Part 1: A man and his balloon.
The hissing of steam wasn't new. The clanging of metal wasn't either. But, something was off. A growing curiosity inside the man next to the furnace as he watched the metal becoming hot, fiery, glowing with heat. How did it work? All he needed to do was push a button, but the machine, using nothing but water and metal, was able to work on its own. He pressed the button again, watching the process. The pipes above the furnace deposited the scraps, which became molten and liquified. This liquid then fell down a pipe to a lower part of the furnace, where a metal arm pressed them into a shape, discarding the other scraps into a pipe, for cooling and recycling. This shape would form into a cog, being sent down a different pipe for cooling and use in automobiles and airships. And yet, all he had to do was push a button. Oswald Stirner's hand traced the button once more. The cog had just been sent away, and more scraps were waiting in the pipe to be deposited. He pushed the button, before running around to the area of the metal arm, where he watched a water tank heat, until steam reached its' pressure point and the arm swung into motion, pressing down on the molten metal. Amazed, Oswald watched, before pressing the button again, running around to watch the pipes in motion. The leftover molten pieces were moved into the pipe through movement of the furnace itself, powered by steam in another tank. Then, the pipe moved itself, through cogs, until it was at the level of the molten metal, with the floor of the furnace tilting so the molten remnants fell inside. He pressed the button again, and again, observing. Could he, at age fifteen, learn to harness such power?
Three years later, Oswald was still working the furnace. He'd learned the ins and outs, every single piece and its function, and he, despite being paid a pittance, enjoyed his job. He would clamber over the furnaces during the evening, dismantling them and peeking inside, borrowing cogs and pieces of metal which had no function in the furnace, or their functions had become obsolete. He would remake the furnace, efficiency being key, learning the power of steam. His hands worked while his brain learned, creating intricate systems of metal and water out of intuition and understanding. He woke up at the crack of dawn and went to bed at midnight, determined to create the most efficient and effective furnace, proving all he had learned. And, one night, he finally accomplished it. The most efficient furnace out of them all, able to make cogs faster than anyone else. His tinkering worked, now what else could he learn?
A few months passed. Oswald had learned to automate button presses with a mechanical arm, constructed from scrap metal stolen from the depository and melted down by his own furnace, pressed into cogs and thin curves. Rerouting the cooler pipes was quite easy, hiding the scraps was not. He made a compartment under the floor specifically for collecting metal pieces, before rerouting the pipes when he was done. His metallic arm was created by moonlight, allowing him to work on other mechanical feats while the button was pressed automatically. Nobody suspected a thing, because the furnaces were easy to manage. His bosses just assumed he was working harder than most, and rewarded him for his diligence with a little more pay. Oswald Stirner, eighteen year old orphan, had broken the system. And he hadn't even learned to read.
One day when he was working, things changed. A rich man and his daughters visited the factory one morning, a beautiful lady catching his eye. She had brown, curled hair and deep blue eyes, dressed in cream and wearing a hat studded with pearls and flowers. Her head was buried in some sort of book, unlike her two sisters who were listening eagerly. She looked up suddenly, catching Oswald staring, but didn't say anything, just gave a subtle wave. He shyly waved back, and she strolled over. "What are you doing, sir?" she asked, looking at the intricate furnace. "Well, I am making cogs, madame." He whispered, shy. The awkward formalities had affected them both. "Do you like to read?" Oswald suddenly asked, the girl nodding. "This is my favourite story. It's about a very rich girl who falls on hard times but manages to overcome them by being kind and brave." Oswald looked at the fancy lettering. The girl closed the book suddenly, a small smile on her face. "When you come and visit me, we can read it together!" she giggled, Oswald raising an eyebrow. He was a lowly factory worker, yet clearly she wanted to see him again. She suddenly whispered to him. "When you come to the Edwards mansion, ask for Constantine." And then she was gone, walking away with her father and sisters.
Oswald, for the next few days, was stunned. Why on earth would Constantine ever ask for him to visit her? But, he put his feelings to good use, stealing scraps at night and constructing a box in the shape of a heart, cogs opening it automatically and revealing a present for Constantine, something he put a lot of his savings into. A ring. Hopefully, with just a little bit of magic, she would accept his proposal. The factory had just closed for the night, and he needed to make haste if he was to reach the mansion. He boarded a coach with a little money and began dusting off his overalls. He was lowly, but determined to impress.
