Heat Wave

Based on the episode "Quarantine" by Tarquin Cardona and the annual stories "Heat Wave" and "Quarantine"

Adapted by Jonathan Downs, Rachel Ravens and Zack Wanzer

It was the year of the big heatwave. Old sailors like me will never forget it. Many incoming ships had sickness aboard and flew the yellow flag to show they needed medical examination for possible infectious disease. Now, if this proved correct, they had to stay anchored out of port and fly the chequered flag showing they were in quarantine for forty days, and warning all shipping to stay clear.


By 6:30 this morning, it was already feeling hot as I began the morning briefing.

"Good morning, Star Fleet!" I boomed through the megaphone. "It's the hottest day so far this year, but work must go on, especially with Hercules working up the coast. Warrior, usual garbage work. Top Hat, usual car float duties for you, then join others waiting for schooners and trampers getting clearance from quarantine. Ten Cents… where on earth have Ten Cents and Sunshine gotten to?"

"I've no idea, Captain," replied O.J..

"Well then, O.J.," I said, "you'd better collect Ten Cents' barge at the fire station and I'll have a word with those two when they get back. Oh, and Big Mac, thanks for helping us win the steel contract."

"That's okay, sir," replied Big Mac.

"They've finished work on the railway bridge, so collect Mighty Mo and take him home, then back here. That's all for now!"

"If the sun gets any stronger today, my varnish will bubble for certain!" grumbled Top Hat.

"It's the longest heat wave I can remember," O.J. said, his engine spluttering as he set off for work.

"And you go back to the ice age, O.J., by the sound of your engine!" snarked Top Hat.


Matters weren't helped by two evil-minded tugs named Jacob Burke and Ebenezer Blair (or Burke and Blair, for short) who worked for the breaker's yard up river. They were always on the lookout for old ships they could buy up cheap, and they'd already made me an offer for old O.J.. However, I was not going to go down without a fight. My tugs aren't just colleagues, but my family, and I'd protect them with my life.

That being said, Burke and Blair were not the only unwelcome arrivals in Port, for at that moment, Captain Zero was briefing his own tugs.

"Now listen here, everyone!" Captain Zero boomed through his megaphone. "Before you head to work, I want you to welcome our new recruits! They're coming all the way from New York Harbour; they've been cleared for any infectious disease and they should be arriving in the next few minutes!"

Just then, two unfamiliar tugs and a black submarine came into the Zero Dock. The two tugs were painted in the Z-Stacks' corporate livery and wore the same fedoras; one of which was an ocean-going tug with the number six and a rather smug looking face, and the other one was a railway tug with the number seven and a scowling expression. The submarine had the number eight but looked scared and jittery.

"Hello," the ocean-going tug said. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Zeus, formerly of the United States Navy and these are Zob, formerly of the New York Central and Zilly, also formerly of the Navy."

"We're capable of introducing ourselves, thank you very much!" Zob snapped.

"H-H-Hello," stuttered Zilly in a shaky sort of voice.

"So, you're the new recruits, huh?" Zorran asked.

"That's correct," Zeus replied. "I was on the front lines during the Great War. Not to brag, but I was one of the greatest."

"I bought Zeus and Zilly cheap from a Naval auction and Zob was bought from the New York Central for an excellent price," Captain Zero said, before turning to his new recruits. "Now listen to me and listen good! We've been made a laughing stock by Captain Star and his Star Fleet for far too long! I want to undermine me and you're going to help me."

"Don't worry, Captain," Zeus boasted. "I'll help bring Zero Marine Bigg City back to speed. When the ships see me, they won't even think of returning to the Star mob. Oh yes, I can see it now – Zeus, the poster tug of Bigg City Port."

"Now I see why the Navy sold him cheap," muttered Zak.

"Now for your jobs," Captain Zero boomed. "Zorran, show Zob to the Railhead and tell him to do! Zug, take Zeus to lay out marker buoys, then head for the Estuary and wait for schooners and trampers getting clearance from quarantine! Zak and Zebedee, you two help Up River and move logs! Zip, show Zilly around the harbour!"

