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Introduction
In a nation built on elections…
a secret government rose without one.
When the President can no longer lead, a hidden circle of senior staff steps into the void.
What begins as a quiet act of protection becomes something far more dangerous —
a shadow government operating in the dark, far from the eyes of the people.
But the truth can only stay buried for so long.
As the country starts to ask questions, and the world begins to take notice,
the Citadel’s carefully guarded illusion begins to collapse.
Now, the unelected power running the nation must choose:
Protect the lie…
or face the consequences of revealing it.
This is the story of the night the truth escaped —
and a country woke up.
UNELECTED POWER.
In the shadows, someone was always in charge.
Until now.
(Note: This is an imaginary conversation, a creative exploration of an idea, and not a real speech or event.)
1. The Citadel Entrance
FADE IN:
INT. WEST WING – MORNING
A bustling corridor. Staff move like ants — phones pressed to ears, folders clutched tight.
Underneath the urgency is a palpable unease.
Theo approaches with a freshly printed script.
Ruth intercepts him, gentle but urgent.
RUTH
Did you simplify everything?
THEO
Every line.
(beat)
There’s barely anything left to say.
RUTH
That’s the point now.
She takes the pages, her hand trembling. Moves on.
INT. COUNCIL CHAMBER – SAME
A circular room with the Presidential Seal embedded in the floor.
The Council sits around it — but the head chair remains empty.
Cassandra stands at the center like a field commander.
CASSANDRA
Tomorrow’s schedule is revised.
He’ll appear twice — both controlled, both under ninety seconds.
She clicks through a series of slides:
PUBLIC PERCEPTION TRACKING
DECLINE IN EXECUTIVE VISIBILITY
RUMORS OF ILLNESS
MEDIA “QUIET CONCERN” PHRASES
FIONA
(looking at the data)
We’re slipping. Even silence becomes suspicious at a point.
CASSANDRA
Then we fill the silence.
Carefully.
Julian folds his hands, tense.
DR. SHALE
He can’t keep this pace much longer.
He needs prolonged rest.
Cassandra doesn’t look at him.
CASSANDRA
Not yet.
DR. SHALE
My medical recommendation is—
CASSANDRA
(over him)
Not. Yet.
The room falls silent.
INT. WHITE HOUSE PRESS ROOM – LATE MORNING
Malcolm stands behind the podium, giving instructions to a cluster of PRESS AIDES.
MALCOLM
No open questions.
We stick to the script.
We redirect immediately if someone probes health.
An aide raises a hand.
AIDE
And if they ask about the freeze?
Malcolm’s jaw tightens.
MALCOLM
No one outside this building knows that happened.
Beat.
He scans the room to ensure everyone understands what that means.
EXT. WHITE HOUSE – SOUTH LAWN – AFTERNOON
A gentle breeze.
Camera crew sets up for an outdoor photo-op.
The President (still only a silhouette) is escorted by Ruth and Fiona.
He smiles vaguely, eyes unfocused at the chaos around him.
FIONA
Sir, we’ll wave to the crowd and then head inside. Very simple.
He nods weakly.
Malcolm counts down.
MALCOLM
Three… two… one—
Cameras flash.
The President lifts his hand in a slow, uncertain wave.
Ruth whispers a cue.
RUTH
(soft)
Right hand up… that’s good… a little higher…
He raises it gently.
Malcolm sighs with relief.
But behind him, the Council shares troubled glances.
INT. HALLWAY – CONTINUOUS
Theo watches the outdoor moment on a monitor.
Cassandra enters behind him.
THEO
He almost didn’t lift his hand.
Cassandra doesn’t react.
CASSANDRA
But he did.
And that’s enough.
Theo turns.
THEO
Is it?
Is this really sustainable?
Cassandra steps closer.
CASSANDRA
We are protecting stability.
We are protecting the country.
This is not about him.
It’s about preventing panic.
Theo’s voice cracks.
THEO
It feels like lying.
She stares at him with piercing intensity.
CASSANDRA
It feels like leadership.
INT. PRIVATE RESIDENCE – PRESIDENT’S BEDROOM – EVENING
A luxury room dimmed for comfort.
The President sits on the edge of his bed, staring at a pair of slippers.
Ruth kneels to put them on his feet.
PRESIDENT (SILHOUETTE)
(soft, confused)
Is this the guest house?
Ruth’s eyes moisten.
RUTH
No, sir.
You’re home.
He touches her cheek gently.
PRESIDENT (SILHOUETTE)
You… remind me of someone.
Ruth looks away, breaking.
INT. THE SITUATION ROOM – NIGHT
A skeleton crew of analysts sits before a wall of screens.
Only Cassandra and Fiona remain from the Council.
A global crisis indicator flashes “TIER 2 — DEVELOPING.”
ANALYST
Ma’am, they’re asking for presidential guidance within the hour.
Fiona looks panicked.
FIONA
He can’t handle a briefing right now.
Cassandra stands tall.
CASSANDRA
Then we handle it.
ANALYST
But protocol states the President—
CASSANDRA
(icy)
We are protocol tonight.
Her presence chills the room.
INT. STRATEGY ROOM – SAME
Dr. Shale and Theo sit at a corner table, exhausted.
THEO
How long can he realistically continue?
Shale exhales deeply.
DR. SHALE
Unless things change…
weeks.
Maybe months.
But diminishing returns every day.
Theo processes this, horrified.
DR. SHALE
(quietly)
We’re propping up a building with cracked foundations.
Theo’s voice breaks.
THEO
And we’re pretending it’s marble.
INT. BROADCAST ROOM – LATE NIGHT
Malcolm and Brandon are editing footage.
The “freeze” moment returns to screen — a tiny ghost image, still recoverable from cache.
Brandon freezes.
BRANDON
(whispers)
It’s still here…
Malcolm’s eyes widen.
MALCOLM
Delete it now.
BRANDON
We should archive it. For the record.
MALCOLM
No.
Not even for the record.
Their eyes meet — a mutual fear of consequences.
Brandon hesitates…
then TRASHES IT PERMANENTLY.
INT. COUNCIL CHAMBER – NEXT MORNING
Cassandra stands before the Council.
A staffer hands her a file.
Cassandra reads… and her face drains.
FIONA
What is it?
Cassandra places the file on the table.
CASSANDRA
We need to meet in private.
Now.
The tension is suffocating.
CUT TO:
2. The Empty Executive Chair
FADE IN:
INT. COUNCIL CHAMBER – CONTINUOUS
The Council is now alone.
The file Cassandra placed on the table sits like a bomb.
Fiona reaches for it. Cassandra stops her.
CASSANDRA
I’ll summarize.
She opens it. We glimpse headings:
COGNITIVE FUNCTION REPORT
INCIDENT LOG – INTERNAL ONLY
RISK PROJECTIONS
CASSANDRA
Dr. Shale submitted an internal advisory.
Elevated concern.
Undocumented “incidents.”
Projected loss of executive function within the year.
All eyes turn to Julian.
DR. SHALE
I didn’t circulate it.
It went to Cassandra, the Chief of Staff, and Counsel only.
Fiona’s voice is tight.
FIONA
You went above us. Why?
