Fears
Written by Jonathan Downs, Rachel Ravens and Zack Wanzer
Warning: The following story contains mentions Adolf Hitler, the Nazi regime, explosions and near death.
It had been a few months since the horrific attack on Bigg City Port and near murder of Zug; we were still recovering from the shock of these events. Peeper Pipes and his team kept an eye out for any trouble. Because Burke, Blair and Mr. Broke were suspects in Zug's almost murder, they were now missing in action. Heh, I'm willing to bet those cowards were trying to avoid detection.
Captain Lucky arranged counselling sessions for everyone who was affected by that tragic day. Even Captain Zero, Mr. Lloyd and I sought counselling. Of course, Captain Lucky was still dealing with her own trauma at losing both her parents in the attack. She too sought her own therapy sessions with Finbar, who had recently taken lessons in counselling himself.
After Captain Zero's announcing house was destroyed in the attack, he and the Z-Stacks relocated to our dock until the announcing house was rebuilt. The Stars and Z-Stacks were grateful for each other's company given the shock we received from the recent events, with the exception of Zak and Zeus, but Zorran made sure they were good house-guests.
Interestingly, Zak and Zeus were acting unusually quiet about this. Zorran couldn't help but feel suspicious. I don't blame him either since Zak and Zeus didn't show up after the Z-Stacks alerted us to Zug's disappearance.
Meanwhile, there was the issue of Captain Zero, Mr. Lloyd and I finding other tugs, another submarine and another engine to cover Top Hat, Zilly and Kirke's duties until they were mended; Zug had gone Up River so he and Robin could give each other comfort after their big scare. Captain Lucky proved to be a big help with finding someone to do Top Hat's work. I was placed with the choice she had made and decided to keep it as a surprise for my tugs as it would cheer us up immensely.
Mr. Lloyd made arrangements with the Indian Valley Railroad in Wisconsin to loan one of their engines to fill in for Kirke. As for Zug and Zilly's temporary replacements, well, Captain Zero didn't find any replacements – rather, the replacements found him…
Zorran was heading back to the Zero Dock. Zorran was heading back to the Star Dock. Captain Zero and I had finished his counselling session and were heading back with him.
"We appreciate the lift, Zorran," I said gratefully.
"No problem, Captain Star," replied Zorran. "How was the session?"
"We and Captain Lucky have made a good start," explained Captain Zero. "It will take a few more sessions, but…"
"Nah, I understand," Zorran said sympathetically. "Top Hat and Zilly were really brave, and poor Zug… Ugh, I hope Peeper Pipes and his team catch his almost killers soon."
"So do I," agreed Captain Zero. "Then Zug will feel more at ease. I'm glad Robin was willing to pitch in to help him."
Zorran then noticed something as they approached the Star Dock. "Say, Captain Star" he asked, "did you get another railway tug already?"
"Err… no," I replied. "Why do you ask?"
"There's a tug heading right for the Star Dock," said Zorran.
"We'd better check this out," said Captain Zero.
So the three of us headed back for the Star Dock and when we got there, our mouths dropped wide open in amazement. There, waiting at the Star Dock was a green harbour tug with a purple cap, which had a mermaid crest on top and red hair sticking from underneath - one who had been to Bigg City Port before. It was at that moment the Stars and the rest of the Z-Stacks."
"Zorran, Captain Star, Captain Zero, how did…" began Ten Cents, before noticing the harbour tug and his face lit up like a Christmas tree. The rest of the tugs' faces showed genuine smiles as well (not the sad smiles or brave faces they had been trying to put on) - all except for Zak and Zeus who just scowled, especially the former. Indeed, Captain Star and I were just as thrilled to see a friendly face.
"Hello, Ariel," I greeted, as Captain Zero and I stepped off Zorran. "It's wonderful to have you back."
"Greetings, Captain Star and Captain Zero," replied Ariel. "Hello, Star tugs and Z-Stacks."
"Welcome back to Bigg City, Ariel," greeted O.J..
"Thank you, O.J.," replied Ariel before her face fell. "I heard everything about Top Hat, Zug and Zilly. And… I'm sorry about your mother, Captain Star. I was working in Atlantic City when Captain Lucky came up on business and told me what had happened. She told me about her parents too."
"Thank you, Ariel," said Sunshine. "Did she tell you about Kirke and Sally as well?"
"Oh… yes, she did," said Ariel sadly. "Top Hat, Zilly, Kirke and Sally were incredibly brave, and lucky to have survived. But poor Zug… he didn't deserve that!"
"No, he didn't," said Warrior. "Neither did Captain Star's mother, Captain Lucky's parents or Mr. Krieger."
"Could you tell Mr. Krieger that I hope he recovers well?" asked Ariel.
"Sure," replied Warrior.
"As for Zug, we have a few suspects in mind – Burke, Blair and Mr. Broke," said Ten Cents darkly. "For this reason, Captain Lucky's had given the five of them a funeral service and subsequent scrapping herself."
"Oh… that must have been difficult for her," gasped Ariel. "Captain Lucky would never dream of scrapping a boat, plane, sub or engine."