There was a long silence.

"WELL, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!" roared Captain Zero. "THE NEXT ICE AGE?! NOW MOVE OUT!"

The Z-Stacks then set to work, and whilst all this was going on, two certain switchers were arriving back at the Star Dock.

"Ah, that's made us late, Sunshine," Ten Cents grumbled.

"It's not our fault though, is it?" Sunshine replied. "I mean, all those..."

"6:30's briefing time!" I said sternly.

"Sorry, Cap'n," replied Ten Cents. "We've been at the water docks and there was a medical emergency."

"Yeah, some of the workers passed out, due to heat stroke and that delayed work significantly," added Sunshine.

"Ah, yes," I said, understanding the situation. "That is an unfortunate occurrence in weather like this. You did very well to cope with a bad situation so I'll overlook the matter, and I'm sorry I got angry. But next time you two are late, please make sure I'm informed about this. Understand?"

"Yes, Captain," the two tugs replied.

"Good," I said. "Ten Cents, O.J.'s engine's playing up. He's collecting your barge from the fire station. Now, if he's alright, you two are to join the others waiting for schooners and trampers getting clearance from quarantine."

"Understood, Cap'n," Ten Cents replied.

"One for you, Sunshine," I continued. "Bring in the tramper Nantucket."

"Old Dirt Bucket?" Sunshine snarked.

"No wisecracks, please," I said. "Now you two, unless you're absolutely sure clearance is given, you must keep clear of all ships."

"Yes, captain," the two switchers replied.

"Oh, and one more thing," I said, "Captain Zero has recruited two new tugs and a submarine for his fleet: an ocean-going tug named Zeus, a railway tug called Zob and the submarine's name is Zilly. Keep your eye open and show them that we Stars are made of sterner stuff. Off you go."

With that, the two switchers moved off.

"Looks like Captain Zero's playin' catch up," Sunshine said.

"Yeah, but we'll show them," replied Ten Cents, confidently. Then he blinked in confusion. "Hmm, I've heard the name Zeus somewhere before. But where?"

"In Greek mythology, perhaps?" asked Sunshine.

"Yeah, that's probably it."


O.J. was now the only paddle driven tug left in Bigg City Port. He'd given many years of good service, but time was catching up on him and he could feel a pain in his engine as he collected the fire barge.

"Phew! My engine feels bad," he sighed. "Come on, fire barge; let's hope I can get you to the ferry pier."

Burke and Blair listened to his spluttering engine with pleasure.


The heatwave had gone on far too long for all of us. But yet another steamy day got hotter and hotter as the sun rose and climbed higher in the sky. Work had to go on in spite of the heat. Felicia, who worked for the Fultan Ferry Company, still had to move back and forth all day across the harbour, carrying vehicles and freight on a regular timetable. The day had started out like any other, absolutely routine. But this was the trip when things were different.


Zip was showing Zilly around the harbour when they heard something. Then Zilly saw something and yelped, pushing Zip away in time. It was Davy Jones; his gear had jammed and he was out of control.

"We've got to stop him!" Zip exclaimed.

"W-we will?" Zilly asked nervously.

"Yes," replied Zip. "If we don't, there'll be an accident."

"A-a-alright. If we m-m-must," said Zilly. But it was already too late.


Meanwhile, O.J. and Felicia were passing Lucky's Yard in the opposite direction and saw Zilly speeding towards her, but neither realized that it was going too fast.

"Ahoy, O.J.," called Felicia. "Can you please move?"

"Plenty of time, Felicia," O.J. said. "I'll be out of your way."

Davy Jones suddenly veered towards them. O.J. reversed his engines just in time to avoid it crashing into him.

"Ah! You fool!" shouted O.J.. "You're exceeding the speed limit!"

