Chapter Text
During the State of the Union, one cabinet member is taken to an undisclosed location.
In the event of a catastrophic attack on the US government, that cabinet member becomes the new President.
They are known as the Designated Survivor.
——
Alexander slumps into his seat in this way-bigger-than-necessary meeting room that has been designated (ha.) for him to spend the state of the union in. He grabs the remote and turns on the television, Adams’ shiny face lighting up the screen. What an idiot that man is. Doesn’t even consider his secretary of treasury valuable enough to have at the State of the Union address. Just this morning, he had proven just how expendable he considered Alexander to be when he-
Alex’s phone rings.
”Hello?” He answers.
“Alex! Aaron just called me- they made you designated survivor? Seriously?”
Alexander sighs. God, even with a day like this, it still relaxes him to hear his friend’s voice.
”Yep. Removes all mentions of my initiatives in his speech, pulls that stunt from this morning, and now I’m not even able to go and visit the fucking Capitol building.”
”Are you able to tell me where you are? I can come keep you company?”
Alex smiles. “John, I don’t really need my chief of staff here, I’m not exactly working.”
”Not as your chief of staff, you ass, just as your friend. Come on, today’s been shitty for the both of us.”
Alex thinks for a moment. “Okay, then. I’ll have the secret service agent send you the address.”
”Nice. I’ll bring something to drink, too.”
”Okay, see you soon.”
”See you.”
The phone hangs up and Alex turns his attention back to the TV, where good old President John Adams has started his speech. He almost can’t believe it. Out of a 10,000 word speech, Adams couldn’t even manage to find one word to say about the treasury.
He sighs. At least John will be here soon. The two of them have been friends since their college days, and Alex doesn’t think he could’ve survived the role of treasury secretary without him. They’re a really good team.
Adams has started to get to the real big hits of his speech (also known as the part where he rattles on a lot without saying much of actual substance).
“So that the same America that our fathers, and our mothers-“ he goes on. Alex knows it’s a bunch of bullcrap. In the year Adams has been in office he’s barely achieved anything significant. “And their fathers and their moth-“
Suddenly, Adams is cut off. The TV turns to static. Confused, Alex picks up the remote, flicking through the channels until he gets back to where the State of the Union should be playing. Except it isn’t. There’s nothing.
The phone rings. It’s John.
“Hey my phone just cut off-“
”Yeah, the TVs in here have too.”
”Alex, what’s-“
A secret service agent bursts through the door to the meeting room, a determined expression on his face.
”Mr Secretary, put the phone down.”
Alexander puts the phone down and the agent quickly scoops it up. “What’s happened?”
“We’ve lost connection with the Capitol. We’re heading to the White House now.
”The White House?”
The TV Jumps to light again, some rushed looking reporters on screen. “We’re getting reports of some kind of explosion in or around the Capitol building,” one says.
An explosion? Alexander rushes to the window, ignoring the Secret Service agent’s calls not to. He opens the blinds.
And he sees it: an explosion bigger than he could have ever imagined. The kind you only see in movies. Right where the U.S. Capitol building should be.
____
15 Hours Earlier
Alexander wakes to the hideous screeching of his alarm clock. Reaching over to turn it off, he climbs out of bed. Today is a big day, he supposes. The State of the Union address. Back when Washington was President, he enjoyed watching it. Of course, back then he had been young, dumb, and far too hopeful. He doubts Adams can do nearly as good of a job.
Still, he supposes as he gets dressed, he should be grateful for the position he has. Secretary of treasury at 35 is impressive, even for him. Youngest person to ever hold the position. He’s secretly quite proud of it, even if he still thinks Adams is a lousy President.
He finds a suit that he doesn’t hate too much, picks out a dark green tie, and pulls his black hair back into a ponytail.
He grabs himself some toast for breakfast before heading out the door. He supposes all he’ll have to do today is maybe some editing on Adams’ remarks about his policies. That should be relatively easy, as his debt reform proposal is pretty straight forward. Then he might even get time afterwards to work on some personal projects.
He meets John Laurens, his good friend and chief of staff, just outside the office.
“Alex, oh my god, you are not going to fucking believe this,” John says, as soon as Alex catches up with him.
”What is it?”
John looks angry. “Someone from cabinet affairs slipped me a copy of Adams’ speech for tonight. There isn’t a single mention of any of our initiatives. Not one!”
