Chapter One: A Man out of time

VictortheMonarch

Victor the Crusader
Nashville, TN. 10/26/1936

One moment, I was driving down the highway, the next? well... there was no highway.

I had been lucky, the area I had been driving on turned into a small plain, devoid of trees, and a small dirt path in the distance, with a small herd of white tails galloping in the distance. I was confused, and utterly baffled. One moment I was driving on a highway devoid of traffic, and now I was in a place devoid of people! Nearly run myself dry thinking about it, but I had in the end decided to try to figure out what had gone wrong, which brought me to the dirt path...

It was bumpy, and barely maintained. At some points I had to get out and push to get it out of a hole, but I managed. without much else I had continued on, and found myself where about I am now. It was a city out of the past, tall smoke stacks, with some people still riding horses, and others riding cars outta the 1930's... On lookers seemed to gawk at my Chevrolet, and honestly that wasn't strange, she was a pretty 61' Corvette after all... as I got out, I locked the doors to my car, and pocketed the keys in my jeans. I walked in, and sat down at the booth. I looked to the older man next me, wearing a suit and tie, he looked a wealthy man, a nice watch that even had gold on it.

The waitress walked up to me, with a kind smile, she asked me in the sweetest of voices "What'll it be, sir?" she said, while handing me a menu that had all sorts of homestyle cooking, from biscuit and gravy to baked beans, like a step into my granny's home... "A black coffee with two Biscuits with white gravy, and an egg over easy please" I said, before handing the girl the menu back, she took it, and I finally got a good visage of her. She was a younger lady, roughly the same as me, she had curly blonde hair, and the prettiest of skin, without a mark on her. She could be a model, I'd say. "It'll be a moment, sir." She then replied, heading to their kitchen with a sway in her hips.

"Seems old Marigold likes you, stranger." The older gentlemen next to me said, turning away from his news paper, setting it down and letting me have a clear view of it. I saw the date, and it perturbed me. Last I checked it was September 14th, 2021, not October 26th, 1936! But, It made sense now that I actually thought about it, the highway disappearing, the cars the street, the funky way people dressed... what in gods name happened. "Sir, are you all right?" The elder gentleman asked, as I nodded.

"Yeah, just... not quite sure what the day is. Been travelling, you see." I said, and the man nodded to me, patting me on the shoulder.

"Don't worry, we all get like that sometimes. Besides, it's October 26th my good man. Now, If you will excuse me, I've got a doctors appointment, this tooth is just killing me. Don't worry young man, keep the news paper, everyone has to read every once in a while." He said, before patting me on the back and walking out the diner.

A few minutes later the waitress from before walked out of the Kitchen, two plates were sat before me, and my cup of coffee refilled. "You don't look like you're from around here, dress quite light for a city folk..." She said, trying to strike up a conversation with me. She's not wrong, I'm technically not from around here, me being from Kingston, and not Nashville... I guess the truth wouldn't hurt.

"I'm from a small town out east, Kingston. It's not all that far from Knoxville, about a good 30ish miles." I said, before running my hands through my blonde hair. Her green eyes met my blue ones for a moment, before shifting to something behind me, I heard the bell as the door swung open, the sounds of heavy breathing, and panting taking my hearing. Her face shifted, from a pleasant angelic look, to that of a wild lion, her face scrunched up in an ugly manner, before opening her mouth to let out the ugliest noise I ever heard. "We don't serve no niggers around here, better get out of here, darkie." I turned to see a young man roughly... sixteen, I'd say. He was african-american, and wearing black overalls with a white button-up. a nice beige flat cap adorned his head, which was drenched in sweat. "I know missus ma'am! Bu-But those two mens are trying ta steal tha car! Tha real nice one, out in tha fron't! Tha Blue one!"

I got up and turned to the guy, I had forgotten about racism, the shit that went down in Tennessee was a stain on the states history, and I just got dropped into the middle of it. "I think you're talking about mine, thank you. Best follow me, so they don't give you any trouble." I Said, and while he seemed terrified, he followed, and with a ding of a bell, we were out the diner, and off to the parking on the side of the building.

"Hurry up Lou! This car is going to get big bucks on the market!" one thug said, before kicking another guy to hurry up. "I'm trying, but the lock won't budge. It's not like them other ones..." The smaller man said, he was on his knees trying to get the door open with a lock pick. With the set he was using, likely would never get it.

