Van wasn’t especially comfortable, but it would suffice. Once I was settled in, I opened up my tablet. Remembering Brain’s warning about browsing patterns being detectable, I went first to Bustle, the leading site for young women, then to Popular Science, thereby fitting no known demographic. I didn’t bother looking at the most prominent news sites. At this point, they wouldn’t be helpful; if they were still up, they had made the necessary compromises. They would be spewing bullshit. Instead I began searching for the myriad pirate broadcasting sites. All it took to go live was a handheld camera and big cojones. With some luck I’d be able to find one of these picture pirates.

While I was searching, a text message popped up on the screen. It had been sent by Diogenes, someone from the meeting reaching out to the others. It read: PopUpCongress.org. Several seconds later this message disappeared. The resistance was starting to figure out how to communicate safely under the new restrictions.

That site opened quickly. I was looking at the floor of the House of Representatives. Someone up in the gallery was livestreaming the emergency session. A whispered voice explained that the speaker had introduced the resolution of support for Wrightman. The camera obviously was hidden from view; they had gotten so small, it could have been disguised as a brooch or even a pen. It scanned the entire chamber: Law enforcement officers stood against the wall both on the floor and in the gallery. Whoever was narrating this whispered they were Capitol Police, U.S. Marshals, and Homeland Security agents. I leaned as close to the screen as I could trying to pick out Jenny; she had to be there, but I didn’t spot her.

The roll was being called. Other than several pages moving in the aisles, it could have been a still photograph. Although roll call votes normally were recorded and tallied electronically, in this instance the Clerk of the House was conducting it in a far more dramatic fashion. As each member’s name was called, he or she stood and verbally cast their vote. Members who voted yea followed that vote with a few words expressing their loyalty to America and the president, then sat down. But two members loudly voted nay. One of them, Representative Amy Bowers (D-New Mexico), told the House that this was the single most shameful moment in the history of the United States Congress. That was met with several boos; one unidentified person shouted she was a “terrorist sympathizer” and she should “sit down and shut up.” After casting their no votes, both members remained standing as two Capitol Police officers came down the aisle and took them into custody. They went silently, although as Bowers was escorted off the floor, she defiantly raised her right clenched fist high in the air.

The clerk got to Mrs. McDonnell. Martha stood to her full height and turned slowly around the entire room. Oh no, I thought, please, please don’t do it. Her voice resonated through history as she said, “The stain that is on this House will never be erased. Shame on all of you.” She faced the podium. “Mr. Speaker, I vote no. Never.”