Battle Of Hong Kong

The state of TIAH

July 1st, 2006

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in 1997, Great Britain's refusal to return Hong Kong to China, now that their lease on the colony was up, ignites a war between the two powerful nations. British troops massed on the island and British naval vessels patrolled the waters separating them from the mainland. The attack from the Chinese was overwhelming – it seemed that the whole Chinese navy had been sent to capture Hong Kong. Although the British ships were of a better quality, they were outnumbered and forced to retreat after two hard days of fighting. Chinese soldiers then began the island invasion, which didn't go as planned. After a week of intense fighting, the islanders were able to repulse the Chinese, who then established a siege, blockading the island from all traffic. Prime Minister Tony Blair of the UK is urged to use Britain's nuclear arsenal in order to save Hong Kong, and the Chinese leader Chiang Zemin is given similar counsel. Both politicians resist the hard-liners – Chiang has no wish to destroy Hong Kong, and Blair refuses to be the first European leader to use nuclear weapons. Tense negotiations between the two hostile nations finally give Hong Kong a break in their month of misery – in exchange for a huge percentage of the island's income, China agrees to lease Hong Kong to Great Britain for another hundred years. With the signing of the new lease, Chinese forces leave the waters around the island, and the entire city erupts in celebration.

in 2017, the Pokor, carrying its mixed crew of humans and Quarai from the Amandara system, docks inside a gigantic bay on the outside of the Dyson sphere they have been approaching for several days. The Quarai crew is eager to see what the inhabitants of the sphere are like – but the humans are apprehensive. Commander Patterson asks Captain Mawrao, “What's the atmosphere like?” After checking with a crew member, Mawrao says, “It's good. We need suits for us. You like it; it's hot.” Patterson and the humans learned the temperature in the bay outside the ship was a balmy 62 degrees Fahrenheit. The Eagle's meteorological expert, Dr. Dana, told Commander Patterson, “The air is almost perfect. 72% nitrogen, 20% oxygen, a few non-toxic elements – I don't think that's a coincidence.” Although virtually everyone on the ship wants to go into the bay and greet their hosts, Captain Mawrao chooses 4 specialists and Commander Patterson does likewise. The 10 of them then exit the Pokor and walk into the bay. They are greeted there by another mechanical device, which again speaks to them in the strange language the spacecraft had used 2 days ago. One of Mawrao's people records the speech and attempts to translate. “I don't have enough of it, yet,” the Quarai translator informs Mawrao. The Quarai Captain then says, “All right. We learn how to talk as we go.” The device broadcasts another speech, then begins rolling away from them. It pauses when they don't follow, emits a brief burst of speech again, then rolls away some more. “I guess we're supposed to follow it,” Commander Patterson says, and the small group begins trudging after its alien greeter.

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Storms

	In 1433 AH, in accordance with the Islamic calendar European Muslims celebrated the Festival of Dhu al-Hijjah commencing an eight-day rededication of the Second Temple in Yerushaláyim at the time of the Maccabean Revolt. The earliest known celebration of Dhu al-Hijjah in Europe was the arrival of the rusul known as Isa ibn Maryam in Rome in the pre-Islamic era.

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Jesus	In 1843, the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come takes the form of a grim spectre, completely robed in black, who does not speak and whose body is entirely hidden except for one pointing hand. This spirit frightens Ebeneezer Scrooge more than the others, and harrows him with visions of the Cratchit family bereft of Tiny Tim, of Scrooge's own lonely death and final torment, and the cold, avaricious reactions of the people around him after his passing (they joke about his death and funeral). Without its explicitly being said, Scrooge learns that he can avoid the future he has been shown, and alter the fate of Tiny Tim—but only if he changes.
Is Love

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In 1979, Donny Osmond spoke of his appearance on the Tonight Show with his two deaf brothers George Virl Osmond, Jr. and Thomas Rulon Osmond. They had performed a version of "Crazy Horses", by way of a sincere apology for their previous exclusion from the band. Musically, it wasn't great - but no matter. Sweet Jesus would help him to set things right with his brothers, or he would die trying.

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Steve Biko	In 2006, Steve Bantu Biko enjoyed the first day of the sixth decade of his life by listening to his friend Peter Gabriel's tribute song ~ September '77 Port Elizabeth weather fine, it was business as usual in police room 619 Oh Biko, Biko, because Biko, Oh Biko, Biko, because Biko Yihla Moja, Yihla Moja -The man is alive.
Activist

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In 1977, young people from the Norwich Choir attended a Christmas reception at Number 10 Downing Street, hosted by Interim Prime Minister Lord Louis Mountbatten and his deputy Major General Ord Wingate, DSO. Also present was the Home Secretary Margaret Thatcher and the Minister for Citizenship Mary Whitehouse The executors of the the Plot Against British Prime Minister Harold Wilson wanted to showcase British young. Not present were Hugh Cornwall, vocalist of the Stranglers, Johnny Rotten or Sid Vicious of the Sex Pistols, who were “not the right sort”.

