Secrets

Indira Gandhi	In 1966, the only daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, became the first woman prime minister of India. Mrs Gandhi led the nation into a new period of enlightenment by pursuing Bapu's policy of brahmacharya, meaning 'control of the senses in thought, word and deed'. No better demonstration could be given that her survival from a hail of bullets from her Sikh bodyguards in New Delhi in 1984. She had after all witnessed Bapu survive a similiar attempt on his life in 1948.
Prime Minister

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T.E. Shaw	The earth trembled with the wrath of the warring nations, as Shaw's fame spread fast and with the momentum of the fabulous through Asia. All the metals were molten. Everything was in motion. No one could say what was impossible. Shaw realised Napoleon's young dream of conquering the East; he arrived in Constantinople in 1919 with most of the tribes and races of Asia Minor and Arabia at his back. ~ epic coda to the Final Arabian Tale 'Byzantium', by fantasy writer Ned Lawrence © Oxford University Press, 1919.
Fictional Hero

On completing his degree (1910), Ned Lawrence commenced postgraduate research in medieval pottery with a Senior Demy at Magdalen College, Oxford, which he abandoned after he was offered the opportunity to become a practising archaeologist in the Middle East. In December 1910 he sailed for Beirut, and on arrival went to Jbail (Byblos), where he studied Arabic. He then went to work on the excavations at Carchemish, near Jerablus in northern Syria, where he worked under D.G. Hogarth and R. Campbell-Thompson of the British Museum. He would later state that everything he accomplished as a fantasy author he owed to Hogarth. While excavating ancient Mesopotamian sites, Lawrence met Gertrude Bell, who was to influence him for much of his time in the Middle East. In late summer 1911, Lawrence returned to England for a brief sojourn. By November he was en route to Beirut for a second season at Carchemish, where he was to work with Leonard Woolley. Prior to resuming work there, however, he briefly worked with William Flinders Petrie at Kafr Ammar in Egypt. Lawrence continued making trips to the Middle East as a field archaeologist until the outbreak of World War I. In January 1914, Woolley and Lawrence were co-opted by the British military as an archaeological smokescreen for a British military survey of the Negev Desert. They were funded by the Palestine Exploration Fund to search for an area referred to in the Bible as the "Wilderness of Zin"; along the way, they undertook an archaeological survey of the Negev Desert. The Negev was of strategic importance, as it would have to be crossed by any Ottoman army attacking Egypt in the event of war. Woolley and Lawrence subsequently published a report of the expedition's archaeological findings, but a more important result was an updated mapping of the area, with special attention to features of military relevance such as water sources. At this time, Lawrence visited Aqaba and Petra. From March to May, Lawrence worked again at Carchemish. Following the outbreak of hostilities in August 1914, on the advice of S. F. Newcombe, Lawrence did not enlist in the British Army but held back until October, when he was commissioned in the Royal Flying Corps. During this period, he wrote a series of fantasy novels that were published after the war after he resumed his education.

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In 736 AUC, Caius Lumis Juventus, Roman inventor extraordinaire, demonstrates the most powerful steam engine ever built. Caius had been a student of the ancient Greek sciences, and had learned of the simple uses they had put the power of steam to in the old days. Jove’s Thunderbolt, the engine that Caius Juventus built, was capable of pulling a carriage with three heavy men for miles. His designs revolutionized Roman society.

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In 3896, Japanese Zen philosopher Dogen Kigen is born somewhere in southern Japan. As a young man, he traveled to the Chinese Empire to study the true ways of Zen at Mount Tendo. His mountain temple in Echizen has become a regular stop for pilgrims, including every Chinese emperor; tradition dictates that the emperor spend a week there before his coronation.

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In 1809, renowned author Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston, Massachussetts. The most popular writer in America during his lifetime, Poe invented detective fiction, as well as popularizing what would come to be known as horror stories by those who sought to imitate him at the end of the century. Poe died in 1883, a wealthy and happy man of letters.

