Hyperactive

One day in the Great Big Harbour, Carla the cool cabin cruiser is just cruising along, minding her own business. As she usually does. "What a fine day it is," Carla said to herself. She doesn't mind not doing a job at all as she thinks of it as a hobby.

However, this sometimes makes her careless. "Hey!" Emily, who was working with Constance cried, "Watch out, Carla!" Carla had just sped in between the two boats. "Careful!" Constance said severely. "Sorry!" Carla called back as she moved on. "I'm trying," said Emily, "To help her. Sometimes."

ven though Carla has a reckless attitude, she is still a good friend to Emily. Well, almost. "Hello," Millie called out to Carla. "Hi, Millie!" Carla called back before she zoomed off to another place in the harbour. "All right, I'll tell you later!" Millie called when Carla didn't answer her.

For most of the day, Carla did whatever she wanted to. She did the same thing the next day. Especially after Theodore and Hank sent Kingston, the small cargo ship off to sea. Today, the small cargo ship is carrying special fuel tanks. "Good job," said Hank.

"Right," Theodore agreed, "Who knows what could happen if those tanks goes off?" "Ugh," Hank shivered, "It's horrid to think about it." "Right there, Hank," said Theodore, "Come along, Emily and Foduck are waiting for us with another container ship."

"Right," Hank agreed and the two set off. "There was something I tried to do," Hank said to himself, "When Carla interrupted me."

A few minutes later, Carla decided to go zig-zagging in between ships. First, she sped in between Julia and Igloo. Then she decided to do 2 loop-de-loops around Katherine and finally, she reversed into Caroquette. "Watch it!" Caroquett called down to Carla. "That was cool!" Carla said to herself in a satisfied voice.

"Carla!" a voice boomed. "Oh, my," Carla replied as Pearl, the pilot boat approached her with a sour tone. "You need to watch where you're going!" Pearl said sternly, "You nearly caused an accident! Think next time!" "Sorry, ma'am," Carla replied as Pearl set off again, "Good luck with that sour note." "Grr," Pearl growled as she left.

Carla was about to continue on, she started to go slower and slower. She knew what is wrong. "I'm running low," she thought to herself, "On fuel. I need to get more." So she stopped at the fuel dock to get herself refueled.

She thought about games she would like to play with her friends. "Maybe Emily would like to go exploring with me," Carla thought to herself, "Or maybe Sigrid would like to play charades. Or maybe scuba!"

However, after she had finished refueling, she felt a strange tingling sensation in her engine. "Wow," she thought, "Today's fuel supply is sure up in the air!" Her eyes suddenly bulged like they were about to pop out. Well, not really, the point is obvious.

"Wow!" Carla shouted, "What was that?! I know what that was, I have to play a lot of games with my friends!" Carla quickly left the fuel docks. Then suddenly, she began to go faster than her usual speeding speed. Her propeller started to spin faster than normal. "I have to go!" Carla shouted, "NOW!"

"Wow," Benjamin said, "That little cabin cruiser sure is fast today." Carla quickly left Benjamin behind. To his surprise, he got splashed by a geyser, which burst out from where Carla was before she sped away. "Argh!" Benjamin spluttered after he got wet, "Didn't expect a cold shower! An upside-down shower!" Carla didn't take any notice.

Now Carla is speeding everywhere she goes. "I have to find my friends!" She shouted as she sped by Bedford buoy. "Hello," Bedford called out, only for Carla to splash him onto Willy's Island. "This is uncalled for," Bedford said. Next, Carla approached Pearl. "Oh what now?!" Pearl asked.

Carla then gave Pearl a great, big splash as she zoomed away like a lightning bolt. "Ugh!" she groaned, "Carla! What's the big deal?!" Of course, Carla didn't hear Pearl.

At the same time, George was docking Gloria Cornwallis into a loading dock. "Steady," said Petra. "Right," George replied. "Thank you," said Gloria Cornwallis. That's when Carla sped by the three.

The wake she created shoved George into Gloria Cornwallis. "Ouch!" cried Gloria Cornwallis. And the big ship slammed into the dock. "Ouch!" cried Gloria Cornwallis, "Not again!" The wake also forced Petra into the big ship as well. "Ouch!" Gloria Cornwallis cried again. "That what bumping boats feels like," said Petra. "Carla!" George yelled, "You'll pay for this!"

However, Carla continued to speed all over the Great Big Harbour at lightning fast speed. "I am on the run!" Carla shouted as she splashed the Dispatcher. "Ugh!" he groaned, "Today is not my lucky day." "Uh huh," Donald Dock agreed. "Right," the Dispatcher agreed, "Not my dry day."

