Drowning Utopia

Chapter 33: Saving the Princess

The elevated intercity railway was one of the first city projects established before the city was fully built. Aside from the dam and power grid, the railway proved to be one of the most important things to be constructed, as it provided much-needed mobility for supplies and workers from one island to the next, before the water could be removed entirely. Though boats were initially used to ferry materials, they had to be transferred from the large ferries to flatbed barges, and then to rafts, slowing much of the construction process. In the end, the rail tripled efficiency after it was completed. It provided easy access to all the various points of interest throughout the fledgling city's construction. Once the water receded entirely and they no longer had to rely on the steam engines, the rail system was repurposed with electrically powered trolleys integrated into the intercity transportation network.

Now with the land once more flooded, it only made sense that the railway built and designed for use before the water was removed would still be applicable after it returned.

From their vantage point, Tessa and the others could see down into the Memorial Square, dividing the residential district from the lower market. In the center was the Memorial Station, built to impress, like so much of the city. The water level on the streets leading through the square was a bit deeper, but it was apparent that it was still fordable, due to the few overturned carriages, and other debris stuck in the water.

Making their way as quickly as they could, fording the flooded street with what best could be described as a trudging march, Tessa and the others waded their way up the front steps of the train station and to the elegant front doors. Trying to push them open, Tessa discovered that they were barred shut. Looking back at the others, she asked, "Any ideas?"

"I think we should do something before the monsters notice us over here," Diana peered over her shoulder apprehensively, her cat-like golden eyes searching back and forth, looking for any movement in the water.

"Lonny, don't you still have that liquid cutter we brought?" Donny asked, looking through his own pockets. "I can't seem to find what I brought."

"Here, I got them," she said, fishing a couple of metal vials out of her blouse.

Tessa jumped back. "You took that out of my lab!"

Lonny shrugged. "Of course, we did."

"And you've had it on you this entire time?" Tessa accused, nearly fuming.

"Well, at least since we blew up our apartment room," Lonny said.

Tessa slapped her palm to her freckled face. "Do you have any idea how unstable that stuff is? There is a reason I marked the bottles with 'do not touch!' But do you ever listen? No!"

"What is it exactly?" Captain Brine asked, taking a step back away from the twins who held the metal vials casually.

"It's highly corrosive! Prone to—"

Xo-Xing firmly said with a low voice, "Miss Copperfield, if you would please keep your voice down."

Remembering herself and their surroundings, Tessa proceeded with a hushed tone. "The point is, you could have killed yourselves."

Donny nodded. "I am sure you are right if we had the components all mixed together, but they are not."

Lonny handed the small containers to Tessa. "That's for you to do and for us to stay a few steps back."

"You guys are ridiculous sometimes, you know that?" Tessa sighed, taking the small metal flasks and examining them. Each was indeed the correct components needed to make a concoction Tessa discovered by accident when trying to isolate the properties of the byproducts of batteries and to find a better use for them. Instead, she inadvertently created a highly corrosive composition.