A Steampunk Valentine

By Steampunk.com

Stories and poems from the Steampunk.com Saint Valentine's Day Short Short Competition

• Language: English
• Publisher: Steampunk.com
• Release date: Feb 13, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301762682

Steampunk.com

Steampunk.com is an online home for the Steampunk movement in all its manifestations.

Book preview

A Steampunk Valentine

Stories from the Steampunk.com

Saint Valentine’s Day

Short Short Competition

Copyright © 2013 by Steampunk.com

Smashwords Edition

The authors in this collection retain and hold their individual respective rights to their stories.

This book is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or other unauthorized use of the material or artwork herein is prohibited.

Cover design by John Leavitt

Cover painting by Alphonse Mucha

Table of Contents

Forward

My Brassy Steam-powered Girl by Barry Huddleston

Madame Fyrelyte, stood on the bridge… by Madame Fyrelyte

There she stood… by Brittany

The engine, the hydraulics in the legs… by Clothdragon

Alex wiped the damp away… by Dan Titmuss

Dana stood at the edge… by Katey Springle Lempka

The gentle Lady Thornborough gazed… by Emily

A Good Doctor is Made by Greg Johannson

The Gift by Charlotte Tracey

What’s this? by Laurel Schlitt

That day, I chose… by Elizabeth

The train to Bristol… by Flora

Amara’s Valentine by Amara Deegan

Over and over the construction was wrong… by Alandria Cruxiel

Dumb Luck: a Steampunk Short Story by A. E. McCullough

I love you… by Tom O’Carmody

Captain Katherine Wakefield looked out… by Cassidy Q.

David landed, feline-silent by Michael Grey

Not another one by Sharyn

The Bounty by Rachel Klingberg

The night was drawing to a close… by Ruby Perkins

The Genuine Article by Virginia M. Sanders

The din of the crowded club… by John J. Gray

Silence, broken by the awkward ticks… by Lady Jade Summers

Anna drew in a sharp breath… by Emma Woods

Submerged by Empress Annde

Nuts and Bolts of the Heart by GoldfishGal

Time Will Tell by Whitney Abriel

The Thrush by S. L. Windsor

Nadia lifted the goggles… by Kit

Clockwork Heartache by Glenn R. Shambach

Valentine’s Day by Jaime

The edge of the world by Nikki De Backer

Slowly her vision swims… by Tessa

Watchworks and Roses by Elia Winters

The following are excerpts… by Walter Pryce

Selece batted the dart away… by Scarlet

Pouring over the newly acquired map… by Karen Collins

First came Cappadocia… by Katharine Duckett

On That Day by Caleb Gillombardo

February 14 by Margaret Mae

Forward

This little book is the result of the Steampunk.com St. Valentine’s Day Short Short Short Competition. Yes, that’s three shorts. The first was because people were only given a week to enter and the other two were because I wanted short short stories, pretty much under a thousand words.

The competition came about when I was approached by Ben Gallivan at Corset Story to see if I’d like to give away one of their Steampunk-style corsets on Steampunk.com. Not being a complete idiot, I said yes immediately, but then it took us a while to coordinate on exactly when and how to do it. Finally, in January I just decided to pick Valentine’s Day as a goal and work back from there. Making it a story competition seemed like more fun than just a lottery, so I went with that.

We did hit some snags along the way. First, we received way more stories than I expected. With only a week, I somehow assumed there might be maybe a dozen stories. Not so. By the end of the submission period, 41 different stories and poems had been posted. This somewhat destroyed my idea of a simple vote, as it seemed unrealistic to expect everyone who was going to vote to read that many stories. Then I turned it into tournament, but we had all sorts of mischief with the voting.

In the end, I let the author’s decide who should win and the honors went to "Nuts and Bolts of the Heart" by GoldfishGal.

I think it was a good competition, despite the problems, and I hope everyone who participated had fun.

And now, for your reading pleasure, here are the entrees from the competition in the order they were received. Enjoy.

John Leavitt

My Brassy Steam-powered Girl

Barry Huddleston

Her hair is the color of molten brass, Hephaestus would be jealous.

She moves with a smooth cool grace though powered by hot steam.

Clockworks spin within her and my focus is quite zealous.

I can not help but notice that her lights are all agleam.

I pray thee steam-powered girl, may I enquirer of your make and model?

Her voice is melodious as she answers so sweetly and demure.

Love has quickened my heart. I’m unsteady and start to toddle.

I wonder if my condition is serious, but I do not want a cure

Eros has started my clockwork heart.

I have found my steam-powered companion.

The secrets of our love I shall never impart,

but they are deeper than the deepest canyon

At last, I have found someone made just for me,

for a clockwork heart, love is the key.

Madame Fyrelyte, stood on the bridge…

Madame Fyrelyte

Madame Fyrelyte, stood on the bridge of her dirigible, the light from the aether used provide it’s power gave off a glow lighting her face. She was on a mission that was of the utmost urgency, at least for her personally. Two days ago she had gotten a coded message from the love of her life Sgt. Douglas Rich, who had been on a secret message for her majesty Queen Victoria. It had taken her half of the first day to decode it, a task that would have taken anyone else weeks if not longer. Madame Fyrelyte was a genius of her time, and as a tinkerer and technologist, she was able to read what Douglas had written to only her. Time is short love, but my love for you will never be lost. Please do not follow or try to find me. I am lost within the machine. There was no way possible that Madame Fyrelyte was going to even heed that warning and sit still, and actually Douglas knew that. Which is why he sent it exactly that way, she would gather her technology and follow him.

Take down the Stars and Stripes men, set running to silent. Soon we approach our target Madame Fyrelyte informed her crew. The crew followed her orders as they approached the small island, the moon lighting the waters in the bay before them. The dirigible would stay hidden in the cove inches above the ground while Madame Fyrelyte would begin her search

Madame Fyrelyte began to prepare to leave her crew and ship. She already wore her steel corset, the spiral bones allowed her complete movement, while protecting her inner organs. She added to that her goggles and their many devices that would allow her to see thru the darkness of the jungle. Then her aether gun, built and modified by herself. She took nothing else, as speed was important, and while the tech she carried with her was great, she needed to be light on her feet.

Captain Sprocket, if I am not back within 24 hours, or you are discovered – You know what to do sir Madame Fyrelyte said to her trusty pilot.

Yes Ma’am was his curt replay. With that she was off into the tall trees with stealth.

Soon Madame Fyrelyte came upon the main feature of the small island, for at its heart was a Volcano, and while smoldering, it was dormant. She soon found a cave, turned on her aether lenses and saw it as if it was bright day inside. With every step the sound of gears clanking, and steam venting became louder, she wondered how the Volcano had even dampened such noise. Soon she came upon the end of the tunnel and at its precipice she looked down and beheld the thing that made such noise. There was the largest machination she had ever seen, surely the work of the evil Dr. Featherbone. But below there was her love, the man she would risk her life to rescue, and oh yes rescue him she would……..

Written by A. Rich – who in her other world life is Madame Fyrelyte – Tinkerer and Technologist for the Corn Island Steampunk Society in Louisville, Ky – a genuinely crazy creator and envisionist

There she stood…

Brittany

There she stood, the woman I’d dreamt of since my youth, in all her glory and beauty and years of flawless design. From the radiant hair, a glowing flowing white from her head to her waist, down to the gears on her boots. Her skin as smooth as polished stone, and as warm as a cold summer brook. Her eyes made of true greens and blues brings my heart to a stop. Twelve long years it took to build my one true love, to make her glisten like so many dreams past by.