The World(s) of Parroom Station

From this portal you can begin your exploration of these worlds.

We are pleased to bring you exerpts from works by the greatest scientists, researchers, and chroniclers of the age. In time we hope to expand our coverage from this meager teaser we offer.

Professor Summerlee's True Social and Natural History of the Red Planet offers its readers a veritable cornucopia of information about Mars, the cultures inhabiting that planet, and even their military forces. Though it is far too voluminous to present in its entirety, we have some choice selections. Yet, the good professor does not address all matters equally and in some cases we have consulted other sources to provide you with the fullest and most complete presentation.

The masterful Wars of the Worlds, by the renowned historian Herbert G. Wells is the most accessible and detailed account of the Martian invasions and Earth's retaliatory attack and subsequent colonization of the Red Planet. Occasionally we will present snippets of other accounts and, where pertinent, the occassional original document to clarify some aspect of the story.

Naturally, you will have an interest in how military matters stand among the Great Powers, especially on Mars. Drawing heavily from the research notes of Thomas Malone, late of the London Illustrated Times and now editor-in-chief of the Parroom Times-Despatch, we are offering summaries of the Great (and some not-so-great) Powers contending on Parroom from the menu ot the left.

The early period of colonization on Mars is rich in incident and full of colorful characters. We have scoured contemporaneous newspapers, journals, and private accounts to bring you capsule introductions to some of the most notable personages who acted upon that great stage of history.

In order to place all this information into context, we herwith present a timeline of historical events.

AN ANNOTATED TIMELINE OF HISTORY

This timeline, a slightly annotated list of certain events pertaining to the sordid and uplifting history of Parroom Station, is in no way intended to be complete. Readers whose vision of history was not changed by the coming of the Invaders may find that some events do not occur when recall them happening, instead taking place either sooner or later or perhaps not at all. For convenience, the most likely points of confusion are noted thusly.

1861-65

US civil war

1860-63

Captain Nemo's anti-war campaign sends untold numbers of warships and supply ships to the bottom of the sea. Professor Arronax reports the Nautilus sunk in a storm in the Gulf of Mexico.

1870

Jules Verne publishes immensely popular account of Professor Arronax's encounter with Captain Nemo.

Franco-Prussian War begins.

1871

New sighting of the Nautilus submersible, generally believed to be hoaxes inspired by Verne's book.

Wilhelm, King of Prussia, proclaimed German Emperor at Versailles; Paris capitulates; France signs armistice.

1872

Three Emperors league established in Berlin, alliance between Germany, Russia, and Austria-Hungary.

US General Amnesty Act pardons most ex-Confederates.

Verne recounts his journey around the world in 80 days.

1873

Abolition of slave markets in Zanzibar.

1875

Britain buys 176.602 Suez Canal shares from Khedive of Egypt to gain controlling share.

1877

Queen Victoria proclaimed Empress of India.

1879

The first Invader cylinders fall on Britain.

Chelmsford, eager to settle the Zulu question before returning war-ravaged Britain, pushes across the Zulu frontier, precipitating the Zulu War.

1880

The second Wave of Invaders attack Earth.

James A. Garfield killed in the invasion; Chester A. Arthur steps into his place on the political scene.

The first New York electric street lights brighten the rebuilding city.

1881

Ingersoll utilizes Invader technology to produce the first subterranean "mechanical mole."

Chester Arthur inaugurated as 20th President of the U.S.; he is shot and killed in Sept.; succeeded by Vice President William W. Waterford III.

Flogging abolished in British army and navy.

1882

Triple Alliance between Italy, Austria, and Germany.

Three-mile limit for territorial waters agreed upon at Hague Convention.

Maxim patents recoil-operated machine gun.

Cavor unveils his prototype lifting engine.

Parsons' 1st practical steam turbine amazes viewers with its small size, a benefit gleaned from Invader technology.

1883

British government announces intent to invade Mars.

Daimler's landship prototype embarassingly breaks down during its first public display.

1884

Gen. C. G. Gordon reaches Khartoum; Mahdi refuses to negotiate and occupies Omdurman.

Germans occupy South-West Africa with lightning speed, deploying a new, smaller version of Herr Daimler's landship.

Grover Cleveland elected U.S. President and vows to join the crusade against Mars, revealing that US ethyr conveyors are under construction.

Berlin Conference of 14 nations on African affairs is stalled when the Germans displayed their first ethyr conveyor hull. The scramble to join the Martian Punitive Expedition truly begins.

1885

Allain Quartermain's adventure of King Solomon's Mines.

Great Britain's London debut of their Battle Strider walking machines is nearly upstaged by the appearance of a smuggled-in American Colossus machine. The Colossus breaks down on arrival at Crystal Palace.

The Mahdi takes Khartoum; Gen. Gordon killed in the fighting; British evacuate Sudan; death of Mahdi but it all fades to the inside pages of newspapers as the interplanetary fleet lifts for Mars.

The Congo becomes a personal possession of King Leopold II of Belgium.

Germany annexes Tanganyika and Zanzibar. The deposed Sultan of Zanzibar enters into a secret arrangement with Leopold of Belgium, buying his favor with "a treasure of unearthly value."

1886

The Battle of Landing marks the Martian Punitive Expedition's arrival on Mars; Campaigns against the Holheem of Parroom.

Dr. Jeckel's strange case.

Tesla constructs electric motor, based in part on Invader technology; Edison and Swan, mining the same source, produce electric lamps.

1887

First Colonial Conference opens in London; Mars is the most prominent topic.

Queen Victoria celebrates her Golden Jubilee and announces the opening of grand new Parroom Station Ethyr Port Complex

Sherlock Holmes begins consulting.

1888

The Wars of Domination begin on Mars, their end marked the Battle at the Wells of Silence and the elimination of the Sverdlinker cult in 1895

Jack the Ripper murders six women in London.

Aeronautical exhibition in Vienna eatures demonstration flights of imported Martian float ships and early attempts at flying machines based on Invader designsf.

1889

Frederick Abel invents cordite.

Cecil Rhodes' British South Africa Company and Garnet Worthington's British Syria Plenum Company granted royal charters.

Eiffel tower designed for Paris World Exhibition.

A.H. Becquerel, studying Invader technology, discovers radioactivity.

1890

Dorian Gray's secret revealed

Count Zeppelin builds his airship, using salvaged, light-weight Invader alloys.

1894

Kipling tells story of Mowgli.

1895

HG Wells recounts the adventure of the Time Machine, a coterie of scientists led by O.C. Marsh, G.E. Challenger, and A Huxley call it a fraud, Wells recants, calling his book a work of Scientific Fiction vows to henceforward stick to Scientific Fact.

The so-called "Conflicts of Interests" begin on Mars with a Franco-British clash on Syria Plenum.

1896

Helium discovered by Wm. Ramsay.

1987

HG Wells reveals the truth about the Invisible man.

1898

HG Wells publishes his authoritative account of the First Martian Invasion.

1899

It is learned that the Invaders were not all exterminated.