Five Earths, All in a Row

[warellis]

I have to ask what is happening in the setting currently? It seems to have pretty much stopped for a while and I don't really count posts that pretty much just do a slightly clean up or revising of a previous timeline post.

Any new stories or new anything?

Also frankly the idea that Morrison or Moore would actually escalate things to the point they're inflicting possible bodily harm, to the point of serious injury, strikes me as rather silly for all of this. And ultimately pretty stupid of either. The idea just feels weird I think.

[tshiggins]

Originally Posted by Prince Charon

Um, Dp-Earth? I was referring to Earth-1 (Infopunk Earth, as nerds and famous people do tend to be among the empowered, as do people with strong occult interests; famous nerds with strong occult interests are a certainty), not Earth 2, Dieselpunk Earth.

Argh. Yeah, that's what I meant. I thought one thing and typed the other.

Sorry 'bout that.

Originally Posted by Prince Charon

Well, to be fair, Earth-2 is not purely a comic-book world. It's mostly closer to the pulps and the movie serials, just with a higher level of realism than either (apart from the powers, of course). I could see them existing, but if so, the events that were dramatized in the play and movie would have already happened. If not, I'm not sure whether or not the film would still be made, since it already exists, but its existence would still be a boon to the careers of everyone involved.

That would be your call to make, that's for sure. As I said, I don't know how I feel about the idea. Casablanca is my favorite film of all time; I don't ever want to see it remade, and I'm not sure it ever needs to be anything other than its own thing.

[tshiggins]

Originally Posted by warellis

I have to ask what is happening in the setting currently? It seems to have pretty much stopped for a while and I don't really count posts that pretty much just do a slightly clean up or revising of a previous timeline post.

Any new stories or new anything?

Also frankly the idea that Morrison or Moore would actually escalate things to the point they're inflicting possible bodily harm, to the point of serious injury, strikes me as rather silly for all of this. And ultimately pretty stupid of either. The idea just feels weird I think.

Eh, PC has been working on this, off and on, for years, now. It hardly surprises me that he needs to take a long break to focus on other things, now and again. He's done it, before.

Usually, I wait for updates to see what he's thinking, and if he has an idea I find compelling, I'll pitch in and make suggestions, or even write up a vignette.

As for any potential magical conflict between Morrison and Moore, as I said, I don't think it would escalate too far out of control, even though the two men supposedly hate each other. Sniping at one another through communication channels used by comic fans is one thing, slinging spells at each other is something else, again -- especially if both believe in the "thrice-returned" rule.

[Prince Charon]

Originally Posted by warellis

I have to ask what is happening in the setting currently? It seems to have pretty much stopped for a while and I don't really count posts that pretty much just do a slightly clean up or revising of a previous timeline post.

Any new stories or new anything?

Also frankly the idea that Morrison or Moore would actually escalate things to the point they're inflicting possible bodily harm, to the point of serious injury, strikes me as rather silly for all of this. And ultimately pretty stupid of either. The idea just feels weird I think.

Originally Posted by tshiggins

Eh, PC has been working on this, off and on, for years, now. It hardly surprises me that he needs to take a long break to focus on other things, now and again. He's done it, before.

Usually, I wait for updates to see what he's thinking, and if he has an idea I find compelling, I'll pitch in and make suggestions, or even write up a vignette.

I'm making progress, it's just very slow progress. I do have a military article up for review in the main thread on SB.com (relating to Stp-Earth State Aerial Militias), which if no-one sees anything in need of fixing, or has anything they think needs adding, it should be up here in a day or two. Have a look.

Originally Posted by tshiggins

As for any potential magical conflict between Morrison and Moore, as I said, I don't think it would escalate too far out of control, even though the two men supposedly hate each other. Sniping at one another through communication channels used by comic fans is one thing, slinging spells at each other is something else, again -- especially if both believe in the "thrice-returned" rule.

