What? No, Bodhisattvas don't show that existence has value, I have no idea how you got that impression. They're the equivalent of someone being so compassionate that they willingly delay going to heaven in order to help others get there.
A Second Sunrise: Taiwan of 2020 Sent Back to 1911
- Thread starter ChrisProvidence
- Start date
- Original Modern Post-1900
- Location
- San Francisco
Whatever, I just disagree that time spent existing is meaningless. I was tired when I wrote that and I'm tired when I'm writing this. Don't really feel like a deep dive on my personal philosophy.
Isekai or ISOT?
ChrisProvidence
Time Traveling Unequal Treaty Destroyer
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Freeform Publishing, Nanjing, Jiangsu, Republic of China
Shannon didn't really like talking about her father, to the point that entire chapters of her life went by without thinking of the man.
Why would she, when the guy was a total piece of shit?
He was a man who didn't accept her when she came out, tried to marry her off to one of her friends, get her to use him as a puppet and continue his business empire, and then tried to annihilate her wife's career in the MIB.
Oh, and the whole "National Worker Abuse Scandal" that was still going on. Mostly that, but the other stuff was personal.
Not that it did him much good, of course.
Shannon ended up marrying a woman, befriending the man he wanted her to marry, and getting a job as a manhua artist after she retired.
It's not like I could inherit his business, anyways. Or that either Mike or I could run it.
And Rachel? Rachel was off running Division 5 of the MIB ever since Marty got promoted.
Life was good. She had a wife, an honorary niece and nephew, and a new job ever since she retired from flying Apaches.
Not only that, but her manhua series Koxinga, a story about a heroine whose modern island was sent back in time to the late-Ming Dynasty, was selling pretty well.
"Auntie Shannon?" A voice asked called over the answering machine. "I have a question."
"Yeah?" Shannon asked, And she could've sworn she'd heard her niece's eyes light up on the other end. "Hey Morgan."
"Auntie!"
Yup, I definitely heard that one.
"Do you have a moment?" Morgan asked in the ever-so-sweet voice that children had when they wanted something. "Baba said you could help with something."
"Is it an art question?"
"Uh-huh!"
"Then sure. What's up?"
"What's does 'Isekai' mean?"
"Huh?" Where'd she get that from? "Where'd you hear that from?"
"I asked Baba, and he said it was the kind of stories you write in my manhuas."
Wait, my niece reads these?!
"Oh… Um… Isekai is a Japanese loan-word that means 'different world.' But I'm sure your mother could tell you that."
"No, she says your stories are called 'ISOTs.'"
The hell's an ISOT?!
"Morgan, I don't know what that word means."
"Island In a Sea of Time!" Lin shouted from the background. "Also, tell Auntie I said hi!"
"Lin says hi, Auntie."
"Yeah, I heard him," Shannon chuckled. "I think your uncle said something similar."
I guess it makes sense? My story's about a literal island traveling through the sea of time to fight against the Qing, so it kinda works.
"Give me one sec," Shannon said before looking up the term.
Okay, so it's a term used by alternate history writers where a place gets sent through time to somewhere else.
Let's see… "Primarily used by the Alternate History community…"
"Ah," It all made sense to her now. "I think I know the difference."
"Really?"
"Yup! ISOT is just Isekai for history nerds."
Shannon didn't really like talking about her father, to the point that entire chapters of her life went by without thinking of the man.
Why would she, when the guy was a total piece of shit?
He was a man who didn't accept her when she came out, tried to marry her off to one of her friends, get her to use him as a puppet and continue his business empire, and then tried to annihilate her wife's career in the MIB.
Oh, and the whole "National Worker Abuse Scandal" that was still going on. Mostly that, but the other stuff was personal.
Not that it did him much good, of course.
Shannon ended up marrying a woman, befriending the man he wanted her to marry, and getting a job as a manhua artist after she retired.
It's not like I could inherit his business, anyways. Or that either Mike or I could run it.
And Rachel? Rachel was off running Division 5 of the MIB ever since Marty got promoted.
Life was good. She had a wife, an honorary niece and nephew, and a new job ever since she retired from flying Apaches.
Not only that, but her manhua series Koxinga, a story about a heroine whose modern island was sent back in time to the late-Ming Dynasty, was selling pretty well.
"Auntie Shannon?" A voice asked called over the answering machine. "I have a question."
"Yeah?" Shannon asked, And she could've sworn she'd heard her niece's eyes light up on the other end. "Hey Morgan."
"Auntie!"
Yup, I definitely heard that one.
"Do you have a moment?" Morgan asked in the ever-so-sweet voice that children had when they wanted something. "Baba said you could help with something."
"Is it an art question?"
"Uh-huh!"
"Then sure. What's up?"
"What's does 'Isekai' mean?"
"Huh?" Where'd she get that from? "Where'd you hear that from?"
"I asked Baba, and he said it was the kind of stories you write in my manhuas."
Wait, my niece reads these?!
"Oh… Um… Isekai is a Japanese loan-word that means 'different world.' But I'm sure your mother could tell you that."
"No, she says your stories are called 'ISOTs.'"
The hell's an ISOT?!
"Morgan, I don't know what that word means."
"Island In a Sea of Time!" Lin shouted from the background. "Also, tell Auntie I said hi!"
"Lin says hi, Auntie."
"Yeah, I heard him," Shannon chuckled. "I think your uncle said something similar."
I guess it makes sense? My story's about a literal island traveling through the sea of time to fight against the Qing, so it kinda works.
"Give me one sec," Shannon said before looking up the term.
Okay, so it's a term used by alternate history writers where a place gets sent through time to somewhere else.
Let's see… "Primarily used by the Alternate History community…"
"Ah," It all made sense to her now. "I think I know the difference."
"Really?"
"Yup! ISOT is just Isekai for history nerds."
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ChrisProvidence
Time Traveling Unequal Treaty Destroyer
- Pronouns
- He/Him
You cannot change my mind.
I died at this statement. Good job.
I mean, ISOT is strictly time travel whereas Isekai is strictly alternate universe.
Also, ISOT *generally* means a whole geographic location is transplanted whereas Isekai generally means a single person (I'm old enough to remember when history nerds called the latter YWUA as in "You wake up as...")
ISOT is what isekai enjoyers graduate to once they finish high school lmao
- Pronouns
- He
alternatehistory.com in shambles right now.
You have just made some very powerful enemies.
Be careful! They might write a TL where 1912 Taiwan is sent to the present!
Or something...
You have just made some very powerful enemies.
Be careful! They might write a TL where 1912 Taiwan is sent to the present!
Or something...
Halo-Halo
ChrisProvidence
Time Traveling Unequal Treaty Destroyer
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Halo: The Covenant
This article is about the comic book adaptation of the video game series. For the video game series, see Halo (Series)
Halo: The Covenant is the Freeform Publishing's most-recent comic book adaptation of the Halo video game series. The series takes place in late 2552, after the Covenant has fallen into a civil war and the Sangheili (known as the "Elites" to the humans) have made an uneasy alliance against the Prophet of Truth and his Covenant Loyalists.
