- Location
- The observable universe
The Europeans in China are in for a nasty surprise
The East is Red: A Reds! 1853 ISOT
- Thread starter nachtingale
- Start date
- Modern Post-1900
Chapter 5: Farmer Fever
nachtingale
20. On that "honk, mimimi" type beat everyday.
- Location
- Malaysia
- Pronouns
- He/They
June 9th, 1853.
Area around Modern Day Tainan, Taiwan.
Zhu Li swung one last time at the solid ground below him, his hoe connecting with the earth with a satisfying "thuk" as he let out a small gasp. He wiped his face with his battered shirt, adjusting his hat slightly in a vain hope to block out the sun's ever present heat. It was hard work, but at least he'd finally finished tilling his small plot of farmland for the coming second planting season.
They were unusually lucky this year, with the early retreat of the dreaded winter allowing for a far earlier harvest but a few weeks ago, the small little community he and his family resided in had begun working on their second harvest with even more haste, hoping to catch a lucky break with a fully matured second batch of rice plants to enjoy the winter with. Even if the winters here were not as unforgiving as those on the mainland, it still did not hurt to take extra care when it came to matters of food.
It was a shame, the spritely farmer mused, that the heavy taxes collected by the Qing would mean that most of his own personal harvest would be taken as payment for that damn war on the mainland, but he supposed that that was the price of taking prime farmland on the island, having arrived not but a few years ago. That didn't mean Zhu Li was very happy about the whole situation, but simply that he would have to suffer as the rest of the fledgling Taiwan farmers would too, though at least they were a close-knit bunch, most choosing to help each other out when mainland traders became particularly scarce.
Speaking of which, he noticed his neighbor approaching down the dirt trail, carrying a basket.
"Ah, old man Pao, so nice to see you this morning, how's the kids?" Zhu Li cried out as he stabbed his hoe into the dirt to keep it upright, walking around the tilled soil to greet the old man.
"Ah you know how the little shits are, they're busy working the farm like you are, albeit with a lot more grumbling than you probably were doing." the old man tittered, scratching his stout beard.
"Ah I wouldn't say that, but why'd you come up here? Should've sent them if you needed something, since they're all sooo hanky about the farm."
"Wouldn't trust 'em to piss straight in a pond, but anyways, no, just wanted to give your kids some clothes, since, y'know, traders haven't arrived in a couple of weeks, and you know how kids are with their belongings, can't help themselves from tearing stuff apart." Pao said with a sigh, laying down his basket to show a few handmade clothes, most likely hand-me-downs, Zhu Li raised his hands in shock.
"Oh come off it, I couldn't possibly, this is too much!"
"Ah damnit get away from me with that customs stuff, just take it, my kids are still looking for wives anyways."
Zhu Li could only sigh, "Ok ok, have it your way old man but don't go running to Chief Zhang if you need these again."
He started rummaging through the simple bamboo basket, collecting the few clothes at the bottom as he stirred again, "Say, those traders were supposed to come around a few weeks ago right? Wonder what's going on with them."
"Beats me, you see the coast as well as I do, aint been any ships anywhere, guailou or otherwise." he gestured to the west, the clear blue waters meeting the white skies at the horizon, showing a great heaping of... nothing. Well, not quite, there seemed to be some ships over the distance, coming at quite some speed, but he dismissed those as but mirages.
After all, what type of ship could approach at that speed?
Zhu Li grumbled, bringing up the bundle of fabrics with a huff, "Must be the damned Taiping fellows, I heard they captured Nanjing a few moons ago?"
"Probably, but eh, who the hell knows-"
Their conversation would be rudely interrupted by a flurry of shadows appearing overhead, leaving a deafening noise their wake. They both instinctively ducked away from the noise, scrambling to pull themselves up as they tried desperately to search for what just passed overhead.
"What in the hell was that?!" Zhu Li cried out as he saw his wife start walking out of their little cabin, also frightened by the sudden sound.
Old Man Pao was clearly much more collected, as he began pointing at the sky, "Not quite sure, but whatever they were, they seem to be dropping... something."
Zhu Li followed Pao's direction, focusing on the skies as he started to see something begin to flutter about the skies, slowly cascading into first dozens, then hundreds, until they began blotting out parts of the sunlight as they began landing everywhere around the little farming community. Others began to appear from their abodes, some watching with awe, some with fear, as they began collecting the paper sheets.
He reached to pick one up himself, trying in vain to understand the writing, which seemed quite large, but was completely unlike anything he'd ever seen from the local government offices, there was not even the assumed government seals that would be plastered over the valuable parchments. Unfortunately, he could not count himself among those lucky enough to have learnt how to read, so he simply gestured to old man Pao, who could only shrug.
"Beats me, maybe the Chief knows something? He's the only one out of us who even managed to get into the civil examinations after all."
Zhu Li agreed, telling his wife to make sure the kids didn't run about whilst he was away, and quickly left with Pao to the Chief's house a short trip away.
"Well, it says here that apparently whoever these people are, that they're planning on liberating this island, and that we should not worry about the change in administration." the Chief said as he kept reading, painfully slow.
The gathered men, all obviously miffed at the strange incident, continued to listen on, with some curiosity.
"Does it say who these people are? Are they the Taiping?" one of them asked, the enthusiasm in his voice perhaps a bit too noticeable. They couldn't exactly blame him, their anti-Qing rhetoric was particularly appealing to the freedom seeking colonists.
"It simply says that they stand for the people of Taiwan." he grunted, looking through the document as he came to a stop at another section, wide-eyed.
"It says here that, henceforth, the island of Taiwan shall belong to its people, its land and wealth held in common for all to prosper, that they would not seek to take our harvests."
Now that got the crowd's attention, as they started asking further questions, none of which the pamphlet answered.
"How are they going to do that?"
"They're trying to overthrow the Qing? Are they mad?!"
"How did they even get these papers in the air anyways?"
They started conversing even more amongst themselves, Zhu Li and Pao speaking to one another in confusing as well.
"Do you think its one of those guailou plots again?" Zhu Li asked incredulously.
"I mean, I would not put it past them my son, but I've never heard of this happening before, especially with the sky dropping paper and all, it is quite bizarre." the old man stroked what little beard he had, a calming mechanism to fall back on.
"Aye, that is strange."
Another man rushed in, "Hey everyone! There's some people outside, they say they wish to speak with with the chief!"
Everyone hushed up amongst themselves, as they all crowded out of the small building to see themselves greeted by at least a few dozen soldiers, as illiterate as they were, they could still tell what a gun was, albeit it was a strange one. They were remarkably well dressed, though the strangest part was their racial disposition. Zhu Li noted the guailous and even some southerners amongst their ranks, coalescing with the larger Asian disposition of the force.
He also noted the carriages behind them, massive as they were, they carried very unfamiliar banners, a pure red banner unlike anything he had ever looked at, with a sickle and hammer piercing some circular object. He noted how polished the banner looked, far more than any Qing fabric could have produced, even with his scant few memories of direct dealings with the local administration.