DR. SHALE
Because this isn’t fatigue.
This is decline. And it’s accelerating.
Theo sinks in his chair.
THEO
You said months.
Now you’re talking about “within the year”?
DR. SHALE
I’m revising that too.
A deadly silence.
CASSANDRA
(realizing)
The report leaked internally.
She taps a page.
CASSANDRA
Someone in the legal chain flagged language as “constitutional threshold adjacent.”
Fiona exhales, rattled.
FIONA
Meaning?
CASSANDRA
Meaning… people are whispering the Amendment.
Nobody says the number.
They don’t need to.
A heavy beat as reality sinks in.
INT. FIONA’S OFFICE – LATER
Fiona stands alone, blinds half-drawn, the report in her hands.
She reads one sentence over and over:
“Patient may no longer be able to reliably execute duties without structured support.”
Her phone BUZZES.
She ignores it.
She looks up at the family photos on her shelf — her kids, a husband, years earlier in campaigns.
Her eyes fill.
She slowly sits, the weight of complicity crushing her.
FIONA
(whispering to herself)
We’re not protecting him.
We’re protecting… us.
She closes the report.
INT. PRIVATE CORRIDOR – DAY
The President (silhouette) walks down the corridor with Ruth.
He seems frail but determined.
PRESIDENT (SILHOUETTE)
I have a speech?
RUTH
Yes, sir.
Just a short one.
He nods, then pauses.
PRESIDENT (SILHOUETTE)
And… what is it about?
Ruth hesitates.
RUTH
Reassurance, sir.
He seems to accept that.
INT. SMALL REHEARSAL STUDIO – DAY
A compact mock-up of the briefing room.
The teleprompter glows softly.
Theo stands nearby, clutching pages.
Malcolm sets a camera.
Brandon checks audio levels.
The President steps up to the podium with Ruth’s help.
Fiona and Cassandra quietly enter, staying in the shadows.
MALCOLM
We’ll run it once through.
No recording. Just rehearsal.
Brandon nods, but leaves the PREVIEW MONITOR rolling out of habit.
The teleprompter starts.
TELEPROMPTER TEXT (V.O.)
“My fellow citizens, I want you to know that I hear your concerns…”
The President begins.
PRESIDENT (SILHOUETTE)
My fellow… citizens… I want… want you to know—
He stops.
Eyes searching the prompter, as if the words suddenly have no meaning.
Long beat.
PRESIDENT (SILHOUETTE)
I want… you to know… that…
He loses it.
His gaze drifts away from the prompter entirely.
He looks around the room, lost.
PRESIDENT (SILHOUETTE)
Where… am I?
No one moves.
Theo looks like he might vomit.
MALCOLM
(mutters)
Oh God…
Fiona starts forward.
FIONA
Sir, it’s alright—
Cassandra grabs her arm, holds her back.
CASSANDRA
Don’t rush him. Let him find something.
The President clings to the podium as if it’s the only thing holding him upright.
PRESIDENT (SILHOUETTE)
I… I don’t…
(soft)
I’m tired.
Ruth goes to him now, ignoring protocol.
RUTH
Sir, we’re done for today.
She gently guides him away.
INT. REHEARSAL STUDIO – MOMENTS LATER
The President exits with Ruth.
The Council remains, shell-shocked.
Theo crumples the printed speech in his hands.
THEO
That…
That wasn’t a stumble.
Dr. Shale is pale.
DR. SHALE
That was disorientation.
Full disorientation.
Brandon glances at the monitor — the rehearsal was unintentionally captured in buffer.
He quickly stops playback, staring at the frozen image of the President gripping the podium.
BRANDON
It recorded.
I… I can clear it. No one has to see—
Cassandra’s voice is low, dangerous.
CASSANDRA
You will do nothing with it yet.
Malcolm looks incredulous.
MALCOLM
We can’t keep collecting this.
Every frame is a liability.
CASSANDRA
Every frame is also proof.
If anyone ever tries to say we acted without cause — we will need to show what we faced.
Dr. Shale stares at her.
DR. SHALE
Acted how, Cassandra?
By covering it up?
She doesn’t answer.
She just walks out.
INT. DR. SHALE’S OFFICE – LATER
Shale stands in front of a mirror.
He unbuttons his collar, sweating.
He stares at his own eyes like he doesn’t recognize the man in front of him.
He sits at his desk, opens a clean medical form.
He begins typing:
“Recommendation: The patient is no longer fit for unsupervised, unscripted public engagement…”
His fingers hover.
He stops.
Deletes the sentence entirely.
He replaces it with:
“Recommend reduced scheduling and longer rest cycles.”
He leans back, exhausted, disgusted with himself.
DR. SHALE
(whispers)
Coward.
INT. CAFETERIA – OFF-HOURS
The cafeteria is nearly empty.
Theo sits alone at a table with a tray he hasn’t touched.
Brandon arrives with coffee, sits across from him.
Silence for a beat.
BRANDON
You look like you just watched a building collapse.
Theo laughs bitterly.
THEO
I watched a man collapse.
We just happen to live inside the building.
Brandon stares at his coffee.
BRANDON
I still see his hands.
They looked… old.
Not just in years. In… confusion.
Theo nods slowly.
THEO
I’m rewriting history in real time.
I take what he can’t say
and I pretend he did.
He looks up at Brandon with red-rimmed eyes.
THEO
Do you ever think about just…
sending the raw footage to someone?
Brandon stiffens.
BRANDON
No.
Theo studies him.
THEO
Because you’re loyal?
Or because you’re afraid?
Brandon can’t answer.
Theo leans in.
THEO
I’m afraid that if I die tomorrow,
my hard drives will condemn me more than my conscience will.
Brandon looks shaken.
INT. FIONA’S OFFICE – NIGHT
The office is dim. Only one desk lamp on.
Fiona sits with the cognitive report and a stack of internal polling.
Charts show:
DECLINING TRUST
RISING RUMORS: “WHO IS REALLY IN CHARGE?”
QUESTIONS ABOUT HEALTH
She presses her hands into her eyes, fighting a migraine.
A KNOCK at the door.
FIONA
Come in.
Ruth enters quietly.
RUTH
He’s asleep.
Fiona exhales.
FIONA
Good.
Ruth hesitates, then closes the door behind her.
RUTH
I… I need to ask you something, off the record.
Fiona nods warily.
RUTH
How long are we going to let them use him like this?
Fiona blinks, thrown.
FIONA
“Use him”?
RUTH
That’s what this is.
He’s tired, confused, scared half the time, and you all keep pulling him onto stages like a mascot.
Fiona bristles.
FIONA
We are holding this country together.
RUTH
So was he. Once.
Now you’re holding him together just enough to pretend.
Fiona’s face cracks for a moment.
FIONA
You think I don’t know that?
Ruth softens.
RUTH
I think you know better than any of us.
That’s why I’m asking you, not them.
She nods vaguely toward the hallway, toward Cassandra.
RUTH
How does this end, Fiona?
Fiona has no answer.
Ruth waits.
There is only silence.
INT. STRATEGY ROOM – LATE NIGHT
Cassandra alone.
She stands before a large wall map of the country.
