Revolutions are usually huge events in world history that can change the course of not only the nation that it takes place in, but also that of the world at large. The rise and fall of Communism was one such revolution that changed OTL (Our Timeline's) history, with the Cold War lasting a mere half a century. But what if Marxism rose in an earlier era, in a different country, no less?
Revolution! Or: A Victorian Cold War is a world where The British Empire never *completely* fell and an aborted Imperial Germany fell to the *Communist* revolution early on. A surviving Poland-Lithuania, united Scandinavia and Tsarist Russia join the ranks of the Red Wave by the start of the 20th century. Soon it's up to the British and the remaining Free World to take on the Red menace in a Cold War that spans 112 years. But even when the dust has settled and peace has returned in the modern era (2015 AD), some people refuse to move on. Also expect a healthy dose of gritty cyberpunk action to top it all off with the odd African PMC or Russian mega-corporation being thrown into the mix.
The arrival of a bunch of observers from the larger multiverse are also compounding the issue...
The timeline is ongoing with the updates rotating between timeline/map updates and additions to the story. Currently stuck in the 1960's.
This work provides examples of:
- Action Girl: Marcus's Doomsday-verse girlfriend Lina is implied to have had some military experience during a flashback.
- Allohistorical Allusion: Plenty of them in this timeline. From a Kennedy-style assassination of King Edward VIII to Bismarck being a stand-in for Vladimir Lenin. The author tries to be as original as possible without having to fall back on this trope however.
- Alien Non-Interference Clause: The Agency tried to do this for as long as possible. But due to the intervention of Marcus, their hand is eventually forced to provide intel for the Free World.
- Black-and-White Morality: Marcus shows this in spades, seeing himself as a paragon of justice in a world gone mad. Justified due to his own home being ravaged by nuclear war and his time in the diplomatic service that pushes him this far.
- Armor Is Useless: Marcus getting shot in the shoulder during his first encounter with the Faction, despite wearing Kevlar.
- Alternate History: Obviously.
- Big Bad: Heidrich Kholer fits this as the de-facto leader of the Red Army Faction.
- Cool Ship: The USS William Clinton Referenced as: "One of the greatest wartime Presidents in US history" prior to his assassination. is described to resemble an old OTL Invincible-class but more 'modern looking'. The resemblence is referenced by Marcus himself due to his father's involvement in the Falklands War alongside one Andrew Windsor.
- Crapsack World: Sure, the Cold War has been over for 30 years and technological advancement has continued on but there's still a lot of scars from the old days that the world has to deal with. Like a neo-Communist* insurgency
- Cyberpunk: Not entirely, nor entirely Post-Cyberpunk or even Solar Punk either, but there are enough tropes - i.e. cybernetic enhancement, mega-corporations and PMCs that act with impunity - that the Rev!-verse fits it while still having the veneer of OTL politics and technology in some areas.
- Dirty Communists: The former German Worker's Republic and the Warsaw Pact by extension. Not to mention the modern day RAF continuing this trend. Albeit as a Communist!Al-Qaeda of sorts.
- Go Mad from the Revelation:
- Eldritch Abomination: Marcus is implied to show similar traits in a few scenes, hinting at the fact that he isn't entirely human.
- Heroic BSoD: Marcus suffers a few of these early on as everyone he meets ends up being killed by the Faction. His sanity is starting to unravel...
- My Country, Right or Wrong: Regardless if it's a different UK or a different Germany, Marcus will stand up to defend it.
- The Multiverse: Some Agents are referenced to be from OTL or the Doomsday-verse.
- Officer and a Gentleman: Marcus has shades of this due to his military and aristocratic backgrounds.
- Patriotic Fervor: More of a 'Mixed/Good and Bad' flavour for both the timeline and the protagonist of the story. Nationalism in the Rev!-verse is more accepted than it is OTL whilst creeping around the legacy of the Balkan Wars A fascist* Ottoman Empire ran by the Young Turks Party that rose in the 1920's. In terms of the characters, Marcus shows shades of the Mixed variety as well being firmly attached to his adopted German* homeland while keeping in touch with his Anglo-Celtic roots. Sometimes might lead to a case of misplaced nationalism at times.
- Shout-Out: References to 1980's pop-culture abound with song lyrics being used at the start of every story chapter. Justified due to the protagonist coming from the Doomsday-verse. References to Draka (in the form of a nuclear-armed Rhodesia and it's satellite states), Metal Gear, Axisof Time and other techno-thriller games/novels provide a basis for the technology of the Revolution!-verse.
- Technology Marches On: Civilian tech in the Revolution!-verse is somewhat less advanced compared to all of the military gear that's used by the major nations. Also invoked in the story with Marcus's usage of a Sony Walkman and an 80's-era Nokia. However it is justified due to the fact that he is from a TL where nuclear war led to technological stagnation at around the 1980's.
- Time Police: The Agency is akin to the Infinity Patrol from GURPS Infinite Worlds but being located 'in-between the universes' and answers to nobody but itself.
- Worthy Opponent: Marcus Wright and Heidrich Kholer.