Abandoned Georgetown

In 2003, on this day from Crawford TX, US President George W. Bush announced the abandonment of the national capital as raga storms continuned to pound the Eastern seaboard. By now earth had begun to swung into Line, a ray of metafrequency energy jetstreaming from the massive black hole at the galactic hub. The transmuting effects of this atypical energy altered the planet for over a century until the Earth swung fully into line in 2113.

A self-sufficient scientific community on the southern Peruvian coast - Center of International Research for the Continuance of Life on Earth, 2009-2113) - succeeded in compensating for the massive morphological changes that had occured. An ingenious discovery at CIRCLE succeeded in sustaining life - Rubeus, an artifical super-intelligence originally created to manage global weather systems. New Washington was repopulated fully by 2165.

Thatcher

In 1984, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher refused to sign the Sino-British Joint Declaration. An agreement would have mandated that the People's Republic of China resume the exercise of sovereignty over Hong Kong and the United Kingdom would restore Hong Kong to China with effect from July 1, 1997. Deng Xiaoping refused to accept a British compromise of receiving the New Territories now, and the rest of Kowloon by 2027. Thatcher set about introducing democratic reforms, to make Hong Kong not only ungovernable, but also a source of tension for China.

Persuant to Godspoken testimony of Ms Gloria Jones of Longview, Texas -
given just consideration of account of their recent meeting in West London, England -
in full compliance with scripture, Exodus 22:18 ("Suffer not a witch to live") refers-
magistrates of Richmond sentence Marc Feld of the East London suburb of Hackney to death by drowning on this day of our Lord, 1973.
Not the potter, but the potter's clay, amen.

In 1967, Prime Minister of Australia Harold Holt was officially presumed dead. His term as Prime Minister was dramatically ended when he disappeared while swimming at Cheviot Beach near Portsea and was presumed drowned. Holt spent 32 years in Parliament, including many years as a senior Cabinet Minister, but he was Prime Minister for only 22 months. This necessarily limited his personal and political impact, especially when compared to his immediate predecessor Robert Menzies, who was PM for a total of 19 years. Today he is mainly remembered for the sensational circumstances of his death, for his controversial role in expanding Australia's involvement in the Vietnam War and for his famous (or infamous) "All the way with LBJ" quote.	Harold Holt
Whilst swimming, he was set upon and killed by the ghosts of Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem and his younger brother, Ngo Dinh Nhu. Five years later, a similar fate would descend upon LBJ and speculation would be rife as to why his hand was holding a telephone in a rictus of horror.

Clinton	In 1998, the United States House of Representatives forwarded articles I and III of impeachment against President Bill Clinton to the Senate. Clinton had refused to acquiesce to the demands of the military-industrial complex, and the threat to discredit him was now very real.

In 2999, the mind cast for the next instalment of “Personality of the Triple Millennia” was re-run across the networks. The Christmas special for POT3M drew an even larger audience because of its oddness. Pontius Pilate was the candidate, the context was the trial of Jesus of Nazarus and the moment was the pardoning of Barabbas. The Synoptic Gospels and John then state that it had been a tradition of the Jews to release a prisoner at the time of the Passover. Pilate offers them the choice of an insurrectionist named Barabbas or Jesus, somewhat confusing because Barabbas had the full name Jesus Barabbas, and Barabbas (bar-Abbas) means Son of the Father, so the crowd had been given the choice of Jesus Son of the Father or Jesus. The crowd states that they wish to save Barabbas (i.e., Jesus Son of the Father).	Pilate
According to the Synoptics, Pilate is aware that the priests had handed Jesus over because they considered him a threat, but Pilate himself does not feel that Jesus is any threat to the Roman Empire and, upholding a Roman tradition of sparing the subjugated, asserts that Jesus is innocent of the charges. Pilate is forced to condemn Jesus to crucifixion, due to the pressure of the crowd, who according to the Synoptics had been coached to shout against Jesus by the Pharisees and Sadducees. The Gospel of Matthew adds that before condemning Jesus to death, Pilate washes his hands with water in front of the crowd, saying, "I am innocent of this man's blood; you will see". MC Millennia asked Pilate for his view and he said that as a Roman, he accepted democracy, which as could be clearly demonstrated in the case of Jesus of Nazareth, was often no better than mob rule.

in 1958, the first radio message was sent from outer space. President Eisenhower’s Christmas message, “To all mankind, America’s wish for peace on earth and good will to men everywhere.” Unfortunately, the aliens who received the signal in 1972 wished the human race nothing quite resembling peace or good will.

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In 1918, the New York Globe began publishing a trivia series by Robert Ripley entitled Believe It Or Not. Apparently, no one believed it, as the series was cancelled a month after it began.

