Hellsgate

By Milton Wells

A great steampunk erotic funny adventure novel! Drunken rich boy and mechanical engineer Doctor Stevenson hooks up with sometimes lover, but always bossy, anthropologist Elise Carlisle, and together with a mysterious little witch named Kato, go underground to discover the truth about the origins of their little town. It's a post-apocalyptic world, crudely reinvented by those who survive, but is there something they can find to advance civilization once more? Lots of very graphic sex and weirdness await! Mff fMf Mf MF Ff FF... what the F? Read it!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Milton Wells
• Release date: Jan 2, 2020
• ISBN: 9780463932841

Milton Wells

Milton Wells spent four years at Marshall University as a Creative Writing major, and won several university and state awards for writing while there. He was also the co-editor of MU's literary magazine for two years. He has several best-selling books published.

Book preview

Hellsgate

Milton Wells

This is a work of fiction. Names, places and incidents are the products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, names, places, businesses, trademarks, or events and incidents is purely coincidental. All characters herein are, and are represented as, at least eighteen years of age. This book contains explicit sexual themes and language and is intended for adult readers only. Absolutely no one under the age of eighteen may purchase or read this book.

Copyright © 2020 by Milton Wells

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be copied, reproduced, or distributed in any form, print or electronically, without the expressed, written consent of the author, with the exception of brief excerpts used in reviews and news articles.

-1-

A Library Frolic

The sun was blood-red and too hot for a March morning. It had thawed out the ground, making every place except the wooden-planked sidewalk a slippery mess since the ground was still frozen solid just a few inches down. Some of the town street kids had discovered mud-sleying on the hill across from the library, permanently scarring both the lawn and their knees. But at least they were having fun; the town's other five thousand citizens were miserable. The horses and small vehicles were useless in the slurry on the streets, and other than a couple of heavy steam traction engines pulling garbage wagons on their weekly rounds, the town had come to a standstill. Businesses were closed; students couldn't make it to their classes. A town with a police force, armed guards, cannons, a small private army, and even tanks and aircraft, was brought to its knees by pleasant weather.

Welcome to Hellsgate. Even the town sign seemed to droop and lean downward in defeat. The town was founded and named by a handful of prisoners when the asteroids that destroyed civilization around the world granted them early paroles through a hole in the fence. But it was pleasant enough now, at least the good side of town, and had been for thirty years. And it was filled with various folks: tradesmen working in home shops, intellectuals, shop owners of various sorts, manual laborers... the usual mix of good, bad, and indifferent. The town council had met at various times through the years attempting to change the name because no one was quite sure why it was named that or even what the name was supposed to mean. Though most agreed it was unbecoming a bustling metropolis, no one could agree on anything everyone liked better, so Hellsgate seemed good enough. Unfortunately, no one could ever agree on paving the streets, either.

A few patrons milled about the library, mostly professors with no students for the day or people who lived close by. It was usually packed but today the pace was more leisurely, with time to simply stroll along until a book presented some interest.

Doctor Elise Carlisle, the town college's only Anthropology professor, turned from the window and went back to the task at hand. She stacked several more books onto the pile and climbed to the top again, precariously balanced, but still not able to reach what she was after. She jumped slightly, then again, and as she landed the second time, she lost her balance and tumbled to the library floor in a very un-lady-like heap of blonde locks, satin, silk, frills and finery. Luckily no one was watching. Well, that was her thought at first until she realized Doctors Samson and Bretton were staring at her folly.

I meant to do that! she said, trying to quickly regain her composure.

You meant to fall? Dr. Samson said.

Absolutely, she said. It was a physics experiment.

But you're an Anthropology professor, Dr. Bretton said. With a skirt and petticoats ripped right up the back.

What?!

Pink is definitely the popular color for panties this year, would you concur Doctor Samson?

"Most certainly, Doctor Bretton. Especially if they're see-thru. So much pink to observe!"

They both managed to duck as Dickinson's 'Life Of A Lilly' went whizzing by their heads. Doctor Bretton was not so lucky with Roberts' 'Fawning Over Fawns'. And not wanting to press his luck with biology another page further, Doctor Samson helped him to his feet and the two young professors made a hasty retreat, laughing all the way out of the library. Look out everyone! Clumsy Carlisle is back in town!

