A Golden Island to the West

[Crunch Buttsteak]

From the journal of the Gold Miner Eamon Stewart, dated September 10th, 1850.Election Results of 2018:

Governor:
Lieutenant Governor:
Controller:

• Incumbent Controller Betty Yee (D)
• Former Mayor Ashley Swearengin (R)

Attorney General:

• Incumbent Attorney General Xavier Becerra (D)
• Former Mayor Donald P Wagner (R)

US Senator:

• Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones (D)
• Incumbent Senator Dianne Feinstein (D)

US House Delegation:

• Democrats: 47 seats (+8)
• Republicans: 6 seats

• Yes (67%)
• No (32%)

• Yes (54%)
• No (46%)

• Yes (62%)
• No (38%)

• Yes (51%)
• No (49%)

• Yes (70%)
• No (30%)

• Yes (53%)
• No (47%)

Captain James Wood had been running his steamer up and down the coast of California for years now, and he knew the route from San Pedro to San Francisco like the back of his hand. He knew that this should have been San Francisco Bay, he know all the navigation landmarks going in. But this wasn't the San Francisco he knew.

Something was wrong when he saw that massive red bridge running across the Golden Gate Strait. But seeing those massive towers all over San Francisco make him check his eyes.

Were those buildings? How can they build that high?

Steering his boat towards the wharf simply raised further questions.

Like how could a ship possibly be that big?

James had so much running through his head that when somebody asked him what the date was, he just reflexively answered "September 10th, 1850" without really thinking, thinking more about what happened to San Francisco and getting his cargo unloaded than anything else.

 

[Crunch Buttsteak]

Day 1

"Good morning everyone, for those who haven't met me before, I am Tracy Harding, I am the director of the US State Department Office of Foreign Missions in Los Angeles." Said the woman at the front of the room.

"I know a lot of you have questions about what this event means for you and your respective citizens. First let me assure you that we will not be forcing anybody to leave the country. Anybody who was traveling through California or was here on a tourist Visa will be able to stay indefinitely." She announced to a sigh of relief from the room.

"After it was confirmed that the state had in fact, in fact, traveled back in time to 1850." She continued. "We started researching the laws that governed immigration at that time. Or rather, the lack thereof."

"In discussions with us, many of you confided that your people effectively have no country to return to." She said, nodding towards the representative from the German consulate. "Or have a country that would be openly hostile to people returning from abroad." Acknowledging the Japanese consulate's representative.

"In discussions with my colleagues at the OFM San Francisco, ICE, CBP, and USCIS, given the unprecedented nature of what has happened, the fact that everybody within the state has nowhere else to go, and the absolute lack of federal law from the current time period to provide guidance, we are extending Lawful Permanent Resident status to every single person who was in the state at the time of the event."

 

[Nyvis]

Yay, wonderful of you to add this here!

 

[Crunch Buttsteak]

It was a matter of sheer dumb luck.

The Carl Vinson had only just returned to North Island while the Roosevelt had been getting ready to get underway, when it had happened.

Nobody really had known what was going on at first, beyond a power outage in the city that was probably SDG&E's fault. But then GPS went down, and all of the bases and units outside of California were out of contact.

Well that put everybody on alert.

As in, the "DEFCON 1, WW3 just started" kind of alerts you never hope to have for real.

What a fun night that was.

But the TACAMO flight that had scrambled out of Travis AFB hadn't shown any inbound threats. Or really anything for that matter. Gone was the commercial shipping traffic that would normally be crossing the pacific. Instead all there was was a bunch of contacts that barely registered on radar.

Even more disturbing was that when they had flown over San Ysidro with FLIR cameras, there was almost nothing where Tijuana should have been.

Obviously something had happened, but nobody knew anything, and it wasn't until the morning when the news began breaking that the state had somehow gone back in time to 1850.

Which meant that the base commanders had ordered a full inventory of every single scrap of military hardware in the state of California.

Which meant that Seaman Davis Whitman, along with every other enlisted on this base had to go through every drawer, every toolbox, every test bench in the maintenance hangars on the island and record everything present.

Needless to say, it was mind numbing and boring work. Just another goddamn day in the Navy.

Davis himself had been browsing reddit when the event happened, and when he was finally able to start checking the subs he followed, the site was a ghost town now.

But when the news broke that they had gone back to 1850, he realized that this was finally his chance to meet his heroes, and change history for the better.

And so on a whim, he had started a new subreddit called /r/The_Jefferson and directed his fellow centipedes there. And what was a spur of the moment idea was now a place for like-minded individuals like himself to talk about the time period they landed in and how to change history for the better.

In his mind, the cucks who had controlled the deep state would never have the same stranglehold they had in the future they came from, and they'd be able to make sure that the natural order was preserved.

On The_Jefferson, somebody had already started a fundraiser based on that book "Guns of the South" to try and send AK-47s to the Southern states.

'This time,' Davis thought, 'things would be different.'

 

[Hakazin]

CONTENT FOR THE KITTY THRONE.

Also, an excuse to reread this!

 

[Crunch Buttsteak]

In many ways, the difficult years immediately after The Event had left a permanent mark on every aspect of California's culture. The aptly named "Crucible Years" from 1850 to 1856 had tempered California from a state in crisis to a nation in it's own right by the time the transcontinental railroad was opened.

California's Crucible, How One State's Crisis Transformed a Nation. by Pham Nguyen, 1894, University of California Fullerton Press.

---



The somber crowd stood in front of the rear steps of the state capitol building and by the improvised memorial fence holding thousands of pictures of friends and family who had been lost during the event.

"Good evening," Said Governor Jerry Brown, addressing the crowd. "We are gathered here tonight in grief and mourning, to honor all of those who were lost in this event, and I know that wherever they are, they are mourning our loss as well. To those who we were taken from, you will not be forgotten."