The Master Chief and The Arbiter have joined forces to fight the Covenant and prevent them from activating the Halo Array from The Ark on Earth.
Characters such as Sergeant Avery J. Johnson, Commander Miranda Keyes, Guilty Spark, and fan-favorite Chips Dubbo also play important parts in the plot.
Background
Halo: The Series is a retelling of Bungie's Halo series of video games. Originally abandonware, Freeform Publishing decided to create their own retelling of the acclaimed Lost History video game.
Not wanting to simply make a comic book adaptation, Freeform Publishing's writers decided to take several liberties with the adaptation, such as reusing elements from Bungie's original plan for Halo 2 that were reworked into Halo 3.
Controversy
Several Evangelical Christian groups have taken offense to the series, with claims that the series' biblically-inspired themes were written as thinly-veiled social commentary to criticize their belief in the Rapture.
Shannon Wu (artist of Halo: The Flood) has denied these allegations, arguing that "While there are definitely religious influences, any series between the series' Great Journey and the Covenant and Christians who actively try to make the apocalypse happen are just coincidences."
While most Americans are largely-ambivalent about the increasingly-popular series, its critics have insisted that it is offensive to their religious beliefs and have called for its removal from libraries.
Some churches have even organized book burnings, where a store's copies of Halo are bought from the comic book shop for the sole purpose of burning them.
Church of The Second Coming, Boise, Idaho, United States of America
It was an odd sight. That was something they could all agree on.
How else could you describe it when people were burning a life-sized, seven-foot effigy of the Master Chief?
And that was before the sermon started around the bonfire.
"We must be ever-vigilant!" shouted the pastor, "For the Devil works in mysterious ways!"
"Lest he corrupt us with his beady eyes through the media, of course! How else can anyone describe it, when this so-called modern media slanders our very Christian beliefs?!"
"Here you have a story where aliens try to ascend to Heaven, yet they are the villains. Why? Because the author has the faithful, who are even named "The Covenant," have an entire faith built upon a lie!"
"The author goes so far as to say that while this Covenant would in fact be committing mass suicide by bringing forth the End Times. If that isn't a shot at us, then I don't know what is."
"These so-called 'authors' have the gall to claim that our faith, our belief in the Rapture, is a lie!"
"Not just that, but they even say that by bringing forth the End Times, we would be committing suicide like their so-called 'fictional' characters."
"Do not be swayed by these slanderers, these beady-eyed demons in human form who would like nothing more than to weaken our faith in the Journey to Heaven that awaits us."
"Because we will bring forth the Rapture. Though the unfaithful may say that bringing forth the End of Days is no better than suicide, we will show them wrong. Have faith, for our ascension is the Will of God, and we are His instruments!"
Chickentooth Comics and Manhua Shop, Austin, Texas, United States of America
"Huh." That was all Lenny could say at the sight before him. "Oh for fuck's same. They're still going at it?"
"Oh no…" Alice groaned. "Not these guys again."
"Nope." That was all Vern Tucker could say, and Lenny knew why. "You go on ahead."
"Us?" Lenny shook his head. "Fuck no, you're coming with us."
"And get cursed out by those un-robed klansmen? No thanks."
"Fine." Alice cracked her knuckles. "I'll get you ladies in."
"I don't think you can take that many on," Vern sighed. "Even with us."
"Well I want my new Halo comic. I know you and Lenny want to read the new Halo comic. Even Mikey over there wants to read the new Halo comic."
"Hi." Mikey said in his usual friendly tone. "Yes I'm here, too."
"We still need some way of getting in before those guys buy all the comics to burn them," Lenny pointed out. "I've got it!"
"Got what?" Vern asked him. "Because I don't want to get within fifty feet of those guys."
"Relax. You're not. Mikey is."
"I am?"
"Yup. See those friendly people over there?" Mikey nodded. "Go talk to them."
"Okay." With that, Michael J. Cobb was off and walking to the crowd of religious fanatics.
Lenny couldn't figure what he was saying to keep them distracted. Honestly, he didn't really care.
Probably something about headlight fluid and elbow grease.
"Now's our chance," Lenny hissed, before the trio ran in, bought their comic books, and walked out the back. "Hey! Cobb! We're done!"
"Okay!" the big teenager shouted, before running off to join his friends. "Bye, nice people! I'll never forget the conversation we had that I just forgot about!"
Church Runs Out Of Money To Help Poor And Needy After Buying All The Halo Comics In Town, The Onion, November 1927
Nashville, TN
Pastor Gregory Lockett has announced that his church is unable to meet its monthly charity goals after buying every copy of Halo: The Covenant in the state of Tennessee.
"Feeding the homeless is all well and good," said the pastor, "But we are in the middle of the culture war of the century. Money's tight and hard decisions must be made."
"I know in my heart that buying all of this printed media for the sole purpose of burning it a giant bonfire is what God would have wanted."
"It's a hard decision, but I know He would understand and ask that the affected see it from Our and His perspective."
When asked for a comment, a member the local Presbyterian church said, "THEY SPENT THEIR MONEY ON WHAT?!"
Marine Barracks, Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America
"This can't be…" the Commandant of the Marine Corps said aloud. "A 200% rise in African-American enlistment?"
While yes, there had been some pushes to desegregate the military, he didn't think there would be so many young men enlisting.
Not yet, anyways. Desegregation wouldn't start for another few years.
That wasn't what stood out to General Smedley D. Butler, though.
No, that was the reason.
"Do you mean to tell me that these boys are enlisting because of a comic book?"
"Yes, sir," his adjutant answered. "Several of them do have issues in their personal effects. While we do confiscate them until basic training is finished…"
"The influence is still present," Butler finished for the man. "Well then."
"Do you want to issue a statement, sir?"
"No, that won't be necessary. At this point, I'm just going to nod my head and not look the gift horse in the mouth."
This article is about the comic book adaptation of the video game series. For the video game series, see Halo (Series)
Halo: The Covenant is the Freeform Publishing's most-recent comic book adaptation of the Halo video game series. The series takes place in late 2552, after the Covenant has fallen into a civil war and the Sangheili (known as the "Elites" to the humans) have made an uneasy alliance against the Prophet of Truth and his Covenant Loyalists.
The Master Chief and The Arbiter have joined forces to fight the Covenant and prevent them from activating the Halo Array from The Ark on Earth.
Characters such as Sergeant Avery J. Johnson, Commander Miranda Keyes, Guilty Spark, and fan-favorite Chips Dubbo also play important parts in the plot.
Background
Halo: The Series is a retelling of Bungie's Halo series of video games. Originally abandonware, Freeform Publishing decided to create their own retelling of the acclaimed Lost History video game.
Not wanting to simply make a comic book adaptation, Freeform Publishing's writers decided to take several liberties with the adaptation, such as reusing elements from Bungie's original plan for Halo 2 that were reworked into Halo 3.
