Alternate Wikipedia Infoboxes VI (Do Not Post Current Politics or Political Figures Here)
- Status
Crossposting from my new timeline: Fallen Eagle: The World After the Clinton Assassination, which I originally started in this thread.
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The funerals of Bill and Hillary Clinton became one of the most viewed events in American history. Throughout the pews of Washington National Cathedral were many recognisable faces. Former presidents and first ladies sat together. Foreign dignitaries were also in attendance, from Russia's Boris Yeltsin, to Canada's Jean Chrétien, to Britain's John Major and the Prince of Wales. President Al Gore spoke, giving a eulogy to his former boss.
"I remember in 1992, when Bill Clinton first gave me the offer to become his running mate. It was very late in the night. I went into a meeting with Bill with a sense of foreboding. We talked and talked, and I came out of that meeting having gained a new friend." - Al Gore, President of the United States
"We understand the Reagans were unable to attend. Former President Reagan, of course, has been suffering from a number of health issues, most notably a progression of Alzheimer's disease. The Reagans did, however, release a statement indicating their sorrow and their intention to pray for the rest of the Clinton family and for the new administration." - Jill Dougherty, CNN White House Correspondent
Thousands of Americans watched as the presidential hearse drove through the national mall. The president and first lady would be buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Condolences came throughout the world. Australia was the last country the president visited before flying to Manila, and Prime Minister John Howard saw to it that flags were flown at half-mast. The United Kingdom saw candlelight vigils throughout the nation, particularly in Northern Ireland, where the president had visited only a year before. Most of the Muslim World offered their condolences, except for Saddam Hussein's Iraq, which remained completely quiet. Even the so-called 'hermit kingdom' of North Korea issued a condemnation of all forms of terrorism but were quick to remind the world that they believed the assassination was a side-effect of "America's world-wide hostile policy."
A sombre atmosphere would surround the January 20th inauguration. The man the American people elected was not the man being sworn in today. And yet, there was still a sense of national unity. Security was far tighter than President Clinton's inauguration in '93. President Gore took the oath of office for a second time, before shaking hands with Chief Justice Rehnquist and walking to the podium. He stood exactly where his late boss had stood only four years before. He was still getting used to seeing the presidential seal in front of him, hearing 'Hail to the Chief' wherever he walked.
Al Gore was in an awkward situation. It seemed he was obligated, and indeed, he felt a responsibility to continue the work and legacy of Bill Clinton. At the same time, Gore also wanted to distinguish himself as his own man. He knew too well, no matter what he will do in the next four years, that he will be constantly compared to his predecessor. In his highs and lows, there'll always be one political pundit who asks: "what would President Clinton have done?"
In Afghanistan, Kabul had fallen from Taliban control to Ahmad Shah Massoud's United Front. U.S. and Alliance forces had overrun the cave complex of Tora Bora. It was believed al-Qaeda figures such as bin Laden had managed to escape into Pakistan at the last minute. The hunt was on. The U.S. had been operating under the assumption that al-Qaeda's move from Sudan had severely disorganised the group. They had clearly underestimated their influence.
The question the U.S. and their allies faced now was that of the future of Afghanistan. President Gore maintained his commitment to rebuilding the nation and keeping peace. How exactly the nation was to rebuild after years of civil war was uncertain. What was certain, however, was that the U.S. wouldn't be leaving Afghanistan anytime soon. In cooperation with the United Nations, preparations were made for a loya jirga to elect a new government of Afghanistan by 1998. Several potential candidates would emerge to become the new head of state, candidates such as former president Burhanuddin Rabbani, United Front commander Ahmad Shah Massoud and the Pashtun Abdul Haq.
Massoud, the famed Lion of Panjshir, was a seemingly favoured candidate. A national hero, supportive of democratic institutions, and yet his Tajik ethnicity risked intensifying the north-south divide between Pashtun and non-Pashtun. Even the former king Mohammed Zahir Shah, who had been living in exile since 1973, was a potential candidate. Zahir Shah could very well be the compromise candidate, an individual who could unify the country above the looming factional and ethnic conflict, but an outright restoration of the monarchy was considered out of the question. The Tajik-Pashtun Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, a close adviser to Massoud and in recent months the face of the United Front to the world, was also seeing support to stand as a candidate.
The U.S. remained cautious over who they backed. There's hope that the wide ranging backgrounds of the loya jirga's delegates, and the participation of women for the first time, would show a significant role human rights will play in Afghanistan's future. Factional jostling for power and even terror threats would cause a lot of delay. However, as long as things went as planned, Afghanistan would be on the hopeful road to democracy. As long as things went as planned.
Meanwhile, back in the U.S., the trial of Ramzi Yousef was under way. Yousef was the mind behind the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and the foiled Bojinka plot. The foiled plot would have seen several passenger planes hijacked across the Eastern seaboard of the U.S., blown up and flown into several locations including the WTC, U.S. Capitol, the Pentagon and the CIA's headquarters in Langley. As the trial would reveal, the link between Yousef and bin Laden wasn't as strong as previously thought. In fact, whether or not Yousef was a member of al-Qaeda or if he had even met bin Laden was unclear. But there was still one individual of great interest to the U.S. government: Khalid Sheikh Mohammad.
