How did the Russian pull out affect the Syrian civil war?
Leaving the Cradle: an Orion's Arm Timeline
- Thread starter Addemup
- Start date
- Mature Sci-Fi Future
Addemup
Anti-Imperialist
Assad's largely been able to hold on his own, although the SDF has been making considerable gains in recent months.
Interlude V
Addemup
Anti-Imperialist
The sun hung low in the west over the urban spawl of Greater London as John Flander and Ron Millings walked along the rows of shops and well-to-do cottages lining Longbridge Road. From the other side of the road, the two friends glanced at the rows of trees marking the edge of Barking Park from time to time, although John's interest lay more in the various cars parked right in front of them.
"It's not often we get sunny weather for this long, innit?" John remarked, looking up and noting how few clouds were in the sky.
Ron let out a quiet snicker. "No, 'specially not here in East London. We just can't seem to get a break very often."
"Oh, it's not that bad," John thought out loud. "The weather's as good here as it is in the rest of England. Can't imagine it was much better in Liverpool, no?"
"Oh, I barely remember Liverpool, you know that," Ron replied. "Though I can't imagine you're wrong."
The two walked in silence for a brief few moments before John changed the subject to something he would later regret. "Have you watched the news lately? They say Biden's building a coalition with NATO to 'save' Iran. Like they should be saved in the first place."
"Oh, he's not doing it for the sake of democracy, there's no doubt about that. He and Starmer and all of the other world leaders are all in it for their own ends, not ours. Cultural Marxism is the real endgame."
"What?"
Ron's expression remained stone cold. "Remember 2024? The Republicans were purposefully trying to re-elect Biden because both of them are controlled by the same globalist elite. It's all part of their master plan to bring about their shitty New World Order."
John snorted at his friend's claim without skipping a beat. "You're an enormous knob, you know that?"
Ron shook his head before stopping near a corner to lean on the aging brick wall. "Yeah, and what? The real knobs are the ones controlling the world and trying to tear it down!"
"Fine, then," John replied, "Why do you care more about American politics more than what's going on between us and the other lads at school?"
"Oh, come on, John! You know I care about you and the others! I-"
"Don't play games. I haven't seen you at all outside of school for two weeks, and everyone I've talked to says the same. You're avoiding us all on purpose, and I'd like to know why."
Ron gave John a narrow-eyed glare, his lips twitching in a desperate attempt to form words. "Er... John... listen, I've got to get dinner. My mum must be worried sick about me." Without even saying goodbye, he turned around the corner and walked off in a huff, leaving John alone on the sidewalk alone and somewhat confused.
Something had gotten into Ron, and he had a feeling he knew what it was.
- - -
Pat McElroy was playing Team Fortress 2 when he heard a knock on his bedroom door. It took no time at all for him to respond with a warm "come in", sure in his mind he knew exactly who it was. Good thing we moved into a proper house instead of a dorm now that we're starting senior year real soon, he thought to himself.
True to his speculation, Pat's roommate Erin was the one who opened the door. They were wearing a plain gray sweatshirt with a plaid skirt. "Hey, I haven't seen you at all today. How was the AA meeting?"
"It went pretty good. I think I'm starting to get the hang of this sobriety thing."
"Well, it certainly looks like it. How long has it been again?"
"Yeah. It's been... two months starting today."
"Good to hear. Here's to two more months." They lifted up a hand to give him a high-five, but all they got was a slight shove on the shoulder. "Sorry about that."
Recognizing his mistake, he quit the game before swiveling his chair around to face Erin. "So how are you doing today? Draw anything interesting?"
"Yeah... yeah, I just finished another full-body commission," Erin said before shifting to the side. "It wasn't my best work, but they still paid me the full price."
Pat raised an eyebrow. "Really? How much did they pay you?"
"Uh... $150."
"Jesus Christ, you're set for life, aren't you?" Pat muttered while throwing up his hands. "I can barely get anyone to tip me more than 25 percent at the Olive Garden, and here you are making more money in an instant than I do in a whole day."
"Well, it's nothing to be too proud of." Erin gave him a humble smile that they knew he wouldn't see. "I've still got a lot more student loans I haven't paid off. If I'm lucky, I'll get rid of them by the time I turn 40."
Pat snickered in reluctant agreement. "Yeah, me too. We've all got our debts. But I'm thinking more about our thesis papers - if "
- - -
The rolling plains of the Tibetan Plateau poked through the puffy clouds surrounding Keykavous's airplane window. It was a pleasant scene, to be sure, but the circumstances from which he found himself viewing the landscape could not have been any less so.
He had always wanted to travel at some point in life, but to put it lightly, this was not the way he would have preferred. The riots and increased police presence throughout Tehran were becoming too much of a danger to his life and the lives of his friends for him to feel comfortable remaining in his home of Iran. He booked an impromptu flight to another country, having just enough time to apply for a visa and nothing more.
Keka took the moment to turn towards the other side of the window. He had the fortune of not having anyone sitting next to him, although even then it would have been nice for there to be someone for him to occasionally chat with. Instead he turned on the airplane TV and changed the channel to the evening news from back home.
"Good evening everyone, and welcome to BBC Persia. Our top story tonight is on the bombing which took place outside the Baharestan, during the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's speech to the nation of held earlier this morning. It resulted in the tragic death of the Supreme Leader and an undetermined number of additional casualties. Here's the latest with our political correspondent..."
Keka's mouth stood agape. How could have his nation's security allowed this to happen? What was to become of the Iranian government? It was an unthinkable travesty for all this civil chaos to have spread to the country's once thought untouchable spiritual head. Khamenei was the eyes and mind from which Iran made its toughest decisions, and whoever had the unfortunate honor of succeeding him would have to deal with hell on earth if he wanted everyone to come out unscathed.
If there was one good thing about my leaving the country, he mused, it would be the lack of danger I'd be in if I stayed any longer. It was somewhat of a selfish thought, no doubt, but in dire times it was often more practical to look out for oneself over others. He changed the channel to a sitcom, making a mental note to check up on the news whenever he could.
He craned his neck back towards the window. One of Tibet's many lakes was prominent behind the cloud cover. It wouldn't be long before the plane would land, and Keka would finally be at his intended destination. He had chosen a place where he could have opportunities, where he could be free to pursue his life and worship. It wouldn't be America, of course - those bastards were the ones who caused the world's ailments far more often than they cured them. No, his city of refuge would be much kinder to Muslims than any Western country could ever hope to be.
Even though Hong Kong would from now on be his new home, his heart would always remain with venerable Iran.
- - -
The towering facades of inner city Paris cast a comforting shadow on Jacques and Tristan, who were taking a stroll through the streets of their local arrondissement in the final month before they went off to college. Both of them were wearing their casual t-shirts and blue jeans, adding to the stark contrast between the classical architecture of the buildings and the modern fashion senses of those who walked besides them.
"Me and the family went to Versailles yesterday. It's a really nice place," Jacques went on before stopping in front of the crosswalk. "Shame it was built by some nut who thought the entire world revolved around him."
"But the world did revolve around him, didn't it?"
"Only in France, if that. He spent the majority of his life trying to get the powers of Europe to kiss his feet just like any other commoner, and he failed. Go figure."
"Really?" Tristan retorted before turning towards Jacques. "You have a problem with a guy who died three centuries before either of us were even born? I'd hold a bigger grudge against Pétain than long-gone Louis number fourteen."
"Well... I guess you have a point." The man on the crossing signal lit up, and the two friends started down the road. "I'm just thinking of all the people who were pissed off at his grandson."
"I mean, they're all dead too, are they not?"
"Yeah, I'm sorry about that. I've just been thinking about history class a lot. I'm sure you know what I'm talking about." Jacques and Tristan crossed back onto the sidewalk just in time for the cars to start moving again. "Speaking of school, have you thought about which college you're going to go to? I've already applied to Paris-Sud."
"Oh, I don't really like thinking about that," Tristan admitted. "If anything, I'll just go for a trade school and pick up something simple. I've heard rail workers are in higher demand than ever before."
"With the way AI has been ramping up for the past few years, I'm not even sure if that'll be a stable option," Jacques argued. "It probably won't be long before all of the power grid repair systems will be automated."
"I don't think it'll be over that soon," Tristan replied while the two stopped outside the entrance to his apartment building. "Anyways, I've got a spare VR headset from my cousin. You wanted to take a look at it, right?"
"Yeah, I've been thinking about getting one for a while. There's troublesome technology, and then there's the stuff you want to see succeed. I'm really excited to see what will become of VR in the future."
- - -
"...if there's one promise the Democratic Party hasn't been keeping well enough, it would have to be their commitment to the working class and urban poor. As your representative, I will work day and night to ensure that the rights of blue collar workers are maintained and protected. Furthermore, I assure you that if I am elected, you won't need to worry about where the homeless will get their next meal, or if Joe the construction workers' pay won't be enough to let him live comfortably. I want to thank the wonderful people at the Covina Teamster's Union for letting me speak here, and I wish you all a good night."