Il Duce

The state of TIAH

March 23rd, 2007

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Alternate Historian's Note: I promised you a collection, and we are working on it – but real life is getting in the way. Fortunately, the worst part of the real-life problems we were having has been resolved. I have found new employment (yay!). We're going to aim for an April release for the collection, and will make more announcements about it as we draw closer to actually making that a reality. And, speaking of April, our Guest Historian, Stephen Payne, suggested that it was time for a contest, so we're going to have an April Fool's Day Contest! Email us up to 3 entries for an alternate April 1st and we will post the best 10, with your own credit and link to your website (if you have one). My lovely Co-Historian says that if we can get 30 entrants, we can offer an ultimate winner a complimentary TIAH mug, but we only have 3 entrants so far! Get researching those alternate histories now, folks! The deadline is March 29th.

in 1919, the black-shirted Italian Fascisti are born from the mind of Great War veteran Benito Mussolini. His violent tactics and intimidation of political opponents leads the Italian King Emmanuel III to appoint Mussolini his prime minister in 1922. King Emmanuel disliked the parliament, and felt them weak; he preferred Mussolini's bully tactics. The people disagreed, and in 1924, the Socialist Party, (where, ironically, Mussolini began his political life), led a popular revolt against the King and the Prime Minister, deposing both of them in a bloody, 4-month struggle. The new government, although composed of leftists, survives by aligning itself with the more moderate governments in Germany and Austria, as well as making overtures to their political counterparts in Great Britain and France. When fascist movements attempts to rise in Germany and Spain, they provide invaluable tactical support in defeating them. Socialist Italy also proves itself a leader economically – the New Rome economic alliance it creates in central Europe weathers the world-wide depression of the 1930's more easily than Europe's non-members. Indeed, Germany and Italy emerge from the 30's as economic powerhouses, and many envious smaller countries joined the New Rome treaty in order to get a taste of the prosperity that they represented. Some of the more envious denounced New Rome, though – in fact, in Great Britain, there were many that referred to Italy as the Beast from the Christian Book of Revelation, and New Rome as the mark of the beast.

Moscow SVO Airp..	In 1994 an Aeroflot Airbus A310-300, flying from Moscow's Sheremetyevo International Airport (SVO) to Hong Kong's former Hong Kong international airport (Kai Tak Airport) almost crashed into a hillside in Siberia. All 75 passengers and crew survived. The flight cockpit voice recorder revealed that the pilot's 15-year-old ..
.. son had been at the controls at the time. Aeroflot Flight 593 returned to SVO where the pilot Yaroslav Kudrinsky was startled to see the branding Royal Tupolev running down the side of the aircraft.
~ entry by Steve Payne from counter history in context - you're the judge!

In 1989 the 300 metre (1,000-foot) diameter Apollo asteroid 4581 Asclepius (1989 FC) struck the Earth creating the largest explosion in recorded history, equivalent to 1 Hiroshima-sized atomic bomb detonating every second for 50 days. Subsequent discoveries revealed that a whole class of such objects exists, and that an ..	Kitt Peak Natio..
.. object the size of the one which struck the Earth in March, 1989, probably comes by undetected once every two or three years. 'On the cosmic scale of things, that was a close call, we just got unlucky' said Dr. Henry Holt from an underground bunker under Kitt Peak Observatory in Arizona.
~ entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!

Cold fusion cel..	in 1989 at the University of Utah Stanley Pons and Martin Fleischmann announced cold fusion, a nuclear reaction that occurs near room temperature and pressure using relatively simple devices. The research posed a problem for the US Government, because the simplification of the process would inevitably lead to more widespread ..
.. application by non-desirable governments. The research stopped abruptly and mysteriously in 1990.
~ entry by Steve Payne from counter history in context - you're the judge!

In 1983 President Ronald Reagan made his initial proposal to develop technology to intercept enemy missiles: Strategic Defense Initiative, also known as 'Star Wars'. Luckily, it was not needed as presidents were under pressure to justify huge military expenditure and gloss over technical failure. During the Gulf War, George ..	Strategic Defen..
.. Bush's exhortation that the Patriot Missile Batteries in Israel had a 100% success rate proved fatally wrong when it was discovered that the Scud missiles were actually duds. It is too easy to imagine a scenario when decisions were based on SDI, when the technology was known to be defective..
~ entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!