"Hold up gentlemen, now you two aren't trying to steal my ride now, are you?" I asked, my hands on my revolver. The two backed up, before the smaller one, the one trying to pick the lock hurriedly ran over the fence behind him, the other one followed, giving me the bird as he left. I sighed, before turning to the dude behind me.

"Thank you, would've lost my ride if it weren't for you." I said, before looking back to my car. "You need a ride? I'm sure that you've been running for a while, or at the least heading somewhere." I said, as he looked at me, not daring to look me in the eyes. "I can't bother you sir, you and the missus in tha diner were talkin, an' I can't intervene, last time' I did that to ole' Mari', she sent her dawgs on me. chased me around the street all nigh'!" He said. Seems to me that I dodged a bullet. "Now You've told me about how a wicked bitch that lady was, now I definitely owe ya! Come on. Hop in, not alot of people get to drive in a car that no-one else has." I said, remarking the fact my chevy was not the ONLY '61 Chevy in existence. God damnit, that Reminds me... I'm gonna have to get rid of the logo, can't have anyone asking questions... best do that when I have the chance... and more than $500 on me.

We both sat in the car, with me turning on the engine which seemed to startle the man half to death. "Never seen a Corvette before?" I jokingly replied, to which he obviously shook his head no. I pulled out of the diner, and onto the road, easy getting on, as traffic was rather light. We pulled up the the intersection, and having to wait, I looked over at him. "So, my name is Oliver, Oliver Norman, what's yours?" I asked, and he shook my hand and smiled "Lyonel, Lyonel Simmons, best shoe shiner on the east side of Nashville!" He said, and I nodded, before making a left turn. "Nice to meet you Lyonel. Any Idea where we are headed? Got a home? Girl to go back to? Anything?" I asked, as Lyonel's face went cold.

"Not really. Ma maw kicked me out, said' she couldn'ta deal with the expenses of four mouths ta feed... least that get's me off the same block as Mari'..." he said, as I nodded. "Didn't think someone so racist could stand to live in the same neighborhood with black people. She just live there to be a torrent on ya'll, or what?" I asked, as he shook his head. "Naw, Old Mari lives with her maw. Her maw's an ol' hooker yous see, but with age her customers set up shop elsewhere. Mari's all ol' Burnette got. She used to not care, ya see. Be best friends with me... but then she met all those mean folks, became like them... she used to play with me all the time, now? She spits in my direction..."

Seems like this dude's going through the good ole' crisis. Love a girl, and she changes... "Well, might as well come with me then, if you ain't got much else!" I said, as he looked up at me. "Go where?" He asked, "To the Bank, of course." I replied.
 
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LordSunhawk

Das BOOT (literally)
Owner
Administrator
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Well, if you're okay with it, then that tells me something. I was afraid that ya'll would get mad over the whole use of "Nigger" and other such slurs.
They are completely in character for the time period and this is a fictional work. Therefore you are not using the term as a slur or in a modern context where the 'person' using the slur is a modern one who should know better. In 1936 the Klan was still fully active.

Context, people. If you wrote this as an excuse to use the term I'll be very disappointed.
 

VictortheMonarch

Victor the Crusader
They are completely in character for the time period and this is a fictional work. Therefore you are not using the term as a slur or in a modern context where the 'person' using the slur is a modern one who should know better. In 1936 the Klan was still fully active.

Context, people. If you wrote this as an excuse to use the term I'll be very disappointed.
Nah, It's just I tried to have a character that was racist once and they banned me for it on another site.
 

VictortheMonarch

Victor the Crusader
Honestly? The second chapter has a lot of holes looking back. But IDGAF. I'm tired as hell. Imma go to bed. Later piss ants.
 

ATP

Well-known member
Let assume FDR belive SI.Problem is - he wonted war to destroy colonial empires and Japan.
And belived,that could made deal with No2. genocider - Stalin.
So,your SI is dead.After he stop be usefull of course.

He really should use his knowledge to made money and create big bussines.After doing so he could try sdave as many as possible people from soviet taken countries.
 

Evilutionary

Active member
Honestly? The second chapter has a lot of holes looking back. But IDGAF. I'm tired as hell. Imma go to bed. Later piss ants.