Bernard Domodo walked away from the podium with a smile on his face. In his mind, there was no possibility of him losing the general election - the district had been blue since the years of Bush Senior. The hardest part of the campaign was over, and now the real challenge would be navigating the byzantine politics of Capitol Hill.
The crisp L.A. air remained pungent even at this late hour, as Bern walked out the backdoor of the facility towards his parked Mercedes. As he walked towards the door to the driver's seat, he took a moment to think about how surreal all of this was. Barring some freak anomaly favoring the local Republicans, at the start of next year he would be taking his seat in the House of Representatives, taking part of a select club limited to 535 of the nation's highest elite. He still couldn't get over how little money he had been able to raise compared to the other Democratic candidates, and how he had won the primary in spite of that fact.
Upon putting his key in the ignition, another thought crossed his mind: he hadn't spoken much with his old bandmates, despite those promises he made back when he started. He was able to keep up with them back during the primary, but as of late he had been taking less and less time out of his schedule to do the occasional gig.
Oh well, he thought as he pulled his car out into the street. I don't think I was all that cut out for being a guitarist, anyways. The political arena was much more exciting.
"It's not often we get sunny weather for this long, innit?" John remarked, looking up and noting how few clouds were in the sky.
Ron let out a quiet snicker. "No, 'specially not here in East London. We just can't seem to get a break very often."
"Oh, it's not that bad," John thought out loud. "The weather's as good here as it is in the rest of England. Can't imagine it was much better in Liverpool, no?"
"Oh, I barely remember Liverpool, you know that," Ron replied. "Though I can't imagine you're wrong."
The two walked in silence for a brief few moments before John changed the subject to something he would later regret. "Have you watched the news lately? They say Biden's building a coalition with NATO to 'save' Iran. Like they should be saved in the first place."
"Oh, he's not doing it for the sake of democracy, there's no doubt about that. He and Starmer and all of the other world leaders are all in it for their own ends, not ours. Cultural Marxism is the real endgame."
"What?"
Ron's expression remained stone cold. "Remember 2024? The Republicans were purposefully trying to re-elect Biden because both of them are controlled by the same globalist elite. It's all part of their master plan to bring about their shitty New World Order."
John snorted at his friend's claim without skipping a beat. "You're an enormous knob, you know that?"
Ron shook his head before stopping near a corner to lean on the aging brick wall. "Yeah, and what? The real knobs are the ones controlling the world and trying to tear it down!"
"Fine, then," John replied, "Why do you care more about American politics more than what's going on between us and the other lads at school?"
"Oh, come on, John! You know I care about you and the others! I-"
"Don't play games. I haven't seen you at all outside of school for two weeks, and everyone I've talked to says the same. You're avoiding us all on purpose, and I'd like to know why."
Ron gave John a narrow-eyed glare, his lips twitching in a desperate attempt to form words. "Er... John... listen, I've got to get dinner. My mum must be worried sick about me." Without even saying goodbye, he turned around the corner and walked off in a huff, leaving John alone on the sidewalk alone and somewhat confused.
Something had gotten into Ron, and he had a feeling he knew what it was.
- - -
Pat McElroy was playing Team Fortress 2 when he heard a knock on his bedroom door. It took no time at all for him to respond with a warm "come in", sure in his mind he knew exactly who it was. Good thing we moved into a proper house instead of a dorm now that we're starting senior year real soon, he thought to himself.
True to his speculation, Pat's roommate Erin was the one who opened the door. They were wearing a plain gray sweatshirt with a plaid skirt. "Hey, I haven't seen you at all today. How was the AA meeting?"
"It went pretty good. I think I'm starting to get the hang of this sobriety thing."
"Well, it certainly looks like it. How long has it been again?"
"Yeah. It's been... two months starting today."
"Good to hear. Here's to two more months." They lifted up a hand to give him a high-five, but all they got was a slight shove on the shoulder. "Sorry about that."
Recognizing his mistake, he quit the game before swiveling his chair around to face Erin. "So how are you doing today? Draw anything interesting?"
"Yeah... yeah, I just finished another full-body commission," Erin said before shifting to the side. "It wasn't my best work, but they still paid me the full price."
Pat raised an eyebrow. "Really? How much did they pay you?"
"Uh... $150."
"Jesus Christ, you're set for life, aren't you?" Pat muttered while throwing up his hands. "I can barely get anyone to tip me more than 25 percent at the Olive Garden, and here you are making more money in an instant than I do in a whole day."
"Well, it's nothing to be too proud of." Erin gave him a humble smile that they knew he wouldn't see. "I've still got a lot more student loans I haven't paid off. If I'm lucky, I'll get rid of them by the time I turn 40."
Pat snickered in reluctant agreement. "Yeah, me too. We've all got our debts. But I'm thinking more about our thesis papers - if "
- - -
The rolling plains of the Tibetan Plateau poked through the puffy clouds surrounding Keykavous's airplane window. It was a pleasant scene, to be sure, but the circumstances from which he found himself viewing the landscape could not have been any less so.
He had always wanted to travel at some point in life, but to put it lightly, this was not the way he would have preferred. The riots and increased police presence throughout Tehran were becoming too much of a danger to his life and the lives of his friends for him to feel comfortable remaining in his home of Iran. He booked an impromptu flight to another country, having just enough time to apply for a visa and nothing more.
Keka took the moment to turn towards the other side of the window. He had the fortune of not having anyone sitting next to him, although even then it would have been nice for there to be someone for him to occasionally chat with. Instead he turned on the airplane TV and changed the channel to the evening news from back home.
"Good evening everyone, and welcome to BBC Persia. Our top story tonight is on the bombing which took place outside the Baharestan, during the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's speech to the nation of held earlier this morning. It resulted in the tragic death of the Supreme Leader and an undetermined number of additional casualties. Here's the latest with our political correspondent..."
Keka's mouth stood agape. How could have his nation's security allowed this to happen? What was to become of the Iranian government? It was an unthinkable travesty for all this civil chaos to have spread to the country's once thought untouchable spiritual head. Khamenei was the eyes and mind from which Iran made its toughest decisions, and whoever had the unfortunate honor of succeeding him would have to deal with hell on earth if he wanted everyone to come out unscathed.
If there was one good thing about my leaving the country, he mused, it would be the lack of danger I'd be in if I stayed any longer. It was somewhat of a selfish thought, no doubt, but in dire times it was often more practical to look out for oneself over others. He changed the channel to a sitcom, making a mental note to check up on the news whenever he could.
He craned his neck back towards the window. One of Tibet's many lakes was prominent behind the cloud cover. It wouldn't be long before the plane would land, and Keka would finally be at his intended destination. He had chosen a place where he could have opportunities, where he could be free to pursue his life and worship. It wouldn't be America, of course - those bastards were the ones who caused the world's ailments far more often than they cured them. No, his city of refuge would be much kinder to Muslims than any Western country could ever hope to be.
Even though Hong Kong would from now on be his new home, his heart would always remain with venerable Iran.
- - -
The towering facades of inner city Paris cast a comforting shadow on Jacques and Tristan, who were taking a stroll through the streets of their local arrondissement in the final month before they went off to college. Both of them were wearing their casual t-shirts and blue jeans, adding to the stark contrast between the classical architecture of the buildings and the modern fashion senses of those who walked besides them.
"Me and the family went to Versailles yesterday. It's a really nice place," Jacques went on before stopping in front of the crosswalk. "Shame it was built by some nut who thought the entire world revolved around him."
"But the world did revolve around him, didn't it?"
"Only in France, if that. He spent the majority of his life trying to get the powers of Europe to kiss his feet just like any other commoner, and he failed. Go figure."
"Really?" Tristan retorted before turning towards Jacques. "You have a problem with a guy who died three centuries before either of us were even born? I'd hold a bigger grudge against Pétain than long-gone Louis number fourteen."
"Well... I guess you have a point." The man on the crossing signal lit up, and the two friends started down the road. "I'm just thinking of all the people who were pissed off at his grandson."
"I mean, they're all dead too, are they not?"
"Yeah, I'm sorry about that. I've just been thinking about history class a lot. I'm sure you know what I'm talking about." Jacques and Tristan crossed back onto the sidewalk just in time for the cars to start moving again. "Speaking of school, have you thought about which college you're going to go to? I've already applied to Paris-Sud."
"Oh, I don't really like thinking about that," Tristan admitted. "If anything, I'll just go for a trade school and pick up something simple. I've heard rail workers are in higher demand than ever before."
"With the way AI has been ramping up for the past few years, I'm not even sure if that'll be a stable option," Jacques argued. "It probably won't be long before all of the power grid repair systems will be automated."
"I don't think it'll be over that soon," Tristan replied while the two stopped outside the entrance to his apartment building. "Anyways, I've got a spare VR headset from my cousin. You wanted to take a look at it, right?"
"Yeah, I've been thinking about getting one for a while. There's troublesome technology, and then there's the stuff you want to see succeed. I'm really excited to see what will become of VR in the future."