"It was hard for her, m'dear," agreed Hercules. "But… she managed to get through it. Hopefully, she won't have to do it again."
"At least it gave our friends the proper sendoff," said Grampus. "Hopefully their journeys to the Moonlight Oceans and Great Railway were pleasant ones."
"I hope so too," agreed Ariel.
"So I take it that Captain Lucky was the one who arranged your arrival," said Captain Zero.
"That's right," said Ariel. "But she asked me to keep my arrival as a surprise for you as we felt it would cheer you guys up."
"It sure has," said Zip, before noticing Ten Cents. "And I know a certain switcher who is especially pleased."
"You have no idea how true it is," said Ten Cents, happy tears from his face. "I really missed you Ariel."
"I missed you too," said Ariel. "Penny misses you and Hercules. I've let her know what's happened and she sends her condolences."
"Thank you for letting us know, m'dear," said Hercules gratefully.
"Now, I might not have been designed for the work Top Hat did… but I will do my best to help," said Ariel.
"We appreciate your help, Ariel," I replied. "My deepest thanks."
"If you need any advice on car floats, just ask," said Zob.
"Thanks, Zob," replied Ariel, "And if you like, I would like to stay until the war is over. I think I could help Big Mac and Warrior with some of their jobs."
"We'd like that very much," said Warrior.
"Aye, thank ye, lass," smiled Big Mac.
"We could definitely use another harbour tug like you," said O.J., "I'm not nearly as strong as Big Mac and Warrior are."
"You're still helpful in other ways, O.J.," assured Warrior. "We wouldn't get by without your wisdom and experience."
"Thanks," the paddle steamer smiled
"Say, Ariel," called Zip, "How is Zio…" She stopped as she heard Sunshine whimpering. "Are you alright, Sunshine?"
"N-no! Ah'm terrified!" cried Sunshine. "L-look!"
Zip looked and gasped in horror.
"Suffering Stacks!" exclaimed Warrior.
"What in Neptune's name?!" cried Captain Zero.
"Is this some kind of joke?" I shouted angrily.
"Well, if it is, it's a cruel, sick one," Hercules said darkly.
Ten Cents growled like a wild animal about to pounce his prey but Zorran quickly threw a towline onto him to prevent him from actually doing it. Zorran, along with Zebedee, Zob, Big Mac, O.J. and Grampus all had scowls on their faces whilst Zak and Zeus secretly smirked at each other. There, coming towards the Star Dock, were a German U-Boat painted light grey, and next to him was a switcher who was painted white and had curly red hair with a tiara on top. Both were all too familiar. Although Ariel had never met them, she put two and two together and looked worriedly over at Sunshine.
"I don't believe it!" snapped Ten Cents. "Hans! Corona! What are you two doing here?"
"Oh, we heard some horrible news about your fleet members," replied Corona innocently.
"And ve decided to come as quickly as ve could to help," said Hans.
"Really?" Zorran asked suspiciously. "Where did you hear about Zug and Zilly's near death experiences? If I recall correctly, Hans, you and your partner Otto were put in dry dock for that stunt you tried to pull with Admiral Cardona's ships."
"Not to mention how you two tried to destroy the SS Clearwater and almost killed me," added Captain Star as he stepped off Zorran's deck.
"And as for you, Corona, you have been unwelcome around here ever since you and those three tugs named after poisonous plants tried to murder Sunshine," put in Zob. Sunshine winced at this.
"That's a very good point, Zob," agreed Captain Zero before turning to the two vessels. "There is no way I would ever let murderous vessels like you in my fleet, and Captain Star certainly would never let you two in his."
"Calm down, everyone," insisted Corona. "Have you heard of the term 'turning a new leaf'?"
"What do you think Zorran, Zebedee, Zug, Captain Zero and I had been doing for the past few years?" sneered Zip. "And even then, we never once resorted to murder."
"Although, admittingly, I once threatened Zeus with scrap and almost had Zebedee scrapped until Peeper Pipes reminded me of the law, neither of which I'm proud of," said Captain Zero. Dear Neptune, I was a real jerk back then, he thought to himself. "Give me one good reason why I should let you two stay," he said to Hans and Corona."
"I have come to realise just how awful Hitler is and even defected from Germany," replied Hans.
"Yeah, and I regret what I tried to do to you, Sunshine," said Corona. "You deserve your place in the Star Fleet. I wasted my place there the moment I tried to go through with that awful idea. Besides, it might be difficult trying to get another switcher and submarine in these conditions."
"I'd have preferred it if Zion had come instead of Corona," Zip muttered to herself, not noticing Ariel's uncomfortable look on her face. Then she turned to Captain Zero. "As much as I hate to admit, sir, they do make a good point," she said.
"Yeah, I mean, look at Pearl Harbour," agreed Zebedee. "There were a lot of vessels that were destroyed in the attack."
"Plus, submarines don't come cheaply, especially since the Navy needs them for any U-Boat attacks," said Zob.
"Well then, maybe we should give them a chance," said Zorran, "but Zebedee, Zip, Zob and I will have to keep a close eye on them."
