Showing posts with label Alternate History. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Alternate History. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

ALTERNATE UNIVERSE - DREAMING OF AN IMPERIAL (ROMANTIC) 21st CENTURY

The absurd, unsuitable, and overwhelming weight of a technological, fast paced existence within any major metropolitan Western center during the 21st Century is nearly intolerable for the few remaining romantic souls who long for the simplicity of life during the early days of the industrial age… Gadgets, circuits, connections and speed not only twist but also infect the human condition by insulting its very nature… Indeed, nearly every issue appears exceedingly disagreeable, distasteful and/or distressing; at best the entire landscape of modern urban society emerge as a rather unappealing experience, which unquestionably triggers or exacerbates the overall sense of “malaise”, fear, and great discomfort afflicting millions of unwitting victims everywhere today…
For those who worship the Past, most events and nearly all issues currently endured by most metropolitan citizens would indubitably have been signficantly assuaged in case the noble Houses of Windsor, Romanov, and Habsburg were still in charge of their respective monarchies today, and had never lost their grip on power (naturally I have deliberately excluded the Prussian Hohenzollerns for trouble would always have emerged in some nefarious fashion from Berlin - if any Kaiser is permitted to consolidate power over the entirety of Germany – as opposed to remaining confined to the much smaller Prussian Kingdom – unless of course inevitable serious “issues” were somehow much earlier addressed during a Major European conflict – a “War of three Emperors between 1870 and 1885 - concluding with the complete defeat of the Prussian forces, as opposed to our historical World War I in 1914). In such an “alternate world” the United Kingdom (along with France under Napoleon III) would have financed and supported the Russian & Austro-Hungarian empires (a Russia where the State Duma would have been permitted to function and an Austria where Archduke Rudolf would have been the Emperor) to defeat Prussia, thus preventing Otto von-Bismarck (who would have been executed) from creating a German state and further militarizing Prussia.

If these majestic Houses had not “fallen from grace” (which categorically would have also included a Orleans & Bragança sitting at the Brazilian Throne at the “Imperial Municipality of the Court – as Rio was once named), the current Islamic threat (rooted upon an insolvable Arab-Israeli conflict) along with the current financial chaos, which has brought our civilization to the brink of bankruptcy, would not have arisen. Indeed, because the 20th century would have been entirely distinct from what we learned from the History books (NO great depression – NO rise of National Socialism – NO independent Middle Eastern or North African states – NO Soviet Union –and a much less prominent USA) there would not have been any splitting of the atom in the 1940’s, nor any space travel in the 1950’s, transistors would not have been invented around 1960, while personal computers (let alone the internet) would have remained in the realm of Science Fiction...

Rather, we would, most likely, have been accustomed to pleasant, comfortable two-day long crossings of the Atlantic aboard magnificently furnished floating Airships from “Lufthansa, British Caledonian or Pan American; using elegant Rail Express Services to travel inside our respective continents; utilizing gracious metallic telephones that require Human Operators to make connections; and listening to Radio Broadcasts while sending one another telegrams...

If my dream scenario were to have come to fruition, Planet Earth would have been a much more agreeable place in 2009: much more peaceful, elegant and civilized than what we have in its stead…

Friday, December 5, 2008

An amusing conjecture – A Roman Earth (in an Alternate Universe) - FICTION

The premise of this short story is based on currently popular scientific discussions about Multiverse – which was recently developed after the String Theorists defeated an earlier group of Physicists in connection with the number of existing dimensions (Nine versus Eleven dimensions)Fiction Background
A brilliant disillusioned scientist from an Universe similar to ours, after enduring momentous personal loss, drastically turned against his own society and decided to use his knowledge (and spare no effort) in order to fundamentally alter the status quo. In order to achieve this objective, the “scientific Villain” decided to brilliantly manipulate Space-Time & Gravity, thereby discovering the “secrets of Time Travel”. After conducting some preliminary testing with minor mammals and other primates, our brilliant Villain eventually utilized his formidable contraption in order to reach the Italic peninsula - circa 59 B.C - a few weeks after Julius Gaius Caesar had been elected Consul of the Roman Republic; a few weeks after having solidified an strategic alliance with Pompey (with the offer his own daughter Julia’s hand in marriage) – approximately two decades before the Roman Civil War was “scheduled” to unfold...

