The Blue Death

# The Blue Death

By Masters B. Stevens

A science-fiction tale set in August 1907, narrated by James Allan, assistant chief of the U.S. Secret Service. A mysterious plague—the "Blue Death"—suddenly appears across America, claiming victims from all social classes, marked only by a peculiar blue spot. After initial cases in upstate New York, deaths escalate catastrophically on August 6. Society fractures under the strain: theaters fill with hysterical crowds, criminals run rampant, and the lower classes descend into chaos. At an emergency cabinet meeting, scientist Dr. Jacques Eldridge theorizes that Earth's increased electricity consumption has depleted a finite shared supply with Mars, prompting Martians to retaliate with a weapon shot across space. As this debate unfolds, news arrives that Russia's fleet approaches New York. Yet the Russian vessels mysteriously lose formation and control, with ships drifting aimlessly—suggesting the Blue Death extends beyond America.