The evening was perfect. There was a warm desert breeze blowing through windows partially rolled down. The scent of sagebrush and cactus infiltrated Archie's senses like a narcotic, chasing away months of toil from his soul. The red Camaro he was belted into tore across the open expanses of highway like a lion chasing its prey. He was young, powerful, and determined to rid the country of all its ills, self-imposed and otherwise.


Archie looked out the window of his car -- a gift from his father for winning a seat in the United States Senate. He was only 31, ostensibly one of the youngest senators ever elected in any state, and most especially in his home state of Texas. In the Deep South, age was revered as much as common sense, but he wasn't sure how much he had of either. Still, Archie was a fighter, and all Southerners admired spirit, even if it belonged to one as young as he.


Of course, Archie knew that one reason he had won the election was because he was replacing his father, the much beloved Andrew Franklin. Andy, a good ol' boy, had just vacated the position after 25 wonderful years, and the people were looking for a replacement they could love. They seemed to have found one in the ultra-intense, Archimedes Franklin.


The great state of Texas would not completely miss his father's leadership. Andy had answered a higher calling. As of the past November, the adored senator was elected President of the United States, and his eldest son rode his shirt tails into his old senate job. Everyone knew it, but no one cared. He was still the darling a state had watched grow up, and one smart and energetic enough to capture its heart.


Archie looked out across the grasslands and breathed in the rich aroma of an area more desert than prairie. He smiled at the pleasant odors and sighed. He wondered if he was the only weary soul to find comfort in this stunning expanse of nature. He rather doubted it, but, as he hadn't seen many people on the road that evening, he guessed they were not in need of the experience at that moment.


As far as his eyes could see, the land took on the appearance of a great, tawny ocean filled with distorted bushes, and dotted by clusters of branching cacti, all floating upon heaving waves of sand. Small tufts of grass poked their heads above the arid floor like so many bobbing knots of seaweed.


What few trees dared to fight the merciless environment, appeared small and gnarled. With daytime temperatures reaching well over the one hundred degree mark, their life energy was sapped by an unforgiving sun. Archie wondered how the many and varied species of desert animals could thrive in such harsh conditions. He didn't consider himself particularly spoiled. His parents had worked hard to teach him, and his younger brothers, to appreciate life when they were young. He just couldn't imagine wanting to live in so barren a habitat. It was a nice place to visit, and it acted as a tonic to his soul...but live there? He would rather not... which brought his mind back to why he was traveling the deserted road on that particular evening.


There was a bill just introduced in the senate, by him in fact, on his father's behest, requesting aid to the peoples of the Southwest plains. It was a sparsely populated area, mostly composed of meager plant life, and numerous Native American Reservations. The people here wanted to expand and make the parched land more productive. In his defense, and in defense of this desperate trip into the outer edges of the hustle and bustle of modern life, he did plan to assess their needs.


Still looking out over the vast stretch of nature, Archie's soul began to heal and his nerves to relax. He reached over, turned off the air conditioner, and then completely opened both windows. He let the hot air of the desert blow through his wavy brown hair bringing out the natural gold highlights that were his trademark. His hair flowed uncharacteristically loose around a firm and well-conditioned neck. Normally, it was kept in perfect place with gels and sprays so that each hair lay just where he wanted it. But he was on vacation, more or less, and let it fly free.


Of the Franklins' three sons, Archie was the most ambitious and the largest built. Tall, muscular, and handsome, he was appealing to the media. His two little brothers, though attractive in their own right, were slight in stature like their mother, and sported her blonde hair and blue eyes. Also, unlike Archie, they hated public attention.


Both younger brothers had chosen to become science teachers, an inheritance from their famous ancestor, Benjamin Franklin, whose love of the discipline was legendary. Their father was also interested in science, having worked as a medical doctor and researcher long before he entered into politics. Archie was proud of his father and brothers for their accomplishments. He had a feeling that old Ben would have been proud, too.


Archie's family was content in their chosen professions. His mother, who had dedicated her life to the raising of her children, was just as satisfied. He wondered if he would ever find that inner peace. At the present, however, contentment was a word foreign to his vocabulary. Maybe, he thought, after he was President like his father, he might allow himself to slow down and enjoy it all.


Smiling to himself, he passed a sign on I-40 declaring fifty miles to Gallup. An insignia, emblazoned on the top, proclaimed the road belonged to New Mexico. There were still a lot of miles to go before he had a chance to see all he planned of the Great Southwest. He decided Gallup was as good a place as any to rest for the night. He would call his mother once he got there and report in. Even though she was the First Lady of the United States, she was still a mother. Of course, he knew it would help if he got married and started a family like his little brothers. She didn't bug them as much as she did him. He would put it on his list of things to do. After all, what was a president without a First Lady by his side?


Pressing the accelerator to the floor, Archie felt the powerful car lurch forward. His heart moved with it, as a rush of adrenaline surged through his body. He was alone on the road and wanted to feel the endless landscape flash by.

Just as Archie leaned his head back to enjoy the sensation, he was startled by a deer. It was running full speed, its trajectory heading directly across the highway and into his path. It was an odd looking beast, rather unearthly in appearance, and it caught his attention immediately.


Instinctively, Archie leaned forward and pressed the brake, but there was no response. He pressed again, but the pedal snapped and fell clattering onto the floorboard. The car swerved violently and shot off into the uneven terrain south of the road. He grabbed the steering wheel and fought to steady the convulsing vehicle as it dashed, unhindered, across barren wasteland. The deer scampered, unharmed, behind.