But Davy Jones was in such a panicked state he didn't hear him. But then there was more trouble. O.J.'s engine didn't respond as he wanted it to and started to spin to starboard. His barge swung out and hit Felicia, causing her to yelp in pain.

"Oh no!" O.J. exclaimed in horror. Felicia started to tilt, water rushing into a gaping hole. Some of the passengers quickly headed for the lifeboats whilst others jumped off the ferry.

"My engine's jammed!" groaned O.J., before spotting Ten Cents, Sunshine, Zip and Zilly arriving. "Oh, Ten Cents! Oh, thank heavens you're here."

"Oh! Felicia's sinking, O.J.!" Ten Cents exclaimed. "I'll try and get a line on Felicia! Tow her back to the pier!"

"No, don't," O.J. urged. "She's gonna go all the way down."

"I'll have to try! It's the only chance before she goes right under!" Ten Cents replied.

"Oh, please hurry!" Felicia said, trying not to cry. The thought of sinking was not a pleasant experience and she was scared.

"You'll never make it alone!" O.J. said. "The two of us might if I could get my engine going properly. How many times have I told Captain Star I need a new one?!"

"I've got a line on her, but I can't pull her!" Ten Cents said.

"Cast off, Ten Cents!" cried O.J.. "She's going down fast!"

"She is! Oh, look! She's going!" Ten Cents exclaimed as he cast off his line just in time.

"Oh no!" Felicia cried in horror as she slipped below the surface. Ten Cents and O.J. had rescued some of the passengers from on board but those who were still on board Felicia drowned instantly.

"Oh no! Ten Cents! What happened?!" Sunshine asked as she came up alongside.

"Oh, don't gawk!" exclaimed Ten Cents. "Go and get the emergency services, as fast as you can!"

"Right!" Sunshine replied, setting off to find help. Just then, Zip and Zilly came up.

"Has anyone seen Davy Jo… Oh my!" cried Zip. "What's happened?!"

"It's a long story," sighed Ten Cents. O.J. just looked downcast. His engine had been the cause of a disaster. He was beginning to doubt his abilities. Maybe, he thought, it was time to finally give Burke and Blair what they wanted…


Burke and Blair had a second go at me. Ah, they never gave up.

"Ah, Captain Star," Blair said.

"What?" I asked, unenthusiastically.

"About O.J.," Blair replied. "That ancient engine of his is finished, and so is he. Isn't he, Mr. Burke?"

"We don't sit around our breaker's yard watching our staff turn old boats into scrap, do we, Mr. Blair?" Burke added.

"Always on the lookout for who's next to go," agreed Blair. "That's our business, and O.J.'s top of our list."

"Well, you'll just have to move on the next boat on your list, because O.J. is not for sale," I said firmly. "You know the law: no sentient tugs can be scrapped unless they decide for themselves their time has come. Now go!"

Burke and Blair moved off again. Moonlight Oceans, give me strength… I thought.


Zip and Zilly soon found Davy Jones out at sea, having run out of fuel. Luckily, he hadn't been near any quarantined ships so Zip was able to tow him back to port.


It wasn't long before Sunshine arrived back at the scene of the accident with Grampus, Mighty Moe and Finbar. Finbar was a tugboat who worked for the Fire Department and was respected by both Stars and Z-Stacks as he was very brave, level-headed and never wasted time in an emergency.

Felicia had sunk right in port, so the emergency services were there in no time. She lay on the bottom, not many fathoms down. The cranes had already got their grapples onto her. Whilst Grampus went to examine the situation, Ten Cents explained everything that had happened to Finbar.

"Alright, that's all the information we need," said Finbar. "Thank you, Ten Cents."

"You're welcome, Chief," Ten Cents replied.

"All set, Finbar!" Mighty Mo called.

"Very good, Mighty Mo," Finbar said. "As soon as Grampus finishes his assessment, I'll give the order to start lifting."

It wasn't long before Grampus came up to the surface and squirted water out of his mouth.

"She's laying fairly level on a sandy bed," Grampus said.

"Thank you, Grampus," Finbar replied. "All yours, Mighty Mo."