Mohammad, the maternal uncle of Yousef, was now on the FBI's list of most wanted terrorists. He had already been indicted in early 1996 by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York for his involvement in the Bojinka plot. To avoid U.S. authorities, Mohammad had fled to Afghanistan not long before the assassination of President Clinton. Like Yousef, Mohammad's membership of al-Qaeda was uncertain, but he was believed to have strong links to bin Laden. Mohammad could very well be the key to understanding everything leading up to the Clinton assassination.
A few months after Operation Shining Light, an audio tape believed to be of bin Laden emerged. Apparently filmed some months earlier, in the tape bin Laden praises the assassination of Clinton, while stopping short of claiming responsibility himself. U.S. intelligence verified that the recording was, indeed, authentic. At the G8 summit in Denver, President Gore would reiterate his words that Americans will not be intimidated and stated his determination to bring bin Laden to justice. Gore's statement was strongly supported by other attending world leaders. One in particular was Britain's newly elected Prime Minister Tony Blair, who spoke of the special relationship between America and the United Kingdom.
At home, President Gore had been taking the heat from the recent 'Chinagate' controversy. The then-Vice President had found himself the centre of a controversy surrounding the DNC's fundraising during the 1996 election. The scandal got its name from the alleged involvement of the Chinese government, and their attempts at influencing U.S. domestic politics. China, of course, denied all accusations. As for Gore, part of him hoped his sudden catapult to the presidency would at least be a distraction. He was correct, but that distraction wasn't going to last forever.
Gore had made the mistake of attending a fundraiser held at a Buddhist temple during the '96 campaign. The president would claim he was under the impression that it was merely a community outreach event, despite the presence of 'finance people'. Gore admitted he made a mistake and that he would support the ongoing Department of Justice investigation. There were several calls from within the department for Attorney General Janet Reno to appoint a special prosecutor, calls that would be refused. Some Republican congressmen believed the whole ordeal was even grounds for impeachment.
This was going to be one rocky ride for President Gore.
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The funerals of Bill and Hillary Clinton became one of the most viewed events in American history. Throughout the pews of Washington National Cathedral were many recognisable faces. Former presidents and first ladies sat together. Foreign dignitaries were also in attendance, from Russia's Boris Yeltsin, to Canada's Jean Chrétien, to Britain's John Major and the Prince of Wales. President Al Gore spoke, giving a eulogy to his former boss.
"I remember in 1992, when Bill Clinton first gave me the offer to become his running mate. It was very late in the night. I went into a meeting with Bill with a sense of foreboding. We talked and talked, and I came out of that meeting having gained a new friend." - Al Gore, President of the United States
"We understand the Reagans were unable to attend. Former President Reagan, of course, has been suffering from a number of health issues, most notably a progression of Alzheimer's disease. The Reagans did, however, release a statement indicating their sorrow and their intention to pray for the rest of the Clinton family and for the new administration." - Jill Dougherty, CNN White House Correspondent
Thousands of Americans watched as the presidential hearse drove through the national mall. The president and first lady would be buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Condolences came throughout the world. Australia was the last country the president visited before flying to Manila, and Prime Minister John Howard saw to it that flags were flown at half-mast. The United Kingdom saw candlelight vigils throughout the nation, particularly in Northern Ireland, where the president had visited only a year before. Most of the Muslim World offered their condolences, except for Saddam Hussein's Iraq, which remained completely quiet. Even the so-called 'hermit kingdom' of North Korea issued a condemnation of all forms of terrorism but were quick to remind the world that they believed the assassination was a side-effect of "America's world-wide hostile policy."
A sombre atmosphere would surround the January 20th inauguration. The man the American people elected was not the man being sworn in today. And yet, there was still a sense of national unity. Security was far tighter than President Clinton's inauguration in '93. President Gore took the oath of office for a second time, before shaking hands with Chief Justice Rehnquist and walking to the podium. He stood exactly where his late boss had stood only four years before. He was still getting used to seeing the presidential seal in front of him, hearing 'Hail to the Chief' wherever he walked.
Al Gore was in an awkward situation. It seemed he was obligated, and indeed, he felt a responsibility to continue the work and legacy of Bill Clinton. At the same time, Gore also wanted to distinguish himself as his own man. He knew too well, no matter what he will do in the next four years, that he will be constantly compared to his predecessor. In his highs and lows, there'll always be one political pundit who asks: "what would President Clinton have done?"
In Afghanistan, Kabul had fallen from Taliban control to Ahmad Shah Massoud's United Front. U.S. and Alliance forces had overrun the cave complex of Tora Bora. It was believed al-Qaeda figures such as bin Laden had managed to escape into Pakistan at the last minute. The hunt was on. The U.S. had been operating under the assumption that al-Qaeda's move from Sudan had severely disorganised the group. They had clearly underestimated their influence.
The question the U.S. and their allies faced now was that of the future of Afghanistan. President Gore maintained his commitment to rebuilding the nation and keeping peace. How exactly the nation was to rebuild after years of civil war was uncertain. What was certain, however, was that the U.S. wouldn't be leaving Afghanistan anytime soon. In cooperation with the United Nations, preparations were made for a loya jirga to elect a new government of Afghanistan by 1998. Several potential candidates would emerge to become the new head of state, candidates such as former president Burhanuddin Rabbani, United Front commander Ahmad Shah Massoud and the Pashtun Abdul Haq.
