The Broken Republic

[CookieDamage]

New York City - Morning of May 13, 2018

A young woman, of middling social status, woke up nauseous. It was today, or never. As she came to, she heard yelling and marching outside her Midtown apartment. Her husband was gone, killed in Pittsburgh as he fought to steal food for the city's starved residents. It was only her now, and she wanted to destroy. Still, she brushed her teeth and washed her face, performing the same daily rituals she had been accustomed to. Rituals a revolution couldn't break. In the kitchen, she drank a single, strong shot of contraband vodka. On the kitchen counter was her special ID. "Former Catholic. CLASS C." She scowled at the ID and threw it across the room.

She put on her black jacket, black jeans, and black mask, given to her by revolutionaries days ago during the marches in the Bronx. The revolutionary who gave the items to her was shot moments after her, an image seared into her eyes, an image always visible when she closes them. The young woman then walked out of her shabby apartment and onto the chaotic street in Midtown. Several burning cars were lining the streets as gunfire could be heard from every side.

Hundreds were on her street alone. Throughout the city, she could have guessed there were millions marching on the street. However, it was no longer a march, but a revolution. The peace evaporated as soon as Hawthorne laughed in the face of possible reforms and an opening up of society. It evaporated when hundreds were killed in Pittsburgh, thousands in Los Angeles, and thousands in Tijuana. He destroyed them, so they will destroy his theocracy. People marched in the street, tearing up CRA flags and burning the remains. The young woman watched happily as one of the flags burned. Red and white stripes, with a single golden cross in the middle and central black star within that cross. All in flames. As the thousands of people marched towards city hall, they intersected with another massive group, where they then confronted a squad of heavily armed CRA peacekeepers.

The young woman looked at the peacekeepers proudly wearing their black Kevlar vests dazzled with golden crosses, firing indiscriminately in the crowd. Lots of people died in those few minutes of sustained firing, but a Molotov cocktail disoriented the gunmen, and soon they were overwhelmed by a flurry of revolutionaries. The gunmen were torn apart. Arms ripped from torsos, heads ripped from necks. It was a mess of gore and blood, but from that vile filth was a sense of direct justice, a justice nearly eighty years in the making. Laws failed the people, and laws made them miserable and oppressed. Revolution was the only suitable, moral, and realistic option.

Soon, it began to rain, and then it began raining heavily, but that did not stop the people. They eventually reached the Governor's Palace in Lower Manhattan. They marched in and defenestrated a surrendering secretary, who ran away after recovering from his fall. Inside the Palace, the Governor's office staff committed suicide by ingesting some pills circulated amongst them. The governor himself was captured before he could kill himself, and the revolutionaries tied a noose around his neck, broke a window on the fifth floor, and threw him out.

The city was won. As the young woman looked at the dangling Governor's corpse, a sense of shock and disgust fell over her a she saw his pathetic corpse slam into the brick facade of his palace, but soon a sense of energy and happiness soon replaced that feeling. As she began laughing at the sight of her tormentors being finally rid of this world, she looked up at the sound of rushing jets. A squadron of fighter jets zoomed over the city, soon separating in a fascinating pattern. After a few moments, the sounds of large explosions could be heard.

[America Needs R'hllor]

YESSSS. Your writing is of very high quality, this is great.
Also, interesting- Golden Dragon says they'll be landing in Columbia, but they'll actually be landing in NYC and Boston. A double-deception, smart.

[Sir Mohamed]

YESSSS. Your writing is of very high quality, this is great.
Also, interesting- Golden Dragon says they'll be landing in Columbia, but they'll actually be landing in NYC and Boston. A double-deception, smart.

Agreed!

[GM Team Member and Senator WB]

I could easily see this as a full novel. Keep it up!

[Joey1996]

Whew, this is horrifying but in a good way.  Would make an good book or TV series. I've been contemplating creating my own alternative America timeline, but I'm terrible with photoshop, keep up the good work!

[P. Clodius Pulcher did nothing wrong]

This is amazing! I'm so worried for that revolutionary we met, I can only imagine the worst is going to happen to NYC. Weird, though, how the CRA didn't rename the city

[Cold War Liberal]

This is absolutely fantastic. One of my favorite timelines on here.

[MAINEiac4434]

I would pay to read this.

[CookieDamage]

Thank you to everyone for the kind words and positive reception!

A few notes:

- Yes, the United States GiE, along with Brazil and Portugal, utilized a complex misinformation campaign to fool the Christian Republic into believing there were different invasions on different parts of the Atlantic Coast.