"Stand clear!" Mighty Mo called as he started lifting. It was at that point Zug and Zeus arrived back from laying out the buoys.

"Well, well, well," said Zeus. "What have we got here? A sinking ferry and a clapped-out paddler. Another efficient Star manoeuvre, eh?"

"Dead clumsy, if you ask me," chuckled Zug.

"Yeah, no one's asking you though, are they?!" snapped Ten Cents.

"Took some doing that," Zug continued. "All those lovely cars too. Shame."

"Pity we weren't passing earlier. We could've got you out of trouble. Why my old naval buddy, Hercules decided to join your fleet after the war, I'll never know." said Zeus. "Anyways, we've no time for idle chit-chat. We've got other fish to fry."

Zug and Zeus steamed off, feeling delighted that two of the Star Tugs would not be in competition for quarantine work. Ten Cents blinked in realisation.

"Of course!" he cried. "Hercules was in the same regiment as Zeus, but never spoke about him in favourable terms." the switcher frowned. "And I can see why..."


Soon, Felicia was lifted out of the water and she was taken to Lucky's Yard. Ten Cents and O.J. then quickly left for the estuary where they saw Top Hat, Zeus and Zug, but it seemed no ships were being cleared at present.

"Needn't have rushed; we're still waiting," said Top Hat.

"We left as soon as the ferry was refloated," explained Ten Cents.

"I had a bit of an accident," sighed O.J..

"So we saw!" laughed Zug.

"It wasn't my fault!" protested O.J.. "It was Davy Jones exceeding the speed limit!" But deep down, O.J. wasn't so sure.

"So you say," Zeus scoffed, "do us a favour, O.J. and get yourself scrapped. That's all you're good for." That comment made O.J. feel worse than ever, but before Ten Cents and Top Hat could defend him, they heard a shrill whistle.

"Oh good, here comes Peeper Pipes," said Ten Cents. Peeper Pipes was the official vessel of the Coast Guard and helped keep law and order in Bigg City Port.

"If you're waiting for clearance on the schooners, forget it," Peeper Pipes explained. "They're quarantined."

"Oh no," groaned Top Hat.

"What?!" exclaimed Zeus.

"Suspected microbonic plague aboard. Sorry, fellas," Peeper Pipes replied, before moving off.

"Captain Star will be pleased, I don't think!" grumbled Ten Cents.

"To think how I flogged my engine to get here fast," O.J. said.

"And all for no purpose, it turns out," agreed Top Hat.

"Hmm," Zeus said thoughtfully. "I might go and take a look anyway."

"You're not going back then?" Ten Cents asked.

"Zug maybe," replied Zeus. "I'll mosey around here, see if there's a breeze out in the estuary."

"Don't you need me, Zeus?" asked Zug.

"Oh no, I'll manage," Zeus insisted. "After all, we ocean tugs are strong. Now, run along, Zug; there's a good little switcher."

"Oh, okay, Zeus," Zug replied as he headed back to the port, while Zeus steamed towards the estuary.

"He's up to something, and I'd like to know what," Ten Cents said suspiciously. "That Zeus looks to be almost as trustworthy as Zorran!"

"Ah, but Sunshine's gone out to bring in a tramper," remarked Top Hat.

"Ah, Zeus'll know about it for sure," O.J. agreed.

"He wouldn't try to take it off her, would he?" Ten Cents asked.

"Well, of course he would; Zeus is painted like the rest of the Z-Stacks!" said Top Hat. "Who'd see him do it out there?"

"Right then; Ten Cents, you and I'll go and see fair play," O.J. said determinedly.

"Aye-aye, Sir!" Ten Cents agreed as the two tugs steamed off after Zeus. "Top Hat, you tell Captain Star about the quarantined ships."

"Oh dear, I don't know," Top Hat sighed to himself as he headed back to the port. "I do believe they see themselves as Sir Francis Drake."