Massoud, the famed Lion of Panjshir, was a seemingly favoured candidate. A national hero, supportive of democratic institutions, and yet his Tajik ethnicity risked intensifying the north-south divide between Pashtun and non-Pashtun. Even the former king Mohammed Zahir Shah, who had been living in exile since 1973, was a potential candidate. Zahir Shah could very well be the compromise candidate, an individual who could unify the country above the looming factional and ethnic conflict, but an outright restoration of the monarchy was considered out of the question. The Tajik-Pashtun Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, a close adviser to Massoud and in recent months the face of the United Front to the world, was also seeing support to stand as a candidate.
The U.S. remained cautious over who they backed. There's hope that the wide ranging backgrounds of the loya jirga's delegates, and the participation of women for the first time, would show a significant role human rights will play in Afghanistan's future. Factional jostling for power and even terror threats would cause a lot of delay. However, as long as things went as planned, Afghanistan would be on the hopeful road to democracy. As long as things went as planned.
Meanwhile, back in the U.S., the trial of Ramzi Yousef was under way. Yousef was the mind behind the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and the foiled Bojinka plot. The foiled plot would have seen several passenger planes hijacked across the Eastern seaboard of the U.S., blown up and flown into several locations including the WTC, U.S. Capitol, the Pentagon and the CIA's headquarters in Langley. As the trial would reveal, the link between Yousef and bin Laden wasn't as strong as previously thought. In fact, whether or not Yousef was a member of al-Qaeda or if he had even met bin Laden was unclear. But there was still one individual of great interest to the U.S. government: Khalid Sheikh Mohammad.
Mohammad, the maternal uncle of Yousef, was now on the FBI's list of most wanted terrorists. He had already been indicted in early 1996 by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York for his involvement in the Bojinka plot. To avoid U.S. authorities, Mohammad had fled to Afghanistan not long before the assassination of President Clinton. Like Yousef, Mohammad's membership of al-Qaeda was uncertain, but he was believed to have strong links to bin Laden. Mohammad could very well be the key to understanding everything leading up to the Clinton assassination.
A few months after Operation Shining Light, an audio tape believed to be of bin Laden emerged. Apparently filmed some months earlier, in the tape bin Laden praises the assassination of Clinton, while stopping short of claiming responsibility himself. U.S. intelligence verified that the recording was, indeed, authentic. At the G8 summit in Denver, President Gore would reiterate his words that Americans will not be intimidated and stated his determination to bring bin Laden to justice. Gore's statement was strongly supported by other attending world leaders. One in particular was Britain's newly elected Prime Minister Tony Blair, who spoke of the special relationship between America and the United Kingdom.
At home, President Gore had been taking the heat from the recent 'Chinagate' controversy. The then-Vice President had found himself the centre of a controversy surrounding the DNC's fundraising during the 1996 election. The scandal got its name from the alleged involvement of the Chinese government, and their attempts at influencing U.S. domestic politics. China, of course, denied all accusations. As for Gore, part of him hoped his sudden catapult to the presidency would at least be a distraction. He was correct, but that distraction wasn't going to last forever.
Gore had made the mistake of attending a fundraiser held at a Buddhist temple during the '96 campaign. The president would claim he was under the impression that it was merely a community outreach event, despite the presence of 'finance people'. Gore admitted he made a mistake and that he would support the ongoing Department of Justice investigation. There were several calls from within the department for Attorney General Janet Reno to appoint a special prosecutor, calls that would be refused. Some Republican congressmen believed the whole ordeal was even grounds for impeachment.
This was going to be one rocky ride for President Gore.
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Really good scenario, but one little nitpick- Blair didn't become PM until May 1997, so it would've been John Major attending the Clinton's funerals.
Whoops! Good spot! I thought I had checked over the mistakes. That's what I get for writing that bit in the early hours of the morning. Fixed.
As I said before Excelsior, I really enjoyed your infobox for Metropolis, Delaware!Metropolis, officially the Metropolis of Fort Hunter, is the most populous city in the state of Delaware, and the 45th largest city in the United States. Metropolis is one anchor of the state-crossing Gotham-Metropolis Combined Statistical Area, which is in turn part of the greater Northeastern megaregion. Metropolis lies along the Delaware coast on the western side of the Delaware Bay. The greater metropolitan area includes most of Delaware and parts of neighboring Maryland. The city is home to major companies and industries, especially in insurance, defense, aerospace, telecommunications, biotechnology, and more recently, metahuman science. The city is also home to a number of public superheroes, most famously Superman until his death in 2016.
The modern city can be traced back to the fishing villages of Troy north of Hobbs Bay, founded by English explorer Frederick Hobbs, and Vriessendael south of the bay, founded by Dutch explorer David Pieterszoon de Vries. During the American Revolution, the Bay was occupied by the Royal Navy despite both towns being pro-revolution. This ended when a raiding party led by Captain Daniel Hunter of the Continental Army burned the ships in port to prevent them from relieving General Cornwallis in Yorktown. Hunter died in the course of doing so, and the fort later built in the region was named in his honor. Fort Hunter came to include both of the former villages and remains part of the official name of the city to this day.
