese prime minister asked. “Everyone is barely limping along as it is.”
    “I will petition the European Union and the UN to back Germany’s troops in establishing a western line of defense against Russia,” the chancellor said. “I would also advise that the Americans increase their naval presence in the North Indian Ocean as well as the perimeter of the East China Sea. All military levels would of course remain at a low alert status to ensure their presence wouldn’t be misconstrued as hostile.”
    “That’s a bold move, Andrea,” the American president said. “The Chinese and the Russians will misconstrue any move in those areas as hostile, no matter what threat level we position ourselves as.”
    “I believe it’s a risk that’s work taking, Mr. President.” Andrea folded her hands together. She examined the rest of the faces, studying the lines and movements of their mouths, eyes, and body language. She could tell it was making the majority of them uncomfortable, but they didn’t disagree with her.
    “All right,” the American president said. “I’ll deploy carriers in both areas.”
    “And I will back your petition to the UN and EU,” the UK prime minister replied. “We’ll put in our own petition for British troops in the area.”
    “As will I,” the Italian president said.
    “Thank you, gentlemen.”
    The only one who hadn’t spoken was the Indian president. This was the first time India had taken a seat at the table on a major scale. Andrea didn’t want to exclude India, especially knowing the situation between that country and Pakistan. She was worried the president might construe the invitation as insulting once she spoke her piece about the Americans’ presence close to India’s waters, but she wanted to ensure there wasn’t any miscommunication in what they were trying to accomplish. It was Russia and China that were the main concerns. Not India.
    “I wonder, Chancellor, if the programs developed by you and your allies were designed with this possibility in mind?” the Indian president asked. “Some may even go so far as to suggest this would put you in a strategically advantageous position.”
    “Mr. President, I can assure you that none of this was premeditated in any way, shape, or form,” Andrea answered. “I would hope the fact that you’re here with us would be proof of that.”
    “Of course, Chancellor. My apologies to both you and your colleagues,” the Indian president said.
    Andrea gave a nod, which the president reciprocated, and the screens went blank. All except for the American president’s. With the glow from the other monitors now extinguished, the room felt darker. The light from the president’s monitor felt like a spotlight in an inquisition.
    “All right, Andrea. What did you want to discuss with me?”
    The very act of what she was about to propose was one that could severely hurt the relationship between the two nations, and with the atmosphere the way it was, she