The Chief tried his best to polish his look, though given the rurality of their land, it wasn't much. Even compared to these soldiers, he looked downright slovenly, but he bowed to them all the same.
Interestingly, one of the soldiers gave him a bow back, which surprised the Chief slightly.
"Strangers, welcome to our humble community of Pinghai. You do not seem to carry any banners of the Qing, and we are but simple farmers working our trade, for what purpose do you come here?"
The man who gave the Chief a bow gave a subtle nod, he was clearly the leader of this group. "Thank you for your generosity in appearing before us, my name is Captain Yasuda. We have come here today to inform you that from this day onwards, you shall no longer need to pay tribute to the Qing, nor anyone else, for you have been liberated by your fellow workers and farmers."
The Chief looked confused as the Captain explained himself, merely nodding as he said, "We... thank you for that? So you did not come here seeking to take our crops?"
The Captain looked offended for but the briefest of moments, before placing a hand on the Chief's shoulder and smiling.
"You shan't need worry for that anymore, we are no looters, in fact, we come here to give you all the prosperity that you so righteously deserve."
Captain Yasuda looked at his wrist before slapping the Chief on the back, a wide smile on his face.
"Well, we shall needs be going further, do you happen to know of any nearby villages? We are on a tight schedule as you can see."
The Chief pointed further down the dirt trail, "Take the right path and you should see another village, you can tell them that you have the recommendations of Chief Li Peng."
"Right, thank you, another group carrying our banners will come along soon to give you all some medical aid, doctors and the like. Feel free to ask them for anything you need." Captain Yasuda tipped his hat slightly, some kind of greeting amongst his own.
He marched off, shouting orders in some other language as the soldiers embarked on their carriages, leaving with the most frightful of noises, though not as explosive on the ears as what had come before.
The villagers were left quite stunned, to be honest, and as the Captain had promised, the next batch of strange people came not with guns and uniforms, but pen and paper.
They offered to treat the villagers for not even a single coin, healing them with strange techniques they had never seen before. Some would even help with a sudden birth, treating the process with such care and speed that they would only earn the respect and admiration of the villagers further.
Days later, even more people on steel carriages would arrive, carrying hoes and other such tools. They offered to help the farmers with their work, which none would dare reject the extra hands for the farms. It was going to be a busy few days indeed.
But all were far more excited at what these new strangers would bring next, as the talk of so much grain still remaining amongst the farming communities would spread like wildfire, most simply hosting festivals in honor of these new people, dancing, eating, and drinking like it was their last night on this land. It very well felt like they were in heaven, for what could explain the generosity of these new administrators as but the will of the Gods?
That misconception would take quite a while to fix, but for now, it was a time for planting and celebrations.
June 15th, 1853.
Pyongyang, Socialist Republic of Chosun.
"Viewers of the People's Voice, I am Kim Yo-Joong here at the desk this wonderful evening and we welcome you back to our regular scheduled broadcast. The Presidium of the World Congress has just announced an end to the operations on the island of Taiwan, and has declared success in our operations to liberate the oppressed peoples of the island in but a short week. This operation, which the Presidium has indicated to be part of a larger, but yet still undisclosed operation to liberate the East Asian proletariat, was launched but a week ago, with the support and full cooperation of all forces of the International Revolutionary Armed Forces, and has been completed but a few short hours ago."
"We expect the proletariat of the formerly Zhongguonese territories to be welcomed amongst the Internationale's ranks in quick succession, as the World Congress begins setting in motion the process of proletarianization, seeking to use the island as a testbed for future operations. We here at the People's Voice can only hope that the proletariat of East Asia will be liberated with oft seen swiftness, but also with the continued deft hand of the Presidium."
"In other news, the Spartakaid is expected to launch next year as planned previously..."
A/N: And there's a new chapter! Hope you liked it.
Area around Modern Day Tainan, Taiwan.
Zhu Li swung one last time at the solid ground below him, his hoe connecting with the earth with a satisfying "thuk" as he let out a small gasp. He wiped his face with his battered shirt, adjusting his hat slightly in a vain hope to block out the sun's ever present heat. It was hard work, but at least he'd finally finished tilling his small plot of farmland for the coming second planting season.
They were unusually lucky this year, with the early retreat of the dreaded winter allowing for a far earlier harvest but a few weeks ago, the small little community he and his family resided in had begun working on their second harvest with even more haste, hoping to catch a lucky break with a fully matured second batch of rice plants to enjoy the winter with. Even if the winters here were not as unforgiving as those on the mainland, it still did not hurt to take extra care when it came to matters of food.
It was a shame, the spritely farmer mused, that the heavy taxes collected by the Qing would mean that most of his own personal harvest would be taken as payment for that damn war on the mainland, but he supposed that that was the price of taking prime farmland on the island, having arrived not but a few years ago. That didn't mean Zhu Li was very happy about the whole situation, but simply that he would have to suffer as the rest of the fledgling Taiwan farmers would too, though at least they were a close-knit bunch, most choosing to help each other out when mainland traders became particularly scarce.
Speaking of which, he noticed his neighbor approaching down the dirt trail, carrying a basket.
"Ah, old man Pao, so nice to see you this morning, how's the kids?" Zhu Li cried out as he stabbed his hoe into the dirt to keep it upright, walking around the tilled soil to greet the old man.
"Ah you know how the little shits are, they're busy working the farm like you are, albeit with a lot more grumbling than you probably were doing." the old man tittered, scratching his stout beard.
"Ah I wouldn't say that, but why'd you come up here? Should've sent them if you needed something, since they're all sooo hanky about the farm."
"Wouldn't trust 'em to piss straight in a pond, but anyways, no, just wanted to give your kids some clothes, since, y'know, traders haven't arrived in a couple of weeks, and you know how kids are with their belongings, can't help themselves from tearing stuff apart." Pao said with a sigh, laying down his basket to show a few handmade clothes, most likely hand-me-downs, Zhu Li raised his hands in shock.
"Oh come off it, I couldn't possibly, this is too much!"
"Ah damnit get away from me with that customs stuff, just take it, my kids are still looking for wives anyways."
Zhu Li could only sigh, "Ok ok, have it your way old man but don't go running to Chief Zhang if you need these again."
He started rummaging through the simple bamboo basket, collecting the few clothes at the bottom as he stirred again, "Say, those traders were supposed to come around a few weeks ago right? Wonder what's going on with them."
"Beats me, you see the coast as well as I do, aint been any ships anywhere, guailou or otherwise." he gestured to the west, the clear blue waters meeting the white skies at the horizon, showing a great heaping of... nothing. Well, not quite, there seemed to be some ships over the distance, coming at quite some speed, but he dismissed those as but mirages.
After all, what type of ship could approach at that speed?
Zhu Li grumbled, bringing up the bundle of fabrics with a huff, "Must be the damned Taiping fellows, I heard they captured Nanjing a few moons ago?"
"Probably, but eh, who the hell knows-"
Their conversation would be rudely interrupted by a flurry of shadows appearing overhead, leaving a deafening noise their wake. They both instinctively ducked away from the noise, scrambling to pull themselves up as they tried desperately to search for what just passed overhead.
