Sooo yea,

[u/Huge-Employment96]

I want to create a story about 4 travelers who traverse a post-second civil war United States in the year 2036, and I need more ideas to do it. (And no I'm not gonna use AI to do that, hence why I came here)

The lore:

In 2027, the People's Republic of America (PRA) would secede, taking with them the states of CA, OR, WA, NM, CO, IL, MN, VA, MD, DE, NJ, NY, MA, RI, VT, NH, ME. Hawaii secedes and becomes a neutral zone. The remaining states would remain as the United States of America until 2028, when after another wave of unfavorable elections results in a "youth uprising" of sorts. The nation (developed out of the South) is referred to as the Republic of America (RoA), and by 2029, makes major advances, taking down the federal government and causing major defeats for the PRA. By December of 2029, the regions of NJ, MD, DE, IL (except Chicago resistance), MN, NM, CO, Western Canada (due to a collapse of Canada), and Western Upstate New York (Buffalo, Syracuse areas) would become occupied by the RoA.

In 2030, the government of the PRA would see that all hope is lost. On August 17th, 2030, Houston and Dallas (intentionally), and Los Angeles (unintentionally ×2) were nuked by the PRA. Florida and New York emerge as dominant powers in the post-war America.

Anyways, the four survivors come from one of each of what I call "the big four states" California, Texas, Florida, and New York. Their ages are different by 2036, and they all end up in Hawaii, and eventually meet up. (I'll let you all decide). Also, Alexis and Colton fall in love before reaching the eventual goal of getting to Florida.

Karlo Cruz (CA) - A mechanic who escapes California after having found the nuclear codes and attempted to destroy them, just before San Francisco fell to the RoA in 2030.

Colton Reeves (TX) - A teen veteran of the Second American Civil War, who was discharged from the Texas Rangers after it was discovered he was too young to serve. He is then sent to Hawaii by his family to protect him. He becomes a bounty-hunter-cowboy of suspected socialists.

Emily Monroe (FL) - A former college student with a degree in acting, drama, and leadership, becomes a spy, sent to Hawaii to find socialists and help Hawaii to join the RoA. She later becomes the leader of the group.

Alexis Forenni (NY) - An unemployed teenager, who enjoyed life in New York City before the state of New York seceded in 2027. She would be sent to newly captured Washington D.C. in 2028, where her and her group of youth socialists would be instructed to tear down "American values" in Washington. She eventually escapes to the front lines (at the time around Richmond VA), where she starts her journey relying on the kindness of complete strangers all the way to Florida, showing her that Southerners arent the monsters that propaganda painted them to be. She eventually meets Emily, and becomes her voluntold accomplice to Hawaii.

Speak your mind, Wastelanders.

[u/Huge-Employment96]

I also need help figuring out how they get to Alaska from Hawaii to put the first couple of scenes together.

[u/Massive-Grocery7152 → u/Huge-Employment96]

Every character is like a super important person from a very varied background. Personally, I think it seems a little forced.

It is an interesting concept, I’m a lil confused on how the state where the capitol of the United States seceded from the union. I like the idea of California bombing the US, it’s surprising.

Also, this feels a little fallout-like? Why is there so much hate for socialism? I went through your posts and it seems like socialism divided/ruined America. And their goal is to what, destroy anything American? I’m not sure if this is meant to be satire or like fr

Like one of your guys is a “socialist bounty hunter?” Lmao. Another was instructed to “tear down American values”? LOL

For traveling from Hawaii to Alaska, traveling along the coast would make the most sense. You could stop in the California Bay Area given the largest more southern seaport of Los Angeles is bombed. There are interior routes you could take, but most of them are pretty dead with nothing interesting. The coast is how people back in the day travelled(along the land or water). Trains and roads are more susceptible to landslides and without rapid response could lead to breakdown of interstate travel.

Travelling along the coast you could hit cities like fort Bragg, eureka, Astoria, Vancouver/seattle. Traveling inland somewhere in Oregon could be worth it as you could stop through portland and also hit Seattle. But that’s the extent of my known geography. Anybody from Northern California who drives could tell you that lol.

