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Defense in depth wasn't Soviet doctrine either. At least, not in the sense of "let's repeat Napoleon's invasion of Russia", which left Moscow burned down and enormous numbers of peasants dead or destitute.
Soviet doctrine was Deep Operation (though sometimes it wasn't called this, since the main thinker behind it had been purged) which was to defend by attacking, encircling and destroying any forces the enemy had on the border and letting the enemy's country be wrecked in the fighting.
The Detroit war does tick the box of making sure to fight the war on someone else's territory. But it otherwise lacks the hallmarks of a Soviet approach.
If there is a WW2 army the Commonwealth operations reflect most, it is the British, with their emphasis on smashing the enemy with artillery, flexible use of tanks, taking control of the sea and ruthlessly exploiting that control.
I'm aware of deep operation and deep battle, thank you, but Kursk from the Soviet perspective was an almost archetypal defence in depth operation, which was my point. It's not a big part of our doctrine either, but we used it regardless because it was good for the situation, as did they.
And god I hope we're not the British. As a British person myself, trust me, we suck.
Yeah. The Italians really don't deserve their bad rep. But the Wehraboos have to blame someone for their glorious Germanic army of Germans being smashed to pieces.
[X][ISLANDS] Assault. You are not actually sanguine about the possibility of resupply. You fear Victorian-flagged Russian weapons landing on those islands. Sure, Vicks aren't qualified to use those weapons, and rainy with a chance of artillery shells is not the ideal environment under which to learn, but they might get lucky. Of course, you will black out the sky with your artillery shells, but you will do so while landing troops as swiftly as possible.
[X][NEWS] Spread the word as far as it will go. Inform the world that you lived up to your promises. Ensure that everybody know that you beat Victoria. See if that shakes something loose from this embargo, and or perhaps motivates those foreign observers and spies to make recommendations at home.
[X][ISLANDS] Siege. Under constant, focused, withering artillery bombardment from naval and shore-based batteries, on soft, level ground, and with no real entrenching gear, the islands will be unable to hold out even if given an untouched supply line by air. Erode them over weeks of artillery bombardment, landing only once all activity has either ceased or been thoroughly suppressed.
[X][NEWS] Spread the word as far as it will go. Inform the world that you lived up to your promises. Ensure that everybody know that you beat Victoria. See if that shakes something loose from this embargo, and or perhaps motivates those foreign observers and spies to make recommendations at home.
I'm aware of deep operation and deep battle, thank you, but Kursk from the Soviet perspective was an almost archetypal defence in depth operation, which was my point. It's not a big part of our doctrine either, but we used it regardless because it was good for the situation, as did they.
And god I hope we're not the British. As a British person myself, trust me, we suck.
[X][ISLANDS] Siege. Under constant, focused, withering artillery bombardment from naval and shore-based batteries, on soft, level ground, and with no real entrenching gear, the islands will be unable to hold out even if given an untouched supply line by air. Erode them over weeks of artillery bombardment, landing only once all activity has either ceased or been thoroughly suppressed.
[X][NEWS] Spread the word as far as it will go. Inform the world that you lived up to your promises. Ensure that everybody know that you beat Victoria. See if that shakes something loose from this embargo, and or perhaps motivates those foreign observers and spies to make recommendations at home.
[X][ISLANDS] Siege. Under constant, focused, withering artillery bombardment from naval and shore-based batteries, on soft, level ground, and with no real entrenching gear, the islands will be unable to hold out even if given an untouched supply line by air. Erode them over weeks of artillery bombardment, landing only once all activity has either ceased or been thoroughly suppressed.
[X][NEWS] Spread the word as far as it will go. Inform the world that you lived up to your promises. Ensure that everybody know that you beat Victoria. See if that shakes something loose from this embargo, and or perhaps motivates those foreign observers and spies to make recommendations at home.
[x][ISLANDS] Assault. You are not actually sanguine about the possibility of resupply. You fear Victorian-flagged Russian weapons landing on those islands. Sure, Vicks aren't qualified to use those weapons, and rainy with a chance of artillery shells is not the ideal environment under which to learn, but they might get lucky. Of course, you will black out the sky with your artillery shells, but you will do so while landing troops as swiftly as possible.
Adhoc vote count started by Negentropy on Aug 26, 2019 at 5:57 PM, finished with 101 posts and 48 votes.
[x][NEWS] Spread the word as far as it will go. Inform the world that you lived up to your promises. Ensure that everybody know that you beat Victoria. See if that shakes something loose from this embargo, and or perhaps motivates those foreign observers and spies to make recommendations at home.
[X][ISLANDS] Siege. Under constant, focused, withering artillery bombardment from naval and shore-based batteries, on soft, level ground, and with no real entrenching gear, the islands will be unable to hold out even if given an untouched supply line by air. Erode them over weeks of artillery bombardment, landing only once all activity has either ceased or been thoroughly suppressed.
[x][ISLANDS] Assault. You are not actually sanguine about the possibility of resupply. You fear Victorian-flagged Russian weapons landing on those islands. Sure, Vicks aren't qualified to use those weapons, and rainy with a chance of artillery shells is not the ideal environment under which to learn, but they might get lucky. Of course, you will black out the sky with your artillery shells, but you will do so while landing troops as swiftly as possible.
[X][NEWS] Spread the word as far as it will go. Inform the world that you lived up to your promises. Ensure that everybody know that you beat Victoria. See if that shakes something loose from this embargo, and or perhaps motivates those foreign observers and spies to make recommendations at home.
