Hey guys! This chapter is a bit personal for me, since I actually do go down to Disney every year. There's very little action, though; mostly important plot developments. Regardless, enjoy! - KKid


Chapter 8: Happiest Place for an Interview?

George M. Steinbrenner Stadium

Tampa, Florida. 7:40 a.m.

March 10th, 2011

"This may be the toughest decision I've ever made," TK admitted.

"If we choose wrong, it will be the worst defeat of our lives," Terra admitted grimly.

"Well, then all we have to do is choose the right ones!" Colette decided.

"But one good choice for one of us is a bad choice for another," Ezekiel reminded her.

"Yes…" Asuka added. "Very troubling…" Derek and Asuna were growing impatient.

("Hurry up already! There's no time to waste!")

Yes. This choice is a trivial matter compared to what's ahead. Why do you humans fuss about it so much?

"Because I couldn't live with choosing the wrong one!" Colette answered.

"How about this?" Terra proposed. "We all choose at the same time. That way, we can't complain if we choose wrong."

"That sounds fair enough," TK ceded. "If we choose wrong, it will be because we were too slow."

"Are we in agreement, then?" Ezekiel asked everyone. Four heads nodded. "On three then."

"One…"

"…two…"

"THREE!" Five hands delved into the pile. TK was the first to pull his hand out. He smiled at the result.

"Alright!" He cheered. "I got Mickey!" He held his hand up high. Clutched in between two fingers was a small, yellow ticket with a picture of Mickey Mouse on it.

"No fair!" Colette pouted. "I wanted Mickey!" She had gotten Pluto.

"Oh well," Terra reassured. "It was the luck of the draw anyway. Personally, I like my Minnie Mouse the best".

"…Donald…" Asuka announced. A smile crept onto Colette's face.

"Then that means that Zeek got –!"

"Aw, no fair!" Ezekiel complained. "Why do I get stuck with Daisy Duck?" The other four laughed.

Humans… Asuna muttered.


Pier 84

South Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

10:00 a.m.

Even in a recession as bad as this one, the docks of Philadelpha were still busy. Goods and products were still being shipped around the world, even if it was diminished. All of the dock workers were hard at work, noticing of the four men standing beside the steel buoy that was the S.S. United States. Even if they did, they wouldn't have bothered. A lowly union worker questioning a group of men in black suits was just asking for a pink slip. Though they would question why one of them was wearing a cowboy hat…

One of the men glanced at his watch. "C'mon…what's taking the guy?" the first man asked. "Are you sure he is going to show, Mr. Senator?" The man in the cowboy hat smiled.

"Calm down," the Senator said softly. "He's here." The man shot a glance back in front of him. An elderly man, probably in his seventies, was walking up to them, his eyes locked onto the group.

"Ah. So, you're the people I need to show around the United States," he said, shaking each of their hands. "My name's Jake Stillwell, the caretaker of this ship, and the representative of the company that owns her. And to whom do I owe the pleasure of giving the grand tour?" The Senator, who was the last person he greeted, took off his hat, revealing a curly mess of brown hair.

"My name is Senator Clay Driftveil of New Jersey. A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Stillwell." Jake smiled.

"Senator Driftveil, the rising star of the Republican Party, has an interest in my ship? Hehehe…someone has a pet project in mind, now, hmm?" Clay placed his hat back on his head.

"It's a personal matter that concerns the security of the entire world, if I may say off the record. And please, call me Clay."

"Security matter? Well, I guess I can't be the most courteous American if I delay any further. Come follow me, sirs; as you can see, the gangplank has been lowered." The group of people walked over towards the entrance to the ship. "I must say, Clay, I'm actually quite glad that someone's found a use for her. She's just been sitting here for what, almost forty years? The company was getting of tired of her sitting in dock, and after that park plan fell through, I feared that their plan to scrap her would become a reality. Now, she's being given the chance to sail once again."

"Yes indeed," Clay replied. "Things like this shouldn't be resigned to the scrap heap, whether they be trains, space shuttles, or ships."

"And I do thank you for introducing the clause that's bringing the Enterprise up to New York. I've always wanted to see one of those things up close." They walked up a rickety looking gangplank that had recently been dragged out of storage. It took a few seconds for the group of five men to step onto the interior hallway of the ship. What they saw surprised them all. The walls, ceiling, and floor lacked any sign of corrosion or decay. They looked as if the ship had recently been commissioned, and all that she needed were new fittings.

"My word…" Clay gasped with awe. "You could eat an egg of this inside!"

"She is in remarkable condition," one of the men said slowly. "I'm actually surprised. I was expecting much worse."

"A Portland man came to a park on a regular basis to oil up Southern Pacific No. 4449 after she was retired by the railroad," Jake told the group. "Fifteen years later, she was in such good condition, she was chosen to haul the majority of the American Freedom Train's Bicentennial Tour of America. That inspired me to do the same for this ship, hoping that one day, there would be a need for this fast girl too. Despite her outward appearance, she's as sound as the day she was constructed." To prove his point, he rapped one of the walls with his knuckles. A slight ring echoed in the wall, but that was it. "Come. I'll show you something even more remarkable than this."