"What in the hell was that?!" Zhu Li cried out as he saw his wife start walking out of their little cabin, also frightened by the sudden sound.
Old Man Pao was clearly much more collected, as he began pointing at the sky, "Not quite sure, but whatever they were, they seem to be dropping... something."
Zhu Li followed Pao's direction, focusing on the skies as he started to see something begin to flutter about the skies, slowly cascading into first dozens, then hundreds, until they began blotting out parts of the sunlight as they began landing everywhere around the little farming community. Others began to appear from their abodes, some watching with awe, some with fear, as they began collecting the paper sheets.
He reached to pick one up himself, trying in vain to understand the writing, which seemed quite large, but was completely unlike anything he'd ever seen from the local government offices, there was not even the assumed government seals that would be plastered over the valuable parchments. Unfortunately, he could not count himself among those lucky enough to have learnt how to read, so he simply gestured to old man Pao, who could only shrug.
"Beats me, maybe the Chief knows something? He's the only one out of us who even managed to get into the civil examinations after all."
Zhu Li agreed, telling his wife to make sure the kids didn't run about whilst he was away, and quickly left with Pao to the Chief's house a short trip away.
"Well, it says here that apparently whoever these people are, that they're planning on liberating this island, and that we should not worry about the change in administration." the Chief said as he kept reading, painfully slow.
The gathered men, all obviously miffed at the strange incident, continued to listen on, with some curiosity.
"Does it say who these people are? Are they the Taiping?" one of them asked, the enthusiasm in his voice perhaps a bit too noticeable. They couldn't exactly blame him, their anti-Qing rhetoric was particularly appealing to the freedom seeking colonists.
"It simply says that they stand for the people of Taiwan." he grunted, looking through the document as he came to a stop at another section, wide-eyed.
"It says here that, henceforth, the island of Taiwan shall belong to its people, its land and wealth held in common for all to prosper, that they would not seek to take our harvests."
Now that got the crowd's attention, as they started asking further questions, none of which the pamphlet answered.
"How are they going to do that?"
"They're trying to overthrow the Qing? Are they mad?!"
"How did they even get these papers in the air anyways?"
They started conversing even more amongst themselves, Zhu Li and Pao speaking to one another in confusing as well.
"Do you think its one of those guailou plots again?" Zhu Li asked incredulously.
"I mean, I would not put it past them my son, but I've never heard of this happening before, especially with the sky dropping paper and all, it is quite bizarre." the old man stroked what little beard he had, a calming mechanism to fall back on.
"Aye, that is strange."
Another man rushed in, "Hey everyone! There's some people outside, they say they wish to speak with with the chief!"
Everyone hushed up amongst themselves, as they all crowded out of the small building to see themselves greeted by at least a few dozen soldiers, as illiterate as they were, they could still tell what a gun was, albeit it was a strange one. They were remarkably well dressed, though the strangest part was their racial disposition. Zhu Li noted the guailous and even some southerners amongst their ranks, coalescing with the larger Asian disposition of the force.
He also noted the carriages behind them, massive as they were, they carried very unfamiliar banners, a pure red banner unlike anything he had ever looked at, with a sickle and hammer piercing some circular object. He noted how polished the banner looked, far more than any Qing fabric could have produced, even with his scant few memories of direct dealings with the local administration.
The Chief tried his best to polish his look, though given the rurality of their land, it wasn't much. Even compared to these soldiers, he looked downright slovenly, but he bowed to them all the same.
Interestingly, one of the soldiers gave him a bow back, which surprised the Chief slightly.
"Strangers, welcome to our humble community of Pinghai. You do not seem to carry any banners of the Qing, and we are but simple farmers working our trade, for what purpose do you come here?"
The man who gave the Chief a bow gave a subtle nod, he was clearly the leader of this group. "Thank you for your generosity in appearing before us, my name is Captain Yasuda. We have come here today to inform you that from this day onwards, you shall no longer need to pay tribute to the Qing, nor anyone else, for you have been liberated by your fellow workers and farmers."
The Chief looked confused as the Captain explained himself, merely nodding as he said, "We... thank you for that? So you did not come here seeking to take our crops?"
The Captain looked offended for but the briefest of moments, before placing a hand on the Chief's shoulder and smiling.
"You shan't need worry for that anymore, we are no looters, in fact, we come here to give you all the prosperity that you so righteously deserve."
Captain Yasuda looked at his wrist before slapping the Chief on the back, a wide smile on his face.
"Well, we shall needs be going further, do you happen to know of any nearby villages? We are on a tight schedule as you can see."
The Chief pointed further down the dirt trail, "Take the right path and you should see another village, you can tell them that you have the recommendations of Chief Li Peng."
"Right, thank you, another group carrying our banners will come along soon to give you all some medical aid, doctors and the like. Feel free to ask them for anything you need." Captain Yasuda tipped his hat slightly, some kind of greeting amongst his own.
He marched off, shouting orders in some other language as the soldiers embarked on their carriages, leaving with the most frightful of noises, though not as explosive on the ears as what had come before.
The villagers were left quite stunned, to be honest, and as the Captain had promised, the next batch of strange people came not with guns and uniforms, but pen and paper.
They offered to treat the villagers for not even a single coin, healing them with strange techniques they had never seen before. Some would even help with a sudden birth, treating the process with such care and speed that they would only earn the respect and admiration of the villagers further.
Days later, even more people on steel carriages would arrive, carrying hoes and other such tools. They offered to help the farmers with their work, which none would dare reject the extra hands for the farms. It was going to be a busy few days indeed.
But all were far more excited at what these new strangers would bring next, as the talk of so much grain still remaining amongst the farming communities would spread like wildfire, most simply hosting festivals in honor of these new people, dancing, eating, and drinking like it was their last night on this land. It very well felt like they were in heaven, for what could explain the generosity of these new administrators as but the will of the Gods?
That misconception would take quite a while to fix, but for now, it was a time for planting and celebrations.
June 15th, 1853.
Pyongyang, Socialist Republic of Chosun.
"Viewers of the People's Voice, I am Kim Yo-Joong here at the desk this wonderful evening and we welcome you back to our regular scheduled broadcast. The Presidium of the World Congress has just announced an end to the operations on the island of Taiwan, and has declared success in our operations to liberate the oppressed peoples of the island in but a short week. This operation, which the Presidium has indicated to be part of a larger, but yet still undisclosed operation to liberate the East Asian proletariat, was launched but a week ago, with the support and full cooperation of all forces of the International Revolutionary Armed Forces, and has been completed but a few short hours ago."
"We expect the proletariat of the formerly Zhongguonese territories to be welcomed amongst the Internationale's ranks in quick succession, as the World Congress begins setting in motion the process of proletarianization, seeking to use the island as a testbed for future operations. We here at the People's Voice can only hope that the proletariat of East Asia will be liberated with oft seen swiftness, but also with the continued deft hand of the Presidium."
"In other news, the Spartakaid is expected to launch next year as planned previously..."