- - -
"...if there's one promise the Democratic Party hasn't been keeping well enough, it would have to be their commitment to the working class and urban poor. As your representative, I will work day and night to ensure that the rights of blue collar workers are maintained and protected. Furthermore, I assure you that if I am elected, you won't need to worry about where the homeless will get their next meal, or if Joe the construction workers' pay won't be enough to let him live comfortably. I want to thank the wonderful people at the Covina Teamster's Union for letting me speak here, and I wish you all a good night."
Bernard Domodo walked away from the podium with a smile on his face. In his mind, there was no possibility of him losing the general election - the district had been blue since the years of Bush Senior. The hardest part of the campaign was over, and now the real challenge would be navigating the byzantine politics of Capitol Hill.
The crisp L.A. air remained pungent even at this late hour, as Bern walked out the backdoor of the facility towards his parked Mercedes. As he walked towards the door to the driver's seat, he took a moment to think about how surreal all of this was. Barring some freak anomaly favoring the local Republicans, at the start of next year he would be taking his seat in the House of Representatives, taking part of a select club limited to 535 of the nation's highest elite. He still couldn't get over how little money he had been able to raise compared to the other Democratic candidates, and how he had won the primary in spite of that fact.
Upon putting his key in the ignition, another thought crossed his mind: he hadn't spoken much with his old bandmates, despite those promises he made back when he started. He was able to keep up with them back during the primary, but as of late he had been taking less and less time out of his schedule to do the occasional gig.
Oh well, he thought as he pulled his car out into the street. I don't think I was all that cut out for being a guitarist, anyways. The political arena was much more exciting.
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Mister Anemone
"Why is Dab made Jay disappear in Lacey Games?"
- Pronouns
- She/They
Well, things are getting bettee for the most part. Though the situation of Iran in this TL could worry, even their rivals, after what happened to Russia.
Chapter A
Addemup
Anti-Imperialist
LEAVING THE CRADLE // Midterms and Mohammed.
Iranian government reports at least 8 additional deaths as a result of the bomb that killed Khamenei.
- NBC News; August 4, 2026.
- Al Jazeera; August 5, 2026.
- Iran International; August 6, 2026.
- IRIB TV1; August 7, 2026.
- CNN; August 8, 2026.
- RT; August 9, 2026.
- Newsweek; August 10, 2026.
- MBC Masr News; August 11, 2026.
- Al Jazeera; August 12, 2026.
- Minecraft.net; August 13, 2026.
- BBC Persia; August 14, 2026.
- Reuters; August 15, 2026.
- Euronews; August 16, 2026.
- Libya Al Ahrar TV News; August 17, 2026.
- CNN; August 18, 2026.
- France Info; August 19, 2026.
- PBS News; August 20, 2026.
- Al Jazeera; August 20, 2026.
- BBC International; August 21, 2026.
- OANN; August 22, 2026.
- The Huffington Post; August 23, 2026.
- AzTV; August 24, 2026.
- Euronews; August 25, 2026.
- Al Jazeera; August 26, 2026.
- TASS; August 27, 2026.
- Vox; August 28, 2026.
- RT; August 29, 2026.
- Euronews; August 30, 2026.
- LucasParty2 (YouTube); August 31, 2026.
- Reuters; September 1, 2026.
- Fox News; September 2, 2026.
- Vaush (Twitch); September 2, 2026.
- Reuters; September 3, 2026.
- Fox News; September 4, 2026.
- The New York Times; September 5, 2026.
- Excerpt from the Manifesto of the Eurasian Federation; September 5, 2026.
- CNN; September 6, 2026.
- The Sun; September 7, 2026.
- Bild; September 8, 2026.
- Le Parisien; September 9, 2026.
- Euronews; September 10, 2026.
- ABC News (US); September 11, 2026.
I first met President Biden in person near the reflecting pools where the Twin Towers once stood. It was for a very special and somber occasion - the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, to be specific - and I was invited along with all the other governors, senators and representatives who were serving at the time. Being my usual proactive self, I arrived over an hour before most everyone else. This caught some of the event's staff by surprise, but no one was more surprised at my early arrival than the president himself.
He went out of his way to personally introduce himself to me, giving his greetings as if we were both regulars at the bingo club. I will never forget that as we were shaking hands, he complimented me by saying that "it's great work, what you're doing in Mississippi. You're bringing people together." A Secret Service agent went behind his ear to whisper something before Biden corrected himself with "oh, I apologize. It's Missouri, isn't it?" I did nothing but nod and walk away.
It should have been more obvious to me at the time, but it was clear that Biden was nearing the end of his life. Perhaps it was this moment that helped encourage me to take the next step.
Tim K. Anderson. "Rise and Fall", Simon & Schuster, 2039.
- - -
PM Starmer declares RUSSR an "existential threat" to global stability; calls for "all nations" to "unite under one banner in taking these terrorists down".
- ITV News (UK); September 12, 2026.
- BBC News; September 13, 2026.
- Dagens Nyheter; September 14, 2026.
- ABC News (US); September 15, 2026.
- NBC News; September 16, 2026.
- @psychicpebbles (Twitter); September 16, 2026.
- Al Jazeera; September 17, 2026.
- The Chicago Tribune; September 18, 2026.
- Reuters; September 19, 2026.
- NBC News; September 20, 2026.
- The New Orleans Advocate; September 21, 2026.
- AP; September 22, 2026.
- The Sun; September 23, 2026.
- OANN; September 24, 2026.
- AI Today; September 25, 2026.
- Donald Carter (CNN); September 25, 2026.
- Newsweek; September 25, 2026.
- Jacobin; September 26, 2026.
- Vice; September 27, 2026.
- Al Jazeera; September 28, 2026.
- Iran International; September 29, 2026.
- Euronews; September 30, 2026.
- ABC News (Australia); October 1, 2026.
- Breitbart; October 2, 2026.
- BBC Persia; October 3, 2026.
- The Los Angeles Times; October 4, 2026.
- O Globo; October 5, 2026.
- TV Brasilia; October 5, 2026.
- CNN; October 6, 2026.
- BBC News; October 7, 2026.
- Al Jazeera; October 8, 2026.
- BBC News; October 9, 2026.
- The Guardian; October 10, 2026.
- Euronews; October 11, 2026.
- SIC Notícias; October 12, 2026.
- The Hollywood Reporter; October 13, 2026.
- The Washington Post; October 14, 2026.
- WRIC-TV; October 15, 2026.
- BBC Persia; October 16, 2026.
- Vice; October 17, 2026.
- TVNZ; October 18, 2026.
- The Herald Sun; October 19, 2026.
- @TankieSlayr (Twitter); October 19, 2026.
- The Hollywood Reporter; October 20, 2026.
- Al Jazeera; October 21, 2026.
- Fox News; October 22, 2026.
- OANN; October 23, 2026.
- @transSocialite (Twitter); October 23, 2026.
- Missouri Governor Tim Anderson in public speech following DeVante Byrd riots; October 24, 2026.
- Vox; October 25, 2026.
- TV Brasilia; October 26, 2026.
- Iran International; October 27, 2026.
- RT; October 28, 2026.
- NBC News; October 29, 2026.
- The Onion; October 29, 2026.
- NBC News; October 30, 2026.
- The New York Times; October 31, 2026.
- TV Avisen; November 1, 2026.
- NBC News; November 1, 2026.
- Donald Carter (CNN); November 2, 2026.
- Tucker Carlson (OANN); November 2, 2026.
- Jesse Watters (Fox News); November 2, 2026.
- The New York Times; November 3, 2026.
- Jesse Waters (Fox News); November 3, 2026.
- Danielle Warburg (MSNBC); November 3, 2026.
- The Miami Herald; November 3, 2026.
- The New York Post; November 3, 2026.
- The Denver Post; November 3, 2026.
- The Los Angeles Times; November 3, 2026.
- KTBC; November 3, 2026.
- NBC News; November 3, 2026.
- The Toledo Blade; November 3, 2026.
- KCRA-TV; November 3, 2026.
- The Washington Post; November 3, 2026.
- WCAX-TV; November 3, 2026.
The Iranian Renewal Force was a culmination of decades of unaddressed grievances against the Islamic Republic of Iran from the liberal youth. For years they jockeyed for increased secularization, sexual equality and other basic human rights, and time and time again they were either denied or ignored. While it still remains likely that they were the minority within Iran - even amongst their own generation - the collapse of Putin's Russia at the start of 2026 and the July Persian Gulf earthquake served as the final catalyst for those disaffected activists to rise up and start fighting.
At first, popular support was limited to the major cities, while those living in rural areas who remained complacent with the Iranian government were opposed to the IRF's goals at best. This mandated the utilization of guerilla tactics and urban warfare amongst all ranks of their membership. Even though most of the rank-and-file had poor combat skills the leadership were well poised to get as much information on asymmetric warfare as they could, by the end of 2026 those who survived had enough experience to begin making significant gains against the authoritarian government they so much opposed - despite the fact that many of their friends had died in the fighting.