Controversy
Several Evangelical Christian groups have taken offense to the series, with claims that the series' biblically-inspired themes were written as thinly-veiled social commentary to criticize their belief in the Rapture.
Shannon Wu (artist of Halo: The Flood) has denied these allegations, arguing that "While there are definitely religious influences, any series between the series' Great Journey and the Covenant and Christians who actively try to make the apocalypse happen are just coincidences."
While most Americans are largely-ambivalent about the increasingly-popular series, its critics have insisted that it is offensive to their religious beliefs and have called for its removal from libraries.
Some churches have even organized book burnings, where a store's copies of Halo are bought from the comic book shop for the sole purpose of burning them.
Church of The Second Coming, Boise, Idaho, United States of America
It was an odd sight. That was something they could all agree on.
How else could you describe it when people were burning a life-sized, seven-foot effigy of the Master Chief?
And that was before the sermon started around the bonfire.
"We must be ever-vigilant!" shouted the pastor, "For the Devil works in mysterious ways!"
"Lest he corrupt us with his beady eyes through the media, of course! How else can anyone describe it, when this so-called modern media slanders our very Christian beliefs?!"
"Here you have a story where aliens try to ascend to Heaven, yet they are the villains. Why? Because the author has the faithful, who are even named "The Covenant," have an entire faith built upon a lie!"
"The author goes so far as to say that while this Covenant would in fact be committing mass suicide by bringing forth the End Times. If that isn't a shot at us, then I don't know what is."
"These so-called 'authors' have the gall to claim that our faith, our belief in the Rapture, is a lie!"
"Not just that, but they even say that by bringing forth the End Times, we would be committing suicide like their so-called 'fictional' characters."
"Do not be swayed by these slanderers, these beady-eyed demons in human form who would like nothing more than to weaken our faith in the Journey to Heaven that awaits us."
"Because we will bring forth the Rapture. Though the unfaithful may say that bringing forth the End of Days is no better than suicide, we will show them wrong. Have faith, for our ascension is the Will of God, and we are His instruments!"
Chickentooth Comics and Manhua Shop, Austin, Texas, United States of America
"Huh." That was all Lenny could say at the sight before him. "Oh for fuck's same. They're still going at it?"
"Oh no…" Alice groaned. "Not these guys again."
"Nope." That was all Vern Tucker could say, and Lenny knew why. "You go on ahead."
"Us?" Lenny shook his head. "Fuck no, you're coming with us."
"And get cursed out by those un-robed klansmen? No thanks."
"Fine." Alice cracked her knuckles. "I'll get you ladies in."
"I don't think you can take that many on," Vern sighed. "Even with us."
"Well I want my new Halo comic. I know you and Lenny want to read the new Halo comic. Even Mikey over there wants to read the new Halo comic."
"Hi." Mikey said in his usual friendly tone. "Yes I'm here, too."
"We still need some way of getting in before those guys buy all the comics to burn them," Lenny pointed out. "I've got it!"
"Got what?" Vern asked him. "Because I don't want to get within fifty feet of those guys."
"Relax. You're not. Mikey is."
"I am?"
"Yup. See those friendly people over there?" Mikey nodded. "Go talk to them."
"Okay." With that, Michael J. Cobb was off and walking to the crowd of religious fanatics.
Lenny couldn't figure what he was saying to keep them distracted. Honestly, he didn't really care.
Probably something about headlight fluid and elbow grease.
"Now's our chance," Lenny hissed, before the trio ran in, bought their comic books, and walked out the back. "Hey! Cobb! We're done!"
"Okay!" the big teenager shouted, before running off to join his friends. "Bye, nice people! I'll never forget the conversation we had that I just forgot about!"
Church Runs Out Of Money To Help Poor And Needy After Buying All The Halo Comics In Town, The Onion, November 1927
Nashville, TN
Pastor Gregory Lockett has announced that his church is unable to meet its monthly charity goals after buying every copy of Halo: The Covenant in the state of Tennessee.
"Feeding the homeless is all well and good," said the pastor, "But we are in the middle of the culture war of the century. Money's tight and hard decisions must be made."
"I know in my heart that buying all of this printed media for the sole purpose of burning it a giant bonfire is what God would have wanted."
"It's a hard decision, but I know He would understand and ask that the affected see it from Our and His perspective."
When asked for a comment, a member the local Presbyterian church said, "THEY SPENT THEIR MONEY ON WHAT?!"
Marine Barracks, Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America
"This can't be…" the Commandant of the Marine Corps said aloud. "A 200% rise in African-American enlistment?"
While yes, there had been some pushes to desegregate the military, he didn't think there would be so many young men enlisting.
Not yet, anyways. Desegregation wouldn't start for another few years.
That wasn't what stood out to General Smedley D. Butler, though.
No, that was the reason.
"Do you mean to tell me that these boys are enlisting because of a comic book?"
"Yes, sir," his adjutant answered. "Several of them do have issues in their personal effects. While we do confiscate them until basic training is finished…"
"The influence is still present," Butler finished for the man. "Well then."
"Do you want to issue a statement, sir?"
"No, that won't be necessary. At this point, I'm just going to nod my head and not look the gift horse in the mouth."
ChrisProvidence
Time Traveling Unequal Treaty Destroyer
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Yeah, I did say that there were going to be people who got weird about the whole ISOT/Isekai/Great Journey.
And I meant it.
Plus, I could see a fringe sect of people who actively try to make the apocalypse happen so they can ascend to Heaven taking offense at Halo, a series where religious fundamentalists actively try to make the apocalypse happen so they can ascend to godhood.
And I meant it.
Plus, I could see a fringe sect of people who actively try to make the apocalypse happen so they can ascend to Heaven taking offense at Halo, a series where religious fundamentalists actively try to make the apocalypse happen so they can ascend to godhood.
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- Location
- MSC
Wonder if Freeform CEO is fuming about that religious BS or welcomes it, because he can sell more printings.
ChrisProvidence
Time Traveling Unequal Treaty Destroyer
- Pronouns
- He/Him
America is probably a secondary market compared to China, so probably the latter.
I mean, the only people they'd be screwing over would be the kids who want to read it.
- Pronouns
- He
I've said it before and I'll say it again.
Sargent Avery Johnson is the poster boy for the Marine Corp.
Sargent Avery Johnson is the poster boy for the Marine Corp.
Kinda wild that a significant figure young black men look up to is a fictional character. Really shows that even in this timeline, things are still progressing slowly for equality. I'm not surprised though. Often times radical change is pushed back with equally radical conservatism. Great post btw, another brilliant onion article haha
- Location
- San Francisco
Controversy is good for sales. I'm sure that's in the Rules of Acquisition. Why else do you REALLY think the AI crowd are making so much noise about the woo-woo 'danger' of Skynet when most AI can barely hold together a functional narrative? It inflates the sense of potential people have about the tech while also drawing attention.