Meanwhile, Warrior was busy with his usual garbage duties, but the hot weather was making his work even more unpleasant than usual.

"Warrior!" I called through the megaphone. "An urgent job for you has come through. Engineering parts are needed for Scuttlebutt Pete for dredging at the old docks. Could you please deliver them for me?"

"Of course, cap'n," replied Warrior, pleased to have the chance for cooler weather at the old docks.

"You'd better put Lord Stinker out of the way for the time being," I advised.

Warrior set off and along his travels, he came across a narrow gulley near the Zero Dock.

Perfect, he thought as he stored Lord Stinker before heading out to help Scuttlebutt Pete. Of course, he'd reckoned without Zob coming along after he'd left.

"What's that rancid smell?" Zob asked in disgust before noticing Lord Stinker.

"Honestly! The way some tugs handle their work! So unhygienic!" Zob grumbled. "I'd better move this before Captain Zero falls ill."

With that, Zob tied himself to Lord Stinker and moved him away.

"Oh dear," Lord Stinker said worriedly. "Warrior's not going to like this."


Out in the estuary, Sunshine saw Nantucket and was wise not to go right alongside. The yellow flag told her that the tramper hadn't yet been examined for infection.

"Those bugs must be all over the place," Sunshine said. Then, to her surprise, Nantucket lowered his flag.

"That's funny," remarked Sunshine. "How's he got clearance? Where's Peeper Pipes?" She was feeling tempted to get nearer but decided against it.

"You! Give me a tow, eh?" Nantucket shouted.

"Who? Me? No. Ah've got another job to do, Dirty Bucket – sorry, I mean, Nantucket," Sunshine replied, steaming away.

"There's somethin' fishy here and Ah'm not risking it, not me," she said to herself. Sunshine was right; no tug can risk being quarantined alongside an infected boat for forty days.


"Forget them! Unclean! Ugh!" Zeus muttered, before spotting Sunshine coming towards him. "Ahoy there! Sunshine, is it? What's new with you Star tugs?"

"New? Nothin' Ah know of," replied Sunshine. "I mean, you're new, does that count?"

"That's not what I meant!" growled Zeus. "Don't tell me you've come all this way for nothing!"

"No, no. Ah am workin', er… Zeus," replied Sunshine, taking a brief moment to read the name on his hull.

"You've got nothing in tow," said Zeus. "Nothing on deck. What are you working at?"

"Well, you see Ah was… it's secret work," replied Sunshine.

"Secret?" Zeus scoffed. "You mean you went out for an old tramper and found it's waiting for clearance. What's so secret about that?"

"Well, if Ah told you, then it wouldn't be a secret, would it?" Sunshine replied. Fortunately for her, O.J. and Ten Cents arrived.

"Problems, Sunshine?"

"Well, more like a mystery; to me, anyway," Sunshine replied. "Dirt Bucket was flying a yellow flag…"

"I hope you didn't get alongside," said O.J..

"Well, Ah was tempted," said Sunshine. "You see, it was pulled down just as I got there, but…"

"So it's been cleared, has it?" Zeus replied. "That's your secret. Right, it's mine!" With that, the Z-Stack's ocean-going tug pushed Sunshine out of the way and sped away to Nantucket.

"No!" snapped Ten Cents, chasing after Zeus. "No, it's not! Not if I get there first, it isn't!"

"Hey, stop! Come back!" O.J. called, but Ten Cents didn't listen, so O.J. chased after him.

"Stop, Ten Cents! Stop!" called O.J., pushing his engine so hard that the smoke from his stack turned black. "STOP!"

Ten Cents stopped as he heard O.J.'s engine break down with a loud bang and the paddle-driven tug drifted up next to Ten Cents.

"Alright, oh, what's the panic?" Ten Cents asked. "Now look at what you've done to your engine going at that speed!" And indeed, smoke started billowing from O.J.'s engine.

"The tramper will be waiting for an examination," replied O.J., "or it's quarantined. One or the other."