As we know so far -

Red Dragon - Amphibious invasion of Charleston and Miami (deceptive)

Golden Dragon - Naval invasion of the Potomac and amphibious invasion of Columbia (deceptive)

Indigo Dragon - Amphibious invasion of Boston and New York, massive bombing campaign of Columbia (real invasion)

----------------------------

As for the name of New York City, I feel like stylistically it would have been wise to keep some names so audiences can easily identify some cities without having to consult earlier notes on name changes.

New York City = same

Miami = same

Los Angeles = same

Tijuana = same

Washington, D.C. = Columbia

Langley = New Tiberias

Pittsburgh = New Bethlehem

[CookieDamage]

WAR DECLARED ON THE CHRISTIAN REPUBLIC

[CookieDamage]

WESTERN WORLD RALLIES AGAINST CRA

May 13, 2019 -

After a stunning surprise attack on New York City, Boston, and Columbia, much of the Western world has declared war on the Christian Republic. Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Portugal, Spain, the U.K., and the United States have all formally drafted declarations of war and enabled their legislatures to authorize usage of force against the CRA.

This sudden war is reportedly the result of years of diplomacy between American expats and European governments, especially under the DeLauro and Cameron governments. According to anonymous reports, an operation known as Indigo Dragon, which included the invasion of New York and Boston, had been in the works since the beginning of 2017. Parallels have already been drawn to D-Day 1944, where British and Australian forces stormed the Nazi-controlled French coast prior to French liberation.

Occurring concurrently is a protracted rebellion, or what seems to be a revolution, occurring in the Northeast, Midwest, and Western sections of the CRA. While rumors suggest United States intelligence organs fomented revolution, it is also likely that a severe famine and oppressive President has only made the revolt more inevitable.

This is a developing and highly volatile story. President Madalina Hutschler will speak at 12:45 PM today and address the nation.

[CookieDamage]

Manassas Park, Virginia

Early Morning of May 14, 2019

Matthew Bing felt the wind gently brush up against his raw, beaten skin. He couldn't really see much ahead of him, as his eyes were very swollen. But he could hear very well, and all that filled the night air was the sound of distant bombs exploding, sirens, and crackling fires.

It was over. Not for the Christian Republic, not yet at least, but for Bing. Everyone relied on wrong information, and now people were dead and rotting in bombed streets. He was sure the invaders would float into the Potomac and be sunk like the pathetic pretenders they were. But he was wrong. They never appeared near the Potomac, nor did they fly over Miami or Charleston. Instead, radar picked up a flurry of fighter jets over New York and Boston, and soon, New York City fell to revolutionaries. Then, nearly simultaneously, men in black Kevlar with emblazoned golden crosses burst into Bing's house in Arlington, seized his wife and two sons, and seized Bing as well. They first punched him repeatedly, as he was quite resistant. Soon, however, as Bing heard the bombs drop on Columbia, he knew it was over for him. He let them put him in the black van and cart him to his death.

Now he was in Manassas Park, standing in a deserted golf course. It's been deserted for months, pillaged by revolutionaries as the Christian Republic slowly lost control. Now, it was a make shift execution center. A scaffold was erected at a relatively flat part of the course, made of several cinder blocks and recycled metal sheets stacked up. Several disheveled men stood around the scaffold, with three men atop of it.

An armed guard jammed his rifle into Bing's back, shoving him forward. Bing coughed and spat up blood, and looked at the blood splatter on the overgrown grass. He then looked up at his three executioners, one of which decorated in golden robes and a black frock. He held a bible and was flipping pages to an appropriate passage for executions. Another was a villainous figure, clad in black and red, with pale white skin and sunken blue eyes. His black hair matched his black cloak, as well as the black hilt of his sword.

Bing stepped onto the metal platform and faced his executioners. The remaining of them was in military uniform, and withdrew a torn sheet from his pocket.

"Matthew Bing, charged with failing to protect the Christian Republic of America, failing to protect the Holy Revolution, failing to protect the Blessed Lands, for failing his oath to God, and for gross incompetence and de-facto espionage, will be executed for his crimes and judged before God for his mortal failings. Signed, President Hawthorne." The military executioner said. "Does the accused and convicted have any last words?"

"No." Bing said, his face crinkling as tears began welling up. He preferred to be among his thoughts before he died. Seeing executions before, and many times applauding them, he knew the routine. Bing got down on his knees and kept his arms close to his torso. He bent his neck downwards, to expose as much of it as he could. Then, he began seeing images from his life, as is said to occur before death. However, Bing's life was sad, and was dedicated to nothing more than adding to the misery of others. The sword swung cleanly through his neck, cutting straight through tough skin, bone, and sinewy flesh.  His head rolled across the slick metal platform and onto the messy grass turf.

