Journeys

The state of TIAH

November 12th, 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, on board the Mary Celeste, light sleeper Captain Benjamin Briggs is awakened by a solitary piano note. Careful not to disturb his sleeping wife Sarah, he leaves the Captain's Quarters to investigate, summoning night-watchman Arian Martens for backup. Without warning the ship heels over and the piano breaks loose, crushing the 35-year old Dutch seaman Martens to death. Unseen below, a third barrel has started to rattle. -entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!-

in 1948, the International Military Tribunal for the Far East (IMTFE) also known as the Tokyo Trials were adjourned. Leaders of the Empire of Japan were tried for three types of crimes: "Class A" (crimes against peace), "Class B" (war crimes), and "Class C" (crimes against humanity) committed during World War II. Twenty-seven Japanese military and political leaders including Japanese Emperor Hirohito and Prince Asaka were charged with Class A crimes, and more than 300,000 Japanese nationals were charged with Class B and C crimes, mostly over prisoner abuse. Executions at Sugamo Prison in Ikebukuro planned for December 23, 1948 were canceled due to the unexplained escape of Hirohito and Asaka. Their flight to Formosa with the entire gold and foreign currency reserve of imperial Japan laid the foundations for the dramatic economic development of the island in the 1950s. -entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!-

Before(cont.)
Kevin was starting to get hungry again. It had been a long time since the convenience store this morning. By this time, he had expected to have a massive amount of money in his bank account, a new truck, and freedom to enjoy the world for a while.
Instead, he was roaming around downtown Austin, trying to find a parking space. Unfortunately, traffic was bumper-to-bumper, and he hadn't been able to find a free spot. He thought that he should have abandoned his truck on the highway and just walked to the Lottery Headquarters on 6th Street; he would've gotten there faster. He was only about 10 or 12 blocks away, now, and was prepared to snag the first open area that his truck could fit in.
A few times, he saw National Guard trucks roll by on the sidewalk or shoulder of the road. He thought he saw a tank back on the highway, too. They were really rolling out everything. Too bad they weren't directing traffic; this crowd could use someone moving them along.
While he was patting his stomach after it growled, he saw an open parking spot and snuck into it. He cut the engine on his truck, thankful that it had gotten him this far, got out and locked up. He didn't know if he'd be coming back to the old thing, so he pulled out the couple of personal items he had stashed in the glove compartment – a picture of his dog and his insurance policy.
He turned his face towards 6th Street and began walking. Except for the occasional car driving along it, the sidewalk was deserted. By this point, he guessed, most people had either gotten themselves trapped on the road or had decided to stay home.

Janice studied the map on her laptop again. It wasn't much better than the printout she had made at home. She was sitting at a crossroads that didn't appear on either her printout or on-screen map, and was a little confused as to which was to go. According to her directions, though, she needed to travel to the west for a little bit before turning north again, so she looked at her compass and took the road that went approximately west. It was rough going, and her car bounced around a lot.
About noon, she pulled over to the side of the road and pulled out her recorder again. “So far, the military-industrial complex is sticking with its cover story of the nuclear explosion. The Emergency Broadcast System has been exhorting all citizens to be good little robots and obey, obey, obey. I have yet to be confronted by any Guardsmen, but it's only a matter of time as I move closer to the truth.”
She turned off the recorder and looked around. The hill country was long gone behind her, and she thought she had probably moved into the Brazos Valley. It wouldn't be too long before she got near Waco, which had supposedly been evacuated by the Guard, and that's where she could expect the first trouble. They would be pulling out all the stops to make it appear dangerous to her.
She got out of the car and opened the trunk. She kept a lot of strange things in her trunk; being a paranormal investigator meant being something of a pack rat. She pulled out the Geiger counter and flipped the power switch. “Normal levels,” she muttered as she read the device. She flipped it back off and took it with her into the car. After a quick lunch of an energy bar and some water, she started off again towards Crawford.

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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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Convictions

The state of TIAH

November 10th, 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, on board the Mary Celeste Captain Benjamin Briggs plans a positive distraction for his frightened wife, Sarah Briggs, who is musical and has insisted on shipping her piano. The Captain instructs 2nd Mate Andrew Gilling to retrieve the instrument from storage and have it lashed fore and aft for his wife's indulgence. It's a bad mistake but the Captain does not know that yet. -entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!-

in 2124, the Peace and Reconciliation Committee of the Reconstructed United Nations finds the arch-criminal James Cook, more commonly known to twentieth century European History as “Captain Cook”, guilty as charged. He was pre-selected for the trial due to the uproar created by the infamy of the 2121 movie “James Cook and the thousand thieves”. Cook is presented to the court as a murderer, pirate and brigand who brought to an end the 48,000 year old aboriginal civilization known as the Dreamtime. In so doing he had acted as the master thief in the criminal European possession of south-east Asia from 1779 to 2086. On this occasion, even Mullah Elijah Rafsanjani confesses that a post-historic revision is unnecessary. The former republic of Australia dissolved, Cook killed by indigenes and the Dreamtime re-established in the late twenty-first century – pre-jihad history had already taken care of this housekeeping action. -entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!-

