***

Smith adjusted his tie in the mirror. He was clean, shaved, and dressed to the nines. The dressing room where he waited for the final call from the producers was small. The only other objects that joined him were the mirror, a desk, a chair, and a small couch behind him. He pulled his sleeve up to check his watch. The second hand seemed to stand still.

Beth had left him thirty minutes ago so he could be alone. It was their ritual before every debate he’d had. Beth would spend the morning quizzing him, testing him on the subject matter that could be brought up and any curve balls that would be thrown at him from either the moderator or his opponent.

Then, after he’d passed through the final gauntlet Beth made him run, he’d lock himself in solitude. He needed to be alone with his thoughts, undisturbed. He enjoyed the quiet before all the noise, the lights, and the tension. It was during these moments that he could see everything clearly.

But this time felt different. Smith wasn’t sure if he would get another chance like this. There was too much at stake. This would be the turning point of the country, where it would either continue down its path of destruction or begin heading down the road of recovery. Smith knew both roads were one-way streets.

“Congressman? We’re ready for you,” one of the producers came into say.

Smith nodded and followed the young man through the halls of the studio. Every person he passed stopped what they were doing to watch him walk by. Smith wasn’t the only one who knew the gravity of this debate.

The lights nearly blinded him when he stepped out on stage. Jones was already at his podium, looking over some of his notes. The moderator was in place, and the cameras were set. Behind the cameras, there was no audience, just a few other producers and stagehands.

“You can take your place right here, Congressman. And if you can put this mic on, we’ll get started.”

“Thank you,” Smith said, pinning the mic on his lapel.

“Congressmen,” the moderator said. “When I get the green light, the cameras will open up on me, and as I introduce you, the cameras will move to you. I know this isn’t the first time for either of you, so I’m sure this will go smoothly.”

The producer gave a thumbs up and started the countdown.

“Okay, and we’re on in five, four, three,” the producer held up his hands signaling two then one and pointed to the moderator as the lights flashed on.

“Good evening. Welcome to tonight’s debate between Congressman David Smith and Congressman Raymond Jones. Gentlemen, answers will be limited to two minutes, and rebuttals will be one minute. The timer will begin after the end of my questions. Congressman Jones, you will be receiving the first question. What does the United States have to gain with the war against Mexico?”

“Nothing. We have absolutely nothing to gain. It’s a waste of resources and we’re putting our soldiers at unnecessary risk. And I would dare to say that the president agrees with me. Just the other day, I was sent to Mexico City to discuss the terms of a cease-fire. I believe a final draft was just drawn up,” Jones answered.

The moderator turned to Smith, who was meticulously taking notes. “Congressman Smith, same question.”

“I would have to say I agree with Congressman Jones, but what Jones failed to mention was his prior involvement with the Mexican government in the first place. Congressman Jones has been back-channeling with Mexican officials to work on a military strike against the Brazilians. I think we would all like to know why Congressman Jones is trading one war for another—one that could put us at odds with the Chinese, who have developed a strong relationship with Brazil.”

“That’s quite a statement, Congressman Smith. What do you have to say to those allegations, Congressman Jones?”

“Well, Congressman Smith, yes, I have been doing some back-channeling, but it’s been to prevent war, not engage in it. All of my talks with the Mexican officials have been to help us come to an understanding of where our two nations exist. Talks of Brazil may have been brought up, but I think we would all agree that Brazil as an ally would be far better than an enemy.”

“That doesn’t answer the question,” Smith said.

“Congressmen, please,” the moderator cut in. “Moving on to the next question. Congressman Smith, your involvement with Bill HR 285016 was widely publicized three years ago and then again several weeks ago. Why do you think that this bill is the answer?”

“The bill isn’t the answer. The only thing the bill offers is the chance for the answer to work. Dr. Carlson’s filtration system is foolproof. The bill would allow him to build a factory and make it legal to sell and distribute the water purified by his process. This would alleviate our water problems, boost the economy, and save our way of life.”

“Congressman Jones, same question.”

“I remember the hearings on Bill HR 285016, and from what I recall, third-party scientists debunked Dr. Carlson’s method stating, and I quote, ‘inconclusive results from our tests lead us in a direction where we cannot endorse this method due to health concerns’ end quote. And if scientific evidence wasn’t enough, then what about the voice of the people? Public support for the bill plummeted once this research was published. I still don’t understand why Congressman Smith insists on trying to overturn our citizens’ clear statement that they don’t want anything to do with Dr. Carlson’s filtration process.”

Jones had always been slippery. It was how he’d survived in politics for as long as he had. Smith looked down at his notes, more out of habit than need. He knew every syllable on those cards like the hairs on the back of his hand. He needed something more. He needed to drive the point home.

“Congressman Smith, rebuttal?”

“You know, in my political career, which has spanned almost two decades, I’ve come across a lot of questionable decisions. I’ve been involved in some of them myself. The choices we face as congressmen are supposed to be simple. The people guide our decisions… but the truth is that’s not always the case. Sometimes we choose to go off the beaten path and forge our own agendas. Every congressman has done it, myself included. However, I’ve found that there are two types of paths that a congressman will go down when faced with that crossroads. The first is to go the way of self-indulgence to ascend in his or her career. This road is filled with bribes and lies. This path in no way helps the people or the country, no matter what lies politicians tell themselves. The second is much harder. It takes you down a path that serves the people but, at times, can conflict with your own self-interest. I’d like to say that I’ve chosen this path more times than the other, although I know that wouldn’t be entirely true. But that’s what I’ve done in this case. In fact, right now, off the coast of Canada in the city of Halifax, I have a team working with Dr. Carlson to continue his work. I acted alone in this, but I did so with only the best of intentions for my country and the citizens I serve.”

“Congressman Smith, are saying that you’ve set up an illegal water operation on foreign soil?” the moderator asked.

“Yes. In fact, I had a meeting earlier today with Senator Harris about establishing a new relationship with the Canadians to allow Dr. Carlson to continue his work in exchange for debt forgiveness on the Great Lakes loans.”

The producer behind the moderator was motioning for him to cut to commercial.

“Well, we’re getting word we need to take a quick break, but I think I know where we’ll pick up when we return,” the moderator said.

The camera stayed on the moderator’s smile for a few seconds, then the lights faded to black.

“Call the authorities. This man has gone behind the backs of every government official and put not just our country at risk but the lives of the Canadians!” Jones said.

“Actually, I had a meeting with the Canadian ambassador a few days ago,” Smith said. “The Canadian government is very excited for the opportunity.”

Jones’s jaw went slack. He moved his mouth, but no words would form. Jones disappeared backstage and didn’t return.