The Big Engine

A weathered philosopher known as the Professor has spent forty years trying to understand why the world feels so complicated, mechanical, and strangely empty. Once a lake-boat stoker who haunted libraries in search of answers, he arrived at a disturbing conclusion: the universe is a vast machine, and the people moving through it may be no more alive or conscious than its gears.

Now, as he explains his theory in smoky, matter-of-fact conversation, everyday life takes on an eerie new appearance. Crowds, lovers, fighters, workers, and scholars all seem to be following predetermined motions, responding without truly feeling or understanding. Blending hard science, philosophy, dark humor, and a growing sense of unease, this thought-provoking story asks whether human behavior is more than automatic movement—and what it would mean to discover that the Big Engine is running perfectly without us.