ICEBREAKER

Part I - Trouble On The Tracks

Sitting at the helm, Melanie was talking over upgrades she felt would help the train with the train's Second Engineer. The past several weeks had been fairly uneventful, and everything on the train seemed to be running as seamlessly as it's engine.

In the calm, Hes had been able to keep the forge running at peak output, allowing for most of the infrastructure crews to have plenty of work. Even the one Hes termed the 'little angry breechman', Angela Makers, hadn't had a single complaint about when she got the parts she needed for her crew to complete their tasks.

On Wilford's side of the train things seemed to be equally calm. Now that Melanie had agreed to share Hes' skill with both trains, she at least didn't have to worry anymore about Wilford attempting to again steal what he termed 'the most valuable asset on the train'.

Eliah had reported to her on several visits that Wilford didn't seem to be doing much of anything over the past few weeks, which Melanie quickly cautioned Big Alice's Second Engineer solely meant that the man was more than likely spending his time plotting his next act against them to try and get Snowpiercer back under his control.

"I think if we can integrate two or more of the lower systems into the mainframe, it may take the load off of those circuit, allowing us to shift them to another board and possibly take the first board off line altogether." Melanie was explaining to the Second Engineer.

"For what purpose though?" Bennett answered her proposal. "It strikes me as a lot of work that really doesn't accomplish much."

"Hes has been asking for a circuit board he can experiment on. He says he can possibly start making wiring for us, but he needs to experiment on what kind of wire we need and the different grades."

"But then we're risking losing a board completely. Once he starts taking it apart, we won't likely be able to get it back."

"Loss a board now with the possibility of having a replacement later, or loose it later with not replacement in sight. Those are our choices."

The Second Engineer answered with a deep frown.

"Hes can't create things like this out of thin air, Bennett. His knowledge of electrical workings is limited. I've gotten him to take on several new apprentices from my own group who have some electrical engineering skills. They can help create the wire. From there we can start moving on to possibly being able to make new circuits."

Bennett leaned back in his chair. "It sounds to me like you've already made up your mind."

"I'm only presenting what I feel is a reasonable plan to keep the train sustainable. We have to give to get."

Before Bennett could answer her, an alarm sounded on the train's main helm board.

Both engineers quickly turned to the sound. While Bennett quickly glanced out the front window of the train, Melanie quickly began typing into her laptop's keyboard which was connected into the train's main computer, looking for an answer to the sudden alarm.

"I don't see any problems on the tracks." Bennett stated. "What do the sensors say?"

Melanie continued to type for several more seconds before answering him.

"There appears to be some trouble on the tracks several miles ahead. The sensors say there's obstruction."

"Does it say what kind?"

Melanie turned to him. "Scalers. They're effecting repairs on the main track."

Bennett turned back to the window. "Can we stop the train here until they complete the repairs?"

Melanie shook her head. "The batteries are too low. If we stop, we may not be able to start again."

"Then what if we slow down?"

Melanie shook her head again. "The scalers say the repairs could take several hours still. Even if we slow to half speed, we'll be on them in likely under an hour. And if we slow to less than half speed, we risk the train not being able to power up again."

Bennett quickly turned to the Third Engineer, who was seated at his station behind them. "Javi. We may need to change tracks. What have we got?"

The Third Engineer quickly raced his fingers over the keyboard in front of him, occasionally checking the screen above him.

"One track." He answered back after a few moments. "Coming up in under thirty minutes. We'll have to make the switch fast."

"where does the track go?"

Javie quickly typed in new instructions. "They run nearly parallel to the main line. We should be able to reconnect to the main track in about three days."

"How safe is that track?"

Javi came up to the helm. "I can't say. We've never used it before."

Melanie quickly turned to Bennett. "We can ask Wilford about the track. He should know if the track is solid or not."

Bennett gave a long pause to the suggestion, but knowing it was the only way, gave her a quick nod.

Picking up the phone on the helm, Melanie quickly rang the other train.

"What is it now, Mr. Knox?" Came the drawn out tone of disapproval at having his morning interrupted in such a manner.

"It's me." Came the quick reply.

On his side of the line, Wilford quickly readjusted himself in the chair in his private quarters. "Well, now, that is a much more pleasant surprise, my dear." Came the change in tone. "What can I do for you, Melanie?"

A deep frown answered the tone. Even though it was pleasant and offering, Melanie could always hear the condescension underneath.

"We need to make a course change and need to check the probability of another line."

Melanie listened as the man give a slight groan as he pulled himself out of the chair. "And what exactly is the nature of this need to change course so suddenly?"

"Snowpiercer detected Scalers on the track ahead. It also detected abnormalities in the track lines, indicating possible damage to the tracks. This would explain why the Scalers are in the area."