Yeah, I mostly think that rather than trying to inflict physical harm, they're more likely to go for attacking each other's fame, or trying to get they're own message and style of magic out to more people - a more 'real' version of what they're doing now. It occurs to me, though, that their supporters may choose to act without their permission, which could make things messy.

[Prince Charon]

Another military article from Earth 3:

State Aerial Militia Units in the Stp-USA

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped..._stars.svg.png

Starting in 1880(3), some of the several States of Stp-USA began experimenting with state air forces as units separate from (but working with) their State Guard and/or State Naval Militia. The first of these, the Illinois Aerial Militia, was as much a political message as a military experiment, as the Republican/Progressive coalition holding the state legislature and governor's seat appointed Stp-Abraham Lincoln as the IAM's first Colonel. Colonel Lincoln was not a pilot. He was a lawyer and an abolitionist, and his name alone, thanks to knowledge from the two Future Earths, was a direct provocation to many of the Old Planters, and to the Whigs currently controlling the Stp-US Congress and White House.

Ranks

Most of these forces use rank insignia influenced or directly inspired by that of the United States Air Force of Earth-1, or the United States Army Air Forces of Earth-2. Many are small enough not to have a rank equivalent to OF-6, and sometimes OR-7. Below is the most common arrangement of the larger Aerial Militiae, as prototyped by the Illinois Aerial Militia; note that many others do not have Warrant Officers or Flight Officers, especially those that do not allow black pilots, and those that do have varying numbers of Warrant ranks.

(NCO/Enlisted insignia are on the upper sleeve, Officer insignia on epaulettes or collar.)

OF-6 Brigadier General

OF-5 Colonel
OF-4 Lieutenant Colonel
OF-3 Major

OF-2 Captain
OF-1 First Lieutenant
OF-1 Second Lieutenant

OF(D) Officer Trainee

WO-2 Chief Warrant Officer
WO-1 Junior Warrant Officer
WO-1 Flight Officer

OR-7 Master Sergeant
OR-6 Technical Sergeant
OR-5 Staff Sergeant

OR-4 Senior Airman
OR-3 Airman First Class
OR-2 Airman
OR-1 Airman Basic

In the spring of 1882(3), the Illinois Aerial Militia and Montana Territorial Air Cavalry expanded the Warrant Officer ranks from three to five, to allow black personnel greater commands, without the political suicide of allowing black commissioned officers. A few other states and territories followed.

WO-4 Chief Warrant Officer (brown-on-brass oval with one concentric stripe)
WO-3 Senior Warrant Officer (brown-on-brass oval with three perpendicular stripes)
WO-2 Warrant Officer (brown-on-brass oval with two perpendicular stripes)
WO-1 Junior Warrant Officer (brown-on-brass oval with one perpendicular stripe)
WO-1 Flight Officer (blue-on-brass oval with one perpendicular stripe)

Uniforms, like ranks, tend to be visually similar to the uniforms of their inspiration services, though the cut of the uniform tends toward current fashion in that state, especially for commissioned officers, who are often expected to purchase their own.

Organization

This varies a fair bit from state to state, but many started from a similar arrangement to the IAM, especially if they were uncertain as to whether they would expand the force beyond a single Wing or equivalent. One of the most common changes is numbering the squadrons differently.

1st Illinois Aerial Militia Wing
-Headquarters Squadron

-1st Aerial Combat Group
--1st Bombardment Squadron (3 Flights of 4 gliders)
--1st Fighter Squadron (4 Flights of 6 gliders)
--2nd Fighter Squadron

-2nd Aerial Combat Group
--2nd Bombardment Squadron
--3rd Fighter Squadron
--4th (Colored) Fighter Squadron

-1st Aerial Support Group
--1st Observation Squadron
--1st Transport Squadron
--2nd (Airship) Transport Squadron
--1st Experimental Squadron

-1st Ground Group
--1st Engineer Squadron
--1st Support Squadron
--1st Guard Squadron (organized as an infantry company)
--2nd (Colored) Guard Squadron

