[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/swarm_on_the_somme.jpg]]

->''Blackwave you really have a talent for creating fictional universes where mankind is utterly fucked beyond comprehension.''
-->--AH.com user '''Father Maryland''' on this timeline

''Swarm on the Somme'' is an ongoing AlternateHistory WebOriginal story series in the AlienSpaceBats sub-forum of Website/AlternateHistoryDotCom, started in early autumn 2009.

The story is essentially a typical tale of [[AlienInvasion Earth being invaded]] by a HordeOfAlienLocusts, while unprepared humanity tries to unite and rally its forces against the PlanetLooters. [[DarkerAndEdgier BUT this time]], it's not set in the PresentDay, or NextSundayAD, or UsefulNotes/WorldWarII. This time, it occurs ''[[CrapsackWorld in the earliest months]] of UsefulNotes/WorldWarI.''

You can read the main thread [[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=134665 here]] or the newer, episode only thread, [[http://alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=237610 here]].

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!!Provides Examples Of:

* AliensAreBastards: The [[EldritchAbomination Grex]]. Made worse by the fact that they're ''a highly intelligent'' HordeOfAlienLocusts.
* AnimalNemesis: Australian soldier Deckard's hunt for Big Edward, an abnormal size "Bull" Decabite Grex.
** Adrian Carton de Wiart's safari-esque hunt for the Alpha Wraith, Sneaky Willy,
* AxCrazy: [[TheQuisling Anita Roux and her gang]].
* BadassCrew: "Monty's Marauders". Also Erwin Rommel's, Gheorgiy Zhukov's and Mustafa Kemal's squads.
* BadassNormal: What every soldier on the front has to become ''just to survive''.
* BeliefMakesYouStupid: The Grex hive mind view humanity's religions as self-delusions.
* BloodKnight: Rommel and other German soldiers consider private Hitler a raving ConspiracyTheorist, but no one doubts that he is one hell of a Roach slayer !
* BloodyHilarious / BlackComedy / GallowsHumour: A fairly large amount of it, but quite understandable, given [[CrapsackWorld the]] [[HopelessWar situation]].
* BugWar: An AlternateHistory-flavoured version.
* [[CallARabbitASmeerp Call A Tank A Land Dreadnought]] : Well, it is an AlternateHistory story, and tanks were just being developed and had no official name yet when the Grex arrived.
** The American soldiers fighting the Grex infestations in California and Utah invent [[KillItWithFire parafin and gasoline bottle bombs]]. They [[AddedAlliterativeAppeal name them]] [[MolotovCocktail "Teddy Tonics / Roosevelt Rum"]], in honor of former president Roosevelt (who payed a visit to them in order to boost their morale).
** The submachine gun created by John T. Thompson and issued to American soldiers in California is called the "California Typewriter".
* CapturedSuperEntity: The Germans managed to capture a live Grex Warrior to be study. The creature eventually escaped after it slowly evolved into a larger and stronger strain.
* CoolAirship: The German army zeppelins are modified into ''[[GratuitousGerman Luftkreuzers]]'', [[MilitaryMashupMachine which are better armoured on the outside and are equipped with light naval cannons and lots of reinforced machine gun nests in addition to bombs]]. Given the weight and gas issues of airships, they're not terribly effective and are quite vulnerable - but they still offer a valuable source of defence against the Grex. One of these souped-up zeppelins even has a GunshipRescue moment, when it comes to rescue Erwin Rommell and his mixed German/Austro-Hungarian company from the completely besieged town hall in Brussels. [[spoiler:Yeah, Belgium is pretty much a complete wasteland by that point.]]
* CoolTrain: The armoured trains used by the Americans and Russians are positively badass and armed to the teeth. Still, they need to be often carefully guarded and protected from getting hijacked by Grex-infected soldiers posing as normal humans.
* CrapsackWorld: ''And how !'' It's bad enough that the first global industrial war started raging on. Now humanity has to fight for sheer survival [[StoryboardingTheApocalypse of life on Earth.]] [[EldritchAbomination The Grex know no mercy.]] Industrial resources and human reserves are not easy to acquire or in endless supply. And everything takes time to produce, as the author points out several times.