Shit! Why does this always happen to me? Stupid-assed girly clothes! I shoulda worn my slacks. She used the book shelf to pull herself up, then grabbed the back of her skirt and held it closed as she started to find a quiet corner to lick her wounds. I don't know why the hell fashion has decided we should all dress like it's 1875. But with her first step, she tripped over a large book and landed face-first on another large book. She lifted herself up to a kneeling position and realized it was the book she had been looking for all along. What she didn't realize immediately was she had forgotten about the tear in her skirt and her see-thru panties were now on display for all who cared to look. And most everyone in the library cared.

Interesting book, Carlisle?

Yeah, it's... She remembered and quickly flopped over so she was sitting on the floor, but at least in a more modest position. Doctor Stevenson. She nodded at the mechanical engineering professor as if they were simply passing in the hallway between classes. How goes your day?

Not nearly as interesting as yours, apparently, he said. "Masturbating in the library again? You should do what everyone else does, check out the dirty books, don't read them here."

Ha ha, she said.

He took off his long velvet and suede dress coat, and held it out. Here.

She grabbed it and quickly stood and put it on. Thanks. She took a deep breath then picked up the book she wanted. Why are you here? I never see you in the library.

She was a slender, well-proportioned woman with long straight blonde hair falling over her shoulders when it wasn't properly tied back, as it was today, and pale blue eyes magnified by wire-framed reading glasses. She was a handsome woman in her late twenties, best described as bookish: beautiful, but obscured by the trappings of her profession.

Well, apparently, and mind you this is mostly speculation on my part, when I left the bar last night I went walking around a bit and then started checking doors until I found an open one, came in here, and passed out. He adjusted his plain brown tweed sport coat and buttoned it up over his vest.

So, you've been here all night? You know you can be executed for trespassing in this city, right?

Again, speculation, but it does appear I've been here all night, he said. Sleeping nicely until you woke me up a few minutes ago with your usual grace and charm. I thought you were still down south researching a nudist beach.

Just got back, she said. I have a great overall tan, now. And no, I’m not going to show you.

I already saw enough, he said. Still got some tanlines on your butt, though.

So, you had another typical night, then, apart from ending up here? she said, changing the subject back to the present. She carried the heavy book over to a table, not especially concerned whether he followed her or not. I'll drop off your coat by your office this evening. Thanks again.

He followed behind her and plopped down in the chair across the table from her. Won't be there, he said. I have discovered a really odd thing, at least I have if I didn't just imagine it in a drunken stupor last night. So, I thought I would spend a few sober hours in exploration this afternoon.

He cocked his head and smiled. He was not a particularly handsome man, slightly worse for wear than most other thirty year olds, though there was nothing that particularly stood out against him. He was average in almost every way: height, weight, intelligence. But he had a certain charm that only those accustomed to strong drink in high society could conjure, a boyish smile and swagger and a brave streak bordering on carelessness, nurtured, no doubt, from the belief fashioned early in life that his family's money could pull him out of any predicament.

"A thing, huh? she said. She pointed. There's a thing. There's one over there, too. My ass is perched on a thing."

"Ah, but not an odd thing, Calisle, he said. The key to the importance of everything in life is the oddity factor. He chuckled. Like why you wear see-thru panties under a proper Victorian dress."

Oh, I shaved my pussy last night and wanted to show it off, she said with her nose still stuck in the book. It was meant as a joke, though Stevenson nodded his approval anyway, even though he realized she was joking. Probably. He hadn't gotten a good look from the front. She looked up from her book and over the top of her reading glasses and smiled. I was just starting to get used to stepping over you in the university lounge. Now you've apparently gone insane. Should I get someone for you? Paramedic? Psychiatrist?

The book you're reading, he said and pointed. Some long-dead culture from a long-dead civilization.

America? she said. It's not so long dead, you know. Two generations ago and we would have lived in a concrete and metal world... computers, wireless communication, jet planes, combustion engines... it's all lost now, but it's important to remember where we were so we can get back there some day.

Do we really want to get back there?