Pinned notes:
VULNERABLE DISTRICTS
SWING STATES
MEDIA NARRATIVE TRACKERS
“STABILITY INDEX”
She writes a single phrase at the center of the board:
“WE CANNOT SHOW WEAKNESS.”
She stares at it.
Her shoulders sag, just for a second.
INT. PRESIDENT’S BEDROOM – SAME
The President lies asleep, breathing unevenly.
Ruth sits in a nearby chair, knitting slowly.
The television murmurs a late-night news report.
ON TV:
A PANEL discusses “questions about transparency” and “unprecedented reliance on staff.”
The PRESIDENT stirs.
PRESIDENT (SILHOUETTE)
(half-asleep)
I used to…
remember all their names.
Ruth’s eyes fill.
RUTH
You remember enough.
He turns toward her voice, comforted.
The TV’s low audio continues:
TV PUNDIT (O.S.)
—who is actually running the country?
Ruth picks up the remote.
She turns the TV OFF.
We hold on the darkness and the soft sound of breathing.
INT. COUNCIL CHAMBER – NEXT MORNING
Everyone looks more exhausted than before.
Cassandra stands at the head of the table.
CASSANDRA
We are at an inflection point.
She clicks a remote.
Screens light up:
EXTERNAL RUMORS
INTERNAL REPORT FLAGS
INTERNATIONAL CONFIDENCE METRICS
CASSANDRA
If we tighten control, we might hold this together.
If we slip, even once,
we don’t get a second chance.
Theo speaks up, voice rough.
THEO
Hold what together?
A functioning administration?
Or a convincing illusion?
Cassandra meets his gaze.
CASSANDRA
At this point, they’re the same thing.
They all sit with that.
FADE OUT.
3. The Screen (The Illusion Machine)
FADE IN:
INT. OVAL OFFICE – MORNING
Soft sunlight filters through the curtains.
The President (silhouette) sits at the Resolute Desk, hands folded neatly.
Ruth stands behind him, watchful.
Cassandra, Fiona, Malcolm, and Theo enter.
The atmosphere is brittle.
A small digital clock reads:
09:59 — FOREIGN LEADERS ZOOM AT 10:00
Cassandra steps forward.
CASSANDRA
Sir, we’re moments away.
This will be brief and controlled.
Just greetings.
We’ll handle the rest.
The President nods, but his eyes drift toward the window.
PRESIDENT (SILHOUETTE)
The cherry blossoms look tired today.
Silence.
They’re in January.
Theo flinches.
CASSANDRA
(soft but firm)
Focus, sir.
Just read the first line.
We’ll close the call afterward.
Ruth leans down beside him.
RUTH
I’ll be right here.
He brightens slightly, reassured.
INT. OVAL OFFICE – MOMENTS LATER
A laptop is placed on the desk.
Five FOREIGN LEADERS appear in small boxes on screen.
They greet warmly.
LEADER #1
Mr. President, good morning.
The President leans forward, squinting.
PRESIDENT (SILHOUETTE)
Yes…
good morning…
to all of you.
Cassandra nods at Malcolm — so far, so good.
LEADER #2
We look forward to continued cooperation in the coming cycle.
The President smiles faintly.
PRESIDENT (SILHOUETTE)
I…
appreciate…
your…
He freezes.
They wait.
His eyes dart left, then right, searching for the prompter — but there is none.
PRESIDENT (SILHOUETTE)
I…
I seem to have misplaced…
the rest.
Cassandra stiffens.
Foreign leaders shift uncomfortably.
LEADER #3
(confused)
Sir?
The President turns toward Ruth.
PRESIDENT (SILHOUETTE)
Where am—?
(whisper)
What meeting is this?
The line isn’t muted.
Shock ripples across the call.
Cassandra lunges forward.
CASSANDRA
We’re experiencing technical trouble — please hold—
She slams the mute button.
Theo slaps a hand over his mouth, horrified.
FIONA
(end of her rope)
We need to end this. Now.
Cassandra nods sharply.
CASSANDRA
(to Malcolm)
Kill the feed.
Malcolm ends the call abruptly.
INT. OVAL OFFICE – CONTINUOUS
The President looks around, disoriented.
PRESIDENT (SILHOUETTE)
Did… I do something wrong?
Ruth kneels at his side.
RUTH
No, sir.
You just need rest.
He nods slowly.
Cassandra, trembling with contained rage, exits.
Theo follows her.
INT. WEST WING HALLWAY – CONTINUOUS
Cassandra bursts into the hall.
Theo trails behind her.
THEO
What just happened—
that was catastrophic—
CASSANDRA
(to herself)
They heard him ask where he was.
She stops, breathing hard.
CASSANDRA
This is no longer just optics.
Theo speaks carefully.
THEO
We cross a line today if we pretend that call didn’t happen.
Cassandra steps closer, eyes burning.
CASSANDRA
We crossed that line months ago.
Theo swallows.
THEO
Then what now?
Cassandra’s voice drops.
CASSANDRA
Now…
we keep going until we can’t.
INT. SITUATION ROOM – LATER
Fiona and Dr. Shale sit with NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISERS.
An aide briefs:
AIDE
Several foreign partners are requesting clarification after the call drop.
They’re concerned.
Fiona closes her eyes.
FIONA
Give them scripted reassurances.
Routine technical issue.
No follow-up questions.
A beat.
ADVISER
And what do we tell our own intelligence chiefs?
Shale looks at Fiona.
Fiona clears her throat.
FIONA
Same story.
No deviation.
Shale rubs his temples.
INT. MEDICAL OFFICE – SAME
Shale washes his hands shakily.
In the mirror, he sees:
Dark circles
Trembling fingers
A man drowning in guilt
He sits, opens a new medical report.
His cursor blinks at:
“Incident: Executive disorientation during foreign call.”
He hesitates.
Then deletes it.
He writes instead:
“Executive fatigued; recommend reduced participation in extended calls.”
He hates himself.
INT. STRATEGY ROOM – AFTERNOON
Charts. Screens. Data lines crashing.
Cassandra faces the Council.
She writes in red on a board:
FOREIGN CONFIDENCE DOWN — 23%
QUESTIONS IN PRESS ROOM — UP 40%
SOCIAL MEDIA RUMORS SPIKE — “WHO’S IN CHARGE?”
Theo looks hollow.
THEO
What’s the plan, Cassandra?
Cassandra turns, eyes sharp with fear disguised as resolve.
CASSANDRA
We double down.
More structure.
More control.
Every appearance staged.
Every word vetted.
Malcolm looks uneasy.
MALCOLM
That’s not leadership.
That’s puppeteering.
CASSANDRA
It’s governance through crisis.
Fiona interjects, voice trembling.
FIONA
At what point does this become deception?
Cassandra faces her directly.
CASSANDRA
When we stop doing what’s necessary
to keep the country stable.
They stare at each other.
The rift widens.
INT. PRESIDENT’S PRIVATE DEN – EVENING
A soft, warm room.
Old photos of a younger President on the walls: smiling, vibrant, powerful.
The President (silhouette) sits alone, staring at them.
Ruth enters quietly.
He points at a photo.