** One of the readers of the thread even declared in one post, that only ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'' can rival these stories in terms of sheer bleakness and "grim-dark". Another one noted, that "[[BittersweetEnding if humanity eventually wins]], [[HeWhoFightsMonsters its psyche is going to come out of the conflict very, very scarred]]".
* DareToBeBadass: You've got [[BadassNormal unarmoured and in every way vulnerable human soldiers]] fighting with WWI bolt-action rifles and simple melee weapons against merciless and ferocious {{Eldritch Abomination}}s which have an evolutionary advantage of millions of years and a lot of experience in conquering advanced interstellar civilizations and assimilating them.
* DarkerAndEdgier: It's a UsefulNotes/WorldWarI version of your typical BugWar. That hardly sounds cheerful.
* DeadlyGas: Chemical warfare is frequently and practically use non-stop against the Grex. But the Grex are becoming more immune to the gases and forcing humanity in creating more deadlier chemical concoctions.
* DecapitationPresentation: Deckard's achievement over killing Big Edward by taking its head.
* DeconstructorFleet: Remember all those AlienInvasion stories where humanity [[EasilyThwartedAlienInvasion eventually manages to outwit the invaders with some cunning technology, easily liberates the Earth in a month or so, and everyone then rejoices in a nice big happy ending]] ? Well, this is ''not'' one of those starry-eyed stories.
* DeliberateValuesDissonance: And how, with (completely accurate) historical famous people like U.S. president Woodrow Wilson holding extremely racist beliefs. The whole alien invasion thing does wonders for various national and ethnic rivalries issue though once former enemies start realizing they have to unite to win.
* {{Determinator}}: The British start taking the Roaches more seriously ''after they steal one of their battleships from a Belgian harbour, try to infest London with fresh Grex cocoons and nearly pull off an assasination of Edward VII''.
* DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu: Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt pulled off in punching a Grex Warrior in the face.
-->"Come on! Who else wants to punch a demon on the nose?!"
* EasilyThwartedAlienInvasion: Averted.
* EnemyMine / FireForgedFriends: The various nations were reluctant to help each other in the first weeks of the invasion, but a month or two later, the British, French, Dutch, Belgians, Canadians, Americans, Australians and Japanese are co-operating not only among themselves, but occasionaly with troops of the Central Powers as well, if the situation calls for it. UsefulNotes/TsaristRussia made peace with the Central Powers and then received Turkish, German and Austro-Hungarian reinforcements. A notable squad in the western front is Monty's Marauders, consisting of veteran soldiers from virtually every nationality present on the front. [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Led by]] Bernard Montgomery himself, no less. The Entente and Central Powers haven't officially made peace yet, but it's bound to happen very soon. [[spoiler:Both sides finally made peace after the German General Staff took over control of the German government and removing Kaiser Wilhelm from power]].
* FantasticSlurs / NicknamingTheEnemy: The Grex are called Roaches, Les Cancrelats, Schaben, Zhuki and Oni by the various nationalities. The various Grex castes and subspecies also receive numerous nicknames, including "Warriors", "Locusts", "Stingwraiths", "Bombardiers", "Bulls", "Wireworms", etc.
* FlatWhat: Anita Roux's LastWords when the Grex hive mind flat out told her that everything she had done for them was over a delusion and had only served to help in destroying her species.
* GenreSavvy: One of Charles W. Ryder's soldiers, a reader of horror serial magazines, berate a talkative soldier for saying that there is [[ItsQuietTooQuiet nothing here]] while in the Grex-inhabited Muir Forests and that saying that would get him killed. After he said this the [[TooDumbToLive other soldier shrugs off]], but is quickly taken away by a Grex.
* HistoricalBadassUpgrade: Every single historical figure has their badassery levels turned up to eleven. Notable examples include [[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showpost.php?p=2809846&postcount=94 Churchill]], Hitler, and Erwin Rommel.
