Outline of a Story

[RVM45]

I really want to do a Story soon about a Prolonged Drought accompanied by steadily rising Fuel Prices.....

But in the meantime, an old story idea keeps coming back to taunt me.

You've all seen stories about Alternate Universes.....

But most of them are a Secret.

Think of "Sliders" or "Stargate" {Stargate bored me to tears...So I didn't watch it.}

First of all, imagine a World just like ours until sometime in the Fall of 1962.

The Cuban Missile Crisis was in October of 1962.

In this Alternate Universe there was a Nuclear Exchange in December of 1962.

A limited Nuclear exchange in 1962 doesn't get the population anywhere near as low as I'd like it for story purposes--So they also had several different strains of Influenza hit them pretty hard.

The US Population (in what was the Original America--add in some from Canada, Mexico and Central America) is around 95 Million--about what it was in 1910 (as opposed to about 310 million today).

This US also annexed Canada and Central America (Most Third World Countries were hit far harder by the Epidemics than the US and are Largely empty--except where Colonizing Americans have moved in...)

The folks over there aren't Primitive.....

Well read the first section of Chapter One.....

But the thing is, building Portals proves very easy when you know how.....

And pretty soon going to visit "Earth II"--or whatever you want to call it--is far easier and cheaper than flying to Vegas for a Three-Day Weekend.....

I think some of the Cultural Clashes (and Personal Clashes) between the two Americas would be rather amusing to read about.

Well, read the small intro and tell me what you think--and any Thoughts/Ideas that come to mind.

**************************** *************** ************

Déj�* New


Chapter One





Some think that “The Butterfly Effect” means that sometimes things are in such a precarious state of equilibrium that even the breeze from an insect’s wings or a tiny displaced droplet of moisture or a single misplaced grain of sand can wield enormous influence on the subsequent unfolding of events.

That isn’t precisely correct. “Fate” or whatever one wishes to call it, is always in the most unstable and precarious state that one can imagine. One cannot find a mote of dust or a particle of moisture or a tiny movement of a butterfly’s wing that isn’t absolutely pivotal in that particular timeline.

Move anything a few microns and the differences will multiply exponentially. In a generation or two the differences will have grown to the point that the new World will be all but unrecognizable in comparison to the old one.

Some Physics Theorist tried to work around some of the weirdness of Quantum Mechanics by proposing “The Many Worlds Theory”. The theory hypothesizes that every time that a potential crossroads is reached, the Universes splits in two—that there is an Alternate Universe somewhere for every hypothetical possibility.

This poses a number of Theoretical and Philosophical conundrums. Modern Theorists believe that the Universe doesn’t split every time that it theoretically could but only relatively rarely.

Just exactly what causes a Universe to bifurcate isn’t known. What is known is that Universes that have split relatively recently and that don’t differ too radically tend to lie closer together. It also seems that when they are in actual contact, that the bonds between them strengthens and the energy required to travel from one to the other becomes rather low.

The Alternate Universe that has come to be known, as “Two” or “Beta” was just such an Alternate Universe.

In our Universe, now generally referred to as, “Prime”, the population in the United States grew from around 170 million in 1960 to over 300 million in 2010.

On Beta the Cuban Missile Crisis of October 1962 led to a Nuclear Exchange in December of that same year. Odds are, whatever caused the two timelines to split so dramatically happened a few days or weeks earlier. Since so many Beta records were damaged or destroyed in the war, there is no way to trace the precise moment the Universes split.

The aftermath of the Nuclear War was not quite as drastic as some had thought it would be, but many people did die. History was forever diverted into another channel on that Earth.

After the war, Beta had seven major Influenza epidemics—with seven different strains of the virus. None of them were civilization destroyers, but they did have the effect of further reducing Two’s population relative to Prime’s.

US Beta had about 95 million people in 2010—about the same as it was in 1910. Much of Beta’s Third World and Europe suffered even larger population reductions. Something also seemed to have lowered the fertility of the Beta Humans somewhat.

Much Scientific progress is a function of how many top-rate scientists there are and how much research facilities they’re given. But much can also be said about efficiency.

Two neither had the population base to comb through for potential Geniuses nor did they have the resources to fund the smaller crop of scientists that they were able to field.