Captain Zero took a moment to recompose himself. He didn't want these two in his fleet after they tried to kill me and Sunshine. But he did need some help. Plus, Corona did make a good point with Zorran, Zebedee, Zip and Zob. At last, he made his decision.
"Well," he said calmly, but sternly, "we are going to need all the help we can get in these tough times, and if you two are the only ones who can help, so be it. For now, I'll reserve judgement. We'll see if you two really changed for the better."
"Now, Ah really am terrified!" gulped Sunshine. "What if Nightshade, Oleander and Foxglove show up too?!"
"I don't blame you for being scared," sighed Ariel. "Ten Cents told Penny and me what she and those other three tugs tried to do to you."
"Neither can I," agreed O.J., "given my own near Final Firing at the hands of Burke, Blair and Mr. Broke, although that was more of an accident on Zip, Zug and Zilly's part and they wanted to correct their mistake. But Zak and Zeus had other ideas."
"Dae ye suppose they were behind Corona 'n' Hans' arrival?" suggested Big Mac.
"Well, I couldn't help but notice they didn't say anything to object to Corona and Hans' arrival," Zorran said thoughtfully.
"Maybe that's where they heard it from," said Grampus.
"But they'd need a person to 'help' them," said Zorran. "Maybe Mr. Broke. It's possible."
"Do you think Zak, Zeus, Corona and Hans had a hand in Zug's untimely death as well?" asked Ten Cents.
"I hate to say it, little brother," sighed Hercules, "but it sounds too big to be a coincidence."
"Plus Zak and Zeus did threaten Zug, Zip and Zilly with an 'accidental' Final Firing," agreed Grampus.
"Well then, I'd better ask Peeper Pipes and his team to keep a lookout for anything suspicious," said Zorran.
"That's a good idea, Zorran," Captain Zero replied. "The rest of you stay sharp too."
"Sunshine, I think you'd better go and see Captain Lucky," I said. "This has been a shock for you."
"Yes, Captain Star," replied Sunshine. "Thank you, Captain Star."
"Right, I'd better be off as well," said Zob. "The engine from the Indian Valley is arriving this afternoon and I've got to collect her. I'll warn her, the other engines and Mr. Lloyd about this."
"Good thinking, Zob," said Captain Zero.
"I'll come with you," said Ariel. "Then you can show me the ropes."
"That's a good idea, Ariel," agreed Zob.
"I'll go and alert the Salvage Team about Hans and Corona' return," said O.J.. "They used to be on good terms with Corona until she tried to kill Sunshine and Stormy captured Hans' partner Otto during the spy incident."
"Tell them I said hi," called Ariel.
"Will do," replied O.J. as he, Sunshine, Zob and Ariel moved off.
"Captain Star," asked Ten Cents. "Could you arrange for me to see Captain Lucky at some point to discuss my own fears."
"You mean the explosion that almost killed you?" asked Hercules.
"That's the one," sighed Ten Cents. "I'm grateful for you looking after me during the attack, but…"
"Say no more, Ten Cents," I replied. "That's a good idea to talk about your fears."
Later that afternoon, the engines were gathered at the Railhead to await the arrival of Kirke's replacement. Then, they heard two hooters on the horizon.
"Here comes Zob," said Porter. "And… no way. Is that… ?"
"Hello, engines, Mr. Lloyd, Zob," said the green harbour tug.
"Ariel!" exclaimed Mr. Lloyd. "It's good to see you again."
"Are you here to… cover… for Top Hat?" asked Henney.
"I am, Henney," replied Ariel. "Oh, and I heard about Kirke. He was a brave engine."
"As was Top Hat," replied a voice. The engines looked to see a small tender engine on board Eddie. She was painted in a two-tone blue livery with yellow lining, the letters IVRR on her tender and the number 91 on her cab. She had four large drive wheels, two smaller wheels at the front and a friendly smile on her face.
"Engines," said Mr. Lloyd, "I'd like to introduce you to Tillie. She has come from the Indian Valley Railroad to… to fill in for Kirke's duties while the war is still ongoing."
"Hello, Tillie, nice to meet you. I'm Puffa," called the tender-tank engine.
"I'm Little Owl," the number two engine said quietly.
"My name's Porter," said the number three engine, "and this is my sister Henney."
"Hello," said Henney.
"I'm Alexandria," said the cab-forward engine, "but you can call me Lexi."
"I'm Maeve," the gypsy engine said, "and this is Placido. He's a Climax Class C engine."
"Eeyup," replied Placido.
"Nice to meet you all," greeted Tillie as Porter helped her off the car float. "I'm glad Top Hat and Kirke are alright. They were both really brave."
"As were Sally and Zilly," agreed Zob. "Zug, on the other hand, did not deserve his near-death experience."
"Who could have done that to that poor switcher?" asked Tillie.
"Well, I've not told anyone else," replied Placido, "but I think there may be a connection between Zug's near-death and the attack."
"You mean… Zug's disappearance was a distraction?!" Lexi asked angrily.
"It's only a theory," said Placido, "but it's strange that Zug disappeared on the same day we were invaded."