A/N: And there's a new chapter! Hope you liked it.
always_confused
Perpetually unwanted
- Location
- SEA
So far, so good. The liberation of the mainland though...that's a whole lotta ground to cover. Even considering the disparity in technology and capabilities, it'll be slow-going I expect. And the development of Taiwan needs to be taken into consideration as well.
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Of course, there's also the indigenous people in Taiwan to consider, which is the usual sticky situation. But it's at least a relatively small region to deal with in general.
nachtingale
20. On that "honk, mimimi" type beat everyday.
- Location
- Malaysia
- Pronouns
- He/They
Yes especially considering that they are not the minority of today but a sizeable portion of the island's inhabitants by this point, as the lifting of the migration controls from the mainland only happens 20 years from now.
- Location
- The observable universe
taiwan is secure but its small fry compared to what comes next.
Thats actually a relief to hear
Paying Respects
nachtingale
20. On that "honk, mimimi" type beat everyday.
- Location
- Malaysia
- Pronouns
- He/They
A/N: I was already planning on writing this, but it didn't really seem to fit the next chapter I had planned, so here's the first sidestory of (maybe) many!
June 11th, 1853
Modern Day Southern Taichung, Taiwan.
Finding the Taiwanese natives would not be a very hard task at all, given the extensive contacts maintained by the former local Qing administrators. Though these contacts were only maintained insofar to those tribes that resided on the western side of the mountain ranges, they were quite robust, as the Qing saw them as but another people to subjugate and extract wealth from in exchange for their "protection". As such, for the Communist delegation, it was simply a matter of arranging a date and a place to meet with the representatives of the people of the plains.
Higa Minami adjusted her uniform one last time, a simple two piece suit, though it was most definitely not suited for such humid weather as undeveloped jungles could provide, it would not do well for a stately delegate to look so unseemly, even if it was not particularly frowned upon within the Comintern bloc. She checked her notes once more, making sure not to bungle this one up.
After all, for the Ryukyuan diplomat to be representing the entire bloc for this task, it would be very embarrassing to come up empty handed. But, she supposed, that was the price of having meticulously studied the Austronesian peoples for most of her life.
The Taokas tribe delegation appeared soon after, a not insignificant parade of people as they escorted their Matriarch into the prepared tents. Higa gave her the expected honor, bowing deeply, and the Matriarch returned the same. She was an old women, wrinkles showing age that far outpaced any downtimers Minami had seen. But that age did not belie weakness, for her eyes showed far more wisdom than would be suggested, a fierce determination that would not be buckled easily.
So far, so good. She thought to herself.
"Welcome, Mother Yue, we are honored to receive your delegation. I am Higa Minami, representing the new administration of this Island." Minami spoke in clear and slow Formosan, hoping that her modern pronunciation would not be unintelligible to the Taokan delegation.
The elderly woman looked shocked for a moment, her wrinkles forming an upside-down smile as she broke out with a smile shortly afterwards.
"I did not know there were those who spoke the common language, especially amongst the foreign people." She said as she sat down methodically, being helped by one of her compatriots. "That is a surprise, but a surprise that is welcome nonetheless."
"Thank you for the compliments, Mother Yue, and thank you for your generosity in accepting our invitation."
"Bah, we need not persist with such formalities, speak, friend, what is it that your people wish to discuss? I realize that you are not the people from across the Ocean, given your attires and manners, so what shall it be? Tribute?" Yue asked, batting the air as if trying to dispel the tact with a simple hand wave.
Minami smiled, "No, Mother, we do not come seeking tribute. Quite the opposite in fact, we come to warn you of the future to come, or the future that would come, so to speak."
The elderly woman raised an eyebrow, egging on the Ryukyuan to speak further.
"It would be better to show you first, before I explain further."
She raised her laptop, swiveling it around for the Taiwanese delegation to witness.
At first, Mother Yue was confused, for it showed quite impressively detailed artistry of her peoples in their customary dresses, though in black and white, with some in color, showing lifelike movements as they danced and sung in one of their rituals to the sea gods. It was quite amusing, for the fact that their clothes were even more vibrant than their own.
"You may not believe it, but this is about 160 years in the future, your people continue to survive and prosper, perhaps even more so."
Mother Yue nodded, not quite as shocked as Minami had expected, but was still somewhat surprised.
"I... see. That would explain much. But for what purpose do you show these? It is evident enough that we have prospered."
Minami struggled in her seat for a few seconds, clearly uncomfortable in that line of questioning.
"Well..." she scrolls through some of the pictures, landing on one that is too, black and white, but of a far more insidious tone.
The old woman stares at the screen, gone were the vibrant colors of the previous moving art, now replaced with skeletal husks of her people, some looking scarcely days away from death. The traditional clothes of her people replaced with something wholly unfamiliar to Yue, yet at the same time not, as she had seen those faces these people wore.
It was the faces of those who had ventured towards the foreigners to the south. Either willingly or simply lost, always returning with eyes devoid of light. They would still honor the customs, but without that same energy as they once had, though these were rare occasions. Those in these portraits showed something similar, yet far bleaker.
It was something that neither she, nor her compatriots, would quite forget until their last days.
"Your people do indeed prosper, but as you can see, they suffer greatly as well. Foreign occupiers, claiming it as their mission to civilize your backwards ways, all things that you have heard before, no doubt. But driven to its logical conclusion, it becomes a terrible creed, a path laden with death and destruction. Entire peoples wiped out before we even knew they existed." Minami explained, pausing every so often to allow Yue and her delegation to process her words before continuing. She turned the laptop around, instead offering printed copies, all nicely tucked away into a folder, to the Taokan delegation.
"Which is why, we wish to extend a helping hand. Not one of 'civilizing', for all are already such, but simply aid so that you may never be oppressed as you just saw. We will offer all that we can to help you, but only if you allow us."
"If we refused your offer?" Mother Yue asked quietly.
"Then, we shall endeavor to ensure that your lands are not infringed upon by any colonists, from us or any other. And that proper recompense be granted for the lands that you have already lost. You shall be free to live without the burden of tribute."
"But why offer us such generous terms? It is clear to all that you could simply trample over us as if we were naught but grass, as you have already done with those before you."
Minami smiled, "That is because we understand what oppression feels, however light those chains may be. Us Ryukyuans have suffered as much as you have, and we were lucky to be liberated from those chains of servitude. We fight for the hope that any peoples of this vast world, no matter how insignificant or how great they be, will be treated with equal respect and dignity that they all deserve."
Mother Yue stayed silent for a few minutes, contemplating her choices. She excused herself from the tent, moving slowly and thanking the Ryukyuan diplomat for the information provided as she allowed herself to more freely converse with her fellow elders, but it was a quick decision.
"We accept your proposal for aid on behalf of our people, and we thank you for this forewarning."
"Thank you, let us give hope that this will only be the first of many more fruitful meetings to come. Amongst equals." Minami stood up, bowing once more.
Mother Yue offered the same.
For the first time, the Ryukyuan thought that perhaps, it would not be so difficult.
