Historical Fiction
The Floating Casino
⸻ CHAPTER — THE FLOATING CASINO & OLD SMOKE’S EXPANSION THE CASINO ARRIVES Fog rolled off the Thames like a soft gray blanket. A narrow, black-hulled steamer slipped along the river, deck lights muted but deliberate. Its stacks breathed warmth into the night—coal smoke threaded with paraffin, polished brass, and the faint sweetness of expensive spirits.
By Mark Stigers 2 months ago in Chapters
Old Smoke (Twenty-Four)
CHAPTER — THE STEAM NODE & THE BOY THIEVES THE STEAM NODE — THE BOY THIEVES Beneath the tangle of Southwark’s rail viaducts, past the dripping brick arches and coal dust, there was a chamber the city had forgotten. A maintenance lock once meant for steam regulators had long since been abandoned, but the pipes that fed it still throbbed with warm pressure, carrying heat from the Borough boiler mains.
By Mark Stigers 2 months ago in Chapters
The World Awakens (Twenty-Three)
THE WORLD AWAKENS London — February 3, 1915 The morning fog clung low over Fleet Street, beading on bowler hats and carriage lamps. Horses snorted steam into the cold air while the first motorcars rattled between them, coughing petrol fumes that drifted beneath the soot-stained eaves.
By Mark Stigers 2 months ago in Chapters
The God Rod (Twenty Two)
THE GOD ROD STEAM CATAPULT Scene: Lunar Highlands — Armament Proposal & Construction The Crystal Palace had been finished for only twelve lunar days when a new directive rose through the MI’s internal logic cascade—quiet, unforced, but absolute in its inevitability:
By Mark Stigers 2 months ago in Chapters
Kia Ford: The Hammer Girl's English Premiere Production
Despite the punchy bitter weather, before relegation realities, haunt boxing day, Kia Ford stayed positive, navigating the pathways, alone towards the tranquil scenic seashore. Due to a business engagement, the Peacock her colorful promotional sidekick, marked absent since the dreamer streamer, defined combing the amusement boardwalk, not a priority
By Marc OBrien2 months ago in Chapters
The Boy Who Returned What Was Never His
The Boy Who Returned What Was Never His In a small, dusty town where everyone knew everyone else’s secrets, lived a 17-year-old boy named Rafiq. Life had never been gentle to him. His father died early, his mother worked in houses, and Rafiq often wandered the streets searching for odd jobs to earn a few coins.
By Wings of Time 2 months ago in Chapters
The Crystal Palace (Twenty-One)
THE CRYSTAL PALACE Scene: Lunar Highlands — Construction and Awakening The second eye had been completed, its silicate lens polished to a flawless gleam, its steel ribs aligned with subatomic exactness. It swept its optical gaze across Earth in patient, tireless arcs. Every motion was perfect. Every observation was logged. Every shadow was measured.
By Mark Stigers 2 months ago in Chapters
