Celebrations And Kindnesses

The state of TIAH

November 11th, 2006

Alternate Historian's Note: November is NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month. In 2004, we produced our novel Warp, and last year we got a start on The Protocols Of The Elders Of Zion during this annual event. Both of these novels were based on timelines from TIAH – Warp was based on the Mlosh timeline, and Protocols on the Greater Zionist Resistance timeline. Although we posted numerous links to these novels on Lulu, TIAH didn't post any excerpts from them. We're going to do it a little differently this year. This year, the November posts on TIAH will be excerpts from the novel that is being written by us for NaNoWriMo. We will still have Guest Historian entries – Stephen Payne (who has compiled several and made them available on Lulu for free – just go through the Add to Cart system to get it) has some already written and waiting – so, if you want to make a Guest Post this month, go ahead and send it to us, and it will appear along with our novel post.

in 1872, the Mary Celeste's Steward and Cook Edward W. Head goes beyond the call of duty to kindly deliver hot sweet tea to the Captain's Quarters for Sarah Briggs, understanding that the Captain's purpose is to comfort his frightened wife. 2 year old child Sophia Matilda Briggs shows the Cook a child-like picture she has drawn of an animal, "Goat! Goat" she says animatedly. -entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!-

in 1965, future TV handyman Robert Vernon is born in College Station, Texas. Vernon was approached by local public television producers after an article appeared in the paper about him helping his father rebuild their house in 1988, and his show achieved national syndication in the 1990's.

in 1977, future self-help guru Gari Taylor marries writer/inventor Bob Strawn in a small ceremony in College Station, Texas. The high-school sweethearts soon begin to publish small pamphlets on practical matters of survival in the modern world; how-to's on cooking, home maintenance, child rearing and many other subjects. These provide the basis for the publishing empire they build in the late 80's and 90's.

in 2124, the moderate faction in the Peace and Reconciliation Committee of the Reconstructed United Nations score a dramatic coup to the humiliation and embarrassment of the conservatives led by Mullah Elijah Rafsanjani. At issue is the refusal of US President Woodrow Wilson to meet with Ho Chi Mihn at the 1919 victor's conspiracy in Paris, known to european history as the Peace Conference despite the causal loss of life of ten million people in the pre-jihad apocalyptic tragedy known as the Indochina Wars. In a surprise act of brotherhood, Wilson confesses his bigotry in denying the Vietnamese the right to self-determination and embraces Mihn in an act of unexpected brotherhood. Rafsanjani re-examines the list of arch-criminals awaiting trial, realising that some editing may be required to deliver the appropriate hate figures required to achieve the breakthrough that history demands. -entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!-

Before(cont.)
After calming Joan down and leaving her to stay on hold with 911, Steph walked over to the Johnson's place. As she walked slowly in through the front door, she heard soft sobs coming from the living room. “Mrs. Johnson?” She walked into the room, a modest place that had been furnished with care and consideration for decades, with pictures of children and grandchildren adorning the walls and sitting on top of shelves.
Shattering the spirit of the room was the body of Mr. Johnson, lying on the floor in a small pool of his own blood. Mrs. Johnson sat in a chair next to him, sobbing quietly and talking to him. “Bert, you were right. It's all over. We can't face the world that's comin'.”
Steph approached her slowly, avoiding the blood on the floor as much as she could. “Vanessa,” she said, using the old woman's first name for the first time since they had met, “why don't you come with me, honey? We got somebody comin' for Bert, they'll take care of him. We need to take care of you.”
“There's no takin' care, anymore,” Mrs. Johnson said, her eyes catching Steph's. “No takin' care. They'll come for us all, eventually. For me, for you, for anybody that don't think like they do. Bert saw it on the Internet.”
Steph didn't know how she was going to handle this poor woman, but she reached out her hands to take Mrs. Johnson's. Her left hand recoiled when she touched the still-warm barrel of a pistol.
“I'm gonna join Bert, Stephanie,” Mrs. Johnson said through between sobs.
“No, Vanessa, you don't do that, you understand?” Steph felt hot tears falling from her own eyes, now. “Bert wouldn't want you to do that.”
“Yes, he did, he said we should go together,” Mrs. Johnson said, looking down at her dead husband's form. “He said we can't live in the new world order, because they'll have no place for old folks that aren't rich.”
“He just wasn't thinkin' right, Vanessa,” Steph said, reaching her hand out again. She was hesitant to touch the gun, but thought she might be able to pull it away from Mrs. Johnson if she could get in close enough.
Much to Steph's frustration, Mrs. Johnson pulled the gun back and pointed it at her head. “He was thinkin' right. He was always right. I was just scared then.” A look of determination grew in her eyes, and her grip tightened on the pistol. “I'm sorry you were here, dear.”
Steph put her hands out in front of her and tried to speak soothingly, in spite of how frightened she was. “Vanessa, please, honey, don't do this. There are people comin' to help.” She inched her hands closer to the pistol, thinking that she might be able to wrestle it away if she was quick.
“No one can help.” She took one last look at her husband, then said, “Goodbye, dear.” As Steph lunged for the weapon, the old woman pulled the trigger.

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