But, it was only one of many more tribes to handle, and yet the future had never shone more brighter on the fair isle.
It was going to be a productive year for the woman.
June 11th, 1853
Modern Day Southern Taichung, Taiwan.
Finding the Taiwanese natives would not be a very hard task at all, given the extensive contacts maintained by the former local Qing administrators. Though these contacts were only maintained insofar to those tribes that resided on the western side of the mountain ranges, they were quite robust, as the Qing saw them as but another people to subjugate and extract wealth from in exchange for their "protection". As such, for the Communist delegation, it was simply a matter of arranging a date and a place to meet with the representatives of the people of the plains.
Higa Minami adjusted her uniform one last time, a simple two piece suit, though it was most definitely not suited for such humid weather as undeveloped jungles could provide, it would not do well for a stately delegate to look so unseemly, even if it was not particularly frowned upon within the Comintern bloc. She checked her notes once more, making sure not to bungle this one up.
After all, for the Ryukyuan diplomat to be representing the entire bloc for this task, it would be very embarrassing to come up empty handed. But, she supposed, that was the price of having meticulously studied the Austronesian peoples for most of her life.
The Taokas tribe delegation appeared soon after, a not insignificant parade of people as they escorted their Matriarch into the prepared tents. Higa gave her the expected honor, bowing deeply, and the Matriarch returned the same. She was an old women, wrinkles showing age that far outpaced any downtimers Minami had seen. But that age did not belie weakness, for her eyes showed far more wisdom than would be suggested, a fierce determination that would not be buckled easily.
So far, so good. She thought to herself.
"Welcome, Mother Yue, we are honored to receive your delegation. I am Higa Minami, representing the new administration of this Island." Minami spoke in clear and slow Formosan, hoping that her modern pronunciation would not be unintelligible to the Taokan delegation.
The elderly woman looked shocked for a moment, her wrinkles forming an upside-down smile as she broke out with a smile shortly afterwards.
"I did not know there were those who spoke the common language, especially amongst the foreign people." She said as she sat down methodically, being helped by one of her compatriots. "That is a surprise, but a surprise that is welcome nonetheless."
"Thank you for the compliments, Mother Yue, and thank you for your generosity in accepting our invitation."
"Bah, we need not persist with such formalities, speak, friend, what is it that your people wish to discuss? I realize that you are not the people from across the Ocean, given your attires and manners, so what shall it be? Tribute?" Yue asked, batting the air as if trying to dispel the tact with a simple hand wave.
Minami smiled, "No, Mother, we do not come seeking tribute. Quite the opposite in fact, we come to warn you of the future to come, or the future that would come, so to speak."
The elderly woman raised an eyebrow, egging on the Ryukyuan to speak further.
"It would be better to show you first, before I explain further."
She raised her laptop, swiveling it around for the Taiwanese delegation to witness.
At first, Mother Yue was confused, for it showed quite impressively detailed artistry of her peoples in their customary dresses, though in black and white, with some in color, showing lifelike movements as they danced and sung in one of their rituals to the sea gods. It was quite amusing, for the fact that their clothes were even more vibrant than their own.
"You may not believe it, but this is about 160 years in the future, your people continue to survive and prosper, perhaps even more so."
Mother Yue nodded, not quite as shocked as Minami had expected, but was still somewhat surprised.
"I... see. That would explain much. But for what purpose do you show these? It is evident enough that we have prospered."
Minami struggled in her seat for a few seconds, clearly uncomfortable in that line of questioning.
"Well..." she scrolls through some of the pictures, landing on one that is too, black and white, but of a far more insidious tone.
The old woman stares at the screen, gone were the vibrant colors of the previous moving art, now replaced with skeletal husks of her people, some looking scarcely days away from death. The traditional clothes of her people replaced with something wholly unfamiliar to Yue, yet at the same time not, as she had seen those faces these people wore.
It was the faces of those who had ventured towards the foreigners to the south. Either willingly or simply lost, always returning with eyes devoid of light. They would still honor the customs, but without that same energy as they once had, though these were rare occasions. Those in these portraits showed something similar, yet far bleaker.
It was something that neither she, nor her compatriots, would quite forget until their last days.
"Your people do indeed prosper, but as you can see, they suffer greatly as well. Foreign occupiers, claiming it as their mission to civilize your backwards ways, all things that you have heard before, no doubt. But driven to its logical conclusion, it becomes a terrible creed, a path laden with death and destruction. Entire peoples wiped out before we even knew they existed." Minami explained, pausing every so often to allow Yue and her delegation to process her words before continuing. She turned the laptop around, instead offering printed copies, all nicely tucked away into a folder, to the Taokan delegation.
"Which is why, we wish to extend a helping hand. Not one of 'civilizing', for all are already such, but simply aid so that you may never be oppressed as you just saw. We will offer all that we can to help you, but only if you allow us."
"If we refused your offer?" Mother Yue asked quietly.
"Then, we shall endeavor to ensure that your lands are not infringed upon by any colonists, from us or any other. And that proper recompense be granted for the lands that you have already lost. You shall be free to live without the burden of tribute."
"But why offer us such generous terms? It is clear to all that you could simply trample over us as if we were naught but grass, as you have already done with those before you."
Minami smiled, "That is because we understand what oppression feels, however light those chains may be. Us Ryukyuans have suffered as much as you have, and we were lucky to be liberated from those chains of servitude. We fight for the hope that any peoples of this vast world, no matter how insignificant or how great they be, will be treated with equal respect and dignity that they all deserve."
Mother Yue stayed silent for a few minutes, contemplating her choices. She excused herself from the tent, moving slowly and thanking the Ryukyuan diplomat for the information provided as she allowed herself to more freely converse with her fellow elders, but it was a quick decision.
"We accept your proposal for aid on behalf of our people, and we thank you for this forewarning."
"Thank you, let us give hope that this will only be the first of many more fruitful meetings to come. Amongst equals." Minami stood up, bowing once more.
Mother Yue offered the same.
For the first time, the Ryukyuan thought that perhaps, it would not be so difficult.
But, it was only one of many more tribes to handle, and yet the future had never shone more brighter on the fair isle.
It was going to be a productive year for the woman.
always_confused
Perpetually unwanted
- Location
- SEA
Stretched resources and logistics is definitely going to be something that'll have to be sorted out in the middle-run, even if being from Reds! means our Red East are somewhat more self-sufficient than they'd otherwise be.
More to the point, I'd say the Red Bloc will have to do a form of...I'm not sure if 'triage' is the word I'd use, but they'll have to balance where they want to be with where they *can* be. Turning China Red is already going to be a long process and there's the Russian Revolutionaries to aid some 60 years or so down the line as well.
Objectively that's a nice, solid Red Bloc to build up but also well...we also have to face the facts that it probably means surrendering Africa, the MENA and South Asia to the tender mercies of the Colonizing powers.
More to the point, I'd say the Red Bloc will have to do a form of...I'm not sure if 'triage' is the word I'd use, but they'll have to balance where they want to be with where they *can* be. Turning China Red is already going to be a long process and there's the Russian Revolutionaries to aid some 60 years or so down the line as well.