The mansion was grandiose, white marble with gold trimming cascading down each of the thousands of bricks. The double doors were painted silver, bearing white handles, and the gardens were trimmed, flowers arranged perfectly. Oswald, timid, knocked, being greeted by a butler, who looked very suspicious. "We do not give out donations." He spoke, his voice firm, and Oswald felt himself go red. Did they really think he was just a pauper? Suddenly, Constantine's voice rang out. "Leave him, Morentino. He's here for me." She called, the butler politely stepping aside. "My apologies…what should I address you by?" He asked, Oswald trying to hide his glare. "Mr Stirner, if you please." He responded, before Constantine approached him, book in hand. "Come, we can go to the library and read together." She giggled. Oswald felt the weight of the box in his pocket but ignored it, instead following Constantine through the elegant, polished halls, the likes of which he had never seen in his life. Maids and butlers scurried past, opening doors without being asked, and greeted him politely, yet still looked at him suspiciously. Oswald Stirner, covered in dust, a factory worker. He didn't belong.
The doors to the library were opened by a pair of maids, Constantine immediately walking toward a table in the middle of the room. Oswald took a moment to stare. The white bookshelves reached the ceiling, three floors of books. A golden, gilded chandelier sat above it all, candles illuminating the upper floors. Below, two large windows let the moonlight seep in, as small candles illuminated the desk where she sat. "Well, are you coming?" She asked, teasing. Oswald snapped out of his thoughts and nodded, trying to maintain his composure as she beckoned him to sit beside her. "Shall we read together? You can tell me when you wish for me to turn the page!" She spoke, voice filled with excitement. "I…" how to put this? Oswald's hands trembled with embarrassment. "Constantine…I would love to read with you…" he whispered, and she nodded, but he held out a hand to pause. "There is just one primary problem…" he whispered, pained, Constantine looking confused. "I can't read." He mumbled, Constantine gasping aloud. "Well this certainly won't do!" she grumbled, Oswald worried that he upset her. She stood up from her chair, snapping her fingers repeatedly in frustration, trying to order her thoughts. Then, she snapped once, loudly, having a moment of illumination. "Oswald, come here every Thursday, please." She smiled, Oswald giving her a look of confusion, yet nodding all the same.
In a flash, the boy's life had been transformed. He went to work each day, automating every procedure with mechanical genius, all the while dreaming of Constantine. In the end, the furnace ran itself, leaving Oswald to build mini machines. He learned how to harness steam, creating tiny, self-replenishing tanks of water, providing power that never ended until he cut off the pipe. Then, on Thursdays he would catch a lift on a coach or with a friend and head to the mansion, being taught by none other than Morentino how to read. Slowly, though, Oswald grew to enjoy his company, and the two developed a relationship, much like a father and son. In the back of his mind were his gears, clicking and whirring his two favourite sounds, and soon he learned how to read and write the correct term for every mechanical instrument. After six months, he began devouring the library books around him, taking them to read while the furnace burned instead of working on machines. He learned about flying machines and knights, about space and magnetic fields, about animals and every type of leaf, about philosophy and the theatrical stage. He devoured the knowledge that the books taught him, his teachers in the world he had been excluded from. Rich parties, customs, the processes of trade, all were detailed in these thousands of books, and he was finally able to learn their secrets. Morentino was pleased with the boy's progress, watching him turn nineteen and celebrating by gifting him a book about mechanical engineering and the power of steam. Meanwhile, Constantine watched his progress, occasionally testing his spelling or asking him to write down some sentences for her. But she was secretly pleased, as he had grown and changed so much since their first meeting. Back then, he was scruffy and disorganized, professing emotions through the mechanical magic he possessed, yet now he was more upstanding, able to understand the vast world of both mechanics and words. He had tumbled down the rabbit hole of literature, and was now transforming the pages with his own creativity. New notebooks became filled with designs and ideas, balloons and mechanical buckets, anything and everything he could think of. And each time he saw Constantine smile, he thought of his own heart, and how it seemed to tick mechanically whenever she was near.
After three years of learning, Oswald was finally literate. And, to top it all off, he had read every single book in their library, Constantine walking in to find him reorganizing it with the help of a mechanical arm attached to the balcony. He took a book out of the arm's grip, it took another from the shelves. "Remarkable!" She laughed, Oswald suddenly turning and grinning. "You haven't seen anything yet, Miss Constantine," he laughed, suddenly throwing down a book to a lower floor. Another arm caught it, placing it neatly into its' space. Amazed, Constantine joined him, grabbing armfuls of books and organizing them by their collection, as her tendency to put things in odd places had rearranged and jumbled the entire library. She threw a book down to the arm, which caught it and placed it next to the one before, finishing the row. The arm, through the power of steam, propelled itself slightly across the balcony railing, awaiting another book for the gaps. Morentino entered to find the geniuses in tandem, throwing books wordlessly to the arms and each other, putting everything in its' proper place. The clock in the hallway chimed midnight, the two of them finally finished with their work. And then, Constantine plucked a tiny book from the shelves, Oswald carrying the arms down to the table, and the two sat companionably, Constantine reading while Oswald tightened some screws and repaired the steam mechanism of one of the arms.