In the 19th century, Fort Hunter was a center of abolitionist activity, and was critical to Delaware abolishing slavery in 1845. The movement was led by newspaper publisher Ezekiel Star of The Daily Star. After that, the Fort Hunter area became a major stop on the Underground Railroad due to its proximity to slaveholding southern states. Many freedmen opted to settle there, founding the Freeland township that would eventually become a neighborhood of Metropolis. During the same time, immigrants began coming to the area just like the rest of the Atlantic seaboard. They were primarily Irish and later German, Polish, and Jewish. Immigrant communities sprung up around the South Bay and the south shore of the river where the harbor and industrial work was based. The city's prospects improved immensely when industrialist Adrian Stryker financed the dredging of the Inner Bay and widened the river. The material extracted during this process was deposited outside the bay to form Strykers Island. The expanded bay and river brought much more shipping to the burgeoning city. This, combined with the increase in goods traffic from the Pennsylvania Railroad led to Fort Hunter becoming a major secondary port to upstream Philadelphia, much like Gotham across the Delaware Bay.
As the city grew, there was much consternation over its governance due to constant interference from New Castle County and the State of Delaware, both of which were controlled by the people outside the city. In 1879, Fort Hunter voted to secede from New Castle County and become an independent city. The first mayor of the new city was Daniel Sullivan of the Fourth Street Machine. This was a shock to the city's elite and exposed the deep divides that were taking root in the city. The south side was home to the burgeoning immigrant population, living in cramped, dirty neighborhoods and working in the factories and at the harbors. The north side was home to the elites in their large homes on spacious estates, and was home to all the major financial and cultural institutions. Luckily for the north side, the machine was glad to let them do as they pleased on the north side as long as they didn't interfere with the machine's control of City Hall. However, the south side inevitably crossed the river as there was soon little space left south of the river to build new tenements or factories. Thus began the continuous flight northward of the patricians. The city's downtown remained in the former north side, today known as North Bay, but the inhabitants moved further away. This was hastened by the advent of the automobile, which enabled the wealthy to live far but travel to their workplaces quickly.
Much of old Fort Hunter was burnt down in the Great Fire of 1920. The fire swept through the North Bay, destroying much of the central business district, industrial areas, and adjacent working class neighborhoods. It was further exacerbated by the explosion of many munitions warehouses lining the bay. The city subsequently entered an economic tailspin and struggled to recover from the devastation. This continued until major industrialist Waldo Glenmorgan, owner of Glenmorgan Packing Company and Glenmorgan Transport bought up much of the destroyed land and made generous donations to the city. In exchange, he demanded control over the rebuilding of the city, which he received. Glenmorgan used the opportunity to construct his long imagined "City of the Future" taking full advantage of modern technology and style. He was joined in this venture by fellow millionaires Amos Stryker and Lawrence Luthor. Together they built dazzling skyscrapers lining wide avenues and expanded the city's greenspaces, most notably Centennial Park. They also built the Metro Underground, a vast subway system that reached every corner of the city. However, they didn't only build on destroyed land. They bought up neighborhoods with crooked deals and forced the working class people living there. The adjacent black majority town of Freeland was severed, with half of its territory being enclosed within Fort Hunter by a massive highway. This area would eventually become known as the Suicide Slum due to poor conditions and a habit of police to kill people discretely by framing deaths as suicides. The decade long restoration process peaked in 1933, when the city was officially renamed "The Metropolis of Fort Hunter", a city completely reborn with its futuristic architecture and planning. Over time, this name would be reduced to "The Metropolis" and then simply "Metropolis". The city went on to host the World's Fair, despite being mired in the Great Depression. Glenmorgan came to be celebrated as the "Fourth Founder" of the city, after Hobbs, De Vries, and Stryker. Glenmorgan would later go missing undertaking a solo flight across the Pacific Ocean.
Metropolis had a boom period during World War II, as the defense industry ramped up production. Government contractors such as Luthor-Rand, Ocran, Kord Industries, and Sloane Grey were major employers during the war and remained so in the post-war period. The Metropolis moniker took hold in the 1950s as the population latched on to the Atomic Age and Space Age. Many of the aforementioned companies shifted gears to support the aerospace industry, which remains prominent in the city to this day. This shift helped the city avoid the fate of many other industrial cities that entered a period of decline over the course of the century. As the city experienced economic growth, people moved to it from across the country. The city began expanding northward, encircling Freeland with its new suburbs. These suburbs were hastily annexed in order to maintain the city's tax base, with the consent and aid of the state government in Dover to supersede the county authorities. Freeland itself would be annexed in 1964 despite strong resistance in both cities. The annexation was pushed by business interests seeking to build yet another highway that would connect the farthest flung residential areas to the expanding industrial and business centers on the north side.
After the annexation, Metropolis endured considerable racial strife, as the majority black city had suddenly become a neighborhood in a majority white city with a white government. The municipal government violated the annexation agreement by breaking up the former Freeland Police Department and dividing the ex-city among existing Metro Police precincts. Property taxes were raised immensely in order to price black residents out of their homes and make neighborhoods available for white people to move into. These moves led to the rise of the civil rights movement in Metropolis, which would eventually become strong enough to defeat Fourth Street and culminated in the election of Marvin Knight as the first black mayor of Metropolis. Even today, Metropolis has significant de facto racial segregation, with highly black neighborhoods separated from highly white and white ethnic neighborhoods.