Objectively that's a nice, solid Red Bloc to build up but also well...we also have to face the facts that it probably means surrendering Africa, the MENA and South Asia to the tender mercies of the Colonizing powers.
- Location
- The observable universe
I mean there is no guarantee that the Russian revolution will happen as planned, Chosun and Nippon have already set so many butterflies in motion; their very existence changes so much about the balance of power that there is no telling what happens next.
Though I suspect they may wanna take a look at Africa if nothing else except it has many of the resources they would need to build up
King Washington
Semi-Depressed Lurker
- Location
- Indiana
So didn't the early Taiping have some socialistic leanings? Wonder if any of those tendencies can be co-opted
Crayz9000
Deranged Bounty Hunter
- Location
- Improbably superpositioned
The craziest part of this ISOT is that the the Manifesto was published barely five years before the Event, and the first volume of Capital wouldn't be published for another 13 years. Given all the work Marx left unfinished, it would be interesting to see what he and Engels might accomplish when presented with complete copies of his later manuscripts.
- Location
- India
What is plan for india? Is there any indian representative present among isot population?
- Location
- The observable universe
we might actually get the complete sequels to Das Kapital aka more books for leftists to infight over
- Location
- Armchair somewhere
- Pronouns
- They/Them
now I REALLY want to see Marx travel to Japan both to see himself vindicated and socialism vindicated, and to improve upon his theory. Plus imagine being a socialist citizen, having been taught about Marxism in history class and econ and everything and then you're in the past and THERES THE GUY
nachtingale
20. On that "honk, mimimi" type beat everyday.
- Location
- Malaysia
- Pronouns
- He/They
Marx, as with most well to do Europeans, has most of his attention devoted to the concurrently ongoing Russian military maneuvers in the Balkans. Insofar as any news from Japan and the Far East is concerned, most are currently dismissing it as hearsay of drunken sailors. This after all, is the very beginning of the age of the telegraph, 9 month letters from London to Hong Kong are a thing of yesteryear (quite literally in this case).
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Crayz9000
Deranged Bounty Hunter
- Location
- Improbably superpositioned
Regardless, it's still early enough in his life that even if it takes a few years for the Europeans to start taking the news seriously he will eventually have time to investigate.
For that matter, it's almost certain that the uptimers have copies of his analysis of the failures of the Paris commune. As long as the commune is willing to treat the future knowledge seriously, they might manage to rally the countryside and avoid their IRL fate, and that's assuming the uptimers don't provide direct material support.
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Chapter 6: The Carrot and the Stick
nachtingale
20. On that "honk, mimimi" type beat everyday.
- Location
- Malaysia
- Pronouns
- He/They
June 25th, 1853
Pyongyang, Chosun
Commodore Perry checked his clothes one last time, making sure that these things felt comfortable for his body. It was a nice drab blue "overall", as the kind folks who helped pick it out for him called it, with a beige undershirt underneath it to fill out his figure and a newsboy cap to boot. If he was being completely honest, he did quite enjoy the look, as did his newly acquired acquaintances.
Though, it took a while to get used to it, without the oppressive feeling of thick cotton squeezing every amount of space internally, as his old officer uniform was oft to do, it did feel like he was walking around naked sometimes.
But damn if he couldn't complain, for it was quite the remarkable difference. The fact that even with how light this apparel was, he felt nice and comfortable , was far a boon that he'd be remiss to let go off now that he'd experienced it.
He walked out of his own bedroom, now adorned with all sorts of trinkets he'd collected around this wonderous city, and greeted his roommates. The housing arrangement was quite unique, with several families lumped under one roof, all collectively sharing appliances and helping each other out with chores. A man of 58, though he looked more like 30 to Perry, was busy helping the other families clean the dishes as they'd all planned out, the soft trickling of water splashing against ceramic and plastic.
"Hey Jim, how's the garden work been keeping you, I hope it hasn't been too tough." he said, giving Jim a light pat on the shoulder.
"Ah, mornin' Perry, nah, I may be older than you but I've still got a helluva lot of juice in this tank bud." Jim chuckled.
The rest of the families greeted him with the same jovial attitude, though it was still a bit strange sharing spaces with non-whites, he'd warmed up to them rather quickly after that lesson on the Jeju.
Perry moved over to help the others clean up the morning dishes as he continued.
"Well, I'm sure you've got more in the tank than my lard ass."
"Ah I wouldn't put it past Park to beat ya out on that department." he gestured over to a wider man sitting down on a couch with the others, who raised his hands in feigned disbelief.
"Hey, I'm offended, I'll have you know I trained quite hard to achieve this body!"
"Yeah yeah cupcake, we all know about your glorious Spartakaid past since ya won't stop yapping off about it to our new friend."
"In my defense, he approached me first!"
"I most assuredly did not," Perry spoke in his own defense, still trying to focus on cleaning what few dishes were left, "my recollection was that you'd drunk your way into a 2 hour speech that we had to sit through before you unceremoniously decided to sleep in the local park."
"It was damn comfortable grass and you know it!"
"And if only you'd ate more of it, we'd all be better for it."
They all had a laugh at that.
Soon afterwards, they'd finished with the dishes, with everyone giving their farewells as they all left for their respective work for the day. Perry had packed light, bringing with him a small bag slung around his shoulder. The sights of long steel carriages carrying dozens of people around in a speed that would surely make Vanderbilt blush as he made his way along the sidewalk was something to behold, as it made its way across the wide streets on its rubber wheels. A glimpse into the future perhaps, and Perry had to admit that that future looked particularly bright.
However, even that future still retained some familiar aspects of his life, the busy crowds of workers and families traveling about, and especially the trains which while very advanced, as his previous travel with Jim to the south had shown, they were still familiar enough to not look out of place back home. Though, perhaps without the pristine look of painted hulls.
The old man continued walking with a leisurely pace as he went through the local gardens, people were around, busy helping to water and fix the crops from the urban farms dotting the cityscape. It was another sight that Perry found quite interesting, for the cities of the Northeast were hardly the places where one could imagine growing crops to feed the local neighborhoods, so grimey and filled with the smell of soot and manure as it were.
That ever elusive smell of natural greenery that always escaped his own urban homes in the States was now ever present no matter where he traveled within the city, and it certainly helped to calm his nerves significantly, for he was still not too used with interacting with so many strangers in such sudden circumstances.
Perry tried his best to respond, and soon most got the idea that he was perhaps a bit off kilter, and allowed him some breathing space as he finally reached his destination.
He approached the entrance to the local library, enjoying the colorful paintjob given to its outsides. It was always a delight to see, even if it was draped by Chosunese banners that he did not particularly understand. It was a decently sized place, easily the most vibrant part of the local neighborhood as students and children mucked about with books and those electric devices he'd continued to be introduced to by his fellow roommates in vain.
Perry walked through the automatic doors, immediately going up the flight of stairs to reach one of the private reading rooms. He checked his bag, making sure it had that literature he'd been given to read since last week alongside the quite helpful notepad from which to jot down the most important bits.