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Lady Lovelace's Notes

November 27th, 2005

in 621, a faction of the Presence begins influencing a young man to hear and see strange things, in preparation for making him a prophet of a new religion. This represents another splitting of the main faction, and their purpose on earth is jeopardized by all the in-fighting. Soon, open warfare among the Presence will break out.

in 1095, Pope William II, son of the Norman usurper of the Holy British Empire, incites all of Europe to send armies to the Holy Land to recapture it in the name of Christendom. He hopes that this will mollify those who see his line’s rule over Christianity’s most sacred throne as sacrilege, and it does serve the purpose of uniting Christianity; it fails in its stated purpose, and Muslims continue to hold the Holy Land for centuries.

in 1743, composer Freiderich Handel’s Dettingen Te Deum is performed to celebrate the victory of King George against the Bavarians that year. It makes history by using Mlosh singers to perform the parts of the Mlosh soldiers in King George’s army, the first appearance of the alien race in any human theatrical performance.

in 12-10-2-1-13, Oueztecan troops created an incident against the Masoki people on the far eastern shores of the continent, blaming them for killing soldiers during a feather war. This gave the Empire an excuse for a full-scale assault against the peninsula, with a naval blockade and ground troops soon crushing the Masoki and forcing them into the Empire.

in 1852, in order to stave off her debtors, Augusta Ada King, Lady Lovelace, sold off the notes she had taken as mathematician Charles Babbage’s assistant. The U.S. government bought the notes and gave them to the American inventing community to see what could be done with them. Thomas Edison proved the investment worthwhile in 1872 when he built the Edison Difference Engine, (or Eddie, as it was popularly known), based on the notes.

in 4636, innovative filmmaker Lee Yuen Kam was born in Hong Kong. A martial artist since his youth, Lee developed his own school of Gong Fu he called Jeet Kune Do. This fluid fighting style was featured in his films, first by himself and then by his students when Lee felt too old to properly execute his own stunts. Lee’s action films spawned a generation of action filmmakers who were martial artists/actors, such as Kong-san Chan, Yuen Chu and Li Lian Jie.

in 1942, Seattle’s most famous musician was born. James Hendrix played the guitar as a young man, and when he entered the Army in 1959, entertained his company with his music during his tour as a paratrooper in Vietnam. When he left the armed forces in 1963, he returned to the States and played backup for many other acts before going solo as an opening act for The Monkees in 1967. Although the kids who were Monkees fans didn’t really get his music, their old brothers and sisters did, and Hendrix was soon a breakaway hit. This success brought drug use with it, but he was able to kick the habit with the help of his old paratrooper buddies from the Army, and has been enshrined as the first of rock ‘n’ roll’s guitar gods. And, he still has it – his latest album, Transmissions From Planet 3, went gold 4 days after it went on sale in 2002.

in 1973, arguments in the Senate forced them to postpone the approval of Representative Gerald Ford as President Nixon’s vice-president after his first V.P. was forced to resign to face bribery allegation when he was governor of Maryland. Nixon was thrown for a loss on this, and didn’t name another candidate for the office before being forced from office himself in 1974. This resulted in the elevation of Speaker of the House Carl Albert to the presidency. The Oklahoman mended fences across the aisle, helping to heal the nation by imprisoning Nixon on treason charges in 1975.

in 1978, Mayor George Moscone and City Supervisor Harvey Milk of San Francisco are killed by former Supervisor Dan White. Milk, who was openly homosexual, was mourned in a candlelight vigil by the city’s large gay community, which waited for the trial of his killer with low expectation of justice. Much to their surprise, White received life in prison for the double murder, due largely to the ludicrous “Twinkie Defense” strategy that his legal team pursued. They had blamed White’s rampage on too much sugar in his bloodstream. This conviction quelled the anger of a minority that had been ready for rioting if the verdict went against their wishes.

in 2002, Major Garth Minette, one of the Air Force pilots with Dr. Courtney, while tending to Professor Thomas, Captain Trent Laughlin and the aliens who have become comatose since their rescue from the cocoons, notices strange lines spreading across the skin of the two men. He can see similar lines on the aliens. He informs Dr. Courtney, who places a watch on the patients, from outside the medical chamber.

Christmas Day Contest! Following up on our Halloween contest, you can enter our next contest, which will be alternate histories for Christmas Day, December 25th, 2005. The same rules will apply, the top ten entries will be posted on that day, and by entering, you grant TIAH the right to electronically print your writing on October 31st, 2005, maintain your writing in our archives, and reprint your entry should we decide to reuse it in the future. TIAH only maintains full copyright over material it has originated that has been used by contestants in writing their own entries. Enter early and often - entries must be received by December 20th, 2005! Email us up to 3 entries of your best alternate Christmas Days!

We still have our standard offer - everybody who donates $10 or more through our Paypal link will become alternate history entries on the site. When you donate, I will email you asking your preference for a day & timeline; if you don't reply to me, I'll place you in a day that seems to fit your name :) Thanks for your continued support!

Forum Link not working for now - Forum has been hacked! We're working on getting it back, and will let you know once it's back up.
Fresh New Poll - Shall we use future dates in our entries?

