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Updated Sunday 15 May, 2011 12:18 PM |
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This Day in Alternate History Blog
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An Empire Reborn Part 24 By Vincent Longobardi
December 3rd 1976 The Averrunci launches and begins its 4 day trip to the moon. Millions watch the launch on Imperial TV. December 4th 1976 The press gives hourly updates on the progress of the Averrunci and it’s 3 man crew. December 5th 1976 A bomb detonates outside a Jewish Synagogue in Jerusalem killing 12 and injuring an additional 18. December 7th 1976 The Averrunci lunar lander sets down near the site of a previous American landing. After running a final systems check Captain Raphael Scordato pops the hatch and becomes the first Olympinaut and Italian to set foot on the moon. "For Il Duce, For the Consul, and for Fascists everywhere,"are the first words spoken by him as his foots set down on the surface. The 3 crew members then set about placing an Imperial flag upon the moon’s surface alongside a plaque and fasces with eagle. Then singing the Fascist anthem of Giovinezza to commemorate the occasion. The 3 Olympinauts spend the next 5 hours on the surface of the moon alternating their time between conducting scientific experiments and playing even having an impromptu game of soccer on the Lunar surface. Following the initial broadcast of the live landing Count Lucchini is given the honor of giving the first speech in celebration of the successful landing following shortly after by his father-in-law the Consul. December 8th 1976 Words of congratulation are sent to Rome from across the goal. Even the Soviet Union praises the NRE on their safe and successful landing on the Moon. Though the Soviet press is sure to state that the NRE did get to the Moon second and 7 years after the United States. In honor of the landing Italian state radio plays the recording of 3 Olympinaut’s singing Giovinezza as it’s sign off and states they will play this rendition everyday until the new year. December 11th 1976 The landing capsule of the Averrunci splashes down in the Mediterranean and is picked up by helicopters from the Mussolini. December 15th 1976 Hundreds of thousands turn out to see the return of the Olympinauts to Rome. They are lauded with medals and honors by the Consul with Captain Scordato being honored with the title "Count of Djibouti." December 20th 1976 Medici and his family visit Evola at his Roman Villa. The doctors do not give him much longer to live. Medici stays with Evola most of the day even after the rest of his family departs, Medici’s wife and daughters leaving with visible tears in their eyes. Over the past years the family less Evola had virtually been adopted into the Medici family being present at almost all the family gatherings and events. Later in the day, members of the Grand Council come to visit Evola and he utters to them the following warning "If this body ever fails to elect a warrior to lead it, this Empire will fall and all our work shall be lost." December 23rd 1976 Beating the odds, Evola has done as promised and lasted until the Winter Solstice. Doctors are amazed he is still alive and claim that it is like he is holding on by sheer willpower. Evola himself claims it is the power of the Roman gods that let him see one last Solstice(an important date in the pagan calender.) December 25th 1976 A truck loaded with explosives slams into a Jerusalem Church killing 123 and wounding another 300. Rome is quick to condemn the attack especially blasting the Palestinians for conducting the bombing on Christmas. Retaliation is promised to be swift and brutal. Foreign pundits will be quick to remark that not so long ago the Italians conducted their own series of bombing raids on Christmas and purposely targeted Churches. December 27th 1976 Doctors give Julius Evola less than 24 hours to live. His lungs are quickly filling with fluid and there is nothing they can do to stop it. He orders his aides to pull him to his feet so that he may die on his feet like an ancient hero and not in his bed like a sick old man.
Holding himself upright by the windowsill he stares out at the Roman cityscape. Falling several times throughout the day he is quickly pulled back to his feet by his aides and disciples. Slightly before sunset he falls for the last time, death had finally come to claim the Baron but not before he put up a fight. *Note: Historically, though Evola was paralyzed he insisted on dying on his feet and held himself propped up on the last day of his life.* December 28th 1976 Consul Medici calls for a day of mourning over the death of Evola. "A more faithful servant to the state and to Fascism you will never find." December 29th 1976 In accordance with Evola’s wishes he is not given a Catholic funeral instead his followers perform a rite more similar to that of the ancient Romans. His devotees take part in a torchlight procession throughout the city at night before the ritualistic cremation of the body. Medici is criticized for allowing and participating in the pagan funeral but defends himself against detractors saying that what he has done was not as the leader of a nation but as a friend honoring another friend’s last wish. December 30th 1976 The Comando Supremo meets once again on the matter of Jerusalem and changes their previous decision and appoints Major Medici as garrison commander of the city with orders to crush the terrorist activity within the city using any means necessary. January 2nd 1977 Major Medici is announced to the public as the new commander of the Jerusalem garrison. The Consul is notably absent at the press conference not wanting the appointment to look like nepotism. Instead, the major is introduced by the Emperor. In his speech the major declares that he will gives the terrorists no quarter and go "bomb for bomb. Bullet for bullet. Murder for murder." He takes the quote from George Robert Elford’s book "Devil’s Guard" which is about former SS men fighting with the French Foreign Legion in Indochina. In recent years the book had become quite popular within Italy and throughout the Empire. January 5th 1977 Major Medici arrives in Jerusalem under heavy security and takes control of all Imperial forces present within the city. His first order of business is declaring martial law and placing the city on lockdown. January 7th 1977 The Grand Council meets to appoint a successor to Evola. Numerous names are suggested including that of Silvio Berlusconi, but he is considered to be too far of a divergence from the path set by Evola and also a Fascist only for convenience. In the end Giuseppe Umberto "Pino" Rauti is chosen as the new Minister of Popular Culture. Pino Rauti had been with Evola since the beginning and considered one of his closest disciples. January 10th 1977 Viceroy Gritti arranges for the transfer of several platoons of OVRA soldiers to Jerusalem and put under the command of Major Medici. January 22nd 1977 The military arrests over 100 suspected terrorists in Jerusalem and dismantles a bomb factory in a series of early morning raids. An additional 20 Palestinians are arrested and executed on the spot for being known partisans. February 1st 1977 Major Medici is promoted to Lt. Colonel. February 15th 1977 Consul Medici initiates a major reshuffling of the Grand Council. General Gritti is relieved of his Viceroyship of Greece and is appointed as the new head of the OVRA. Silvio Berlusconi is appointed as the new Minister of Industry. The Consul promises that more new appointments are to come. February 20th 1977 The 100 members of the PLO arrested in last month’s raids are all found guilty of their crimes by a military tribunal. 33 are sentenced to death by firing squad and the rest are ordered into exile. End of Part 24.
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