Changes in the Wind - Part III: Gordon and the Extinct Ones

Chapter 6: Goodbye

They all arrived in Boston a few hours later and hid throughout most of the day, the few remaining steam engines there were kind enough to hide them in the sidings there. Diesels rolled along past them, doing their old jobs and growling loudly. All the engines sunk low and tried to let their frames shiver violently. Gordon however, stood firm and watched the diesels, ever since the previous night, he was examining the diesels more closely. They were all just doing their work. Some even greeted others as they went past with a goods or a passenger train. Gordon thought carefully about these diesels and how they were just engines just like them.

It was late evening when the crews came back and steamed them all up for the next part of the trip. They all fired them up, checked if anything was wrong in their systems, and refueled them with coal and water. Gordon was being inspected by Matt and was soon heading over to the water tower. "There are little coal hoppers and water towers now," sighed Matt, "most are out of order, hopefully we find a good place that has these resources before day breaks."

Gordon agreed with that. "A proper railway should have coal and water stations," he muttered under his breath.

"Well, we're not on a proper railway anymore Gordon." Papyrus puffed past his older brother, something which Lucy had said to Gordon last night made him chase after him. Matt leaped back.

"Oi! Gordon!" he yelled. This caught Papyrus' attention and he looked back to see Gordon puff up next to him.

"What is it?" he asked, stopping to allow his brother to come up next to him.

"Papyrus," said Gordon slowly, "I just want to talk to you."

"About what? Do you have a plan for us to get out of here and back on our designated route to Thesang? Cause if not--"

"Oh please," said Gordon, "I just want to talk to my brother that is all!"

Papyrus looked over, with a questionable look at him. "I remember it being the other way once," he said.

"Indeed," Gordon said, a small smile coming across his lips, "you would just love to see me move around the yard. Good times they were."

"Yes... a long time ago."

An awkward pause came between the two brothers. "The diesels from last night," said Papyrus, "do you trust them?"

Gordon thought briefly. "I know Edward is currently safe on Thesang," he replied, "and that diesel knew him well. I think I do trust them."

"You sound surprised."

"That's because I am!" Gordon said, a little stunned, "they weren't brooding, horrid, arrogant diesels, they were treating us like equals. They were treating us with respect. They were... helping us."

Papyrus scowled at that. "Either that or they tried to take us of course on purpose," he said, "give the Warclaws time to track us down."

"Well... they knew something only Edward and Thomas really know," said Gordon, "well... the only ones still alive to tell the tale."

Papyrus remembered what Gale had said to them and for the first time in a long while, he chuckled lightly. "So... you ran yourself all the way to the Furness Railway?" he said, "so that's why they call you Gordon on Sodor? To numb your ego?"

At first, Gordon's cheeks went red, and was about to retort, but he stopped himself and groaned. "Yes," he mumbled, "that was the case. I don't know why that diesel was told that story by Edward. What was his name... Gale right?"

"...He had a name?"

"Yes... he said it when introducing himself."

Papyrus' smile faded and he looked unbothered. "I did not know diesels gave themselves names. Ever heard of a diesel who gave themself a name?"