Three weeks after the video chat with the madam president, Denise Proudhoof was looking nervous as she sat in a small ante chamber of the White House. She had to fly to Washington DC so as to make the announcement of her appointment as the new director of the CDC official. She was able to wrangle an agreement that she could handle a majority of the day to day tasks while remote working from the town she lived in on the west coast; the president however was unable to convince the senate as well as congress to relocate an important agency so far away from the heart of American politics. So Denise had to settle for a remote satellite office as her location for the director’s job; she still had to commute to Atlanta Georgia and to Washington now and then, but she was hoping that those visits would be few and infrequent.
As she sat and waited, a water moccasin fury approach and sat in a seat across from her. He had the seal of the senate magically imbued on his left arm; ensuring that the fury tattoo is in stark contrast to his spotted dark brown and black scales. He was rifling through some papers in his briefing packet; it was similar to hers as Denise had hers on her fury lap.
“First time appearing before a gaggle of reporters,” the male fury spotting Denise’s nervousness.
“You can tell,” Denise questioning the man; unable to recall if she was introduced to this politician the evening prior.
“I’ve been a senator for six years,” the male snake fury chuckling; “it never gets easy. I would suggest imagining everyone in the room is naked, but seeing as we all are naked,” the senator chuckling; “that is kind of moot.”
“So you are going to suggest I picture everyone fully clothed instead,” the anthro tigress fury rolling her eyes; trying to hold back the urge to scream and run out the room and make a beeline to the airport.
“Not a bad idea,” the water moccasin fury laughing; “just imagine the madam president in a skimpy cheerleader uniform with pompoms. That should settle the nerves.”
Denise didn’t answer; she finally recognized the male fury before her thanks to his uproarious belly laugh. He was a Republican Senator for the state of Tennessee. A moderate compared to most of the fire brand conservatives in his party prior to the fury flu pandemic; he was infected during the initial fury flu wave and was soon using his new position as a high ranking senator to prepare for a run for the oval office. He made some passing comments to her during last night’s meet and great that he wanted to drag her before a committee hearing and grille her on her knowledge as to how the pandemic happened. While he never let on more than what he knew, Denise was certain that he was going to try and use her as a launch point for his presidential ambitions.
‘Not on my watch,’ Denise fuming as she glared at the snake fury smiling as he effortlessly glad handed the new Texas republican senator during that event. Not knowing who to trust she confided with the female otter fury who was the madam president over what she suspected. The president just sigh and mentioned, “that is politics for you.”
Now Denise is waiting for the president to signal the secret service agents to let her in so she could be properly introduced and possibly answer questions.
“Looks like you are up,” the water moccasin fury noticing the agents signaling for her. “good luck, “he adds as he flashes his forked tongue as if to sample her apprehension and fear.
Entering the resolute room, a room traditionally reserved for momentous signings of new laws, Denise was floored with all the members of the press. The flashing lights from film cameras, stunned her, as several cameras panned along with her as she walked towards the podium with the presidential seal. Taking the hand of the madam president, Denise notices that she has also the presidential seal just above her left breast. With all furies eschewing the need for clothing, markings of some forms were needed to identify who they were or what they did. This was firsts noticed as the U.S marines were busy enforcing martial law and quelling uprisings. Seeing furies with the rank of private all the way to colonel could be seen in the news once the various t.v. channels began broadcasting, giving everyone else the idea to have their own form of branding that could be removed at will.
“Members of the press, Citizens of the united States of America and viewers form all over the world,” the president speaking; “may I present to you the new director of the CDC, Denise Proudhoof.”
Denise taking the space the president occupied moments ago; she placed her briefing packet along with some notes she prepared. Scanning the room she saw the same water moccasin senator flashing him a smile as he somehow managed to worm his way into the back of the room.
‘Here we go,’ Denise thinking to herself.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” Denise pausing before continuing; “and I use those words even though we are no longer human, but still our species is divided between the two genders. Hopefully both genders will look upon each other as equals and there will be an immediate end to treating a portion of the population as second citizens.”