In 1881(3), following the arrest of Dr. Aeolus's surviving Air Pirates and the apparent death of the mad doctor himself (no body was found, but no-one could have survived that), the Illinois General Assembly agreed that the Aerial Militia had clearly proven themselves, and were in need of expansion. (The dime novel version of the conflict may have helped with this, partly due to various exaggerations committed by the writers.) Thus, Col. Lincoln was promoted to Brigadier General, the 1st Illinois Aerial Militia Wing was renamed the 1st Aerial Combat Wing, and both the 2nd Aerial Combat Group and the 1st Aerial Support Group were spun off to form wings of their own - the 2nd Aerial Combat Wing and the 1st Aerial Support Wing, respectively. Half the 4th (Colored) Fighter Squadron remained with the 1st ACW, forming the core of the 3rd (Colored) Aerial Combat Group, while the other half became the 6th (Colored) Fighter Squadron, 4th ACG, 2nd ACW. The standard organization for Combat Wings was thus three Aerial Combat Groups, and one Ground Group

In 1882(3), the 3rd (Colored) Aerial Combat Wing of the IAM was founded, having five white commissioned officers (a colonel as CO, a lieutenant colonel as XO, three majors commanding the Aerial Combat Groups (with black Senior Warrant Officers as their XOs), and a black Chief Warrant Officer commanding the Ground Group.

[tshiggins]

Originally Posted by Prince Charon

Another military article from Earth 3:

State Aerial Militia Units in the Stp-USA

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped..._stars.svg.png

(SNIP)

Okay, so, I gotta know which of the colored units has the red-tailed aircraft? :)

[Prince Charon]

Originally Posted by tshiggins

Okay, so, I gotta know which of the colored units has the red-tailed aircraft? :)

At least the 3rd (Colored) Aerial Combat Wing, and probably the 3rd (Colored) Aerial Combat Group, before them. The 4th (Colored) Fighter Squadron may or may not have.

[Prince Charon]

OK, it took longer than I like, but here is March, 2014:

March 2: President Barack Obama, aboard Space Force One (escorted by a pair of SB-52s), becomes the first Head of State in space, and the first to enter the International Space Station. Not long thereafter, Vladymir Putin arrives on the ISS, using a Soyuz capsule with a large 'Executive Module' replacing the usual Orbital Module, and two Soyuz with 'Combat Modules' replacing their OMs. Queen Elizabeth II arrives on a Victor*, and José Manuel Barroso on a Dassault Falcon 7XS, escorted by one Nimrod and two Vulcan*s. Dsp-UK ends production of the PIAT gun, now that enough RPG-7s are in production.

March 3: In the morning (ISS time), the Heads of State and their escorts leave for Luna(1). The Parata-Ellis-Weisenbaum Pumped Electron Weapon, or PEW-PEW gun, is developed at the University of Auckland, Inp-New Zealand. The weapon uses surprisingly little magic, though the manufacturing process takes rather more. In Inp-USA, the 9th Marine Aircraft Wing is reactivated. On Venus-2, the Ssoranthhuul Ambassador to the Cytherean Court finally receives an answer about the raider that left Earth-1 on Feburary 14. The Imperatrix acknowledges the mission as an official military action in support of the Cytherean Medical Council, and states that the Earthmen who were taken are not prisoners or hostages, but 'legitimately acquired slaves, now educated as to their proper place in society.' At the ambassador's prompting, the Imperatrix transmits this information in German to Earth-2, and the message is relayed to the other Earths. In Stp-Austria, Alois & Klara Hitler are found dead in their home of an apparent double suicide. The note they left says that this was done for the good of the Empire.

