Return From The Moon

The state of TIAH

December 11th, 2006

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Alternate Historian's Note: Stephen Payne takes up the slack for us as we continue our NaNoWriMo novel. We hope you are enjoying this change in format – let us know how you feel about it in comments or by emailing us. This will be the format of TIAH throughout the holiday season, unless we receive a great outcry about it. Speaking of the Holiday Season, keep in mind those who need help year-round and keep yourselves safe and happy, as well. And, should you feel generous inclinations towards our guest historians, you can visit the sites of those who have separate ones from TIAH; generosity towards us here at the Academy is always appreciated, too, and you can find ways to help us out all over the site. Right now, we'd appreciate a lead on a good day job, but any good wishes you have towards us can be emailed here.

in 1931, the British Parliament enacts the Statute of Westminster, which establishes a status of legislative equality between the self-governing dominions of the Commonwealth of Australia, the Commonwealth of America, the Irish Free State, Newfoundland, the Dominion of New Zealand, and the Union of South Africa. -entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!-

in 1972, Apollo 17 becomes the sixth mission to land on the Moon - and the first to return to Earth with a highly contagious space bug. -entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!-

in 1977, rich with North Sea oil revenue, Scotland gains its independence exactly one hundred and seventy years after the Act of Union 1707 united the two countries as the Kingdom of Great Britain. The declaration of independence from Holyrood House, Edinburgh was also seventeen years after British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan told a stunned Parliament of South Africa, 'The wind of change is blowing through this continent. Whether we like it or not, this growth of national consciousness is a political fact'. Whilst 'Supermac' could just about accept the End of Empire, he could not accept the dissolution of the United Kingdom, which he denounced and moved to South Africa himself. Three years later at the Moscow Olympics in 1980 the 28-year old athlete Allan Wells took the first Olympic Gold Medal for the new country. Running as fast as the wind, he finished first in the 100m sprint race, ushering in a new decade of hope for the great nation of Scotland. -entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!-

Before(cont.)
Going down the stairs was a lot easier than going up; they all agreed on that. Janice let the two servicemen lead the way down to the computer room. Specialist Bradley, still in shock after seeing President Bush not only alive, but unharmed, walked like a zombie towards the computer station he had been working at earlier. He sat down and logged in again, reading the user name and password from the list they had been provided with.
“They wanted me to pull up the seismic and satellite data for this area,” he told them. He was pulling that data up now.
“My guess is that you were gonna pull that up, then either you would erase it, or they would later.” Janice looked over his shoulder at the screen. “I have no idea how to read this stuff – do you?”
“Just because I can find it on the computer doesn't mean I know what I'm lookin' at,” Bradley said. He pulled out a removable drive and plugged it into the computer. “I'll copy as much as I can fit onto this. I don't know if it'll hold everything they wanted me to erase.” She looked into his eyes. “I thought it was for national security.”
“OK, then.” She straightened up and walked over to Sergeant Morris. He was sitting at a blank computer screen, his helmet off, and his face was a stone. She pulled a chair next to him and sat down. “How you doin', Sarge?”
“Jake. Call me Jake.” He reached his hand out to shake hers. “If I'm gonna betray my oath for what you say, we might as well be on a first-name basis.”
“Fair enough. So, how you doin', Jake?”
“I'm tired.” He looked it, too. “I didn't vote for the man; I'm not like Bradley over there. But, I never thought...” He turned his eyes over to Bradley. “Maybe this is all part of a counter-attack. They let the terrorists think they got us, then get 'em while their guard is down.”
“Martial law really necessary, then? It's not like Crawford's a huge metropolis that needs control restored to it – and I'd bet that once the initial panic was done, there wouldn't have been any disorder at all.”
Morris leaned back and ran his hand over his face. “Yeah, you're probably right. I just had to say it. I had to give it one more chance.” He smiled. “There was this guy I grew up with, he joined the Nation of Islam when we were teenagers. He used to tell me about all the conspiracy crap that they told him, how the white devil was keepin' us down with lies and propaganda. He didn't think that Bush would let go of power, either.”
“Sounds like a man after my own heart,” Janice said, and they both chuckled. Bradley looked over at them, confused. “Don't worry, Specialist, we're just having a little fun. There's still plenty of gloom and doom to go around.”
“Don't piss off Bradley,” Sergeant Morris said. “He's a millionaire, now.”
“Say what?”
“He won the lottery.”
“What the hell am I doin' talking to you, then?” They both laughed heartily, prompting another look from Bradley. “Hey, Specialist Bradley, you're not married, are you?”
Bradley was very confused. “No,” he said, shaking his head. “Why, are you offering?”
“How much did you win?”
“Oh,” Bradley muttered, turning back to the computers. “Three million.”
“Sweet,” Janice said. “I can think of a lot of ways to help you spend it.”
“I have a few of my own, thanks.”
“Suit yourself.” Janice turned back to Morris. “I'm not exactly good at ingratiating myself to people.”
“No, you?” The Sergeant looked disbelievingly at her, and they cracked up again. Janice found herself liking him more and more. He was cute, too. But, he had an annoying habit of getting back on the point. “So, after we get this stuff, what do we do with it?”
Janice pulled her laptop out of her backpack and propped it up on a desk. “I'll get in touch with a few guys I know. We'll meet them at an undisclosed location and give them a copy of the data, so that they can begin examining it for proof. We may need to go into hiding for a while, Jake.” She flipped open her computer. “Life on the run. Doesn't it sound romantic?”
“How long do you think it'll take?”
“Depends on the other side. If they decide to come clean after the jig is up, maybe it won't take that long at all. If they fight, well; let's just say we may be in for the long haul.”
Morris looked worried. “I have two kids. I need to let my ex-wife know where I am.”

The phone rang again. It wasn't as startling as last time, but Steph was still nervous when she went to answer. She glanced at the caller ID, and it was someone she didn't recognize; someone Italian. She picked up the receiver. “Hello?”
“Hey, baby.” Jake was on the other end, and he sounded strange. “I have something I have to tell you.”

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