Alternative History
City of Binghamton
Timeline: 1983: Doomsday

OTL equivalent: Broome County, New York
Flag Coat of Arms
Flag Coat of Arms
Location of Binghamton
Location of Binghamton
Motto
In God We Trust
Capital Binghamton
Largest city Binghamton
Other cities Tioga, Newark Valley
Language English, Spanish, French
President Barbara J. Fiala
Vice President Matthew T. Ryan
Area 1,912 km²
Population 127,460 
Independence from United States
  declared 1983
  recognized 1996
Annexation to Republic of New York
  date December 22, 2010
Currency Dollar

The city of Binghamton is the largest city of the Republic of New York. It borders Ithaca to the north-east and State College to the south. For its small size, its economy is rather large, owing to its highlighted presence of a burgeoning electronic computer industry.

History[]

Doomsday[]

When Doomsday struck, Binghamton's growing success was brought to a screeching halt when the state was struck. While they were showered by light fallout from Providence, Albany, and other targets, they managed to remain stable. By blocking roads at Binkman Road, County Road 117, and Snakecreek, they managed to stop most of the flow of refugees coming from Pennsylvania during the Refugee Crisis.

Fallout from New York City deeply affected the area; yet for unknown reasons the area did not descend into violence as most other fallout-effected towns do. It seemed that ironically it was the ones in Binghamton proper that were being effected by radiation and fallout, while the rural farmers were not as effected.

Contact with Ithaca[]

It was in 1986 that they discovered another surviving city in New York. The two counties were attempting to take control of local farmlands until eventually they met border to border. The Binghamtonians and the Ithacans were rejoiced that they managed to resume contact, and at a later date, full scale trade.

Economy[]

Binghamton has many industrial activities, and although most were shut down by Doomsday, two very important ones have returned to the scene since then. Medicinal products, thanks to the presence of the medicine manufacturer United Health Services are returning to the scene and providing for the people again. Another, more larger export is the all-famous Frito Lay Potato Chips. The area once served the Northeastern US & Ontario region for exporting Frito Lay's, but after Doomsday sales vanished along with their suppliers. Starting in 2009, with Virginia opening their port, Binghamptonian businessmen were then able to export potato chips through Virginia's port to the rest of the world, rather than only their little corner of it. The Binghamtonians have been receiving increasing amounts of immigrants from the surrounding parts of New York, who are eager to be a part of Binghamton's soaring economy.

The most valuable asset of all, one that could change the world is the survival of the computer company IBM in the region. After Doomsday, several employees at IBM decided to do something. They knew that while they would not all survive, their knowledge must, and in the future their knowledge of computers could help rebuild telecommunications and advanced technology. With all but a handful of the computers wiped out on Doomsday, scientists and technicians had to write down their knowledge onto paper. More than a half a million sheets of paper regarding computer knowledge were written during the course of the weeks after Doomsday. The League of Nations is helping restart the company, and, with this addition it could become one of the strongest economies in North America. Most post-DD superpower nations had made horrible-standard computers compared to 1983 but with IBM surviving, they could rebuild the world and, even more, evolve the Internet/Remundo into something spectacular and worldwide.

IBM has now returned to the regional scene, and with help from the ANZC/SAC they are working on creating an Internet connection between the United Communities nations of Niagara Falls, London, Midland, Norfolk, North Pennsylvania, Toledo, Ithaca, and Binghamton as a work tool.

Government[]

The Mayor and councilors are elected to four-year terms and are limited to serving only two. The Binghamton City Council is a unicameral body consisting of seven Council members whose districts are defined by geographic population boundaries.

Military[]

There is a small, but well-equipped militia fielded by the Binghamtonians. There were roughly 5,000 soldiers in the army. There was also a citizen's militia known as the National Guard, which consisted of several thousand citizens. The army and militia were both armed with M-14s that the East American Alliance had given to the Birminghamtonians as part of their material assistance.

International Relations[]

The Binghamtonians established relations with North Pennsylvania, Keene, State College, and Ithaca.