What they did have was motivation. The stimulation of wave after wave of new, deadly and seemingly inexhaustible strains of Influenza caused them to become very good Biologists, Geneticists and Epidemiologists.

The transistor industry never really got started again after the war. Computer inventors working with Vacuum Tubes made much better use of parallel processing than Prime ever did. Then they did some groundbreaking work on tube-based quantum computers that they were never able to fully exploit.

Their Biologists however, managed to create artificial neurons and to weave them into very large Organic Computers. The Brains were very useful in decoding Genomes and other task that were largely a function of number crunching on Prime.

Programming was more an art and less of a science with the bigger Organic Computers. There were more emergent phenomena and more surprises. Some thought that the larger brains might be sentient in their own vague dreamy way.

At any rate, Prime discovered Beta in 2016. Within a few years moving back and forth between the two Alternate Earths was commonplace. Almost every city in America with a population of over 50 000 had a walk-through gate to the corresponding—though generally much smaller city on Two.

There were Inter-Dimensional Portals on the interstate highways where for less than the price of a good Restaurant meal for two, one could buy a round-trip ticket to go to Beta and then return—or vice-versa.

There were interconnecting Railroads and Locks on the Rivers so barges could pass between Worlds.

Also, after a few years the Gates or Portals didn’t seem to require any energy or upkeep to keep them open. They seemed to simply become an established feature of the landscape.

Prime’s Governments and many of their people had a tendency to look at US Beta as a sort of Third World Colony.

(So did many other Governments, but since most Beta Countries had a much smaller percentage of the population of their Prime counterparts than US Beta, it was much less of an issue.)

The inhabitants of US Beta—and US Beta had come to include what had been Canada, Mexico and Central America—were rustic but they were not primitive, backward or even poor for the most part…

And they began to resent the intrusions into their affairs more and more.

.....RVM45

[223shootersc]

wow, a leap in physics, good start

[RVM45]

I wrote this in Response to a couple questions on another Forum.

Don't want to tell the whole story piecemeal.....

But I'll add this:


Well I figured that--O say Germany, or Japan would be so happy to have a Largely unpopulated Germany or Japan to expand into that they'd be pretty busy on the home Front.

The Countries that really get the Short End of the Stick would be Mexico, Guatemala, Panama, etc., because they're part of Beta US.

Of course, they could put in Portals and trade, but it wouldn't be quite the same.

I don't think that the Canadians would be nearly so discombobulated about Beta Canada being part of Beta US.

Portals are easy enough to create--now that the hairy equations have been worked out--that bright High School Kids can make a temporary Portal for a Science Fair Project.

You have to keep them going for a few years before they become Permanent--At which point you can remove all the Electronics.

Fact is, no one has ever figured out how to close a Permanent Portal.

Add in the idea that passing through a Portal is Somewhat Rejuvenating.

Take maybe 10 or 15 years off the first time, less with succeeding Transits--unless you haven't been through one in several years.

I pictured telling the tale from he point of view of an ordinary fellow like me or you.....

Early 2016 he reads about an astonishing Scientific Discovery--A coffee can sized Portal to another Dimension.

Within a Few weeks they've blown the Portal up to 13" to 14" in Diameter.

Lo and Behold! Someone over there has noticed the Portal. They're Human. They Speak English.

At first, maybe the government could keep a tight wrap on it.....

But other Scientists at other Universities are working on their own Portals.

The first few successes come within 200-300 miles of the First--it's easier to connect close in--most of the hard math has been done.

But with every Portal, it becomes noticeably easier and requires far less precision to connect.....

Pretty soon there are several Portals in Every State in the US.....

Then they start having success overseas, etc.

By 2019 or so, there are Auto-Sized Portals all over the Interstates and multiple walk-through Portals in every city big enough to have a Greyhound Station.

Think--GCA 68 Never was even conceived of over there.

No Vietnam, No Hippy Youth Movement, No Liberal LBJ's "Great Society".....

No Oklahoma Bombing.....

No World Trade Centers--much less a 9-11.....

Ever since the War, many folks raise their own Opium Poppies over there, and make Homebrew Pain Medication.

