….they cost big bucks to get shod
The Doclopedia #252
Altered (United) States: Missouri
For reasons not fully (or even partially) understood by anyone, on January 10, 1930, technology stopped advancing in the State of Missouri. At first, this was not noticed because most people figured that their brand new gizmo was just defective, but after about 6 months, several companies and the state government began investigating. Eventually, the federal government got in on it and the truth was discovered. If a device invented after 1/10/30 was taken across the border, it would instantly stop and no amount of fixing could help it. This fact, on top of the Depression, hurt Missouri badly and the state has only recovered in the last 25 years.
Even though it has the third lowest population in the union, Missouri has the fifth highest tourism rate. It would seem that people really enjoy going there to escape the demands of the rest of the world in the year 2000. In fact, the state is the number one place for vacation homes.
It is worth noting that when the people of Missouri travel to another state on vacation, they overwhelmingly choose California or New York City. It seems that they just can’t get enough of looking at high tech in action, even though most say they are glad not to have it in their state.
One good thing about being in technological stasis is that in Missouri, “Old Time Radio” is alive and kicking ass. The St. Louis Radio Theater Of The Air is just the largest and best known of 25 radio theater companies in the state. Although the companies saw some lean times during the 1950s-60s, in the 70s, interest began to grow and really took off in 1976 when Paramount authorized a Star Trek radio series featuring the original cast. A few years later, Star Wars hit the airwaves and things really took off.
Missouri now has five high power radio stations broadcasting music, comedy and drama 24/7. Recently, these stations (all located near the Kansas border) have begun sending recordings of their programs over to Kansas so they can be put on the internet. The popularity of these shows rivals, and in some cases surpasses, anything on television.
The Doclopedia #253
Altered (United) States: Montana
The most interesting iteration of the Big Sky State is the one on Earth 109, where most of the state is a huge shallow lake with 164 large islands in it. Many of these islands are former or current mining sites, but even more are wildlife preserves.
The vast lake was formed at the end of the last ice age and is fed by the mighty Oskolopa River that starts in the eastern Canadian Rockies. Much water also comes from snow melt in the various mountain ranges that give the state its name.
The Doclopedia #254
Altered (United) States: Nebraska
On an Earth that had a very active steampunk era followed by an equally active pulp adventure era, the machinations of a mad scientist caused the entire state of Nebraska to increase in elevation by 100 feet. Oddly, all rivers and streams flowing into the state still do so, but they flow STRAIGHT UP 100 FOOT TALL CLIFFS! Trying to explain how that can happen has driven at least 9 scientist mad.
Owing to the enormous expense of building roads into the state, there are only two ways in or out: Interstate 80 (west/east) and Interstate 29 (north/south).
Life in Nebraska actually goes on much as it always has, despite the weather being somewhat more extreme and the citizens of South Dakota bitching about all the shade they now get.
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