Changes in the Wind: Part I - Thomas and the Forgotten Ones

Chapter XII: Aftermath

A cold morning came across the island that day. Gossip swarmed it. Talking about how the facility at Arlesburgh had blown up that night, the military getting ahold of Sodor Research's scientists and guards a few hours later before they got off the island and that Thomas the Tank Engine had been attacked and damaged during the night's events.

The engines though didn't say a word, they were in shock at what had happened. Even though people couldn't confirm what they said. Duck and James could but remained in a shocked, silent state. That morning, all trains were cancelled with the military needing an investigation and the council fully allowing them to ask them questions on anything they could know about. 

They mainly asked Duck and the twins though and they whispered it separately from all the other engines. The investigators all took their notes down and even recorded all three of their statements to clarify what they just said previously.

Once that was done. Duck was ordered to shunt Donald and Douglas back to the sheds, where most of the fleet were. When he did, Duck saw Percy and Toby as well, with the three big engines all giving curious and puzzled looks to other investigators who were beginning to leave. But what caught most of their eyes was Peter, sitting solemnly with the others. As the inspectors walked away. Henry looked over to the Stannier Freight engine.

"I thought you would stay in the works longer?" he said.

"They finished their repairs this morning," replied Peter, "I was told to come here for an announcement."

"An announcement," quizzed Henry, "from who exactly?"

"By me," came a voice.

All looked to see the Fat Controller standing sternly in front of them all, his brow low and furrow. He glanced at all of them, then cleared his throat. All of them could tell that he was exhausted and disturbed. So none wisely said nothing to make sure they didn't get a snapping from him.

"As you all have heard," began the Fat Controller, "Sodor Research has recently been blown up, with their entire staff evacuating a few hours before that but being intercepted by a unit dispatched by the S.R.F. that same night. Another unit was ordered to go to the facility to seize, however, all went south when the facility was found to have explosive material in it. Luckily, no one was killed during these operations. Although... Thomas was badly damaged during it."

"Thomas? Damaged?" said Percy, surprised.

"Why would Thomas be at Sodor Research?" Henry asked.

The Fat Controller turned his gaze towards Duck and the twins with a knowing look. "Perhaps you can ask those three over there," said James appointed.

The engines all looked at them. Duck sighed.

"We went there because we felt we'd get our answers there about why Ava was acting the way she was and what the facility was doing behind the scenes," explained Duck, "it had been weeks since Douglas had been held there and there was nothing which made the facility want to make him leave. But... when we got there, we found Douglas and Donald there too, who went a few hours before with his crew to get Douglas out."

"Aye," said Donald, "I told my crew to leg it as I raided the place, but got caught and shunted with my brother and this weird shunter."

"Shunter?" said Percy, "Ava never told us about a shunter!"

"That's because she was forced not to," said Duck, "the shunter told us everything about itself, the facility and what it was doing. Ava was one of their subjects."

"What?" said Peter slowly, his face hardening, his eyes staring hard at them.

"She was being tested out with this new blue substance which anyone can put into your system and then you become numb... cold... your emotions and mind cannot respond to you and you go into this sort of... dreamless state... where you can't feel anything mentally or physically on your body, but what you can remember everything. And anyone human has authority over an engine, they can give you an order and that engine who dosed with that substance will do it without hesitation. They perfected this substance on Ava and tested it out on her."