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ChrisProvidence
Time Traveling Unequal Treaty Destroyer
- Pronouns
- He/Him
It's a universal constant.
Thanks.
It's actually a parallel to the character Uhura from the original Star Trek.
The story goes that Uhura's actress Nichelle Nicholes wanted to quit the show, but MLK telling her that she was an inspiration to little girls who looked like her was what kept her on.
Chapter 63: An Appeal to Normalcy
ChrisProvidence
Time Traveling Unequal Treaty Destroyer
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States of America, 27 September 1927
"That cheap?" Alejandro Castillo couldn't believe it. "In that short a time?"
"Welcome to the future, Señor Castillo," the realtor told him. "The apartment is within walking distance of the local bus station, but I'm sure you would be able to… What was it that you do again?"
"Maintenance worker," said Castillo. "I help fix the machines at the farm."
"Then you are no stranger to technology." Alejandro was sure that the man was playing nice, but it was still nice to get some respect from a white guy instead of getting underestimated again. "As I said, this apartment complex has HVAC, and it is within walking distance of the local clinic and school, assuming you have any children."
"Two," Alejandro told him, before pulling them forward. "Gustavo, Lucia, say hello to Señor McGill."
"Hello."
"Hola."
"Now, do you have any questions?"
"So utilities comes with the rent?"
"Yes. Heating, air conditioning, water, and electricity all come with the rent."
"Where does it come from?" little Lucia asked the salesman, before pointing to the solar farm outside. "And what are those?"
"Those are solar panels," McGill told her. "They use the sun's energy to create electricity."
"Ooh. Wait, what do they do during the night?"
"There's a battery they use to store energy from the panels and windmills. Just had it installed from China a few weeks ago, actually."
"So," he continued, "Now that that's answered, I take it that you can afford the deposit?"
Alejandro nodded, and pulled out his checkbook. After all, he wouldn't be here if he couldn't afford it, and he was one of the early adopters of the technology.
"This should be more than enough?" McGill nodded. "Good. How soon can you move in?"
"Would today work?"
"Um… Sure, I guess, if you have your furniture with you."
"It's at the old barracks," Alejandro promised. "It should only take a few hours."
"Ah. I take it you don't have AC at your old place?"
"Why do you think I'm moving here?"
Urumqi, Xinjiang, Republic of China, 20 October 1927
"Well," Ma Hong-Yun told his team, "That should do it for this season."
"I always forget how fast it can go," Hua admitted, before slamming the cotton picker's door. "And we've been doing this for over a decade."
"Decade and a half at this point," he figured. "Get these vehicles over to the shop. They're overdue for maintenance."
"You know we could just hire on more people for the rental office, right?"
Now that Ma thought about it, Hua had a point. Sure, they could handle all the renters that needed vehicles (and the people operating them) to pick their cotton, but there were waiting lines at times, and the teams were stretched thin.
They could do it. All of them were experts and operating the machinery these people needed, and they could make it work.
For the pay we get, it's definitely worth the extra hours.
But they were stretched to their limits. Even a single additional team could make their job easier.
Ma sighed. "Manpower's not the problem. It's the machinery."
"The plants make enough spare parts. More than enough."
"That's the problem. They can build enough spare parts to keep us good as new. But new vehicles? We'd be competing with the rest of the world."
"Are the Americans that eager to buy them?"
"It's not just the Americans. The Indians, Brazilians, Australians, and Indians are all placing orders."
"You said 'Indians' twice."
"They buy twice as much as the Americans. Until they start building factories over there, we're at a bottleneck."
"How long would that take?"
"Probably the end of the decade," Ma figured. "The rest of the world also wants to buy the machinery they need to make them."
"Thank Heaven we can build factories faster, then."
Vienna, Republic of Germany, 2 November 1927
Now that the war was over, it was time for rebuilding, and that was a whole process he was familiar with.
It started with the demolition, and he worked on the crews under Chinese advisors. Apparently these new buildings were not "Up to code," as the Chinese advisor said in broken German, so they had to be demolished.
After that cane construction, and if he was being honest, it surprised him more than anything else.
While yes, he was aware of China's advanced technology. He'd gotten all-too-familiar when they started exploding the artillery guns during the war.
But there were two things that stood out to him.
First was the surprisingly-good pay.
Now, he was no economist, but he could tell that construction paid better than his previous job in the coal mines in Steiermark.
And safer, as well.
But what really stood out to him was how fast they could build. Sure, he could see all of the modern equipment they had used, but one had to see it to believe it.
The fact he was on his *twentieth* project this year was all the proof he needed. Apparently this one would be a tractor factory.
"Do you know what is the weirdest thing about these new factories?" Friedrich Schmidt asked his co-worker. Albert just nodded. "It's how clean they are."
"Give it a few weeks," his fellow-veteran told him. "They'll manage to dirty it up again."
"Not if they want to keep doing business with the Chinese, they won't. Labor standards."
"Oh, right. Wonderful. The Chinese sure love their safety measures."
"Those safety measures are the reason you didn't fall to your death, Albert. I'll take 'annoying' over 'dead friend,' any day."
Charleston, West Virginia, 20 February 1928
Everyone knew that an island getting teleported would change things, but few could have predicted this.
"With the war over and the Chinese pushing for natural gas… Well, there wasn't much left for them to do in the coal-exporting state."
Now, that wasn't entirely untrue. People still needed coal, and they would for as long as there were coal plants.
But at the same time, demand was down, and the mines were laying off people by the month.
"Too much coal and not enough buyers," the bosses had told them. "Running an operation this big just isn't profitable."
And that was before the new machinery came in. Most of them didn't know just what they were, but it sure looked like they'd be losing their jobs to it.
"Strip mining," as they called it. Apparently they could mine just as much with a fraction of the price.
"Well shit," said the union leader. "What do we do now?"
"How many has that brought us up to?"
"Honestly, Johnny, I've lost count. We've got half a dozen shutting down entirely, and twice as many running out of money."
"So what do we do now, then? Everything in this state is based around coal or taking it out of the ground."
"Rumor has it they're extracting natural gas soon," one of them chimed in. "It's supposed to be a cleaner alternative to coal in the meantime."
Some of the workers looked at one another, before looking up front.
Still, the room was silent.
"Well Hell," one of them figured, "If coal is on the way out, we might as well switch, too. We have the skills, and the UMWA has the most workers in this state."
"Sit down, Jimmy," the union leader told the man, before turning to his men. "Alright, then. I propose we look into shifting to the new gas wells. As a union."
"Seconded," said Johnny Hanson.
"All in favor?"
Sure enough, the aoon-to-be unemployed raised their hands. That much was to be expected.
"Opposed?"
What wasn't expected was that the vote'd be unanimous.
"Well then," the leader chuckled, "It's approved. Jimmy?"
"Yeah?"
"Reach out to whoever's running the mine. I want to have a sitdown with them."