Warp and Protocols still available; also, see the script I submitted for Bravo's Situation: Comedy. Speaking of which, the winning writers have been announced; not the ones I voted for, but you can see the one I did at http://www.marktreitel.com

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My email address for contacting me with your good news, or for more direct goodness, go to the web site and leave a comment, buy a book, or leave a Paypal donation! Remember, it's only 6 degrees of separation between you and anyone else - and thanks again!

Babbage's Notes Sold To U.S.; Gerald Ford Rejected As Nixon's V.P.

November 27th, 2004

in 1095, Pope William II, son of the Norman usurper of the Holy British Empire, incites all of Europe to send armies to the Holy Land to recapture it in the name of Christendom. He hopes that this will mollify those who see his line’s rule over Christianity’s most sacred throne as sacrilege, and it does serve the purpose of uniting Christianity; it fails in its stated purpose, and Muslims continue to hold the Holy Land for centuries.

in 1743, composer Freiderich Handel’s Dettingen Te Deum is performed to celebrate the victory of King George against the Bavarians that year. It makes history by using Mlosh singers to perform the parts of the Mlosh soldiers in King George’s army, the first appearance of the alien race in any human theatrical performance.

in 12-10-2-1-13, Oueztecan troops created an incident against the Masoki people on the far eastern shores of the continent, blaming them for killing soldiers during a feather war. This gave the Empire an excuse for a full-scale assault against the peninsula, with a naval blockade and ground troops soon crushing the Masoki and forcing them into the Empire.

in 1852, in order to stave off her debtors, Augusta Ada King, Lady Lovelace, sold off the notes she had taken as mathematician Charles Babbage’s assistant. The U.S. government bought the notes and gave them to the American inventing community to see what could be done with them. Thomas Edison proved the investment worthwhile in 1872 when he built the Edison Difference Engine, (or Eddie, as it was popularly known), based on the notes.

in 4636, innovative filmmaker Lee Yuen Kam was born in Hong Kong. A martial artist since his youth, Lee developed his own school of Gong Fu he called Jeet Kune Do. This fluid fighting style was featured in his films, first by himself and then by his students when Lee felt too old to properly execute his own stunts. Lee’s action films spawned a generation of action filmmakers who were martial artists/actors, such as Kong-san Chan, Yuen Chu and Li Lian Jie.

in 1942, Seattle’s most famous musician was born. James Hendrix played the guitar as a young man, and when he entered the Army in 1959, entertained his company with his music during his tour as a paratrooper in Vietnam. When he left the armed forces in 1963, he returned to the States and played backup for many other acts before going solo as an opening for The Monkees in 1967. Although the kids who were Monkees fans didn’t really get his music, their old brothers and sisters did, and Hendrix was soon a breakaway hit. This success brought drug use with it, but he was able to kick the habit with the help of his old paratrooper buddies from the Army, and has been enshrined as the first of rock ‘n’ roll’s guitar gods. And, he still has it – his latest album, Transmissions From Planet 3, went gold 4 days after it went on sale in 2002.

in 1973, arguments in the Senate forced them to postpone the approval of Representative Gerald Ford as President Nixon’s vice-president after his first V.P. was forced to resign to face bribery allegation when he was governor of Maryland. Nixon was thrown for a loss on this, and didn’t name another candidate for the office before being forced from office himself in 1974. This resulted in the elevation of Speaker of the House Carl Albert to the presidency. The Oklahoman mended fences across the aisle, helping to heal the nation by imprisoning Nixon on treason charges in 1975.

in 1978, Mayor George Moscone and City Supervisor Harvey Milk of San Francisco are killed by former Supervisor Dan White. Milk, who was openly homosexual, was mourned in a candlelight vigil by the city’s large gay community, which waited for the trial of his killer with low expectation of justice. Much to their surprise, White received life in prison for the double murder, due largely to the ludicrous “Twinkie Defense” strategy that his legal team pursued. They had blamed White’s rampage on too much sugar in his bloodstream. This conviction quelled the anger of a minority that had been ready for rioting if the verdict went against their wishes.

A Reunion

August 23rd, 2007

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The Announcement

Don't forget - Birthday Contest for Steve – November 22, 1967. Send in an alternate birthday for him for us to post!

I went over to the alcove where she kept her holo equipment and plugged myself in. A woman's face appeared in front of me and asked, "Thank you for using TT of A. What number would you like to dial?"

"I'm not quite sure of the number. The name is Rosanto, Emilia Rosanto, and she lives on Set Lane in Thesylonica."

"Thank you. Hold for your call please." The woman's face was replaced with an image of a bell ringing gently every couple of seconds. After seven rings, Emilia's face popped up in front of me, her eyes bleary from lack of sleep. Since this was her normal state, I didn't think anything of it.

She grew immediately animated at seeing me. "Gabe! Oh my gods, it's so good to see you! You've got to come over, right away. Where are you?"

"I'm at Willie's. I wanted to get everybody together, see if we could maybe take a little trip out for a while. My last partner just found his paradise."