PRESIDENT (SILHOUETTE)
Who is that?
Ruth approaches.
RUTH
That’s you, sir.
At your first inauguration.
He studies it.
PRESIDENT (SILHOUETTE)
I look…
awake.
A devastating line.
Ruth’s voice breaks.
RUTH
You still are.
Just tired.
He smiles faintly.
PRESIDENT (SILHOUETTE)
Do they know?
Ruth sits beside him.
RUTH
They’re trying…
to help you continue.
He nods, processing.
PRESIDENT (SILHOUETTE)
I don’t feel like I’m continuing.
I feel…
finished.
Ruth wipes a tear.
INT. COUNCIL CHAMBER – NIGHT
Cassandra, alone again.
Lights off except for a desk lamp.
She opens a secure folder labeled:
CONTINGENCY OPTIONS — EMERGENCY ONLY
Inside:
SUCCESSION PROTOCOL
NATIONAL SECURITY STABILITY PLANS
BINDER: “TRANSITION WITHOUT TRANSITION”
She runs her fingers over the documents.
A moment of vulnerability hits her.
Her voice cracks.
CASSANDRA
(quiet)
We’re running out of time.
INT. WHITE HOUSE PRESS ROOM – NIGHT
Malcolm prepares tomorrow’s briefing.
He practices responses aloud.
MALCOLM
(in mirror)
“No, there is no concern regarding executive function—”
He stops.
He looks at himself like a man lying for a living.
He tries again.
MALCOLM
“—The President is fully engaged—”
Stops again.
Finally:
MALCOLM
(soft, defeated)
This is madness.
INT. PRESIDENT’S PRIVATE BEDROOM – LATE NIGHT
The President sleeps lightly.
Shadows move across the room as cars pass outside.
He murmurs:
PRESIDENT (SILHOUETTE)
(half-asleep)
Don’t let them… take it away…
Ruth sits nearby, knitting again.
She looks up at the door as if expecting someone.
As if hoping someone will come tell her this can end.
But no one comes.
INT. STRATEGY ROOM – SAME
Cassandra stares at the wall, unblinking.
Finally she whispers to the empty room:
CASSANDRA
Tomorrow… we restore confidence.
Or everything falls.
Fade to dark.
4. The Cracks Begin to Show
INT. CITADEL – STRATEGY ROOM – MORNING
Three giant screens glow with metrics:
“PUBLIC TRUST INDEX”
“EXECUTIVE VISIBILITY SCORE”
“STABILITY RISK LEVELS”
Cassandra, Ruth, Miguel, and Oliver gather around the table.
Everyone looks exhausted.
MIGUEL
The numbers keep dropping.
Even with the edited appearances.
RUTH
People aren’t stupid.
They sense something’s wrong.
OLIVER
Then we adjust the narrative.
RUTH
(ice cold)
That’s what got us here.
INT. PRESIDENTIAL SUITE – SAME TIME
The suite is pristine.
Lifeless.
It looks more like a museum exhibit than an office.
Cassandra enters alone.
She stares at the empty chair.
CASSANDRA
(whispers)
You have no idea what you’ve left behind.
She doesn’t mean the President.
She means the mess.
INT. CITADEL – MEDIA OPS ROOM
Technicians edit footage frame by frame:
Deepfakes
Audio smoothing
Reconstructed teleprompter lines
Stabilization overlays
Facial micro-correction
Miguel watches, sickened.
TECH #1
We can clean the slur in the last line.
But he still looks… gone.
TECH #2
We can sharpen the eyes.
People trust sharp eyes.
Miguel’s jaw tightens.
MIGUEL
Turn it off.
The screens go black.
INT. CITADEL – RUTH’S OFFICE – LATE MORNING
Ruth sits alone reviewing medical files.
Some pages are stamped:
“EXECUTIVE FUNCTION — SEVERE DECLINE”
“IMPAIRMENT PROGRESSION: PROJECTED IMPACT”
She closes the folder, disturbed.
Oliver enters quietly.
OLIVER
You’re not supposed to look at those.
RUTH
Someone needs to.
OLIVER
Ruth, listen—
If you start questioning the structure now—
RUTH
No.
I’m questioning us.
INT. CITADEL – HALLWAY OUTSIDE MEDICAL WING
Ruth confronts Cassandra.
RUTH
You said he would recover.
That this was temporary.
Cassandra doesn’t respond.
CASSANDRA
We are maintaining stability.
RUTH
We’re manufacturing stability.
CASSANDRA
Sometimes leadership requires holding things together until the public is ready for the truth.
RUTH
Or until we are.
A crack forms between them.
INT. CITADEL – INTERNAL SECURITY MONITORING ROOM
Miguel stands with Security Chief LANE.
Screens monitor social media, press chatter, congressional whispers.
LANE
The narrative is slipping.
A few journalists are asking why the President hasn’t taken unscripted questions in months.
MIGUEL
We can pivot.
We’ve done it before.
LANE
(shakes head)
This time’s different.
They’re connecting dots… and they’re the right dots.
Miguel stiffens.
INT. CITADEL – PRIVATE COUNCIL MEETING – AFTERNOON
Everyone is tense.
Cassandra places a document on the table:
“CONTINGENCY FRAMEWORK — UNAUTHORIZED COMMAND PARALLELISM”
Miguel reacts first.
MIGUEL
This is illegal.
CASSANDRA
It’s necessary.
RUTH
(quiet)
We’re not the government.
We were never meant to be.
Cassandra cuts her a look.
CASSANDRA
The alternative is panic.
Market collapse.
Security vacuum.
Chaos.
A long beat.
CASSANDRA
We are the thin line holding the country together.
Ruth stares at her — horrified.
INT. CITADEL – ELEVATOR
Oliver enters alone.
As the elevator descends, he loses his composure —
hands shaking, hyperventilating.
The lights flicker.
OLIVER
(whispering to himself)
We’re in too deep.
We’re in too deep.
The elevator doors open—
Cassandra stands waiting.
CASSANDRA
We hold.
Until we can’t.
Oliver nods, ashamed.
EXT. CITADEL – LATE AFTERNOON
Journalists gather near the gates.
Cameras zoom in.
A reporter speaks live:
REPORTER (ON CAMERA)
…unanswered questions continue to swirl regarding the President’s reduced schedule and prolonged absence from live events…
Ruth and Miguel watch from an upper window.
MIGUEL
They’re circling.
RUTH
Because they can smell the truth.
INT. CITADEL – LOWER CORRIDOR – EVENING
Cassandra walks briskly.
Lane approaches her.
LANE
We intercepted a draft article from a major outlet.
They’re preparing a piece questioning the executive chain of command.
Cassandra stops cold.
LANE
We may have days.
Hours, even.
Cassandra’s face hardens.
CASSANDRA
Then we control the truth.
Before they do.
This moment is the trigger that will lead into the Act III explosion.
FADE OUT.
5. The Vault of Truth
FADE IN:
INT. WEST WING – EMPTY HALLWAY – NIGHT
The hallway is quiet, dim.
Security cameras blink.
It feels like the entire government is holding its breath.
Theo stands alone, staring at a framed photo of the President from years ago — energetic, commanding, confident.