- Donavan Halpert. "Republic of Submission: The History of Modern Iran", Amazon Digital Publishing, 2055.
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- Location
- Rex, NC, USA
Small correction, Bernie Sanders would be 85 on this date.
- Location
- San Francisco
I'm sorry but my disbelief has been disrupted, mostly because the Democratic party isn't in open revolt over getting into another foreign quagmire. There is literally no way there would be any real public support for foreign adventurism, let alone this level of 2000s-era rewind. Unless the plot is to break up all existing political blocs, I don't see how this doesn't turn into an immediate win for the far right.
Has Afghanistan and Iraq taught them nothing? What were they thinking! Iran is 2.5 times larger than Afghanistan, just as mountainous with a larger and educated population with a large civilian and millitary industrial base, no wonder is going to fail.
Mister Anemone
"Why is Dab made Jay disappear in Lacey Games?"
- Pronouns
- She/They
Well, the U.S could brush it off as an humanitarian intervention that could hold up scrutiny by the United Nations (after all, OTL UN is begging every nations to intervene, under the guise of humanitarian reasons, in Haiti).
That, and maybe the U.S foreign policy is emboldened to the Ukrainian victory against the Russians (assuming this TL showcased the Taiwan Crisis).
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- Location
- San Francisco
20 years of forever war scars do not vanish overnight. Especially when there has been no attack on American soil by Iran or Iranian affiliates. If anything, the failed nuclear attack should've been way more of a trigger to attack Russia.
How severe is starvation in Russia right now?
Addemup
Anti-Imperialist
Thanks for pointing that out. It's been fixed.
Yeah, you're both right. I don't know what I was thinking for that one. I'll go ahead and tone it down to be more in line with the interventions in Libya and Syria, and maybe add in some direct action against RUSSR.
It's most severe in eastern Siberia, where cohesion is at its least and food is the most scarce, while the Moscow government has been comparatively well-off. A major reason for why the Eurasian Federation has had so much success was the fact that its leaders were able to strike lucrative deals with foreign trade companies and get aid in the form of basic supplies from humanitarian organizations based out of the US, Australia, South Korea and Japan.
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Chapter A revision
I guess the Fall of Russia will speed up the Rail Baltica and the Helsinki–Tallinn Tunnel project, thus further isolating Russia.
- Location
- San Francisco
A big improvement overall. Though I imagine a lot of US companies will end up getting taken to court in the EU if they violate copyright law there. While the current SCOTUS lineup may have just exploded existing copyright law in the States with their ruling, that doesn't mean there won't be consequences outside the US.
Chapter B
Addemup
Anti-Imperialist
LEAVING THE CRADLE // Oil Makes Roil.
"On one hand I'm glad the two-party system is finally starting to break down. On the other hand I'm afraid about what might end up taking its place."
- @ItreoGuevera (Twitter); November 4, 2026.
- Fox Sports; November 5, 2026.
- BBC Persia; November 6, 2026.
- KRXI-TV; November 7, 2026.
- Al Jazeera; November 8, 2026.
- ABC News (US); November 9, 2026.
- Reuters; November 10, 2026.
- ITV News (India); November 11, 2026.
- Fox News; November 12, 2026.
- City Press (South Africa); November 13, 2026.
- Newsweek; November 14, 2026.
- Vox; November 15, 2026.
- Fox News; November 16, 2026.
- Newsweek; November 17, 2026.
- WVNY; November 18, 2026.
- Naija News; November 19, 2026.
- Euronews; November 20, 2026.
- CNN; November 21, 2026.
- Al Jazeera; November 22, 2026.
- Kentucky New Era; November 23, 2026.
- BBC News; November 24, 2026.
- Al Jazeera; November 25, 2026.
- TV Tokyo News; November 26, 2026.
- Quote from self-proclaimed Tsar Alexander IV's infamous "Rostov" speech; November 26, 2026.
- The Guardian; November 27, 2026.
- Euronews; November 28, 2026.
- Reuters; November 29, 2026.
- Helsingin Sanomat; November 30, 2026.
- SVT1 News; December 1, 2026.
- NBC News; December 2, 2026.
- ITV News (UK); December 3, 2026.
- The Hollywood Reporter; December 4, 2026.
- diesel patches (YouTube); December 4, 2026.
- CNN; December 5, 2026.
- The New York Post; December 6, 2026.
- The Buenos Aires Herald; December 7, 2026.
- NBC News; December 8, 2026.
- Euronews; December 9, 2026.
- The Huffington Post; December 10, 2026.
- The Guardian; December 11, 2026.
- TV Brasilia; December 12, 2026.
- Al Jazeera; December 13, 2026.
- The Washington Post; December 14, 2026.
- Human Rights Watch; December 15, 2026.
- RT; December 16, 2026.
- The New York Times; December 17, 2026.
- Buzzfeed; December 18, 2026.
- Matt Walsh (The Daily Wire); December 18, 2026.
- AlHiwar; December 19, 2026.
- CNN; December 20, 2026.
- AI Today; December 21, 2026.
- Al Jazeera; December 22, 2026.
- The Gaming Watcher; December 23, 2026.
- Joel Vargskelethor (Kick); December 24, 2026.
- LucasOrville331 (YouTube); December 25, 2026.
- O Globo; December 26, 2026.
- OANN; December 27, 2026.
- The Buenos Aires Times; December 28, 2026.
- Vinny Vinesauce during Hammerfell stream (Kick); December 29, 2026.
- Vice; December 30, 2026.
- PC Gamer; December 31, 2026.
- MEGA Channel News; January 1, 2027.
- Entertainment Weekly; January 1, 2027.
- Disney CEO Bob Iger discussing the failure of Dick Clark '27 with board of directors; January 1, 2027.
- TASS; January 2, 2027.
- Huffington Post; January 3, 2027.
- OANN; January 4, 2027.
- Dimokratia; January 5, 2027.
- Scientific American; January 6, 2027.
- The Hollywood Reporter; January 7, 2027.
- The Atlantic; January 7, 2027.
- CNN; January 8, 2027.
- The Yomiuri Shimbun; January 9, 2027.
- Reuters; January 10, 2027.
The mess hall of Yeltsin Forward Base was a hive of activity and chatter for the brave soldiers who lived there. Despite everything, the rations were still adequate - but even as the troops huddled together for warmth they could still hear the barrage of gunfire echoing off to the east, made by their brothers against their brothers.
Nestled within the pack of sardines was Yuliy Komarov, a proud frontline soldier for the St. Petersburg Provisional Government. All things considered, he was more content with his lot than he was on this day one year ago, but not by very much. Most importantly, he felt like he had a purpose for the first time in his life, and even though it was almost certain that he was fighting for a temporary state he still knew it would be worth it in the end.
From beyond the opening in the tent, the base's commanding officer stepped in with his entourage. He stood facing the masses of warriors, looking onwards with a grim expression on his face. He motioned to one of his staff, who picked up a megaphone before turning it on and blaring orders.
"Attention! Colonel Ageykin has an announcement! Turn your heads to face him!"
The entire mess hall went quiet before the colonel cleared his throat.
"Attention, soldiers. We've just got word from Moscow that the leader of the Restored USSR has been killed. He was shot by his own bodyguard. I bid you all a good evening, and I'll see you at the front lines in an hour."
Before the colonel could finish speaking the entire crowd went into celebratory cheering. They stood up and high fived each other, clinking together bottles of watered-down vodka in honor of this special occasion. Surely the war would be over soon - or at least, this particular phase.
Yuliy was among those who were more or less unsurprised. They had been fighting against these guys for almost a year, and the bullet that took their leader came from within their own ranks. Typical.
- - -
Self-proclaimed General Secretary of the "Restored USSR", Samuil Nazarov, killed by personal bodyguard.
- Euronews; January 11, 2027.
- Fox News; January 12, 2027.
- NBC News; January 13, 2027.
- The Weather Channel; January 14, 2027.
- Vice; January 15, 2027.
- The Boston Globe; January 16, 2027.
- Tucker Carlson (OANN); January 17, 2027.
- @DrewOfNewHaven (Twitter); January 18, 2027.
- @ItreoGuevera; January 18, 2027.
- Rai News 24; January 19, 2027.
- @ChurchNotKirk (Twitter); January 20, 2027.
- Reuters; January 21, 2027.
- CBS News; January 22, 2027.
- La Jornada; January 23, 2027.
- ITV News (India); January 24, 2027.
- BBC News; January 25, 2027.
- The New York Post; January 26, 2027.
- RT; January 27, 2027.
- ABC News (Australia); January 28, 2027.
- Breitbart; January 29, 2027.
- NBC News; January 30, 2027.
- BBC News; January 31, 2027.
- The Courier-Mail; February 1, 2027.
- Pravda; February 2, 2027.
- Reuters; February 3, 2027.
- KYTV; February 4, 2027.
- Euronews; February 5, 2027.
- O Globo; February 6, 2027.
- Le Monde; February 7, 2027.
- Bild; February 8, 2027.
- TASS; February 8, 2027.