Before(cont.)
Marco was pretty good – he had Janice's car running again in twenty minutes. She handed him a fifty and said, “Thanks, Marco. You're a lifesaver.”
The mechanic was still a little dazed by the news that Janice had dropped on him, and was stumbling around the garage as if he were drunk. He took the bill she gave him and stuffed it into his pocket. “I'll go get you a receipt,” he mumbled, walking off to his truck.
Janice got into her car and fired it up. The nice roar of the engine made her feel better. She pulled out of the garage and hit the remote to close the garage door. She jumped a bit when Marco knocked on her window, then recovered herself and rolled it down.
He handed her a yellow slip and said, “What do I do, now?”
“You go help the next person, Marco,” she said. “That's what you do.”
He nodded and shuffled, zombie-like, back to his truck. She cut off the engine and went back into her house. She grabbed her laptop, a bag of energy bars and a gallon-jug of water, then locked up the place and returned to her car. She started the car up again and pulled her recorder out of the glove compartment. The tape was still about three quarters empty, so she hit the record button and said, “Personal journal, Janice Carbonari. It looks like the more pessimistic among us were right. Rather than allow a peaceful transition of power, the fascist military-industrialists have staged a coup. It is uncertain whether this is a civilian or military-led operation, at the moment, but a verification of the most obvious part of their cover story should be possible.” She clicked the recorder off. That was a good start. She didn't know whether she was going to make this a full video entry or just a podcast, but that'd be the kind of opening that would jump out and grab her audience.
She pulled out of her driveway and headed away from the jammed highway to the little country road that very few people knew of. Traffic was still pretty bad, but she was able to make some headway. She munched on an energy bar as she drove, and occasionally recorded more observations. “There's a preponderance of thought on the net that this is a propaganda job – that there was no bomb at Crawford. The lack of the usual suspects calling it an 'Islamofascist' attack makes me think there might be some reality behind this particular fantasy. While I have every reason to think that I will be stopped long before I get there, I intend to verify the existence – or lack thereof – of the president's ranch at Crawford, Texas.”
She turned her attention away from the recorder long enough to slip down the tiny dirt country road that led away from Pflugerville and towards the southeast. It was going to be a maze of back roads, but she had her route planned all the way to Crawford. She was going to test the defenses of The Man.

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A Republic Is Proclaimed

The state of TIAH

November 9th, 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, Captain's wife Sarah Elizabeth Briggs awakens with a terrifying shriek on board the Mary Celeste. In a frightful dream, the forehatch and the lazarette had flown open, and a deathly pale and soulless Gotlieb Gondeschall had beckoned her wordlessly below deck. Shared parental concern for the safety of 2 year old child Sophia Matilda Briggs forces Captain Benjamin Briggs to acknowledge his 30-year old wife's fears that they are all in dreadful danger for their very souls. In the privacy of their chambers, he can soften his command voice and speak as a New England Puritan rather than a naval officer. To a degree, he is also able to conceal from his wife the mortal fear which has gripped him since he reported for his mission briefing at Meissner Ackermann & Coin in New York City. -entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!-

in 1918, Kaiser Wilhelm II (born Frederick William Albert Victor) abdicates after the German Revolution, and a Republic is proclaimed. British Prime Minister Lloyd George had just won an election with the slogan 'Hang the Kaiser!' and less than a year later, Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands ejects the former German Emperor from his exiled home in Amerongen. The image of the aged Kaiser mounting the gallows in Berlin, using his right hand to conceal the ungloved withered left is too much for the German public to stomach. Matters come to a head when orders are given in March 1920 by the Social Democrat Government of President Friedrich Ebert for the dissolution of the irregular German Army known as the Freikorps. The attempt to suppress counter-revolutionary forces and secure the Weimar Republic backfires disastrously. The Kapp Putsch brought to power Wolfgang Kapp, a 62-year-old East Prussian civil servant and fervent nationalist determined to reverse the hated Treaty of Versailles. The struggle for mastery in Europe is settled in the 1920s with the shattered continent too weak to resist the rebuilding of a glorious Third Reich. -entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!-

Before(cont.)
“Mr. Bradley?”
The sudden change from the muzak to the man's voice startled Kevin. He recovered himself and said, “Yeah?”
“Mr. Bradley, KBE has been employed by the state of Texas to coordinate the reentry of vital personnel into the armed forces in this time of crisis.” The spiel tripped off the guy's tongue so quickly that Kevin almost missed the gist of what he was saying.
“Hey, I was discharged in '93. I'm not even in inactive reserves anymore.”
“Be that as it may, Mr. Bradley, in this time of national emergency, the military has certain powers to call up former servicemen who have certain vital skills.” Kevin heard the clicking of more keys. “According to our records, you were a computer specialist, a position which we are in great need of. You will need to report to your local National Guard unit in Bryan by oh-seven-hundred tomorrow morning.”
“You don't understand,” Kevin said, very calmly, he thought. “I'm not in Bryan. I'm stuck on the highway in Austin. See, I won the lottery, and - “
“I'm afraid that doesn't alleviate your responsibilities to your country, Mr. Bradley,” the man said. Kevin was really developing a strong dislike for this man. “We can give you a twenty-four hour grace period, but after that, the military will consider you absent without leave.”
“You've got to be kidding me.”
“You might be able to work out something with your superior officer in Bryan if you report to a Guard unit in Austin while you are there.”
“I'm stuck on the highway and traffic hasn't moved in an hour. How am I supposed to report to a Guard unit?”
“Not really KBE's problem, Mr. Bradley,” the annoying man said. “I am marking your case with the notation that you have been notified of your obligations. Congratulations on the lottery.”
And with that, he hung up.
Kevin pounded his steering wheel and fumed. His ship finally comes in, and some jerkwad decides that he has to go back into the service. Well, he wasn't going to do it. He was going to collect his money, then use his sweet 3 million to skip the country. That kind of cash could buy a nice, quiet disappearance, and the Army could bite his butt. Yeah.
He looked around at the hundreds, possibly thousands of cars trapped together on the highway with him. The car next to him was filled with a small family; a young father and mother trying to entertain two kids, keeping happy, smiling faces pointed at the children while exchanging terrified looks with each other as they looked at the city around them.
“Dang it.”
He hated the fact that his mother raised him right. If she had just gone wrong a few times, he wouldn't feel guilty about thinking about himself for once.
He looked around at the huge line of cars again and wished that he had better wheels; he'd try a little off-road action if he wasn't afraid his tires would pop on him. Just then, though, the line started moving. It was slow, but it was forward motion. Maybe he'd make it to the lottery office in time to collect. Then he could ask them where the local Guard headquarters was.