Emilia laughed and shook her head. "Everybody but you, huh, Gabe?" Her softly dark Mediterranean features were everything I've ever dreamed of in a woman, but Emilia refused to come with me to the Porno Universe. Some people just don't know what's good in life. "What was it this time? Gold raining from the sky? The hunter-gatherer world?"

"No, nothing so pleasant. Did you ever meet Patrice?" She shook her head. "He wanted the African world, where Europeans were slaves. I helped him make the European slaves realize that their condition was the will of God."

"So, you're feeling a bit slimy at the moment, is that it?"

"Basically."

"You poor thing." Her hand reached out and stroked me. I felt nothing, of course, but it was a nice gesture, nonetheless. "You want to come over? I have a guy here, but he's the understanding type." She winked at me. "A candidate for your dream world."

"You know I'd never refuse an offer like that, honey, but I need to call up the others. Are Sylvan and Moshe still living in Babylonia?"

"Well, Moshe is. Sylvan got carted off by a UFO almost three months ago."

"Damn it!" Sylvan and I had gone to grade school together. He was always one step ahead of the saucers. Until now, of course. "We're going to have to do something about the UFO's someday, Emilia."

"When you figure out what, you let me know, OK? Dartha and Inikia are here in Thesylonica, and I think Karlus moved to Roma, but I'm not sure. I don't think he's up to any more planewalking, though. You remember what happened last time?"

"It was just a small curse, and it stopped working once we got back to our home plane."

"The clap is hardly a small curse, Gabriel. Poor Karlus had to wear a diaper everywhere." She counted us on her fingers. "I think that's everybody. Two boys and three women - you'll practically be in your paradise, Gabe."

"If only. Can you let Dartha and Inikia know? I'll talk to Moshe and try to get hold of Karlus."

"He won't come. Trust me on this, Gabe. The man dripped for three weeks, he hates your guts."

"I'm very persuasive when I set my mind to it, Emi." I gave her my best evil smile. "And, if that doesn't do it, hypnosis works wonders."

"Some archangel you are. When and where?"

"Tomorrow night, and here at Willie's, I think. If she doesn't agree, I'll let everybody know, and we'll find someplace." I took a long look at her tantalizingly lovely features, framed by the black silk of her hair, and sighed. "It's been way too long, Emi."

"I'll get there a little early for the reunion." She blew a kiss at me. "See you tomorrow, love." Her face folded in on itself, and I was left alone with my fantasies.

I got hold of Moshe, but Karlus was simply not reachable. I guess the clap was a little more serious than I thought it had been. After hanging up on the third number suggested for a Karlus Maurelius in Roma, I gave up and went down to Willie's basement.

She was examining a huge painting, one that covered an entire wall, and whose subject reminded me of some of the more ambitious Italian works of the old masters. An alien was coming down from the clouds, bearing a chain in one hand and a UFO in the other. Various Asian figures were gathered about it, some in fear, others up in arms, but most bowing down to worship at the feet of the huge Arythiok. It was quite compelling. "Is this the new artist?"

"It's not his best, but it's certainly his most impressive. The subject matter is rather cliché, but the style makes up for it." She led me over to smaller, more unique pieces. "These present his talent much better." There were several statues scattered among a few framed works, and even a hologram. "Did you contact your friends?"

"Most of them. One of them was abducted, as you feared."

She shook her head in commiseration. "It is regrettable what some of my people do."

I stood between her and a spectacularly overdone wall-hanging. "Are you ever going to tell me why they take us?"

Her eyes became almond jades of embarrassment again. "Perhaps some day. But, I don't believe you're ready."

"You people always say something like that. You just don't want to tell me."

"That could be true, as well."

"You know, you could tell me anything. If you used to do it, you could tell me that. If you still do it, you could tell me. There's very little I haven't imagined as your answer to that question."

She fidgeted, and pointed at the hologram. "This piece represents Buddha under his tree, stylized into a technological image of a double helix. The displacement of the tree by a modern image creates a similar feeling of displacement in the viewer, don't you think?"

"All right, you don't have to answer me. You can stop being all uncomfortable now."

"Thank you." She brightened up right away.

"I needed to ask you if I could use your house to meet them all tomorrow night. Is that all right with you?"

"Of course." Her pensive look came back. "If I did tell you that I was one of the kidnappers, would that make a difference between us?"

"No."

"You answered that quickly."

I shrugged. "It's something I've been thinking about for a long time. It was the first thing that went through my mind when you wouldn't answer my questions." She smiled. "Are you going to answer them now?"

"No, but I think I'll have to soon. A pity. The mystery has been such an exciting part of our relationship."

"Naturally." I took her arm and led her over to some of the more esoteric offerings of her collection. "But, once we really know each other, don't you think that'll deepen our feelings for each other?"