Footsteps approach.
He turns to see Ruth, weary but resolute.
RUTH
You okay?
Theo shakes his head.
THEO
I wrote that man’s words for six years…
but today I realized…
I’ve been ghostwriting a ghost.
Ruth looks at him, a depth of pain in her eyes.
RUTH
He wasn’t always like this.
THEO
Which makes today even worse.
A beat.
RUTH
You thinking of leaving?
THEO
Leaving isn’t the problem.
It’s staying that feels like betrayal.
He waits.
Ruth doesn’t answer — not because she disagrees, but because she understands too well.
INT. STRATEGY ROOM – LATE NIGHT
Cassandra is pacing.
The tension has turned her movements sharp and unstable.
Fiona enters, closing the door behind her.
FIONA
We need to talk privately.
Cassandra doesn’t stop pacing.
CASSANDRA
If this is about the Amendment again—
FIONA
It is.
Cassandra stops cold.
FIONA
(steady)
We’re past the point of temporary setbacks.
They saw him falter.
They heard him.
Our allies are terrified.
Markets are volatile.
We are patching holes in a sinking ship.
CASSANDRA
(icy)
We are preventing national collapse.
FIONA
By forcing a man who can’t remember the day to pretend he’s fine!
Cassandra slams her fist on the table.
CASSANDRA
And what do you think happens if we step back?
Hmm?
Who steps in?
What chaos unfolds?
What if his successor can’t stabilize anything?
Fiona steps closer.
Her voice drops to something soft and devastating.
FIONA
What if we are the chaos now?
Cassandra looks shaken — a rare crack.
INT. PRESIDENT’S PRIVATE BEDROOM – SAME
The President lies awake.
Ruth sits beside him.
PRESIDENT (SILHOUETTE)
They… seem worried.
Ruth sighs softly.
RUTH
Everyone is worried, sir.
He turns toward her.
PRESIDENT (SILHOUETTE)
Am I… disappointing them?
She takes his hand and squeezes it.
RUTH
You’ve carried this country for decades.
No one has the right to ask more than you’ve already given.
He nods, comforted.
Then he whispers:
PRESIDENT (SILHOUETTE)
I think they want me to go.
Ruth’s breath catches.
She cannot lie.
She cannot tell the truth.
She stays silent.
INT. COMMUNICATIONS HUB – EARLY MORNING
Malcolm works alone.
Coffee everywhere.
Monitors glowing.
He reviews clips of yesterday’s speech disaster.
Frames show the President’s confused face in silhouette.
His hands tremble as he rewinds and watches again.
MALCOLM
(whispering)
People deserve to know…
don’t they?
He opens a secure drive labeled:
“PROTECTED FOOTAGE – DO NOT DISTRIBUTE”
Inside:
REHEARSAL FREEZE
FOREIGN CALL INCIDENT
EAST ROOM BROADCAST BREAK
He hovers over them, trembling.
A VOICE behind him:
CASSANDRA (O.S.)
What are you doing?
Malcolm jolts.
Cassandra stands in the doorway, unreadable.
Malcolm quickly minimizes the window.
MALCOLM
Just… cataloging.
Cassandra steps closer.
CASSANDRA
Your job is to protect.
Not to second-guess.
He nods, but sweat beads on his forehead.
She walks away.
Malcolm unlocks his jaw, terrified.
INT. SITUATION ROOM – MORNING
Urgent chatter.
INTELLIGENCE OFFICIALS present data:
OFFICIAL #1
Overnight chatter indicates foreign actors suspect a health crisis.
OFFICIAL #2
Some are preparing to test our response time.
Fiona shoots Cassandra a look: this is the chaos she warned about.
Cassandra’s expression hardens.
CASSANDRA
Then we show strength.
Immediate, decisive strength.
She turns to Fiona.
CASSANDRA
We schedule a full cabinet meeting.
Public.
Visible.
He presides.
Fiona goes pale.
FIONA
He’ll never get through that.
CASSANDRA
He doesn’t need to.
We’ll walk him through it.
He sits.
He nods.
He signs.
We present unity.
Dr. Shale stands abruptly.
DR. SHALE
No.
No more.
You’re putting him in danger.
Cassandra turns slowly.
CASSANDRA
He is the President.
He serves until he cannot.
Dr. Shale’s hands shake with rage.
DR. SHALE
He cannot.
Silence.
INT. PRIVATE CORRIDOR – MOMENTS LATER
Dr. Shale storms out, breathing hard.
He pulls out his phone.
He scrolls to a contact labeled:
“W.H. LEGAL – DIRECT LINE”
He hesitates.
Thumb trembling.
He lowers the phone.
He cannot.
INT. CAFETERIA – BREAKFAST RUSH
The room is busy, but at one corner table sit:
Theo
Fiona
Brandon
All too exhausted to eat.
Theo speaks quietly.
THEO
If Cassandra forces a public Cabinet meeting, he’ll crack.
Worse than before.
Brandon sips coffee, visibly shaken.
BRANDON
I can’t keep deleting the truth.
At some point it becomes complicity.
Fiona looks like she hasn’t slept.
FIONA
We’re all complicit.
Every hour we pretend, the cost gets higher.
Theo leans forward.
THEO
We need to decide something.
For all of us.
Fiona meets his eyes.
FIONA
(decisive, quiet)
I’m done covering.
If Cassandra pushes this, I make my report.
Formally.
Brandon is stunned.
Theo whispers:
THEO
Do you know what that starts?
FIONA
(soft)
Yes.
The truth.
INT. COUNCIL CHAMBER – MIDDAY
The Council gathers again.
Cassandra enters holding briefing folders.
She looks like a general readying for battle.
CASSANDRA
We proceed with the Cabinet meeting at 4 PM.
National broadcast.
Full confidence display.
Fiona stands.
FIONA
No.
Cassandra stops cold.
The room freezes.
CASSANDRA
Excuse me?
FIONA
He is not fit to lead that meeting.
A beat.
Fiona places a sealed envelope on the table.
FIONA
This is my formal report.
Everyone gasps softly.
Cassandra’s face darkens.
CASSANDRA
You understand what this means?
FIONA
Yes.
CASSANDRA
You’re invoking a process that will rip the administration apart.
Fiona nods.
FIONA
It’s already ripped.
I’m just telling the truth.
Every Council member stares at the envelope.
A ticking clock is heard faintly.
Time is running out.
INT. EMPTY OFFICE – MOMENTS LATER
Cassandra stands alone again, gripping the envelope.
Her mask breaks.
She SLAMS the envelope down and whispers:
CASSANDRA
(terrified, to herself)
No… not now… not like this…
Her breathing quickens.
Panic — the thing she has spent the entire movie fighting — finally shows.
CASSANDRA
We can’t lose control.
We can’t—
She collapses into a chair.
For the first time, Cassandra looks human.
Cracked.
Lost.
INT. PRESIDENT’S BEDROOM – SAME
The President sits quietly, watching sunlight on the curtains.
Ruth enters with tea.
PRESIDENT (SILHOUETTE)
People are whispering today.
RUTH
Don’t worry about that, sir.
PRESIDENT (SILHOUETTE)
(smiling weakly)
They think I don’t notice.