[America Needs R'hllor]

Poor Matthew, but he had it coming for him. Also, I love this world's Brazil.

[P. Clodius Pulcher did nothing wrong]

I've driven past that golf course!! (assuming you didn't just make up a golf course in Manassas)

[CookieDamage]

I've driven past that golf course!! (assuming you didn't just make up a golf course in Manassas)

I just zoomed in on Manassas Park and spotted the first golf course that was visible on google maps. General's Ridge?

[CookieDamage]

Allied Mobile Command Center - Bermuda

May 14, 2019 -

Melinda Wallace, feeling the sense of victory wash over her, saw the clock strike 4:36 AM.

"Team Alpha is closing in on McGuire-Holy Cross AFB. Fourteen seconds till primary strike." A man at a computer screen said. In front of Wallace was a large screen, taken from the cameras attached to a squadron of Brazilian fighter jets. The cameras filmed a dark stretch of South Jersey flatlands, with the lights of small towns and occasional burning cars penetrating the wall of black. Soon, the glow of an air force base filled up the screen, followed by several bright explosions as the Brazilian jets dropped bombs on the base.

"Team Alpha has completed the primary strike." Another voice rang out. "Ten seconds till secondary strike. One minute and thirteen seconds till landing." She said. Wallace watched as the base was once more lit up by a flurry of explosions. Planes were kept out of the bombing range, as they would be important loot once the base is cleared of Christian Republican forces. Several soldiers fled the burning barracks. They looked like scared ants with flashlights.

The Brazilian squadron landed on an empty stretch of the runway and unloaded their own soldiers, who immediately opened fire on their enemies. It was all over within a few minutes, with the remaining enemy forces fleeing, dying, or burning alive. One by one, Brazilian soldiers commandeered the remaining Christian Republican jets on the runway and flew them away. The base was left to burn until it was a smoldering ruin.

[CookieDamage]

New York City - Morning of May 14, 2019

Richard Rosado finally reached the City Hall after nearly forty minutes. The streets were simply too packed with people to make fast travel possible. There was an infectious happiness and relief in the streets of New York. Rosado embraced it as he walked with people reveling, celebrating, and laughing. CRA flags were torn up and flown instead were pride flags, Brazilian flags, and the banned American flags. It felt unreal. Not that the CRA was gone from New York, but that it only took one day. Rosado walked with a sense of dreaminess, as if it wasn't real. He barely noticed the small minority of people leaving the city: CRA sympathizers who were exiled and refused to live in a realm they weren't in command of. Oh well, Ricardo thought, screw them and may they rot in Hell.

He stopped as he got to City Hall and looked upon the stone steps at an array of people standing there. He recognized a familiar face. Linda Garland. She was still wearing the same black uniform as she did yesterday when she marched with the revolutionaries. Rosado noticed she was wearing her special Catholic ID card. He also noticed she took a sharpie to it and defiled it. He smiled. He shredded his own card. Now he wished he hadn't, so he could do something creative with it like Linda did.

Richard's attention was then brought to a speaker, standing on the steps. He was a tall, grand revolutionary with a stapled piece of paper in his hands. He began speaking as the masses of people quieted down.

"It is a new, sunny day today, citizens. The masters have been banished and our chains have been lifted." He began. Thunderous applause and cheering followed. "We have seen it to it that the future is ours and will be taken from them by force."

Rosado smiled widely as the man continued speaking. It wasn't a particularly well-crafted speech, but none of that mattered. The most important bits were soon coming.

"And we, the citizens, proclaim the Christian Republic banished from  New York City. We proclaim them banished from New Jersey and Massachusetts, from Pennsylvania down to Florida, and from Virginia to the coasts of California. As they have taken from us, we will take from them. As they have taken our souls for their profits, we will take our souls back and render onto them our vengeance without mercy." More applause. "And, with the power of the citizenry and New Revolution by my side, I formally invite our steadfast supporters in the exiled government, including our socialist sister-in-power Suza Cameron, to lead us into glory and an age of liberation." And from that followed the biggest applause yet, even prompting Rosado to scream in joy and exhausted relief.

[CookieDamage]

Current Status of the War on the Christian Republic - May 25, 2019

Red represents areas where revolutionaries have overthrown the government. Yellow represents areas of unknown status, or where there is armed conflict. Green represents areas where the CRA has abandoned control over. Gold represents areas where the CRA maintains control.