And here I started off wondering 'how is he paying for gas' at the beginning of the chapter when it jumped the plausibility rails very quickly.

Security is very weird in the white house in the 1930s by modern standards (and it took Puerto Rican nationalists attempting to assassinate Truman to start to straighten that out), but there are a lot of eyes walking around the WH during the day/office hours that avoiding detection is likely nigh impossible (you might be able to get in off hours tho). Not to mention, knocking someone out with a fist is not easy or rather a bit uncertain even to the back of the head (especially considering the men you hire for those types of jobs tended to be larger).

Catching FDR alone as well in the middle of the day also a bit unlikely. His sons seemed to be ever present, but between the bureaucracy he grew out explosively in DC (which still in his era had more of a smaller feel...he imported a lot of folks to man the executive branch which really turned the DC social scene on its head and it's one of the reasons McCarthy & others were so successful initially when the worm turned), he also likely would be spending a lot of time schmoozing Congressional leaders or in other meetings a significant chunk of his day.

If you'd really want to go with the top down approach, by far the easiest imo would be to just go to a Congressional office and look for a congress critter. Given what the SI has on hand it wouldn't be too hard to get himself kicked up the chain.

Alternatively, drive to Detroit (after a visit to pawn shop for gas/food money), the car will turn heads immediately, take a meeting and make a deal. Those folks are politically connected and will likely immediately be able to confirm to the DT political leaders that something really really weird is going on here.

I'm hoping you'd consider a rewrite because you started off fairly solidly.
 

VictortheMonarch

Victor the Crusader
I'm hoping you'd consider a rewrite because you started off fairly solidly.
Honestly I need to mule it over. I've got an Idea on how to Either redo said chapter, or simply go with a different approach, which would instead take us to Kingston, which much of the Pre-WWII stuff will take place in. I think I will spend a while thinking it over, you guy's will have my answer before the end of the night.

Toodles.
 

The Unicorn

Well-known member
Very nice start, and I hope to see more of this. Seems to me that even for 1936 he got through the security too easily, but it's not impossible just means the security screwed up.
I am wondering about the story the local kid he picked up told - in 1936 Nashville I don't think a white girl would be allowed to play with a black (or Indian, or Asian although the last was probably not much of an issue) boy.

In the year 2021, after a deadly virus outbreak I found myself, my car, and many of my possessions suddenly in the past, more specifically in a field a good twenty miles outside of Nashville Tennessee.
I seriously doubt FDR or most people in 1936 would view COVID like that. Both Malaria and Polio are endemic in this time, as is dysentry and a bunch of other problems.
"This is a perfect example. This is a computer... in a hand held device, more credence to my life in the future.
In 1936 a computer was a profession, not a device so that sentence would sound very odd, although FDR might figure you meant it's a mechanical calculating machine, which were also called computers, that was not the common use of the term.
It could look up anything anywhere, call someone on the other side of the globe, and even play games such as chest on it." I said, turning it on. I didn't have a solar powered battery, and it was going to die soon, so it at least could help prove my existence in it's last bit of life for the next year or so.
Typo, I assume you meant "chess", not "chest".
Also given that he's in 1936, not 1736 charging the cellphone would be quite easy, although very expensive. They have batteries and getting someone to assemble a 5V battery to charge the phone's battery would be as easy as waving a bunch of money at them.

"Marvelous... truly marvelous... But I must ask why you come to me? You could've done anything using your future knowledge, why me..?" He asked, must've forgotten the whole... technically not alive shin-dig. "Technically I don't exist, so you would be the best person to help me get an Identity. Besides that there is the whole second great war to deal with..." I said, as his eyebrows seemed to fly off his face "S-Second Great War?!"
THe fact he believes he needs help to establish an identity would be proof enough he wasn't from 1936 US if FDR wasn't already convinced :) in 1936 there were no picture IDs around and social security was brand new(est. Aug. 1935). It's quite in character, but will tell FDR some things every american in 1936 would consider very disturbing about 21st century America.
"Yes, or at least minimalize the death toll."
Typo, or did you mean the character to misspeak? The word is Minimize.
 