"No, Sunshine saw the flag come down," insisted Ten Cents. "That means it's cleared."

"Ah don't think it was," Sunshine replied, coming up alongside. "There was no sign of Peeper Pipes and he would have told if he was."

"That's what I thought," O.J. replied.

"What's this about a flag coming down?" called a voice; it was Peeper Pipes.

"Excuse me, Peeper Pipes," Sunshine asked. "Can you tell me whether Nantucket has been given clearance yet? Zeus is out there planning to bring him in."

"What?" cried Peeper Pipes. "He's got another week to go. Did you have any contact? If you did, you'd be in quarantine for forty days, I'm afraid."

"No, Sir, Ah kept well clear," said Sunshine, feeling very relieved. "But you'd better get out there and stop him coming into the harbour."

"I certainly will. Thank you for alerting me, Sunshine," said Peeper Pipes and set off at top speed.

"Thanks, O.J.," Ten Cents said gratefully. "If it wasn't for you, I'd have been in a spot of trouble. But I think Zeus may be in for a pretty miserable time. He may think we Stars couldn't catch a cold, but it looks as though he may have caught something an awful lot worse!"

"Oh, and your engine's gone, O.J.," Sunshine said sadly. "That's very serious for you."

"I know, I know," O.J. sighed. "But there's not much we can do about it. I guess it's either retirement or the scrapyard for me now."

"Don't worry," Ten Cents replied. "We'll tow you back to the Star Dock and talk to Captain Star about it." he bit his lip as he whispered. "O.J… if worse comes to worse… I am so sorry…"

"Shh, Ten Cents…" O.J. assured. "I should have been controlling my speed."

All the same, the three tugs were breathing shakily, wondering what the verdict would be.


As Nantucket wasn't flying a flag, Zeus pulled alongside.

"Good afternoon, Nantucket!" Zeus said politely.

"What do you want?" snapped Nantucket. "Are you here to give me a tow?"

"Of course I am," Zeus replied. "We Z-Stacks would never desert a client. I'd be more than happy to take you wherever you need to go!"

"Good," said Nantucket. "Get me into port and give it some stick!"

"Of course," Zeus replied. But before he could move, Peeper Pipes' whistle sounded.

"Hey! Hey, Nantucket, I left you with your quarantine flags up!" Peeper Pipes said. "Where are they, eh? Eh? You're breaking the law; you're under arrest! Get those flags up again and fast!"

"Err, yes, sir, sorry sir," Nantucket replied.

"What's this?" Zeus asked in surprise. "I didn't know he was quarantined, Officer. No flags were flying at all, as you just saw."

"Well, that's your bad luck, Zeus," Peeper Pipes said bluntly. "Whether you knew or not makes no difference. You're infected."

"But I'm innocent! I'm completely innocent!" protested Zeus, but it was no use.

"Get quarantine flags up right now, Zeus," ordered Peeper Pipes as he headed off.

"You're a real villain, Dirt Bucket, you know that?" Zeus said crossly as he raised his flags.

"I wanted to get into port, didn't I?!" retorted Nantucket.

"Yeah, and now I might get microbonic plaque," grumbled Zeus.


Meanwhile, Ten Cents and Sunshine towed O.J. back to the Star Pier, both a little sad because they knew what this could mean for the old paddle tug. When I saw O.J., I was concerned. I had been meaning to get O.J. overhauled for a long time but kept it aside, due to other factors like the purchase of Sunshine and Grampus. I was hoping that the damage wasn't as serious as it looked.

"How did this happen?" I asked.

"He put on maximum speed, Cap'n," explained Ten Cents. "To save me from quarantine."

"I'm afraid my engine's blown out for good, Captain," O.J. sighed sadly, "which means it's only good for scrap. Maybe it's time to send me for scrap as well, especially after what happened with Felicia this morning."

I couldn't believe what I had just heard. I had heard about the accident from Sunshine on her way to collect Nantucket and had a feeling he'd be shaken up but I did not anticipate O.J. considering himself up for scrap.