Jake guided Clay and his men through the United States, allowing them to take notes and measurements on the ship's interior dimensions. All the while, he explained to them some of the ship's unique features, and at one point he stopped them, showing them one of the cabins before leading them down a service passage. They soon reached a heavy metal door.

"This is the engine room." Jake announced. He opened the door, which didn't even squeak. The room was immaculate; not a single flake of rust could be found.

"Dustin, you're the engineer here," Clay said. "Tell us your opinions on the engine room." The man stepped up to one of the boilers and laid a hand upon it, imagining the power flowing through this and into the ship's massive engines. With Jake's help, they opened one of the boilers, and he climbed inside, taking notes and structural tests. He clearly looked impressed.

"This is incredible, Senator Clay!" he exclaimed in amazement. "These boilers are in perfect condition! It's as if these babies are ready to run." Jake grinned.

"They can run," he said. All four people turned to face him in shock.

"W-What?-!" Clay was shocked. "Are you serious?" The older man nodded.

"Yes, sir. Granted, it might be best to make a replacement here or there, but all they need is fuel, and you're good to go."

"All this time, and no one's even bothered to check them until now," Dustin stated, in awe of the development. He shook his head. "And yet they still run. This is an amazing historical preservation story!"

"It's also a testament to how well built the United States is," Jake stated, too modest to take all of the credit. "She was designed as the most advanced ship of her time, as well as the fastest. No other ship in her day could break her records in both east and west directions, let alone catch her."

"Why's that?" one of the other men asked.

"Her propulsion system," Jake told them. "It was designed for pure speed, through and through. There were two sets of propellers, two of them having five blades, and the second pair having four blades on them. In effect, she is the first and only quad-screw vessel to date. Not only that, but her hull is entirely made out of aluminum and steel." He rapped the wall of the engine room to prove his point. "That contributed to her amazingly light weight, in comparison to ships, of course. Everything on board that was metal was made out of aluminum, except for the pianos and butcher block."

"Fireproof, right?" the third person, a woman, asked.

"And watertight, too. She possesses a double bottomed hull that extends up along the sides so that if she hit an iceberg, she would sustain only minor damage, and if there was a breach, the watertight compartments would be sealed. Nobody wanted the American equivalent of the Titanic."

"Wow…" Dustin continued to look at the ship in marvel.

"Of course, we'll have to put the ship through a rigorous inspection to make sure everything will hold up fine," Clay noted. Jake shrugged.

"Don't take my word for it?" he asked. Clay shook her head.

"No, it's that what we're going to put her in may be more than even the ships in the Second War were put through." His cell phone began to ring, and he answered. "Yes?...Suspicious activity in Japan?"


Walt Disney World Resort

Lake Buena Vista, Florida

March 10, 2011, 10:45 a.m.

Magic Kingdom – Tomorrowland

The Happiest Place on Earth was once again alive with activity, as tourists from across the world began to flock the park, enjoying the time they had with one another and with their families. Little kids scurried around the area, eager to see Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, and the other Disney characters that were so well known in their childhood. Older teens headed towards the sides of the park, where the "Mountains" of Thunder, Splash, and Space were located. It was just like any normal day.

Except that a small armada of news people was entering through the same point as the tourists. Most of them were from ESPN, their red logos emblazing the covers of their camera equipment. All of them had one goal on their mind: to interview Team USA.

The area where the interview was to be conducted was in Tomorrowland, situated in the east corner of the park. The site had once been used as a chairlift station, but owing to safety concerns, the ride was demolished over a decade ago. However, the stations were still vacient, and the Tomorrowland station proved to be a great location to interview the upcoming Olympic Team members. As the site was given its last preparations, Terra, Asuka, Colette, TK, and Ezekiel stood on the former exit line with Lt. Surge, awaiting their turns.

"So, you know what is going on today, right?" Surge asked. Ezekiel rolled his eyes at his childhood idol.

"Of course," he remarked. "We're going to be interviewed by ESPN. So?"

"Not just 'so'. It's sort of more like an introduction to the members of the team on a more personal level," Surge explained. "Things like personal battle records, achievements, badges, stuff like that. It's not too intrusive, thank God." He turned to TK. "Except maybe for you."

"It's about Siobhan, isn't it?" heasked.

"One of those students told yesterday's events to one of the Tampa news stations," Terra explained. "I saw it on the late news before I went to bed."

"Great," TK shuddered. "Having to talk about my past on national TV once wasn't enough…" Surge raised an eyebrow.

"I never said that they would ask that," he clarified. He turned to look back at the reporters setting up their cameras. "The interview starts in a few minutes. Are you ready?"