"I think you might be onto something, Placido," agreed Mr. Lloyd. "I'll have to ask the Coast Guard to look into that."
"Oh that reminds me," said Zob, "I need you to warn that Hans and Corona have returned."
"You're joking me!" gasped Mr. Lloyd. "Those monsters?!"
"I'm afraid so," sighed Ariel. "They showed up at the Star Dock just moments after I arrived. Poor Sunshine was terrified to see the latter."
"Considering what Corona and those Poison Plant tugs tried to do to her, I'm not surprised," said Maeve.
"Zob filled me in on the details on the way up here," said Tillie. "So you don't worry about telling me what happened."
"But why would Captain Zero ask those two to come?" mused Porter.
"Well, that's just it," said Zob. "He didn't. They just showed up and claimed that they had heard the bad news from somewhere. We suspect they heard it from Zak and Zeus and the four of them might have had something to do with Zug's near-death."
"We'd better keep our eyes open then," said Puffa. "Zak and Zeus are bad enough on their own, but there's no telling what those two might do with Hans and Corona's help."
Everyone else agreed.
Sunshine was just finishing her counselling session with Captain Lucky.
"Rest assured, dearie," said Captain Lucky, "that the rest of the Star Fleet, the Salvage Fleet, Captain Star and I will be there if you feel worried at all."
"Thanks, Captain Lucky," Sunshine said with relief. "Ah'd better get back to the Star Dock."
"I'll let Captain Star know you're on your way back," said Captain Lucky. "Ten Cents should be coming here soon for his own counseling session."
"Regarding his fear of explosions?" asked Sunshine.
"That's right," replied Captain Lucky.
"Okay, well, thank you, Captain Lucky," called Sunshine as she left. "See you soon."
A few minutes later, Ten Cents arrived at Lucky's.
"Good afternoon, Ten Cents," greeted Captain Lucky.
"Good afternoon, Captain Lucky," greeted Ten Cents. "Thank you for agreeing to see me."
"My pleasure," replied Captain Lucky. "How are you feeling today?"
"Well, I'm pleased that Ariel has come back. Thank you for arranging it," smiled Ten Cents before his face fell. "But I'm also worried about Sunshine."
"I don't blame you," sighed Captain Lucky. "The poor dear was shaken up when she arrived earlier, but she's feeling a bit better now."
"That's good," said Ten Cents.
"Now then, dearie," said Captain Lucky. "I understand you want to talk about your fear of explosions."
"I do," sighed Ten Cents. "Hercules rushed me to that warehouse as soon as that air raid siren sent me into a panic. I'm grateful for that, but what if next time he isn't there?"
"That's understandable," said Captain Lucky. "I recall that during the White Fleet incident you and Sunshine saw the galleon bob up to the surface. Then there was that freak show which all caused sorts of lightning and explosions and it sent you in shock."
"That's why Hercules rushed me to that warehouse when he did," replied Ten Cents. "So he could comfort me during the invasion. It was also where we found Zug and the empty barrel."
"Well, your fear of explosions is understandable," replied Captain Lucky. "Such a traumatic experience can affect people in different ways. Take Zob, for example – the Dunkirk-Flanders disaster had a massive effect on him since he was unable to get my dear husband to a doctor in time. That's why he became grumpy and reserved. Then, there were those two engines – 5027 started acting cocky as a mask for her trauma, and Francis became extremely bitter as a result. Five years ago, Andrea and I were on holiday in the North East of England and we saw that he had become a toxic influence on two NER Class H tank engines, now reclassified LNER Class Y7s, named Barnaby and Daryl."
"Oh my!" gasped Ten Cents.
"Indeed," sighed Captain Lucky. "I fear those three are going to end up doing unspeakable things in the future. You, on the other hand, are doing the right thing by talking about your trauma. So, let's discuss ideas on trying to cope with your fears, shall we?"
Zip had overheard the conversation and was deep in thought.
Zob was quite brave to open up about his past, wasn't he? she thought to herself. Maybe I should ask him to help me become a braver tug. With this war, we're all going to need to be brave.
I decided to have Sunshine work with the Salvage Fleet for a few days to help her recover from her shock. Needless to say, they were not pleased with the news O.J. had given them. When Zug heard as well, he was struck with terror but he didn't say why.
"I don't believe it!" snapped Scorpio. "That little brat has some nerve showing her face around Bigg City after she tried to murder Sunshine!"
"And Hans as well," said Stormy bitterly.
"It's Corona Ah'm worried about," said Sunshine. "If she's back, what's to stop the Poison Plant trio from coming back?"
"Don't worry, sis," assured Moonlight. "If Corona tries anything, I'll make sure Peeper Pipes deals with her. It's what he and the other Coast Guard vessels are here for."
"Moonlight's right," assured Pisces. "We'll protect you from harm, Sunshine."
"Thanks, Pisces," Sunshine said gratefully. Although they weren't built at the same works, Sunshine had always seen Pisces as a big sister figure and she certainly needed that right now.
"Zug…" said Robin. "We won't let them hurt you either."
"Indeed not," assured Scorpio. "Those monsters will think twice when they see us."
Zug said nothing. He seemed to have gone into shock.