March 4: On Earth-1, the NATO and CSTO nations (after conferring by secure radio with their Heads of state, in the cases of the USA, UK, and Russia) declare war against Dsp-Venus/Venus-2. On Luna(1), the Heads of State constellation lands. The Inp-US, Inp-EU, and Inp-Russian mining stations are officially activated. In orbit of Luna(1), the USSF and RAF begin work on Project Formidable, an orbital station to aid in the construction of large spacecraft, primarily designs derived from the X-57 Grissom (see Oct. 14 and Feb. 6), but lacking the repurposed shuttle tanks. Dsp-Chinese invasion of Dsp-French Indochina begins. In Dsp-USA, the new All-American Girls Professional Baseball League begins spring training.

March 5: Gwendolyne Louise 'Gwenny-Lou' Sabuki and David Mitchell are kidnapped by Agent Axis. In the process of trying to escape, the two gain powers, and become Golden Girl and the Human Top, respectively. In Clp-London, Public Health Act 1557 is granted Royal Assent. This Act requires the creation in London of a sewer system designed by a civil engineer from Stp-Britain. It also requires chirurgeons to own a working still, and to wash hands, instruments, and when possible that part of the patient's skin, in distilled spirits (usually 105 to 140 degrees of proof on the Clp-English scale (60% to 80% alcohol), and made from cheap beer), as soon as possible before performing surgery; thread & bandages should be washed by an assistant during surgery, so that they may be clean when applied to the patient. Adding the distillation to some wine or beer, and giving it to the patient to reduce pain, is recommended, but not required.

March 6: A new propaganda film is released in Dsp-British cinemas, giving a fictionalized account of the rescue of more than a hundred Jews from Amsterdam last year (see March 6, 2013). The script is primarily written by Ian Fleming and Peter Cushing, but a number of those who participated, including Christopher Lee and Anne Frank, are given story credit. Many of those who participated star as themselves, including Mr. Lee and Miss Frank, while the older Sir Christopher Lee of Earth One acts as narrator. On Earth-1, the film becomes an instant classic: while some critics call the film a blatant money-grab (Sir Christopher mentions war bonds once, in a dignified manner), and the film makes no attempt to disguise its propagandic nature, the names involved and the performances given cement its place in many film libraries. In an interview, Miss Frank credits her acting to the fact that she only had to be herself, and had some of the greatest names in British cinema helping her, though she also comments that it will be nice to be known for something she did, rather than a book her counterpart on the Future Earth wrote, and her father's counterpart edited.

March 7: Psychological and parapsychological examinations of the current Inp-Joker (see Feb. 26) determine that the 'Joker entity' is a spirit that possesses people having One Bad Day, who react with hysterical laughter; the spirit appears to need the host's death to move on to a new host. In Dsp-Japan, production of the Type 94 Nambu pistol is cancelled. Factories are ordered to retool for the Colt M1911A1, which Nambu Arms will produce under license as the Type 101 Colt-Nambu, and which will replace the Type 94 in Japanese service as units become available. Some ammunition factories are retooled for the .45 ACP round, though a great deal of ammo will be shipped in from Dsp-America. Dsp-Dearborn, Mich. Mayor Orville_L._Hubbard declares his intention to run for Governor of Michigan(2).

March 9: On Earth-1, an online symposium of the Society of Ether (empowered Mage the Ascension gamers with 'magick' based on the mostly-Retrotech Mad Scientist faction) takes place, with æther proponents from Earth-3 attending via radiotelegraphy. The primary focus of the symposium is the discussion of superfluid vacuum theory, its relationship to the luminiferous æther, and whether it can explain the existence of magick (the 'k' is important: it would be insufficiently pretentious, otherwise). On Dinosaur Island, Earth-2, an experimental robot nicknamed Joe is assigned to be field-tested by Cpl. Robert 'Mac' MacIntosh.