But I do.
Some days… more than others.
He looks at Ruth with heartbreaking clarity.
PRESIDENT (SILHOUETTE)
Be honest with me.
Should I still be doing this?
Ruth opens her mouth—
But no words come.
She sits beside him.
RUTH
(soft)
I think…
you’ve already done enough.
He closes his eyes.
A man ready to let go.
INT. STRATEGY ROOM – AFTERNOON
Cassandra enters with the envelope in hand.
Everyone waits.
She places it in the center of the table.
A beat.
CASSANDRA
We delay the Cabinet meeting.
The Council exhales.
But she continues.
CASSANDRA
And we solve this internally.
Before the country tears itself apart.
She looks at Fiona with something between pain and understanding.
CASSANDRA
We start…
a transition.
The room goes still.
Fiona is shocked.
Theo breathes out, relieved.
Dr. Shale closes his eyes in gratitude.
Cassandra sits.
She looks ten years older.
CASSANDRA
Let’s do this right.
FADE OUT.
6. The Point of No Return
FADE IN:
INT. COUNCIL CHAMBER – LATE AFTERNOON
The room is silent.
The envelope containing Fiona’s classified report sits on the table like a detonator.
No one wants to touch it.
CASSANDRA, hands trembling, finally breaks the silence.
CASSANDRA
(quiet, almost to herself)
We swore to protect the country… not rewrite the Constitution.
Across the table, RUTH watches her — for the first time, Cassandra looks afraid.
MARCUS
We need clarity. Is the President still capable of governing?
FIONA
(steady)
Not in any meaningful sense. Not in a legal sense. Not in a moral one.
A long beat.
CASSANDRA
We contain this. Immediately. No one outside this room sees that report.
If it leaks, the entire government collapses.
Her voice cracks on the last word.
She knows she’s not trying to save the country.
She’s trying to save them.
THERESA leans forward, voice low and cutting.
THERESA
Contain it? Cassandra, this is a public deception.
We’ve crossed every line we once swore we’d never come near.
RUTH
(soft, relentless)
It’s not just deception… it’s rule without consent.
We aren’t the government — we’re the people running it behind the curtain.
Cassandra’s eyes flicker.
That is the line she has avoided facing for months.
CASSANDRA
We stabilized the nation when no one else could.
We prevented panic, markets crashing, world leaders exploiting the weakness—
MARCUS
And in doing so, we crowned ourselves.
A beat.
CASSANDRA
We stepped in because the President wasn’t able.
RUTH
No.
We stayed in because it was easier to pretend we were the adults in the room…
than to tell the country the truth.
INT. COUNCIL CHAMBER – CONTINUOUS
Tension erupts.
THERESA
We’ve controlled policy, speech drafts, national addresses—
hell, we’ve controlled his schedule down to bathroom breaks.
MARCUS
And the entire time, we told ourselves it was temporary.
He gestures at the envelope.
MARCUS (CONT’D)
But this?
This proves it isn’t temporary.
This is a transfer of power without an election.
It’s illegal. It’s unconstitutional.
It is the exact nightmare the Founders warned about.
Silence.
FIONA
(quiet intensity)
If this stays hidden, history will condemn us as the generation that let democracy rot from the inside.
Cassandra closes her eyes.
Her armor fractures.
The sound of protest murmurs can be heard outside — faint, distant.
The others notice.
RUTH
What is that?
Theresa checks her phone.
THERESA
Social media chatter. Rumors about the President’s state.
Someone leaked something, but not this report.
She looks up, eyes sharp.
THERESA (CONT’D)
We’re losing the narrative.
CASSANDRA
Then we take it back.
She rises, pacing, gripping the edge of the table.
CASSANDRA (CONT’D)
We draft a statement tonight.
We get the Cabinet aligned.
We reassure foreign leaders.
We control the message before it controls us.
MARCUS
But the truth?
What about that message?
CASSANDRA
The country can handle a storm.
It cannot handle a void.
INT. COUNCIL CHAMBER – MOMENTS LATER
Cassandra turns to Fiona.
CASSANDRA
I need every copy of that report secured.
Digital backups. Physical duplicates. All of it.
FIONA
You want me to bury it?
A dangerous pause.
CASSANDRA
I want you to protect the country.
RUTH
That’s not what you’re protecting.
Cassandra snaps.
CASSANDRA
(boiling over)
You think this is about me?
About keeping power?
If the nation sees that file, every adversary on earth will smell blood.
Markets will collapse. Allies will panic.
The public will lose faith overnight.
MARCUS
They lost faith the moment we took over behind closed doors.
That hits her harder than anyone expected.
CASSANDRA slumps into her seat.
CASSANDRA
(whispers)
We’re not villains.
THERESA
Maybe not.
But we’re far from heroes.
RUTH
This isn’t about what we intended, Cassandra.
It’s about what we’ve allowed ourselves to become.
Cassandra rubs her temples.
She looks… small.
Human.
Crushed by the weight of her own choices.
CASSANDRA
What would you have us do?
RUTH
Tell the truth.
Let the American people decide what comes next.
Cassandra meets her eyes.
She cannot agree.
But she cannot reject it either.
INT. CITADEL – HALLWAY – MINUTES LATER
The Council exits the chamber one by one.
The hallway is darker than usual.
Emergency lights flicker.
Staffers whisper.
Phones buzz.
Screens show rising public concern.
THERESA
People are talking.
Someone leaked something serious.
MARCUS
(under his breath)
It wasn’t us.
RUTH
And if not us… then who?
FIONA
There are other people who know.
Medical staff. Inner circle aides.
Anyone could have broken.
Cassandra walks slightly behind them — alone inside her thoughts.
INT. CASSANDRA’S OFFICE – MINUTES LATER
Cassandra shuts the door.
Her breathing is ragged.
She opens her laptop and stares at the blank document labeled:
“DRAFT: NATIONAL STABILITY ADDRESS”
Her fingers hover above the keys.
She cannot type.
A soft knock at the door.
It’s Ruth, standing in the doorway.
RUTH
You don’t have to write a lie.
Cassandra doesn’t turn.
CASSANDRA
I have to write something that keeps this country from tearing itself apart.
RUTH
Sometimes the truth is the only thing that stops the tearing.
Cassandra’s eyes well.
She hides it.
INT. CASSANDRA’S OFFICE – CONTINUOUS
Ruth steps inside.
RUTH
Cassandra… if we bury the truth now, it’ll haunt us forever.
And worse, it’ll empower the next group who decides they can override democracy for “stability.”
Cassandra clenches her jaw.
CASSANDRA
You think I don’t know that?
RUTH
Then stop it.
Let this end with us.
A long beat.
Cassandra looks at her — grief and defiance mixed.
CASSANDRA
You’re asking me to ignite a constitutional crisis.
RUTH
No.
I’m asking you to prevent a much darker one.
INT. CITADEL – WAR ROOM LEVEL – SAME TIME
Meanwhile, Marcus, Theresa, and Fiona walk briskly toward the Situation Floor.
The Citadel is buzzing — phones ringing, aides sprinting, flat screens flashing with early reports:
“WHITE HOUSE SILENCE ON PRESIDENT’S CONDITION SPARKS SPECULATION.”