"Zug?!" Hail called. "Oh no…"
Robin threw a towline to her older brother; the other tugs looked on with concern.
"Shh, Zug…" she whispered. "I'm here…"
Just then, they heard Billy Shoepack approaching them.
"Hello, Sunshine," he said. "What brings you up this way? And… is Zug alright?"
"Oh, hi, Billy," said Sunshine. "Ah'm working up here for a few days. So is Zug." Then, she quickly explained about Corona and Zug's shell shock.
"Oh, my!" gulped Billy. "Well, if you need any help, I'm here for you and Zug. Don't worry."
"Thanks, Billy," said Sunshine gratefully. Hmm, she thought, Ah wonder why Zug went in shock like that. Could those two have had with his near-death?
Later, Zip was talking to Zob at the waterworks.
"So you want me to help you become braver," said Zob thoughtfully. "That would certainly make sense, given these current times. So, what causes you to become scared?"
"It's the unexpected that frightens me," explained Zip. "When Zug and I encountered Flotsam and Jetsam, we were just freaked out by their large green eyes. That's also why we were afraid of the White Fleet. They looked similar to Flotsam and Jetsam."
"That's why you thought their ghosts had come back to haunt you," mused Zob.
"And so did Sea Rogue since they had captured O'Malley," replied Zip. "Then there was how cruel Zug, Zak, Zeus, Top Hat and I were to Jimbo since we had never seen a diesel tug. To us, he was a threat, but after he rescued Ten Cents from sinking, Top Hat, Zug and I realised that Jimbo was not a bad tug at all."
"Then there's the matter of Zak and Zeus threatening you, Zug and Zilly with the Final Firing," said Zob. "You three were so scared you didn't tell the Stars about O.J.."
"What kind of tug threatens their colleagues like that?" sighed Zip. "Plus, there was that time Zug, Zebedee, Zilly and I were framed for treason, and when Zug went missing as well as the attack."
"Well, Zip," said Zob, "if I can give you this advice, bravery is not the lack of fear, it's the facing of it. That means feeling the fear, the doubt, the insecurity and deciding that something else is more important."
"That's a good start," said Zip. "Thanks, Zob."
"No problem," replied Zob.
For the next few days, Ten Cents went to see Captain Lucky to get some advice on conquering his fear of explosions. Ten Cents was beginning to feel better for it. He had been concentrating on his breathing whenever he felt stressed and he'd been talking to the others about his fears.
"That's it, Ten Cents," soothed O.J.. "There you go."
"Thanks, O.J.," smiled Ten Cents weakly. "How are you holding up?"
"Decently enough," said the paddle steamer. "I still can't believe we… almost lost Top Hat and Big Mac."
"Y-yeah…" sighed Ten Cents. "They were both very brave… but I cowarded in the old warehouse. Why didn't I help Top Hat? I was nearby."
"Ten Cents," assured O.J., "if you went out there while shell shocked, you'd be as much a danger to others as yourself. When Top Hat sees you again, he will be relieved to know you were safe."
Ten Cents gave a weak smile. "Yeah… you have a point, O.J.."
"Come now," said O.J.. "We'd better find Scuttlebutt Pete before he gossips about us slacking off."
Ten Cents laughed before he and O.J. set off.
Ariel was also doing a good job with the car floats, despite not being built for railway tug work.
"Okay, so I just take these straight across the canal, right?" Ariel asked Porter.
"Correct," he replied. "Just try your best, Ariel."
"Thank you." She tied Eddie and Frank to either side and started to move off.
"Say, Ariel," said Eddie. "We hear you're fond of learning about life on land."
"Oh, I am," she replied. "You must hear a lot of things about that."
"We have," said Frank. "Did you know that this company called Disney rolled out the first animated movie?"
"No," Ariel gasped in surprise. "When did this happen?"
"In 1937," said Eddie. "Something about seven dwarfs."
"Seven?" giggled Ariel. "Ooh, plus my sisters back home, there's seven of us."
"Is one of them Grumpy?" asked Eddie.
"There's no way you'd be that dwarf," added Frank. "You'd be Happy for sure."
Ariel giggled at that. "I think if there was a Disney movie with characters named me and my sisters," she said, "it would more likely be about mermaids."
"Disney's 'The Little Mermaid'?" mused Frank.
"Sounds like a great idea," said Eddie. "You could be the leading role, who knows? There's been a few movies out since that seven dwarf movie."
"Oh wow," smiled Ariel. "such as?"
"There is this one that recently came out about a deer…"
On the Dockside Railway, Tillie was resting after her latest train, when Henney came in with a line of freight cars.
"Phew," she panted. "It'll be tough going getting up the hill."
"Well, we can do it together," smiled Tillie. "Come on. I'll bank you up."
"Thanks, Tillie," Henney replied. Tillie buffered up behind and the two set off.
"I think I can, I think I can," Tillie hummed to herself.
"Heh, no wonder Top Hat said you were nicknamed 'The Little Engine That Could'," giggled Henney. "Kirke will be thrilled to meet you."
"And I would like to meet him too," replied Tillie.