@PoptartProdigy Do the Victorians have banners and the like that can be thrown at the feet of the triumphant Commonwealth leadership? (Like in those Soviet victory parade youtube videos I showed). And do they have some other major national symbols etc? Like eagles, statues of Victoria, flags, or copies of the anti-technology pledge?
Now that's a law I can get behind! Would explain why there's such a large line to get into the country if we transplant the game's setting from Glorious Arstotzka to the Machine State (not saying that there aren't countless reasons to visit or immigrate to Arstotzka, of course ).
Now I feel the need to write an omake about an immigration officer of the Commonwealth after the Eris Campaign is wrapped up!
As AKuz said, various holy or, "holy," texts. They disdain standardization sufficient to have unit symbols, but many forces will have private iconography. Eagles, crosses, little pictures of their founding fathers. That sort of thing.
It wouldn't have to be imposed from the top down, y'know.
I honestly think some units WOULD get together and buy a flag for themselves. There is a LOT of tradition behind battle-flags, and historically they were very individualized, idiosyncratic things that were often decorated or laid out in very diverse ways.
Besides, it gives the Victorians something to put up over places they sack and want to assert dominance over; it's the military equivalent of peeing on trees to mark your territory.
Victoria, who either appears as a stereotypical survivalist or a white nerd who's prone to childish rage while Father Russia patiently tolerates and supports his antics. Likes to call others out on things such as doublethink and being tyrannical bastards while ignorant of his own.
Axis Powers Hetalia-verse Victoria also wears big clompy hiking boots, occasionally drawn with suspicious bloodstains on them. He is seriously a creep. Like Nazi Germany in Scandinavia and the World.
If there is a WW2 army the Commonwealth operations reflect most, it is the British, with their emphasis on smashing the enemy with artillery, flexible use of tanks, taking control of the sea and ruthlessly exploiting that control.
"You make an excellent point except for forgetting one thing."
"We don't have any tea."
Yeah. The Italians really don't deserve their bad rep. But the Wehraboos have to blame someone for their glorious Germanic army of Germans being smashed to pieces.
[X][ISLANDS] Siege. Under constant, focused, withering artillery bombardment from naval and shore-based batteries, on soft, level ground, and with no real entrenching gear, the islands will be unable to hold out even if given an untouched supply line by air. Erode them over weeks of artillery bombardment, landing only once all activity has either ceased or been thoroughly suppressed.
[X][NEWS] Spread the word as far as it will go. Inform the world that you lived up to your promises. Ensure that everybody know that you beat Victoria. See if that shakes something loose from this embargo, and or perhaps motivates those foreign observers and spies to make recommendations at home.
[X][ISLANDS] Siege. Under constant, focused, withering artillery bombardment from naval and shore-based batteries, on soft, level ground, and with no real entrenching gear, the islands will be unable to hold out even if given an untouched supply line by air. Erode them over weeks of artillery bombardment, landing only once all activity has either ceased or been thoroughly suppressed.
[X][NEWS] Spread the word as far as it will go. Inform the world that you lived up to your promises. Ensure that everybody know that you beat Victoria. See if that shakes something loose from this embargo, and or perhaps motivates those foreign observers and spies to make recommendations at home.
oh hey, a happy thought about the remaining two CMC divisions. Not only are they likely irreplaceable, but any losses they take are also irreplaceable. There are nearly no veteran units to draw replacements from. So they are very potent units, but as of now are limited use.
[X][ISLANDS] Siege. Under constant, focused, withering artillery bombardment from naval and shore-based batteries, on soft, level ground, and with no real entrenching gear, the islands will be unable to hold out even if given an untouched supply line by air. Erode them over weeks of artillery bombardment, landing only once all activity has either ceased or been thoroughly suppressed.
[X][NEWS] Spread the word as far as it will go. Inform the world that you lived up to your promises. Ensure that everybody know that you beat Victoria. See if that shakes something loose from this embargo, and or perhaps motivates those foreign observers and spies to make recommendations at home.
I'm opted to include trigger warnings in dispatches that need them going forward, and will be editing my old ones to do so.
Talk of self-hatred. Suicidal thoughts. Underage sexual exploitation.
Dispatches from Detroit- 10a
Dispatches from Victoria
Commonwealth started its assault. Sadly, not much I can see. They don't have cameras pre-setup and ain't driving me to the front. Keep me safe or keep me from seeing things they don't want. Your choice. I feel if I were a proper war correspondent, I would jump out of my jeep and go with my own two feet to the front, risking life and limb. But well… that own two feet thing is a problem.
So, I sit back here, waiting on footage and film and news. Troops are rotating in and out, artillery goes off in the distance. The Commonwealth ain't gonna charge in like a bunch of Victorians. Useful for me, since I got something to finish.
I've talked about my feelings on this, oh have I talked about them, surprised people ain't sick of them. I've talked about Detroit, what it's like to be helpless in a struggle with everything on the line. I've talked about Erie, what it's like living in any community near Victoria. I've talked about the Commonwealth, not just Chicago, but those not in the Narrative, or in Narratives that don't fit. I've even talked about cities already dead. But there is one place I haven't much-given voice to.
We've all had them. The Victorian hunting expeditions. Not too common, but occasionally, occasionally, someone will run away, and they will want them back. Causes neighbor to turn on neighbor as people are accused. The one capture are brought back or killed. Those who are determined to have helped them escape, die. Kidnapping, they call it. Ork's abducting their women, with men it's usually criminal hunting. Funny that, women are abducted, but men run away, Victorian truth in a nutshell.