"I understand the uncertainty of the future has made many of you nervous." Brown said. "But if my experience has taught me anything, it's that Californians are resilient. In 1994, only two years after the riots, Los Angeles residents came together to help each other recover from the Northridge Earthquake."

"It is that spirit of cooperation and mutual assistance that California needs right now. This crisis represents a turning point for our state, and that right now is the crucible by which a new California will emerge, a shining beacon on the hill, an example to future generations."

"I believe that we can create a better world for those we've lost to know. I believe that we can leave a better world for our grandparents. And I believe that starts with each and every one of you."

"We'll meet again, don't know where, don't know when." Sang a voice from the back of the crowd. "But I know we'll meet again some sunny day." Sang the rest of the crowd, joining in.

---

September 20th, 1850

To say that Soojung was bored out of her skull was an understatement. At least the software group has something to do. Hardware designers had gone from virtually cream of the crop to spinning their wheels when the event happened, after all, what's the point of designing a new iPhone if the entire production chain suddenly vanished.

Needless to say, it was tough to be a hardware designer at Apple right now. Especially since everybody had gotten a paycut in everything but name. On paper, half of her pay had been replaced with reclaimed AAPL shares, which were practically worthless right now. But that had happened just about everywhere, including at Google, Facebook, Twitter, Cisco, and Adobe.

Still, it's not easy to sell an iPhone to a planet that thinks that the telegraph is the greatest thing since sliced bread.

Wait that's an idea.

Opening up her Mail app, she fired off an email to one of her fellow CompSci majors from UCB who had gotten a job at Cisco.

From: Soojung Lee <s*******@apple.com>
To: Vijay Pashar <v********@cisco.com>
Subject: Packet Switched Network over Telegraph Wires

Just an idea I had. The downtimers are building out telegraph wires, and I'm wondering if we can't convince them to use that copper for a packet switched network instead. That way it could carry voice, data, and even telegrams instead. It would be more futureproof, and we could use it as a base to build out cell towers down the road.
​

Elon Musk had a pretty good idea why this meeting had been called. After all, he was sitting in a conference room with people from the Air Force's GPS Wing, Sea Launch, Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Boeing, and SS Loral.

"Gentlemen, I think you all know why I called you in here today." Said the Commander of the GPS Wing. "We need to rebuild the GPS system using what we have available in California."

The meeting quickly took off from there, with everybody trying to figure out the fastest way to get the GPS network back in the sky.

2 days later, the GPS Reconstruction Task Group had come up with a workable plan.

• Boeing would take ownership of the Sea Launch commander and assets.
• Lockheed Martin would continue construction of existing GPS Block IIIA satellites, only now they would be building a lot more of them.
• SS Loral would also start building GPS satellites under license as well.
• Boeing would retrofit the Sea Launch Commander to be able to handle launch of a Falcon 9 rocket.
• SpaceX would handle the launch of the new GPS satellites.

Elon walked out of that meeting feeling like a weight had been lifted off of his chest. Now all he had to do was finish conversion of an abandoned mall in Hawthorne into the new Gigafactory to make batteries and solar panels and he'd be back in business.

 

[Crunch Buttsteak]

Exerpt from California, The 10 Year StateCapitol Building, Washington DCPershing Square, Los Angeles

According to a recording that was leaked to BuzzFeed news from a meeting of the California Cotton Growers and Ginners Association, the cotton industry in California is planning to disrupt the cotton market in the downtime United States with the goal of making cotton production in the slave south unprofitable.

TRANSCRIPT:

​

Twitter reactions:

 

[Crunch Buttsteak]

eradicatederadicatedChevron Corporation Crisis Response Conference Call - October 21st, 1850

 

[Crunch Buttsteak]

November 18th, 1850
From: Kimberly Ellis, CDP Chairwoman [1]
Subject: Dispatches from the New California



[...]



EDITORIAL: Abolitionist California Tries to Pack Congress!

 

[Crunch Buttsteak]

Hale Piula, L?hain?, Maui IslandUSNS Mercy sailing into Honolulu, 1850:

 

[Crunch Buttsteak]

Excerpt from a 10th grade history textbook, circa 1890​

Stater Bros Grocery Store - Red Hill Ave., Tustin - December 20th, 18507th Street/Metro Center Station - Los Angeles.

 

[Crunch Buttsteak]

To any self-respecting Californian, 1200 baud would seem like an agonizingly slow connection. But for the population of Maryland, the novelty of being able to get information in real time from the state from the future had yet to wear off.

In fact, it was rumored that Horace Greeley had personally ordered one of his reporters to move to Camp Springs so that the New York TribuneTribuneTribuneHyde Park, London.

Measures Before The Voters

Proposition 7: California Independence From United States.Arguments in Favor:- Yes California

Arguments Against:- Stay American

Proposition 8: Constitutional Convention
Organizes a Constitutional Convention to rewrite and adopt a new Constitution.

Arguments in Favor- Jerry Brown, Former Governor.
- Xavier Becerra, Attorney General.
- Tani Cantil-Sakauye, Chief Justice, California Supreme Court.
- Toni Atkins, President Pro Tem California Senate.

Arguments Against:Terminal Island, Long Beach/San Pedro, March 18th, 1851Pershing Square, Los AngelesGolden Gate Park, San Francisco

 

[Crunch Buttsteak]

From: Tom Steyer on behalf of 350.org.
To: Undisclosed Recipients.
Subject:

Click Here to send a message to your Assembly Representative and State Senator

Thank you,

Tom Steyer.​

Probably just trying to collect a toll for the bridge, or maybe to keep the Yuma out.How California Created The Largest Accidental Public Works Program in History

WILLIAMS: Good evening and welcome to the channel 4 news at 8, and thank you for watching election night here on NBC 4, I'm Colleen Williams.