They all nodded as they checked for anything that needed to be fixed. Terra and Lt. Surge were dressed in their respective military uniforms, both cleanly pressed. It was a good move on their part. As members of the United States military, they had to look presentable. The others were also in their causal clothing, but a bit neater than what would consider normal for these circumstances. After all, they were going to be appearing on national TV. Although TK's choice of a black Tomorrowland Transit Authority T-Shirt could be questionable…

One of the assistants went up to them. "Okay, we're going to take this one at a time. We're going to air these in a segment tonight prime time, so be sure not to act like idiots or something. First up is the head coach of the team. Lieutenant?" Surge walked in front of the camera, where other assistants attached a microphone to his collar, and was greeted by a blonde woman, who was sitting in the chair across from an empty seat.

"Hello, Lieutenant. My name's Michelle Beadle, and I'm going to be interviewing you today." She shook Surge's hand as he took his seat.

"A pleasure, Ma'am." The director held up his hand.

"We're taping in five, four, three, two, one, rolling!"

"Michelle Beadle, here at the Walt Disney World Resort. I'm here with the newest and possibly youngest group of Team USA that's hoping to qualify for London, and that is the Pokemon Battling Competition that is more commonly known as the Pokemon World Series. We're starting with basically the head of the group, former Gym Leader and current Team USA Head Coach, Lieutenant James Surge. Lt. Surge, a pleasure to interview you once again."

"The pleasure's all mine, miss," Surge stated. It was evident he was experienced in interviews. "And I must say, we have a very beautiful day to be doing this on."

"Indeed. Now, as we know, you came after a time of great turmoil in the Team's history. A disbanding, Georg Steinbrenner's sudden resignation, and a question of how strong the team would be for 2012. Comparing this team to the Beijing team, how do you feel about your chances?" Michelle asked.

Surge smiled and laughed a little. "Well, I believe, and this is no ways a put down of my great comrades that were on the last team, that we have a better field now than we ever had last time. The Japanese showed us that the future of this sport is caught up on the youth of the world. That Satoshi kid pulled off more combinations and maneuvers than anyone I've seen, except for Travis here."

"Speaking of Travis Keppinger, he's been frequented by a topic other than Pokemon lately. I'm sure you saw it on TV during the New York Qualifiers."

The retired lieutenant nodded. "Of course. TK, for all of his success, has a lot of loose baggage in his past. However, he's shown that he's able to grab ahold of it, and keep the reigns on the right track. He is, I believe, the single most important potential Olympian that you have to watch out for in London. Not just for his ability, but for his composure and focus that he has implanted in his head. If I had to compare him to a current pro athlete…he's like Mariano Rivera."

On the sidelines, TK blushed slightly. "I'm not that good…" The interview with Surge continued on to several more questions. Most of them were about the other team members, and on his thoughts about the competition ahead. However…

"Do you have any comments to make on the recent decision to refit the SS United States to act as a floating hotel during the Olympic Games in London?" This caught Surge off-guard. He cocked an eyebrow.

"Excuse me?"

"From a logistics standpoint, do you have any comments on this development?" Surge placed a hand to his chin.

"Yeah, it's about time someone found a use for her," he stated. "I sailed on her as a boy when my parents vacationed for a month in France, and let me tell you, she was the fastest ship on the seven seas. With that kind of speed, if she had been in World War II, no ship would've been able to catch her, let alone sink her. For people to be housed on that ship again would be an honor for anyone who has a chance."

"So you're glad for the decision?" Michelle asked. Surge nodded.

"You bet I am. A piece of American history deserves a better fate than rusting away like that."

"Thank you, Surge."

"A pleasure again."

"We'll be back with the first of the members of the rotation, Ezekiel McDouglas, in just a bit."

"Cut!" The director stated. "Great job, folks! Take five, and we'll do the next interview then!" Surge gave the microphone back, and he walked up to his team.

"What the hell was with that last question?" he muttered. "I give a damn about a cruise ship in an interview for sports."

"Something seems off," Terra noted. "This is going to be one strange interview, for sure."


Pier 84: SS United States

South Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

11:00 a.m.

Dustin emerged from the boiler. "Sir, it's just as Jake said. All of the engines are in remarkable condition, no corrosion or anything of that nature has been spotted. These things are in excellent condition, I reckon fuel is all they need." Clay blinked in disbelief for a moment.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Yes, sir. Nothing has been inside these things for years. They are one hundred percent operational." Another man, an architect by profession, was busy conducting some sounding tests on the ship's structure. He looked up from his work.

"Well, aside from some maintenance issues on the exterior, the interior is still in good shape. All that has to be done is replace a few parts such as portholes, some interior doors, and the left bridge wing floor, sandblast the outside, give it a fresh coat of paint and replace the propellers."

"Don't forget we have to get the interior refinished for possible war, Max," Dustin reminded him.

"I know, I know. But tackling the outside is a challenge in and of itself. She really needs it, after all of these years. If she's fully repaired on the outside, then we can get to work on the inside." Dustin had to disagree.