[CookieDamage]

MEXICO INVADES BAJA CALIFORNIA PENINSULA

June 1, 2019 -

The Mexican military has invaded the CRA-occupied chunk of the Baja California Peninsula. The Christian Republic initially invaded the peninsula in the Spring of 2005 and occupied the entire peninsula until the Mexican army pushed them back to the border between Baja California and Baja California del Sur in July of 2005. The CRA has occupied it as a territory since July 2005.

Since around late April of 2019, the peninsula had fallen under the control of revolutionaries and Mexican nationalists. As the CRA continues to fall apart after an allied invasion led by Brazil, the U.K,  and France crippled the central government, Mexico invaded the peninsula with the goal of liberating the territory and freeing Tijuana from oppressive governance.

The sitting Mexican President, Ricardo Anaya Cortés, has delivered remarks, stating that "(I)t was a long overdue invasion that will free our Mexican brothers and sisters from a totalitarian government. It was the only choice I had." He says. Former Presidents Vicente Fox and Enrique Peña Nieto have applauded the invasion.

This is a developing story.

[Gass3268]

I hope they catch some of these CRA criminals and their punishment is a lifetime of watching gay porn Clockwork Orange style.

[CookieDamage]

Valdosta, Dixie - June 1, 2019

President Michael James Hawthorne took off his jacket in his makeshift office at the Valdosta City Hall. Several secretaries and clergymen rushed around the room.

"Can someone get Father Wilton on the phone? Where on earth is he?" Hawthorne said as he read reports of revolutionaries expanding into the Atlanta suburbs. "This is a disaster. I can't believe this is happening!"

"Father Wilton is unreachable. He is reportedly in Oklahoma City." A secretary said.

"How on earth did he get there? He's supposed to stay with me!" Hawthorne asked. The secretary did not immediately respond. "Woman! Answer me when I speak to you!" He shouted.

The secretary jumped and began speaking "He was flown sometime this morning, sir, he claimed he was visiting family in Nablus Court."

"My god, he's rebelling against me too." Hawthorne said, rubbing his brow and sitting back down. "Get me Father Howard-Reading."

"He's missing, sir."

"What?"

"We cannot locate him. It is possible he has flown to another location as well."

"Dear lord in heaven, what about the Vice-President?"

"He is an en route to Valdosta."

"At least someone is loyal to me." Hawthorne said. "Hell awaits the Fathers."

Hawthorne then turned on the TV situated in his office. It was set on state-controlled media, but the signal was fuzzy and the information totally unreliable. Hawthorne switched to the CBC, broadcasting from Canada.

"And, Michelle, it looks like Allied and Canadian forces have repelled the final CRA forces stationed in London. It looks like they won the battle." A man's voice said, speaking over helicopter footage of London, Ontario being swept by the Canadian military.

"Wow, John, a twenty-year occupation is finally coming to an end. Do we have any idea of what the people on the ground are like? How they are reacting?" A woman's voice said.

Hawthorne shut the TV off and threw the remote at a fancy vase by the door. The golden vase shattered into several jagged, ugly pieces.

[Vespucci]

Does (or did) Fred Phelps ever hold a position in the CRA?

[Cold War Liberal]

Quick question: you use real people's photos for some of the characters (e.g. John Thune for President Hawthorne, Hillary Clinton for Melinda Wallace, etc.). Are those people the same as OTL just with different names, or do Melinda Wallace and Hillary Clinton (well probably Hillary Rodham, I can't imagine she met Bill in the CRA) and John Thune and Michael Hawthorne all coexist in the same universe, or something else? One of those nagging, unimportant questions I've had.

[CookieDamage]

Quick question: you use real people's photos for some of the characters (e.g. John Thune for President Hawthorne, Hillary Clinton for Melinda Wallace, etc.). Are those people the same as OTL just with different names, or do Melinda Wallace and Hillary Clinton (well probably Hillary Rodham, I can't imagine she met Bill in the CRA) and John Thune and Michael Hawthorne all coexist in the same universe, or something else? One of those nagging, unimportant questions I've had.

I just use them as placeholders, and since I want to give them some sort of character. HRC as we know her was either never born or lived an uneventful life. Melinda Wallace is her own person and looks like HRC.

But since it's such a radically different TL, most people born >1945 were probably not born or were born to refugee families. Bernie Sanders is someone who probably had to flee.

[YPestis25]

I'm really liking this TL! Bad news for the CRA that they've already abandoned the Mississippi, looks like (or I hope) they'll be able to be taken care of piecemeal.