WIlford made another sound of protest as he moved about his cabin. "Where are we exactly?"

"The Baltic region. We identified a track several kilometers ahead. It's an unknown track and we need to know if you have any information on it."

"What Baltic state are we in?"

"You don't know?"

Wilford gave a sigh. "Unlike you, Melanie, I delegate such matters to lesser people. Now, where are we exactly?"

Melanie didn't believe the man for a minute. As meticulous as he was about everything on Big Alice and his natural distrust of others information, she would bet on any given day she could wake the man up and he could give her their location within a few miles.

"We're in Lithuania." She answered just the same. They needed the information fast, so she would have to play his game.

Wilford paused for a moment. "Lithuania...," He pondered slowly. "Are we near Jonava?"

"We passed it an hour ago."

"I see." Came the same slow, drawn out response. But in the background Melanie could hear the rustling of papers and reasoned Wilford was buying time to search his own maps of the area.

But Bennett had had enough of the delays. Simple answers were all they needed right now.

"Come on, WIlford. You know these tracks better than anyone. We're coming up on this side line and we need to know if it is safe. And we don't have much time."

The sounds on the other end of the phone stopped for a moment.

"I laid down several hundred thousand miles of track in my lifetime, Mr. Knox." Came the irritated reply. "I can hardly be expected to remember every last one."

"Everyone is a little on edge, Joseph." Came Melanie voice over the line, trying to sound calm and apologetic. "We just need to know something about the track."

The rustling of papers could be heard again. "Jonava...Jonava...," Came the voice over the phone. "Ah! Here we are!" Wilford suddenly exclaimed. "That would be track 485." He stated, then paused. The next time he spoke his voice was not reassuring. "Oh..., I'm afraid I don't recommend that track, my dear." He stated in a low tone.

"Why not?" Bennett spoke up again in the same insistent voice.

"Because it's untested, Mr. Knox." Came the same irritated tone Wilford always used when speaking to the Second Enginner. "Or do you enjoy driving several thousand tons of steel into the unknown?"

Melanie quickly shoved Bennett away from the phone. "Are there any alternative tracks?" She asked.

"No. I'm afraid not." Wilford almost jovially informed her. "But really, Melanie, where is the harm in pressing onward? The Scalers have been working on the tracks. Likely they are stable enough to support the trains passing. Then the little buggers can come back and complete the work before we pass by again."

"There are no Scalers in this area that could get here fast enough, Joseph. And I don't recommend destroying three Scalers just because it's convenient."

"There's no need to destroy anything." Wilford admonished her. "Send out a track clearing signal and they will get out of the way quickly enough."

"There's no where for them to go, Joseph. There are no substations or maintenance tracks in this area for them to run to."

"Well, if it's my opinion you're looking for, I have two suggestions."

"Which are?"

"Push forward or go back."

Melanie thought for a moment. "We can't reverse. The trains don't have enough power right now to do a full stop and reverse."

"Well, then that appears to leave you with only one direction then, my dear." Wilford informed them, then after a brief pause, added, "Do let me know what you decide." before ending the call.

Bennett caught Melanie's look as she hung up the phone.

"Well?"

"He's lying."

"About?"

"The track being untested. Wilford never laid down one inch of track he wasn't absolutely sure of."

"Are you sure?"

"I was a junior engineer when the tracks were being laid, Bennett. It was part of the team I was assigned to. Wilford was obsessive about the tracks all being tested before we moved on in any area. He knew even back then what might be coming with the climate change, and he was positively paranoid about always having an escape route off of the main line. Sometimes we laid down new tracks. Other times we took over old ones. But they were always tested."

"So what do we do? It sounds like either path is a gamble."

"Not when Wilford is so blatantly lying about the side track."

"But why?" Bennett asked. "If the track is safe, why not just tell us? He can't be hoping Snowpiercer derails if the main line is unstable. His train can't survive without ours."

Melanie thought about the situation for several minutes. "He may think he can." She finally answered. "Derail the front of Snowpiercer, sever the connection at the remaining cars still on the track and hope with the decreased weight load he can reverse course."

"That's a lot of 'maybes' he's banking on."

"And possibly the last one he's banking on is finally getting rid of us."

"So what do we do?" Bennett asked again.

Melanie again pondered the situation for a few moments. But finally she turned the helm chair slightly as she turned to Javi, who was patiently waiting to see what the decision would be.

"Mr. de La Torre," She stated with a small smile, "Decrease our speed by one third and prepare to switch tracks."

"Preparing to decrease speed by one third." Javi answered the ordered with his own smile as he began making the adjustments.