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Peace And Reconciliation

The state of TIAH

November 8th, 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, Gotlieb Gondeschall conducts a routine late evening patrol on-board the brigantine Mary Celeste. At 23, he is the youngest seaman and the only German native amongst the crew. Noticing that the forehatch and the lazarette are both open, youthful rashness takes control and he decides to go and check the volatile cargo of alcohol alone. One barrel rattles mysteriously, emitting a low drumming noise. On deck First Mate Albert C Richardson, startled by a dreadful shriek, races below to find Gondeschall babbling in incomprehensible German. With the assistance of 2nd mate Andrew Gilling, Richardson carries the now catatonic seaman above deck. Unseen below, a second barrel has started to rattle. -entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!-

in 2125, the work of the Peace and Reconciliation Committee of the Reconstructed United Nations continues with the trial of Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas Edward Lawrence, more commonly known to twentieth century European History as “Lawrence of Arabia”. The Hussein-Sadat time dilation device is also used to summon traveller and journalist Lowell Thomas for his sensationalized imperial reporting of the Arab tragedy misnamed “the Revolt”. Its unnecessary; the arch-criminal is condemned by the weight of evidence by his own confession in his autobiography “Seven Pillars of Wisdom”, another misnomer of the pre-jihad era. -entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!-

Before(cont.)
On their way back to the house, Steph and the kids saw several National Guard trucks heading into Austin. She half-expected to catch a glimpse of Jake, and the kids both peered into each truck obviously hoping to see their father, but none of the trucks held anyone familiar. They got back to the house through warnings of allowing the Guard to take the road whenever possible, and jumped out of the car as soon as it stopped rolling. “All right, kids, you know what to do.” Joan went in and started assembling jars while George gathered blankets together.
Steph went around the yard, securing everything down that might get blown around. While she was doing this, Vanessa Johnson, her neighbor across the road, walked into the yard. Steph called a cheerful, “All set over at your place, Mrs Johnson?” She looked up at the older woman and was shocked at the ashen, stunned expression on her face. “Mrs. Johnson, what's the matter? Is something wrong with your husband?”
“They... they bombed the president.”
“What?”
“The president. They blew him up in Crawford.”
Confused, Steph took Mrs. Johnson by the arm and started leading her back across the road. “Look, Mrs. Johnson, maybe you need to get your house ready for the storm or whatever is happening.”
“But, they blew up the president!” The old woman stopped and took Steph by the hand. “When I was in high school, they said we should duck under our desks. They said that would save us from the bomb.”
Steph was really concerned about Mrs. Johnson's sanity, now. She tried to be soothing, saying, “Mrs. Johnson, we gotta get ready here, but let me take you back to your place and we'll get you all safe there, OK?”
“There's no place safe, now,” Mrs. Johnson said, dissolving into tears. “It's just like Richie Mangrem said in high school, desks can't stop the bomb.” She was sobbing, clutching her sides and rocking back and forth.
Steph took her in her arms and stroked her hair to try to sooth her. “Shh, now. It's all right, Mrs. Johnson.” Joan came out of the house, completely puzzled at Mrs. Johnson's state, and Steph waved her over. “Mrs. Johnson, I'm gonna have Joanie take you back to your place, now, all right? I need to get things safe over here.”
“No place safe, now. Bert was right.”
Joan took Mrs. Johnson's arm and led her across the street. Steph went into her own house and started getting water into the jugs and jars that Joan had pulled out. While she was doing this, Joan came running back into the house. “Mom, Mr. Johnson's dead!” Her face was streaked with tears, and her breath came out in gasps.
“Oh, my God,” Steph said, reaching for the telephone. “No wonder Mrs. Johnson was in such a state.” She dialed 911 and put the receiver to her ear. “You didn't leave her over there, did you?”
“Mom, he...” She gulped and tried to gather herself together. “He killed himself.”
Steph nearly dropped the receiver. “Sweet Jesus, what is happening today?”

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Launch

The state of TIAH

November 7th, 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) 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, a 103-foot, 282-ton brigantine set sails for Genoa, Italy. The ship was built on Spencer's Island, Nova Scotia in 1861 and originally named the Amazon. Due to misadventures and bad luck, she had changed hands several times before being renamed the Mary Celeste in 1869. On-board is a cargo of 1701 barrels of industrial alcohol shipped by Meissner Ackermann & Coin of New York City to H. Mascerenhas and Co., of Genoa, Italy. Captain Benjamin Briggs has a crew of seven and two regular passengers: the Captain's wife, Sarah E. Briggs (née Cobb), and two-year-old daughter, Sophia Matilda, making 10 people in all. Plus one other passenger inside barrel #1701. His accursed name is most assuredly missing from the ship's manifest. -entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!-

in 1956, following the signing of a secret mutual assistance pact in Paris, Anglo-French troops fighting alongside the Israeli Defence Force wrest back control of the Suez Canal, recently nationalized by Egyptian President Gamal Nasser. British Prime Minister Anthony Eden receives urgent demands from US President Dwight D. Eisenhower to withdraw . Having spent many years being overshadowed as Churchill's deputy, Eden refuses to accept this demand, viewing it as a bitter personal defeat that would invite unfavorable comparisons with his former boss. Eden threatens to unmask American hypocrisy by revealing that the overthrow of Mohammed Mossadegh's Iranian government in 1953 was a coup mounted by US and British Agents on much the same terms as the Suez invasion. Unwilling to risk his position during the presidential election month, Eisenhower backs down and reluctantly throws his support behind the colluding allies. Most historians now agree that these duplicitous acts by the British Government fueled reactionary imperialism at a point of divergence. By fortifying the refusal to accept nationalist pressures, the Suez campaign destroyed sympathies for Britain in their former colonies leading to the premature dissolution of the Commonwealth in the late 1960s. -entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!-

in 2126, the work of the Peace and Reconciliation Committee of the Reconstructed United Nations reaches a climax with the showcase "Georges" Trial. In the dock are King George V of the former United Kingdom of Great Britain and George Washington 1st President of the former United States of America. The charge sheet reads a) conspiracy to perpetuate the European possession of North America b) criminal subterfuge through false declaration of independence inter alia. Meanwhile, on the Committee Mullah Elijah Rafsanjani is suggesting that trying arch-criminals is not sufficient to achieve a breakthrough. The Hussein-Sadat time dilation device should be used to go back and correct these historical injustices. -entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!-

