The Novel Underground

by Émile-Félix Meekel

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In the hearth of the Industrial Revolution, blimps are soaring in the mist, transporting passengers from one destination to another. The streets are lit by the strong, piercing glow of the novel invention, electricity. The lights illuminated the wet cobbled street and the cafés, restaurants and taverns bordering the pavement. Two handsome gentlemen, one with a blank canvas and an artist's briefcase, are standing outside, wet from the drizzle. They were braving into the unknown by accepting the visit. One checked his pocket watch and determined that the time was right for entry. Swifty, they entered the lively pub next door. Inside, the sway of their feet added to the vibrations on the antique wooden floor. While traversing the room, they noticed glimmers from the copper bars and metal cogs used in the building's conception. They discreetly presented themselves to the bartender with whom they had acquaintance: "Is this the right time to present ourselves in hopes of infiltrating the secret underground you've been talking about?" The barman responded with a strong British accent: "Now, may be the moment!" The spirited atmosphere allowed the trio to enter a backdoor into the kitchens without being disinterred. Quickly, they were escorted by the bartender to a corner of the room and opened an old, creaky, wooden hatchway leading to the stairwell. The wooden, dusty stairs had an old copper guardrail secured against the stone wall. A fine trace of water was running down the stone walls covered in moss. The spiralling staircase had a depth of around thirty meters and was supported by a column. It was clear that the stairs were used only for maintenance purposes. The flight led to a metal door with a copper net as its window. It opens on a medium-sized mezzanine that has a shorter stairway leading onto the ground floor of the immense room. Violently contrasting with the stairwell the trio was in, the room was lit by electric lights so intense they gave the impression of daylight. The size of the place dazzled the gentlemen. They were intrigued by the novel methods used to support the roof: metallic arches. They first noticed large blimps being built at the back of the room. The underground also sheltered a steel mill with complexes allowing the workers and their families to live. A vibrant marketplace was at the center of all the commotion. Children were playing in parks and steam locomotives were dispatching materials to the above ground. It was an underground city, completely habitable. The painter installed his easel, opened his folding chair and took out his set of paintbrushes. He knew what wonders he needed to capture.

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