- @ItreoGuevera (Twitter); February 8, 2027.
- Euronews; February 9, 2027.
- SpaceNews; February 10, 2027.
- CNN; February 11, 2027.
- Reuters; February 12, 2027.
- ABC News (Australia); February 13, 2027.
- ABC Sports (US); February 14, 2027.
- Le Monde; February 15, 2027.
- Newsweek; February 15, 2027.
- Zviazda; February 16, 2027.
- DW; February 17, 2027.
- Das Erste Nachricht; February 18, 2027.
- TASS; February 19, 2027.
- OANN; February 20, 2027.
- AI Today; February 21, 2027.
- The Daily Telegraph (Sydney); February 22, 2027.
- Newsweek; February 23, 2027.
- Politico; February 24, 2027.
- ESPN; February 25, 2027.
- Sabah (newspaper); February 26, 2027.
- C-SPAN; February 27, 2027.
- OANN; February 28, 2027.
- NBC News; March 1, 2027.
- Jesse Waters (Fox News); March 2, 2027.
- TASS; March 3, 2027.
- Ettelaat; March 4, 2027.
- Euronews; March 5, 2027.
- Polygon; March 6, 2027.
- @Caddicarus (Twitter); March 7, 2027.
- China Daily; March 8, 2027.
- C-SPAN; March 9, 2027.
- KYTV; March 10, 2027.
- ITV News (UK); March 11, 2027.
- intelNews.org; March 12, 2027.
- Chosun Ilbo; March 13, 2027.
- Iran International; March 14, 2027.
- Interfax; March 15, 2027.
- BBC International; March 16, 2027.
- Euronews; March 17, 2027.
- Reuters; March 18, 2027.
- NBC News; March 18, 2027.
- TVNZ News; March 19, 2027.
- France Info; March 20, 2027.
- RT; March 21, 2027.
- The Guardian; March 22, 2027.
- Elon Musk (Twitter); March 23, 2027.
- PolitiFact; March 23, 2027.
- Novy Chas; March 24, 2027.
- ABC News (US); March 25, 2027.
- Nick Fuentes (Rumble); March 25, 2027.
- Reuters; March 26, 2027.
- KXAS-TV; March 27, 2027.
- Euronews; March 28, 2027.
- ZDF News; March 29, 2027.
- The Asahi Shimbun; March 30, 2027.
- Al Jazeera; March 31, 2027.
To those living in Russia during the winter of 2026-7, it seemed as if there was no worse state that this once-great country could sink to. This sentiment was shared particularly among those under the Moscow government, who one year prior had anticipated the splendid blossoming of a truly democratic Russian Federation, but were now under the realization that such dreams were as cold as the weather.
But even during this dark hour, the leadership still persevered. President Belyakov is quoted by a top Kremlin staffer as saying "it's either we win or we lose... and I don't plan on losing." Needless to say, there remained light at the end of the tunnel - even though the darkness was far from over.
Yuriy Ponikarov. "Hibernation: A History of Post-Soviet Russia", Netsk Online Publishing, 2076.
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Mister Anemone
"Why is Dab made Jay disappear in Lacey Games?"
- Pronouns
- She/They
Whew. Things are going swimmingly in the new update.
But I am very surprised at the quick collapse of Restored USSR after the assassination of their General-Secretary that saw R-USSR transformed into an anarcho-communist state...which is isn't doing anything favors for them in the end.
Another surprise that I noticed is the quick SDF offensive against the Syrian government forces in Aleppo. Such actions would result in Turkey, very wary towards Kurdish secessionist groups succeeding, would like to bomb them from the air like how the Russians do against Syrian rebels; of course, Turkey would also face sort of an dillemna as their allied (and Islamist) groups in Iblib pocket would like to exploit SDF's actions against the Syrian government.
Also, the arc of Argentinian coup (and counter-coup) would lead into an outbreak of an civil war no matter how good is Milei wiping out the entire military junta (which I believe to be either Right-Peronists (I would see Left-Peronists gravely injured as a result of Milei's winning) or the self-proclaimed successors of those who invade Falkland Islands and lost).
But I am very surprised at the quick collapse of Restored USSR after the assassination of their General-Secretary that saw R-USSR transformed into an anarcho-communist state...which is isn't doing anything favors for them in the end.
Another surprise that I noticed is the quick SDF offensive against the Syrian government forces in Aleppo. Such actions would result in Turkey, very wary towards Kurdish secessionist groups succeeding, would like to bomb them from the air like how the Russians do against Syrian rebels; of course, Turkey would also face sort of an dillemna as their allied (and Islamist) groups in Iblib pocket would like to exploit SDF's actions against the Syrian government.
Also, the arc of Argentinian coup (and counter-coup) would lead into an outbreak of an civil war no matter how good is Milei wiping out the entire military junta (which I believe to be either Right-Peronists (I would see Left-Peronists gravely injured as a result of Milei's winning) or the self-proclaimed successors of those who invade Falkland Islands and lost).
Addemup
Anti-Imperialist
I admit I may have made their rise and fall a bit too quick, but keep in mind that everything that's been written so far isn't the main event. It'll still be quite a while before the transhumanist stuff kicks in, but when it does direct conflict like this will be put on the backburner.
I didn't think about Türikye when writing about the Syrian conflict. I'll be sure to bring them in very soon.
The coup leaders were right-Peronists. I added a few entries alluding to a civil war.
I meant to write "Russian warlords" at the end. Sorry about that, it's fixed now.
- Location
- San Francisco
The current Blockbuster centric model of cinema has always had a limited shelf life. This may be a sign that it's finally beginning to bite the dust. Which could have dark signs for the theater industry. I won't lie; it will be a little sad to see the classic cinema fade into a niche experience. Then again, who knows; maybe drive ins will become popular again? Also, AMC might finally go under or have to reinvent itself like it was trying to before the whole Gamestop stock fiasco a few years ago.
Lol, this again?
Either they're confident they think they have the cash to stay afloat, or they don't have the power or will to contest it. Or, perhaps they just don't care?
Lol. Lmao.
119th and 120th United States Congresses
Interlude VI
Addemup
Anti-Imperialist
Sollux took a long, good look at the ceiling from the comfort of his spring mattress. Why did he have to change his name? Why didn't anyone try to stop him?
No, he shouldn't be stupid. His friends, his family, and so many others objected to his ridiculous lifestyle choices and warned of what might happen if he continued to indulge in his borderline hedonist desires, and where is he now after ignoring them all? A run-down studio apartment in downtown New Haven, with no job, no friends or love life, and very little else to his name.
Holding up his phone in his arms, he opened Twitter for the tenth time that day. It's insane to think, he mused, that there's a nearby alternate reality where this site was renamed to X.
With each passing week, more and more of his online friends - the only friends he had - were dropping off the face of the internet, moving on to focus on college or their careers. Sollux had none of that. He never even had a name that anyone would take seriously. A name given not by his parents, but himself. Wait a minute...
It had been two and a half years since he changed his name, and in all that time between then and now he never once made that trip back to City Hall. Maybe, in spite of what everyone else had been telling him over the years, he should still carve out his own path and be a happy little weirdo.
Sollux's mind was made up. He exited out of Twitter and went to a different app, an app he hadn't touched in almost an entire year: TikTok. It's a wonder it's still around, he thought.
He had made this schtick his fucking identity, and gog damnit he was going to own it.
- - -
PEACH WINS 1ST PLACE!
The victory message flashed on the curved flatscreen TV in front of Dan and Belle, two highschoolers who had just played another round of Mario Kart '26.
"Well, you win again," Dan remarked. "Another good night of gaming on the Switch."
Belle put the controller back on the coffee table before lounging back in her seat. "It's crazy how it was released almost ten years ago, and everybody who plays games is still on it like it was just released."
Dan turned his head to give Belle a slight smile. "Nah, it's not that crazy. I remember reading somewhere that the NES was in production for, like, what? Fifteen years?"
"Eh, that was in the past. I think it's better to look towards the future."
"Yeah," Dan agreed. "I've heard that they might make a VR headset next. Now, that would be crazy. Can you imagine how a mainline Mario game would work in VR?"
"I'm not too sure if I want to. I get a bit nauseous whenever I put those on," Belle admitted before running a hand through her hair. "But you know what I do think has potential? AI research."
"Really?"
"I mean, why not? They've already been releasing programs that can AI-generate entire movies and 3D models. Who knows how soon it'll be before someone releases a fully AI-generated video game?"
"Now, that's the thing that unsettles me. If AI can make media just as good or even better than what humans can, then what's the point of having humans write, or act, or draw, or program? It sounds like the beginning of a cyberpunk dystopia to me."
"Bold of you to assume that we don't live in a dystopia to begin with."
"Okay, that's enough of that. I'm not too fond of politics." Dan leaned closer to Belle before continuing. "You mind if I stay here a little longer? Maybe watch a movie?"
"No, I don't want to stay up too late on a Sunday night. My parents will be home any minute now, and I don't think they'd want to see you lounging around."