"No. The first thing we have to do is make sure the engines are working. That's priority number one. If Senator Clay's fears are sound, then we have to get this ship moving." He motioned to the third person, an intelligence operative, to join him and Max at the blueprints of the ship, which were located on a table.


"So out of the five of you, Ezekiel, we know the least about you. Can you tell us a bit about your background?" Michelle held out the mike.

The Texan placed a hand on his chin for a moment before he spoke. "Well, my father in the commander of the 121st Tank Artillery Division. He served in the Gulf War, and I grew up under his war stories. I guess that's how I got my love for the military and all of its branches."

"Who's your personal hero?"

A grin formed on Ezekiel's face. "I'd have to say it's Lt. Surge. He was my boyhood idol when I was growing up, what with his military service and his time as a Gym Leader."

"How does it feel to be managed by your idol?"

"I'd have to say it is a dream come true. Not many people get to play with their favorite person or organization like Derek Jeter with the Yankees. I am honored by the opportunity, and am looking to an enjoyable two years with him," Ezekiel replied.

"Can you tell us anything else about you, which one of your teammates do you like most?"

'How the hell is this not personal?-!' the Texan thought.


"See, this ship was built for speed. We need to be able to keep that speed while arming her for war. Take into consideration what it was that allowed her to possess such speed. It wasn't just the hull design alone. Everything on board, including the ship herself, was lightweight and made out of aluminum, adding to her fireproofing abilities. However, because we have to take out all of the asbestos for the rebuild, she'll be much heavier with the replacement projects."

"And we need to find a way to conceal the weaponry from the public," the intelligence agent stated. "We need to keep the outward appearance of a luxury liner."

"What are you saying, Samantha?" Max demanded, a hint of anger in his voice. "That we should arm her with only bows and arrows and spears?" The intelligence agent shook her head.

"I never said any of the sort. What I'm suggesting is completely the opposite." She pointed at the plans. "See, here's the redundant engine room. This was located beneath the first funnel. If we can reroute the ventilation to the second funnel, we can seal this off and have it removed so that way it can be replaced with a gun housing. The gun will be made out of aluminum to allow the ship to retain its legendary speed. The type of gun we need is a sixteen inch gun designed off of the old Iowa-class battleships, but in a modified form. There will be dual barrels instead of three, and it will be able to retract the barrels into the housing. The funnel will act as a shield to protect the gun from sight and damage." Clay was clearly impressed.

"I see. That way, if the ship's main funnel is blown off, it will allow the gun housing to be revealed, and the ship will be able to fight back. The idea is sound, and it just might work!"

Samantha nodded. "Yes, but we also have to take into account the type of ammunition we'll need. And unfortunately, it will have to be custom-made. Again, aluminum alloy. The ammo also has to be lightweight."

"We can also have a second gun in the front, like a pirate ship, that can contract back into the bow," Max noted. "And some of the porthole rooms on the sides can be dummied up, and conceal side guns."

"We'll have five inch guns concealed on the ship's deck," Dustin added. "These are smaller and lighter than a sixteen inch gun, so we'll be able to put more of them than any other. We can also erect a false front below the bridge to conceal more deck weapons."


"So Asuka – or do you prefer Akatsuki?"

"Akatsuki, please."

"Right. Akatsuki, the talk about you is that you beat your opponent without losing so much as one Pokemon. No one in the entire state of California has ever done that before. Can you explain how you were able to do that feat?" Michelle asked the bluenette.

"I just did my best."

"As of the latest power rankings, you are the highest-ranked member of this Olympic squad for the US. How does that make you feel?"

Akatsuki shrugged. "It's not special. TK and Terra are directly behind me."

"So are you saying that those two are better than you under certain circumstances?"

"We are equals."

"Your background has you being born to military parents. What has that taught you in the way you were brought up?"

Asuka's brown eyes narrowed. "Classified."

"…You don't talk much, do you?"

"Shortest is to the point."


"Okay," Clay announced, pleased with the progress accomplished so far, "now that that's settled, what about powering the engines? We need some kind of method of powering the ship that does not rely on oil or diesel. We have no way of knowing when they will be able to refuel."

"There's nothing else, though!" Samantha gasped. "Unless you want people stoking fires in hell again!" The engineer shifted nervously.

"Well…I was proposing something back at my old job," Dustin admitted, "but they flat out laughed at me and said that it was impossible to develop, let alone use…"

"What is it?" Sam asked

"I…" Dustin grabbed a blank sheet of paper, pulled out a pen from his pocket, and began to sketch. "Okay. Here are the fuel boilers. They're all hooked into the engines, right?"

"Yes…"

"What if we removed them and replaced them with something more ecofriendly, but still able to produce the steam needed?"


"So your mother was a competitive battler back in the day, Colette."

"Yes. She was one of the first champions of the Bayou League in Louisiana and Mississippi. She wasn't cut out for the international tournaments, though. I guess I take after her in that method." She rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly."