Before(cont.)
Janice was still trying to access a news site or two on the Internet when another message came across the EBS on the television. “All citizens currently on the road are requested to move to the shoulder of the road for the next few hours while the National Guard moves its people into place. Your cooperation is appreciated.” The last couple of announcements, Janice noted, were polite, but quite firm. And, no politician had been on to make a statement, not even the governor.
She was still unable to get onto anything other than the most inane web sites; for a system that was specifically designed to survive a nuclear strike, it wasn't behaving well in the face of one that didn't even hit anywhere near a vital hub. She couldn't access anything outside of the US, either. She had tried to get onto the BBC site, and had been stymied. Even the news blogs were down.
But Disney, of all things, was up. The University of Texas web site was down, but a web site about longhorn cattle was up. It was really frustrating her tremendously. There weren't even any local conspiracy nuts available.
Then, she had a thought – there was a web site she knew of that aggregated all of the crank sites on the web. She entered the address into her browser, and it came up, surprisingly. She then went into the conspiracy nut section and started going down the list of terrorist conspiracy sites. On her fifth try, she found one that was still up.
“I dont know how long this will remane up,” it said at the top, complete with the atrocious spelling of the truly insane. “Since about 5 this morning, all of the sytes that I link to hav been going off-line, one by one. If you are still able to read this, please spred the truth – they're was no nucular exploshion in Crawford, Texas. Akordin to my sorces, the millitari is fed up with the civvilian goverment, and has planid the story about the exploshion so they can seaze power. Get thre truth out!” There was a link at the bottom to go to the next page of this rant, and she clicked it.
A 404 Error popped up immediately, telling her that this web site was inaccessible.
She went back to her crank site and examined the list again. It took eleven more tries before she found another one, and it expressed the same sense of panic, as well as the reiteration that there was no nuke at Crawford. She felt pretty confident that would be a recurring theme on some of these sites, but she expected to find one or two that would call it an Islamic terrorist attack. When she found one she felt certain would say that, it was off-line.
A knock at the door startled her. She picked up her gun and walked over to the door and looked through the peephole. A scruffy man in a coverall was on the other side. “I have a gun. Who are you?”
“Whoa, lady, I'm here to help out with the car.”
She relaxed and opened the door. The auto club's tow truck was plainly visible in the street, and she saw his name badge – Marco – on his chest now. “I'm amazed you were able to get here.”
“Yeah, traffic was a bit – I mean, traffic was bad. Specially since my radio got busted last week, wasn't even able to listen to tunes.” He was walking over to the garage outside as he talked.
“You mean, you haven't heard?”
“Heard what?” He stopped and turned around. The look on her face made him concerned. “Crap, it's not like the towers again, is it?”
“No – well, kind of.” She followed him over to her car in the garage that she had left completely open; she chided herself for forgetting that. “Martial law's been declared because a nuke went off in Crawford. They don't know if the president was there or not.”
Marco looked like he had been slapped in the face. “Holy Mother of God.” He leaned against the garage wall and for a minute, Janice thought he might throw up.
She walked over and patted him on the shoulder. “Yeah, I know. So,” she said, pointing at her car with her pistol, “you think you can get this thing working?”
“Huh?” He looked at her, dazed.
“My car. You know, the big thing with wheels here. I'm not really crazy about being stuck here without a ride.”

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Trials

The state of TIAH

November 6th, 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) 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 2124, a judicial application is found for the recently invented Hussein-Sadat time dilation device. The Peace and Reconciliation Committee of the Reconstructed United Nations will try arch-criminals from the pre-jihad era. First in the dock is Cristoforo Colombo, charged with the genocide of American indigenes. -entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!-

Before(cont.)
When Kevin hit the Austin city limits, he started fighting against people who were starting to use the inbound lanes of I-35 as outbound. Up till then, the traffic on his side had been pretty light; now, cars were coming at him at high speed, driven by people in a high panic.
Not that he really blamed them. He was kind of panicky, himself. According to the lady on the EBS, Waco had been completely evacuated from fear of nuclear fallout, and citizens were being urged to stay home unless the National Guard requested that you leave.
Requested. Sure.
He found the downtown-only lane and slid into line behind several hundred cars. Since he was at a virtual stop, he pulled out the lottery ticket he had come to redeem. 3 million bucks, after taxes. The little orange and white slip had seemed like pure gold last night when he read the numbers from the lottery web site. Now, it just seemed like an unimportant scrap of paper; worse, it was bait that had lured him from a fairly safe location to what was probably a huge terrorist target.
He pulled out his cell phone and dialed the only person he still knew in Austin. The phone lines, unsurprisingly, were very busy, so he hung up and tried to dial his mother in Bryan. That was busy, too. So were his sister, his brother, all of his friends and his job, now. He wondered who had called him earlier, and checked the call log on his phone. It was a number he didn't know, so he tried to call it, expecting failure.
Instead, he got a clear line. “KBE Enterprises, this is Lilly, may I help you?”
“Uh, yeah, someone called me from this number a couple of hours ago. My name is Kevin Bradley.”
There was a clacking of fingers on computer keys. “Yes, Mr. Bradley, please hold for a moment.”
The line of cars ahead of him wasn't moving at any great pace, so Kevin shrugged and held on. Thinking that it might be a while, he plugged the cell phone's battery charger into the cigarette lighter and hit the loudspeaker option. The sound of the light muzak filled the cab of his truck.

Janice filled up the last empty jug she could find and capped it. She filled up the tub again and left the water standing. She could use that if the water was cut off. She had tried to call her parents, but the lines were all down, now.
The EBS was still broadcasting vague warnings to stay home and obey any orders the governor or National Guard might issue, but no real news on why martial law had been declared. She gathered that something had happened to Crawford, the president's ranch, but there was some doubt as to whether he had been there or not. That worried her a little bit; while she had voted for the man, she didn't like his vice-president, and didn't trust him like she trusted the president.
She looked around the house to see if there was anything else she could do. She wished that she had gone to the store last night; there wasn't a lot of food on her shelves, and if power went out, the fridge only had a few hours before it stopped holding cool air in.
She also pulled out the gun she kept by her bed and loaded it. If somebody decided that this house looked like a nice looting target, they'd be getting a big surprise.

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Emergency

The state of TIAH

November 5th, 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) 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.

Before(cont.)
Kevin was amazed at how much traffic was headed out of Austin today. He hadn't seen anything like that since Hurricane Rita had gotten half of Houston to drive up to Bryan. He turned on the radio to see if there was something he needed to know about this, but only got static. He flipped through a few channels, but was only met with the same static. “Weird.” He left it on, just in case one of the stations came back.
He was about to pass Pflugerville when he heard the whine of the Emergency Broadcast System, and turned up the sound on his radio. The voice that usually announced this as a test was saying that it was an actual emergency, this time. “Please stay tuned for details,” the emotionless voice said. It was followed by a breathless woman speaking rapidly. “We have confirmation of the earlier reports of the nuclear explosion at Crawford, today,” she said, and Kevin felt a little light-headed.