"There is always that hope." She took a small statuette and handed it to me. "This was meant to be handled. Feel the astounding number of textures the artist has managed to place in a single piece? That's an Arythiok technique. Layer upon layer, appearing similar with one sense, showing an amazing complexity when experienced with another."

"That's an Arythiok technique, all right." She poked me, and I nearly dropped the statuette. "Careful, now. We don't want to add any more textures to this thing."

I put the statuette back in its place and we looked at the rest of the collection in silence. Willie's an impressive connoisseur, but art only captures me for so long, and then I go into sensory overload. Still, when you're a guest, it's best to play the appreciative ascetic when your host is. After the tour, she took me upstairs and offered me her bath.

"Am I that offensive?"

She turned black again. "No, no, I just thought that you might want to freshen up before dinner."

I sniffed at myself and agreed with her. "I'll just do that, then." I bathed slowly and luxuriously, enjoying it all. Willie has the most wonderful bubble bath you could ever hope to find. One of the fringe benefits of being a planewalker is finding all the places that are the best of everything.

"When Rachel saw that she was not bearing Jacob any children, she became jealous of her sister. So she said to Jacob, 'Give me children, or I'll die!' Jacob became angry with her and said, 'Am I in the place of God, who has kept you from having children?'

Aunt Lydia	"Then she said, 'Here is Bilhah, my maidservant. Sleep with her so that she can bear children for me and that through her I too can build a family.' " ~ Rachel, wife of Jacob Genesis 30:1-3
Handmaid

The sons of Jacob suspended the US Constitution and replaced Massachusetts with the theocratic Republic of Gilead. The birth rate had fallen alarmingly and radical measures had to be taken to rectify the situation. The full article is available at Manitoba University

~ quotation from Margaret Atwood: extensive use of original content has been made to celebrate the author's genius.

In 1945, General-san Douglas MacArthur declined a reactivation order from US President Harry Truman who promptly fired him. Actually MacArthur had no ambition to receive the Japanese defeat. His Filipinos harriers were busy installing a rogue state in the Philippines, after all why else write the enigmatic message I will return?

~ variant from Steve Payne: extensive use of original content has been made to celebrate the author's genius.

In 1956, Izear Luster "Ike" Turner, Jr moved the Kings of Rhythm to East St. Louis where he met teenage, gospel-trained singer from Nutbush, TN, named Anna Mae Bullock, and promised her a chance to sing with his band.

Ike Turner Revue	That chance kept failing to materialize, until one night Bullock simply grabbed the microphone and started belting. Turner made her a part of his revue, changing her name to Tina. Ike had other plans for Tina – he wanted to control her free spirit. Predictably, after Tina became pregnant by the band's saxophonist, Raymond Hill her prospects receded sharply.
A second and final chance appeared - and then disappeared. In late 1959, Turner's band entered the studio to cut a song called "A Fool in Love" for the Sue Records label. The scheduled male vocalist was running late. Tina was about to be pressed into service by Ike, who thought the vocalist had failed to show up for the session - when he suddenly appeared, full of apologies.
~ entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!

Tony Blair	"I am a modern man. I am part of the rock and roll generation—the Beatles, colour TV, that’s the generation I come from." ~ Tony Blair Pre-election speech at Stevenage, 22 April 1997
Bliar

Demonstrating he was living in a time warp by describing the modern world in terms of symbols from thirty years before.

~ quotation by Co-Historian Steve Payne from Counter-history – You're the Judge!

She stared at him, He stared at her. No one said anything for ages. The clock ticked. Outside a large ship honked. No one said anything for ages. She stared at him. He stared at her. The tension at the whaleing station was palpable. "Sardines on toast anyone?" said Father at last. And so it goes.

~ from Sardine-House-Five, a thrilling new pschyo novel by Kod Vongutfish

In 2002, in RM Muleuch's Twelve Legions of Angels Air Marshall Hugh Dowding returns to 1940. Without the distraction of his loving family he will make a success of Big Wing and win the Battle of Britain. He will delay German invasion until the autumn when the English Channel would be too hostile for the Kriegsmarine's landing craft. Trouble is the ghost of Keith Park dispatched Dowding to a 1940 that really needs him. The rescue flotilla heading towards Dunkirk has been decimated by Stuka Dive bombers. Dowding somehow must buy the Royal Navy another two weeks whilst the British Expeditionary Force fights for its life against the Wehrmacht.

~ variant from Steve Payne: extensive use of original content has been made to celebrate the author's genius.