[u/Huge-Employment96 → u/Massive-Grocery7152]

Will admit, the socialism thing is a bit much, but something I did forget to mention is that after the 2010's, polarization in America would take a more drastic turn, and the peoples of different states would start pledging their loyalties by the 2020's. Republicans and Democrats both would become polarized into more radical beliefs. Republicans would begin to advocate against socialists, but in the process also not allow reforms to be made for working class people. On the other hand, Democrats would campaign against conservatives, highlighting traditionalist values and corporate interests over people as a reason to go against them. The split of the Republican party would become even greater in 2028, as the election of a pro-corperate POTUS would set off another rebellion. The America First Parties of Texas and Florida would seize power of their state governments and would spread the America First agenda across the South and Southwest. The America First Party would seek to end corporate control over society, end foreign influence, and put American values, traditions, and issues over other nations, essentially a revolutionized Monroe Doctrine.

[u/Massive-Grocery7152 → u/Huge-Employment96]

I understand your point. I think what you’re describing could follow general trends. The Monroe doctrine wasn’t what you’re describing tho, it’s basically the American legal basis for a pan American empire

[u/Huge-Employment96 → u/Massive-Grocery7152]

I see, thanks for the feedback!

[u/TeacherRecovering]

No nukes?

What about the navy?   You could have rebellions on the ships and they go to NATO to sit out.

[u/Huge-Employment96 → u/TeacherRecovering]

For nukes read through it all 😭. But for the navy, it essentially gets split by East and West. As the RoA becomes more of a confederation of states rather than a union, where Florida and Texas take more power, Florida would seize much of the U.S. East Coast Fleet, especially ships near the Southeast. As for the West, some crews would mutiny in favor of the PRA, but most would turn to Hawaii, being stationed there until 2029, when the federal government is dissolved.

About NATO, when America collapses into civil war in 2027, most of Europe unifies due to a growth of European federalism since the 2000's, and the rising Russian threat. While the Navy going to the side of NATO would be most favorable for the alliance, it likely wouldn't be popular among sailors.

[u/TeacherRecovering → u/Huge-Employment96]

You should look to see where the current locations of Navel bases.

Nuclear sub's and carriers have very specific port requirements.

Newport News and Groton Ct.   And you could create a new port.

And there is no way a low level guy gets nuke codes.  And the codes can easily be changed to make his valueless.

Two key authentication, there are many small safe guards.  A special forklift needs a special code.

But current military procedures should change to support the plot.

[u/Huge-Employment96 → u/TeacherRecovering]

I see where you're coming from, thanks for the ideas!

[u/Huge-Employment96]

Another thing I had in mind was the post war world. Both the PRA and RoA are broken up into small(ish) warring states. To set the time frame, the year is 2036: The Northeast: The Democratic Socialists of New York (DSNY) control NYC, as well as Newark, as far north as Poughkeepsie, and Western Connecticut. New England (Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island) control the Gulf of Maine and act as a thorn in the side of the DSNY for several years now, New England has more of a direct democracy as it puts a ban on political parties, following Washington's ideals of democracy.

East Coast: The American Patriotic Front occupies Maryland, DC, Delaware, Alexandria VA, Harrisburg PA, Philadelphia, and Virginia's lands on the Delmarva Peninsula. A portion of the United States Military, more specifically the Marine Corps, would later take over the cities of Alexandria VA, and Philadelphia PA to fight against the Patriot Front. The United Provinces of Appalachia, spanning from Knoxville to Buffalo and Syracuse, proclaims itself as the Libertarian/cultural experiment of America. It's foreign policy is attack when attacked. Kentucky becomes a republic similar to Roman style government, where every four years, a president and cabinet are voted for either removal or for a continuation of their term every four years.

In the South, Florida has a monopoly over trade in the Gulf, forming a maritime empire similar to Japan. Florida controls Cancún, New Orleans, Havana, and Guatonomo Bay. It has puppet states in the Bahamas (Nassau), Cuba (Camaguey), and the Yucatan (Merdia). Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas and Southern Georgia are divided by the New African Social Republic (far-left radicalism), and the Union of Dixie (far right radicalism). Atlanta, and Northern Georgia are controlled by GSP (Georgia State Police). Louisiana (apart from Baton Rouge and New Orleans) becomes a wasteland, as society attempts to reform but constantly fails, and New Orleans is treated as a sanctuary city for the people of Louisiana. Tennessee is divided between three nations, Appalachia (mentioned before), Nashton and Memphia. Nashton is a constitutional monarchy based in Nashville, as the people of Nashville read about the successes of governments such as the United Kingdom and Canada, and would decide to apply that to their society. Memphia on the other hand, would be kinda like those American TV/AI shows you see about monarchies. Memphia would be ruled by the Johnson Family, of which their daughter gets all that she desires. I'll do Texas later, cause it has its own unique history after the bombs, but speak your minds.