HENRY: And I'm Chuck Henry, polls have just closed across the state and we're waiting on our first returns from today's special election. Channel 4's Carolyn Johnson, is at the Los Angeles County Registrar of Voters in Norwalk with more information.

CUT TO: Carolyn Johnson standing outside of a large glass and concrete building in Norwalk.

JOHNSON: Hi Chuck and Colleen, I'm standing here outside of the LA County Registrar of Voters here in Norwalk. This is where all of the estimated two million ballots cast in Los Angeles County are going to be brought in and counted. Now, most of these precinct ballots will be brought in under a police escort, many of the more distant precincts are going to be brought in via Sheriff's department helicopter so that they can start counting ballots as soon as possible.

A bright light flashes across the scorn and the camera zooms out and tilts up to show a helicopter landing on the roof.

JOHNSON: Okay and as you can just see behind me, the first sheriffs department helicopter with ballots in it has just landed on the roof, so we should start seeing the first returns shortly. I'm Carolyn Johnson, back to you in the studio.

CUT TO: The newsroom.

WILLIAMS: And we'll have more on that as the evening progresses, and now we move over to our Senior Political Reporter Conan Nolan. Conan?

CUT TO: Conan Nolan standing in front of a big board showing a blank map of the State of California with the counties outlined.

NOLAN: Thank you Colleen, and we're just gotten our first round of early results, and with less than one percent of precincts reporting, it looks like for Proposition 7, the California Independence question, that appears to be about 60% yes, and 40% no, so that's 60% of Californian's in these early returns who thing that California should not be a part of the United States, and again, these are very early returns and we won't know the full results until later on this evening, but it's not looking like a good start for the Stay American campaign. Colleen?

WILLIAMS: Thank you Conan, and we'll check back in with you throughout the evening. The members of the Morehead Militia pled not guilty today to charges of second degree murder over the confrontation between them and the Imperial County sheriffs department. The US Border Patrol, who had been guarding the Interstate 8 bridge along with the Imperial County Sheriffs department, released a new dashcam video of the confrontation, which they say shows one of the members of the Militia firing the first shot in the confrontation that left 4 police officers and 27 downtimers dead.

9:05 PM

WILLIAMS: Welcome back to the Channel 4 news desk, I'm Colleen Williams. We have a call to make in the Proposition 8 ballot measure, that's the ballot measure calling for a constitutional convention. The NBC 4 news desk is calling that measure as having passed with a margin of 82% from reported precincts. Still no call yet on the proposition 7 initiative, the Yes vote is currently leading at 64% with 10% of precincts reporting.

10:26 PM

NOLAN: Well it's still too early to call with 25% of precincts counted, but the Yes vote has pulled away and is now leading with a 75% vote in favor if independence.

11:00 PMFINAL RESULTS

Proposition 7 - California Independence from United States

Yes: 87.3%
No: 12.7%

Proposition 8 - Constitution Convention

Yes: 93.7%
No: 6.3%

 

[Crunch Buttsteak]

Various News Headlines

Tesla Posts Shaky Financials In First Quarter Post-Event
Railroad Operator BNSF to File for Bankruptcy.Google Warns Investors of Massive Q1 Losses.Once the Elephant in the Room of eCommerce, Amazon to be Purchased by CalEFDA.Tesla Inc. Enters Into Negotiations with United Auto Workers for Bailout.Microsoft to Undergo Major Reorganization, Will Focus on Azure Cloud Service and Security Updates for Windows 10UC Regents to Purchase Google for $750 Million.

​

To: Gavin Newsom, Governor of California.

The United Mexican States hereby recognizes the independence and sovereignty of The Republic of California over the areas formerly occupied by the Territory of Alta California. We hereby welcome California into the community of nations as an equal.​

 

[Crunch Buttsteak]

The Teddy Roosevelt was preparing for an unusual mission. A mission for Californians to show off to the world the kind of advancements that had happened in the last 178 years. To that extent, most of the hangar deck on the Roosevelt had been converted into an impromptu floating convention center, with various Californian companies purchasing booth space. Other spaces had been converted into theaters that would show movies and documentaries covering aspects of uptime culture. California was in the process of turning itself around into a global superpower in their own right, and the Roosevelt's world tour was going to be their debut into the global stage. On the flight deck, a handful of planes would stay around to show off the capabilities of powered flight and to allow quick transportation on and off the ship.

The departure date was a few months away, but that still gave the crew of the Roosevelt a long list of things to get done to get the ship ready for the exhibitors to load in and get setup once the ship was underway. So far the booth spaces had filled up with a who's who of California, with the newly merged California Semiconductor showing off their computers, Cisco showing off modern networking that made the old telegraph lines seem hopeless antiquated, Tesla, BYD, Siemens had bought island booths to show off electric cars, busses and locomotives, the California High Speed Rail Authority had a booth next to the Siemens booth showing their plans for the San Francisco to Los Angeles railroad, and a transcontinental link to Salt Lake City. The California Science Center had bought an island booth showing off several exhibits on the advances of science, and the science behind smog.



Brian Kelly would likely never admit it out loud, but The Event was an enormous lifeline for this project. The High Speed Rail Project, ever since it was approved by the voters, had been hit with one attempt after another to delay, defund, and derail the project. Despite construction already having started in the central valley, the well-funded opposition to the rail project had been using it as a political whipping post for the past decade.

But the event changed all that. Union Pacific couldn't afford to keep many of their now-truncated branch lines, including the original transcontinental railroad that had connected San Francisco with Sacramento, a rail line that now terminated in Truckee.

