Drowning Utopia

Chapter 34: War Wolves

Once the wounded, children, and delegates were safely off, the remaining survivors continued to prepare for their mission to the dam. To lessen the chance of being discovered, Vain and Gray insisted that the volunteers disguise themselves as Boomers to look the part. Salvaging the stationary guns from the skimmers that Tessa destroyed, they mounted the machine guns to the train car, fortifying the train itself with what little they had. Donny and Lonny helped by installing the turrets to the doors of the train car opposite of each other.

Tessa felt the night's events finally catching up with her. She was sore and fatigued, but she knew that their ordeal was far from over. Buckling down, the inventor hefted the spade and shoveled the black coal into the gaping maw of the boiler. Sweat trickled down her back as the heat from the engine filled the crew compartment to an unbearable degree, the crackling fire snapping at the food they threw it every time the heat guard opened long enough for another shovel load.

Tessa admired the engine as she wiped her brow with her forearm, smearing coal dust in the process. She wheezed, "You know, I don't remember the boiler in the university ever being this hard to start up."

Gray shoved another spade into the coal pile. "Did you ever have to get it running from a cold start?"

"I suppose not." Tessa contemplated the condition of the engine, asking, "Do you think she will be fast enough?"

Gray's brows furrowed. "I should hope so. This old girl should have enough gusto to press us fast enough to outrun most of the boats the Boomers have once we have her up to steam."

Tessa nodded. "But if we get it going too fast and something is blocking the track, won't there be problems?"

"The plow on the front of the train should suffice. I am more concerned if we come across a gap in the track. We are assuming that the rail from here to the dam has been undisturbed by the floodwater."

Tessa felt slightly annoyed. "Then why did you mention it as an option in the first place?"

"Because any other options would have been just as challenging, dangerous, or both."

Tessa sighed in frustration. "I suppose then we should get this thing going as quickly as possible...before the Boomers catch on."

"By all means." Gray patted her on the shoulder with a solid slap.

"Ahh, watch it!" Tessa shrank away, rolling her shoulder.

"Oops, the stitches. I forgot." Gray looked sideways at her. "Are you sure you should be helping with this, then?"

"It's bearable if you don't smack it," she fussed. Checking the gauges, Tessa was satisfied with the pressure as she turned back to Gray. "Almost there. I'm going to go check and make sure we're all loaded up in the back."

True to form, between Miss Briggs and Vain, the other volunteers had been properly loaded and were ready to go. They all sat or stood in an orderly fashion in the coach, waiting patiently, if not apprehensively to be underway.

From where she sat next to the mounted gun, Lonny asked, "And how are you holding up, Miss Copperfield?"

Tessa looked at the other woman with some trepidation. "I've been better."

"Tell me about it," Donny said from the other side of the small hall and the opposite door gun. "I've been shot at more times than I care to count."

Lonny gave an exasperated glance. "I am sure that you could convince one of the others to man the cannon if you feel otherwise incapable of operating it."