Tolkien Residence, Oxford, England, Republic of Britain, 25 December 1927
"You've been up all night," his wife told him. "Is it about-"
"It is," the professor sighed. "I have inherited a universe of my own creation, yet it feels… odd. As if it isn't mine."
"He is you, just as you are him," Edith promised. "The same man who survived a war and has a love of literature."
"If you say so," he admitted, before turning back to his notes. "There is an interesting implication in the expanded lore."
"Oh?" Edith always sounded like that when he said that. At this point, she knew he was about to go on another of his tangents.
"The Easterlings are a race of men who serve Sauron. While I doubt the implications were intentional…"
"Ah."
"Indeed." It was at times like this that thanked God his work was still rather obscure.
Had they been popular during the war, he had no doubt his comrades would have made the comparison.
"The issue I have is that the eastern lands are full of a people who serve Sauron. Given my other self's interactions with these 'Nazis,' I would like to avoid a similar scenario."
"Of course…" Like her husband, Edith Tolkien wife could appreciate the value in not having one's life's work being appropriated by awful people. "There are the Blue Wizards, of course."
The ones who disappeared… I did say that they helped hinder Sauron's forces. One would have to, when their names mean "Darkness-Slayer" and "East-Helper."
I suppose I could expand upon their journey into the East. One must have done something of note if they could divert Sauron's forces. Perhaps something with the rebellious peoples who rejected Melkor.
Yes, that could work.
And then it hit him, all at once.
It was all conceptual, but his idea was that the Blue Wizards would integrate with these peoples and form a civilization to the east that rejected Melkor.
In doing so, they would provide a strong-enough threat to Sauron that he would never be able to bring the full might of Mordor and all oh his allies to the west at any given time.
This civilization would have to be strong enough to withstand the threat of Sauron, though it would ebb and flow with time.
Great leaders would rise to the occasion and topple those who grew lax and corrupt. In doing so, they could continue the cycle until their own descendants became the same as the men their predecessors overthrew.
This was all off the top of his head, but this served as the perfect blend of circumstances.
Not only would he be able to avoid the unfortunate implications of his work, but this was a golden opportunity to flesh-out the world his other self had created.
"Yes, this will work," he said. His wife couldn't help but smile and leave him to his work. "Thank you."
"Of course."
Halifax, Nova Scotia, 1 January 1928
The phrase "USA! USA!" was something downtimers weren't particularly known to say. The fact that these Canadians were chanting it was even weirder.
Then again, these were the "Americanadians," as they called themselves. To put a long story short, what had once been a joke of an idea had snowballed into a full-fledged movement that had taken the the provinces by storm in the wake of the war.
It did make sense from a certain point of view.
The King had abdicated and the monarchy had been abolished through referendum in the wake of the war as per the peace treaties.
This left the defeated Canadians with the unique scenario where they would have their own republic, while the Dominion of Newfoundland and Labrador would be given a referendum on what they wanted to do with themselves.
Between independence, joining Canada, and joining America, the latter had managed to Win out of the three once the votes were in. Newfoundland and Labrador would apply to join the United States.
This, in turn, had opened the floodgates in the minds of so many of their fellow North Americans. Why become a second-fiddle to the Americans when they could just become Americans themselves?
Petitions were distributed, and the occupational authorities were convinced. Though confused, the dates were set for the referendums in Nocva Scotia, New Brunswick, and British Columbia, while Quebec itself had been deliberating this and independence.
Come the referendum, the facts were the facts, and the results were the results. The non-binding referenda had passed, and a petition to join the United States would be submitted.
Would it work? That was to be decided, but similar proposals had been sent from New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, and even Columbia in the west after their own referendums were successful.
There was just one problem with these so-called proposals to join the United Sates of America:
Nobody had bothered to ask the Americans.
Marseilles, France, 25 February 1928
As far as work went, well, it was exhausting at times for Michel Laurent.
While he did have better hours and pay compared to a decade ago, much of his time was devoted to union meetings.
The "Engaged Citizen," as that journalist called it.
What was his name again? Brodeur?
Anyways, Brodeur's theory was that the ideal citizen engaged in a "Second Social Contract" with society in which his (or her) rights would be respected, and they would be treated with dignity in all regards, be it pay, workers' rights, or anti-discrimination.
In exchange, they would be expected to be the "Engaged Citizen," a person who would do honest work and be an active member of their community, be it voting, military service, or staying informed.
To be honest, Michel thought it was all bullshit at first, and Brodeur could respect it, if the interview was anything to go by.
"If you son't mind me asking, what does the phrase 'Read Theory,' mean to you?"
"Oh, don't get me started…"
Brodeur chuckled. "I thought so. I take it you were more of a 'Hands-On' convert?"
"You could say that. The idea of the 'Engaged Citizen,' as you call it, is respectable. Admirable, even. But people aren't interested in reading a whole essay or watching a whole lecture."
"Oh, I'm very much aware, Laurent. 'Read Theory' is a bit of a meme among uptimer leftists."
"I don't follow."
"It's a joke making fun of some out-of-touch socialists who would tell people to read Marx or Lenin instead of actually engaging people."
"Ah. Well in that case, people actually engaging with me was what changed my mind. They just seemed so… What's the word…"
"Normal?"
"Basically. In my experience, hearing somebody like me talk to me in a way I talk worked better than some intellectual rambling about obscure literature. No offense, of course."
"None taken. So 'Don't scare away the normal people,' seemed to be the most-effective strategy."
"It's how I've lived my life so far. 'Just be normal,' seems to work wonders. It's surprising that more people don't use it."
"Well," Brodeur said sheepishly, "when you throw everything at the wall, eventually something manages to stick."
"That it does. That, and having the right kind of person do the talking. Though I'm sure you've had experience with that as a journalist."
"I have. That's why you're talking to me instead of a theorist."
"And how we're in person, instead of anonymously on social media."
"That as well. It does provide a good contrast to the more-online sects of the movements of the Lost History around the turn of the century."
"No wonder they ended up on the fringes after the fall of the Soviet Union."
Chen Residence, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China, 15 March 1928
Moving was tough, but it wasn't so bad for Morgan. Now she got to see her parents every day, and her grandparents were a train ride away.
Not only that, but the schools were better. At least that was what her Baba told her, and she believed him.
"Are you done with your history presentation?" Mama asked her. Morgan nodded eagerly. "Good job!"
"Thanks. It's on modern history. Do you want to hear it?"
Her mother put down her book. "Sure. Why not?"
"Okay… While China itself has helped by the spread of technology from Taiwan, it is important to know that the progress in culture and values happened through different reasons."
"Go on…"
"This can be seen in the Provisional Government's efforts, which can be divided into Propaganda and Propa… um… Propagation."
"Propaganda took the form of speeches and media being distributed to the Mainland that linked Modernist values such as democracy and women's rights with the successes of the Revolutionaries against the Qing, Japanese, Russian, and colonial powers. Meanwhile, values seen as backwards, like foot-binding and monarchism were linked to the Qing and all of its failures."