Opening the door, he was greeted with many familiar faces, and some unfamiliar, as they were happily discussing amongst their guides. It was at least some comfort that his crews were still being treated as well as he was, and he quickly placed his bag to join the group. It was a nice and warm buzz of debate and learning between the "downtimers" and "uptimers".
"Ah, so glad of you to join us Perry, have you finished the book?"
"Why yes, I must admit, the arguments laid out by this Mao fellow are quite intriguing..."
It was certainly a far cry from his first day in Pyongyang.
1 Month Earlier.
When Perry had received the task of opening the East up to American commerce, through either diplomatic or military means, by President Fillmore, the Commodore was certainly under no impression that this would be a peaceful task, and was fully prepared to storm the gates of the slant-eyes' palace with the aid of his Marines. It would have been a bloody affair, but certainly doable, given how the British had shown how effortless it could be to subjugate these Orientals.
Well, he was certainly being escorted by Marines into the palace of these Easterners, but they certainly had no love for the good ol' Red White and Blue. Some of them did look like an American, but with how often these people seemed to practice intermarriage, he couldn't necessarily count on it. Furthermore, being hauled through the palace of these Orientals was certainly not how Commodore Perry expected himself to be invited into the capital of these uncivilized scum, but that was how it would be for the unfortunate Commodore.
Perry certainly had to admit, whoever these people were, they had an eye for architecture and decorations, the blood red carpets lining throughout the hallway he was being walked through, with high ceilings not to dissimilar to some ballrooms he'd had the pleasure of socializing in. He suddenly found himself walked through one of the doors to his right, once again of monstrous size, as if it was fit for a giant, to be introduced to a room of seated men and women, all of varying ethnicities.
"Thank you Comrade Sergeant Li, you may leave the room." One of the women spoke up, a middle-aged Jap by the looks of it.
The fact that she too spoke clear English without an accent was beginning to shock the Commodore ever the lesser as every hour passed with him stuck in this accursed place. That nice Russian (Though she insisted that she was a "Soviet" for some ridiculous reason) Admiral had helped to couch some of his less... savory language out of his external speech, so that helped to some extent.
With a nod, the escorting guards quickly maneuvered themselves into the hallway, closing the door behind them as they did so.
He straightened himself, once again maintaining a look of absolute superiority as his chin was raised to an almost comical degree. Perry had to maintain some form of decorum after all, being the diplomatic representative of the United States in this strange land.
"Mr. Perry, the Executive Committee greets you with all due respect offered to a foreign diplomat. I am Comrade Chokwe, Deputy of the Executive Committee, what you would probably find closest to a Vice President I suppose." A black-skinned man spoke with something of a Southern accent, which the Commodore found curious. Perry nodded, not speaking still.
"And Comrade Fusako, current Secretary-General of the Executive Committee, basically the President of this here state." he gestured to the lady who had spoken up first, and she nodded back towards him.
Commodore Perry nodded his head, seeming to take all of this information in, even if he did not understand half of it. He started with a small performative cough.
"Greetings, gentlemen, and ladies, I am Commodore Perry of the United States of America, representing her interests in ensuring that our nations may stride hand in hand in matters of friendship and commerce. Now, we understand that this is a tough pill for your nation to swallow, but we do so insist that free trade will only see both our nations prosper-"
"Done." Mrs. Fusako replied in an unamused manner.
"and to- Wait, what?"
"It is as I just said, you have your deal, we will allow trade to come and go as it may please, but on our terms. Firstly, that-"
"Madam, I must quite insist that you listen-" He tried to wrestle back the conversation to his pace, but the lady was already off listing her demands.
"-our traders shall be allowed to ply their trade unmolested. Regardless of their faith, race or creed-"
"Madam, if you will not listen, I shall needs return with even more ships next time, and most assuredly not in a manner which could be considered peaceful!" Though he himself knew that was an empty threat, some part of him did imagine that perhaps Congress would see the danger and commission far more ships to subjugate these Orientals.
After all, surely they did not posses the means to produce these technological behemoths?
She laughed with enough gusto that you would think she had just finished watching the newest comedy at the local theatre.
"Oh please, Commodore Perry, if we wanted to we could have burnt down the White House again by next month."
"Madam, I must still insist that you listen-"
"Comrade Fusako, perhaps our guest shall need to witness himself what we are capable of?" Chokwe spoke up, hands clasped around each other on the table as he looked to the woman for comment.
She seemed to think for a moment, "What would you suggest?"
"Perhaps the Falklands incident would do?"
The Falklands? What did that useless island have to do with any of this? Perry thought to himself, but opting to remain silent as the Comintern delegates murmured amongst each other.
"Yes, that shall serve as an excellent introduction of our capabilities." Fusako said, with a grin he had only seen amongst the most brutal of his officers when it came to discipline, a sadistic glee barely uncontained beneath the surface.
He shivered.
They quickly summoned a servant(?) into the room, who brought with him some sort of portable white sheet of paper, rolled out from a small contraption at the top with a tug of a rope. He fixed up some rather thin cable to some sort of device in front of Fusako and Chokwe, making sure the screen was flashed with some hideous blue color, before leaving, the lights being dimmed as he did so.
"Mr Perry, we advise that you take a seat, this might take a while."
He felt compelled to do so, taking one of the farthest seats from the other delegates as his attention was entirely raptured by the scene in front of him.
At first, he could not quite make out what it was that he was looking at, as his eyes adjusted to the light. Then he saw the silhouettes of clouds and the sea, and suddenly it clicked for him. It was a birds eye view of the ocean that these fiendish Orientals had somehow taken!
And then it started to zoom in on some specks on the ocean, and he saw as was before, those behemoth ships, albeit from an angle hitherto unseen before, as their great speeds made like work of the ocean, cutting through it and leaving wide white gulfs in their wake. These however, seemed to have slightly different designs as those he had noted, towers that were placed in different areas, or decks that were entirely unique to wherever these ships had come from.
He watched with close intent, eyes glued to the screen, far too busy trying to understand the moving pictures in front of him to notice the Comintern diplomats and their stern faces, all grimacing for what was soon to come.
Suddenly, a great ball of light erupted, flashing the screen in every fluorescent white and orange, nearly blinding the Commodore as if he was there himself, collapsing back in his seat as he rubbed his eyes most vigorously.
"What the DEVIL was that?!" he cried, looking at Fusako and Chokwe most incredulously.
"That, is what we call a nuclear bomb. A bomb with an explosive yield several thousand times larger than anything your beloved Congress and its bourgeois pigs could conjure up." Fusako replied with a satisfied grin.
"Just look at what happened to that fleet." She said as she fast forwarded through the moving picture, allowing the smoke to dissipate and reveal the damage caused.
Horror was something that was wholly unsuited for what Perry saw, for at least horror required some sort of understanding of the fear that lied within it. This was sheer and absolute destruction.
Those ships, those mammoth things that he had gazed upon and watched with fear as their guns aimed at his own ships, were pulverized. It did not take his decades worth of naval experience to tell that either every one of those ships had just experienced an accidental munitions detonation, or that something truly terrible had happened.