Brian Kelly had seen an opportunity. He had gotten a message out to the downtime governor of the Utah Territory about building a railroad to Salt Lake City, and Brigham Young had been more than willing to grant them the land that the old transcontinental railroad had used to cross the Great Basin in order to reach Salt Lake City. It had seemed that a bit of uptime information regarding the airline industry had reached Young and he had made it his goal to turn Salt Lake City into the great transportation hub of the West, calling it the holy duty of every Mormon to support this project so that people coming to California would have to pass through Salt Lake City and hear the good word. It was one of the more unique reasons to support the project, and the funding that going to be brought in from the land sales would likely be able to finance the San Francisco to Los Angeles line. The mineral rights for the Comstock Lode deposits that the land grand area covered would be enough to pay for the Initial Operating Segment.



Arthur rubbed the bridge of his nose and put down his book. The Rise and Fall of the British Empire, this trip to San Francisco had answered so many questions and yielded so many more. How... HOW? The supremacy of the British Empire didn't fall to some great war or calamity of the seas but simple economics. An Empire that fell much like the Romans, too unwieldy too unwilling to adapt and surpassed by others. He looked over at his notebook filled with notes of events for his superiors, books to purchase, and other snippets. Sepoy Rebellion, Opium Wars, the Berlin Conference, the Belle Epoch... the Great War... The Great Depression... the Second Great War... the Cold War... and American Supremacy. The whole of the British Empire lasted barely a century. He looked opposite the reading room table to his French colleague. To say nothing of his other colleague who occasionally swore in Russian while perusing the future that once was to be. Jacques was reading a book title Paris 1919if

 

[Crunch Buttsteak]

San Diego Quarantine & Processing Station:Winners and Losers In The New Constitution.

• Lieutenant Governors: The Lieutenant Governor is no longer elected separately from the governor, instead both the Governor and Lieutenant Governor are elected on a single ticket.
• LGBT people: The new constitution unceremoniously removes Proposition 8 and added a constitutional protection against discrimination due to sexual orientation.
• Taxpayers: The new constitution combines the IRS, Franchise Tax Board, and Board of Equalization into a single agency. According to a report by the Legislative Analysts Office, the tax savings from the reduced redundancy across the entire government would translate to an effective tax rate 10% lower for the average taxpayer.
• Renters: The ad-hoc publicly owned housing programs that counties set up after the Event have been formalized into the Department of Public Housing.
• MediCal recipients: The new constitution reorganizes Medicare and MediCal into a single agency with the mission to provide healthcare for everyone in California.
• Immigrants: Without exception, everyone who was in the state when The Event happened is now a citizen of California.

Losers:

• Prop 13: The ballot measure born out of the infamous 1978 property tax revolt has been scaled back significantly to only cover owner-occupied houses. That means that owners of commercial and industrial property will see their tax bills rise with the valuation of the property.
• Prop 98: The Prop 98 school funding formula has been removed from the constitution to give legislators more flexibility in budgeting. In exchange, the constitutional declaration of rights guarantees the right to a quality and free education.
• Immigration Hardliners: Proposition 68, which declared English the official language of California, has been quietly excised from the new constitution. In addition, the new constitution declares that all people residing in California on the date of the Event are California citizens, effectively granting amnesty to California's population of undocumented immigrants.
• Rep. Bob Huff (R-Fullerton) and Former Assemblywoman Young Kim: The two GOP congressional candidates who controversially won the top two slots in the June primary for their district despite the Democratic candidates receiving more votes will be feeling the heat in future elections, as the top two primary system was amended to prevent future minority party top two lockouts like what happened in the 39th congressional district. Under the modified top two system, the party that receives the most votes in the primary is guaranteed a spot on the November ballot, even if no single candidate has enough votes to reach the top two.[1]
• The Rich: Under the reorganization plan, the Franchise Tax Board will be the sole collector of income taxes, as a result, capital gains will be taxed at the same rate as regular income. Previously, this only applied to the state income tax, while IRS taxed capital gains at a lower rate than income.
• The Initiative Amendment Process: The requirements for an initiative amendment to the constitution are far stricter under the new constitution. For somebody to use the initiative process to amend the constitution, the proposed amendment must now pass via a two thirds majority and have more than half of all eligible voters cast a vote for that amendment.

PREAMBLE:
We, the People of California, grateful for our freedom, in order to secure and perpetuate its blessings, do establish this Constitution.
ARTICLE I: Declaration of Rights

1. All human beings have the freedom of thought and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers. Only in the case of defamation, false statements, and acts of perjury may this freedom be abridged by court order. All peoples have the right to petition their elected representatives regarding grievances.
   
2. All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood. All peoples are entitled to rights and freedoms without any distinction based on race, nationality, ethnicity, sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, ideological views or economic status. All persons within the Republic of California or subject to the jurisdiction thereof are entitled to equal protection under the law. All persons have the right to a fair and expeditious trial to resolve disputes or criminal charges against them. All persons have the right to freedom from arbitrary arrest and detention. If accused of a crime, the accused is to be assumed innocent until proven otherwise by a court of law. Persons proven guilty of charges by a court of law have freedom from excessive bail and or cruel punishment.
   
3. All human beings have the right to a free, and healthy life. It is the government of California's responsibility to ensure that every citizen has the right to a free choice of employment, just and favorable working conditions, and social security in the event of unemployment. In the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control, citizens will be entitled to a right of economic security. All peoples have the right to equal pay for equal work. All peoples have the right to form or join a trade union for the protection of their interests. Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of themselves and of his family. All peoples have the right to a free, comprehensive, and compulsory education until the age of majority. A public option will be provided by the republic for higher education on the basis of merit. Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities for the maintenance of peace.
   
4. All human beings are entitled to be free of fear of their government. Only in the state of extreme national emergency may the freedoms enshrined in this document be infringed, and even then only for a set time period with 3/4 approval from both chambers of the legislature. No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor subjected to unreasonable search and seizure without probable cause.