Janice was pissed when the show's climax was interrupted by the EBS' annoying emergency tone. She flipped the channel, but the EBS was on everywhere. She flipped back to SciFi in time to catch a disheveled woman on screen saying something about Crawford. “The White House can't be reached for comment; phone lines to the east coast seem to be down. For now, all citizens are asked to stay in their homes and stay tuned to this channel for further information from the Emergency Broadcast System.”
Janice went over to her computer and turned it on. There had to be something on the Internet about this. Once her computer was booted up, she was able to get online, but CNN and all the other news sites were down. “Crap, it's like 9/11,” she muttered. She thought for a minute, then went into the bathroom and started the tub filling with water.

Joan looked over at the car in the lane next to them and said to her mother, “Mom, I think I heard that Emergency Broadcast thingie from that guy's car.”
Steph turned her radio on, and caught the woman saying that the east coast couldn't be reached by phone. “Man, there must be a hurricane. I need to check the TV when I wake up.” She thought about it for a minute, then pulled off the same awkward turn-around that other car had done.
“We're not going to school?” George's voice was very hopeful.
“No, we're goin' back to the house,” Steph said, speeding down the clear lane heading away from Austin. The line to the highway was unbelievable. “When we get home, Joanie, you start water running in the sink and start filling up all the jars we have, all right? I think we got about a week's worth of food in the cupboard, and – when did we get the propane filled?”
“Last month,” Joan answered her. “He was cute.”
“Yeah, he was,” Steph smiled. “Georgie, you get together some blankets and we're going to start stapling 'em up in front of the windows, in case they break.” George nodded, his eyes ablaze with excitement. “I can't believe this wasn't all over the news last couple o' days. They talked about Rita forever 'fore it hit.”
The EBS lady started talking again, and they all got quiet to listen. “Although the president's schedule clearly placed him at Crawford last night, it cannot be confirmed that he was actually there.”
Steph was confused. “What does that...”
“The governor has declared martial law across central Texas, and National Guard troops will be moving into place to assist all Texans in this crisis. All reservists have been ordered to report to their local units.”
“That's why your father didn't call us,” Steph said. She didn't talk to Jake that often, but she would have expected him to contact them if there was some kind of emergency going on. His unit usually handled this kind of work, though, so he had probably been busy all night.

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Traffic

The state of TIAH

November 4th, 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 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.

Before(cont.)
Traffic was bunching up early this morning. Steph sat in a line of several other cars. George, getting impatient in the back side, undid his safety belt and slid up behind Joan to read her magazine over her shoulder. Steph tried to crane her head around to see if there was anything blocking her progress that she could move around. She turned on the radio to see if she could find any traffic information, but only got static. “Radio's busted again,” she told the kids.
“We should get one that can play MP3s,” Joan said, not even looking up from her magazine.
“Or satellite radio – that'd be cool, wouldn't it, mom?” George slid over to her now, eagerly smiling at his own suggestion.
Steph looked at him disapprovingly. “I can't help notice you ain't got no seat belt on, boy.”
He flopped back in his seat. “Mom, we haven't moved in, like, ten minutes.”
“Doesn't matter. Your Uncle Chuck'd have an entirely different wife if his first fiancée had just listened to me about that.”
George groaned, but fastened his seat belt. “Not the dead lady story again.”
“She'll keep tellin' it till you listen,” Joan said, her face still buried in her magazine.
“Chuck loved that girl with all his heart,” Steph said, lost in memory. “We all loved her; she was so sweet. But she believed that BS that you can survive a car crash better if you get thrown clear. Guess she learned the truth about that.” The car in front of her backed up a tad, then pulled off a very imperfect 5-point turn and headed back the way they had come from. “I gotta learn a different way to get y'all to school.” She looked around at the other cars in line. Traffic was heavier than usual today. Lots of people looked like they were packed up with junk. “Did the college session let out or something?”
“No, they're still going till December,” Joan said, finally looking up and examining the cars around them. “Wow, they do look like they're moving. Is there another hurricane?”
“We're in the center of the state. Hurricanes can't reach us here.”
“Rita went all the way up to Arkansas, didn't it?”
“Yeah, but it was following a river.”
“Austin has a river.”
“Not one that reaches the coast.” Steph thought about following the guy who vacated his position in front of her, but didn't know another road into town. “Why did I have to live in the country?”

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Kennedy Crossover

The state of TIAH

November 3rd, 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 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 1969, Father Edward Moore Kennedy drives back to Lawrence Cottage in Chappaquiddick with older brother Jack and his two bodyguards in the car. Instead of a prayer meeting, he is shocked to find the most riotous cocktail party under way. Entering the Cottage, he collides with a doppelgänger, Senator Teddy Kennedy who is carrying an extra sixty pounds, heavily intoxicated with his arms around two girls in an advanced state of sexual arousal. Caught in a paradox of matter and space they fuse into a new god fearing Senator Edward Moore Kennedy. Underwater the passenger door in the 1967 Oldsmobile Delmont 88 swings open, and the young lady escapes to the riverbank of Poucha Pond where she collapses. As she awakens, a new day is dawning. -entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!-

Before (cont.)
When the hour she had been promised was up, Janice pulled her cell phone out and called up the auto service again. She was a little steamed, and let the poor customer service rep have it. “In my business, when I promise a customer something within the hour, I mean the hour we were currently talking in,” she spit at the young woman on the other end of the line.
“I do apologize, ma'am. It's been a busy morning for our - “
“I don't care about your problems. I care about mine. If I don't have some service this hour, I'm going to be taking my business elsewhere.”
“I'll do what I can, ma'am.”
Janice hung up and threw the cell back into her purse. A very small part of her felt bad about yelling at someone who was essentially powerless to do anything about her situation, but most of her felt better after venting the anger and frustration. The cat was back, purring and approaching her legs, and she dodged it before it could make her sneeze again. “Ha!” She taunted it with a leg, then withdrew the leg before it could reach her. It whipped its little white tail and crouched down to spring on her.
After a few minutes of cat and mouse, it gave up and moved down the street to find other prey. Janice went back to sitting on the curb and looking down the street expectantly. At least the morning was warming up – she didn't really need her sweater anymore. She took it off and wrapped it around her waist, then sat back down to wait.
A few more minutes later, she got back up and went inside her house. She opened the garage door so that the mechanic could get at her car, then grabbed her phone book and looked for mechanics-on-wheels. There were several, and she didn't know if she wanted to trust any of them. She flopped herself down on her couch and turned on the TV. Hopefully, the guy would honk when he got there.
The network channels were off the air, and after flipping for a second, she wondered if her cable was down, but then she got the SciFi channel. It was a Twilight Zone she had seen before – of course, she had seen them all before – but it was something to occupy her mind. She sat there and let Rod work his magic over her.