As for Hans and Corona, they were surprisingly well-behaved, but we still didn't trust them.
Zob kept giving Zip useful tips for being braver and she took note of that.
"Got that barge of engineering parts secure, Zip?" asked Zob.
"I think so… oh no!" she cried as the rope came loose.
"Gotcha!" Zob quickly pushed the barge back into position.
"Thanks, Zob," smiled Zip.
"Come on, Zip!" called Corona. "We're going to be late for the engineers."
"You watch your back, Zip," said Zob. "I'd better join Ariel at the railhead."
"I will," said Zip.
The two switchers moved off, when Hans popped out from under the water.
"What is it, Hans?" Zob scoffed.
"There's some debris down here that the Salvage team missed," he explained.
"Right," Zob said firmly. "I'll tell Pieces about it."
Later, the Salvage Team, Robin, Zug and Sunshine were helping to clear it up.
"This takes me back," Sunshine said fondly. "I sometimes miss working with you."
"Same here," agreed Misty. "But we're glad you ended up with the Stars."
"Do you think that… on the day of the Blitz, more stars joined the sky?" asked Moonlight.
"Well," Sunshine considered, "Ah never thought about it like that before. Maybe… maybe Captain Star's mother and Captain Lucky's parents are up there now, shining down on us."
"Maybe they are a trio of 'lucky stars'," giggled Pisces, and Sunshine and the Salvage tugs all laughed.
"I'm sure those three are heavily missed," said Sea Rogue, as he, O'Malley and Billy passed with some barges of supplies. "How are you holding up, Sunshine, Zug?"
"Better for seeing you three, Robin and the Salvage Team," Sunshine admitted.
"Yeah," agreed Zug. "It's been wonderful being up here. Robin is an amazing sister."
"Maybe we can look for the stars of Captain Star's mother and Captain Lucky's parents tonight," suggested O'Malley.
"It is comforting that they are still remembered," said Billy. "And they will be, so long as we tell their stories."
"Just infuriating that Corona is covering for Zug," snorted Scorpio. "She doesn't deserve that kind of honor."
Just the mention of Corona's name made Zug wince.
"Are you alright?" asked Robin.
"I-I'm fine," said Zug nervously.
"Don't worry, Zug," replied Scorpio. "We won't let that brat harm you."
"Yeah, if she tries anything fishy, she's getting the boot," Stormy fumed.
"That's reassuring, girls," smiled Sunshine weakly.
Unfortunately, there came an incident that would leave her and everyone else massively shaken…
Ten Cents was approaching the end of another session with Captain Lucky.
"Well, Ten Cents," she said, "I'm pleased with the progress you're making."
"It's all thanks to you, Captain Lucky," he said. "Your advice is second-to-none."
"Thank you, dearie," smiled Captain Lucky. "So have you given any thought of that suggestion I made?"
"Yes, and I'm still not sure I can," admitted Ten Cents.
"Is there any particular reason?" asked Captain Lucky.
"It's whether I'm ready for it," said Ten Cents. "I mean, I'm not quite over my fear of explosions yet."
"Ten Cents, dearie," said Captain Lucky, "bravery is not the absence of fear. It's about the facing of such fears. In times of crisis, there will be fears that may arise, but we must try and decide what is more important."
"That is a good point," admitted Ten Cents. "I'll speak to Captain Star about it. Thank you, Captain Lucky."
"My pleasure," replied Captain Lucky. Then, they heard Hercules' hooter and the ocean-going tug came in, looking alarmed.
"Ten Cents!" he gasped. "Thank goodness, I found you."
"Hercules! What's wrong?" asked Ten Cents.
"There's been an incident up river," said Hercules, and he quickly explained everything.
Earlier That Day
The Salvage Fleet, Zug and Robin were clearing debris from a boat that had sunk the night before.
"We should get Captain Lucky to scrap this boat as well," said Stormy. "Burke and Blair haven't been seen since Zug was killed, and even then, I don't trust those scavengers."
"Mmm-hmm!" said Moonlight. "Maybe someone more decent than Mr. Broke should buy the breaker's yard and replace those two with far less sinister tugs."
Suddenly, they heard a loud explosion.
"What was that?!" asked Stormy worriedly.
"Ugh, I swear if Billy has fallen into old habits…" groaned Ember.
"We'd better check it out," said Pisces. "Come on!"
The Salvage Team and Robin, who had moored off a barge, rushed over to the scene of the explosion and goggled in horror. All they could see was a sunken barge of dynamite, the hull of an alligator tug with a dented cabin, a cracked funnel and two paddle wheels that had cracked. Then, Pisces, Scorpio and Misty gasped in horror when they saw the paddle wheels that had the name "BILLY SHOEPACK" written on it.
"No…" gasped Moonlight, his voice barely a crack. "Oh, Moonlight Oceans above! Sunshine!"
Sunshine had been towing off a barge when she heard the explosion. As soon as she heard her brother's cry, she tied the barge off and rushed over as did Zug who had been resting nearby.