Tell you the truth, I don't think it matters to the Victorian's if they get the right person. Sometimes I wonder if they're even is a person. The point of it is the fear. Don't help those who run, or we will go after you, look what we did to this one. Makes every escapee keep silent, hide it, so that they can believe they are the only one. So that we can believe that every escapee is hunted. Fear does the work.
Wasn't easy, finding those who don't want to be found. But people, people need to tell their stories, need some understanding. People came to me, mostly. I will be honest, not everything I say is true here. Names are changed, perhaps a few details, to protect those still back in Victoria, or those who helped them. But the essence here, the story, it's all true. So tonight, tonight I'm going to give voice to another set of stories, as we look at some dispatches from Victoria.
Vicky is a wonderful woman. Pillar of the community., husband and two kids. People who talk about her always talk about how willing she is to lend a hand. How she's always out organizing activities. Always helping. Worst anyone can say about her is that while she cooks a lot, it's a might plain.
They don't know how she cries at night to her husband. Or why she volunteers. Or what scares her about her children. They don't know she was once Victorian, and the legacy that carries.
Vicky was only a child when she left. Says it's hard, in some ways, to remember the place. To separate childhood from reality. The ways that, well sometimes she misses it, and then hates herself for missing it. When people imagine Victoria, they tend to do so one of two ways. First, they think about the army, and the stolen loot, and imagine all of Victoria has high-handed pigs, feasting on stolen wealth. Those of a more high-minded persuasion talk about how they are oppressed, perhaps the worst of us all.
The thing about it, she says, is that both get it wrong. Second is more right, but when people picture it, they picture it like their community but worse. More deference. More looking at the ground. More starvations. More doing what someone says. But that aint' right. Or wasn't right for Vicky. It is actually true for some. Those I talked to who are of the darker skin persuasion say it's like that for them. They are expected to be dull, stupid, need orders before doing anything. So, Victorians treat them like us, but all the time and a hell of a lot worse.
But proper Victorians are expected to be more. To embrace retro culture. It isn't enough to be deferent, they have to be enthusiastic. It isn't enough to look at the ground, they have to look at the solider and smile. If they have to order you to give up your food, it's already a mark against you, you should have volunteered it earlier. It isn't enough to obey orders, you should have volunteered to do em, anticipated them, and acted to serve.
Even after leaving, Vicky volunteers. She says she wishes she didn't, sometimes, but she can't. Seeing something that somebody wants, that isn't being done, leaves her with a terrible fear. That black pit of what might happen if it isn't done. She tried, but it's better to get it done, because the fear of what will happen, of what the neighbors will think if she didn't, kills her. She also smiles, because you smile, because showing frowns or anger is wrong, especially for girls. The community is happy, so why aren't you?
And yet, and yet, sometimes she was. Sometimes she misses it. Victoria is all about community, and you have a place in it. You know what's gonna happen, at least if you are a good girl. Become a wife one day, decided by others for you. No worry about freedom, and there are always community activities. Strong sense of belonging to something great, something bigger than yourself, the nation that's on top of the world.
The lurking fear, the embrace of belonging. Hard to separate sometimes. What did you do because you loved the community? What did you do because of fear? No permission to separate the two in Victoria, and those who fled often talk about how they don't even know why they did what they did. When we look upon our sins, those things we did we did out of fear. But with Victoria, they don't even allow that knowledge.
The was another girl, a few years older. Often babysat her when needed, taught her how to fix her first meals and sew. One day, she saw her wearing her heard covering wrong, showing too much skin, and told her parents. While the dramatic option would be saying she was taken away, in truth, it just led to the bonnet on tighter, and shying away from hugs. She has her suspicions about why, but she doesn't know.
What she also doesn't know is why she did it. She admired the other girl, there was perhaps too much of an age gap for real friendship. But she looked up to her. So why had she said something? Fear of what would happen if it had been realized she was being influenced? The extra helping she got for dinner? Genuinely believing that it was wrong or against the rules? She doesn't know. She says she was lucky, she can always blame her's on being a kid when it happens and not knowing any better, those who grow up have to face the same things, only knowing they did it as adults.
Food, that's another topic she talked about. It isn't like here, no one, least no one in her community, starves, but no one has exactly as much as they want. On rare days, randomly, there would be enough, usually on feast days, which were held for the community showing their dedication. Except for religious days, you never knew when these would come, so you all worked for em. If they didn't come around, people would look for who in the community had failed em. Who to blame?
Same time people didn't starve. Things never got so bad that you were willing to break the rules. Or at least not after a caning or two. But food was always on the mind, and she schemed for it. Her uncle was in the army. His family, his family always seemed to have food, and other things sent back. She remembers often offering to do things for her cousin, volunteering, not trade, in hopes of some food. This wasn't seen as wrong, in fact people approved, she was learning to be properly servile.
One other thing she talks about is spices, flavoring. She says that people often like to talk about how plain Victorian food is. Usually as a way to make them feel better about Victorians. She says that not wrong, but that, well, hunger has a way of being the best spice. Dealing with even small amounts is hard now, but she tries, better that way. Better not to be noticed as 'weird', 'different'.
Still, everything aside, as a child she was happy. This was normal, and she didn't know better, it wasn't till she was twelve that things went wrong. She never knew what happened, what her father had done wrong, but suddenly her family were under suspicion. The community, always so welcoming, so loving, shunned her. She remembers praying, praying to know why to correct this mistake. Nothing came.