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In 1840, Captain Charles Wilkes claims a third of Pluto for the North American Confederation. Although considered a bad piece of property to own at first, Pluto’s position at the outer reaches of the solar system becomes important when the Congress of Nations decides to build its defensive base there, and the N.A.C.’s importance in system affairs is increased.

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In 1943, singer Janis Joplin was born in Port Arthur, Texas. Her hard living fueled the blues that she sang so beautifully, but it all came crashing down on her when she missed the Woodstock Music Festival in 1969 because she was too drunk to perform. She checked into rehab after that, but her music never recovered. Today, she runs a counseling center for performers trying to kick addictions.

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In 2001, Chairman McPherson issues the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the circumstances of the fatal car crash which killed the heir to the throne Prince Charles Windsor and his lover Camilla Parker-Bowles in Paris on 31st August 1997. McPherson finds no grounds for conspiracy. The British Public will have none of it, and the McPherson report overtakes the Warren Commission as a source of conspiracy theories on the Internet.

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In 1840, Captain Charles Wilkes attempts to circumnavigate Antarctica to claim so-called Wilkes Land for the United States. The southern lights known as the aurora australis terrorize the mission as powerful magicks force Wilkes to turn back and abandon the mission.

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In 1943, singer Janis Joplin was born in Port Arthur, Texas. A charismatic and leading member of the counter-culture, conspiracy theorists believe that Joplin was a victim of the authoritarian problem implemented by President Richard Milhous Nixon in the late sixties / early seventies. Defeated in the '60 election, America entered a crazy decade of anti-social behaviour which threatened to rip the country apart. A strong disciplinarian, Nixon got the country back on track when he was re-elected in '68 with a 'secret plan'. His dislike for the hippie counterculture and the anti-war demonstrations emerged during the campaign when he had intimated 'I think some of these young people need what my father would call a visit to the woodshed.' The essence of the 'secret plan' soon emerged following the mysterious deaths of numerous counter-culture personalities including Janis Joplin as well as Jim Morrison and Jimi Hendrix..

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In 1940, the anti-German Underground film by the Three Stooges, You Natzy Spy, premiered in America. The highly controversial film featured comic Moe Howard as a Hitler-like figure who ruled over an amorphous country known as Moronica. The American Bund called for a total boycott of the film, and incited riots at many of the theaters showing it.

In 1971, European Space Agencies described Apollo 13 mission mechanical failures as a self-inflicted wound. The British really had to do something about this quality control problem for next time.

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Mike Gatting	In 1990 police in Archona armed with batons and dogs broke up a demonstration against English cricketers who arrived for a tour of the Domination of the Draka. Several hundred protesters, many waving placards saying "Domination is not cricket" and "Ban racist tours" had gathered in the arrivals hall at the Eric von Shrakrenberg airport to wait for the 15 England tourists led by captain Mike Gatting.
England Capt.

The cricketers were three hours late - by which time the police had moved in waving batons, setting the dogs on protesters and firing tear gas. Winnie Mandela - wife of the jailed African National Congress leader, Nelson Mandela - was seen among the crowd wiping tears from her eyes. She later complained of police brutality.

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Wilkes' Mission

The state of TIAH

January 19th, 2007

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Alternate Historian's Note: We have a side-project that was announced last weekend – a collection of several timelines with more-or-less complete stories inside them – The Fall, the Tolman timeline, the Mormon War and more – that will be up for sale on Lulu, as soon as we have it edited together. If you would be interested in this, or would like to suggest something for inclusion in the collection, please email me and let me know. Meanwhile, enjoy Guest Historian Stephen Payne's entry for today, followed by the continuation of our NaNoWriMo novel.

Charles Windsor	In 2001 Chairman McPherson issues the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the circumstances of the fatal car crash which killed the heir to the throne Prince Charles Windsor and his lover Camilla Parker-Bowles in Paris on 31st August, 1997. McPherson finds no grounds for conspiracy. ..
.. The British Public will have none of it, and the McPherson report overtakes the Warren Commission as a source of conspiracy theories on the Internet.
~ entry by Steve Payne from counter history in context - you're the judge!