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The Unicorn

Well-known member
So,your SI is dead.After he stop be usefull of course.
I'm not following the logic here.
Granting your point about FDR, the knowledge of the future would make great propaganda for why they need to go to war and the SI is even conceding from the start that war may be needed/unavoidable.
For that matter, even if the SI was some nutty anti-war zellot that would be ranting about how attacking Germany and Japan is evil, or for some other reason FDR wanted to ensure he was kept out of the public view, why would FDR feel the need to kill him to do that? In 1936 it would be very easy to prevent him from talking to the media.

He really should use his knowledge to made money and create big bussines.
Not really practical. Pretty much anything he'd want to start would need a large up-front investment and a lot of research to get it right, and even then would be risky. He needs someone who can provide the upfront cash and research to get anything done.
Remember, even if he has cash, it's not actually legal money in 1936. He's been very luck so far that no one cought on to that and had him arrested as a counterfeiter.

And here I started off wondering 'how is he paying for gas' at the beginning of the chapter when it jumped the plausibility rails very quickly.
As long as no one looks carefully at the money he has, paying for gas and food would not be an issue. For that matter once he got some change he'd actually have some legal funds.
Gas in 1936 would be ~0.2$/gallon, 20$ would get him ~100 gallons, more than enough for the trip even with all the wandering around they did, it's quite belivable that none of the gas station workers or waitresses he paid noticed the money was "wrong" before he left, although it probably will get noticed by the time those bills get to the bank.
 

ATP

Well-known member
I'm not following the logic here.
Granting your point about FDR, the knowledge of the future would make great propaganda for why they need to go to war and the SI is even conceding from the start that war may be needed/unavoidable.
For that matter, even if the SI was some nutty anti-war zellot that would be ranting about how attacking Germany and Japan is evil, or for some other reason FDR wanted to ensure he was kept out of the public view, why would FDR feel the need to kill him to do that? In 1936 it would be very easy to prevent him from talking to the media.

Not really practical. Pretty much anything he'd want to start would need a large up-front investment and a lot of research to get it right, and even then would be risky. He needs someone who can provide the upfront cash and research to get anything done.
Remember, even if he has cash, it's not actually legal money in 1936. He's been very luck so far that no one cought on to that and had him arrested as a counterfeiter.

As long as no one looks carefully at the money he has, paying for gas and food would not be an issue. For that matter once he got some change he'd actually have some legal funds.
Gas in 1936 would be ~0.2$/gallon, 20$ would get him ~100 gallons, more than enough for the trip even with all the wandering around they did, it's quite belivable that none of the gas station workers or waitresses he paid noticed the money was "wrong" before he left, although it probably will get noticed by the time those bills get to the bank.

1.Soviet agent/for example some lover of FDR wife/ would kill him when he start taking about Sralin true nature.Becouse in that case FDR would go for WW2 which destroyed colonial empires,Japan and soviets - as he should from the start.

2.Just go to Ford,and you have your bussiness opportunity.

3.People could read,so they would see that moneys are from 2021,n0t 1930.

I think,that @VictortheMonarch could rewrite chapter 2 and send his SI to Ford.If he made it smart/money and informing american public about both soviet and german atrocities - poles who survived gulags or german camps and manage to run would be idal - he could made Republicans win in 1944 election.If polish minority knew,that FDR sold Poland to soviets it would be easy/
 

The Unicorn

Well-known member
1.Soviet agent/for example some lover of FDR wife/ would kill him when he start taking about Sralin true nature.Becouse in that case FDR would go for WW2 which destroyed colonial empires,Japan and soviets - as he should from the start.
Why would they kill him? By the time they'd know anything about it all killing him would do is make things worse for them. The SI is either not going to have any evidence to back the claims of how terrible the Soviet Union was or the evidence would already be handed over. In either case killing him is proving the point.
2.Just go to Ford,and you have your bussiness opportunity.
5 years down the road maybe, assuming he doens't cheat you. Fort was a very good buisnessman but even IF you manage to convince him you have something valuable to offer, he'd offer you shares in the endevour, not a large sum of money you can use to start competing with him.

3.People could read,so they would see that moneys are from 2021,n0t 1930.
Yes, they could. However they won't.
Tell me, when's the last time you checked the issue date of the money you got handed? And we're a LOT more aware today about the issues with counterfeiting.
 