"That explains how good you were in your qualifier's match." Colette blushed slightly. "Speaking of qualifiers, I have a source that said you immediately took a flight over to New York to watch TK in the finals.

"I like to check out my potential competition for the best spot on the roster."

"So you admit that you admire TK for his power?" Colette's blush grew.

"I-I think that TK is a great teammate, and that he is a model for all aspiring Pokemon Trainers. Ah, he's a great friend, and a key cog in this team."

"Anything else you want to say about him?"

"…You guys can edit that out, right?" the New Orleans native asked hastily.


The engineer's question everyone except Clay off guard. Max was the first to speak. "How that even possible?"

"Believe me, Maxie boy," Clay smiled, "I had the same reaction when I heard it too. Go on, Dustin." The engineer produced a news clipping, which Samantha read.

"'The University of Minnesota, along with Sustainable Rail International, are working to create the cleanest, most powerful passenger locomotive created by restoring Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe 4-6-4 Hudson No. 3463, built in the 1930s, and refitting it to run on'…biocoal?" The agent was confused. "What the heck is biocoal?"

"Biocoal is cellular material processed from the torrefaction of biomass, such as wood. This biocoal is then converted into small, light, energy-packed pellets through densification. The best part about them is that they are carbon-neutral."

"…in English?"

"Basically, you take some chemicals out of wood, and condense it into pellets, creating a coal-like substance that generates much more energy than coal with much cleaner emissions," Clay translated. "It's also lightweight, meaning it won't add much to the overall weight."


"How does jugging your duties to your country as a part of the US Navy and your duties to your team fare for you, Terra?"

The naval officer shrugged. "Well, fortunately, I am not on active duty until after the Olympic Games, so I don't have to worry about it for a while. And my ship is damaged and under repairs, so even if an emergency occurred, my ship is in dry dock."

"Can you tell us a bit about your ship?"

"I would, but all of the information surrounding it is classified, so I'm afraid I can't say anything in this matter."

"It's that classified? Could it be a secret weapon or something?" Terra lost her composure for a second.

"That…that's classified…" she murmured.

"If you were forced to deploy on the day before a big match, how would you feel about that?" Michelle asked.

Terra became serious at this. "I'd be doing a service to both my country and my team. I have the confidence in my teammates that my absence would be able to win the match without me. In addition, if I was need to help the Navy, it would be to protect the team, so they would no doubt understand."

"A lot of you are from military backgrounds, counting yourself in active duty, Lt. Surge in retirement, and Akatsuki and Ezekiel. Does that say anything on how a military background can help discipline and awareness?"

She nodded. "Yes it does, but that's not the only thing that a trainer must have. TK's the perfect example of this. He's a high school junior, yet he uses his brain and ability to match toe-to-toe with his lineup of Pokemon. It's a deadly combination for any opponent when mastered."

"TK is coming into the conversation a lot in these interviews, isn't he?"

"When you're dealing with a Top-60 trainer that should really be in the Top-25, you'll talk about him a lot."


"My idea was this: We remove the old boilers, replacing them with new ones capable of burning this biocoal. The best part is that because it's lightweight and creates more energy, we don't need all of the room to generate the same power as any coal or oil firing. We use the extra room to place a mobile biofuel production plant."

"That's damn crazy," Max stated, "but damn brilliant. If your calculations are true, then they only have to stop at an island and cut down trees to refuel!"

"What about byproducts?" Clay asked.

"You have hydrogen and methane, and before you say anything about methane, my plan has one of the boilers specified to burn methane off when they need to create fuel. That's the only carbon footprint that this ship will have."

"Who would have ever thought that man would return to using wood to power transportation again?" Samantha remarked. "But are we having people fire the boilers?"

"No. It will be an automated firing process, much like some steam engines were in the 1930s." Clay was most impressed.

"This will be a definite benefit to those fighting if the country is possibly overthrown," he stated.


"So here I am, with the buzz word of the day, Travis Keppinger. Now TK, I notice that, unlike your comrades, you're wearing a shirt that's sold right here in Disney World."

TK grinned. "Yes. I've been lucky enough to be able to go down to Disney every year since I was three. I absolutely love the place, and on trips here, I've been able to participate in a few smaller tournaments, test out other trainer strategies, and I actually caught one of my Pokemon a few years back in Florida."

"Your teammates have been saying that you're better than what the rankings say you are. Terra actually said that you should be in the Top-25. How does that make you feel that you're held to such a regard?"

"Oh, I don't really deserve to be in that area yet. The peak of the rankings is for people like Hamilton or Manning or Alder, not a rookie like me. Give it time, though. I'll get there," the Jersey native replied with a smile.

"According to MSG Varsity, your high school high school has managed to cinch the state division a few weeks back. Did you have anything to do with that?"

"All it really takes is a bit of strategy and some flexible thinking. Paladin Central, if anything, has heart. Through thick and thin, scandal or loss, they hold their heads up high. All I did was help them out with a few things pertaining to their battle style and a few combination moves. It's a shame that can't help them any further this year, but I have confidence that they will take it all."