“We all went through trying times during last year’s thanksgiving weekend. It was when the Fury flu ripped across the world and upended life as we know it. While I was sadden that this upheaval caused chaos and confusion; acts of violence for others who thought they could fight back the inevitable tsunami of change.” Denise paused as she noticed a bottle of water at the podium; opening the cap, she took a sip before continuing. “I know all of you are still wondering how this change happened. Well I will tell you.”
*******
The press conference became a madhouse as Denise revealed that she was a fury for at least three week prior to the fury flu ripping across the world. Fielding questions, she informed the gaggle of press that it was her experience and knowledge of viruses that allowed her to create the air born variant of the fury flu and release it into the jet stream. She flashed a smile at the Tennessee senator as she effectively scuttled his attempt to use her for his own political aspirations. The press conference was soon ended as she and the president were rushed out of the room and now she was sitting in the oval office chugging back another bottle of water.
“You mind telling me what you just did,” the president looking upset at the anthro tigress fury.
“I just prevented a certain republican from using me as a spring board to his campaign against you on the next election cycle,” Denise growling; “I also made sure that the truth about the virus got out. I made sure it could not be skewed in one way or another. Think of it as my way of ensuring you get a second term and as a fuck you to roping me into this job that I didn’t want to begin with.”
“And now the senate is going to be howling for you to stand before them,” The president sitting on a sofa across from Denise. “They are going to grille you to no end.”
“They can try,” Denise grinning; “after my interview with FNN where I will be releasing more details. By the time I’m done talking to the various news outlets, there won’t be a question they can ask that would have already been answered. Plus they wouldn’t be able to render such questioning as classified as it is already in public domain.”
Before the President could retort, the senator from Tennessee is let into the oval office and looks at both females. Trying to hide his rage as his gaze lingers on the tigress fury.
“Well that could have gone better" he comments as he takes a seat; “you kicked opened a hornets nest.”
“Better me than you,” Denise glaring at the water moccasin fury sitting before her; “because now I control the narrative. I bet the dossier you are holding has all sorts of intel that was not meant for your eyes. Intel you were hoping to reveal with a small press conference after the one with me concluded.”
“Clever girl,” the Tennessee senator flicking his forked tongue out; “but that won’t stop me.”
“Perhaps,” Denise growling; “but at least you can’t use me to sit behind that desk.” Denise thumbing the large resolute desk that has sat in the same spot since the days of FDR.
“Is there a reason why you need to be here Dick,” the madam president feeling exasperated with the recent events.
“Yes,” the water moccasin fury opening his dossier; “hospitals in Nashville have reported and uptick on what looks to be a mutated form of measles.”
“Not surprising,” Denise commenting in a deadpan fashion; “when the fury virus went air born it latched onto other viral prions and inadvertently mutated them to infect us. We’ll just have new versions of Mumps, Measles, Chickenpox,” Denise listing off the various maladies while not lethal thanks to modern medicine, can be inconvenient.
“Will this affect the remaining humans who have banded together in closed off communities,” The president looking at Denise.
“Possibly,” Denise thinking; “if we have mutated childhood maladies, it is a safe bet the common cold and the flu will also have been mutated. But since we deal with new variants of the two each year…”
“We could be looking at a second fury flu pandemic,” the president looking exhausted as shakes her head and groans.”
“We can’t eliminate the rhino virus nor Covid,” Denise Proudhoof grabbing the intel from Dick’s dossier and giving it a quick currosry look before tossing it on the president's lap, ensuring it would be out of his scaly clawed hands; “we can only hope that the latest vaccines that are developed will work as usual.”
“What will happen if a human get infected with a fury version of the common cold,” Dick looking at Denise.
“Most likely the same way as the initial pandemic,” Denise answering; They will become furies, or die if they are in bad health.”
“Well that won’t wash with the voting constituents,” Dick closing his dossier and getting up.
“I highly doubt there are enough human’s left in America to guarantee you the required electoral college votes to allow you to park you ass in here full time,” the president scoffing; “but I want this kept quiet until more research is put into it. Dick, you will assist our new CDC director in this. Political aspirations be dammed.
"Then I guess I need to begin wearing my badge of office," Denise getting up; her runes glowing and the symbol of Caduceus with the letters CDC appearing below. Making sure to place it on her left shoulder and colored white to contrast against her orange and black stripped fur.