In the 80s and 90s, Metropolis began seeing population decline once more as the major defense contractors left and shipping declined. The construction of the Delaware Bay Bridge–Tunnel, connecting Metropolis and Gotham was a major boon to the city. A brief economic resurgence due to the computer industry abated until the tech boom began in earnest. Although the "dotcom bubble" would burst nationwide, the Luthor Corporation and Galaxy Communications survived and grew. Luthor in particular had a resurgence as a leader in aerospace, tech, and cybernetics, and had many successful defense contracts that brought jobs back to Metropolis. This apogee was marked by the completion of the Luthor Tower (later LexCorp Tower) in the North Bay in 2000, which was the tallest building in the United States at 1,654 ft tall.
The beginning of the 21st century also saw the city's most unique and historic development: the arrival of Superman, the first public superhuman, the first public alien on Earth, and the first modern superhero. Superman, who claimed to hail from a planet Krypton, soon became the most popular man in Metropolis, and indeed the world. He defended the city from alien invasion four times, and led the defense against the Alien Alliance in 2011. Superman would eventually be killed in 2016 by the Doomsday creature and was honored with the construction of the Superman Memorial in Centennial Park, where he was interred. Despite his alleged death, there have been many reported sightings of the city's favorite son. In the aftermath of Superman's emergence, many superheroes have appeared in Metropolis, including Supergirl, Superboy, Steel, Blue Beetle, Booster Gold, and Black Lightning, who was previously active in the 1990s. In the modern or "superhero age", Metropolis has become a center of crisis due to repeated attacks causing great destruction. However, companies like LexCorp and Wayne Technologies have made substantives investments in rebuilding and growth.
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Odds and ends:
- Metropolis is home to three major league sports teams. Two, the Metropolis Titans of the NFL, and the Metropolis Meteors of the MLB, both play in Stryker Park, which recently had its entire interior rebuilt. Both teams and their shared stadium are a major point of south side culture and are a source of immense pride despite being frequent losers. The Metropolis Monarchs of the NBA play in Shuster Arena of the north side and are much more popular there. The Monarchs share Shuster Arena with the Metropolis Mammoths of the NHL. There are also soccer teams.
- The University of Metropolis system is one of the leaders in medical and metahuman research. Its facilities around the city attract students and academics from around the world.
- The entire city of Metropolis is contained within Delaware's second congressional district, which has been represented by Democrat Harry Craddick since 2001.
- The Metro Underground is one of the best, most efficient, and expansive subway systems in the world. The system is constantly upgraded and features top of the line equipment and technology. In these regards, it is a rarity in the United States.
- The major newspapers of Metropolis are The Daily Star and The Daily Planet. In recent years, the Star has gone to a completely online model, with the Planet likely to do the same, especially since the Daily Planet building was heavily damaged in the Doomsday attack. The Star was owned by the Star family until bought by Luthor Media in 2009, while the Planet remains in the hands of the Bratten family. The local tabloids are The Metro Daily and MetroBuzz.
- The military base of Fort Hunter is still located within Metropolis, and there is also a Naval Air Station Bakerline just outside the city's southern reaches.
Oh, by the way, have you ever considered doing one for Gotham City, New Jersey from Batman? It's right across the Delaware Bay.
The two major political parties in my timeline, New Birth of Freedom.
The National Party ranges from George Wallace-type populists (minus the segregationism) to Walter Reuther-style labor liberals, Lyndon Johnson-style southern liberals, and Dick Gephardt moderates.
The Freedom Party ranges from Rockefeller Republicans (and Roosevelt Republicans) to non-interventionist Herbert Hoover/Calvin Coolidge types and moderate William H. Taft types.
The National Party ranges from George Wallace-type populists (minus the segregationism) to Walter Reuther-style labor liberals, Lyndon Johnson-style southern liberals, and Dick Gephardt moderates.
The Freedom Party ranges from Rockefeller Republicans (and Roosevelt Republicans) to non-interventionist Herbert Hoover/Calvin Coolidge types and moderate William H. Taft types.
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Deep Space Apollo Command and Service Module
A crew launch and entry vehicle for proposed interplanetary missions to Mars and Venus, and powered by advanced fuel cells and batteries, the Deep Space Apollo was capable of a quiescent time of 36 months while docked to an interplanetary mission module. During interplanetary flight, the Deep Space Apollo had a backup communications and secondary science role, with enhanced communications antennae and a Planetary Instrument Module in the Service Module. Additionally, the powerful hypergolic Service Propulsion System (SPS) increased contingency abort flexibility throughout flight profiles.
Similar to contemporary Apollo Ferry’s, the Deep Space Apollo was the third generation of the reliable Command and Service Module (CSM) and compared to lunar and early Skylab flights, included updated internal fittings and avionics alongside lighter instrument panels and equipment.