ARTICLE II: California

1. The Republic of California is the Legal and Constitutional Successor to the State of California and the United States of America as of November 6th, 2018.
2. (a) All residents and peoples residing in California on November 6, 2018 are named citizens of the California Republic due to the extraordinary circumstances.
   (b) All persons born or naturalized in California, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of California.
   (c) All persons born to a citizen of California are themselves citizens of California regardless of their place or birth or place of residence.
   (d) All persons have the right to a fair and speedy process of naturalization.

[...]

 

[Crunch Buttsteak]

hour
[/size]

​

Mystery Land Purchases by California Company Causes Land Rush in Western Pennsylvania - Pittsburgh Herald, June 15th, 1851
A large land purchase by the California based company Chevron has some residents of Western Pennsylvania puzzled, leaving some to wonder if there is a hidden treasure buried in Western Pennsylvania somewhere.

For now the only marker of the land purchase was the metal fence place up surrounding the land. However, prospectors have started staking claims in western Pennsylvania in the hopes of finding gold in the Appalachian hills.

[...]

FDIC and Federal Reserve Bank Announce Bank Restructuring PlanNational Credit Union of California, to be headed up by one-time Gubernatorial candidate and former State Treasurer John Chiang.

Under the bill organizing it that passed in the state legislature, the NCUC has the sole power to issue currency within the state and is in charge of monetary policy, as a concession to the California National Party, the national credit union is available to the public for retail banking, and is backed by the full faith and credit of California.

​

 

[Crunch Buttsteak]

One of the things that a lot of Californians underestimated is how far and fast their influence spread ahead of them without any real effort on their part. Just being there and having that knowledge of the future was often a frequent catalyst for accelerating the social changes and upheavals underway.
​

Brown Homestead - North Elba, New York - July 15th, 1851Quotations from Chairman Mao Tse-tungAntifa: The Antifascist Handbook, War Against The Panthers: A Study of Repression in America, and Revolutionary SuicideNew Medford, Oregon Territory - July 18th, 1851

The Falcon 9 sat upright on the platform of the Ocean Odyssey, downrange was the landing platform Just Read the Instructions. Three miles away floated the Sea Launch CommanderOcean OdysseySea Launch CommanderNational Credit Union of California - San FranciscoAOR Pantariste - Unalaska IslandMarine Corps Base Camp Pendleton

 

[Crunch Buttsteak]

kurofune, and was a challenge to the isolationist policy of SakokuFumi-e

• Mandatory seismic retrofits of all buildings in California.
• Demolition of seismically unsound and unsalvageable structures with replacement construction to not begin until 1858.
• The Tehachapi mountain tunnel for the High Speed rail could not start construction until after the quake.
• All dams near the quake area would have their levels lowered or drained prior to the expected beginning of the quake and would not be raised again until it is inspected after the quake.

• Construct a Manufacturing facility with the capacity to build new utility scale transformers. This was already being done in order to handle the massive rollout of new solar and wind generation capacity.
• Push for the adoption of household solar wherever possible to decentralize the grid as much as possible.
• Launch a new solar observation satellite to replace SOHO and STEREO in order to monitor the Sun and offer space weather warnings.
• Implement disaster anticipation plan to shut down long distance transmission lines when the Carrington Event happens in order to minimize damage.

M/Y Kanrin Maru - Nagasaki Harbor

 

[Crunch Buttsteak]

New Reno, Utah TerritoryFields Landing, CADepartment of Motor Vehicles, San Francisco

San Francisco had been overwhelmed by The Event, already a place in incredible demand for housing back in 2018, being sent back to 1850 had meant that San Francisco had become the USS Roosevelt, Pacific OceanHistory in Real Time - The Eris Project - September 9, 1950Discord - Free voice and text chat for gamers

Boeing Headquarters, Long BeachCalifornia Flight Services, Santa MonicaHualapai Indian Lands - New Mexico Territory

 

[Crunch Buttsteak]

Headlines from California

As Criticism of PG&E Mounts, California Public Utility Commission Announces Plans to Nationalize Electrical Grid - SFGate.com

USS Roosevelt Arrives In Hawaii - LA Times

- Long Beach Press Telegram

UCLA, CalTech and California Space Agency Launch Weather Satellite to Monitor Pacific Ocean. - Pasadena Daily Star

First New Solar Panels and Batteries Roll off the Lines at Victorville GigaFactory. - Desert Sun

Marin County Smallpox Outbreak Reaches 250 Victims. Public Health Officials Urge Vaccinations - San Jose Mercury News

SF Weekly

California Semiconductors Plans new 32nm Fabrication Plant on Site of Former Sunnyvale Costco - Curbed SF

- Los Angeles Daily News

Exclusive: Controversial Central Valley Grower Wonderful Company Has Been Hoarding Warehouses Full of Food in an Attempt to Undermine CalEFDA - Los Angeles Times, January 15th, 1852

In the San Joaquin Valley, the breadbasket of California, a series of temporary warehouses have been popping up on farmland owned by The Wonderful Company. According to statements by The Wonderful Company, these warehouses are for storing additional equipment for maintaining the farms. However, an anonymous source within The Wonderful Company alerted the Times to the fact that the tent structures are in fact being used to store food products.

Under the Emergency Food Distribution Act, the State of California, through the California Emergency Food Distribution Agency, is given first priority for buying food from agricultural producers, from there they distribute the food to various local distribution centers set up in former grocery stores. Under the terms of the EFDA, the state must accept the current market price for the goods they purchase from farmers. Since the Event threw California back into the past, the market prices for several agricultural commodities, such as fruits, nuts, and vegetables have dropped dramatically, while other staple foodstuffs have risen in price.