Dan appeared put off for a moment before getting up off the couch in a hurry. "Alright. I'll see you soon."
"Bye."
- - -
"I have to admit, this wouldn't have been my first choice, Mr. Rivero." Congressman Domodo took a seat "With a name like yours, I didn't think you'd want to go with Italian."
"No, my grandparents were from Venice," Mr. Rivero revealed. "They escaped from Mussolini to live here back in the thirties. I take a lot of pride in my heritage."
Just then, a waiter approached the two politicians, ready to take their orders.
"I'll have a spaghetti carbonara with a side of calamari fritti and a glass of wine."
"I'll have a plate of lasagna with a salad and a Coke."
"Hm. I thought you'd might want to drink a cocktail," Mr. Rivero remarked. The waiter was already gone when Domodo gave his response.
"No, I always like to have a clear head when I'm on official business. Alcohol only serves to keep me from making good decisions."
"I see. Did I see you take a taxi here?"
The two continued to make small talk for a few minutes before the waiter returned with their drinks. Then, the real discussion began.
"So what are you here to talk to me about? Something about DC statehood?"
"Well, that is the gist of it, I suppose," the lobbyist acknowledged. "The Douglass Commonwealth Statehood Group is the nation's vanguard when it comes to taking action for the people of the nation's capital. We haven't been here for very long - it started just after the 2024 election, as a matter of fact - but we've already got quite a lot of leverage in the form of HR 351."
Domodo took a sip of coke before responding. "Don't you think you would alienate a lot of people for pushing the new name? It might be better for you to stick with what's been established for so long."
"Really? You're saying that? I'm sure you've paid attention to history class, right? If anything, keeping the name tied to Columbus and his misdeeds would only serve to alienate people more than if we changed it in honor of someone with a higher moral standard."
"Ah... okay. Fair enough," Domodo conceded. "I just don't know how you're going to get support from everyone in Congress. I want to know what your plan of action is, and then I'll consider voting on HR 31.
"Well in that case, I do happen to have a proposal for you. DCSG has a lot of connections to PACs and all kinds of campaign finance organizations. If you vote yes on the bill, then we'll be sure to create one specifically to help keep you in that office of yours after the next election."
"What? Buying me dinner wasn't enough?" Domodo joked before the two shared a quick bout of laughter.
Just then, the waiter arrived Now that an agreement had been made, the two drifted off to a number of other subject matters, and before either of them knew it the plates and glasses were empty.
"Thank you for your time, Representative. I assure you that you won't regret this meeting." After paying the tab, Mr. Rivero got up from his seat before leaving Domodo to collect his thoughts.
He thought about what his old bandmates would think of him now. Maybe something along the lines of apathy or disappointment.
- - -
In a large tent nestled deep within the Russian wilderness, two soldiers laid wide awake in the same bunk bed. They had seen more than enough bloodshed over the last year, and it was more than clear to both of them that they'd yet to see the most of it.
"So, Timofey... you think about home all that often?" the man on the bottom, Yuliy, asked. His hands were clasped on top of his chest in deep contemplation.
Timofey let out a soft sigh. "I've heard a lot of things from back home, Yuliy. They say the Council's getting ready to go back under Moscow and United Russia."
"You mean the same guys who put us all in this mess to begin with?" Yuliy put a hand over his head in apathy. "Sounds wonderful."
The two laid in silence for a minute. Timofey broke it with a tough question. "What do you think you'll do after the war's over - if the war will be over?"
Yuliy rolled over in his bunk before responding. "I don't know," he admitted. "Best case scenario, I might want to do something with the country's space program."
"Yeah, I'm sure that'll work out," came the reply from above. "Chances are, we won't live to see the end of the war."
"Well, shit," mumbled Yuliy. "That is a possibility. But let's focus on the positives, right? RUSSR's fucking dead! I-"
Out of the blue, the entire tent was bathed in a bright light. An officer in uniform was standing tall at the entrance, though Yuliy couldn't make out who it was.
"Squad И. Meet me in the briefing room. I've got a job for you."
The two friends watched as eight of their fellow compatriots got out of their beds and walked away. No one else in the barracks dared to speak.
- - -
The misty atmosphere of early spring permeated the evening air. A rusty vintage pickup truck nudged its way through the narrow streets of Atlanta, often appearing unsure of itself. While in truth the car lacked a mind of its own, its driver, a junior year high schooler, was as nervous as he could let on to his friend in the passenger's seat.
"You sure you know where you're going?" The car's sole passenger questioned. "You've been making a lot of missed turns."
"I know what I'm doing, George," he responded. "I've only had my license for a week."
"Well, I sure hope so, motherfucker. I'd like my bones to remain intact, please."
"I haven't been to Jamal's house in a while," Brain admitted before putting the car in park. "I hope he's doing okay."
"Yeah, he's doing just fine. I saw him last weekend."
The two got out and took a good look at the house in front of them. It was a quaint, one-story building, nestled in a row with the other houses like densely packed sardines. The front steps to the door creaked as the two of them walked up, where George rang the rusty doorbell.
Another teenager opened the door. "Oh, hey George," Jamal greeted him in surprise. "What's up?"
"Yo, Jamal. You doing okay?"
"Yeah, I'm doing fine. I see you brought someone," he noted. "Do I know him?"
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure you do," Brain chuckled. "I'm Brian, remember?"
"Oh," Jamal mumbled before giving him a quizzical look. "Well, go ahead and come in." George and Brian followed him to the living room.
Jamal gave Brian a slight smirk. "So, what's up with you? You got yourself a tan or what?"
"It's a lot more than just a tan, my dude," Brian replied. "I've done a lot of thinking these past few months. I identify more with people of color than the race I was born into."
Jamal shot him a look of confusion. "What? No, man. That doesn't make any sense. You can't just be born white and then later on decide you're black."
"Well, why not?"
He shook his head in dismissal. "Listen to me, now. I'm black. George is black. You? You are not black. All you did was spend half an hour in the tanning salon."
Brian held his hands out in an attempt to calm things down. "Jamal, listen. You know me. I've lived in Atlanta all my life. Nearly all my friends have been black. All I want is for you to respect my decision-"
"I can't respect any decision you make if it goes against the truth. Brian, there's a lot more to being black than what's on the surface. You need to know the pain. You need to know the struggle. You need the blood pumping through your veins."
"I don't get what the big deal is," Brian admitted while throwing his arms in the air. "There's a lot that goes into being a man or a woman, but trans people are able to pull that off pretty well. "
Jamal raised voice to a shout, leaning his face into Brian's as he barked at him in defiance. "That's different! That's different! You-"
"How is that different?"
Jamal stopped right in his tracks. He gave George an almost supernatural glare, appearing as if he was about to explode at him for backing up the pretender. The three of them stood in silence for a moment and an eternity, before Jamal broke in with an ultimatum.
"Get out. Both of you. Now."
George stood back in confusion. "What-"
"Get out or I'm getting you out myself."
Brian, well aware that there was no point in challenging him anymore, motioned for George to follow him out the door. In a flash the two were back out in the front yard, racing towards their ride home.
"You're not black, you hear me?" Came the cry from within the house. "You are not fucking black!"
No, he shouldn't be stupid. His friends, his family, and so many others objected to his ridiculous lifestyle choices and warned of what might happen if he continued to indulge in his borderline hedonist desires, and where is he now after ignoring them all? A run-down studio apartment in downtown New Haven, with no job, no friends or love life, and very little else to his name.
Holding up his phone in his arms, he opened Twitter for the tenth time that day. It's insane to think, he mused, that there's a nearby alternate reality where this site was renamed to X.
With each passing week, more and more of his online friends - the only friends he had - were dropping off the face of the internet, moving on to focus on college or their careers. Sollux had none of that. He never even had a name that anyone would take seriously. A name given not by his parents, but himself. Wait a minute...
It had been two and a half years since he changed his name, and in all that time between then and now he never once made that trip back to City Hall. Maybe, in spite of what everyone else had been telling him over the years, he should still carve out his own path and be a happy little weirdo.
Sollux's mind was made up. He exited out of Twitter and went to a different app, an app he hadn't touched in almost an entire year: TikTok. It's a wonder it's still around, he thought.
He had made this schtick his fucking identity, and gog damnit he was going to own it.
- - -
PEACH WINS 1ST PLACE!
The victory message flashed on the curved flatscreen TV in front of Dan and Belle, two highschoolers who had just played another round of Mario Kart '26.
"Well, you win again," Dan remarked. "Another good night of gaming on the Switch."
Belle put the controller back on the coffee table before lounging back in her seat. "It's crazy how it was released almost ten years ago, and everybody who plays games is still on it like it was just released."
Dan turned his head to give Belle a slight smile. "Nah, it's not that crazy. I remember reading somewhere that the NES was in production for, like, what? Fifteen years?"
"Eh, that was in the past. I think it's better to look towards the future."
"Yeah," Dan agreed. "I've heard that they might make a VR headset next. Now, that would be crazy. Can you imagine how a mainline Mario game would work in VR?"