How she got out is something I'll keep, partially cause it was more her mother than her that got it. Partially cause getting out isn't what this is about, only living there, and the scars it brings. Finally, well, there are several people who are real keen on hearing how people escape, and, newsman though I am, I do, as I have said before, understand censorship. So this time, I'm going to censor myself, no one telling me to, no one in power would bother to tell me to, but I ain't gonna help close off any routes out.
What happens afterwards… her husband knows, he's the only one who does. She tried to keep it from him at first, erase the Victorian. Just another refugee from some town. But she told him, couldn't keep it a secret. Honestly, or unwillingness to keep secrets from the husband because she's a good wife? The answer worries her. Her children worry her as well, one boy, one girl. She worries that she's making the girl into another good Victorian girl. That's she'll end up like her, or her boy will end up like the troops now marching on us.
My talk of Victoria as infection. She says that resonated with her, and she worries that's what she is. And infection, hiding in the community, carrying her taint and spreading it. All her volunteering and helping to make people think how good she is, making them think it's something to be admired. Bringing Victoria with her. Her husband is a hunter, she has him take both her kids out hunting. Least that's something she knows Victorians don't do. Not even with boys much, not any game around, but definitely not with girls.
Others get out later. Hester ran away in her teenage years. It all started with the Colonel. His name wasn't important, for, in town, he was just the Colonel. The Colonel lived in the mansion in town. He was technically not retired from the military, as he oversaw training, but didn't go out much anymore, though everyone knew he had fought savages across the Eastern coast. Talked of the pirate holes along the coastal islands. Or the vicious dark-skinned cannibals. Or the unceasing infighting of the tribes of the Carolinas.
The thing about having someone like the Colonel in your town, is that the town was grateful, they loved him. Purges are messy, purges result in ugly towns, so there was a lighter hand to the town. Granted, people would be dragged off in the night, or hanged publicly if he wanted to see it. But he liked his town in good shape. Food was… well she says it's always hard to compare, Victoria doesn't like towns comparing each other. But the Colonel was always generous with his food, offering it to those who please him. If felt like him being there meant more food around, cause he wasn't every taking their food directly. If he had been at some other town, they would have had his generosity.
When he needed someone to help with the place in his old age, she was happy to help. Sure, her family was big, lot of work needed doing, but her sister was already twelve and could look after the younger kids, and she was already fourteen. Wasn't even fake happiness. Table scraps taken home were a blessing, showing how generous he was. How disciplined a true Victoria Gentleman was to not eat everything and leave something for her. She was grateful.
He was kindly, that Colonel. Talked to her, asked her how she was doing, how her family was doing. When he heard about her siblings, he sent them Christmas gifts. Offered little things, replacement bulbs when the lights broke, new clothes.
When he touched her, well how could it be anything but pure? When he took her to bed because he said she was tired, to undress, how could it be but kindness? When he joined her, how could she refuse?
She was still happy, he was amazing. The wisest gentleman in Victoria. He left her with such gifts. Even a woven dress, jewelry. Funny thing jewelry, artwork, easily portable, and more of it than you might think in Victoria. She walked around town, and people spoke respectfully to her. Sometimes, sometimes, she would feel bad, for seducing him as she had, as a fourteen-year-old, and him a widower.
Now, one thing about Victoria is they know that women sometimes do irrational things. Attack their husbands. Steal food. Talk about how they want freedom. Want to leave. Cry and act like things are bad. Totally inexplicable, irrational things, that make no sense. They got explanations for why though, though they ain't all the same. If she's real high up, or more accurately favored by those high up, then it was just femnine hysteria. Nothing to think about, some rest and she'll be alright. If she's not as high up, but still someone who ain't too much trouble, then well, the devil is known to possess women. Not really their fault, can't help it. They'll be some religious corrections, but nothing that can't be made right.
Otherwise, otherwise. Then well, it might mean she's infected with feminism or cultural marxism. Then she might need some re-education.
Far as the town was concerned Hester was the type of woman who got hysteria. Least long as the Colonel favored her and he did.. Crying, yelling at others, suddenly hating the town, the way they looked at her. All just a little stress, hysteria. But while Colonel changed the town, it didn't change Hester. She knew she was just an ordinary woman, and she was possessed by adevil. Didn't know why it was doing so. Thought it was some sort of succubus, what was causing her to seduce the Colonel with her fourteen, fifteen now, feminine wiles. There was talk of marriage, once she reached sixteen, of course, all respectful like. The Colonel was always respectful
Then there was one night. It was June, two months before she would be sixteen. She was with him, him done with her, and sleeping, when she felt the devil came. Took her over and made her walk. Take some of the jewels the Colonel kept in his display case. Then walk off towards the west, to where the towns of smugglers liked that weren't to be trusted. As she walked through the woods she knew she should go back. All would probably be forgiven, mere womanly histarics. Maybe they wouldn't, maybe people would recognize that she was devil possessed, but she should do so anyways. Get cleansed of her evil. She should turn around and go back.
Her feet kept moving. Kept moving as she reached deeper parts of the woods, where the dress got torn. Kept moving as her feet ached. Kept moving as she felt the chill of the night. Just kept moving. Won't talk about how she got from there to here, except to say, if your looking to get out of Victoria, jewelry ain't your best best. Lot of that in Victoria, and a lot of people taking it when fleeing. She was lucky, you might not be.