Documents obtained by the Times show that in the months after The Event, The Wonderful Company placed an order for a large climate-controlled tent to be constructed at one of their farms in Kings County. According to their permit application to Kings County, this facility was to be used as a rest area for farm workers. However, in speaking with several workers at the farm on the condition on anonymity, none of them have been permitted into the tent.

When asked about these tent facilities, a spokesperson for The Wonderful Company said that the tents were a temporary storage facility until CalEFDA trucks could pick up the goods. However, according to our unnamed source, the tents are built to get harvested produce off the books that Wonderful reports to CalEFDA, effectively decreasing the produce they have available to sell to CalEFDA, and raising the price and placing taxpayers on the hook for the difference.

Once CalEFDA has made their weekly purchase from the farm, other buyers will show up to purchase the stockpiled produce on the black market at reduced prices.

When asked for comment, a representative for CalEFDA expressed surprise at the results that the Times investigation had shown and promised to look further into it.

181 Fremont Street - San FranciscoThe United States Capitol - Washington D.C.House Chambers (Hall E) - Moscone Center - San Francisco, January 10th, 1852Pearl Harbor, Hawaii - October 2nd, 1851Vallco Shopping Mall / CRC Center Santa Clara & San Mateo Counties - Cupertino, California - October 2nd, 1851Maryland Court of AppealsThe Cannonball Runners - Jalopnik - October 2nd, 1870

In the days immediately after the Event, logistics companies like FedEx and UPS were in a very serious financial situation. Like everyone else in California, the Event had cut them off from the rest of the Uptime world. While they were adapting to the new situation, and before their merger into the new Californian Airlines, they found ways to maintain theirefficiency, deliver at affordable costs to smaller businesses, and remain afloat, if only for a little while longer.

One of these ways was the use of subcontractors to deliver packages between cities and towns as soon as possible. These subcontractors often used their own cars to deliver packages along highways. And since the California Highway Patrol were busy with border control, it resulted in a minimal presence at most on the highways, attracting the street racing crowd to those jobs. With modified performance cars, taking advantage of reduced traffic immediately after the Event, these drivers sped along the highways to deliver packages as fast as possible to their destinations. And not even fuel rationing or driver restrictions would stop these drivers from doing their jobs, as they would often alternate between cars for this exact purpose. These drivers became known as Cannonball Runners, after the road rallies and films in Lost History.

As the freeways grew northward and eastward into thedowntime territories, the Cannonball Runners followed. They were able to ferry medical supplies, mail, and small packagesvery quickly in a time where air and rail travel were hampered by a lack of infrastructure. Eventually, the construction of new airports and rail lines supplanted the Cannonball Drivers.These drivers, now out of work, kept racing on the freeways, forming the first post-event car culture: Highway Racing.

 

[Crunch Buttsteak]

The Long, Sad, and Hilarious Story of Trump City - Current Affairs - April 14th, 1855

​

Leimert Park Metro Station - April 10th, 1852literal underground railroad.

California House - Washington DC.Battleship Iowa Museum - San PedrothatCalEFDA Distribution Center - Sunset & Western, Hollywood.Blythe CaliforniaUSS Roosevelt - GuangzhouThe Californians were still human and not the gods coming down from Olympus or the decadent hedonists the British press liked to portray them as, depending on the day.

DowntimeOrientation.comCulture (23 Items)

Slavery: The Sin of our fathers Californian all wish to end.

What we wear, a guide to California fashion.

LGBTQ+: Not just a jumble of letters

The Waves of Feminism

Read More.

Popular Culture (1627 Items)

Science Fiction: From Jules Verne to Seth MacFarlane

A Cinematic history in 25 films

Video Games

The Evolution of Memes

The Abridged Series: The Abridged Series

Comics

Read More.

Politics (41 Items)

The United States Constitution: The 13th through 27th Amendment

Political Parties of California

The Imperial Presidency

Social Networks and You

Proposition What? A Downtimers Guide to the Initiative, Referendum and Recall system in California Politics.

Read More.

Science and TechnologyRead more.

Law and Order (38 Items)

Your Legal Rights

Emancipation Proclamation

California Government and Downtime United States: A complicated relationship

Read More.

Maps (21 Items)

Geopolitics of 2018

Trails to the East.

Homesteading the Eastern Frontier.

Read More.

Ivanhoe Reservoir - Silverlake7/11 - Calexico10 Freeway - Baldwin ParkThe Californian Political Podcast: Episode 138: The inevitable legal conflict between Uptime and Downtime April 16, 1852, Youtube

 

[Crunch Buttsteak]

Headlines From California - March 1853

California ISO Reports First Uninterrupted Week of Carbon Free Power

Meet the People Deliberately Allowing Their Homes To Be Foreclosed.

How Camp Springs Is Changing Maryland



New Hoover Dam Project Receives Official Name, Wikawhata Dam and Lake Amadata

The First Downtimer Airline? Railroad and Shipping Magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt Spotted Visiting San Bernardino International Airport.

Shuttered Dynergy Power Plant in Morro Bay to Reopen as Renewable Ammonia Production Facility

Aliso Canyon, Once the Site of the Biggest Natural Gas Leak In History, Now Stores Electricity By Compressing Air

Newsom Along With Delegates from Indigenous Nations to Hold Signing Ceremony for WATO Treaty at Alcatraz Island

Return to Alcatraz: Our Interview With Ambassador LaNada War Jack on Returning to Alcatraz and the Creation of WATO

Sen. Bradford Introduces the BDS Act, Requiring Businesses That Do Business in California to Boycott, Divest and Sanction Any All Businesses In The American South

Lewis Cass: The First 100 Days

Level 3 Travel Advisory Issued for Downtime United States​

​

Moscone Center - San Francisco - 8:30 AM - March 4, 1853United States Capitol Building - March 4th, 1853 - 12 PMRed Zone, Camp Springs, MarylandFrontier City, Utah Territory - March 5, 1853lotSan Bernardino International AirportIf the airline pilot didn?t screw something up, someone on the ground would.Dual Chengs Fusion Bar - San Francisco - March 7, 1853 - 9:30 PMExcerpts from the SV thread: What Do We Do Now?