Apollo DS-CSM-1
The test flight saw the CSM and a partially fuelled C-IVB inserted into an 102mi x 104mi parking orbit by a two-stage Saturn VE supported by twin Saturn Solid Rocket Boosters. After orbital checkout, the C-IVB lit six hours after launch to raise the vehicle into an elliptical Medium Earth Orbit. Over the next ten days, CSM and booster carried out a series of combined operations, testing both systems of the Deep Space Apollo and operation of the C-IVB as part of the Caelus Interplanetary Injection Booster Development Programme.
The C-IVB’s J-2V engine lit twice while over the next five days, changing orbits and operating elements of the Ares Navigation and Guidance System (ANGS) for the first time, while successfully demonstrating the J-2V’s throttleability. The C-IVB was the first manned vehicle to be fitted with active cooling systems to reduce cryogenic fuel boil off, powered by the vehicles two solar wings. On the sixth flight day, the CSM separated from the booster for the first time, redocking successfully with the Booster Docking Structure (BDS) before making two more successful engine burns – this time with the SPS.
Ahead of the flight, universities from across the United States had submitted experiments and camera packages for installation in the Planetary Instrument Module on the CSM and an analogue of the Primary Ares Science Pallet (PASP) that had been fitted to the C-IVB. On flight day ten, the crew spoke live to students from across the country on the scientific aspects of the mission.
After separation from the C-IVB on flight day thirteen, the C-IVB used its Auxiliary Propulsion System (APS) and the J-2V’s ‘Idle’ mode to actively station-keep with the CSM, while the crew completed a stand-up EVA to retrieve experiments from the PASP.
With the CSM retreating at a safe distance, Mission Control lit the J-2V for the fourth time – beyond its rated performance. The engine fired at a low throttle setting for 18 seconds until fuel exhaustion, ensuring a destructive re-entry over the Pacific Ocean.
Grissom, White & Chaffee remained in an elliptical orbit for four more days, completing a series of Earth observations and fluid dynamic experiments. Two further SPS firings then increased the craft’s speed ahead of re-entry, crew-rating the Command Module’s thickened heatshield at 50,000 ft/per second. Seventeen days long, it was the longest CSM only flight by some distance, and NASA was criticised by some for the conditions the crew were living in – particularly the lack of privacy for the female Astronaut. These complaints were pithily dismissed by Fisher herself, who remarked that “…there’s not much left to surprise a Mom.”
Like the recovery of crews from Skylab since 1980, the primary recovery ship for Grissom, White & Chaffee was a naval auxiliary – the replenishment oiler USS Roanoke. The crew splashed down 6 miles from the ship and were retrieved by helicopter. The Command Module is on display at the Roger Chaffee Planetarium in Grand Rapids, MI.
You can see drawings of Apollo DS-CSM 1 here
More
Saturn Solid Rocket Boosters| Caelus Interplanetary Injection Booster | Ares Navigation and Guidance System | The Skylab Programme here and here |The Saturn I+ | Saturn I+ Recovery - SL76B | Cape Canaveral Launch Complex 37 | Apollo SL82A Launch Abort, sometimes called Alabama's Hop | KS-IVB Orbitanker Wikibox and Shipbucket | Judith Resnik
A crew launch and entry vehicle for proposed interplanetary missions to Mars and Venus, and powered by advanced fuel cells and batteries, the Deep Space Apollo was capable of a quiescent time of 36 months while docked to an interplanetary mission module. During interplanetary flight, the Deep Space Apollo had a backup communications and secondary science role, with enhanced communications antennae and a Planetary Instrument Module in the Service Module. Additionally, the powerful hypergolic Service Propulsion System (SPS) increased contingency abort flexibility throughout flight profiles.
Similar to contemporary Apollo Ferry’s, the Deep Space Apollo was the third generation of the reliable Command and Service Module (CSM) and compared to lunar and early Skylab flights, included updated internal fittings and avionics alongside lighter instrument panels and equipment.
Apollo DS-CSM-1
The test flight saw the CSM and a partially fuelled C-IVB inserted into an 102mi x 104mi parking orbit by a two-stage Saturn VE supported by twin Saturn Solid Rocket Boosters. After orbital checkout, the C-IVB lit six hours after launch to raise the vehicle into an elliptical Medium Earth Orbit. Over the next ten days, CSM and booster carried out a series of combined operations, testing both systems of the Deep Space Apollo and operation of the C-IVB as part of the Caelus Interplanetary Injection Booster Development Programme.
The C-IVB’s J-2V engine lit twice while over the next five days, changing orbits and operating elements of the Ares Navigation and Guidance System (ANGS) for the first time, while successfully demonstrating the J-2V’s throttleability. The C-IVB was the first manned vehicle to be fitted with active cooling systems to reduce cryogenic fuel boil off, powered by the vehicles two solar wings. On the sixth flight day, the CSM separated from the booster for the first time, redocking successfully with the Booster Docking Structure (BDS) before making two more successful engine burns – this time with the SPS.
Ahead of the flight, universities from across the United States had submitted experiments and camera packages for installation in the Planetary Instrument Module on the CSM and an analogue of the Primary Ares Science Pallet (PASP) that had been fitted to the C-IVB. On flight day ten, the crew spoke live to students from across the country on the scientific aspects of the mission.
After separation from the C-IVB on flight day thirteen, the C-IVB used its Auxiliary Propulsion System (APS) and the J-2V’s ‘Idle’ mode to actively station-keep with the CSM, while the crew completed a stand-up EVA to retrieve experiments from the PASP.