“LEAKED DOCUMENTS? ADMINISTRATION DENIES.”
“PROTESTS FORMING OUTSIDE CAPITOL.”
Fiona stops dead.
FIONA
(whispers)
Oh God.
THERESA
What?
Fiona shows them her phone.
A screenshot of a classified memo.
A real one.
Not hers.
But close enough.
MARCUS
Someone else leaked.
Someone inside the medical wing.
The realization hits them:
The collapse has begun —
and they didn’t start it…
but they can’t stop it anymore.
They run toward the core command center—
CUT TO BLACK.
7. The Truth Goes Public
INT. INTERNAL MEDIA SERVER ROOM – CONTINUOUS
White light still floods the screens.
SYSTEM
Disclosure sequence initiated.
Cassandra exhales — the kind of exhale one only releases after years of compromise.
RUTH
There’s no turning back.
CASSANDRA
There never was.
(beat)
We just pretended.
A series of bars begin uploading Fiona’s full report to the government archive, newswire protocols, and protected public mirrors.
The truth is becoming unstoppable.
EXT. THE CITADEL – SAME TIME
A crowd has gathered outside the gates — restless, sensing something is wrong.
Police hold a perimeter, but whispers ripple through the line.
Camera crews cluster like vultures.
Suddenly—
A journalist’s phone VIBRATES.
She looks, freezes… and her eyes widen.
JOURNALIST #1
Oh my God.
(turning to others)
It leaked.
It leaked.
Others check their screens.
A wave of realization spreads.
JOURNALIST #2
This can’t be real.
JOURNALIST #3
It’s real. It’s everywhere.
Cameras start rolling before anyone can control the narrative.
INT. SERVER ROOM – SAME TIME
An ALERT flashes red on the terminal.
SYSTEM
External access detected.
Media replication in progress.
Miguel swallows hard.
MIGUEL
It’s live.
It’s already on every major network feed.
Oliver looks sick.
OLIVER
We’re finished.
RUTH
Maybe we’re finally beginning.
Cassandra stares at the screen, expression unreadable.
INT. NEWSROOMS (INTERCUT) – CONTINUOUS
Different networks, different anchors — all receiving the same file at the same moment.
ANCHOR #1
(reading, stunned)
“Cognitive decline impairing executive function…”
ANCHOR #2
“…a covert administrative structure performing duties without constitutional authority…”
ANCHOR #3
“…the President absent from operational leadership for extended periods—”
Chaos erupts behind them.
Producers shout.
Phones ring nonstop.
Graphics teams scramble for emergency layouts.
EXT. AMERICAN STREETS – INTERCUT
Crowds gather in city squares, glued to screens.
Confusion.
Anger.
Disbelief.
Outside the Citadel, the crowd swells.
PROTESTER
(shouting)
Who’s running our country?!
ANOTHER PROTESTER
If they lied about this, what else is hidden?
The pressure builds like a storm surge.
INT. FBI FIELD OFFICE – SAME TIME
Agents watch quietly, exchanging glances.
AGENT #1
We’ve suspected gaps for months.
AGENT #2
Not like this.
(pause)
This… this is structural.
Phones start ringing — rapidly, urgently.
AGENT SUPERVISOR
(snarling)
Everyone to crisis protocol rooms.
We’re getting directives from everywhere and nowhere.
INT. PENTAGON – CONTINUOUS
Military analysts stare at the leaked report on a giant wall display.
GENERAL HARTFORD
(voice cold)
If command authority has been compromised—
We need to verify the chain of command…
Right now.
AIDE
Sir—
The chain… is unclear.
A beat of deadly silence.
This is the nightmare scenario.
INT. CITADEL – SUB-BASEMENT HALLWAY
Cassandra, Ruth, Miguel, and Oliver move quickly through the corridors.
Lights flicker.
Security officers run past them in the opposite direction.
MIGUEL
They’ll blame us.
RUTH
They should.
OLIVER
No — they’ll destroy us.
Cassandra stops and turns sharply.
CASSANDRA
We did what had to be done.
We didn’t create this crisis —
We exposed the one that was already happening.
Footsteps echo — someone is running toward them.
INT. CITADEL – PRESS WAR ROOM
Screens show live feeds of nationwide upheaval.
Every outlet is covering the leak.
One screen shows markets plummeting.
Another shows foreign governments issuing statements.
A third shows protests forming worldwide.
Ruth steps closer, overwhelmed.
RUTH
I knew it would be big…
But we just punched a hole in the whole democracy.
OLIVER
Not a hole.
A mirror.
(quiet)
People are finally seeing what’s been behind the curtain.
Cassandra watches calmly — too calmly.
CASSANDRA
This isn’t collapse.
This is what correction looks like.
INT. CITADEL – UPPER CORRIDOR
Alarms blare.
Phones ring.
Staff panic.
Security shouts orders as divisions form:
Some want to contain the crisis, others want to flee.
A senior advisor confronts the Council members.
SENIOR ADVISOR
(accusing)
You did this.
You just destabilized the entire executive branch.
CASSANDRA
The executive branch was already destabilized.
SENIOR ADVISOR
We could’ve handled this internally!
RUTH
You had years to handle it internally.
Her voice cuts like a blade.
RUTH
And instead…
You asked us to fake a government.
The advisor is speechless.
MIGUEL
The country deserves better than a phantom presidency.
OLIVER
(soft, almost grieving)
And now… they finally know.
Cassandra steps past the advisor.
CASSANDRA
This is only the beginning.
CUT TO BLACK.
8. The Nation Erupts
INT. CITADEL – MAIN OPERATIONS FLOOR – NIGHT
Chaos.
Phones ringing nonstop.
Screens flashing emergency directives.
Two agencies claim temporary authority while three others dispute it.
Aides shout over each other.
AIDE #1
We can’t get Defense on the line!
AIDE #2
State is refusing to acknowledge communications until someone confirms the President’s status!
AIDE #3
Treasury is asking who signs the stabilization orders!
The room spirals.
Cassandra, Ruth, Miguel, and Oliver enter — unnoticed at first.
Then:
All eyes turn toward them.
Silence spreads like infection.
INT. OPERATIONS FLOOR – CONTINUOUS
A senior national security official storms toward Cassandra.
NS OFFICIAL
What did you do?
CASSANDRA
What you refused to do.
NS OFFICIAL
You unleashed hell.
The markets are cratering.
Allies are panicking.
Rivals are moving warships.
And the public—
(beat)
—The public is ready to burn this building to the ground.
RUTH
Maybe they should’ve known sooner.
Maybe they should’ve been told the truth before the rest of the world figured it out for them.
The official glares with pure venom.
NS OFFICIAL
You’ll all be arrested.
MIGUEL
(smiles sadly)
We expected that.
INT. CITADEL – EXECUTIVE CORRIDOR
The Council members walk side by side down the hallway.
Alarms blare.
Agents rush past them.
Oliver glances inside the President’s empty office.
The chair sits alone, spotlighted by moonlight.
He steps closer.
OLIVER
This… this empty chair controlled the world more than any human.
RUTH
No.