* HistoricalVillainUpgrade: U.S. President Woodrow Wilson gets one to an almost strawman extent, who upon hearing of a Grex incursion into San Franciso rejoices in the idea of the city being purged of colored people.
* HiveCasteSystem: The majority of the Grex are of different specializations. The Grex breeds that are known so far:
** [[DemonicSpiders Scarabs]] - Yellow-colored beetles that serves as virus carriers in infecting humans and transforming them into Grex-human hybrids.
** [[{{Mooks}} Warriors]] - Common Grex infantry.
** [[HeavilyArmoredMook Decabites]] - Also nicknamed 'Jabberwocks' by British soldiers, they are an answer to armor or fortifications and are capable of [[BreathWeapon spitting acids]].
** [[AirborneMook Locusts]] - Grex flyers that are fast and capable of dogfighting with aircraft and [[DeathFromAbove attacking ground forces]].
** [[ProfessionalKiller Stingwraiths]] - Grex assassins that can [[PsychicPower psionically]] immobilize all people in a small radius and have [[ChameleonCamouflage active camouflage]].
** [[GiantMook Bombardiers]] - Building-sized Grex that acts as literal living artillery.
** [[CombatTentacles Wireworms]] - Grex sub-species that resembles living barbed wire strands.
** An unnamed Grex species that serves as [[ActionBomb living bombs]].
** [[EliteMooks "Bull" Grex, or "Veterans"]], are individual Grex that, as a result of their age and perseverance, are generally larger and tougher than normal Grex. Some of these earn reputations and names, such as Big Edward, a Bull Decabite, and Sneaky Willy, an Alpha Wraith.
* HiveMind: The Grex to a large extent.
* HopeSpot: ''[[spoiler:Perhaps, if the miserable little beings were now going to step things up, it would be appropriate to respond in kind.]]''
* HopelessWar: While humanity isn't completely defenseless or unsuccesful in holding the Roaches at bay, it's certainly not winning either. At least not yet.
* HordeOfAlienLocusts / PlanetLooters: The Grex, short for ''Entomogrex impurus'', meaning "vile insect swarm".
* HumansAreBastards: But those who are constantly like this are [[ZigZaggingTrope usualy]] [[RedemptionEqualsDeath killed off]] [[KarmicDeath sooner or later]].
* IDidWhatIHadToDo / ShootTheDog / SadisticChoice: Grex infectees are essentialy doomed and the only way you can help them is by putting a bullet in their skull. There are several scenes where people are forced to do this to their own family relatives, including ''children''.
* InsignificantLittleBluePlanet: The Grex only discovered Earth by chance and that the invasion force is merely a ''scout'' force for the much larger Grex hive.
* InThePastEveryoneWillBeFamous: Younger versions of Bernard Montgomery, Erwin Rommel, George Patton, UsefulNotes/CharlesDeGaulle, UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler, Gheorgiy Zhukov, UsefulNotes/JosephStalin, Mustafa Kemal and others appear prominently. There are also supporting and cameo appearances by UsefulNotes/AlbertEinstein, Thomas Edison, UsefulNotes/NikolaTesla, Creator/HPLovecraft, and even a certain RedShirt Austro-Hungarian private named Bela Ferenc Blasko - known later in RealLife [[RichardNixonTheUsedCarSalesman under the pseudonym]] Creator/BelaLugosi.
* KilledMidSentence: Happens a LOT to any throwaway human characters.
* LastStand: Many, and we mean many. Hell, almost every confrontation with a group of Grex has this vibe to it.
%%* MightyGlacier: The "[[CallASmeerpARabbit Bombardier Beetles]]" of the Grex - as tall as a building and equipped with assimilated human artillery fused to their bodies. They're exceptionally hard to bring down, even with heavy artillery and air strikes.
* MistakenForGods: A Satanic cult in France starts worshiping the Grex as instruments of Lucifer. The Grex [[TheQuisling see them as useful saboteurs]] and infect them so they slowly turn into dangerous Human-Grex Hybrids.