With the CSM retreating at a safe distance, Mission Control lit the J-2V for the fourth time – beyond its rated performance. The engine fired at a low throttle setting for 18 seconds until fuel exhaustion, ensuring a destructive re-entry over the Pacific Ocean.
Grissom, White & Chaffee remained in an elliptical orbit for four more days, completing a series of Earth observations and fluid dynamic experiments. Two further SPS firings then increased the craft’s speed ahead of re-entry, crew-rating the Command Module’s thickened heatshield at 50,000 ft/per second. Seventeen days long, it was the longest CSM only flight by some distance, and NASA was criticised by some for the conditions the crew were living in – particularly the lack of privacy for the female Astronaut. These complaints were pithily dismissed by Fisher herself, who remarked that “…there’s not much left to surprise a Mom.”
Like the recovery of crews from Skylab since 1980, the primary recovery ship for Grissom, White & Chaffee was a naval auxiliary – the replenishment oiler USS Roanoke. The crew splashed down 6 miles from the ship and were retrieved by helicopter. The Command Module is on display at the Roger Chaffee Planetarium in Grand Rapids, MI.
You can see drawings of Apollo DS-CSM 1 here
More
Saturn Solid Rocket Boosters| Caelus Interplanetary Injection Booster | Ares Navigation and Guidance System | The Skylab Programme here and here |The Saturn I+ | Saturn I+ Recovery - SL76B | Cape Canaveral Launch Complex 37 | Apollo SL82A Launch Abort, sometimes called Alabama's Hop | KS-IVB Orbitanker Wikibox and Shipbucket | Judith Resnik
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Yes, I started working on it at the same time as the Metropolis infobox but I didn't finish it. I will probably get around to it eventually.
The Rising Sun Casts the Longest Shadow
Great Asian War
Sydney Raid
Third United Front
Japanese Nuclear Program and the Destruction on Wenzhou
Ho Chi Minh
The “Triple M Highway” was the term for the air route used to supply the Philippines during the early Cold War. Japanese forces had bypassed the Philippines during their strike south in 1941, for fear of bringing the United States into the war. Although the Philippines would become nominally independent, American military presence would keep the government there firmly aligned with Washington. Meanwhile the American alliance with Britain raised tensions considerably. Several tit for tat battles around American ships headed for the Philippines occurred. Thus, an air supply route was created. Initially it was merely a supplement for supplied sent via sea. But after the end of the war in Europe, it would be greatly expanded. Japanese support for anti-American rebels was accompanied by further harassment of American ships, further requiring the operation.
Plane’s took off from an airfield at the far end of the Hawaiian Islands (Midway), stopped over at American owned Guam (in the Mariana Islands) then reached the Philippines (typically landing in Manila). The supplies brought were usually highly technical equipment, or military supplies for the garrisons on the islands. The Triple M Highway did help suppress the Anti-American Rebels, but it’s importance was likely exaggerated for the propaganda victory it provided. Documents declassified in 2007 revealed that, despite American denials at the time, the Highway was used to bring nuclear weapons to American bombers in the Philippines.
The Ceylon Thaw, wherein America and Japan entered into a detente to oppose the Soviets, removed the need for the long and somewhat dangerous Triple M Highway and it ceased to be used in the early 50s. By the time the Thaw collapsed, Japan had bigger issues than cutting off the Philippines.
Great Asian War
Sydney Raid
Third United Front
Japanese Nuclear Program and the Destruction on Wenzhou
Ho Chi Minh
The “Triple M Highway” was the term for the air route used to supply the Philippines during the early Cold War. Japanese forces had bypassed the Philippines during their strike south in 1941, for fear of bringing the United States into the war. Although the Philippines would become nominally independent, American military presence would keep the government there firmly aligned with Washington. Meanwhile the American alliance with Britain raised tensions considerably. Several tit for tat battles around American ships headed for the Philippines occurred. Thus, an air supply route was created. Initially it was merely a supplement for supplied sent via sea. But after the end of the war in Europe, it would be greatly expanded. Japanese support for anti-American rebels was accompanied by further harassment of American ships, further requiring the operation.
Plane’s took off from an airfield at the far end of the Hawaiian Islands (Midway), stopped over at American owned Guam (in the Mariana Islands) then reached the Philippines (typically landing in Manila). The supplies brought were usually highly technical equipment, or military supplies for the garrisons on the islands. The Triple M Highway did help suppress the Anti-American Rebels, but it’s importance was likely exaggerated for the propaganda victory it provided. Documents declassified in 2007 revealed that, despite American denials at the time, the Highway was used to bring nuclear weapons to American bombers in the Philippines.
The Ceylon Thaw, wherein America and Japan entered into a detente to oppose the Soviets, removed the need for the long and somewhat dangerous Triple M Highway and it ceased to be used in the early 50s. By the time the Thaw collapsed, Japan had bigger issues than cutting off the Philippines.
That's nice to hear, Excelsior. I wish you good luck on being able to complete that infobox.
1940
1944 was probably the high point for the Long Administration, which was still undergoing the nebulous transition towards the Long Regime. The Second Great War in Europe had stimulated American Industry, as Long undertook the strategy of “profitable neutrality.” Yes, his second Vice Presence had also died in office. But the isolationist Governor of Indiana was an acceptable replacement.