(realizing, shaken)
We did.
And it hits all of them at once —
not pride,
not power,
but guilt.
Deep, irreversible guilt.
INT. CITADEL ROOFTOP – NIGHT
Helicopters thump overhead.
The city below swirls with headlights, sirens, and protest fires.
Cassandra stands at the edge, watching the chaos.
Ruth joins her.
RUTH
Do you regret it?
CASSANDRA
Regret hiding it this long?
Yes.
RUTH
Regret releasing it?
Cassandra looks down at the sea of people flooding toward the Citadel.
CASSANDRA
No.
This truth was always going to explode.
We just lit the fuse before someone else did.
EXT. STREETS OUTSIDE THE CITADEL – SAME TIME
Protesters chant as barricades strain under pressure.
Signs everywhere:
“WHO RULES US?”
“END SHADOW GOVERNMENT”
“NO MORE UNELECTED POWER”
A young woman stands on a car roof, shouting into a megaphone:
YOUNG WOMAN
This is our country — not theirs!
No more decisions in the dark!
No more leaders who aren’t leading!
The crowd roars.
This is no longer protest.
This is awakening.
INT. CITADEL – HALL OF BRIEFINGS – SAME TIME
Cassandra, Ruth, Miguel, and Oliver step into the grand hall —
the place where press conferences should have happened,
where truth should have been spoken,
where the public should have been respected.
It stands empty.
Cassandra walks slowly to the podium.
She touches it gently, as if feeling the ghosts of the speeches that never came.
CASSANDRA
(whispers)
We stole a voice from the nation.
MIGUEL
We thought we were protecting them.
RUTH
We were protecting ourselves.
Oliver lowers his head.
A deep, distant BOOM echoes outside —
not an explosion,
but barriers giving way.
Security bursts in.
SECURITY CHIEF
We need to evacuate you immediately.
The perimeter is collapsing.
CASSANDRA
No.
Everyone freezes.
SECURITY CHIEF
What?
CASSANDRA
We don’t run anymore.
We don’t hide.
We face what we built…
and what we broke.
Ruth steps beside her.
RUTH
We stay.
Miguel nods.
Oliver swallows, then nods too.
INT. CITADEL – LOBBY – MOMENTS LATER
The doors tremble as the crowd presses in.
Journalists force microphones through the barricade.
JOURNALISTS
Who was really running the country?
How long has this been happening?
What happens now?
Will you resign?
Will you face charges?
What do the people deserve to know?
Cassandra steps forward.
Her voice is calm — but it trembles with truth.
CASSANDRA
For years, decisions were made behind these walls…
by those who were never elected…
to compensate for a reality no one wanted to admit.
Cameras flash.
CASSANDRA
We believed we were preventing chaos.
Instead…
we created it.
Gasps.
CASSANDRA
We don’t ask for forgiveness.
But we offer the truth —
fully, transparently, and without defense.
She steps back.
Silence.
Then—
A roar of questions erupts.
EXT. THE CITADEL – NIGHT
The doors open.
Cassandra, Ruth, Miguel, and Oliver walk out on their own —
no escorts,
no defenses,
no shields.
The crowd quiets as they approach.
For the first time, the people and the "unelected power" stand face to face.
A protester steps forward — a middle-aged man with a trembling voice.
PROTESTER
Why did you do it?
Why didn’t you trust us?
Ruth answers gently.
RUTH
Because we forgot who we worked for.
Pain ripples across the crowd.
Cassandra turns to face the mass of citizens —
tens of thousands, silent now.
CASSANDRA
This mistake must never be repeated.
No nation — not ours, not any —
can survive when the truth is locked behind closed doors…
and its leaders are shadows instead of servants.
A long beat.
CASSANDRA
We give the country back to its people.
Where it always belonged.
The protesters stand still.
Some cry.
Some stare.
Some lower their signs.
But the message lands:
The age of unelected power is over.
Because the people have finally woken up.
FADE OUT.
THE END.
Final Thoughts
In the end, the truth didn’t break the country.
The silence did.
The Council stepped into power to hold the system together…
and nearly tore it apart from within.
Not with malice —
but with fear.
Fear of the chaos that honesty might unleash.
Fear of what the nation might do if it knew who was really making the decisions.
But when the truth finally reached the streets,
something unexpected happened:
The people didn’t fall apart.
They stood up.
A lesson was written that night across the steps of the Citadel —
a warning carved into the future:
Democracy dies behind closed doors.
And it survives only when the people keep watch.
The shadows may always return.
Power may always try to hide.
But as long as citizens demand the truth…
unelected power will never rule again.
Short Bios:
Cassandra Wynn — Chief of Staff
Cassandra is the commanding, hyper-disciplined Chief of Staff who quietly becomes the functional center of the administration as the President declines. Brilliant but emotionally guarded, she balances national stability with deep internal conflict over how long the illusion can be sustained. Her arc moves from control to conscience.
Ruth Ellis — Senior Personal Aide to the President
Ruth is the President’s most trusted personal aide, serving as the emotional anchor of the film. She witnesses his cognitive decline more closely than anyone and becomes the moral compass guiding the administration toward truth. Ruth is compassionate, discreet, and quietly courageous.
Theo Marlowe — Communications Director & Speechwriter
Theo is the exhausted idealist of the West Wing. Once inspired by public service, he now ghostwrites speeches the President can barely deliver. Intelligent but unraveling, Theo’s conscience becomes a key catalyst pushing the Council toward transparency and responsibility.
Fiona Park — Deputy Communications Director
Fiona is responsible for managing public perception and messaging during the administration's most fragile moments. Sharp, strategic, and detail-oriented, she wrestles with the ethics of manipulating reality in order to protect the country from instability. She serves as the system’s internal voice of reason.
Dr. Samuel Shale — White House Physician
Dr. Shale is a seasoned physician who has monitored the President’s gradually worsening condition with growing concern. Bound by medical ethics and national responsibility, he often provides the most direct warnings — even when they’re inconvenient. His honesty shapes the turning points of the film.
Brandon Yates — Lead Broadcast Technician
Brandon operates the President’s audio, video, and teleprompter systems. Young, technically gifted, and increasingly shaken by what he sees behind the scenes, he becomes the unexpected guardian of evidence that could expose the entire illusion. His internal struggle adds tension and stakes.
Malcolm Reyes — Director of Media Operations
Malcolm oversees all official broadcasts, lighting, and technical staging. Dependable, loyal, and professional, he works tirelessly to maintain the appearance of stability. His steady presence contrasts with the growing chaos inside the administration, grounding the film’s technical realism.
The President (Silhouette Figure)
The President remains mostly unseen, depicted through silhouette, partial angles, or softened frames. Once a strong and respected leader, he now struggles with cognitive decline and intermittent lucidity. His humanity becomes clear in his rare moments of vulnerability, culminating in a dignified final address.
The Council of Stability
A loosely defined inner circle composed of Cassandra, Theo, Fiona, Dr. Shale, Malcolm, and Brandon. Though never publicly acknowledged, they collectively maintain the machinery of governance in the President’s absence. Their dynamic embodies loyalty, fear, moral conflict, and the burden of unchosen responsibility.
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