Railway Alive: Full Steam Ahead (Rewritten)

Prologue

The Industrial Revolution. A cornerstone in our history that brought forth innovation, production, and our modern way of life. Through it all humanity grew with unlimited power, using the help of massive steel beasts born from the fire of invention. They thundered and roared down endless iron veins laid down by those hungry for progress! Blasting through mighty mountains, reaching across rapid rivers and dangerous canyons, connecting the world as one.

They were called Locomotives.

As time progressed and technology advanced faster and farther than ever, so did they. From the humble reliable steam engine from days long ago, dieselization stepped forward continuing down the track to the current "Modern Era" with high-speed electric locomotion soon to follow as humanity managed to reach for the stars. All from the seed of their ingenuity and brilliance. 

Locomotives continued to suit our needs and obeyed our commands without question as they traveled forever on their rails. Their large presence and stature demanded respect while dwarfing their creators in size. Their body could be rebuilt, refurbished, and reborn to serve their purpose even after death like in the tales of the legendary phoenix. 

To this day nothing can come close to the impact and influence they have on humanity and our lives. We rely on cargo delivered to feed our cities and feed our economy. A constant back-and-forward of giants roaming the land shipping and receiving people and supplies to and from faraway kingdoms. Railroads are vital to our continued existence.

There are many tales of brave men and women working with these machines. Songs and praises are dedicated to their existence and memories so they will not be forgotten in history. Similar to that of mythology. The hero was usually the engineer and their trusty firemen. Tales of incredible races against the clock even if it meant death to tales of riding the rails on a fright train to find yourself.

Humans are strange creatures often giving meaning and personality to even the most mundane things. Locomotives are no different and their masters adorned them with bright colors and gave them names of mankind as it was human nature to stand out from the rest. From a simple yard shunter to a luxury streamliner, you could tell what engine it was and who it belonged to with one glance. Often due to their significance and personality, they were spared from the welder's cutting torch and allowed to exist frozen in time in museums. Allowing the next generation of humanity to marvel at their beauty. 

But the question that remains is why? 

Why do we give "life" to the lifeless? A locomotive was designed as a tool to carry humanity into the future yet, they are so beloved that they continue to thunder and roar today, perhaps someway and somehow they are an extension of us. We grew up next to them and they evolved as we did. Is it out of loneliness? A need to feel in control? Or a desire to give a soul to an empty shell for us to play god. 

So many questions, but one thing is for certain, It was only a matter of time before they came...

Alive. 

Our story takes place in a world where humanity took a different track, Splitting from the mainline and laying down new rails into the far future. Pushing the bounds of what it means to be human as they blurred the line between fact and fiction. This brought forth Biomechanical Humanoid Locomotive Engineering. At the forefront was the Railway Company or "RailCo" as it was known for this new technological feat. Their reach expanded worldwide thanks to their monopoly. 

Flesh could be bound with steel and the human genome could be altered to produce the perfect life form. They were almost spiritually connected to large robotic exoskeletons called "Kits" which were designed to enhance their superhuman abilities given to them by their mothers. 

The Rail Queens. Three women were tasked with bringing a new breed of locomotives into the world. The power of their children would match, even exceed that of the locomotives of old! Each Queen had a specialized trait and with each queen that came after them, their trait would grow stronger. 

Strength, Efficiency, and Speed. 

The three skills needed to perfect railroad operation. A holy trinity of the most desirable traits and preferred outcomes for every, and all railroads. Their children were the future of the company and the railroads they worked for from the day they were born to the day they died.

But such advancements are not without their consequences, While the Industrial Revolution paved the way forward it also brought along stagnation, greed, and death, the outcome of the past would forever change the future. Were these new locomotives human? What was human anymore? Should there be a price on life itself? All these questions have various answers, reasons, and sources. 

But our story now is about a small engine, who lives in a small mountain town hidden away from the struggles and dangers of the world. Oblivious or just content with carrying out the duty she was tasked with and created for by pushing and pulling rolling stock from the town lumber mill. She did so valiantly and always found a reason to smile on days when times were tough and life was hard. 

Yet every so often now and again she looked out at the old trestle bridge mainline out of town and wondered what it would be to travel the world and to live life on her own. To experience the freedom and adventures that she reads about in books. To explore the world outside of her small little train yard. 

Unknown to her that she would get her wish one day and her leaving would set wheels in motion that would forever change the fate of engines and the world.

This is Railway Alive: Full Steam Ahead!