Alexander can feel his blood boiling. “Are you serious?” He exclaims as the two make their way towards a taxi rank. “Everything that we have worked our asses off for, for the past year, and he just throws it out the window? I mean this debt reform, it could entirely revolutionise the way that we-“
John places a hand on his shoulder to silence him. “Look, Alex,” he says, hailing a cab. “We’ll head to the White House, see what we can do. Maybe we can convince him to put it back. But they might not. And you can’t flip out at him.”
Alexander rolls his eyes as the two climb into a taxi. ”White House, please,” he tells the driver.
”I’m serious,” John says. “You're the treasury secretary. Not the President.”
”Yet,” Alex murmurs.
John laughs. “Yet.”
When they arrive in the west wing of the White House, Alexander finds Richard Montgomery, Adams’ chief of staff, talking to some speech writer called Gilbert.
“Ah,” Montgomery says when he sees them, “Talk to ya later, Gil. Mr Hamilton, Mr Laurens, I’ve been expecting you.”
Alexander doesn’t reply, choosing instead to glare at the man.
After a few seconds of awkward silence, Montgomery gestures for them to follow him into his office.
“I’m sure you’ve met my deputy chief of staff, Aaron Burr,” Montgomery says as they all take a seat around the meeting table. Alexander nods to the man sitting across from him.
”Mr Secretary,” Burr nods back.
“So,” Montgomery says, leaning back in his chair and surveying the room like a teacher surveying a room of disobedient children. “What is it you have come to see me about today, Secretary Hamilton?”
”I’ve come to inquire as to why the President’s State of the Union address doesn’t have one single mention of any of my initiatives. Not one.” If Alexander could throw fireballs out of his eyes, the White House would be in ashes right now.
Richard Montgomery nods as if he had expected this. Which, he probably had. “Well, Mr Secretary, I’m sorry, but cuts had to be made, and we just couldn’t keep it in. I’m sure you understand.”
“Are you serious?” John asks, which seems to take Montgomery off guard. “The President couldn’t find any time in his ten thousand word speech to mention the initiatives of his treasury secretary? Does he not value his opinion?”
Montgomery considers for a moment, before turning to Burr. “Would you two mind giving us the room?” He asks.
Reluctantly, Laurens and Burr get up and leave the room. As if Alexander isn’t going to tell John everything as soon as he gets out of here.
Montgomery turns back to Alexander. “Look,” he says. “We were going to wait until after the state of the union to tell you this, but the President’s making some… rearrangements.” He gives Alexander a meaningful look.
He feels the realization wash over him. No, he couldn’t possibly mean…
“The President would like to offer you a new role,” Montgomery says. “An ambassadorship to the UN Civil Aviation Organisation.”
Alex stares at him, his mouth agape. “You’re firing me?”
”Consider it more of a… reassignment.”
Alex stands up from the table and gathers his bag. “You’ve got to be kidding me!” He exclaims as he storms out of the room.
”I’ll need your decision by tomorrow!” Montgomery calls as Alex closes the door.
God, that man almost makes him want to re-evaluate his stance on gun reform.
—
Alex stares at the explosion for what feels like an eternity but what is most likely only a few seconds before the secret service agent practically drags him away from the window.
He's unable to think straight as he's lead out of the room and into a car, images of the explosion still replaying in his mind. He's vaguely aware of emergency sirens and the screams of passers-by echoing around him as he's driven into the city. He doesn't even know where they're going.
“What- what happened?” He desperately asks the agent driving the car.
“Capitol's been attacked. There's still no word on the President, or his detail.”
Alex takes a deep breath. His heart is racing.
The agent touches his earpiece. “This is Mulligan,” he says, before a pause. “Oh god, don't tell me that,” he mumbles.
“What is it?” Alex asks.
Mulligan looks back for a second to look at Alex. “It's confirmed,” he says, his voice shaky. “The President is gone. The congress, the cabinet. None of them made it.”
The President is dead? Alex thinks. God, he might have actually hated Adams, but he never could have imagined- and not even just the President- the congress, the cabinet- All of his co-workers. Practically everyone he knows.
Mulligan touches his earpiece again. “Okay, I'll let him know,” he says. He looks at Alex through the rear view mirror. “We're enacting continuity of government. A DC judge will meet us at the white house.” He takes a breath. “Sir, you are now the President of the United States.”