"I'm not too sure if I want to. I get a bit nauseous whenever I put those on," Belle admitted before running a hand through her hair. "But you know what I do think has potential? AI research."
"Really?"
"I mean, why not? They've already been releasing programs that can AI-generate entire movies and 3D models. Who knows how soon it'll be before someone releases a fully AI-generated video game?"
"Now, that's the thing that unsettles me. If AI can make media just as good or even better than what humans can, then what's the point of having humans write, or act, or draw, or program? It sounds like the beginning of a cyberpunk dystopia to me."
"Bold of you to assume that we don't live in a dystopia to begin with."
"Okay, that's enough of that. I'm not too fond of politics." Dan leaned closer to Belle before continuing. "You mind if I stay here a little longer? Maybe watch a movie?"
"No, I don't want to stay up too late on a Sunday night. My parents will be home any minute now, and I don't think they'd want to see you lounging around."
Dan appeared put off for a moment before getting up off the couch in a hurry. "Alright. I'll see you soon."
"Bye."
- - -
"I have to admit, this wouldn't have been my first choice, Mr. Rivero." Congressman Domodo took a seat "With a name like yours, I didn't think you'd want to go with Italian."
"No, my grandparents were from Venice," Mr. Rivero revealed. "They escaped from Mussolini to live here back in the thirties. I take a lot of pride in my heritage."
Just then, a waiter approached the two politicians, ready to take their orders.
"I'll have a spaghetti carbonara with a side of calamari fritti and a glass of wine."
"I'll have a plate of lasagna with a salad and a Coke."
"Hm. I thought you'd might want to drink a cocktail," Mr. Rivero remarked. The waiter was already gone when Domodo gave his response.
"No, I always like to have a clear head when I'm on official business. Alcohol only serves to keep me from making good decisions."
"I see. Did I see you take a taxi here?"
The two continued to make small talk for a few minutes before the waiter returned with their drinks. Then, the real discussion began.
"So what are you here to talk to me about? Something about DC statehood?"
"Well, that is the gist of it, I suppose," the lobbyist acknowledged. "The Douglass Commonwealth Statehood Group is the nation's vanguard when it comes to taking action for the people of the nation's capital. We haven't been here for very long - it started just after the 2024 election, as a matter of fact - but we've already got quite a lot of leverage in the form of HR 351."
Domodo took a sip of coke before responding. "Don't you think you would alienate a lot of people for pushing the new name? It might be better for you to stick with what's been established for so long."
"Really? You're saying that? I'm sure you've paid attention to history class, right? If anything, keeping the name tied to Columbus and his misdeeds would only serve to alienate people more than if we changed it in honor of someone with a higher moral standard."
"Ah... okay. Fair enough," Domodo conceded. "I just don't know how you're going to get support from everyone in Congress. I want to know what your plan of action is, and then I'll consider voting on HR 31.
"Well in that case, I do happen to have a proposal for you. DCSG has a lot of connections to PACs and all kinds of campaign finance organizations. If you vote yes on the bill, then we'll be sure to create one specifically to help keep you in that office of yours after the next election."
"What? Buying me dinner wasn't enough?" Domodo joked before the two shared a quick bout of laughter.
Just then, the waiter arrived Now that an agreement had been made, the two drifted off to a number of other subject matters, and before either of them knew it the plates and glasses were empty.
"Thank you for your time, Representative. I assure you that you won't regret this meeting." After paying the tab, Mr. Rivero got up from his seat before leaving Domodo to collect his thoughts.
He thought about what his old bandmates would think of him now. Maybe something along the lines of apathy or disappointment.
- - -
In a large tent nestled deep within the Russian wilderness, two soldiers laid wide awake in the same bunk bed. They had seen more than enough bloodshed over the last year, and it was more than clear to both of them that they'd yet to see the most of it.
"So, Timofey... you think about home all that often?" the man on the bottom, Yuliy, asked. His hands were clasped on top of his chest in deep contemplation.
Timofey let out a soft sigh. "I've heard a lot of things from back home, Yuliy. They say the Council's getting ready to go back under Moscow and United Russia."
"You mean the same guys who put us all in this mess to begin with?" Yuliy put a hand over his head in apathy. "Sounds wonderful."
The two laid in silence for a minute. Timofey broke it with a tough question. "What do you think you'll do after the war's over - if the war will be over?"
Yuliy rolled over in his bunk before responding. "I don't know," he admitted. "Best case scenario, I might want to do something with the country's space program."
"Yeah, I'm sure that'll work out," came the reply from above. "Chances are, we won't live to see the end of the war."
"Well, shit," mumbled Yuliy. "That is a possibility. But let's focus on the positives, right? RUSSR's fucking dead! I-"
Out of the blue, the entire tent was bathed in a bright light. An officer in uniform was standing tall at the entrance, though Yuliy couldn't make out who it was.
"Squad И. Meet me in the briefing room. I've got a job for you."
The two friends watched as eight of their fellow compatriots got out of their beds and walked away. No one else in the barracks dared to speak.
- - -
The misty atmosphere of early spring permeated the evening air. A rusty vintage pickup truck nudged its way through the narrow streets of Atlanta, often appearing unsure of itself. While in truth the car lacked a mind of its own, its driver, a junior year high schooler, was as nervous as he could let on to his friend in the passenger's seat.
"You sure you know where you're going?" The car's sole passenger questioned. "You've been making a lot of missed turns."
"I know what I'm doing, George," he responded. "I've only had my license for a week."
"Well, I sure hope so, motherfucker. I'd like my bones to remain intact, please."
"I haven't been to Jamal's house in a while," Brain admitted before putting the car in park. "I hope he's doing okay."
"Yeah, he's doing just fine. I saw him last weekend."
The two got out and took a good look at the house in front of them. It was a quaint, one-story building, nestled in a row with the other houses like densely packed sardines. The front steps to the door creaked as the two of them walked up, where George rang the rusty doorbell.
Another teenager opened the door. "Oh, hey George," Jamal greeted him in surprise. "What's up?"
"Yo, Jamal. You doing okay?"
"Yeah, I'm doing fine. I see you brought someone," he noted. "Do I know him?"
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure you do," Brain chuckled. "I'm Brian, remember?"
"Oh," Jamal mumbled before giving him a quizzical look. "Well, go ahead and come in." George and Brian followed him to the living room.
Jamal gave Brian a slight smirk. "So, what's up with you? You got yourself a tan or what?"
"It's a lot more than just a tan, my dude," Brian replied. "I've done a lot of thinking these past few months. I identify more with people of color than the race I was born into."
Jamal shot him a look of confusion. "What? No, man. That doesn't make any sense. You can't just be born white and then later on decide you're black."
"Well, why not?"
He shook his head in dismissal. "Listen to me, now. I'm black. George is black. You? You are not black. All you did was spend half an hour in the tanning salon."
Brian held his hands out in an attempt to calm things down. "Jamal, listen. You know me. I've lived in Atlanta all my life. Nearly all my friends have been black. All I want is for you to respect my decision-"
"I can't respect any decision you make if it goes against the truth. Brian, there's a lot more to being black than what's on the surface. You need to know the pain. You need to know the struggle. You need the blood pumping through your veins."
"I don't get what the big deal is," Brian admitted while throwing his arms in the air. "There's a lot that goes into being a man or a woman, but trans people are able to pull that off pretty well. "
Jamal raised voice to a shout, leaning his face into Brian's as he barked at him in defiance. "That's different! That's different! You-"
"How is that different?"
Jamal stopped right in his tracks. He gave George an almost supernatural glare, appearing as if he was about to explode at him for backing up the pretender. The three of them stood in silence for a moment and an eternity, before Jamal broke in with an ultimatum.
"Get out. Both of you. Now."
George stood back in confusion. "What-"
"Get out or I'm getting you out myself."
Brian, well aware that there was no point in challenging him anymore, motioned for George to follow him out the door. In a flash the two were back out in the front yard, racing towards their ride home.
"You're not black, you hear me?" Came the cry from within the house. "You are not fucking black!"
Mister Anemone
"Why is Dab made Jay disappear in Lacey Games?"
- Pronouns
- She/They
Huh. Does the guy in the last part attempting to do an infamous author who pretended to be black and live in areas so that he could experience the societal problems they have?
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Addemup
Anti-Imperialist
Not too familiar with the story that you're talking about, but the kid genuinely believes in what he's doing.
Chapter C
Addemup
Anti-Imperialist
LEAVING THE CRADLE // Grand Plans.
Italian frigate Luigi Rizzo, under command of the MNTF, wracked by pro-EPF mutiny.
- Corriere della Sera; April 1, 2027.
- Vox; April 1, 2027.
- NBC News; April 2, 2027.
- The Boston Globe; April 3, 2027.
- The Atlantic; April 4, 2027.
- TASS; April 5, 2027.
- O Globo; April 6, 2027.
- The Daily Wire; April 7, 2027.
- Bloomberg; April 8, 2027.
- TASS; April 9, 2027.