"Speaking about combination moves, you're rather famous for them. That finals battle against Ms. Costello finished with two of them, actually. How do you come up with such moves?"

"You come across it in everyday life. Glaceon's move was named after Naruto, Pikachu's after Mahou Sensei Negima, and Typhlosion's from Yu-Gi-Oh! You just think about how a few attacks work, and boom, there's an attack combo. It's so easy, a caveman could think of it…I think Geico's going to sue me now…"


"You always say that, sir," Max sighed, "and you know we always support you. But are you really serious, or is that political spin starting to get into your vocabulary?"

"You're not the one who's hearing the talk on intel," Samantha said grimlyy. "Recent evidence in the R Report has indicated that they may be planting agents in several governmental posts in every government around the globe. I don't know exactly how reliable this information is, but if it is indeed accurate, then very soon all the countries, poor and rich alike, may very well be endangered by Al-Qaeda."

"Any people who do manage to escape will need to utilize whatever resources they possess to not only stay alive, but fight to bring this threat down from the inside," Clay stated. "And we need to hurry. I got a call earlier that there's strange activity in Japan. I'm heading back to Capitol Hill to see what that is." As he turned, his phone rang again. "Ah, Jim! I was wondering when you'd get back to me. Did you work in those questions that I asked for?"


"Well, the kids have to get through training first, and then we'll move on to the matches," Surge explained. "When I'm through with them, they'll be at their best." Here he paused. "Hopefully we won't run into any problems. If we do, though, then you'll be able to see how well they can handle themselves."

"I bet," Michelle responded. Through and through, they were almost done with the interviewing process. The last part was a sit-down with the entire team. The questions were all about the upcoming training, which was a break from the crazy questions from before.

"Finally, if you were given one chance to save something important, what would it be?"

Except the last one.

The entire team looked at each other in confusion. This was not what they expected, even from any of the previous questions. Saving something important…why would anything be on the line like that?"

"Why even ask us that in the first place?" Ezekiel blurted, stating the consensus of the group. "It's not even relevant to the flow of the interview."

"Hold on, Ezekiel," Surge ordered. "I'm afraid I don't understand, miss. What prompted the question in the first place?"

Michelle hesitated for a moment. She looked at her prompter, then to the crew. It seemed that even they didn't know what was going on. "I…I don't know…it just came up on my prompter all of a sudden…" Now Surge was worried.

"To be honest, I don't have an answer. Something important… That's a tough one. We'll have to think about it."

"I guess if something bad did happen, and you could do something to stop it, would you give up and run in order to live, or would you fight and die? Does that he-?"

"Give up?" Ezekiel snapped. "I don't think so!" Ezekiel snapped. "I'd rather fight and live rather that surrender to some creep that wants to mess with us!"

"But say you didn't have a choice in the matter," Michelle added. "Say that you had only those two choices. Which would you do? And you had to stick with that choice for the rest of your life."

The group frowned. A few of them suspected something about the situation, but no one voiced it. Some things were best kept quiet.

"Well, I know one thing that I wouldn't do," Terra said, finally breaking the silence. "And that's give up and run to live. Sometimes you have to die for what's right, and that in itself can be something worth fighting for, because giving up one's life so that others may continue the fight is something that's been done throughout the ages since humanity's beginnings. And sometimes that can lead to a better future for everyone."

TK took a curious look at the Naval Commander. She sounded older as she spoke with such wisdom. It sent shivers down his spine and he shuddered, wondering where she got so wise. What happened to the driver who belonged in a game of Burnout?

'…Never mind. I like this Terra better' He took a wild guess that maybe she read up on a few philosophical books in her spare time, but he had no idea if that was true.

Michelle nodded. "What about the rest of you?"

"I know I'd fight on!" Ezekiel exclaimed. "Running, I don't think so!"

"Me too," Colette said. "I have friends and family I'd want to protect."

"…I'd fight…" Asuka whispered. "…to protect my friends from harm."

"I'm going to fight to defend the country should anything ever happen to her," Surge declared passionately. "I grew up here, and this is my home. I'd do anything to defend it, even if it meant dying for her."

"TK?" Michelle asked. "Your thoughts?" He stayed silent for a few seconds.

"…There are never choices that are black and white. I'd run away today so that I could fight again tomorrow. Yes, we may give up a bit in the process, but does dying for your country assure that it's safe? America was won using guerilla tactics that instilled that staying alive and running off was the best way to weaken an opponent, and that's what I believe. You'll see me turn tail if I feel my life is in danger, but you can be sure that I'll be back, stronger than ever."

It was now Terra's turn to be impressed with TK. 'Strong words for someone who won't have combat experience. Though I doubt that it would work in today's warfare…'

Michelle smiled "Well, er, it seems you all would do anything to protect that which is precious." The team nodded, though everyone was still very much confused. "Well, thanks for your time. It's been a pleasure interviewing you, and I hope we have the pleasure of meeting again." She shook each of their hands.

