"Wait, wait. YOUR driver and MY driver both have the day off?" Nick asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Mm-hm. Why they decided today of all days, I don't have a clue," Lady replied. "Maybe this'll be a good opportunity to get used to some new hands. I mean, humans don't live as long as we do."

"Valid point, but last I heard we're both cooped up in my shed." He looked at her. "So you met your old buddies?"

"I sure did!" Lady chuckled sadly. "There was some...news. Last Connor and Caitlin knew, Kim, Miley, and Taylor actually started behaving better and are a bit sorry about scorning Cressida's death."

"How did THAT happen?"

"Well, with a total of 4112 GP9s ever built, 2267 of which are Lifers, it was only a matter of time before they had a run-in with one of her siblings. And from what they've told me, Marissa has QUITE a temper."

"Lemme guess, she's New York Central? I remember Yolanda mentioning that they were easily triggered, though maybe that's just because Yolanda herself is from the Pennsy and they hate each other."

"Didn't they merge in '68 though?"

"It didn't last though, they fell apart two years later."

"Right, right."

While they were talking, a group of people were gathered in Sir Topham Hatt's office in Knapford. Peregrine Percival, controller of the Skarloey Railway, Cable Railway, and Culdee Fell Railway. Fergus Duncan, controller of the Arlesdale Railway. Esther Mayberry, controller of the Peel Godred branchline. The Minister of Sodor, Marcus Langston. Lady Hatt. Burnett Stone.

"Right, now we just need to wait for Charles Hatt," Topham said.

"Charles who?" Burnett asked in shock. "Because the only Charles Hatt I know is dead!"

"My SON, Charles Hatt II."

"Oh, right. Sorry!" The door opened. In stepped a man who looked much like Topham, only he had thin black hair and wasn't as fat. He was also noticeably younger, the youngest person in the room in fact.

"Goodness, I haven't been here in ages!" Charles II said in awe. "But my time as an accountant is mere training for life as a controller."

"Good to see you too, son," Topham said, smiling before his expression changed to a frown. "Now then. We have two issues to discuss today. First and foremost, this inspection."

"If one can even call it that," Fergus grumbled. "It's less an inspection and more an excuse to bully us! You wouldn't believe the insulting things they've said about my railway being boring!" He scoffed. "Toy trains indeed!"

"And they made Peter Sam cry when they told him it was his fault most of his friends from the Mid-Sodor Railway are dead!" Mr. Percival added furiously. "Honestly, what kind of people are they?"

"Mr. Stone says he has met Boomer before," Topham said. Burnett nodded to confirm it. "And he says that Boomer hates Lifers with a burning passion. Says they go against God or whatever claptrap. Rumors have begun circulating amongst the engines that he's involved with the Anti-Life movement, which I hate to say is highly likely."

"It DOES make sense," Langston admitted. "Why he wanted catenary lines? To give his electric engines free run of the place. Those notes? He's recording the names of the engines, and perhaps others still. And why would he exclusively search for engines that have never been brought to life unless he discriminates on that basis?"

"Well in that case, we're going to have to keep a close eye on Boomer and his lackeys until they depart," Mr. Percival said. "What was the OTHER business, Topham?"

"The 2022 Great Railway Show. Sodor didn't do so well in the last one, so this time we'll choose our participants more carefully. Pip or Emma could do the race itself, since they ARE some of the fastest diesels in the world."

"And if they win or at the very least get close to winning, then the fleet will trust them better," Lady Hatt mused.

"Precisely. For shunting, Thomas got very close to the win in 2016, so he's getting another go at it this year. I'd have Duck, but the Little Western only has him and Oliver and I can't really spare either. That's as far as I've gotten."

"If I may, Toby may do well for the decorated engines parade," Charles II offered. "Steam-powered tram engines are very rare these days, especially wooden ones. We could paint his sideplates NWR blue with intricate designs or something."

"Capital idea!"

"Murdoch would be good for Strength, but he doesn't like loud noises," Mr. Percival noted. "So perhaps we get someone else. What about Arthur?"

"Maybe. He deserves a fair chance, after all. That leaves Teamwork, the new competition they've established."

"I've helped a bit with the arrangements, and though I can't say much, I do know that the load involved will be stone, and the obstacle course puts the other four events together," Charles II revealed.

"A combination of shunter and big hauler would be great," Mrs. Mayberry agreed. "Perhaps Percy and BoCo, or Jouleia and Henry. Wait, scratch the first one, it's supposed to be mixed-sex. Right?"

"Actually, I have a much better idea."

The board jumped in their seats. Slinking into the doorway was Diesel Ten's driver.

"Huxley Jagger?" Topham asked in shock. "You're...speaking?!"

"That's right, I got tired of keeping quiet. I believe my engine and Lady would be best suited for the Teamwork competition."

An understanding silence fell on the others. "Yes, they would, they're incredibly high-performing given their designs," Mr. Percival said.

"And they both possess the highest mental maturities of any engine on Sodor," Lady Hatt agreed. She grimaced. "Whatever are they teaching the engines in America?"

"Survival," Huxley replied. "We don't beat around the bush about how cruddy the world is. How death is always around the corner setting up its tripwires. Having so many engines still mentally in their early teens is a rarity back home, because they have a lot more experience with death than your lot. After all, the Blitz never came to Sodor, and only Gordon has seen a tiny scrap of the horrors of war in person.

"But Nick? He's physically thirty-eight and his mental state is right at that level. Lady's physically forty and mentally thirty-five. The next most-mature engine, Duke, is only mentally twenty-seven, despite being over twice their ages, and Duke has lost like they have. But Duke hasn't ever really seen death, has he? He's never run someone over, much less multiple people; he's never been physically tortured by narrow-minded, petty humans; and he certainly hasn't seen the love of his life be slaughtered right before his very eyes.

"Seeing death is a sobering experience, Lifer and human alike. But for a Lifer, being in tune with your own mortality is how you age mentally. Thomas may know a lot of things, but he's still mentally a child and retains that cavalier attitude that he can't die. Even Stephen has it a little for he wasn't brought to life until after the world's first death by train. Finally shedding that attitude ages a Lifer past the age of thirty and into true adulthood."

"And what brings this on?" Topham asked.

"Well, I believe Nick's recollection of Cressida's passing may have caused most of the engines to grow up a year or two. James is less arrogant than usual, for example. The other is that before we came back, apparently one of the inspectors mouthed off about how Paxton was a baby."

Topham sighed. "I know, Huxley, we discussed that before you arrived." Then his eyes widened. "Wait. There's an ulterior motive, isn't there?"

"Of course there is. Remember Cressida's dying wish? Don't you want to help Nick fulfill it?"

"As a matter of fact, I have without even realizing!" Topham said suddenly. "If it weren't for me asking Lady to organize Nick's fuel train, they wouldn't be where they are now! And right now, they're close to becoming a couple!"

"So the Teamwork competition would push them even closer together," Burnett said fondly. "Even if they don't win it, they'll have each other as a consolation prize."

"That settles it, then!" Lady Hatt smiled. "Lady and Nick are doing Teamwork. Pip's got the race. Arthur's doing Strength. Thomas on Shunting and Toby for the parade! And we'll all keep a sharp lookout for what those inspectors are up to."

"Meeting adjourned!" Topham said, standing up. "Thank everyone for your participation!"

And with that, a new plan was underway.

So now even the humans are trying to canonize Ladyten. Will they succeed? Will Huxley speak again? Will we actually get to SEE Marissa, ex-NYC #6063?

All this and more in the next chapter – Words of Wisdom!