Morgan looked at her mother, who nodded in approval. This would be fine for any normal child, but most children didn't have a parent who was there when it happened.
"Propagation happened through the Modernists reaching out to members in local communities, who would then recruit leaders in their own communities to help spread the new ideas and values."
"While the Modernists themselves were from the local area, having local leaders doing the talking made the ideas and values seem relatable, rather than strange or hostile."
"I-In conclusion, the rapid spread of modern values is due to the Modernists being able to associate their values with their recent successes, link their opposition to China's recent failures, and talk in a way that is relatable to the people they were trying to convert. Thank you, and I will now take questions."
To nobody's surprise, her mother raised her hand.
"Yes, Mama- I mean, Yes?"
"Morgan, does your second argument boil down to, 'People like your uncle and aunt helped spread modern values by not being weirdos and throwing textbooks at people?"
The little girl smiled.
"…Maybe?"
"I thought so."
"Is it wrong, though?"
"On it's own, it's simplistic, but adding detail helps explain your point. And you did that."
"Thanks. So, did I do well?"
"Yes, dear. You may need a little practice, but you seem to be mastering the rare art of convincing people by actually engaging with them in person."
"Okay. Wait, is that rare?"
"Unfortunately yes. Too many people think that sending a video or a book or an internet post is enough to convince somebody."
"But you need to actually communicate what they're saying, instead of just letting them do the work for you?"
"Exactly."
"That cheap?" Alejandro Castillo couldn't believe it. "In that short a time?"
"Welcome to the future, Señor Castillo," the realtor told him. "The apartment is within walking distance of the local bus station, but I'm sure you would be able to… What was it that you do again?"
"Maintenance worker," said Castillo. "I help fix the machines at the farm."
"Then you are no stranger to technology." Alejandro was sure that the man was playing nice, but it was still nice to get some respect from a white guy instead of getting underestimated again. "As I said, this apartment complex has HVAC, and it is within walking distance of the local clinic and school, assuming you have any children."
"Two," Alejandro told him, before pulling them forward. "Gustavo, Lucia, say hello to Señor McGill."
"Hello."
"Hola."
"Now, do you have any questions?"
"So utilities comes with the rent?"
"Yes. Heating, air conditioning, water, and electricity all come with the rent."
"Where does it come from?" little Lucia asked the salesman, before pointing to the solar farm outside. "And what are those?"
"Those are solar panels," McGill told her. "They use the sun's energy to create electricity."
"Ooh. Wait, what do they do during the night?"
"There's a battery they use to store energy from the panels and windmills. Just had it installed from China a few weeks ago, actually."
"So," he continued, "Now that that's answered, I take it that you can afford the deposit?"
Alejandro nodded, and pulled out his checkbook. After all, he wouldn't be here if he couldn't afford it, and he was one of the early adopters of the technology.
"This should be more than enough?" McGill nodded. "Good. How soon can you move in?"
"Would today work?"
"Um… Sure, I guess, if you have your furniture with you."
"It's at the old barracks," Alejandro promised. "It should only take a few hours."
"Ah. I take it you don't have AC at your old place?"
"Why do you think I'm moving here?"
Urumqi, Xinjiang, Republic of China, 20 October 1927
"Well," Ma Hong-Yun told his team, "That should do it for this season."
"I always forget how fast it can go," Hua admitted, before slamming the cotton picker's door. "And we've been doing this for over a decade."
"Decade and a half at this point," he figured. "Get these vehicles over to the shop. They're overdue for maintenance."
"You know we could just hire on more people for the rental office, right?"
Now that Ma thought about it, Hua had a point. Sure, they could handle all the renters that needed vehicles (and the people operating them) to pick their cotton, but there were waiting lines at times, and the teams were stretched thin.
They could do it. All of them were experts and operating the machinery these people needed, and they could make it work.
For the pay we get, it's definitely worth the extra hours.
But they were stretched to their limits. Even a single additional team could make their job easier.
Ma sighed. "Manpower's not the problem. It's the machinery."
"The plants make enough spare parts. More than enough."
"That's the problem. They can build enough spare parts to keep us good as new. But new vehicles? We'd be competing with the rest of the world."
"Are the Americans that eager to buy them?"
"It's not just the Americans. The Indians, Brazilians, Australians, and Indians are all placing orders."
"You said 'Indians' twice."
"They buy twice as much as the Americans. Until they start building factories over there, we're at a bottleneck."
"How long would that take?"
"Probably the end of the decade," Ma figured. "The rest of the world also wants to buy the machinery they need to make them."
"Thank Heaven we can build factories faster, then."
Vienna, Republic of Germany, 2 November 1927
Now that the war was over, it was time for rebuilding, and that was a whole process he was familiar with.
It started with the demolition, and he worked on the crews under Chinese advisors. Apparently these new buildings were not "Up to code," as the Chinese advisor said in broken German, so they had to be demolished.
After that cane construction, and if he was being honest, it surprised him more than anything else.
While yes, he was aware of China's advanced technology. He'd gotten all-too-familiar when they started exploding the artillery guns during the war.
But there were two things that stood out to him.
First was the surprisingly-good pay.
Now, he was no economist, but he could tell that construction paid better than his previous job in the coal mines in Steiermark.
And safer, as well.
But what really stood out to him was how fast they could build. Sure, he could see all of the modern equipment they had used, but one had to see it to believe it.
The fact he was on his *twentieth* project this year was all the proof he needed. Apparently this one would be a tractor factory.
"Do you know what is the weirdest thing about these new factories?" Friedrich Schmidt asked his co-worker. Albert just nodded. "It's how clean they are."
"Give it a few weeks," his fellow-veteran told him. "They'll manage to dirty it up again."
"Not if they want to keep doing business with the Chinese, they won't. Labor standards."
"Oh, right. Wonderful. The Chinese sure love their safety measures."
"Those safety measures are the reason you didn't fall to your death, Albert. I'll take 'annoying' over 'dead friend,' any day."
Charleston, West Virginia, 20 February 1928
Everyone knew that an island getting teleported would change things, but few could have predicted this.
"With the war over and the Chinese pushing for natural gas… Well, there wasn't much left for them to do in the coal-exporting state."
Now, that wasn't entirely untrue. People still needed coal, and they would for as long as there were coal plants.
But at the same time, demand was down, and the mines were laying off people by the month.
"Too much coal and not enough buyers," the bosses had told them. "Running an operation this big just isn't profitable."
And that was before the new machinery came in. Most of them didn't know just what they were, but it sure looked like they'd be losing their jobs to it.
"Strip mining," as they called it. Apparently they could mine just as much with a fraction of the price.
"Well shit," said the union leader. "What do we do now?"
"How many has that brought us up to?"
"Honestly, Johnny, I've lost count. We've got half a dozen shutting down entirely, and twice as many running out of money."
"So what do we do now, then? Everything in this state is based around coal or taking it out of the ground."
"Rumor has it they're extracting natural gas soon," one of them chimed in. "It's supposed to be a cleaner alternative to coal in the meantime."