"CUT!"


Liberty Square

Fifteen minutes after the interview was over, it had been decided amongst the team to go get some lunch before hitting the rides. TK, the one with the most experience, scoured the area with Asuna, before settling on a personal favorite, Sleepy Hollow. The outdoor café had a view of the front of Cinderella's Castle, which was convenient; a stage show was running on the castle stage at the time they arrived. Surge, of course, chose to pay for the meal, over everyone's protests. In the end, they let it slide and he paid for the meal, watching Mickey and his pals save the dreams and wishes of everyone from Maleficent…for the 11:45 audience, anyway.

Terra sipped her water and sighed. "Well that was awkward." She set her bottle down onto the wodden table.

"Not as awkward as that last question," TK remarked, "It's strange that she would even ask that. I mean, nothing's going to happen to the country, so why even bother?" He took a bite of his funnel cake and shrugged. Nobody notice Surge avoiding to enter the topic.

"I have to agree," Ezekiel chimed in. "Something's up here, and I don't mean the sky. For example, how did she even know that you were in command of some kind of a weapon?" Ezekiel asked. Terra was surprised at the question.

"I-I don't really commandeer anything of the sort!'

"You're wearing it on your face, soldier," Surge stated. "You might as well explain yourself. Terra sighed, defeated by even her own coach.

"Fine. Normally, I'm not allowed to tell anyone, but in this case, I'm going to make an exception. After you hear this, you mustn't tell anyone. If you do, then I'll be reprimanded for telling you guys, and probably discharged."

"We'll keep it shut," Colette promised. Terra smiled. "All right. Thanks, guys." Asuka glanced at the older woman out of the corner of her eye, but said nothing as she chewed a few fries.

"It's no good explaining here," TK said. "You can't keep a secret among the people passing by. There's an attraction in Frontierland that's usually abandoned unless it's raining. We should head there when we're done eating."


Frontierland – Country Bear Jamboree

TK was right. When the show started, nobody was in the theater, not even a Cast Member. "This is just like that one time in Kingdom Keepers…"

"…Except that the show is actually playing," Colette stated. The lights suddenly went out. "Eep! What was that?-!"

"Calm down, it's only part of the attraction." As he said that, a stage light flickered on, and a rather portly bear began to sing like he was from the backwoods. "I didn't know you read Kingdom Keepers, Colette."

"Save the small talk for later," Surge stated. "Terra, you have the floor."

"What I'm in command of isn't really a weapon per say," she admitted, "but rather it's a new kind of destroyer, a prototype that is supposed to be able to stand up to whatever is thrown at it." The Naval Commander took out a napkin that she had saved from Sleepy Hollow. She doodled something on the napkin before turning it and showing the result to the others.

"What kind of ship is that?" Ezekiel asked.

"I believe it is a destroyer," Surge noted.

"This is the newest Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, a new kind of subclass known as the Guardian class," Terra stated proudly. She pointed to the drawing. "It's just like a regular destroyer in basic design, but its function is much different."

"What is the function of such a ship?" Surge asked.

"The function is basically a new type of combat. The design took this into account, so it's much sleeker and is also built incredibly tough. The bridge angles allow it to deflect…projectiles…and the hull is covered in fireproof armor, allowing it to stand up to fire-based weapons or Pokemon attacks. It's also built to be able to take a few surges of water swamping over it and possibly even stay submerged for a few hours." This took everyone by surprise.

"A ship that can become a temporary submarine?" TK was shocked. "I didn't know that the military developed such a thing!"

"I didn't think such a thing was possible!" Colette gasped. Terra…laughed? Or was it one of the Audio-Animatronics?

"Believe me; I didn't know either until I received command of her!" Then she became serious, furrowing her brow. "The ship's also got a generator right behind the bridge, so that way if anyone tries to use an electrical pulse or something of a similar nature, the ship can take it and drain its energy."

"Sort of like Lightningrod or Flash Fire," Surge mused. He handed the napkin back to her. Terra nodded.

"Sort of like that." She took the napkin and put it in her pocket. "The ship is known as the USS Guardian, although right now it's in dry dock because of a propeller malfunction."

"What happened?" Asuka asked, her first statement since grabbing lunch. The naval officer glanced at her and shrugged.

"Banged a rock as we were pulling a few maneuvers." Terra didn't voice the last part of her thought, however. 'More like a break-in run from the Distortion World…'

"That sucks," TK remarked. "But as long as it can be fixed, that's good, right?" He frowned as Terra shook her head.

"The props on this thing are custom-made to allow it to sail in heavy seas. So we're waiting for a new one to be made."

"How long does it take to make one of those?" Ezekiel asked. Surge looked at him.

"Three months, right?"

Terra nodded. "Somewhere more like close to three months. Two and a half, to be exact."

"Ah, I see. How long until it's seaworthy again?"