"Moonlight, what's wro…" Sunshine began before gasping in horror. "BILLY! No! No, no, no! First Zug, then Top Hat, Zilly, Sally, Kirke, Mr. Krieger, Captain Star's mother and Captain Lucky's parents, and now Billy Shoepack too?! No near deaths or actual deaths! Please! No more! This war has gone on far too long!" And Sunshine broke down crying as did Hail, Misty and Robin.
Suddenly, Billy started to open his eyes.
"He's awake!" gasped Zug.
"W-what happened?" asked Billy. "Where am I? Who am I?"
"Billy Shoepack," said Zug. "Don't you remember? You are our friend who lives Up River."
"No, I don't," said Billy. "I don't remember any of you."
"Oh no!" gasped Moonlight. "He's lost his memory from the attack."
"Don't worry," said Robin. "We know where you live, and who you belong to."
"Y-yes," said Misty. "You can trust us, Billy."
"Well… you all seem friendly enough," Billy admitted. "Er… I don't know why I'm here. What was going on. But… I think someone tried to kill me."
"Well… that's true," sighed Ember.
"I bet the Nazis did this," Sunshine growled, her tears turning angry.
"We don't even know if it was the Nazis who tried to kill him," insisted Pieces.
"Oh yes, we do!" snapped Stormy. "Look what I found!" The grumpy salvage tug bought forward a flag with a symbol that struck fear into many.
"The swastika!" gasped Pisces and Scorpio.
"The… the what?!" gasped Billy.
"We'll fill you in later," said Hail.
Just then, Sea Rogue and O'Malley came up.
"We heard an explosion," called Sea Rogue. "Is everyone al – Oh, dear Neptune, not Billy!"
"He survived the attack," said Zug, "but he's got amnesia."
"And this flag belongs to the cultrips!" Stormy said angrily.
"Oh no!" gasped O'Malley. "There are still Nazis in Bigg City Port."
"We've got to call an emergency indignation meeting at the Railhead!" Pisces said urgently. "I'll head back to Port and alert the others what's happened. Ember, go and fetch Captain Salvage. Moonlight, take Sunshine back to the pier and comfort her. Sea Rogue, O'Malley, you two tell Billy's owners about his near-death. The rest of you, clear up the mess."
Right Now
Ten Cents and Captain Lucky were horrified by this. Billy Shoepack was almost killed and lost his memory, and worst of all, Nazis were still invading Bigg City.
"We need to head to the Railhead at once!" said Hercules. "O.J.'s collected Captain Star and Zorran's bringing Captain Zero. Ten Cents, you bring Captain Lucky."
"Er, right," said Ten Cents, still a bit shaken by the news.
Soon, we all had gathered at the Railhead. There was a mixture of shock, horror, sadness and anger at this horrific incident.
"Poor Billy," sighed Big Mac. "Ah know we rarely got on, but he didnae deserve this."
"H-he was able to… literally blast us out of trouble before," said Sunshine, still sobbing. "But he almost couldn't save himself…"
"I… I did?" asked Billy. "I… wish I could remember."
"Wars bring too much destruction and devastation," sighed O.J.. "We're sorry this happened, Billy."
"If only we could make this stop…" agreed Warrior.
Just then, Mr. Lloyd blew a conductor's whistle to get everyone's attention. Then Pisces spoke.
"Everyone, a disturbing incident occurred today up river," said Pisces. "Billy Shoepack was almost been blown up by his own dynamite. Although he survived the attack, he's lost his memory. What's worse is that Stormy found a horrifying piece of evidence at the scene of the crime. Captain Salvage?"
Captain Salvage, with a haunted look on her face, presented the swastika. Gasps of horror rang out from the crowd.
"Why would the Nazis want to try to murder someone like Billy Shoepack?" gulped Maeve.
"I d-don't know," said Henney with fear in her voice. Porter tried to comfort his sister, but he was scared himself.
"In light of this incident, we must tighten our security," said Thomas. "I'm going to request to the chief that we introduce a curfew whereby all civilians, be they human, land vehicle or watercraft, must be home by 1900 hours and will not be allowed to leave that area without special permission. Only police and military personnel will be allowed out at this time."
"That's 7:00pm, right?" asked Hail.
"Yes, it is," replied Hercules.
"We will also be implementing security checks on incoming and outgoing vessels," added Pepper Pipes.
Ten Cents didn't seem to hear those bits. He was deep in thought.
"Ten Cents, are you listening?" I asked.
"Captain Star," said Ten Cents, "I'm going to volunteer for the navy!"
There were gasps of shock at this, especially from myself, my fleet, Ariel and Zip.
"Ten Cents, you can't seriously…"
"Hercules, we've lost too many lives in this war, and two of our own were almost taken!" insisted Ten Cents. "How many more until Hitler himself invades America? I won't let that happen!"
There was a long silence at this.
"Is this because of my suggestion?" asked Captain Lucky.
"Partly that as well," said Ten Cents, before turning his attention to the others. "I've been taking counseling sessions with Captain Lucky about my fear of explosions and she thinks if I confront my fears, it'll give me a sense of empowerment, and that joining the navy could help. Like she, fear is not the absence of fear, it's about facing it."