After managing a successful meeting with the newly elected Consul, the mischievous scientist using the disguise of a Messenger from Jupiter (the Roman “main God”) bestowed Julius Caesar with the “Gift of Foresight” into a possible “future World” where his own assassination and the eventual downfall of Rome would have been ordained... Therefore, under the clever pretext that gods favored the Consul, our Villain disclosed to Julius the necessary information thereby preventing the unfolding of such distressing events; this gift should be perceived as a token of Jupiter’s favor and was designed to ensure the eternal Glory of Rome under the Guidance of the Consul (soon named Emperor) and his successors, following the wise council of the Divine envoy (who was readily nominated a Roman Senator, Chief Scholar and First Advisor to the Throne)

Unlike most similar Sci-Fi stories (based on “Time Travel”), because of the Multiverse (and its eleven dimensions) and unlike the presumption of the plot’s Creator, the original “time-line” was not endangered despite the Scientist’s Machiavellian deeds… Rather, instead of altering his world’s history, his interference simply triggered the automatic creation of a separate Universe which would unfold along a separate but parallel pathway, alongside the original one, which would proceed impervious of the above-referenced developments in its Ancient Past….

THE ACTUAL STORY
Date - December 5, 2110 AG
In that newly created Universe, following the time when our Villain embarked in his adventure into the mysteries of Time-Space (2008 AD), due to a completely different calendar (based on distinct Time-Keeping conventions) the current year reads 2110 AG – where AG stands for “After” (Julius) “Gaius” (Caesar’s birth).
Location - Roma Novae, Luna Province


Location - Roma Novae, Luna Province
A group of Privileged school children eagerly trailed their Tutor during a special visit to the oldest Museum on Luna – the site of the very first Roman colony in space – at the center of Roma Novae main module. As the pupils admired the amazing museum’s façade, ancient looking Doric and Ionic columns – the remarkable construction of which had been the first to combine Classical design with the necessary technical requirements of Surface exposed to vacuum and solar radiation - built during the early days of space exploration, a mere 100 years following Planet Rome’s colonization of outer space (400 years ago).

As most young students anywhere in the vast Roman Empire, the youngsters were often querying their impatient History Preceptor about nearly everything spotted along their pathway, particularly after reaching the old Lunar Temples of Jupiter, Minerva and Dionysius, where the tutor suddenly finally locates the museum’s section devoted for Ancient Terran History and Early Mythological Creeds. Relived for reaching the intended area – specially selected for his monthly “in locus” class – after examining priceless Sumerian, Babylonian and Greek statues, as well as various artifacts and papyrus from Terra – which survived not only the rigors of time but also the challenge of an arduous space tow to Luna aboard an ancient Space-Galley Freighter, the teacher leads the curious pupils towards the section hosting the “Early Atlantican” religions (Roman-given denomination for America - settled by the Romans in 957 AC), when he is suddenly interrupted, once again, by the most curious of the little rascals in the group – the elder son of the Lunar Consul.

The lad was rudely pointing to a curious looking wooden object nearly concealed by a statue of an equally ancient Roman Governor – it was a tiny cross… Annoyed, after taking a particularly deep sigh, the History Preceptor decides to indulge the prominent youngster, mostly due to the influence of his father, and replies in a surprised manner: “Are you actually curious about THAT small contraption? Ah, silly boy! The wooden object represents nothing more that a mere mythological symbol associated with an obscure ancient sect of maniacal rebels… If my memory serves, I understand such criminals were followers of one of the first Terrorists in recorded history – a bizarre criminal from Judea who was executed about two millennia ago”.

When further questioned whether the historical rebels had engaged any followers in Judea, the frustrated tutor reprimanded: “Well, according to historical data, I understand there was a small group of followers, even in Rome! Yet in order to prevent further dissemination of their dangerous beliefs the Empire exterminated most of the fanatics within a few decades, mostly in the Roman main arena of the time: the Coliseum, located in the Imperial Capital on Terra. Now, just concentrate on important issues relating to your studies, and leave aside any further consideration for any such irrelevant issues which bear little or no significant impact upon the course of History!”

Upon pronouncing his lasting words of wisdom, the History Preceptor quickly led-on the excited group of pupils along the vast rooms of the main Lunar Museum.

ACTUAL HISTORICAL REFERENCE:
Gaius Julius Caesar, July 12, 102 BC – March 15, 44 BC (Roman Republic)