* MoodWhiplash / ActionFilmQuietDramaScene: Quite a lot.
* {{Mordor}}: The Grex infested areas slowly morph into this with each day of the ongoing infestation, becoming a DeathWorld [[EverythingTryingToKillYou full of deadly lifeforms created from assimilated Earth organisms]]. Even mundane looking plants (including trees) can actually be [[GardenOfEvil a plant-like sentinel species of the Grex, ready to grab and devour an uncatious bypasser]].
* MoreDakka: Used prominently and even [[LampshadeHanging referred to as such]] [[LeaningOnTheFourthWall literally]], as a [[InJoke codename for this procedure]].
* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast : Seriously, ''The GREX''.
* OfficerAndAGentleman / CulturedWarrior: Most prominently Montgomery, Rommel, Kemal and de Gaulle.
* OrganicTechnology / AppliedPhlebotinum: A staple of the Grex, it has many {{Nanotech}}-like properties and can assimilate non-organic technology and living beings alike. It can even assimilate a steam-powered battleship to ''make it go faster''. The Grex also use all sorts of organic bullets and AbnormalAmmo, all very effective due to AppliedPhlebotinum enhancements.
* PoirotSpeak: Used to add flavour to people of the various nationalities present in the story.
* {{Posse}}: The posses in the United States don't last very long against the Grex, especially in trying to eradicating Grex nests.
* RealTrailerFakeMovie: [[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showpost.php?p=3086647&postcount=79 Three]] [[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showpost.php?p=3554846&postcount=142 written ones]] [[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showpost.php?p=3591004&postcount=161 so far]], courtesy of the thread on AH.com that specializes in this very trope.
* RedshirtArmy: The Imperial Russian army. [[spoiler:Until they decide that ''they're'' the ones fighting the Grex, ''NOT'' the Tsar and his generals in St. Petersburg, and any officer who decides to enforce the 'will of the Tsar' will eat a bullet.]]
* RoseTintedNarrative: Averted. The author of the series has no qualms about showing the various prejudices and racist tendencies that were still an accepted part of everyday reality in the early 20. century. Often, HumansAreBastards to each other, even in the face of iminent danger. A hidden [[AnAesop Aesop]] is present : Humans can only survive and be victorious if they put aside their differences and unite against a great threat.
* ScaryDogmaticAliens: The Grex as [[DirtyCommunists Communists]], but only in a very twisted way, as observed by communist human characters, such as Leon Trotsky.
* ShutUpHannibal: A Grex infectee addresses Allied command, and tells them that [[ResistanceIsFutile they cannot win]] and should therefore just save everyone a lot of trouble by surrendering now. Churchill responds by emptying a revolver into him, [[PunctuatedPounding while stating]] that they don't negotiate with cockroaches.
* SlidingScaleOfAlternateHistoryPlausibility : Well, it's got an AlienInvasion during UsefulNotes/WorldWarI - definitely [[AlienSpaceBats Type X]] and RuleOfCool / RuleOfDrama. [[ShownTheirWork The descriptions of 1915-level tech and its effects on the alien invaders are very believable though.]]
* ShoutOut / {{Homage}}: Too many to count. Some go to nearly TheGenieKnowsJackNicholson levels, but take care to not completely shatter the atmosphere of the early 20. century.
** A propaganda short meant to bolster the public's courage against the Grex ends with a recruiting address and the question [[Franchise/StarshipTroopers "Would you like to know more ?"]] above it.
** A Scottish soldier after gunning down an attacking Grex: [[VideoGame/TeamFortress2 "Ooh, they're goin' to have to glue ya back together]]-- '''[[VideoGame/TeamFortress2 IN HELL!"]]'''
** The Grex themselves seem to draw many elements from the [[Literature/StarshipTroopers Bugs]], [[TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}} Tyranids]] and even the alien monster from Creator/JohnCarpenter's ''Film/TheThing1982''.
** A London bum is attacked by the little yellow Grex "scarabs", but his faithful dog kills most of them in time and sniggers cunningly. His name is revealed to be [[WesternAnimation/DastardlyAndMuttleyInTheirFlyingMachines Muttley]].
