Historical Fiction
The Cloud That Remembered Your Name
A single cloud drifted above a village, changing shape whenever someone beneath it spoke their name. For some, it brightened; for others, it dissolved slightly, as if disappointed. When a man with no sense of self spoke his name, the cloud formed a radiant shape. He realized identity is not what we feel—weighed down by self-doubt—but what we are capable of becoming.
By GoldenSpeech2 months ago in Chapters
Diamonds (Thirteen)
⸻ Scene: Steel and Diamond A milling bit cut into the polished steel, sparks flaring as it carved a groove no thicker than a hair. Each micro-groove traced a path for pressurized air — a channel that would guide a thought, a decision, a calculation inside a dreadnought. One groove alone was meaningless. But dozens, hundreds, intricately arranged, formed a network: the heart of a pneumatic processing unit, a machine mind as precise and cold as the steel itself.
By Mark Stigers 2 months ago in Chapters
Kumo-No-Me (Twelve)
Revised Scene: The Quiet Market (Spider’s Eye Version) Night settled over Shinjuku like a velvet curtain. Rain steamed off the signs and pooled in the narrow alleys behind the arcades. In one of these alleys—a place the police pretended not to see—a dozen black-market brokers met under flickering lights, trading contraband data cores, ghost IDs, and stolen industrial code.
By Mark Stigers 2 months ago in Chapters
Kia Ford: The Hammer Girl's English Premiere Production
Covered in warm blankets, Kia Ford realized the international break officially ended, opening English Premiere Estates’ points and goal opportunities. With a lone eye clearly coherent, the united west ham peered toward the door, creaking before revealing. A haunting character holding an umbrella.
By Marc OBrien3 months ago in Chapters
From the Log of HMS Thunder (Ten)
⸻ Scene: The South China Sea – The Dreadnought’s Opening Salvo The pirate stronghold at Black Lotus Inlet had plagued British merchants for years. Junks swept out of the fog like ghosts, grappling hooks flashing through the air, crews armed with rusted muskets and curved boarding blades. Entire convoys had disappeared.
By Mark Stigers 3 months ago in Chapters
The Universe Written on a Single Leaf
A philosopher discovered a leaf with veins forming patterns identical to star maps. He spent years studying it, realizing the design wasn’t coincidence but a reminder: the universe is not out there—it is in everything, even the smallest sliver of matter. When the leaf eventually decayed, the philosopher smiled instead of mourning. “Infinity,” he said, “doesn’t disappear. It only changes form.”
By GoldenSpeech3 months ago in Chapters
The Launch of the HMS Thunder (Nine)
⸻ Scene: The Launch of the First Dreadnought Portsmouth Naval Yard – Dawn The fog over the dockyards glowed faintly gold as the sun struggled through the mist. Flags cracked in the wind—Union Jacks strung from cranes, gantries, and the sharp prow of the newest pride of the British Empire. Thousands had gathered: nobles in furs, ministers in their stiff collars, naval officers polished to blinding shine. Reporters jostled for positions. Photographers prepared their plates.
By Mark Stigers 3 months ago in Chapters
The Cloud That Refused to Rain
A single dark cloud hovered over a drought-stricken village, trembling but refusing to break. People cursed it until they learned the truth: if it rained then, the cracked earth would shatter. So they softened the soil, and only then did the cloud let go. Sometimes restraint is the purest form of care.
By GoldenSpeech3 months ago in Chapters
Zeppelin Demonstration (Eight)
Scene: The Ministry of Knowledge, — Steward’s Observation The morning sun had barely crested the slate rooftops of the capital when the crowds gathered along the demonstration field. Banners snapped in the wind, brass band instruments gleamed like polished teeth, and the scent of steam, coal, and pastry carts drifted between the assembled spectators. Children perched on crates for a better view. Reporters jostled for position. A phalanx of Ministry marshals stood ready, boots planted firmly in the turf.
By Mark Stigers 3 months ago in Chapters
