The year is 1999, but this isn't the America we know. It's been 28 years since WWII ended with both a bang and a whimper, the world left in ruins by the atomic bomb. Smaller nations have risen from the ashes like baby phoenixes, each claiming a part of old America. The lifeblood of these nations is the railroad, one of the few modes of transportation not crippled by the war, and those who travel the tracks brave raiders and tinpot warlords to deliver their cargo between the newborn nations.
Winchester is one of those trains.
An original web serial written by Pineapple, ''Winchester
follows the captain of the titular train Farrah Mansoor as what should've been a simple cargo job gets her and her crew embroiled in a growing conflict that threatens all.
Tropes:
- Alternate History: Germany is allowed to keep its African colonies after WWI. As a result, WWII begins in 1956, with a much richer Germany being able to prolong the war until the early 70s. Both America and Germany develop the atomic bomb and begin to annihilate each others' cities in a low-intensity campaign, which peters out as both sides lose the necessary infrastructure and collapse.
- Anyone Can Die: As poor Zachariah finds out.
- Apocalypse How: Class 1. Many cities were destroyed and nations like America collapsed, but the trains still run and electricity can be found, with some places like Texas coming close to the pre-war standard of living.
- Attempted Rape: While rescuing the population of Cumberland Forge from slavers, Farrah is forced into a desperate fight with the slaver band's leader, who attempts to force himself upon her from a combination of spite and a desire to get some pleasure before he's inevitably killed. Thankfully, Farrah rather lethally cuts the attempt short.
- Boisterous Bruiser: Anatoly, Farrah's Husky Russkie engineer, is both an incredibly friendly and outgoing man, and is also the physically strongest character in the story.
- Cool Old Guy: Ezra, one of Farrah's crew, is 65 by the time of the story, but is an invaluable member of the crew and Farrah trusts his judgment more than her own at times.
- Cool Train: Winchester, natch.
- Enemy Mine: While on the slaver train, Farrah is surprised to see that even the raiders are joining in to save Cumberland Forge's population, citing the good trade deals they get.
- Fallen States of America
- Heel–Face Turn: Jonathan makes his almost as soon as he's introduced, though the "heel" part isn't really made known to to Farrah and the reader until later in the story.
- Invaded States of America: In the backstory's alternate WWII, Japan managed to invade Alaska before the war devolved into nuclear strikes.
- Mama Bear: Farrah might not be biologically Zachariah's mom, but as far as she's concerned, he's her son, and she'll lead a war to wipe out an entire military faction if they kill him.
- Pint-Sized Powerhouse: Farrah frequently comments on how small she is compared to everyone around her, being heavily implied to be under five feet, yet that doesn't stop her from storming a train crawling with slavers and winning.
- Roaring Rampage of Rescue: Farrah and crew chase after the slavers who kidnapped the population of Cumberland Forge, and after a brutal gunfight successfully rescue the civilians.
- Shown Their Work: Pineapple knows her trains. The use of technical language can be quite confusing to anyone who isn't a rail enthusiast.