So it finally happened, California is now its own country. Honestly, 2018 me would never believe that this may happen, but then again, the Event happened

Wait I thought we were already our own country.

@Bronswich fair enough lol. I guess run California is in a superposition of being both a state and an independent country until you observe it, at which point the waveform collapses and it becomes either one or the other.

What a mood

Pretty much everyone else here could say the same thing, save for probably @manASS, since he was a Belizean citizen at the time.

North Island NAS - San Diego - March 8, 1853 - 6:00 AM

 

[Crunch Buttsteak]

Headlines from California

Abolitionist Protests Intensify in Philadelphia, Boston, and Baltimore Following Camp Springs IncidentFast-Moving Brush Fire in Glendora Prompts Evacuation of Citrus College & Azusa Pacific University, Temporarily Halts Construction of Morris/San Gabriel Pumped Storage FacilityFully Electric Tacoma to Start Production By Early 1854, Toyota AnnouncesCalTrain Begins Operation of the Fully Electrified Service Along the Peninsula CorridorCalifornia and Mexico Agree to Extend Rail Service from Winterhaven to Mexico CityCalifornia Army Reopens Future Vertical Lift Program to Replace Aging Helicopter Fleet, Lockheed, Boeing, and Robinson Expected to Submit BidsLockheed Martin Space Systems Awarded $300 Million Contract by California Air Force to Build Next Block of GPS Satellites - Variety

GrizzlyComm Announces Plans for the 12 Satellite Ursa Communication Network.Central Subway Finishes Construction, Expected to Open in June 1854Santa Ana Zoo to Open the First Exhibit Of Animals That Went Extinct In Lost History​

Excerpts from Downtime Newspapers

California Withdraws Congressional Delegation From CongressHostilities between Abolitionists and Slaveowners Increase as Gunfights Occur in the Border StatesHis Royal Highness, Emperor Lewis Cass The First Orders Californian Subjects to Rejoin CongressDegenerate Californians Refuse to Recognize the True Government of Lewis CassBritish Shipping and Rail Magnates Consider the Benefits of ContainerizationCass Administration Plans False Flag Operation to Start War With MexicoArmy Encircles the Californian Embassy in D.C.California Allies With the Indians to Suffocate the True Heirs of the AmericasFirst Downtime Owned Car Makes Its Appearance in New York City​

Lewis Cass was tired of hearing about California. From the moment he took the oath of office on the Capitol steps, that troublesome state had been all anybody could talk about, and frankly he was sick of it. This latest insultHome of Francis Preston Blair - Washington DClaw enforcement.Fort Irwin Operations CenterPearl Harbor - Hawaii - June 8, 1853Toyota Hanford Assembly - 2:45 PM - June 8, 1853Californian Embassy - Washington DC - 9:15 AM - June 15th, 1853White House - 11:30 AMCalifornian Embassy - 9:30 PMOutside the EmbassyBack in the EmbassyBack outside the Embassy

 

[Crunch Buttsteak]

Headlines From California

- The Hollywood Reporter - June 20th, 1853

Ottoman Empire, Bavaria, and Russia to Open Embassies in CaliforniaHospital Ship CNS Mercy Arrives In Edo Bay For Six Month Visit to Downtime JapanWashington Embassy Standoff Continues Into 21st Day, Cass Administration Refuses Overture of PeaceCamp Springs Now Under Siege, US Army Refuses to Allow Civilians and Foreign Dignitaries to Leave - San Jose Mercury News - July 11, 1853

- PolitiFact - July 22nd, 1853

- Buzzfeed - July 24th, 1853​

Headlines From Around the World

Washington Embassy Standoff Continues as Cass Refuses To Acknowledge California as a Sovereign StatePort of Southampton to Undergo Massive Overhaul to Handle Containerization, Constructs Dock CraneEmperor Cass Creates a Disaster ​

Excerpt From The Downfall of Emperor Cass (1870), by Armando Iannucci

CASS​

Both of you had better tell me what the HELL you just did.

BRECKINRIDGE​

ANDERSON​

I was following the directives that Secretary Breckinridge gave me.

CASS​

ANDERSON​

We, uh, laid siege to the embassy, but those heathen Californians used-

BRECKINRIDGE​

Anderson puts a sock in the mouth of Breckinridge

ANDERSON​

-used a pair of flying machines to get around our siege and retreat to that zit of a fortress they refer to as Camp Springs.

CASS​

BRECKINRIDGE​

Yes sir Mr. President

ANDERSON​

Crystal clear sir.

CASS​

Good. Because both of your careers are on the line here.​

Anderson and Breckenridge make their way out of the office as fast as they could. As soon as they leave, Cass stands up and grips his desk. In a bout of anger, Cass flips his desk, throwing everything on it to the floor.



Former Marine 1st Lieutenant Dennis Cho was still reeling from the fact that he was assigned to be the official California envoy to the Kingdom of Joseon. He understood the reasoning behind his appointment; he was one of the most senior officials present in the Korean consulate in San Francisco and spoke fluent Korean. Despite this, he felt out of place as he was escorted by a court official through the beautiful Gyeongbokgung Palace, a palace that was a mere museum exhibit in the future Republic of Korea. Not only was Joseon... different than the Korea he was used to, but he hardly felt qualified to represent his home state as an ambassador despite his experience in the consulate and in the military.