- La República (Peru); April 10, 2027.
- The New York Post; April 11, 2027.
- Le Monde; April 12, 2027.
- @ItreoGuevera (Twitter); April 13, 2027.
- Euronews; April 14, 2027.
- BBC International; April 15, 2027.
- AI Today; April 16, 2027.
- @Soyjick43 (Twitter); April 17, 2027.
- BBC News; April 17, 2027.
- CNN; April 18, 2027.
- Donald Carter (CNN); April 18, 2027.
- Vox; April 19, 2027.
- Eurogamer; April 20, 2027.
- The Lexington-Herald Leader; April 21, 2027.
- Newsweek; April 22, 2027.
- The Eurasian Hope; April 23, 2027.
- Euronews; April 24, 2027.
- Right Wing Watch; April 25, 2027.
- France Info; April 26, 2027.
- RT; April 27, 2027.
- Al Jazeera; April 28, 2027.
- Le Monde; April 29, 2027.
- CNN; April 30, 2027.
- Jacobin; May 1, 2027.
- WRIC-TV; May 2, 2027.
- Forbes; May 3, 2027.
- FanNow; May 4, 2027.
- @SocialistAgainstChina (Twitter); May 5, 2027.
- Al Jazeera; May 6, 2027.
- The Washington Post; May 7, 2027.
- Joel Laprade (The Mountain News Network); May 8, 2027.
- BBC News; May 9, 2027.
- Wired; May 10, 2027.
- Vox; May 11, 2027.
- The New York Times; May 12, 2027.
- Fox News; May 13, 2027.
- Donald Trump, Jr. at campaign launch speech held in Miami; May 13, 2027.
- @ItreoGuevera (Twitter); May 14, 2027.
- ABC News (US); May 15, 2027.
- Euronews; May 16, 2027.
- Le Monde; May 17, 2027.
- New Vision; May 18, 2027.
- The Nikkei Shimbun; May 19, 2027.
- The San Fransico Chronicle; May 20, 2027.
Above Keka Keshavarz's head and the heads of dozens of tired workers, a whistle rang out signaling the end of their shift. For ten hours he had labored, doing nothing else but inserting the buttons on cargo pants, and now it was time for him to return home. It was a hard life, for sure, but it beat getting stabbed in the back once and never living to see another day.
He looked around at his coworkers as they left. Most were ethnic Han, but some were African, others Russian, many children as young as 12. He never had much time to talk with many of them - even those who were right next to him on the assembly line were reluctant to speak much - but that's not the reason you come to work, now is it?
It was a couple blocks' walk to the bus stop. The air was tinged with smog, obscuring the sky above, but it was still breathable. He thought about what he would do once he arrived home, a quaint apartment in the Cheung Sha Wan district, a home betting a modest man like himself. Yes, in times like these it would only be courteous to thank God for the pleasantries you have and for the gift of life.
But no matter how bad things might get, it would be nothing compared to what would have awaited him had he taken the plane to San Francisco.
- - -
2034 Winter Olympics to be held in Kathmandu, Nepal.
- BBC Sport; May 21, 2027.
- The Yomiuri Shimbun; May 22, 2027.
- The Verge; May 23, 2027.
- Wired; May 24, 2027.
- SpaceNews; May 25, 2027.
- Quote from press release statement announcing the Mars Mission Profile; May 25, 2027.
- @transSocialite (Twitter); May 25, 2027.
- Elon Musk (Twitter); May 25, 2027.
- @SsocialDemocratt (Twitter); May 25, 2027.
- CNN; May 26, 2027.
- TASS; May 27, 2027.
- Fox News; May 28, 2027.
- The Washington Post; May 29, 2027.
- Das Erste News; May 30, 2027.
- Al Jazeera; May 31, 2027.
- NBC News; June 1, 2027.
- Euronews; June 2, 2027.
- Fox News; June 3, 2027.
- Quote from Tim Anderson's presidential campaign announcement speech; June 3, 2027.
- Jesse Waters (Fox News); June 4, 2027.
- The Guardian; June 5, 2027.
- Vox; June 6, 2027.
- @ItreoGuevera (Twitter); June 6, 2027.
- @Soyjick43C (Twitter); June 6, 2027.
- Statistica; June 7, 2027.
- WCVB-TV; June 8, 2027.
- The New York Post; June 9, 2027.
- NBC News; June 10, 2027.
- VRNow; June 11, 2027.
- Le Figaro; June 12, 2027.
- Fox News; June 13, 2027.
- SABC News; June 14, 2027.
- The Huffington Post; June 15, 2027.
- O Globo; June 16, 2027.
- Nova Roma (Tsardom-controlled online newspaper); June 17, 2027.
- Zviazda; June 18, 2027.
- Euronews; June 18, 2027.
- Donald Carter (CNN); June 19, 2027.
- Bild; June 20, 2027.
- CNN; June 21, 2027.
- Lithuania Tribune; June 22, 2027.
- The Los Angeles Times; June 23, 2027.
- Entertainment Weekly; June 24, 2027.
- Folha de S.Paulo; June 25, 2027.
- Anchorage Daily News; June 26, 2027.
- The Richmond Times-Dispatch; June 26, 2027.
- ABC News (US); June 27, 2027.
- Dagens Nyheter; June 28, 2027.
- Fox News; June 29, 2027.
- OANN; June 30, 2027.
- The Washington Post; July 1, 2027.
- BBC International; July 2, 2027.
- Le Monde; July 3, 2027.
- The Washington Post; July 4, 2027.
- CNN; July 5, 2027.
- Polygon; July 6, 2027.
- Al Jazeera; July 7, 2027.
- Euronews; July 8, 2027.
- AltTech Insider; July 9, 2027.
- Polygon; July 10, 2027.
- Svenska Dagbladet; July 11, 2027.
- The Denver Post; July 12, 2027.
- ABC News (US); July 13, 2027.
- TV Brasilia News; July 14, 2027.
- Al Jazeera; July 15, 2027.
- Wired; July 16, 2027.
- TVNZ; July 17, 2027.
- BBC Sport; July 18, 2027.
- The Hollywood Reporter; July 18, 2027.
- Vice; July 19, 2027.
- The Toronto Star; July 20, 2027.
- OANN; July 21, 2027.
- WVUE-DT; July 22, 2027.
- RT; July 23, 2027.
- Der Speigel; July 24, 2027.
- Memebase; July 25, 2027.
- Euronews; July 26, 2027.
- The Verge; July 27, 2027.
- Breitbart; July 28, 2027.
- The Chicago Tribune; July 29, 2027.
- RT; July 30, 2027.
- Naija News; July 31, 2027.
During the northern summer of 2027, the campaigns for the 2028 presidential election truly began to pick up steam. Both the Democratic and Republican fields were chock full of candidates, and to all observers the final outcome remained too far away to determine.
But to those who were more interested in the entertainment that politics provided, the real scene to watch was the ongoing debacle in the Freedom Party primaries.
There were three candidates, a small roster for a small party: political and business dynast Donald Trump, Jr., House Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, and Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas. Over the following years, the exploits of these three candidates over the course of the campaign season became the stuff of legends.
They agreed on only three things: they were against the nebulous "establishment", they believed that Donald Trump, Sr. had won the 2020 presidential election, and they believed that his death in September 2025 was a "hit" orchestrated by the Democratic National Committee. Beyond this, the candidates shared no common ground.
Trump, Jr. put an emphasis on persecuting those allegedly involved in the conspiracy and murder of his father, even going to far as to "name and shame" several Washington leaders who orchestrated the supposed plot. A major talking point of Greene's was the establishment of a "national divorce", wherein majority left-wing states would separate themselves from majority right-wing states in an attempt to avoid civil war. Cotton was adamant on ridding racial left-wing terrorist groups like Antifa, often using white supremacist dog whistles during speeches when discussing his intentions towards those groups.
The real entertainment, however, was the infighting. All three candidates, especially Trump, would come to trade insults and jabs at each other on the campaign trail, attacking them for being "grifters" or "un-American". One incident of particular note was on July 17 when Trump, upon discovering that Cotton would be holding a rally in Kansas City, Missouri, decided to hold a concurrent rally in Kansas City, Kansas in an attempt to "spite him". Trump would afterwards fly over to Cotton's rally and surprised him by entering the convention center with his entourage and asked to speak with him in person. Photographs of the two shaking hands while appearing tense would be shared around on social media as reaction images and memes.
Despite all the showmanship and political theater, the Freedom Party primaries had little impact on the actual election. A Gallup poll in August 2027 revealed that only 11% of US voters supported Freedom, and analysts predicted that this would only go down as the months progress. From the perspective of those living in 2027, it would not be too difficult to assume that the meteoric rise of the Freedom Party would be remembered as an outlier, a temporary fluke in the US political system's two party dynamic. As will be explained in subsequent volumes, this would become an incorrect assumption.
- Adam-5. "A Complete History of the United States of America, First Edition; Volume XIX: 2009-2029", New Lansing Virtual Press, 2174
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