"No, no, no, O.J., please, I won't let you…" I began worriedly, but then I realised something. "What's that about quarantine, Ten Cents?"

"Well, if it hadn't been for O.J., I could have been in quarantine now," explained Ten Cents. "Out of action for forty days."

"Aye, Nantucket had lowered his flag just before I came up," added Sunshine. "But Peeper Pipes wasn't there so I left Nantucket and then that new tug Zeus charged forward to get him. Ten Cents began to chase after him, but O.J. chased Ten Cents to stop him before it was too late."

"Then Peeper Pipes confirmed that Nantucket hadn't been cleared," said Ten Cents.

"Don't go on about it," sighed O.J..

"Yes, don't," I agreed, biting my lip. "You'll have me in tears." O.J. blew his engine out just to prevent Ten Cents from ending up in a horrible position? My brave old tug…

"But honestly, Captain," Ten Cents insisted, "you've got to believe us! We're only reporting the facts!"

"Very commendable," I breathed. "O.J., you can't…"

It was at that moment that Burke and Blair arrived.

"Ahoy, Captain Star, Sir," Burke called. "Can we again offer our services?"

"We happened to see the subject of our previous visit being towed in," Blair put in.

"Old O.J.," said Burke, slyly, "in a worse state than ever. Wouldn't you say, Mr. Blair?"

"Finished, you could say," agreed Blair. "For a quick sale, let's say one hundred and fifty."

"That's not for O.J.?" cried Ten Cents. "Cap'n, you can't sell him!"

"What's the use, Ten Cents?" O.J. sighed, "one more disaster and the Star Fleet is finished. Besides, it would be far cheaper to buy a new tug who is stronger, fitter and more…"

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Ten Cents shouted, taking everyone else back (myself included), "Felicia sinking was not your fault, O.J.! You were trying to avoid being hit by Davy Jones! Yes, it was unfortunate what happened but that's no excuse to just give up! The O.J. I know would just keep going, no matter what! Yes, it would be cheaper to buy a new tug but it wouldn't be the Star Fleet without you in it!"

I really wanted to agree with Ten Cents, but deep down, I knew this wasn't either of our calls to make. "O.J.," I turned to the old tug, "is this what you want?"

"Captain?" O.J. asked.

"You've given many years of service," I said, trying to hide my shaky breath. "That's a praiseworthy effort; maybe with the right resources and a complete overhaul, you could give many more years of service to the port. Other captains would no doubt decide it's cheaper to sell you for scrap and buy a new tug to replace you, but… is that what you want? Because if it isn't, then… I won't sell you scrap."

Poor Ten Cents and Sunshine were about to cry themselves. Was there really going to be a funeral service in the near future?

"Well," O.J. said at last, "I appreciate you offering an overhaul and if I'm honest, Captain… I don't want to be scrapped. Ten Cents is right. I shouldn't just give up after one accident and I'm not going to! Not now, not ever!"

Ten Cents and Sunshine's smiles lit up the sky whilst Burke and Blair couldn't believe it. Their chance to finally get O.J. had gone up in smoke.

"There you go, Burke and Blair," I said, with newfound confidence in my voice. "O.J. is not for sale and he never will be! Now go!"

"Oh, well, if that's your attitude, you fork out for a new engine and refit," Burke scoffed.

"See if we care," Blair sneered.

"Ten Cents, tow O.J. to Lucky's Yard," I said. "New engine, complete refit."

"Yes, Sir, Cap'n Star, Sir," Ten Cents replied, reversing to O.J.. "Yeah, right at once, Sir!"

"Thanks, Captain," O.J. said happily. "I'll see you never regret it." he then added quietly, "And thank you, Ten Cents."

"Anytime, O.J.." smiled Ten Cents.

"Sunshine, Ten Cents doesn't need your help," I said. "We've got to make money to pay for this refit. Now, go and collect fuel for Sally Seaplane right away."

"Yes, Captain Star, Sir," Sunshine replied. "At once, Sir."

