Railway Alive: Full Steam Ahead (Rewritten)

Chapter Four: Full Steam Ahead

Jane ran her fingers through Madeline's chestnut-brown hair after setting the top hat and poster aside. She could hear Madeline softly crying into her pillow, and she spoke calmly.

"I'm sorry I snapped at you, hun. That was unprofessional and very rude of me." Jane said, rubbing Madeline's head. "I just can't have you go to RailCo. It's...a long story, but there are other better options to use rather than try to win a contest. "

"Operator...is it wrong to think that sometimes I don't want to be a train girl?" Madeline said, turning her head to the side; her eyes were puffy and wet with tears. "So what if my body can handle being in a suit of train armor? I'm not that different than a human...am I?"

"Humans are idiots. There's always something that causes people to freak out." Jane sighed. "I'm sorry you exist in a world where you are feared and hated for idiotic reasons."

"I do my best to be polite and respectful to people, but sometimes I can see them being skittish around me when I'm steamed up." Madeline continued. "This is fair because kits are dangerous but even off-track, I get side eyes like they are expecting me to one day go berserk and hurt people like those engines in the news."

Jane thought for a while. Train girls were one of the favorite things the media liked to discuss. Anything involving accidents where passengers died, yet somehow the engine survived would go on for months. Countless wackos would talk about how humans needed to prevent engines from taking over like some lynch mob. Religious fanatics would say engines were the spawn of satan or some shit like that.

The real problem that needed to be addressed was whether these enhanced lab-grown humans deserved the same rights that regular humans were granted. Even then, humanity still hadn't figured out its problems yet, so engines were just the cherry on top. What made matters even more confusing was how exactly we got from standard locomotion to having locomotives walk on two legs. They didn't need to exist as regular locomotives have been around forever, but somehow, down the line, Madeline and girls just like her came to life.

But despite all the negative press, RailCo somehow always came out unscathed.

"Central City is nothing like Ducks Peak. People are used to you here, and I am constantly told how wonderful you are. But city folk aren't as nice," Jane said. I know you want to leave; I must know...what would you gain if you became a princess?"

Madeline lifted her head.

"Well, I'd get upgraded and..." she was cut off.

"No, not that; what would you emotionally get from it? What is your end goal." Jane clarified.

"My end goal? Well, I do want to see the world. I know, and I've never thought about anything else." Madeline admitted, and Jane's face looked disappointed.

"But! Chances like this don't come often, so I want to see what happens. I want to learn and grow, feeling it like a burning firebox in my heart! Hot and picking up steam!" Madeline said, standing up. Moo jumped down from the bed and sat on the floor.

"And if I say...yes to this. Allow you to go to RailCo and participate in this competition and experience new things. Would you have any regrets? Would you allow the city's energy to consume your cheerfulness?" Jane asked softly.

"I won't be there to protect you from danger."

"In life, we have to take risks. That's what makes it worth living. You taught me that, remember?" Madeline smiled, causing Jane to tear up. She knew she had said that, but having Madeline tell it back to her tugged at her emotions. At that moment, Jane reached into her back pocket and pulled a walkie-talkie out.