Bab 44: To the Future
________, United States of America
July 22nd, 2026
"Wait up, Kelly!"
Kelly Suwan Kim turned out to see her best friend chasing after her. The two of them were touring around the capital of the United States for summer vacation. Her friend, an African American woman who went to high school in Boston, looked winded as she finally caught up with the Korean American. While Kelly was considered "Korean American," she looked white more than Asian. Only her last name suggested her Asian heritage.
"Come on, Ellen!" Kelly said as she dragged her friend along, "We're almost there to the Capitol! Dad says we can meet with some of the Congressmen and tour the Capitol Building! He says if we have time, we might be able to tour the White House too!"
"I can't believe that you have so many politicians in your family, Kelly. You must visit Washington a lot!"
The Asian woman nodded, "I visit yearly, but I usually don't get to visit Capitol Hill with my dad. He's always busy dealing with Congress and doesn't have much time on his hand even when I visit. But I've visited pretty much every memorial and monument. like the Kim Memorial, Jefferson Monument, the Hall of Heroes, the American Museums of History and Culture, and all that."
Ellen smiled, "Well, I guess I should be thankful that I get the opportunity to visit the Capitol with you and your dad. It might be the last trip for the two of us for a while since you're working for the Department of Science and Development starting next month, and I'm heading off to boot camp for the Marines."
The two women walked up the staircase to enter the large building that served as the seat of the United States government. Thousands of people were mingling around the building, with many of them being tourists. However, at the front of the Capitol Building was a smartly dressed man with greying hair and sharp eyes. He was speaking with two men and two women, who were all dressed in business suits and ties. Kelly's father was the current House Majority Leader, a Congressman from the state of Massachusetts, and it wasn't unusual to see him constantly around other Congressmen.
"Dad!"
The man turned to see Kelly run up to him and smiled, "Kelly! Good to see you! And you must be Ellen! Congressmen, this is my eldest daughter Kelly and her friend Ellen. Kelly and Ellen, let me introduce you to Congressman Jonathan Walter from Jefferson, Congressman Kawisenhawe from Iroquois, Congressman William Lee from Oregon, and Congressman Rose White from Georgia."
The four Congressmen greeted the two women and escorted them inside the Capitol Building. Once they entered the building, Kelly's father pulled his daughter aside while waving for the other congressmen to continue on with Ellen, "Kelly, we need to speak about something important."
"Is it about that secret, dad?" Kelly asked.
She knew that her family was descended from Samuel Kim, one of the Revolutionary War heroes and the ___________, but apparently, her family had a huge secret involving her ancestor. Her father had promised her to reveal the secret once she turned "of age," and she had just turned twenty-four a month ago.
"Smart girl," Her father smiled, "But first, we need to travel somewhere else to ah... discuss this secret in a more private setting."
He pressed a few buttons on his phone, and minutes later, she and her father were traveling through the streets of the capita in a private limo. Kelly gasped as she realized their destination once the limo rolled to a stop, "The White House?"
Congressman Kim opened the door and led his daughter through the gates of the White House, "I did say it was a big secret before."
As the two walked through the White House and towards the West Wing, Kelly's mind was filled with possibilities. Was her ancestor involved in some secret experiment, or was he still alive somehow after all these years? When she stepped into the Oval Office, her excitement and nervousness increased exponentially.
There were about a dozen individuals in the president's office. Kelly recognized all of them right away. The 48th President of the United States, a Quebocis woman named Marie Adnet, was sitting by her desk. The Secretary of Defense, the former marine commandant, and African American Georgian Isaiah Kim was standing next to the president. Secretary of Science and Development, a Californian named Hiroshi Tanaka, was sitting in one of the couches in the room. The other individuals included additional cabinet members, the Chief of Staff, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, and the current Marine Commandant.
"Hello, Ms. Kim," The president walked up to her and shook her hand, "Welcome to the Oval Office."
Kelly stared at the individuals in awe as she realized that nearly all of the people in the room were senior members of the government and the military, "So is the secret really big?"
President Adnet laughed, "Well, you could say that. These are not all the people that know about the secret. In fact, a few members outside of the government know about the secret, and of course, some of your family members are aware of it. It's officially known as the "Presidential Secret."
Kelly thought about the members of her family that were in various positions of power and wealth across the country and nodded understandingly, "So what's the secret?"
"Well, first, before we say anything, you'll need to take an oath administered by the Chief of Justice. Do realize that this secret is a matter of national security and breaching it will result in less than pleasant consequences," Congressman Kim mentioned before the others spoke, "The president only approved you learning the secret since you are the eldest child of our Kim family. You'll be working for the Department of Science and Development soon. So take this matter seriously."
Kelly gulped as she stared at the Chief Justice who was approaching her, "I understand."
The Chief Justice, a serious-looking white man named John Baker, pulled out one of the original copies of the Constitution used by previous presidents for their oaths of office. He placed it in front of her, and she gently touched the piece of history with her left hand, "Now repeat after me."
"I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully protect and acknowledge the Presidential Secret of the United States and will preserve and defend this secret from all enemies, both foreign and domestic, to the Best of my Ability."
"Well then, onto the Presidential Secret," President Adnet folded her hands onto her desk seriously, "What do you know about time travel?"
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