"Good God..."
"That, was only one bomb, Mr. Perry. One of thousands." She continued.
"So, please do save your 'insistences' for later, if you do not wish to see Washington doused in hellfire."
He could do nothing but nod, speechless.
"Comrade Fusako, perhaps we should take a recess, whilst the American diplomatic envoy be allowed to process all of this new information?" One of the other deputies tenderly suggested, a Caucasian man, though Perry did not really pay them much heed at this point.
After a vote, they all agreed, with Perry being guided back out into the hallway and into a waiting room some distance away from the Executive Committee.
He stared at his slightly shaking hands, almost glistening from the sweat. In fact, his whole body seemed to be slightly shaken by the viewing, as Perry pulled out a napkin to wipe off some of the worst excesses.
God, what I would do for a drink right now. Perry thought, as he looped the scene of carnage in his head endlessly and endlessly.
These are not people to be trifled with, how did they even acquire such weapons of war? Such swift brutalness, with not even a shell fired.
The Commodore was quickly pulled out of his thoughts, as a hand extended into his view with a cup of water. He looked up to see the American(?) deputy's soft smile.
Slowly, he reached out to grasp the cup, allowing its liquids to saturate his suddenly parched throat.
"Let me tell ya, it never gets easier, watching that footage." the man said as he sat down.
"Does it ever?" Perry asked, though he was not quite sure if that question was directed at the man, or merely rhetorical.
Either way, the deputy took little notice of his reply.
"I don't believe I've introduced myself formally. Bernie Sanders, I'm not technically part of the Executive Committee but eh what the hell, Fusako's an old friend after all." the man said, offering a handshake to Perry.
He reciprocated.
"Well, I'm pretty sure I'm not supposed to tell ya this but, cheer up buddy. That bomb was American-made."
"It was?"
"Mhm, well not exactly manufactured in America but the design's from the States, quite impressive if I'm going to be honest."
Sanders looked around in the most conspiratorial manner, before huddling closer to Perry, an arm around his shoulder.
"Say, you're an abolitionist, right?"
Perry would not exactly find himself being branded that in any other circumstance. Though he did abhor slavery, it was not quite the pressing issue as some colleagues of his day would have him believe. But he did not disagree with the man, and so nodded.
"Well, lemme show you something. We have like, half an hour before the recess is over anyways."
The man pulled out several pieces of paper, all with several paragraphs and pictures. Perry shuffled through them absentmindedly, turning to look at Sanders.
"What is this?"
"A history of the next, uh, 25 years?" Sanders said with a lighter tone.
That got the Commodore's attention, as he immediately refocused his efforts on scanning through these papers.
He read through it all, with not a peep of noise made as the silent whir of office machines down the hallway filled the room with ambient noise. Sanders would continue to bring water to the Commodore, helpfully pointing out some of the words and people with light murmurs. Perry saw the brutality of the civil war, as brother fought against brother, American against American, over whether or not the negro in bondage would be unchained or not. He saw the hope of reconstruction, as the enemies of the Union were slowly but surely reintegrated through force of arms of the soldiers of the Federal Government, as the negro became ever the more equal to the white man. And he saw the death nail of '76, when Reconstruction would end with a backroom handshake amongst politicians.
Perry's reaction to all of this was, undoubtedly, mixed.
"Yeah, it's rough." Sanders said as he took a sip of his own cup of water.
"How... why..." Perry looked at the papers again, gripping them ever the more tightly.
"Look, the Executive Committee would probably have me shot for treason for this, but what say I help you and your crew learn a bit more about all of this?" He gestured to the papers.
"Certainly, there must be more that we can learn, if the Union is to avert this fate."
"Woah, I can't promise to be omniscient buddy, but I'll try my best to give you all that we know."
Perry nodded. Sanders glanced at his watch.
"Oh damn, recess is up. Here," he pulled out a notepad from his breastpocket, scribbling down something with a pen before ripping the page out and handing it to the Commodore.
It was an address.
"Look, they'll assign you to some new accommodations in a moment, that's my address. So feel free to ask around, they'll know where to point ya to."
"Thank you, Mr. Sanders, I will do so as soon as possible."
Sanders patted Perry on the shoulder one last time before leaving the room.
"Don't be a stranger."
And that was that. Once the recess was over, Fusako seemed to have calmed down enough to allow for longer talks at some other date. True to Sanders' word, he was given accommodations, and a way to communicate with other crewmen of the fleet. Soon enough, he would come into contact with Sanders, who introduced him to some others of his sympathetic group, who would arrange the reading sessions amongst the downtimers, as they were want to call him and his men.
It would perhaps be a far more fruitful adventure in the East than Commodore Perry had bargained for.
nachtingale
20. On that "honk, mimimi" type beat everyday.
- Location
- Malaysia
- Pronouns
- He/They
A/N:
So.... I assume the plan is to help the French commune put fuckers like Napoleon the third down, and help with their uprising as well as doing shit in America.(I mean aside from helping China and likely India (Is this the part where the fully went about colonizing India. Because India was once a manufacturing Juggernaut. That was taken down because of the East India company. Outright cutting the hands of tapestry women in order to allow for the secrets of cloth weaving to be lost and forcing that cloth weavers out of a job. Shutting down the manufacturing and forcing India to send their goods that they should have been able to create and send them back home to Britain. Where Britain was able to exploit India. Truly, India was forced to prop up the British empire under threat of death and starvation)
Also.
Funny thing about slavery, It was a billion dollar industry. The fight What's mostly among the slavers, and there was Union sentiment among the mountains and the poor folk.
Less than 1/4 of the south had slaves.. .
As fucked up as it is to say, It was in the southern Gentry's best interest to keep slavery, even if it was an economic detriment preventing progress. Because they were slavers they were bastards.
Oh I even heard a pro southerner contemporary to antebellum, argue that they were better than the north because their slaves got to be with their family well while wage slave up north do not. (I was baffled and shocked when I heard it too. This was an AP textbook)
Also.
Funny thing about slavery, It was a billion dollar industry. The fight What's mostly among the slavers, and there was Union sentiment among the mountains and the poor folk.
Less than 1/4 of the south had slaves.. .
As fucked up as it is to say, It was in the southern Gentry's best interest to keep slavery, even if it was an economic detriment preventing progress. Because they were slavers they were bastards.
Oh I even heard a pro southerner contemporary to antebellum, argue that they were better than the north because their slaves got to be with their family well while wage slave up north do not. (I was baffled and shocked when I heard it too. This was an AP textbook)
- Location
- The observable universe
Ngl this feels more like a carefully planned good cop/bad cop strategy. Gotta say though Maoist Commodore Perry isn't a redemption arc I ever expected to see
I'm pretty sure Mao has a different reputation in red's compared to OTL
Mao's ideological role is mostly taken by Emiliano Zapata, but Mao is the Chairman of the International in the 60s after a long ideological soul-searching journey—he was kicked out of the CPC for nationalism, but returned to it during or after WWII after spending some time writing poetry (I think)
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