Try to disarm these folks--not only will they shoot you--but they'll think that you're mental.

And with the Two's ready, willing and able to supply any Pharmaceutical that you can pay for....

And being absolutely convinced that it's no one Else's Business.....

And with hundreds of thousands coming and going every day.....

What happens to "The War on Drugs"? Gun Control in places like Chicago and New York?

Etc., etc.


.....RVM45

[AlaskaSue]

Wow, looks like a good start...I really enjoy most alterverse stories and your lead-in gets it set up very well!

[methos]

The first thing that lept to my mind, and it doesn't necessarily mean anything than just that, the first thought, is that you are pairing two "adversaries" against each other with very different mindsets.

The first, Universe A, has a hard wired, a physical artificial material based approach to their thought process and the solutions they apply to problems. The second, B, is an organic based approach. Seems like each would apply that to their defenses and offenses, leading to situations where B is faced with drone airplanes, smart missiles and the like. Universe B would respond by? Something just as hard for A to outthink or defend against I think.

Can't wait to see where you go!

[RVM45]

Methos,


Most of my stories start out as sort of Daydreams.

Saw something about the Cuban Missile Crisis and got to imagining growing up in a World where there had been a Nuclear Exchange with the Soviets in December 1962.....

Only that lacked a good bit. A downfall in 1962 would mean no Jeff Cooper and the Modern Technique of the Pistol; No ready access to good English translations of the "Book of Five Rings" or the "Hagakure"; No Mel Tappan.....

In short--No American Warrior Culture.....

We might all be as backward as Patton, proclaiming that it is better to live and cursing Mother of Pearl Grips like a Chucklhead.....

So how do we get the best of both Worlds?

Hah Yes! An Alternate Dimension.

I have also wished that I could see Mexico and parts of Central America--but not without being properly armed--which kinda quashes the idea.....

But in that Alternate World.....

They're part of the US,

And,

Huh! They're largely empty.....

But I have to strain to see a bigger picture than just how neat it would be to kick around in that World in Good Health, with a Big Ford Econoline 350 with Four-Wheel Drive, Mirrorshades, Cowboy Boots, a Stetson Hat, and my Favorite Handguns And Knives and Long Guns.....

In short, reliving my youth when I worked for the Railroad and travelled all over Dixie in my Two-Wheel Drive Ford E-150, Mirrorshades, Stetson Hat, Cowboy Boots and a more limited arsenal of Knives and Handguns.....

But your post got me to look at the bigger picture--well to focus on it.....

I don't particularly care for stories about Apocalypse--or whatever--that show scenes from the Whitehouse, Kremlin, Bamboo House--or whatever the Red Chinese call their Ruler's Home.....

And what High Ranking Illuminati, Gnomes in Switzerland, Cardinals in the Vatican, High Councils of Gray Aliens, etc are up to.

I have never met one of the Mayors of my Hometown (Evansville) and I can't tell you the name of the Governor of this small Nation--or either of it's Senators either.

I have no idea how decisions are reached among the Power Elite.....

And if I were to live through an Apocalypse-I might see The Kenyan--or whoever his successor was--on the Tube spouting nonsense--but I'd have no idea what Situations were shaping what Executive Decisions.....

And I wouldn't much care.

Here's a Great Big Giant of a Dude Charging me with a Homemade Mace--let's try to deal with the threat.....

Never mind whether the Red Chinese talked the French into not selling us anymore Champaign or Rochefort Cheese--Thus precipitating a Mutant Zombie Crisis.....

But still, you made me focus on the larger background a bit more.

Honestly, the Alternate World Story is Backburnered for the moment.

Started on my Drought & Famine Story.

.....RVM45

[carioca]

You seem to want writing advice, so that is what I'm giving.

Interesting world/universe you are working with, but what you posted would not do for chapter one.

What it really is, is a prologue. In this case (as in the huge majority of prologues) it isn't really needed and detracts from the story. (Yeah you haven't written it yet, but I have faith that it will be worth reading.)

Soo... tell me a story... don't give me the background up front, let me have bits and paces as the story unfolds. Keep the research and preparation off the page, as it only needs to be in your head to make your world feel real.