America's stepbrother, America's enemy is a story in AlternateHistory.com written by SergeantHeretic, as well as several collaborators, that tells an interesting story: what would happen if the United States of 2012, a month and a half after voting for Obama for the second time, were ISOTed to George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four?
The answer: after the initial chaos, an absolute curbstomping of the three superstates that control most of the planet.
War is not the only thing that happens, though. The United States has to deal with the sudden loss of all foreign trade, initial attacks across the border and rationing, and, as the liberated territory expands, the millions of people that have been freed and now have to be given a chance to gain a new life. As the problems for the United States diminish, they begin for the superstates, especially as it is discovered that the latter are not the only nations that exist. However, behind Oceania, Eurasia, and Eastasia lies a dark secret that only makes things more confusing...
Can be found here
, but requires login. Was subsequently rewritten as America's Stepbrother, America's Enemy V2.0.
This story provides examples of:
- Alien Space Bats: Considered the reason why the United States got sent to 1984. A discovery is made that Alien Space Bats travelled to Earth at some point between the formation of the superstates and 1984 and supplied them with very advanced technology.
- Awesome, but Impractical: The cumbersome tanks and ships used by the Threeist armed forces, which in the books are used only to waste resources and be as flashy as possible, have nothing on the far more technologically-advanced (not to mention motivated to actually win) United States.
- Big Damn Heroes: An underscored one in that Winston and Julia are saved from being tortured and brainwashed thanks to the Event and its consequences.
- Curbstomp Battle: Initially, whenever the United States Army meets a Threeist army, the former inflicts this on the latter. It becomes a bit tougher as time passes.
- Dreaming of Things to Come: Michael Ramsay dreams of the arrival of the Americans and Queen Gabriella, and the Liberation of the United Kingdom.
- Due to the Dead: The Vietnamese have an enormous wall where they write the names of every soldier that has fallen to the Eastasian attacks. Several American Spec-Ops soldiers that were stationed in Vietnam when the US fell chose to stay and help, and after they died their names were inscribed there as well.
- The Emperor: Vietnam still conserves its Emperor, who is autocratic but benevolent, and as the Eastasian threat fades makes sure to democratize the nation. The Emperor of Japan (said to be Hiro-Hito's son) becomes the leader of the Japanese resistance, and is enthroned some time after the Americans liberate Japan.
- Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: Several times.
- First, the Oceanians are unable to understand how the Americans' minds work and demand their subjugation to Big Brother, even as they are getting pummelled.
- Then, the other superstates ask the United States whether they are willing to replace Oceania in the War, and are surprised when the United States goes after them.
- Expanded States of America: The people in the Canadian and Mexican territories vote to join the United States, as well as Puerto Rico and a few Caribbean Islands.
- Forever War: This was taking place on 1984 Earth until the United States appeared.
- The Fundamentalist: Emily Barksdale from New Mexico, one of the viewpoint characters, is one, although toned down from typical portrayals, and she eventually mellows when she meets a former Prole called Brel Frunk.
- Good Shepherd: Michael Ramsay, Archbishop of York and leader of the hidden Church of England.
- Handicapped Badass: The Gimp Soldier Program, which recruits people that were discharged or rejected for medical reasons to fulfill bureaucratic and training roles, freeing fit soldiers for duty. This does not prevent them from playing important roles in the story.
- Heel–Face Turn: Not that the Prole soldiers were much of a heel. As time advances, they kill their Thought Police Officers the first chance they get and surrender to the US Army. Many end up joining the Allied Army and in fact eventually become the bigger part of it. Also, many Outer Party members (or their equivalents in other places) surrender and aid the United States in the organization of the liberated territories.
- Heroic Sacrifice: Several American Spec-Ops soldiers that decided to stay in Vietnam after America fell to Oceania sacrificed themselves in a ploy to distract Eastasian troops while the Dalai Lama was taken out of Lhasa in a plane.
- Idiot Ball: Everything the Oceanian military does. The consensus on Oceanian nuclear capability is that their nukes (if they have any) are in a warehouse guarded by a squad of Thought Police.
- In-Series Nickname: The Oceanian soldiers are nicknamed "Waterboys".
- In Spite of a Nail: Despite the fact that 1984 was not written, the world is exactly identical to the real one.
- Somehow, Jersey Shore still gets created. Fortunately, this was later retconned.
- La Résistance: Despite the brutality of the Threeist states, there is still resistance.
- The Church of England survives hiding among the Airstrip One proles.
- Several redoubts in the Australian Outback fended off Oceanian attacks enough times that the Oceanians decided to declare victory and leave.
- Dwight Eisenhower and Omar Bradley led the Loyalist American troops against the Ingsoc conspiracy, but were killed in 1955.
- In Indochina, the "Iron Triangle" formed by the Empire of Vietnam, Lan Xang and Cambodia have not only survived, but beaten back all attacks by Eastasian troops.
- The Japanese resistance movement, led by someone implied to be Hiro-Hito's son, lays low for many years, and uprises when the Americans arrive.
- The British-Indian Raj and Thailand were also resisting, but they were nuked when sabotage led the Threeist states to realize that both nations were researching nuclear weapons.
- A remnant of the invaded European nations exists in the Federated Kingdom of North Africa, an amalgamation of Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya with the European people that evacuated.
- There is mention by Vietnam of losing contact with Arabia, and Israel is suspected to have survived.
- Mythology Gag: A US Army interrogator is named Emmanuel Goldstein, like Big Brother's fabled enemy. The interrogated Oceanians literally go Oh, Crap! when they learn this tidbit.
- Nuke 'em: Oceania tries to attack America like this after they invade South America, but the dirigible carrying the nukes gets shot down over Greenland. In answer to Oceania's attempted nuclear bombardment of the East Coast, the Americans respond in kind by dropping nuclear bombs on London, Suffolk, and Northumberland.
- Operation: [Blank]: Several are made reference to. The first is Operation Southern Cross, the liberation of South America, and there are references to future Operations related to the liberation of Europe.
- Orwellian Retcon: One of the highlights is the Oceanian government in Airstrip One insisting that no City of London has ever existed after the city's nuclear destruction (see Nuke 'em).
- Retired Badass: The Gimp Soldier Program also brings back many retired soldiers, willing to help the Armed Forces in any way they can.
- Scenery Gorn: The stories about the discovery of concentration camps in Eastasia are not for the faint of heart.
- Side Bet: When the Core (Eastasian equivalent of the Inner Party) headquarters is about to be bombed, several characters make bets over what will happen to the building.
- Technology Porn: RamscoopRaider's "rants" over how bad the Threeist navies are are quite long and full of information over the stats of the different ships.