“I said, get up!” Steph popped a waffle into the toaster and pushed the lever down. She set the plate with the waffles already done on the kitchen table and grabbed the syrup from the fridge. Her youngest, George, shuffled to the table and piled a couple of waffles onto his plate, then drowned them in syrup. “Hey, hey, Georgie, easy on the sugar, babe.”
Her daughter bounced in, saying, “Just some juice, please, mom.”
Steph sighed. “Joanie, I just made all these waffles.”
“You can eat 'em. You don't need to watch your weight anymore.” After a withering glare from her mother, Joan added, “Sorry.”
Steph picked up one of the spare waffles and munched at it. “Hurry up, OK? We gotta leave before the traffic to town gets too bad.”
The kids grunted affirmatively. George went back to his soggy waffles and Joan pulled a juice carton out of the refrigerator and poured herself a tall glass. Steph saw her casting hungry glances at George's waffles, and slid a plate over to her.
“Less calories if you don't put syrup on 'em.”
Joan picked up one of the unadorned waffles and gobbled it down. At least it's something on her stomach, Steph thought. After a few relatively silent moments of gulping down breakfast, Steph looked at the kitchen clock and started. “Hey, we gotta go.” They flurried about the small house, grabbing bags and books and rushing out to the beat-up old car outside. The kids fought over the front seat before Joan won and George resigned himself to the back. Steph locked up the house and climbed into the driver's seat and buckled in. “Buckle it, Joanie,” she said to her daughter, who always forgot to fasten her seat belt. The girl snapped her belt, then went back to the magazine she was reading.
Steph drove the car down the long driveway to the road and headed off to the highway into Austin.

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Kennedy's Troubles; More NaNoWriMo

The state of TIAH

November 2nd, 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 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 1950, biochemist Duncan Taylor was born in Centerville, Texas. Dr. Taylor was part of the team that mapped the human genome, and discoverer of the Taylor Gene, which governs the human ability to use logic. When his team produced the drug that enhanced this gene, he was denounced from several quarters – casinos, religion, politics – but with the widespread use of his drug, such concerns are behind us all, now.

in 1963, Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem and his younger brother, Ngo Dinh Nhu are assassinated by plotters led by General Duong Van "Big" Minh, overthrowing the Government of the Republic of Vietnam. The United States publicly expresses shock and disappointment that Diem had been killed. This qualified statement leads many independents to question the involvement of the United Statements government in the coup, if not the assassination. When Jack Kennedy and his brother Bobby are assassinated only twenty days later, President Johnson is forced to commission a presidential inquiry, chaired by Chief Justice of the United States Earl Warren. -entry by guest Historian, Stephen Payne-

in 1969, Father Edward Moore Kennedy carefully drives his 1967 Oldsmobile Delmont 88 across the bridge on Dike Road at a leisurely 15mph en route to the Lawrence Cottage prayer meeting in Chappaquiddick. Suddenly an oncoming car mounts the narrow bridge at speed, they collide and the other vehicle flips upside down into Poucha Pond. A moment later, two burly men drag a gasping third onto the river bank and he is amazed to see the rescued man is his older brother Jack, who was reported missing in action twenty-six years before. The first man climbs the bank and says, "Teddy, its me Sam Kinney, there's been a terrible accident." Indignant to be spoken to so informally, and yet surprised to be recognized by a man he does not know, Father Kennedy crosses himself in an effort to collect his scrambled thoughts. -entry by guest Historian, Stephen Payne-

Before(cont.)
As he was approaching Rockdale, Kevin looked for the convenience store on the highway. He had stopped there a lot when he was going back and forth between Austin and Bryan during college. It was a ritual to him – stopping at the little store made the trip safe and happy.
It had been a while since his last stop at the store; probably a good ten years, when he had last been to Austin. That was when he was trying to get his taxes in order and needed to talk to the IRS there. While that trip had been safe, it wasn't very happy...
He saw the store and pulled into its parking lot. It didn't have the same name, but it was exactly the same inside. Small barbecue kitchen next to the register, dust on quite a bit of the merchandise, thick papers from Houston and Austin next to a paper that was little more than a pamphlet from Rockdale. He got a plastic bottle of milk and a cinnamon bun, just as he always had before, and went up to the counter. The young woman who took his money was probably in elementary school the last time he passed through, and she was very pert and perky. “Thanks for stoppin' in,” she said, smiling and handing him change from the 20 he had given her for the food.
“What's your name?”
She pointed at her name tag. “Cindy.”
He smiled at her and shook her hand. “Thanks, Cindy. It's a beautiful day, isn't it?”
She kept smiling, which he liked. “Sure is. Too bad I got to spend it inside.”
He looked at his truck through the window, then back to her. “Want to go to Austin?”
She laughed and shook her head. “Sorry, my shift don't end till 3.”
He shrugged and laughed. “Too bad. You have a nice day, Cindy.”
“You, too, sir.”
He left the little store and hopped into his truck. While it was warming up again, he popped open the milk and unwrapped his cinnamon bun. He wasn't really hungry, but he didn't want to mess with tradition. After a few bites and a couple of gulps of milk, he set the bun down on the seat beside him and covered the milk again, then pulled out of the parking lot and got back on the highway.
Not too much longer, he was driving around Taylor, which was the last turn he'd make before getting into Austin's suburbs. His truck was pointed at the capitol city and in half an hour he'd be at his destination.