Some of the workers looked at one another, before looking up front.
Still, the room was silent.
"Well Hell," one of them figured, "If coal is on the way out, we might as well switch, too. We have the skills, and the UMWA has the most workers in this state."
"Sit down, Jimmy," the union leader told the man, before turning to his men. "Alright, then. I propose we look into shifting to the new gas wells. As a union."
"Seconded," said Johnny Hanson.
"All in favor?"
Sure enough, the aoon-to-be unemployed raised their hands. That much was to be expected.
"Opposed?"
What wasn't expected was that the vote'd be unanimous.
"Well then," the leader chuckled, "It's approved. Jimmy?"
"Yeah?"
"Reach out to whoever's running the mine. I want to have a sitdown with them."
Tolkien Residence, Oxford, England, Republic of Britain, 25 December 1927
"You've been up all night," his wife told him. "Is it about-"
"It is," the professor sighed. "I have inherited a universe of my own creation, yet it feels… odd. As if it isn't mine."
"He is you, just as you are him," Edith promised. "The same man who survived a war and has a love of literature."
"If you say so," he admitted, before turning back to his notes. "There is an interesting implication in the expanded lore."
"Oh?" Edith always sounded like that when he said that. At this point, she knew he was about to go on another of his tangents.
"The Easterlings are a race of men who serve Sauron. While I doubt the implications were intentional…"
"Ah."
"Indeed." It was at times like this that thanked God his work was still rather obscure.
Had they been popular during the war, he had no doubt his comrades would have made the comparison.
"The issue I have is that the eastern lands are full of a people who serve Sauron. Given my other self's interactions with these 'Nazis,' I would like to avoid a similar scenario."
"Of course…" Like her husband, Edith Tolkien wife could appreciate the value in not having one's life's work being appropriated by awful people. "There are the Blue Wizards, of course."
The ones who disappeared… I did say that they helped hinder Sauron's forces. One would have to, when their names mean "Darkness-Slayer" and "East-Helper."
I suppose I could expand upon their journey into the East. One must have done something of note if they could divert Sauron's forces. Perhaps something with the rebellious peoples who rejected Melkor.
Yes, that could work.
And then it hit him, all at once.
It was all conceptual, but his idea was that the Blue Wizards would integrate with these peoples and form a civilization to the east that rejected Melkor.
In doing so, they would provide a strong-enough threat to Sauron that he would never be able to bring the full might of Mordor and all oh his allies to the west at any given time.
This civilization would have to be strong enough to withstand the threat of Sauron, though it would ebb and flow with time.
Great leaders would rise to the occasion and topple those who grew lax and corrupt. In doing so, they could continue the cycle until their own descendants became the same as the men their predecessors overthrew.
This was all off the top of his head, but this served as the perfect blend of circumstances.
Not only would he be able to avoid the unfortunate implications of his work, but this was a golden opportunity to flesh-out the world his other self had created.
"Yes, this will work," he said. His wife couldn't help but smile and leave him to his work. "Thank you."
"Of course."
Halifax, Nova Scotia, 1 January 1928
The phrase "USA! USA!" was something downtimers weren't particularly known to say. The fact that these Canadians were chanting it was even weirder.
Then again, these were the "Americanadians," as they called themselves. To put a long story short, what had once been a joke of an idea had snowballed into a full-fledged movement that had taken the the provinces by storm in the wake of the war.
It did make sense from a certain point of view.
The King had abdicated and the monarchy had been abolished through referendum in the wake of the war as per the peace treaties.
This left the defeated Canadians with the unique scenario where they would have their own republic, while the Dominion of Newfoundland and Labrador would be given a referendum on what they wanted to do with themselves.
Between independence, joining Canada, and joining America, the latter had managed to Win out of the three once the votes were in. Newfoundland and Labrador would apply to join the United States.
This, in turn, had opened the floodgates in the minds of so many of their fellow North Americans. Why become a second-fiddle to the Americans when they could just become Americans themselves?
Petitions were distributed, and the occupational authorities were convinced. Though confused, the dates were set for the referendums in Nocva Scotia, New Brunswick, and British Columbia, while Quebec itself had been deliberating this and independence.
Come the referendum, the facts were the facts, and the results were the results. The non-binding referenda had passed, and a petition to join the United States would be submitted.
Would it work? That was to be decided, but similar proposals had been sent from New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, and even Columbia in the west after their own referendums were successful.
There was just one problem with these so-called proposals to join the United Sates of America:
Nobody had bothered to ask the Americans.
Marseilles, France, 25 February 1928
As far as work went, well, it was exhausting at times for Michel Laurent.
While he did have better hours and pay compared to a decade ago, much of his time was devoted to union meetings.
The "Engaged Citizen," as that journalist called it.
What was his name again? Brodeur?
Anyways, Brodeur's theory was that the ideal citizen engaged in a "Second Social Contract" with society in which his (or her) rights would be respected, and they would be treated with dignity in all regards, be it pay, workers' rights, or anti-discrimination.
In exchange, they would be expected to be the "Engaged Citizen," a person who would do honest work and be an active member of their community, be it voting, military service, or staying informed.
To be honest, Michel thought it was all bullshit at first, and Brodeur could respect it, if the interview was anything to go by.
"If you son't mind me asking, what does the phrase 'Read Theory,' mean to you?"
"Oh, don't get me started…"
Brodeur chuckled. "I thought so. I take it you were more of a 'Hands-On' convert?"
"You could say that. The idea of the 'Engaged Citizen,' as you call it, is respectable. Admirable, even. But people aren't interested in reading a whole essay or watching a whole lecture."
"Oh, I'm very much aware, Laurent. 'Read Theory' is a bit of a meme among uptimer leftists."
"I don't follow."
"It's a joke making fun of some out-of-touch socialists who would tell people to read Marx or Lenin instead of actually engaging people."
"Ah. Well in that case, people actually engaging with me was what changed my mind. They just seemed so… What's the word…"
"Normal?"
"Basically. In my experience, hearing somebody like me talk to me in a way I talk worked better than some intellectual rambling about obscure literature. No offense, of course."
"None taken. So 'Don't scare away the normal people,' seemed to be the most-effective strategy."
"It's how I've lived my life so far. 'Just be normal,' seems to work wonders. It's surprising that more people don't use it."
"Well," Brodeur said sheepishly, "when you throw everything at the wall, eventually something manages to stick."
"That it does. That, and having the right kind of person do the talking. Though I'm sure you've had experience with that as a journalist."
"I have. That's why you're talking to me instead of a theorist."
"And how we're in person, instead of anonymously on social media."
"That as well. It does provide a good contrast to the more-online sects of the movements of the Lost History around the turn of the century."
"No wonder they ended up on the fringes after the fall of the Soviet Union."
Chen Residence, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China, 15 March 1928
Moving was tough, but it wasn't so bad for Morgan. Now she got to see her parents every day, and her grandparents were a train ride away.
