1BVEGGIE

POD: A.D. 1100

Opened:  2/20/2004     Closed: 11/15/2006

World Population: 2.2 Billion

Technological Equivalent: A.D. 1920 (wind, solar, biofuels advanced)

1BVEGGIE is an alt where the vegetarianism is the norm.  It is much more ecologically balanced, but less populated and less technologically advanced.  The sole superpower is the government of India, where their vegetarian revolution took place.  Approximately two thirds of the global population is vegetarian.

India is the sole superpower; where the vegetarian revolution started.  Their India also encompasses Pakistan, Afghanistan, and parts of China (as we know them).  Our U.S. is called New England and is largely protected Forest reserve (and underdeveloped).  Much of the Native American population remains intact.

On 1BVEGGIE the Chola Dynasty (A.D. 1100) in the Indian subcontinent never toppled (they are barely a footnote in our world).  They persisted for 500 years and taught harmony with nature, trading, and vegetarianism to traders from Europe and China.  These ideals spread and the world was and is a much more peaceful place.  The largest religion is Catharism, which now mixes Hindu, Buddist, and Catholic ideals.

Population is controlled by widespread use of birth control and a cultural emphasis on sexual abstinence.  Historically sterilization has been used forcibly on minority populations; an analog of sorts to our genocides. Interestingly, while capital punishment is almost unknown, mob justice is often administered (and can be quite lethal).  It is considered the most serious social issue of this world.

We were able to exchange some technologies with the Indian government on this world.  Their wind, solar, and biofuel technologies were very advanced and are already being covertly incorporated into our markets.

3DTHINKTANK

POD: Unknown

Opened: 4/11/1997 Closed: 7/2/1997

World Population: 0

Technological Equivalent: Pre-human

At first 3DTHINKTANK seemed like a habitable world with some animal life, but not much to distinguish it. When we landed a team there, we found that intelligent beings could control the physical environment by thought. Our team could lift rocks with their minds and control the flight of birds. Sadly, one team member died there as the result of an aneurism (we suspect due to stress of thought). The three who returned lost their abilities when they returned, so it was a phenomenon unique to that environment. Two of them died of brain cancer not long after, and the fourth has had no ill effects.

2BHIGHTECH

POD: Unable to determine

Opened:  1942     Closed: Unknown (one confirmed contact)

World Population: 5 Billion 

Technological Equivalent: A.D. 2050 (estimated) 

The first alt that we were ever aware of was 2BHIGHTECH (2B00001).  This is a world with similar properties as our Earth, but with different topography.  Beyond that, the humans inhabiting it were brilliant mathematicians and scientists, but lacked much social structure or skills.  The government was near anarchy and social order was weak, to say the least.  Imagine a world filled with people with Asperger’s Disorder and that would be a pretty fair description.  A group of their scientists built a Bridge and came over to our world in 1941.  They landed in Nazi Germany and were put to work by the Nazis.  A few resisted and were dealt with, but most didn’t realize what sort of people they were helping.  They thought they were assisting us poor barbarians enter the modern age.  After WW2 a few were acquired by the U.S. and Britain, which helped us establish Bridges of our own.

1BPILGRIM

POD: A.D. 1620

Opened:  2/20/2006     Closed: 5/23/2006

World Population: 1.8 Billion 

Technological Equivalent: A.D. 1890

In this Alt the Pilgrims landed, but immediately established a new country.  The Revolutionary War was fought 150 years earlier, and the Brits won.  They didn’t get the last laugh, though.  Pilgrims kept coming and coming to the new world and started a terrorism campaign that lasted 100 years.  By 1740 the British pulled out to Canada and the Christian States of America (C.S.A.) was born.  By now, the CSA is established as a world power (though not the only one).  The CSA is not a pleasant place to visit.  They live under strict Protestant Christian law.  There is no alcohol, taking the Lord’s name in vain, or premarital sexuality involved.  Also, no Catholics, Jews, or Atheists allowed.  They did free the slaves a century before we did, though. 

Thankfully, their technology is 100 years behind ours so we didn’t have to worry about them coming over on Bridges to save us.  Here is a slide of the CSA Flag:

CSA Flag