Janice's alarm went off, and she banged at the snooze button futilely for a couple of seconds before giving up and raising her head. She hit the off button, sat up, then stood up. Her nightgown bunched up at the butt, and she gave it a tug to free herself. Yawning, she walked over to the window and looked outside. The day was clear, birds were singing, and she smacked her lips at it all. “Bleh.”
The shower water was cold for way too long – she hadn't had time to get a plumber to look at it – but got nice and warm right before she had to get out and dry off. She luxuriated in it for a few seconds longer than she needed to, just for a moment's indulgence. Reality beckoned, though, and she stepped out and grabbed the towel on the rack.
Walking through her kitchen, she thought briefly about breakfast, but a glance at her watch showed that she had just enough time to get to work 5 minutes late if she left immediately. She walked into the garage and hopped in her car. It was still new enough that she still got a little thrill when she felt the leather rub against her legs. It was almost enough to make going to work worth it.
She stuck her key in the ignition, turned, and – nothing happened.
“No, don't do this to me,” she muttered at the car. She turned the key again, but got the same nothing she had before. “Crap.” She popped the hood and looked at the engine for several minutes before surrendering to the fact that she wouldn't know what to do even if she found the problem.
She went back inside and called her auto club service, which promised someone would be out there within the hour. She hung up, cursed at the fates for several seconds, then called her office and told them that car trouble would make her at least a couple of hours late. Her boss sounded just slightly threatening as she said, “Don't worry, Janice, I'm sure that we'll manage without you.” Janice hung up and cursed her boss until she felt better.
She wrapped a sweater around herself and went outside to wait for the truck to arrive from the service. A neighbor's cat walked up to her, sniffed, then rubbed against her leg, purring contentedly. She sneezed and shoved the cat away. “Not my day.”

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Guest Entry; NaNoWriMo

The state of TIAH

November 1st, 2006

Alternate Historian's Note: today marks the beginning of 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. Starting today, the 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 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 1952, Operation Ivy is conducted on Elugelab Island in the Enewetak atoll of the Marshall Islands. The United States successfully detonates the first hydrogen bomb, codenamed "Mike" yielding 10.4 megatons of explosive power, over 450 times the power of the bomb that fell on Nagasaki. Whilst greatly alarmed by this increase in destructive capability, the Soviet Union and China viewed the operation as nuclear sabre-rattling, dismissing its geopolitical significance as an offensive threat. This assessment was based on the events of two years before; when UN Commander-in-chief for Korea Douglas McArthur had requested authorization to strike Manchuria and major Chinese cities with thirty to fifty nuclear weapons following Chinese intervention into the War, not only had this request been rejected, President Truman had also relieved MacArthur of his command. General Omar Bradley later speculated that MacArthur's disappointment over his inability to wage war on China had "snapped his brilliant but brittle mind." With Dwight Eisenhower strongly favoured to win the presidency in '52, continuation of Truman's policies was expected given Ike's record of cautious command in World War 2. History took an unexpected turn however when US voters reject the campaign message "We like Ike". Just twenty-eight days after Operation Ivy, U.S. President-elect Douglas MacArthur fulfilled a campaign promise by going to Korea to find out what could be done to end the conflict, famously saying "There is no substitute for victory". The United States had after all voted for Mike. -entry by guest Historian, Stephen Payne-

in 1966, Four years have passed since "Chappaquiddick" destroyed the Kennedy Presidency and sparked a resurgence of the American conservative political movement. The Joint Chiefs of Staff prepare for the weekly presidential meeting by staring uncompromisingly at the portraits outside the Oval Office. Truman - who refused MacArthur's request to hit Manchuria with atomic weapons during the Korean War, then dismissed him. Eisenhower - masterminded D-Day only to go soft on Communism, not even objecting to Joe McCarthy's criticism of George Marshall. Kennedy - who prevented the mastermind of the Berlin Air Lift Curtis LeMay from striking the Soviet missile bases on Cuba. And now, Goldwater - who's own rhetoric on nuclear war was viewed by many as quite uncompromising, a view buttressed by off-hand comments such as, "Let's lob one into the men's room at the Kremlin." Also, Goldwater had had nervous breakdowns in 1937 and 1939; he began to drink heavily, a problem he never completely overcame. Today, the JCS will recommend the upgrade of Operation Rolling Thunder to include nuclear strikes on Viet Cong bases in North Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, absolutely necessary to end the war. It is, they believe, only a matter of time before America elects a President who will listen to the military. As they enter the Oval Office, they are momentarily disoriented to find a beaming President John F. Kennedy sitting behind the Resolute desk. “What'll it be today fellows, drop a nuke on Uncle Ho?” he asks mischievously. -entry by guest Historian, Stephen Payne-

Before
The light was strong this morning. Kevin looked up at the sun, holding his hand over his head to shade his eyes, and smiled. It was just cool enough to be comfortable without a jacket, a typical winter day in Texas.
Kevin walked over to his truck, a beat-up old '98 Chevy, and hopped inside. He had a good drive ahead of him today – Austin was about 100 miles away – and he was ready to get started. Kevin's truck, which he sometimes called The Love Boat, had a couple of jiffy may-pop tires on the passenger side, and the electrical system might as well be driven by a hamster on a wheel, but he figured it could make it to Austin.
He started the truck, let it warm up – it wouldn't go in reverse unless he let it warm up – and then pulled out of his dirt driveway. He had put some food and water outside for the dog, which was now barking and wagging its tail at him from the other side of the fence. He waved at it and then rolled down to the farm road. A couple of miles down that was the big highway, and down that open road was Austin and the promise of the big city.
He stopped at the railroad tracks while a train passed by, and turned on the radio. There was some stupid morning show on his usual channel, so he flipped to the news on NPR. Usual bad politicians, war troubles, economic difficulties, then a heart-warming story of human will overcoming adversity – typical news. He whistled while he listened to it, not really paying attention.
When the train went by, he proceeded on down to the highway. He stopped at the little convenience store at the corner of the highway to gas up and grab a snack. With the truck's tank filled and his stomach following suit as he munched on a danish, he drove onto the highway and pointed his truck north.
He hadn't driven on the highway for some time because of his tires, but he felt pretty good about them today. The truck shimmied a little because the wheels were unevenly filled, but it wasn't so bad. The vibration of the steering wheel in his hands just helped keep him awake.
Kevin usually got a little sleepy on long drives, but he felt very energetic today. The traffic thinned out as he left town and headed towards the hill country. There were a bunch of little towns between Bryan and Austin, but it was going to be a lonely drive. Fortunately, there was only a 30-mile stretch of bad radio between when Bryan's stations faded out and Austin's stations could be picked up, so he had that for company.
He almost wished he'd brought his dog, but the little guy didn't like long car rides, and Kevin didn't feel like cleaning up his truck today. He felt his cell phone buzz against his waist, and heard his own voice coming from it; “Kevin, your cell phone is ringing. Kevin, your cell phone is ringing. Kevin, pick up your phone!” He ignored it. It was probably just work, wondering where he was. He wasn't going to worry about that, today, either.

