[ TT ] Heron of Alexandria realizes that his Aeolipile can be used as a steam engine . The industrial revolution begins in the 1st century AD .

The faded sun rose through the horizon in the smog filled skies of Rome. I trudged through beggars and merchants on my way to another hard day at the docks. The city was animated, but somehow it did n't feel alive. 
 
 The familiar toll of the bell rang five as warships dispersed across the Tyrrhenian on their way to far away conquests, leaving magnificent white plumes in their wake. 
 
 The long walk to work provided ample time to daydream about warm meals and deep sleep, luxuries of a distant past. But I did n't have time to daydream today. I could n't afford to be late. Again. 
 
 As I neared the docks, my eyes were drawn to a nearby newsstand. A graphic image of a red skinned warrior being gunned down by legionnaires was depicted before me. 
 
 **TRIUMPH IN THE WESTERLANDS** *High Plains, Feb 1 - The harsh winter did n't stop the Roman lines from defeating the Cheyenne tribe in the high plains. Suffering only 6 casualties, the hand cannoneers continued to prove their dominance on the battlefield. The war prisoners who failed to submit to the Roman Gods were executed while the remaining 200 captives were shipped as slaves to the growing settlements on the Eastern Coast. This victory allowed the Americus legion to press westward on their way to... * 
 
 As undiscovered lands kept shrinking, I imagined it would only be a matter of months until Rome ruled the world. My trained reaction to this was joy, but my instinct detected something ominous and unsettling about this idea. 
 
 A shout from the docks broke through my thoughts. 
 
 `` I'm not paying you to read stories, Flavius!'' 
 
 I sprinted to work, just before the bells rang six...