I sighed with relief. O.J. had decided to keep going… that was the true Star spirit. Hopefully, the other tugs wouldn't ever find out about this…


As evening drew near, Warrior had just finished working with Scuttlebutt Pete and went to collect Lord Stinker. But to his dismay, he wasn't there!

"Oh no!" he cried. "Where's Lord Stinker gone?!"

Poor Warrior quickly took off in pursuit of the missing barge. Soon, darkness fell and he was still searching for Lord Stinker. Eventually, Warrior decided to give up and head back for the Star Dock.

"Where could Warrior have gotten to?" wondered Ten Cents.

"Ah'm not sure," said Sunshine. Just then, Grampus surfaced above the water.

"Has anyone seen Warrior?" he asked. "I found Lord Stinker near the harbour mouth." It was at that moment Warrior steamed in.

"Has anyone seen Lord Stinker?" he asked.

"Maybe you should just follow your nose to him," Ten Cents suggested jokingly.

"Yeah, you'd smell him a mile away," Sunshine chimed in.

"Come on, Warrior; I'll show you where he is," said Grampus, leading the harbour tug to the harbour mouth.


"Oh, Lord Stinker!" Warrior cried in relief. "There you are. How'd you get over there?"

"I'll tell you everything on the way," chuckled the garbage barge. "Now we'd better finish the delivery."


A few weeks later, O.J. returned to service with a brand new engine and gave many more years of service to the port, much to Burke and Blair's chagrin. During that time, the weather cooled down and the risk of infectious disease decreased, much to everyone's relief. Ten Cents and O.J. had gained a great respect for each other because Ten Cents would have been quarantined if it hadn't been for O.J., and O.J. might have gone through with scrap if it hadn't been for Ten Cents.


As for Zeus, when his quarantine period ended, he returned to the Zero Dock where a snarling Zorran and an apoplectic Captain Zero were waiting.

"So, you try and put the port at risk of a massive epidemic, eh?" sneered Zorran.

"I had no idea that Nantucket was still in quarantine!" Zeus argued.

"SHUT IT, YOU INCOMPETENT TUG!" Captain Zero roared. "I TOLD YOU TO HELP IMPROVE THE IMAGE OF MY FLEET AND INSTEAD YOUR ACTIONS HAVE MADE ME EVEN MORE OF A LAUGHING STOCK!"

Zeus was shaken up by this.

"You know the scrap yard dealers are looking for useless tugs, don't you?" Captain Zero continued. "Now, next time you do something so stupid, I'll ask them what they'll offer for an ocean going tug, understand?"

"Yes, Captain, but you…"

"I SAID, SHUT IT!" snapped Captain Zero. "I'm going to give you one more chance, but you'll be working on the more menial jobs until you can be trusted again, so straighten up and fly right!"

"Right, you heard the captain!" barked Zorran. "Dredger duty now!"

With that, Zeus left the Zero Dock, passing Burke and Blair on the way. The two scrap dealers saw a chance for a tease.

"Mr. Burke, I think there might be some spots on Zeus," said Blair.

"I think you're right, Mr. Blair," agreed Burke. "We'll come back and check for rust later."

Burke and Blair snickered as they left Zeus with a horrified look on his face. Needless to say, he never did anything so foolish ever again.

The End


Author's note: This story has the most changes so far, mostly in regards to Captain Star. He was just despicable in this episode! I also added in a law for the tug boats: only they themselves can decide their fate. (Long story short, people should never do this. However, sentient vehicles do have this right). Ten Cents also gets more of a role in which he convinces O.J. to keep going, and we get introduced to three new characters: Zeus, Zob and Zilly, to compete with Hercules, Top Hat and Grampus, respectively.

Next time, the Tugs have to handle Navel Manouvers. And this is the first aunnual adaption on the pipeline, this will be fun.

EDIT: Little addition about Zeus mentioning that Hercules is his 'old buddy'. Of course, Hercules doesn't feel the same way.