March 10: On Earth-2, Kido Butai reaches the nearest Allied port - Dsp-Pearl Harbor - and puts in for repairs. In Dsp-London, Churchill has tea with Gahndi, wishing to discuss India's future. Neither is pleased by what the other has to say, and no compromise is reached. An intelligence report from Dsp-MI6 mentions the commendation of Hauptmann Hildegarde 'Baroness' von Richthofen (whom British intelligence lost track of following the Battle of Britain) for actions on Feb. 17th. In Aluros, on Luna(2), a group of reporters are given a tour of a Selenean long-range travel-sphere. One journalist asks about the size of the rooms and corridors, and is told that any vessel intended to make use of space-warping drives for long periods must have some fairly large, internal voids, for stability reasons; since the spaces will be there anyway, they tend to be used for crew comfort. In orbit of Earth-1, Yamato's crew, noting the luxurious facilities compared to other vessels in Earth-1's space fleets, and recalling the spacecraft's namesake, affectionately nickname the vessel 'Hotel Yamato.'

March 12: An incident at Dsp-Fort Benning, Georgia, occurs between Dsp-Sgt. O'Neil and Inp-SPC Goldstein. The outcome is rather in SPC Goldstein's favor. In Dsp-UK, the all-female 17th Night Bomber Battalion of the Imperial Russian Air Force, commanded by Major Ivanova (see July 7 and 9, 2013), officially adopts the designation 'Night Witches,' after the nickname German forces have applied to them. The Russian ancestry of many members of the Battalion is somewhat dubious: Empress Anastasia will grant Imperial Russian citizenship to pretty much anyone with useful abilities (so long as they lack an obvious and significant downside, such as insanity or a major criminal record). In the Earth-1 Sol System, construction begins on two nickel-iron asteroids, designated 'DS-1' (for 'Deep Space,' though other nicknames are common among those in the know) and 'DS-2.'

Continued next post...

[Prince Charon]

Still hating the character limit.

March 13: In Inp-Iraq, the Islamic State of Iraq officially renames itself the Caliphate of Iraq and the Levant. Though 'Caliph' Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi claims to be the Chosen of Allah, he does not show the sort of power that would be expected of such a person. In Dsp-USA, orders are cut to send the Inp-American SpecOps troops to Britain, and from there to Occupied France, along with Captain America, who is to observe them in action. Ethnic Lithuanians in the Stp-Vilna and Kovno Governorates of the Russian Empire declare independence, and their support of the Kingdom of Poland.

March 15: Inp-Londoners awaken from a foggy night to find that, oddly enough, the Hackney Marshes (well, the parts not built up) are once again quite marshy, rather than being a wide area of common football pitches and such. In space, construction begins on solar-powered antimatter-production facilities in Near Earth(1) Orbit. The Caligula Club in Dsp-London is shut down by a group of British heroes including a youngish Cursitor Doom, the current Captain Cornwall (grandfather of the one depicted - more fit, and his costume has a more military cut, but it's in the same colours and pattern), and the current Black Knight (costume is mostly like Sir Percy of Scandia). A number of MP's and other (self-)important men are arrested in the raid. In Dsp-Washington, D.C., military personnel from Earth-1 testify before Earth-2 US Congress about women in the military. A number of reactionaries react to this, quite loudly, and Representative William Cizko (D-Mass.) makes his infamous 'Caesar, Beware the Ides of March' speech, claiming that this is a 'dangerous step toward the masculinization of the American Woman, and the breakdown of decent society.'

^ William Cizko and his creepy cousin Edgar are both very sexist, but in almost completely opposite ways: Edgar hates women, blames them for his own failures, and wants to see them all punished and enslaved for it (except for his late mother, whom he views as perfect). William is an annoying, quite patronizing, compassionate sexist; he tries to keep women in what he thinks is their place because he sincerely believes that getting too far out of it for too long would be bad for their physical and mental health, and if a woman disagrees with him on this, he doesn't blame her, he blames the person or culture that 'mislead' her. (Edgar once tried to force William to beat up William's sister for insulting Edgar; William resisted and threw Edgar out the window, instead. Neither has ever forgiven the other for that incident.)