ATP

Well-known member
Why would they kill him? By the time they'd know anything about it all killing him would do is make things worse for them. The SI is either not going to have any evidence to back the claims of how terrible the Soviet Union was or the evidence would already be handed over. In either case killing him is proving the point.
5 years down the road maybe, assuming he doens't cheat you. Fort was a very good buisnessman but even IF you manage to convince him you have something valuable to offer, he'd offer you shares in the endevour, not a large sum of money you can use to start competing with him.

Yes, they could. However they won't.
Tell me, when's the last time you checked the issue date of the money you got handed? And we're a LOT more aware today about the issues with counterfeiting.

1.Sralin killed Trocky in 1940 when it only made him look bad.And many other who runned from Worker Paradise.
2.Not competing,but living good life.And when you told Ford about what really would happen,he would use his own money to help Republican win in 1944 ,and smarter republican president would destroy soviets before they get A bomb.
That is what any american president with working brain should do in OTL.

3.You have a point.it was years ago in my case.
 

The Unicorn

Well-known member
1.Sralin killed Trocky in 1940 when it only made him look bad.And many other who runned from Worker Paradise.
That's not all it did. It also helped him consolidate his power.
Not competing,but living good life.
I believe you, but you need to convince Ford. Also what information do you have to convince him to listen and what do you have to offer you think is so valuable?

and smarter republican president would destroy soviets before they get A bomb.
How? The US did not have the ability to destroy the Soviet union. Or rather, it had the technical ability to launch a second long war to do so, but not the national will. More importantly we're in 1936, not 1946 there's nearly a decade to derail things, although I'll note that Imperial Japan was at least as bad as Stalin or the Nazis, so any change in history to destroy Stalin at the cost of letting them keep conquering is not an improvement.
 

Buba

A total creep
As a non-FDR I'm not sure if I'm interested.
Death by a Thousand Details - how is the car taking to leaded gasoline?
 
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Evilutionary

Active member
As long as no one looks carefully at the money he has, paying for gas and food would not be an issue. For that matter once he got some change he'd actually have some legal funds.
Gas in 1936 would be ~0.2$/gallon, 20$ would get him ~100 gallons, more than enough for the trip even with all the wandering around they did, it's quite belivable that none of the gas station workers or waitresses he paid noticed the money was "wrong" before he left, although it probably will get noticed by the time those bills get to the bank.

His paper money would not 'feel' right (different blend) and the design differences would be picked up right away by pretty much any clerk (portrait size immediately). Coins designs are different too...offhand he might be able to pass a Washington quarter but the heft may tipoff a look but there is some differences in design and reeding (not to mention color differences on the edge is not silver like the downtime Washington which would be noticed at a glance).

Pennies are pretty useless as most of his would be Lincoln Memorial pennies which were first minted in 1959 (unlikely he has Lincoln wheat pennies in his pocket\car). Um....Jefferson nickels were first minted in 1938 (again doubtful he has Indian Heads)....dimes well he probably isn't carrying Liberty's but instead Roosevelts (heh).

So the only thing he might risk passing might be his quarters...maybe. He might be able to find a vending machine, but likely not one that would dispense change (not sure but I think that was more post-war to 1950s when change had to made for quarters due to inflation).
 

ATP

Well-known member
That's not all it did. It also helped him consolidate his power.
I believe you, but you need to convince Ford. Also what information do you have to convince him to listen and what do you have to offer you think is so valuable?

How? The US did not have the ability to destroy the Soviet union. Or rather, it had the technical ability to launch a second long war to do so, but not the national will. More importantly we're in 1936, not 1946 there's nearly a decade to derail things, although I'll note that Imperial Japan was at least as bad as Stalin or the Nazis, so any change in history to destroy Stalin at the cost of letting them keep conquering is not an improvement.

1.Trocky had no supporters in soviets except gulags,so no
2.Ford supported republican and loved cars.You gave him technology and knowledge how democrats fucked USA.And how he could help Republicans win.
3.Yes,they have.Soviets relied on oil from Baku - one B.29 visit and they would fight on feet.Their air forces sucked,so their army would be massacred any time when they try attack.And it was slave army,so they surrender when they understandt that their masters are loosing.
Not mention - once Sralin die,their state would cease to exist.
 

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