In 1914, the British Army begins withdrawal from the Battle of Mons. It was in the period of this hectic retreat, when the British troops would have been so vulnerable to a pursuing enemy, that something extraordinary occurred. British troops claimed that they had seen an apparition in the sky of three angelic figures who appeared to ward off the attacks of the enemy. The retreat was successfully accomplished and the British troops lived to fight another day. The story of the Angel at Mons spread like wildfire through Britain. It became the subject of many articles and even artistic productions. After the war, Harold Begbie published a book on the phenomenon, On the Side of the Angels, in which he quoted some who had witnessed the apparition first-hand. One lance-corporal recalled: '"I could see quite plainly in mid-air a strange light which seemed to be quite distinctly outlined and was not a reflection of the moon, nor were there any clouds in the neighbourhood. The light became brighter and I could see quite distinctly three shapes, one in the centre having what looked like outspread wings, the other two were not so large, but were quite plainly distinct from the centre one. They appeared to have a long loose-hanging garment of a golden tint they were above the German line facing us." The Angel of Mons was in fact the entity known as Aiwass, summoned by Aleister Crowley at the request of a desperate British Government.

~ variant from Steve Payne: extensive use of original content has been made to celebrate the author's genius.

1973, seven years as Simon Templar earned Greatest living Englishman Roger Moore enough popularity (and credibility) among fans of detective fiction to earn him the role James Bond despite the inevitable comparisons to Sean Connery. Due to redrafting errors at the contract office at Eon Productions, Moore was offered a contract for life. His latest movie, Golden Years features a dramatic hand of the card game patience with "Jaws" at the Moonbase. Wikipedia reports - "The satire show Spitting Image once had a sketch in which their latex likeness of Moore, when asked to display emotions by an offscreen director, does nothing but raise an eyebrow. Moore himself has stated that he thought the sketch was funny, and took it in good humour. That series later featured a Bond movie spoof, The Man With The Wooden Delivery, with Moore's puppet receiving orders from Margaret Thatcher to kill Mikhail Gorbachev, and many other comedy shows of that time ridiculed Moore's acting, Rory Bremner once claiming to have had a death threat from an irate fan of Moore's, following one such routine. "

~ entry by Co-Historian Steve Payne

Castle Bonny	In 1943, movie critics give a varied response to Castle Bonny which premièred four days before on Broadway. The film was directed by Michael Curtiz, and starred Cary Grant as Dick Blaine and Ingrid Bergman as Ilsa Lund.
The rekindled romance between Blaine and Lund was set during Great War II in the Nigerian city of Port Harcourt, off the Bight of Bonny – then controlled by the Nazi Protectorate of Britain. Rudy Behlmer emphasises the variety in the picture: "it’s a blend of drama, melodrama, comedy [and] intrigue". The other characters, in Rudy Behlmer's words, are "not cut and dried": they come into their goodness in the course of the film. Ronald begins the film as a collaborator with the Nazis, who extorts sexual favours from refugees and has Ugarte killed. Dick, according to Behlmer, is "not a hero, ... not a bad guy": he does what is necessary to get along with the authorities and "sticks his neck out for nobody". Even Ilsa, the least active of the main characters, is "caught in the emotional struggle" over which man she really loves. By the end of the film, however, "everybody is sacrificing".
~ entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!

In 2127, Mullah Elijah Rafsanjani returns from a truth and reconciliation visit to the eastern seaboard of Turtle Island that being the continent renamed after the Italian merchant Amerigo Vespucci during the western epoch c1492 to 2081.	Brent
As part of his Peace and Brotherhood jihad he has embarked on a fact-finding mission by visiting the centres of the fallen Western Civilisation. On-board his light aircraft is a Eurasian stowaway, Brent. The plan that Brent has hatched is straight out of Rafsanjani's book, not that he would appreciate it himself.
~ entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!

Chiang Kai-Shek	In 1839, the United Kingdom captured Hong Kong as a base as it prepared to war with Qing China during the First Opium War. Just over one hundred years later, Kuomintang leader Chiang Kai Shek sought refuge in the Colony. Having arrived with the entire gold and foreign currency reserves of China, he joined British imperialists ..
.. in building a thumb-your-nose at Communism show case in the middle of Guangdong Province. Just as a small impurity can cause great stomach upset, Hong Kong created greater and greater problems for the Chinese Communist Party until it collapsed entirely in 1967. Thereupon the Kuomintang returned to Beijing, and set about building an even more powerful city than Hong Kong, a mission that was completed by the end of the century.
~ entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!

In 1952, on this day the charter of the Arab League went into effect. Head quartered in Cairo, Egypt, the League's charter states that the League shall co-ordinate economic affairs, including commercial relations; communications; cultural affairs; nationality, passports, ..	Anthony Eden
.. and visas; social affairs; and health affairs. This predecessor organisation to Nasser's United Arab Republic (UAR) greatly alarmed governments in London and Paris. Four years later, led by British Prime Minister Anthony Eden, Anglo-France forces joined with Israel to strike the Suez Canal Zone, being forced to back down by President Eisenhower. Following the enlargement of the UAR to Saudi Arabia in 1980, official biographer Robert Rhodes asked, "who can now claim that Eden was wrong?"
~ entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!

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