Again, Terra shrugged. "I don't know, to be honest. The damage occurred only a few weeks ago before I came here."

"So that's it, huh?" TK asked.

"Yep. That's it."

"No, I meant the show. I remember it being longer for some reason…" Indeed, the show was over. The exit doors opened, as a new trickle of people decided that it was best to dodge the now steamy Florida sun.

"By the way," Colette asked as they got up, "what about the damage done to your truck? Can it be fixed?" Surge glanced at her.

"Yeah," Terra answered, "but the windshield was the only thing that really got damaged. It's simple to replace that."

"More like the entire cab!" Ezekiel pointed out. "That Pokemon impaled the ceiling, remember?"

"Yeah, but that was an easy fix," Terra remarked. The Texan cocked an eyebrow.

"How? Your Pokemon or something?" A grin crept up onto Terra's face.

"Psychic Pokemon really save on the repair bills!"

"What's this about a wrecked truck, Terra?" Surge asked. Terra's grin faded away.

"Ah…er…"

"Er, I think we should start heading to the next attraction!" TK stated, changing subjects. "We have the rest of the day to ourselves, and the park doesn't close until one at night!"

"About time!" Ezekiel complained. "All those exercises were really starting to get to me! Now it's time for some nice, relaxing rides!"


Splash Mountain

The log flume exited the mouth of the mountain, and started its famed fifty-foot drop.

"THIS ISN'T WHAT I HAD IN MIND!-!" Ezekiel screamed, as the car plunged through the briar patch, and popped out the other side.


George M. Steinbrenner Field

Tampa, Florida. 2:00 P.M.

March 11, 2011

The door to TK's room opened, as the trainer entered, dead from the day (and night) at the Magic Kingdom. "Phwa! That was about the longest time we've stayed in a single park any time we've ever been at Disney, huh Derek?" he remarked, glancing at the Pikachu on his shoulder.

("You're telling me! I had to stay in that Pokeball for half of the day!")

"But it was the first time we had people down with us when we were there, so I guess it makes up for it." He yawned again. "Guess it's time to hit the hay. I'm not even bothering to change, so, uh…g'night…" He took off his glasses, and went promptly to the bed.

("Good night, Travis") Pikachu chirped. He went over to the window sill, but did not go to rest. The Electric Mouse Pokemon had been bothered by something an hour earlier. Like something devastating had happen-

"YO GUYS! YOU BETTER GET UP AND TURN THE NEWS ON!" Ezekiel's loud yell jolted Pikachu's brain. Even as TK was reaching for his glasses, the mouse had gotten to the remote control, and was in the process of turning on FOX News.


Bowie, Maryland

Clay was riding back to Washington in his private train car when he got the news. Samantha was the one who delivered it.

"What in tarnation do you mean, Japan's turned into Hell on Earth?-!"


Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan

3:00 P.M JST

Riding from the back of Jet, his Skarmory, Mike got an aerial view of the aftermath. It reminded him of a warzone as he flew over the destroyed buildings and churned up rubble.

The only difference was the water. A lot and lot of water. Everywhere he looked was a brown mass of ocean, mud, and rubble.

And he was a mile inland from the coast.

Such tragedy would have been unimaginable hours ago.

"The hell those people…no, terrorists, were trying to accomplish?" He asked in vain. "What's to gain from this suffering!"

("Beats me, I have no clue on their motive,") Jet cawed. ("But it can't be good.")

Mike clenched his hand, and gritted his teeth. Those terrorists had chosen the wrong way to get him angry. Hell hath no fury on a woman's scorn, but neither does it have any on Mike's.


TK could only watch in stunned horror as the newscast went on in front of him.

"…a magnitude 8.9 Earthquake has struck northern Japan, and we are getting pictures now of a devastating tsunami that has followed. Hundreds of thousands of people are missing, thousands feared to be dead, and both of those figures are expected to rise by the hour…"


For Your Information…

The first scene was inspired by the fact that the entrance tickets for Walt Disney World Resort include many character designs on them.

I had to twist a few facts on the Biocoal subject. The locomotive in question actually only started its restoration this year.

Due to the lack of a timestamp on early reports of the earthquake, I had to create my own report.

We now start the first big arc in the story in the last few lines of the chapter. The next several chapters will attempt to combine the intended plot line for the story with a tribute that does justice for the people of Japan that suffered through the Tohoku Earthquake last year. We want to hear your thoughts on how we do, so read, review, and stay tuned.

-KKid

Now things get good. The SS United States is about to undergo a drastic refit into a modern day warship. The reason? Sorry! No spoilers!

Anyway, the quake happens and Team USA gets sent out next chapter to help with rescue operations.

Anyone willing to send in an OC must do so via PM. Form will be on my profile. Countries still open will be posted, as well as positions in the school.

And I still have the original profiles on my forum, so you can still submit them to me as well! Just don't double park a position, so check what's available first. Ja ne, everyone!

-KKid