** One of the updates set on the western front features an amusing conversation between three British soldiers, who are very obviously identical to the main cast of ''Series/{{Blackadder}} Goes Forth''.
** A Gatling gun installed on one of the American armoured cars is nicknamed "[[Film/{{Predator}} Little Miss Painless]]". Also, a lower ranking officer utters "[[Film/{{Predator}} If it bleeds, we can kill it !]]"
** And, of course, the "MoreDakka!" command.
** '''[[TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}} "SUFFER NOT THE COCKROACH TO LIVE!"]]''' Said by ''UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler'', no less.
* StarfishAliens: Though the Grex are mostly [[InsectoidAliens insect- or crustacean-like]], [[BizarreAlienBiology their inner biology]] and more specialized castes created from assimilating other organisms are biologically downright bizarre.
* TankGoodness: The early tanks featured in the stories are even more awesome than their real historical counterparts. Justified because of the monstrosities they have to deal with. In addition to cannons and heavy caliber machine guns, British tanks are also equipped with [[KillItWithFire flamethrowers]] and ''armored plows for crushing Grex''. The French tanks have not only flamethrowers, but ''[[ChainsawGood chainsaw-like contraptions for literally cutting through swarms of Grex warriors]]''. And the Germans had ''[[CoolButInefficient flamethrower armoured cars]]'' until they reverse-engineered captured British and French tanks.
* TakingTheBullet: [[spoiler: Woodrow Wilson]] saves Teddy Roosevelt from a Grex assassin.
* {{Telepathy}}: [[spoiler: Rasputin.]]
* TheAhnold: A machinegun-loving Austro-Hungarian soldier appearing in several chapters. Named, appropriately enough, Ernold.
* TheMutiny: [[spoiler:An entire Russian column revolts after they had it with the captain shooting 'insubordinate' soldiers.]]
-->[[spoiler: "They can't shoot us all. We'll show who is fighting out here for the Motherland."]]
* TheSwarm: Guess.
* ThrowawayCountry: No one seems to particularly care when Luxembourg is overrun by the Grex.
* TooDumbToLive / NiceJobBreakingItHero: The human armies vastly underestimate the cunning and intelligence of the Grex in the first weeks of the conflict. They eventually recover from the hard-earned lessons and gradually start innovating their tactics and equipment in order to better respond to the worldwide threat.
* TunnelNetwork: A unit of the Royal Engineer tunnelling companies discovered that there is a massive Grex tunnel network right underneath the Somme. However, that is only the main hub of the Grex hive and it is [[{{Foreshadowing}} undoubtedly possible that the tunnels stretch elsewhere as well]].
* VelvetRevolution: The Russian Revolution occurs two years earlier and the Russian government is now led by Lenin and a communist/socialist coalition focusing on battling the Grex. However, there are still discontent from the now-remnants of the Tsarist regime and military under their new leadership.
* WarIsHell: To almost [[HellIsWar literal]] [[{{Mordor}} levels]].
* WeHaveReserves: Sadly, this is more true on the Grex side of the war. Humans are starting to suffer shortages of manpower, and "supplies" of fresh soldiers are getting hard to come by, especially in the most infested areas.
* [[PunyEarthlings What Measure Is A Human]] / WhatMeasureIsANonHuman: Invoked a lot by the characters, both Grex and human.
* WeAreStrugglingTogether: Given the common enemy in the Grex, the leading powers try to put up a unified front in the defense of humanity. Unfortunately, setting aside differences and fighting the aliens off is shown to be a lot harder than it seems thanks to socio-political squabbles.
* WorldOfBadass: What the most Grex-infested front lines have become, in order for the soldiers ''to even survive''.
* YouWillBeAssimilated: One of the methods used by the Grex to replenish and innovate their forces.
* ZergRush: The Grex play this horrifically straight, to the extent of destroying their own co-fighters in a whim of an eye, if it can earn them any tactical advantage.
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