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Happy Halloween

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The state of TIAH

October 31st, 2006

Alternate Historian's Note: tomorrow marks the beginning of 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. Starting Wednesday, November 1st, the 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 has a couple already scheduled for the beginning of the month – 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. Now, on with the end of October's posts, leading off with one from our Guest Historian, Stephen Payne...

in 1962, John F. Kennedy is collected from Martha's Vineyard airport and driven to Chappaquiddick to join campaign workers from the '60 election celebrating a Halloween Party at the Lawrence Cottage. At 11.15pm he instructs two members of the Secret Service detail to accompany him and a young lady to the beach. As they descend the hill at Dike Road, an unmarked car traveling at high speed impacts their vehicle, driving them off the narrow bridge and into Poucha Pond. Even though the vehicle is upside down and underwater, the agents are able to release the President and carry him gasping to the safety of the riverbank. Strong currents prevent them from returning to rescue the other passenger. The owner of Dike House, only 150 yards away, Sylvia Malm and her daughter arrive on the scene of the accident as do the Reverend and Mrs. David Smith who live in the house across the street. Given the undeniable presence of multiple witnesses placing him at the scene, Kennedy is forced to report the accident to the Police. He does so, falsely stating that he was chaperoning the young lady to the midnight Edgartown Ferry, keen to impress young campaign workers that there were all "part of the Kennedy Family". Meanwhile in the Politburo, Leonid Brezhnev, Aleksandr Shelepin and the KGB chief Semichastny are content with the night's work; the first phase of the conspiracy to ruin the President is an unqualified success. -entry by Guest Historian, Stephen Payne-

in 1972, Sondra Laval, niece of the mad priest Father Vincent Laval, leads the Montignac villagers and Professor Karl Ainsworth, Dr. Yvette Montclair, and Officers Gerard Hortefeux and Patrice Orleans to the Lascaux cave, where Father Laval is waiting for them. “Now, my children, the Great Bear shall fill His belly and go back to the sleep of ages,” he says to them, “while His children grow strong and we tend them for another generation, until one rises to take His place. Our sacrifices are nearly done; just these few more,” he says, waving at the outsiders, “and myself.” He begins chanting in the Sanskrit-derived language that has placed the citizens of Montignac under his spell, but Sondra Laval and Professor Ainsworth chant something else to the villagers, keeping Father Laval's control at bay. They follow the priest into the cave and to the forbidden passageway, where the huge, ancient bear waits. Father Laval goes back to the bear and strokes its great muzzle tenderly. “Soon, my Master, I shall be one with You.” He turns to the villagers and points at Dr. Montclair. “Bring the woman first.” Montclair raises a tranquilizer rifle and fires into the bear, saying, “I don't think so.” Professor Ainsworth and the two policeman also fire tranquilizer darts into the bear, which roars and charges. Ainsworth and Sondra Laval shout at it in the ancient tongue, and it pauses, confused. “No, my Master,” Father Laval screams at it, just as Officer Hortefeux shoots him with a dart. The others pepper the bear with more darts until it falls. Then, they turn their attention to the mad priest, who has crawled to the side of the bear and is trying to chant through the haze of the drug. “My Master shall destroy you all,” the priest slurs out, “you shall taste their souls, Master. You shall...” The drug finally takes him, and he falls. Professor Ainsworth says to the villagers, “Let's get him out of here, then I say we seal this place up.” He looks Dr. Montclair in the eyes and adds, “And the bear with it.” She is conflicted about that for a moment, then nods. Concrete, rock, cement, anything that can fill a hole is brought from Montignac and the forbidden passageway, as well as the tunnel leading off to the bear's nest, are sealed so tightly that they might as well have never been open. As the dawn breaks over the French countryside, the people of Montignac and their guests step into the sunlight, smiling for the first time in weeks. Professor Ainsworth puts his arm around Dr. Montclair and says, “Happy Halloween.”

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War Of Worlds

We're going pink for October!

The state of TIAH

October 30th, 2006

Alternate Historian's Note: Wednesday marks the beginning of 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 linked to these novels on Lulu, TIAH didn't have anything from them posted on it. We're going to do it a little differently this year. Starting Wednesday, November 1st, the 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 has a couple already scheduled for the beginning of the month – 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. Now, on with the end of October's posts...

in 1938, radio personality Orson Welles produces a radio show to provide cover for the arrival of his unearthly masters. Although millions of Americans see and struggle with the aliens that night, in the light of the morning, it is all proclaimed a simple hoax, with the simple-minded falling under the spell of Welles' dramatic talents. The aliens make contact with their other ally on the planet, a German by the name of Adolf Hitler, and supply him with power until the rebels among their own people find a way to bring him and his alien forces down.

in 1972, as night falls, the bear cultists come for the police officers and the academics trapped in the Montignac police station's jail. Sondra Laval leads them to the cell, chanting softly in the Sanskrit-derived language that is keeping the people of Montignac under the cult's spell. When the cell door is opened and the cultists seize the four outsiders, Professor Karl Ainsworth begins a counter-chant of his own, which is picked up by the other three. Mademoiselle Laval is confused, and halts her own chanting to listen to Ainsworth; the cultists take up the chant from Ainsworth and crew, and soon, the priest's niece is also chanting with them. After several minutes of this, Ainsworth halts the chant and Laval and the other cultists seem to come out of the trance they've been in. “Now, Mademoiselle,” Professor Ainsworth says, “we have a special job for you.”

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