Jimbo and Admiral Cardona looked thoughtfully at each other.
"Well, Ten Cents," said Jimbo, "Hercules has said you were really brave on the night of the munitions disaster, and your dedication to this country is exemplary. We'd be honored for you to enlist."
"Well, if Ten Cents is goin' join the navy, then Ah'm joinin' tae!" said Big Mac. "Ah won't let those monsters harm anyone."
"I'm joining as well!" called Hercules. "I've been in the Navy once, and I'd do it again. Ten Cents is right. We can't let Hitler win."
"Are you three absolutely sure about this?" I asked, trying to hide my own fears.
"Yes, sir," the three tugs said bravely.
"Admiral," asked Zorran, "is it possible for Z-Stacks to join up?"
"Z-Zorran?!" gasped Captain Zero.
"I know, my past is shady at best," admitted Zorran, "and I may have been a crook, but I was an American crook!"
"You know," said Zip, "Zob told me that fear is about facing your fears and not the absence of it, so I'm going to sign up as well."
"Z-Zip?!" gasped Zug. "Are you sure?"
"Trust me, Zug, I'm not going to back down."
"Right! I'm joining too," said Zak.
"And why would you want to join the army?" asked Zob.
"I see no reason not to," said Zak nonchalantly. Zorran just looked at him suspiciously. Captain Zero and I just looked at each other in amazement. Three of our tugs were volunteering themselves for the navy.
"Well…" I said, shedding a tear. "You're doing a very noble act. I'll get some tugs to fill in for you here in your absence. Just… please, make it home safe, my tugs."
"Zorran, Zip," said Captain Zero, taking off his hat, "you two have come a long way since our shady days and I'm proud of you for doing this. I'm not sure why Zak is doing this, but… hopefully this is a sign he's turning over a new leaf at last. Like with Captain Star, I'll arrange for other tugs to do your work. But, please… come home safely."
"Yes," agreed Ariel. "Please, guys. Please make it home safe."
"I'll get Billy to my yard to fix him up," said Captain Lucky. "Ten Cents, Big Mac, Hercules, Zorran, Zak and Zip, godspeed to you six."
"Alright then," said Admiral Cardona. "Ten Cents, Big Mac, Hercules, Zorran, Zak and Zip, I salute your bravery! There is no doubt in my mind you six will make Bigg City and the United States proud!"
"Captain Star!" called Grampus. "I've just had an idea! Why don't we get Penny to do Ten Cents' work whilst he's away?"
"That's an excellent idea, Grampus," I said. "I'll contact the harbour master at Boston to make the arrangements."
"Right then," said Pisces. "Meeting adjourned. Remember, everyone. Stay vigilant and obey the curfew at all times."
"Captain Zero," said Admiral Cardona. "Could I have a word with you?"
"Of course," Admiral," said Captain Zero. "What is it?"
Just as we left for the meeting, Moonlight looked at Robin.
"There's something I need to talk to you about," he said.
"What is it?" she asked. I couldn't hear the rest of the conversation as I boarded Ariel and we sort back to the Star Dock.
"Since you're thinking of bringing Penny back," said Ariel, "there is a harbour tug and an ocean-going tug currently on loan on Boston who could fill in Big Mac and Hercules. Surprisingly, these two tugs seemed to know one of the Stars."
"Surprise me then," I said, folding my arms. Sure enough, I myself was surprised with the names Ariel gave, but that's another story.
As Captain Lucky was helping to mend Billy, Top Hat, Zilly and Sally tried to help Billy remember them and the rest of his friends.
"You were a massive help in the past," said Top Hat. "Remember when we were trapped by that tramper Up River?"
"A tramper?" asked Billy. "Hmm… I… I think I remember seeing something block the river. Were you all there?"
"N-no," Zilly replied. "O-only Top Hat, Sunshine, O.J., Zug and Big Mac."
"Indeed," said Top Hat. "You blew the tramper to pieces and we all followed through the gap."
"Sunshine…" trailed Billy. The smiling face of the switcher crossed his mind. "Oh. She lives up to her name alright. Have I known her for a while?"
"Yes," chuckled Sally. "She lived Up River while owned by Mr. Mitton. She's owned by the Star Fleet now. You saved her from burning logs too."
"Burning logs?" gasped Billy. "How… how did I do that?"
"You had a controlled explosion," said Top Hat. "You were really good at it, and took things very seriously."
"Hmm," chuckled Billy. "Oh yes, very loud bangs, but you must handle things with care!"
That's the Billy we know, Sally smirked. It's a start at least…
It was a small start, but fragments of memories returned to Billy bit by bit. We weren't completely sure if he would ever get to where he used to be, but his personality was still the same. When we did discover who almost killed Billy Shoepack and Zug, this would lead to a battle to save Bigg City Port from Nazi occupation.
To Be Continued
Author's notes: Well, while everyone survived, Billy Shoepack did not get out unscathed. He has amnesia, and subsequent stories will be showcasing him dealing with it. Poor Zug is getting the brunt of trauma in this version too, as we'll see in the next story.
Next time, the tugs have to work their hardest in Saving Bigg City from the terrorists.