Thankfully he wasn't alone, as he was accompanied by two members of the delegation. One of them was a fellow worker from the Korean consulate, a tall Korean-American man by the name of Park Min-ho. His eyes glanced at different objects and buildings as he studied the "restored" palace with great interest. The other individual was a Korean girl named Lee Young-joo, an international student that was studying at UCLA before the transition. Despite her young face, she had already received a history degree from Seoul University and studied history extensively, thus her role as an advisor to the Californian delegation to Korea. While she was behaving herself, her stares and looks toward various "historical" objects of significance were much more noticeable than Park's occasional glances.

"Remember, Mr. Cho. You don't need to be too stiff or nervous about meeting the current king. The current Joseon king was born a peasant and was forced to become the king due to his bloodline. He will act and look much less formal than the other members of the court. Of course, we'll all act formally, but he won't punish you for slipping up." Lee whispered to him in English.

Cho nodded, "Thank you, Young-joo. Let's hope that this meeting is a success."

The court official guiding them looked intrigued when they both spoke English but remained composed as he took them up the stairs to the throne room, "This way, Ambassador Cho. His Majesty awaits."

When the doors of the throne room opened, Cho came face to face with a very familiar scene that he witnessed in every historical Korean drama he had watched in the past. Court officials were lined up onto the side of the aisle while the King of Joseon, King Cheoljong sat on his throne above his subjects. The king wore royal clothes, but they were much simpler than the ones he had seen in museums and pictures. He smiled warmly as the Californian delegation walked in and waved his hand after the delegation bowed before him, "All of you, please rise."

The former marine raised his head but avoided directly staring into the king's eyes unless he was spoken to. His eyes darted around the throne room and saw that many of the court officials were looking at him with suspicion and fascination. When the king spoke directly to him, Cho raised his head to look at the Korean ruler, "Now, I have heard much about this "California", a land from the future that is filled with marvels that are beyond anyone's comprehension. Tell me then, do you know the future of Joseon?"

"Yes, your highness," Cho answered.

"Then enlighten me and the court about Joseon's future. I'm sure that our country is prosperous and thriving in the future like it is today?" King Cheoljong stated as he stood up from his chair and paced eagerly before the delegation.

No, it got conquered by Japan because the government became complacent and corrupt and various high ranking officials willingly surrendered Korea to Japan to keep their fortunes and positions. Cho mused silently as he formed his words carefully, "Joseon will cease to exist within 55 years, your highness."

Every downtimer within the room turned their eyes to the ambassador, their faces mixed with shock and disbelief. The king especially looked troubled as he slumped into his chair and stared at Ambassador Cho, "What becomes of Joseon then?"

"It becomes a conquered nation, a territory of Japan after the government willingly surrendered its own independence and sovereignty. Joseon will be occupied by four decades, and then occupied by the Americans and Russians after Japan is defeated in a war against the United States and Russia. In the future that I come from, Korea is divided into two nations, a North Korea that follows closely to the ideals of Russia at the time and a South Korea that follows closely to the ideals of the United States. Both Koreas are hostile to one another, as they went to war with one another, a war that left a million Koreans dead."

"Your majesty, this man is lying. There is no way our proud and powerful nation would willingly submit to those barbarous Japanese and be divided so easily!" One of the court officials cried out as he bowed to the king.

King Cheoljong glared at the official that spoke out with fury, "Silence! While I have my doubts about his tale, he hails from the future and if his stories are true, then we must ensure that history is not repeated once again."

Ambassador Cho bowed his head, "I do have several books in my possession back at my lodging that will verify my claims, your highness. It will explain the history behind Joseon's fall and the fate of Korea."

The king nodded as he looked at the Californian ambassador directly in the eye, "Tell me, ambassador, who was the ruler of Joseon when Joseon fell. Was it me?"

"No, your highness. The ruler of Joseon at the time was King Gojong, the son of Daewongun and the last king of Joseon," Cho hesitated but continued, "In the world that I come from, you passed away at the age of 32."

"At the age of 32? But I am perfectly healthy!" King Cheoljong stood up and moved around to prove his point, "What was the reason for my early death?"

"I believe that should be a private matter, your highness," Cho stated simply, feeling some perspiration roll down his back. He had studied up extensively on this time period for the meeting and knew that if the king discovered the knowledge he knew, it could potentially lead to a civil war or worse.

Muttering began to break out between the court officials as they speculated on the new revelation, but the King of Joseon silenced them and looked at Cho steely, "I insist, ambassador."

Cho gulped and glanced at some of the officials nervously, "You were assassinated, your highness. There was no official proof, but..."

"Who dared?" King Cheoljong glowered as he swept his eyes across the room. Suddenly, all the court officials cowered under the king's gaze and tensions began to rise in the room as the officials realized that it was possible that they planned the assassination that would happen in the future.

"The Andong Kim clan."

Immediately, the king yelled for his guards to enter the room. When the guards heeded his call, he pointed accusingly at several of the officials, "Arrest all members of the Andong Kim clan and throw them into prison! All of them are to be jailed for plotting to assassinate the rightful King of Joseon! I hereby declare the Andong Kim clan to be national traitors!"

The guards moved rapidly and arrested several members of the court in quick succession. Nearly a dozen individuals were escorted away as Cho looked at the king in shock.

King Cheoljong gave an apologetic smile to the ambassador, "I'm sorry, ambassador. I do not know what your history book says about me, but I will not be a forgotten king that was assassinated early in his reign and the predecessor to the last king. I will listen to what you have to say and change Joseon with my own hands if I must. Now please, continue"

Kropotkin House - Moscow, Russian EmpireOutside the California Embassy, Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington DC - July 24th, 1853, 4:30 AMPacific Southwest Airlines Flight 1312, Camp Springs Airport - July 24th, 1853 - 8:32 PMMilitia Encampment Outside of Camp SpringsCNN Broadcast via Ursa-2 July 24th, 1853 - 8:30 PM Presidential Address July 24th, 1853 - 10:30 PM