"Mr Stirner?" Constantine suddenly spoke, her voice soft. Oswald turned, meeting her eyes, and she went a little red. "Do you believe in love, Mr Stirner?" she whispered, Oswald felt his face flushing. "I…I do, Miss Edwards…" he admitted, before remembering the box in his pocket, mechanically powered. Constantine nodded, before turning away. "I'm afraid I have fallen in love." She whispered, tears stinging her eyes. "With who?" he asked, absolutely shaken by this revelation. Constantine sighed, before smiling gently and meeting his eyes. "With you, Oswald. You are the most incredible man I have ever met…and to be a little unconventional…" she smiled, before standing up and walking toward him, bending down on one knee and taking his hands in her own. "Will you marry me, Oswald Stirner?" she asked, Oswald too shocked for words. He blinked for a moment, in genuine surprise, before feeling his cheeks go pink and smiling. "Of course, Constantine. I have wanted to ask you the same question for three years." he whispered, handing her the box from his pocket. In a similar fashion, Constantine handed him the tiny book, in actuality a box holding a ring. The two shared a smile, emotions silently sweeping through them. Morentino walked in, seeing the exchange, and winked at Constantine. "Your father will want to hear of this, miss." He advised, Constantine nodding. She took Oswald by the hand and they walked together, rings decorating each of their fingers.
Constantine entered an office, swinging open the door, where Mildred and Claire sat with their husbands. "When's the wedding?" is all Mr Edwards spoke, a twinkle in his eye. "In two weeks." Constantine giggled, Oswald in genuine surprise once more. "I…I may need more time to afford a suit…" he whispered, embarrassed. Mr Edwards shook his head. "You are my son-in-law now, so I will treat you as my own. We will pay for all, in return for you promising to take care of my eldest daughter and her inheritance." He offered, the concept of inheritance having not even registered in Oswald's mind. "Inheritance?" he asked, Mr Edwards chuckling. "My eldest will gain all of my assets and properties, as I am very old. I am glad to see her married before I die." He smiled, Constantine joining hands with Oswald as he listened intently. "I believe she has chosen the most upstanding of men in you. I wish you luck with your future endeavours, Mr Oswald Stirner." He smiled, Oswald grinning in response.
Three months later, the two had been married and Mr Edwards had died, simply due to his age. The young couple had found a home in London, in a large manor. The red-brick home was warm and bright, and Oswald no longer worked as a simple factory boy. Instead, he got a job as a trader, working in an office with a hundred other well-educated men, all holding an air of superiority that Oswald failed to keep. He'd grown up orphaned, having nobody to depend on, whilst these men had large families and huge estates. His home in London was more than enough, but incomparable to the mansions and palaces these traders spoke of. A part of him wondered if they were lying, but he decided to leave it alone, instead focusing on his work and providing for Constantine, who employed servants and wrote essays on books she read, leaving reviews in the local newspapers anonymously, under pseudonym "Ed". And after three years of living in bliss, Oswald came home to find Constantine and a doctor, bearing wonderful news. She was going to have a baby.
After multiple months, the couple's home was graced with a new presence, a beautiful baby girl. The two decided to name her Evelyn, as it meant 'desired' or 'wished for', definitely true in terms of her existence. A few months after her birth, Oswald's boss called him into his office, explaining that there was traders needed in their office in Omaha, in order to further their prospects and profit as a business. Oswald had been among those selected to go, on a boat across the ocean in the next year. Oswald, however, refused to leave Constantine and Evelyn so soon, and decided to look for workarounds, claiming he was much more useful in the office. He even mechanized his desk to prove a point, the boss finally agreeing, though making him promise to go at least in two years. Reluctant to promise, Oswald simply sighed and kept working. At home, he and Constantine spoke of this, deciding Oswald would leave after four years, when Evelyn was old enough to attend school and could be cared for by the servants and Constantine in place of her father. Though he disliked the idea of his daughter growing up without him, he agreed, explaining this to his boss. They signed an agreement, and all was well, Oswald managing to find time each day to make a new invention, a little mechanical friend for his child, all while planning a mode of travel for his work- a motorized hot-air balloon. So, for now, everything was perfect.