Chapter Three: How to Save Propwash Junction

As if things couldn't get worse, a huge yellow and white Oshkosh Striker 3000 vehicle came into Propwash the next day, accompanied by a forklift assistant who put caution tape across the burnt remains of the Fill N' Fly and then proceeded to surround Mayday with several orange cones. The poor old fire engine seemed so small compared to the large tanker staring him down with a hard glare. A badge on his fender read "Ryker." We stood off to one side, watching worriedly.

"'TMST'?" Chug read the lettering on the tanker's side questioningly.

"This Means Serious Trouble." Sparky guessed.

Dottie sighed. "Transportation Management Safety Team."

"Mr. Mayday." Ryker said in a very official, very serious tone. "Were you at the specified point of attack and applying an extinguishing agent within three minutes of the time of alarm?"

I glared at Ryker but kept my trap shut so I did not get into trouble.

Mayday tried to not stumble over his words too much. "Well, I didn't have time to look at a clock." He noticed the forklift scribbling on a clipboard. "Is….is that guy writing down everything I say?"

"Yes." Ryker confirmed.

"Well, I…." More scribbling, only making Mayday nervous. "So he just wrote that down?"

"Yes."

"And that?"

"Yes."

"And that?"

"Yes."

Mayday slumped a bit on his tires. "Oh."

"Can you provide me with your self-inspection records and emergency procedure plans?" Ryker asked/demanded.

"Oh, look, now, we don't have many emergencies around here." Mayday said with a small chuckle. "Besides, we did get the fire out."

"Is that your contingency plan, Mr. Mayday?" Ryker demanded. "Every time there's an incident you topple a water tower?"

"This is my fault." Dusty suddenly piped up, drawing everyone's attention to him. "I clipped the tower. I flew out last night because I…" He slumped down a little, unable to continue.

"Dusty, it was an accident." Mayday assured.

Ryker cleared his throat, bringing the attention back to him. "It's clear this airport has no plans for an emergency and equipment from last century. So, unless Mr. Mayday gets refurbished and acquires a second firefighter in accordance with CFR title 14, volume three, chapter one, section 139, sub-paragraph B, I am pulling this airports Certificate of Operation for noncompliance of rescue and firefighting regulations!"

Mayday slumped down again. "Oh, Chevy."

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"Propwash Junction just got shut down?"

"With no active runway, how can anybody land?"

"They can't! That's the problem!"

"Well there goes the Corn Festival."

"But I already finished my corncob costume."

By the end of the day, everyone in Propwash Junction heard the news about the airport being closed. Not everyone heard the details, but they knew the gist.

One, there was a fire that apparently required the toppling of the water tower.

Two, TMST shut down the airport.

Three, the only way to reopen it was to fix up Mayday and find another firefighter to work with him.

Skipper had called everyone to the airport to discuss the problem, but first he had to deal with the uproar of concerned citizens before him. "Now, everybody, calm down. Calm down."

"Calm down? Calm down?" Brodi repeated. "Motel's booked! This Corn Festival is what butters my corn." Several other residents murmured in agreement. Even after our rise to fame, what kept Propwash Junction going was the airport and the Corn Festival.

"Brodi, Brodi, we've already figured this out." Skipper assured. "Dottie, show 'em."

Everyone looked to Dottie and Sparky, standing a few feet from Skipper. Sparky pointed to a drawing of Mayday up on a stand between them. "This is Mayday now." Dottie began.

"I did the drawings." Chug whispered to Dusty.

"We add a new 400-watt siren, a 2,000 GPM roof turret, a high-capacity water tank with integrated class A foam cell—" Sparky took the drawing away to reveal a second one of Mayday looking refurbished. "—and we'll have an all-new Mayday."

Sparky noticed something on the second drawing. "Get out! He gets rocket boosters?"

"That's right!" Chug confirmed. "Fueled by good old hydrazine and nitrogen tetroxide. Of course, remember, that stuff is highly explosive, so you'll want to keep it away from any open flames."

Dottie and Sparky blinked. "But…..he's a fire truck." Sparky pointed out.

"Exactly." Chug nodded. "Go on, Dottie."

Fuel trucks always put in extra things that take fuel. Crow and I smirked.

"So, for Mayday to keep his job and get Propwash reopened, we just need to find a…..second firefighter…." Dottie trailed off a bit at the end.

"What?" Leadbottom snapped. "At this time of year? It's fire season!" Immediately, another uproar began as the Propwash denizens began chatting worriedly amongst themselves.

"How much is another firefighter gonna cost?" Someone piped up.

"I'll tell ya how much: too much!" Leadbottom scoffed. "If we hire one, we might as well hire two!"

Us girls noticed Mayday quietly drive off, looking quite dejected. Dusty followed the old fire truck soon after. Good. Dusty always knows what to say to make people feel better. We turned back to the Propwash denizens.

"Thanks Leadbottom that was just we needed to hear" Crow snapped

"NOT" I finished the sentence for her and we took off after Dusty.

"I'll start drawing up the plans for Mayday." Dottie said, driving off.

"Hey Dusty!" I called as Crow and I approached with Skipper following us.

The orange and white plane backed up and smiled at us. Mayday rolled out of the fire house to greet us, looking much happier now.

"What's up?" Crow asked.

"I just told Mayday I would be the second firefighter and you two can get certified with me." Dusty explained.

"Only if you three are really up for it." Mayday said. "I'd be happy to have ya."

"Mayday, just tell us what to do, and we'll do it." Dusty said.