Not only that, but the schools were better. At least that was what her Baba told her, and she believed him.
"Are you done with your history presentation?" Mama asked her. Morgan nodded eagerly. "Good job!"
"Thanks. It's on modern history. Do you want to hear it?"
Her mother put down her book. "Sure. Why not?"
"Okay… While China itself has helped by the spread of technology from Taiwan, it is important to know that the progress in culture and values happened through different reasons."
"Go on…"
"This can be seen in the Provisional Government's efforts, which can be divided into Propaganda and Propa… um… Propagation."
"Propaganda took the form of speeches and media being distributed to the Mainland that linked Modernist values such as democracy and women's rights with the successes of the Revolutionaries against the Qing, Japanese, Russian, and colonial powers. Meanwhile, values seen as backwards, like foot-binding and monarchism were linked to the Qing and all of its failures."
Morgan looked at her mother, who nodded in approval. This would be fine for any normal child, but most children didn't have a parent who was there when it happened.
"Propagation happened through the Modernists reaching out to members in local communities, who would then recruit leaders in their own communities to help spread the new ideas and values."
"While the Modernists themselves were from the local area, having local leaders doing the talking made the ideas and values seem relatable, rather than strange or hostile."
"I-In conclusion, the rapid spread of modern values is due to the Modernists being able to associate their values with their recent successes, link their opposition to China's recent failures, and talk in a way that is relatable to the people they were trying to convert. Thank you, and I will now take questions."
To nobody's surprise, her mother raised her hand.
"Yes, Mama- I mean, Yes?"
"Morgan, does your second argument boil down to, 'People like your uncle and aunt helped spread modern values by not being weirdos and throwing textbooks at people?"
The little girl smiled.
"…Maybe?"
"I thought so."
"Is it wrong, though?"
"On it's own, it's simplistic, but adding detail helps explain your point. And you did that."
"Thanks. So, did I do well?"
"Yes, dear. You may need a little practice, but you seem to be mastering the rare art of convincing people by actually engaging with them in person."
"Okay. Wait, is that rare?"
"Unfortunately yes. Too many people think that sending a video or a book or an internet post is enough to convince somebody."
"But you need to actually communicate what they're saying, instead of just letting them do the work for you?"
"Exactly."
ChrisProvidence
Time Traveling Unequal Treaty Destroyer
- Pronouns
- He/Him
1. "Do not be a fucking weirdo and alienate the people you're trying to convince" is a good idea and more people should try it.
2. I'm launching my next game on Steam on the 23rd!
It's called Tyrannis: Co-Prosperity, and it's a turn-based guerrilla warfare game where you wage a campaign against a pan-Asian corporation across East Asia.
Anyways, you can check it out HERE on Steam.
3. Yeah, this kinda explains the lack of updates.
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I remember that your taiwan do plan to create a leopard 2 here, so do it have this ?
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJw4J4KOZPk&lc=UgxfELO-_qj7rZD_9T14AaABAg
p/s: aside from that this short video could give idea for side chapter here
The History of Adults Blaming the Younger Generation
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJw4J4KOZPk&lc=UgxfELO-_qj7rZD_9T14AaABAg
p/s: aside from that this short video could give idea for side chapter here
The History of Adults Blaming the Younger Generation
- Location
- San Francisco
Minor note: Coal mining will definitely shrink in scale, but it will not disappear. Coke (a form of coal) is a common ingredient in smelting work, and so there will still be a market for it, much like how petroleum plastics will remain a thing even if bioplastics manage to capture a large share of the market.
Great post! As the poster above me noted, metallurgical coal, high carbon bituminous coal, and anthracite (highest quality coal) will continue to be hot commodities, especially with the global industrial boom pushed even further than OTL due to China. Bituminous coal is used predominantly in steel making, while anthracite is far too expensive for large scale electricity generation, it is still used today for home heating due to how clean (for a type of coal) it burns. Lignite (low quality brown coal) is also often used in the agricultural sector to rejuvenate soil carbon content on the cheap, and I'm sure plenty is being used with the ramping up of global agricultural production and factory farming. However I do agree there would be a sharp decline in coal demand for fuel, it is likely temporary until the coal is repurposed. Or maybe there really is a global coal glut if everyone has googled where all their resources are located and started digging haha
- Location
- San Francisco
Also I just want to say I love this second Tolkein bit, and would be thoroughly amused if, on a whim, he decided to learn a bit of Mandarin and Cantonese or even some Punjabi (being british after all) and creating yet another language for his legendarium as a result. Being a linguist I can see it being something he would be interested in.
There's also Sanskrit, which actually has ties to numerous ancient languages if I'm not mistaken.
There's also Sanskrit, which actually has ties to numerous ancient languages if I'm not mistaken.
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ChrisProvidence
Time Traveling Unequal Treaty Destroyer
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Good to know. Thanks.
Thanks for the info. Yeah, I can see it sticking around. Sure, people might not be burning it for fuel (especially when natural gas is really getting kickstarted), but metalworking and agriculture will definitely keep up a reduced demand.
That's kind of where I am right now.
It's an "oh shit" moment that's compounded by knowing where all the resources are, a strong push for natural gas, and environmental concerns all hitting at the same time.
Alternate Tolkien is always fun to write.
And yeah, I could see him learning some eastern languages and using them in his expanded works. Given the sheer distance (and Mordor being in the way), I could see him creating a new language for this nation to the east.
Another fun idea would be seeing how his view on industrialization changes, given the circumstances.
I remember he had a less than favorable view of the industrial revolution due to his view that it destroyed the natural world he held so dearly. That said, the value of environmentalism, modern medicine, and how our technology is a lot cleaner these days would not be lost upon him.
It's all theoretical right now, but I would imagine that this hypothetical eastern kingdom of alternate-Tolkien would be one that shows technology in a more positive light, in the sense that it can be life-giving in many senses (medicine, lack of famine, education, etc), rather than malicious (all-consuming, lustful for power, etc).
This would tie in with the idea that these eastern people were those who rejected the forces of evil that Tolkien associates with the pollution and destruction of the industrial revolution.
In their rejection of this evil, they have repurposed technology to be a force for good, and that is what allows them to withstand the forces of Mordor from the east so that the heroes to the west can complete their mission.
At the same time, this society's chief conflict would be the constant struggle to use technology as a force for good, rather than evil. While technology would not be a corrupting force on its own, corruptible men would be able to use it as a means towards their own selfish ends and inadvertently further the cause of evil.
And that's before we talk about nuclear weapons. That, above all other technology, would probably terrify him to no end.
Given that Coal mining infrastructure exists whereas oil mostly doesn't, it may end up being the primary chemical feedstock for a lot things that use oil OTL in the short term, too.
speaking of nuclear weapons, it was definitively determined in the 1960s that there's enough unclassified information out there to come up with a working design for one. It makes enough sense that no-one came up with one during the war, since access to that information outside of Taiwan was sharply limited by technological limitations, but it is probably only a matter of time.
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