Now tho, now Hester ain't like Vicky. She don't do husbands, or much community at all. She's made a life her own. Her devil, the voice telling her about her needs, about what she needs to do. It's still there. Says that ultimately, maybe she is some sort of devil woman, but right now all of Detroit is chearing on the Devil Brigade, so being a devil feels pretty good right now.
Got one more story. Jebidiah was one who came to me. Said he didn't need my pity. After all he wasn't hurt. He doesn't have the tragic backstory. He was the correct skin, genitalia, even a decent, if not aristocratic family. Doesn't even have the tragic tale of accusation of cultural marixism or any of it. He just...needed to get out.
Victoria's perfect, right? Except when it's not. But your priests and community knows why. It's because of femanism and atheism and cultural marxism. Always trying to get in. Making things unhappy. You had this anger, and something was wrong, so it must have been cultural marxism. If you just destroyed them, then everything would be all right. But it was causing the problems.
He doesn't know if he really believed it, back then. He might have, he certainly thought he did, told himself. But well, Victoria doesn't allow much anger in girls, at all, too dangerous. Too potentially femanist. But they are also careful about anger in boys. Gotta be angry at the right things, like cultural marxism. Boy angry at cultural marxism can be as angry as we he wants and no one will say a word. So did truly think it was cultural marxism making him angry, or did he just choose to think that cause it was the safe option?
Either way he practiced it. Went out, threw the stones that should be thrown. Hurled the insults. Broke fences of those who didn't donate. Never quite got to killing, but he would have. Even now, he says he doesn't know what made him change. What made it all start seeming wrong, but it did, and he had to get out.
He says his escape was selfish. Didn't even think about his family. Just had to get himself out. Wasn't easy. Those who get people out, well they always on the lookout for spies. Don't know what Victoria actually uses for spies, but people seem to think it a might more likely that men would be em. Truthful or not, makes it hard to prove you arn't.
He says he wasn't hurt by Victoria. Doesn't want pity, and doesn't deserve it, were not for a twist of fate, he'd be out shooting at the Commonwealth or dead now. He hurt people, he wasn't hurt. He just felt it needed to be said. That people talk about Victorian enforcement as the CMC, direct or as undercover as riots. And while they might be the ones pulling the strings, lost of people obey, because they give you no outlet for rage, then point at a few people and say go to town, and so some people do.
And remember, he's fine. He has nothing to complain about. He wasn't hurt. He hurt, he knows it. Some days he looks at himself and just wants to go back in time and kill his younger self. He says he'd deserve it. But the thing, thing he told me, is that, of course, Victoria never hurt him.
Got a lot more stories. A lot more people Victoria would like silenced. Sadly, this dispatch has gone on long enough. So we'll be stopping for now but…. well I'll talk about that later. For now, goodnight everyone. And I'd never thought I'd say this, but perhaps tonight, spare a little thought for those still across the lake. Ain't gonna ask much, with things as they are, we are going to need all our thoughts,but perhaps a little.
--------------------------
AN: Vicky, Hester and Jebidiah? Barack has lost pseudonym creation privileges forever.
Second to last Dispatch for the current batch.
Also if you like my writing, did you know I have a quest? It just updated.
"Vicky" and "Jebediah" are to Victorian names what "Jane Doe" and "John Smith" are to regular American names, IMO. And "Hester" is an obvious reference- presumably The Scarlet Letter is still hanging around in whatever schooling Barack had that taught him to write.
"Vicky" and "Jebediah" are to Victorian names what "Jane Doe" and "John Smith" are to regular American names, IMO. And "Hester" is an obvious reference- presumably The Scarlet Letter is still hanging around in whatever schooling Barack had that taught him to write.
*Jumps out from the bushes* Hey! So, really like reading the quest this far, can't wait for the next update, great job @PoptartProdigy! Anyway, the reason I decided to emerge and comment was due to some perceived holes in the information covered by what is labeled 'the thing' in the informational tab. @Blackstar and @Godwinson, if I may have a moment of your time. First, it does not have Lithium on it. It is vital for the production of modern lithium-ion batteries and even older lithium batteries, as well as having the capacity to substitute for Magnesium in producing steel (which the spreadsheet mentions, to be fair). Additionally, it can substitute for Sodium's industrial applications in a pinch (which again to be fair, the spreadsheet mentions). Interestingly, both off those come from Michigan, so if the Commonwealth were unable to secure the state and on top of that whoever ended up controlling it was unwilling to trade, the blow could be softened somewhat if the Commonwealth has the ability to produce Lithium. It's typically attained from Lithium Chloride, but it can also come from certain minerals. I can even tell you if the Commonwealth has access to it or not, and the answer to that is: heck no. Disappointing after all the build up? Anyway, the biggest site of Lithium production is in Nevada but there is also a significant deposit of Lithium-bearing rock in Wyoming. I figure that with all its possible applications (did you know it has a use in ceramics?), that adding it to the sheet would be helpful for long-term planning. In addition there are two more that I know less about that also have applications in making batteries and are somewhat connected: Zinc and Cadmium. More interested in Zinc, since Cadmium usually follows after.
Now then... Bye! *Leaps back into the bushes*
"Vicky" and "Jebediah" are to Victorian names what "Jane Doe" and "John Smith" are to regular American names, IMO. And "Hester" is an obvious reference- presumably The Scarlet Letter is still hanging around in whatever schooling Barack had that taught him to write.
100% on the money for each. He considered making it Jebadiah deplore-thh-cultural-maxists-with-all-your-heart-and-plunder-everyone-because-reasons-also-we-hate-central-heating. But decided humor injection into this piece was not appropriate.
