Beyond the Ocean

Beyond the Ocean is an alternate history showing the Mongol Empire as it explored the Pacific Ocean under orders from Genghis Khan, who commissioned and discovered North America. This happened after the Mongols lost the Battle of the Kalka River, in present-day Ukraine, prompting the Khan's decision to abort a European invasion, demote his military commanders Jebe and Subutai to a lower rank in the imperial court and assign them to lead a fleet through the Pacific Ocean.

The Kalka River Defeat
On May 31, 1223, the Mongol Empire under military commanders Jebe and Subutai faced Kiev, Galicia-Volhynia, Chernigov and the Cumans. Unlike in the OTL, in this ATL, Jebe and Subutai were defeated, with only 300 of around 20.000 men surviving. Both military commanders were heavily wounded and had to be carried by their exhausted soldiers as they rejoined the Khagan of the Mongol Empire, Genghis Khan and the rest of the Mongol army in the steppes to the east of the Syr Darya River. The Khagan, upon hearing the news of the Mongol defeat in the Battle of the Kalka River, was angered. He swiftly led his army back to Mongolia, their homeland, and demoted Jebe and Subutai to a lower rank in the imperial court.

Fleet of the Khagan
Genghis Khan aborted all plans for a Mongol invasion of Europe, and the empire became primarily defensive. Around this time, Genghis wanted to build a naval fleet to explore the Pacific Ocean. In July 1223, Genghis commissioned a group of shipbuilders to build a fleet of 15 ships, each ship comprising of 1000 men, for a total of 15000 men. The shipbuilders doubted that they were able to create such a massive fleet. However, a death threat from Genghis forced them to build the fleet. With technology borrowed from Europe and China, and a massive workforce, in January 1226, the fleet was completed and ready to serve.

Land, Not Sea
Upon the fleet's completion, Genghis called Jebe and Subutai, who were in North China, to Karakorum, the Mongolian capital. There, the military commanders were assigned to lead the fleet. Jebe refused almost immediately: "My lord, is not your military commander, which is me, based on land, not sea?" The Khagan replied: "And is not you under my leadership? Go lead my fleet or die!" Jebe decided to agree, while Subutai easily agreed to his leader's order, in order to regain his lost rank within the Mongolian imperial court.

In June 1226, Genghis made an agreement with the Song Dynasty, to use the port of Fuzhou as the beginning of the fleet's route. On August 25 1226, Jebe and Subutai arrived in Fuzhou, and inspected the 15000 men, who were going to be involved in the journey. On August 31, the ships were inspected by Song and Mongol authorities. All ships were declared safe to sail.

To the Unknown
On September 6 1226, 30000 people, including Genghis Khan's son Tolui as a Mongol representative, witnessed the departure of the fleet from Fuzhou, with Jebe and Subutai on Ship 1. On September 13, the fleet was caught in a storm, which caused them to be stranded 30 km to the west of the planned route. This caused a panic among the fleet members. Panic continued as the food supplies diminished, and no signs of land were seen. On October 29, another storm put the fleet in disorder. Ship 8 nearly collided with Ship 14, while Jebe was nearly thrown off the ship in the middle of high waves and heavy rain. The storm worsened on October 30, when the fleet faced 50-meter to 130-meter waves and heavy rain. As midnight approached, a crewman aboard Ship 6 saw land.

Meanwhile, the high waves drove the fleet closer to land, until the fleet were thrown off by breaking waves and crashed on the beach, knocking all crewmen, along with Jebe and Subutai, unconscious.

Wake Up and Trade
The Chumash, the Native Americans who occupied central and southern coastal regions of California, were seen with the crewmen, who were slowly regaining consciousness. Several minutes later, at dawn, Jebe and Subutai regained consciousness. They managed to trade silk and cotton with the Chumash, and slowly learned the Chumash language in a local village. After staying for 2 months, at the end of December, the crewmen decided to return to China, bringing the Chumash culture with them.

Back in Mongolia
Unlike the previous journey, this return journey went well for the fleet. On March 8, the fleet reached Fuzhou, where they were greeted personally by Ogedei, the third son of Genghis Khan. They returned to Mongolia, and met Genghis Khan in Karakorum. Genghis Khan was filled with curiosity about the strange language brought by the crewmen. He told the European and Asian nations of this, and soon the Old World was looking forward to know more of this "New World".

Expedition to the New World
In Rome, Pope Honorius III called for the European nations to explore this New World. The Mongol Empire agreed to cooperate with Europe, and the Asian nations helped the Mongol Empire in its effort to explore the New World. In December 1227, 40.000 French and English soldiers found the eastern coast of the New World and began to explore it. In January 1228, a Mongol fleet of 30.000 men found the Hawaiian Islands and made contact with natives in the island of Oahu. People in the Old World began learning of the New World's languages. In 1230, European and Asian nations made a joint effort to convert the Native Americans' primitive civilization to the more modern civilization of Europe and Asia. Christian missionaries and Muslim merchants began trading with the Native Americans.