The Republicans, their convention again under heavy influence of Government agents, nominated the obscure Governor of South Dakota on a broadly conservative platform. His campaign was anemic, starved for cash as Long’s “Cartels” solidified their control of the economy. Political machines in many states ensured Democratic control. Still, Long likely would have maintained his landslide and historic third term, even without his authoritarian efforts.
1944 was probably the high point for the Long Administration, which was still undergoing the nebulous transition towards the Long Regime. The Second Great War in Europe had stimulated American Industry, as Long undertook the strategy of “profitable neutrality.” Yes, his second Vice Presence had also died in office. But the isolationist Governor of Indiana was an acceptable replacement.
The Republicans, their convention again under heavy influence of Government agents, nominated the obscure Governor of South Dakota on a broadly conservative platform. His campaign was anemic, starved for cash as Long’s “Cartels” solidified their control of the economy. Political machines in many states ensured Democratic control. Still, Long likely would have maintained his landslide and historic third term, even without his authoritarian efforts.
From my Elvis thread, Pieces of My Life. LBJ manages to win the nomination against Kennedy but loses against Nixon in the election.
Teaser from my upcoming timeline, The Pale Horse: The Northwest Montana Insurgency and its Aftermath (1987-2002)
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Eparkhos
Banned
"The Marines, they're pulling up in black Ford Raptor Trucks, got the helicopters landing and everything! Ram Ranch is under siege, under lockdown...."
- Final radio transmission from Ram Ranch, December 25, 2017
On November 25, 2017, a state visit to New York by the Duke of Sussex went horribly wrong. As the motorcade made a tight turn, eighteen naked cowboys appeared out of nowhere and rushed the limousine, killing three of the escorts, wounding five and abducting Prince Harry. A national manhunt began, with FBI agents swarming across the Big Apple in a frantic attempt to locate the missing duke and the blue horse trailer that he had pulled into. After nearly forty hours of nothing, an anonymous person tipped off the federal agents, informing them of their suspicions that Grant MacDonald, the leader of a gay sex cult, was responsible for the abduction. Following this lead, the FBI discovered that MacDonald had published a series of manifestos expressing his desire to sodomize the Duke of Sussex. This, combined with a traffic camera sighting of the blue horse trailer in Sussex, Wyoming, on the road to MacDonald's Ram Ranch, was all that was needed for a search warrant to be issued.
FBI agents arrived at Ram Ranch at 1500 hours, November 28, 2017. Attempting to serve their warrant, the agents drove up the road to the complex's front gate. As they paused outside of the gate, a cultist appeared on the wall above them and fired an RPG at the lead vehicle. The resulting explosion killed three agents (Rob Hansen, Aaron Washington and Rachel Donovan) and injured five, sending the survivors fleeing back down the road. The FBI established a perimeter around the complex, sending several snipers to watch the entrances and exits of the compound. At 0300 on December 1, the FBI assaulted the complex. They scaled the outer wall, but were unable to reach the inner wall without alerting a sentry. The cultists opened fire, forcing the FBI to retreat with one dead (William Patel) and four wounded while killing five cultists and injuring a dozen. Two agents were unable to escape and were captured and disarmed by the cultists. Macdonald threatened to execute these agents, Carlos Silva and Anna Wiltshire, if the FBI did not withdraw.
Over the following week, the FBI and the cultists negotiated. One of the chief FBI conditions was the release of Silva and Wiltshire, as well as the Duke of the Sussex. MacDonald demanded national radio broadcast privileges, as he believed that all men in the United States would worship him if they heard his message, as well as the destruction of the London Bridge and an array of other bizarre demands. On 9 December, MacDonald ended negotiations, as he believed that the FBI was wasting his time. Over the next three days, FBI snipers killed four cultists and severely injured several others. Cultist counter-snipers then killed an FBI sniper (Bradford Pewell), which prompted the return the negotiating table. Sniping and counter-sniping continued, killing seven cultists.
The FBI and the cultists then entered into negotiations once again. On 22 December, MacDonald was allowed to broadcast from KDIC, with copies of his manifesto being run on national television. This was seen as a humiliation by the Kasich Administration, who were already dealing with the geopolitical ramifications of Sussex's abduction. On 25 December, a force of United States Marines arrived outside the complex. After a day of preparations, the final assault began at 0600 on 27 December. Five Black Hawk helicopters descended on the compound, landing in the courtyard and on the roof of the main building while dozens of FBI agents assaulted the walls from all directions. MacDonald and his followers fought on, being driven down into the tunnels beneath the building. Two marines, one federal agent and eighteen naked cowboys were killed. At 1026, Marines breached a chamber in an isolated section of the tunnel network, capturing MacDonald and two followers and freeing the hostages. However, four of the cultists were holed up in the lowest rank of the tunnels with several tons of tannerite, threatening to blow themselves up if MacDonald was not free. Government forces evacuated the complex, and after another half-day of negotiations via cell phone the cultists detonated their bombs. Ram Ranch exploded into a massive fireball, with shrapnel wounding several federal agents.
On 1 January 2018, the Duke of Sussex finally returned to the United Kingdom after a harrowing 32-day captivity.
- Status