I'm opted to include trigger warnings in dispatches that need them going forward, and will be editing my old ones to do so.
Talk of self-hatred. Suicidal thoughts. Underage sexual exploitation.
Dispatches from Detroit- 10a
Dispatches from Victoria
Commonwealth started its assault. Sadly, not much I can see. They don't have cameras pre-setup and ain't driving me to the front. Keep me safe or keep me from seeing things they don't want. Your choice. I feel if I were a proper war correspondent, I would jump out of my jeep and go with my own two feet to the front, risking life and limb. But well… that own two feet thing is a problem.
So, I sit back here, waiting on footage and film and news. Troops are rotating in and out, artillery goes off in the distance. The Commonwealth ain't gonna charge in like a bunch of Victorians. Useful for me, since I got something to finish.
I've talked about my feelings on this, oh have I talked about them, surprised people ain't sick of them. I've talked about Detroit, what it's like to be helpless in a struggle with everything on the line. I've talked about Erie, what it's like living in any community near Victoria. I've talked about the Commonwealth, not just Chicago, but those not in the Narrative, or in Narratives that don't fit. I've even talked about cities already dead. But there is one place I haven't much-given voice to.
We've all had them. The Victorian hunting expeditions. Not too common, but occasionally, occasionally, someone will run away, and they will want them back. Causes neighbor to turn on neighbor as people are accused. The one capture are brought back or killed. Those who are determined to have helped them escape, die. Kidnapping, they call it. Ork's abducting their women, with men it's usually criminal hunting. Funny that, women are abducted, but men run away, Victorian truth in a nutshell.
Tell you the truth, I don't think it matters to the Victorian's if they get the right person. Sometimes I wonder if they're even is a person. The point of it is the fear. Don't help those who run, or we will go after you, look what we did to this one. Makes every escapee keep silent, hide it, so that they can believe they are the only one. So that we can believe that every escapee is hunted. Fear does the work.
Wasn't easy, finding those who don't want to be found. But people, people need to tell their stories, need some understanding. People came to me, mostly. I will be honest, not everything I say is true here. Names are changed, perhaps a few details, to protect those still back in Victoria, or those who helped them. But the essence here, the story, it's all true. So tonight, tonight I'm going to give voice to another set of stories, as we look at some dispatches from Victoria.
Vicky is a wonderful woman. Pillar of the community., husband and two kids. People who talk about her always talk about how willing she is to lend a hand. How she's always out organizing activities. Always helping. Worst anyone can say about her is that while she cooks a lot, it's a might plain.
They don't know how she cries at night to her husband. Or why she volunteers. Or what scares her about her children. They don't know she was once Victorian, and the legacy that carries.
Vicky was only a child when she left. Says it's hard, in some ways, to remember the place. To separate childhood from reality. The ways that, well sometimes she misses it, and then hates herself for missing it. When people imagine Victoria, they tend to do so one of two ways. First, they think about the army, and the stolen loot, and imagine all of Victoria has high-handed pigs, feasting on stolen wealth. Those of a more high-minded persuasion talk about how they are oppressed, perhaps the worst of us all.
The thing about it, she says, is that both get it wrong. Second is more right, but when people picture it, they picture it like their community but worse. More deference. More looking at the ground. More starvations. More doing what someone says. But that aint' right. Or wasn't right for Vicky. It is actually true for some. Those I talked to who are of the darker skin persuasion say it's like that for them. They are expected to be dull, stupid, need orders before doing anything. So, Victorians treat them like us, but all the time and a hell of a lot worse.
But proper Victorians are expected to be more. To embrace retro culture. It isn't enough to be deferent, they have to be enthusiastic. It isn't enough to look at the ground, they have to look at the solider and smile. If they have to order you to give up your food, it's already a mark against you, you should have volunteered it earlier. It isn't enough to obey orders, you should have volunteered to do em, anticipated them, and acted to serve.
Even after leaving, Vicky volunteers. She says she wishes she didn't, sometimes, but she can't. Seeing something that somebody wants, that isn't being done, leaves her with a terrible fear. That black pit of what might happen if it isn't done. She tried, but it's better to get it done, because the fear of what will happen, of what the neighbors will think if she didn't, kills her. She also smiles, because you smile, because showing frowns or anger is wrong, especially for girls. The community is happy, so why aren't you?
And yet, and yet, sometimes she was. Sometimes she misses it. Victoria is all about community, and you have a place in it. You know what's gonna happen, at least if you are a good girl. Become a wife one day, decided by others for you. No worry about freedom, and there are always community activities. Strong sense of belonging to something great, something bigger than yourself, the nation that's on top of the world.
The lurking fear, the embrace of belonging. Hard to separate sometimes. What did you do because you loved the community? What did you do because of fear? No permission to separate the two in Victoria, and those who fled often talk about how they don't even know why they did what they did. When we look upon our sins, those things we did we did out of fear. But with Victoria, they don't even allow that knowledge.
The was another girl, a few years older. Often babysat her when needed, taught her how to fix her first meals and sew. One day, she saw her wearing her heard covering wrong, showing too much skin, and told her parents. While the dramatic option would be saying she was taken away, in truth, it just led to the bonnet on tighter, and shying away from hugs. She has her suspicions about why, but she doesn't know.
