Thanks for the further education. I never got into the nitty-gritty of internet technology during my CS career, and haven't pursued learning about the changes since. A PM with another contributor to this conversation suggests that, besides ignorance, my problem is likely associated with "Google" and "Chromebook". And perhaps my choice of supplemental virus protection.
As to cookies, for a long time I refused to accept any cookies except from a known list of sites. Tickie Stories, along with some other sites, wasn't on that list as I never had a problem accessing them. Now that I've come off that piece of paranoia, I find cookies from those sites. Since I always review the "cookies of the day" before deleting them, the Tickie item was a first-time experience.
I once asked Chuck how he supported the site and got no response. I think it was a personal hobby, but it's still sad that he didn't bequeath it to someone. I applaud your intent to download the site, and I hope you succeed. Since I don't always save all versions of my stories, I've downloaded my own stuff with the idea that, with a certain amount of modification, they might be useful "elsewhere"