In 1942 on the croquet lawn of the official residence of the Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Bahamas Montgomery hails Edward Windsor with the respectful term 'Your majesty'. 'Er, sadly not' says the abdicated monarch effortlessly tapping a ball through the croquet hoop ' watch the ..	Edward VIII
.. lawn with those military tyres old chap'.
~ entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!

Charles de Gaulle..	In 1942 in an Anglo-American Axis interrogation room, 'Cigarette, ..
.. Monsieur General?' inquires Field Marshall Montgomery to the captured de Gaulle. Monty seems very pleased with himself, and so he should, having just conquered North Africa and the Mediterranean. He is poised to assault the soft underbelly of Europe, where he intends to crush the social democracies of Central Europe.
~ entry by Steve Payne from counter history in context - you're the judge!

In 1840 Captain Charles Wilkes attempts to circumnavigate Antarctica to claim so-called Wilkes Land for the United States. The southern lights known as the aurora australis terrorize the mission as powerful magicks projected from the Dreamtime force Wilkes to turn back and abandon the mission.	Charles Wilkes
~ entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!

After(cont.)
“There's a lot of fighting going on right now,” Mike said, looking at the map. He pointed at the areas closest to them. “According to the resistance bloggers, President-elect Kerry and his troops are pushing through over here at Kermit.”
“Shouldn't we head there, then?” Steph was looking over his shoulder anxiously. “I mean, they're the guys we want to get this stuff to, right?”
“Yeah, but do we really want to head into the middle of the fight?” Mike certainly looked as if he didn't want to. “If we could bypass them and join up with the resistance that's bringing up the rear, we wouldn't have to dodge bullets; or get forced to fight the guys we're supposed to be helping by our good Texas neighbors, here.”
“I'm just thinkin' that we need to get to the other side as quick as possible. Especially if they're gonna be looking for 'able-bodied' recruits.” She looked at one of the windows he had open on his computer and read a few lines from a hysterical writer. “This guy says that Kerry and his troops are shielding refugees from the Texas Guard. If we just get behind the lines, we can ask them to help us.”
“That means we have to get through the lines. You know, fighting, gunfire, that kinda bad stuff?”
She studied the map for a minute. “Maybe we can just go off-road before we get there. We leave the highway here,” she said, pointing to a section of the road a couple of dozen miles from Kermit, “in front of the fighting, scoot cross-country till we get behind the good guys, then circle around and head into Kermit. It's all desert out here, shouldn't be that hard to get across.”
“Yeah, people die in the desert, you know?”
“We'll bring water.”
“Man.” Mike whined. “I wish I'd gone with Eli, now.”

Janice fumbled through the dead guard's clothes for a set of keys while Jake made sure no one else was in the basement. He asked the president, “Do you know how many of them were watching you?”
“I've only seen about three of 'em the last few hours,” the president said. “For some reason, most of them left earlier.”
“They've got a body double of you,” Janice told him, picking the keys off of the body. She walked over to Bush and unlocked his cuffs. “They're trying to install him into the White House. I don't know what good that would do them, since Kerry was supposed to take office next month, anyway.”
“Well,” Bush said, sheepishly. “We kind of have a provision that suspends the results of the election in case of martial law.”
Jake and Janice both looked at him. Janice recovered her voice first. “I want you to say that into my recorder here, so that the next time somebody calls me a crazy conspiracy nut, I can make them listen to you admitting that.”
“We were just going to use it in case of a terrorist attack, miss.”
“And, nobody would ever think of misusing a provision like that!”
Jake shoved himself between them. “You know, this is all fascinating, but we need to get the hell outta here.” He walked over to the stairs. “Janice, I'll take point, you come up behind the president. Mr. President, in case there's still somebody up there who doesn't want you leaving, you stick close to us. We'll get you out of here.”
“I love it when you take charge,” Janice whispered to Jake, smirking.

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