What she also doesn't know is why she did it. She admired the other girl, there was perhaps too much of an age gap for real friendship. But she looked up to her. So why had she said something? Fear of what would happen if it had been realized she was being influenced? The extra helping she got for dinner? Genuinely believing that it was wrong or against the rules? She doesn't know. She says she was lucky, she can always blame her's on being a kid when it happens and not knowing any better, those who grow up have to face the same things, only knowing they did it as adults.
Food, that's another topic she talked about. It isn't like here, no one, least no one in her community, starves, but no one has exactly as much as they want. On rare days, randomly, there would be enough, usually on feast days, which were held for the community showing their dedication. Except for religious days, you never knew when these would come, so you all worked for em. If they didn't come around, people would look for who in the community had failed em. Who to blame?
Same time people didn't starve. Things never got so bad that you were willing to break the rules. Or at least not after a caning or two. But food was always on the mind, and she schemed for it. Her uncle was in the army. His family, his family always seemed to have food, and other things sent back. She remembers often offering to do things for her cousin, volunteering, not trade, in hopes of some food. This wasn't seen as wrong, in fact people approved, she was learning to be properly servile.
One other thing she talks about is spices, flavoring. She says that people often like to talk about how plain Victorian food is. Usually as a way to make them feel better about Victorians. She says that not wrong, but that, well, hunger has a way of being the best spice. Dealing with even small amounts is hard now, but she tries, better that way. Better not to be noticed as 'weird', 'different'.
Still, everything aside, as a child she was happy. This was normal, and she didn't know better, it wasn't till she was twelve that things went wrong. She never knew what happened, what her father had done wrong, but suddenly her family were under suspicion. The community, always so welcoming, so loving, shunned her. She remembers praying, praying to know why to correct this mistake. Nothing came.
How she got out is something I'll keep, partially cause it was more her mother than her that got it. Partially cause getting out isn't what this is about, only living there, and the scars it brings. Finally, well, there are several people who are real keep on hearing how people escape, and, newsman though I am, I do, as I have said before, understand censorship. So this time, I'm going to censor myself, no one telling me to, no one in power would bother to tell me to, but I ain't gonna help close off any routes out.
What happens afterwards… her husband knows only one who does. She tried to keep it from him at first, erase the Victorian. Just another refugee from some town. But she told him, couldn't keep it a secret. Honestly, or unwillingness to keep secrets from the husband because she's a good wife? The answer worries her. Her children worry her as well, one boy, one girl. She worries that she's making the girl into another good Victorian girl. That's she'll end up like her, or her boy will end up like the troops now marching on us.
My talk of Victoria as infection. She says that resonated with her, and she worries that's what she is. And infection, hiding in the community, carrying her taint and spreading it. All her volunteering and helping to make people think how good she is, making them think it's something to be admired. Bringing Victoria with her. Her husband is a hunter, she has him take both her kids out hunting. Least that's something she knows Victorians don't do. Not even with boys much, not any game around, but definitely not with girls.
Others get out later. Hester ran away in her teenage years. It all started with the Colonel. His name wasn't important, for, in town, he was just the Colonel. The Colonel lived in the mansion in town. He was technically not retired from the military, as he oversaw training, but didn't go out much anymore, though everyone knew he had fought savages across the Eastern coast. Talked of the pirate holes along the coastal islands. Or the vicious dark-skinned cannibals. Or the unceasing infighting of the tribes of the Carolinas.
The thing about having someone like the Colonel in your town, is that the town was grateful, they loved him. Purges are messy, purges result in ugly towns, so there was a lighter hand to the town. Granted, people would be dragged off in the night, or hanged publicly if he wanted to see it. But he liked his town in good shape. Food was… well she says it's always hard to compare, Victoria doesn't like towns comparing each other. But the Colonel was always generous with his food, offering it to those who please him. If felt like him being there meant more food around, cause he wasn't every taking their food directly. If he had been at some other town, they would have had his generosity.
When he needed someone to help with the place in his old age, she was happy to help. Sure, her family was big, lot of work needed doing, but her sister was already twelve and could look after the younger kids, and she was already fourteen. Wasn't even fake happiness. Table scraps taken home were a blessing, showing how generous he was. How disciplined a true Victoria Gentleman was to not eat everything and leave something for her. She was grateful.
He was kindly, that Colonel. Talked to her, asked her how she was doing, how her family was doing. When he heard about her siblings, he sent them Christmas gifts. Offered little things, replacement bulbs when the lights broke, new clothes.
When he touched her, well how could it be anything but pure? When he took her to bed because he said she was tired, to undress, how could it be but kindness? When he joined her, how could she refuse?
She was still happy, he was amazing. The wisest gentleman in Victoria. He left her with such gifts. Even a woven dress, jewelry. Funny thing jewelry, artwork, easily portable, and more of it than you might think in Victoria. She walked around town, and people spoke respectfully to her. Sometimes, sometimes, she would feel bad, for seducing him as she had, as a fourteen-year-old, and him a widower.
Now, one thing about Victoria is they know that women sometimes do irrational things. Attack their husbands. Steal food. Talk about how they want freedom. Want to leave. Cry and act like things are bad. Totally inexplicable, irrational things, that make no sense. They got explanations for why though, though they ain't all the same. If she's real high up, or more accurately favored by those high up, then it was just femnine hysteria. Nothing to think about, some rest and she'll be alright. If she's not as high up, but still someone who ain't too much trouble, then well, the devil is known to possess women. Not really their fault, can't help it. They'll be some religious corrections, but nothing that can't be made right.
Otherwise, otherwise. Then well, it might mean she's infected with feminism or cultural marxism. Then she might need some re-education.