March 18: The Inp-US public becomes aware of a debate among the USSF and the Department of the Space Force about using 'Arm' for the formation currently called a 'Galaxy', and changing 'Numbered Space Force' to 'Numbered Galaxy'. In Dsp-Italy, the Ministry of Popular Culture broadcasts a series of radio interviews with Jews in the Italian Fascist party (the repeal of the Manifesto della razza being one of the first concessions agreed to in the peace negotiations; see June 14 and November 4, 2013), including some former communists. One notable comment was "Well, if a man is not a communist when he's twenty, he has no heart, but if he's not a fascist when he's thirty, he has no brain."

March 19: In Stp-Britain, the glider-carrier HMS Lightning is commissioned, first Royal Navy vessel to have RADAR installed (though an unimpressive form of it, compared to that used on Earth-2, much less Earth-1). Joseph P. Kennedy is announced as ambassador to Inp-USA. He, his wife, and some of their children (most notably their daughter Rosemary) will travel with the Operation Pencil Sharpener constellation, though on a USRS long-range 'Executive Transport' rocket. In Inp-USA, the 13th MEU begins astronaut training. A USMC spokesman confirms that a fourth Marine Expeditionary Force is planned, as a dedicated Spaceborne MEF. Space Shuttle Discovery perform an orbital test of her disintegrators, working to clear the Kessler shell over Earth-1. Anaysis of the results suggests that the shell might be cleared in a few months, conservatively.

March 21: In Inp-Italy, the region of Veneto holds a (nonbinding, but official) referendum on independence, with a significant majority voting 'Yes.' Captain America and the Inp-American SpecOps troops arrive in Dsp-Britain. In Dsp-Gotham City, an agent from Inp-USA encounters the local Joker, and then meets the Bat-Man. The agent gives the Bat a smartphone he brought with him, containing an extensive database on forensics and criminology. In Stp-USA, the United States Navy Space Service is established, much to the annoyance of the Army, and advocates of a purely civilian space program.

March 24: Queen Victoria and Prince Albert visit Stp-Heligoland. In a brief speech, Her Majesty promises that Britain will never abandon her responsibilities to the islanders, and reads an Act of Parliament granting Heligoland status much like the Channel Islands. This is not well-regarded in Prussia, nor in several states of the Holy Roman Empire, but is quite popular with the Heligolanders and Stp-British. In Dsp-London, Captain America goes to dinner with a woman named Peggy, who turns out to be Junior Commander Margaret Carter of the Auxiliary Territorial Service, seconded to the Special Operations Executive. He is rather surprised to learn that she will be inserted into Occupied France with the team, though she will not stay with them.

March 27: Pope Leo X promulgates the papal bull Ad veram scientiam (The true science), distinguishing discoveries and inventions made by Catholics or verified by the Church, which he declares to be gifts from God (and thus signs of His favor on the scientist or inventor), from discoveries and inventions created by 'heathens and heretics' and not yet verified by the Church (a process that can take years to decades, giving the Church time to adjust doctrine if necessary - and to make investments), which may be temptations from the Devil. On Earth-2, the Inp-American SpecOps troops, along with Captain America and Junior Commander Carter, parachute into Dsp-Northern France at about one in the morning, local time.

March 29: Inp-Emperor Akihito makes his first trip to space, during which he uses construction waldoes to affix chrysanthemum medallions to Yamato and Wakamiya. In Dsp-Washington, D.C., the United States Department of Extraordinary Operations is established under the Justice Department, and then immediately transferred to the War Department for the duration of WWII(2). Among other duties, the DEO will serve as the operating authority for the All-Star Squadron, replacing an ad hoc committee of military and intelligence personnel currently serving that function.


Thoughts?

[tshiggins]

Originally Posted by Prince Charon

Still hating the character limit.

(SNIP)

In Dsp-London, Captain America goes to dinner with a woman named Peggy, who turns out to be Junior Commander Margaret Carter of the Auxiliary Territorial Service, seconded to the Special Operations Executive. He is rather surprised to learn that she will be inserted into Occupied France with the team, though she will not stay with them.

(SNIP)

Thoughts?

Yay! Peggy Carter makes her debut!