Far as the town was concerned Hester was the type of woman who got hysteria. Least long as the Colonel favored her and he did.. Crying, yelling at others, suddenly hating the town, the way they looked at her. All just a little stress, hysteria. But while Colonel changed the town, it didn't change Hester. She knew she was just an ordinary woman, and she was possessed by adevil. Didn't know why it was doing so. Thought it was some sort of succubus, what was causing her to seduce the Colonel with her fourteen, fifteen now, feminine wiles. There was talk of marriage, once she reached sixteen, of course, all respectful like. The Colonel was always respectful
Then there was one night. It was June, two months before she would be sixteen. She was with him, him done with her, and sleeping, when she felt the devil came. Took her over and made her walk. Take some of the jewels the Colonel kept in his display case. Then walk off towards the west, to where the towns of smugglers liked that weren't to be trusted. As she walked through the woods she knew she should go back. All would probably be forgiven, mere womanly histarics. Maybe they wouldn't, maybe people would recognize that she was devil possessed, but she should do so anyways. Get cleansed of her evil. She should turn around and go back.
Her feet kept moving. Kept moving as she reached deeper parts of the woods, where the dress got torn. Kept moving as her feet ached. Kept moving as she felt the chill of the night. Just kept moving. Won't talk about how she got from there to here, except to say, if your looking to get out of Victoria, jewelry ain't your best best. Lot of that in Victoria, and a lot of people taking it when fleeing. She was lucky, you might not be.
Now tho, now Hester ain't like Vicky. She don't do husbands, or much community at all. She's made a life her own. Her devil, the voice telling her about her needs, about what she needs to do. It's still there. Says that ultimately, maybe she is some sort of devil woman, but right now all of Detroit is chearing on the Devil Brigade, so being a devil feels pretty good right now.
Got one more story. Jebidiah was one who came to me. Said he didn't need my pity. After all he wasn't hurt. He doesn't have the tragic backstory. He was the correct skin, genitalia, even a decent, if not aristocratic family. Doesn't even have the tragic tale of accusation of cultural marixism or any of it. He just...needed to get out.
Victoria's perfect, right? Except when it's not. But your priests and community knows why. It's because of femanism and atheism and cultural marxism. Always trying to get in. Making things unhappy. You had this anger, and something was wrong, so it must have been cultural marxism. If you just destroyed them, then everything would be all right. But it was causing the problems.
He doesn't know if he really believed it, back then. He might have, he certainly thought he did, told himself. But well, Victoria doesn't allow much anger in girls, at all, too dangerous. Too potentially femanist. But they are also careful about anger in boys. Gotta be angry at the right things, like cultural marxism. Boy angry at cultural marxism can be as angry as we he wants and no one will say a word. So did truly think it was cultural marxism making him angry, or did he just choose to think that cause it was the safe option?
Either way he practiced it. Went out, threw the stones that should be thrown. Hurled the insults. Broke fences of those who didn't donate. Never quite got to killing, but he would have. Even now, he says he doesn't know what made him change. What made it all start seeming wrong, but it did, and he had to get out.
He says his escape was selfish. Didn't even think about his family. Just had to get himself out. Wasn't easy. Those who get people out, well they always on the lookout for spies. Don't know what Victoria actually uses for spies, but people seem to think it a might more likely that men would be em. Truthful or not, makes it hard to prove you arn't.
He says he wasn't hurt by Victoria. Doesn't want pity, and doesn't deserve it, were not for a twist of fate, he'd be out shooting at the Commonwealth or dead now. He hurt people, he wasn't hurt. He just felt it needed to be said. That people talk about Victorian enforcement as the CMC, direct or as undercover as riots. And while they might be the ones pulling the strings, lost of people obey, because they give you no outlet for rage, then point at a few people and say go to town, and so some people do.
And remember, he's fine. He has nothing to complain about. He wasn't hurt. He hurt, he knows it. Some days he looks at himself and just wants to go back in time and kill his younger self. He says he'd deserve it. But the thing, thing he told me, is that, of course, Victoria never hurt him.
Got a lot more stories. A lot more people Victoria would like silenced. Sadly, this dispatch has gone on long enough. So we'll be stopping for now but…. well I'll talk about that later. For now, goodnight everyone. And I'd never thought I'd say this, but perhaps tonight, spare a little thought for those still across the lake. Ain't gonna ask much, with things as they are, we are going to need all our thoughts,but perhaps a little.
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AN: Vicky, Hester and Jebidiah? Barack has lost pseudonym creation privileges forever.
Second to last Dispatch for the current batch.
Also if you like my writing, did you know I have a quest? It just updated.
I suspect that giant-ass middle names are actually not THAT common in Victoria, if only because the CMC has started subtly discouraging them for fear that their paper-and-typewriter dossiers on everyone in the country and their interactions with everyone else in their immediate social circles will otherwise suffer truly prodigious levels of bloat.
I suspect that giant-ass middle names are actually not THAT common in Victoria, if only because the CMC has started subtly discouraging them for fear that their paper-and-typewriter dossiers on everyone in the country and their interactions with everyone else in their immediate social circles will otherwise suffer truly prodigious levels of bloat.
Of course, the public reason is, "What? Like one of them old fancy kings? We live in a democracy boy! No why do you need a middle name? There any other John Doe's in your town? Well, of course, there may well be one two towns over, but its not like you're going to be traveling over there to confuse anyone, huh?"
Completely ignoring Victoria's less than quiet love for old royal dynasties and other authoritarian governments.
).