Emily was towing Guysborough the garbage barge around when Carla splashed the two. "Whoa!" Emily cried. "You accursed cabin cruiser!" Guysborough shouted, "Look what you've done to me!" "What was that all about?!" Emily shouted.

But Carla didn't take any notice. Carla even splashed Julia, Katherine, and Jennifer, who were all enjoying their quiet chat. All three big ships were soaked from stem to stern. "Someone is going to pay for this!" said Julia, "Luckily my vegetables had already been unloaded, so I didn't get wet farms."

It is clear by now that Carla, although she wanted to see her friends, she is going so fast that she stopped thinking at all. Carla splashed Owan the giant oil rig. "Tidal wave!" Owan hollered. And she splashed Tex, too. "Not Texas," he drawled, "My moustache got wet!"

But Carla didn't know as she sped in between Phillip and Filmore, the ferry twins. The wave she made sent the two ferries on a super fast trip to their docks. The hard way, of course. "Now you've entered the express!" they shouted together as they bumped into their docks.

Meanwhile, Foduck was checking Digby's cables. "Nothing dangerous with your cables," Foduck told Digby. "Thank you," Digby replied. That's when Carla suddenly sped by the two. The wave she made splashed Foduck and forced Digby out of the water and onto a large rock.

"Jibberty-spiggoty!" Digby cried, "Not again!" "Typhoon! Hurricane! Hypercane!" Foduck called out, "Wait, what?! Carla!" "I'm stuck!" Digby groaned, "Not again!" "Well," said Foduck, "I'd thank George for telling me this story. That's odd, Carla is going faster than normal. But how?"

At the same time, Theodore and Hank were bringing Margaree Pride into the harbour. Today, it was an easy job for the two, but suddenly, Carla approached them. "Watch out!" cried Margaree Pride. "Evasive action!" Theodore shouted. Hank replied, too.

But too late as Margaree Pride hit an underwater rock. "Argh!" Margaree Pride cried. "Ah!" Theodore cried, "We've tore a hole into the ship! I can't think right now!" "Happens," Margaree Pride replied sadly. "We need help!" Hank called out. "I'll get Shelburne!" Theodore said, "You stay here and keep the ship safe. Everyone too!" "Right!" Hank replied as Theodore left to get the big barge.

After Foduck got Digby off the rocks, he immediately inspected the fuel docks. Also, before doing so, he pulled Bedford the bell buoy, off of Willy's Island and back into the water. "Something isn't right," he said as he checked everything and that is when he made a shocking discovery.

"Oh no!" Foduck exclaimed, "Incorrect fuel! This belongs to NASA!" Minutes later, after Theodore and Hank took Margaree Pride to the repair docks, Foduck approached the two tugs. "We have an emergency!" he cried, "More like a mistake."

"Well, the thing is," Hank said, "We now have a crazy lightning Carla the Zany, Speeding Cabin Cruiser going all over the place!" "That is true!" Benjamin called, "She gave me a cold shower!" "She's going so fast that she's creating gigantic waves everywhere she goes," Foduck went on, "And I know what happened!"

"What?" Hank asked. "The fuel dock has the wrong fuel!" Foduck said and he explained everything. "Uh oh," said Hank meekly, "I didn't check the transfer hoses correctly! Carla had distracted me!" "So Kingston got our normal fuel by mistake," said Theodore.

"And we have rocket fuel!" Hank concluded, "All to ourselves?" "Afraid so," said Foduck. "Well, Carla was the only boat to have taken fuel from the dock in the last 2 hours," Hank said. "So we still have a chance," said Foduck, "I've already set things straight. But we have to find Carla now!" "Right!" Theodore agreed, "She'll damage herself!" The three tugboats wasted no time.

Before, Foduck blocked off the fuel docks and alerted the Dispatcher, who immediately called Kingston back to the Big Harbour. The three tugboats had to find Carla immediately. George and Emily also joined in. Foduck explained everything to the two tugboats. "That's all," said George. "Hurry!" Theodore cried, "Carla will damage herself!"

But by the time the tugboats had found Carla, it was too late. Her engine was bellowing thick, black smoke. "Oh dear," Theodore said depressed. "The rocket fuel had damaged her engine," said Foduck, "She used too much of it in a short amount of time!"

"Carla?" Emily called out, "Are you all right?" "No," Carla groaned, "I feel sick." "Serves you right!" George shouted, "For being such a reckless maniac!" "Sorry," Carla groaned.

"George!" Foduck shouted, "Not now! We have to take her to the repair docks right now!" "Right," George agreed. "But it was amazing seeing you go light speed," Hank said. So the five tugboats towed Carla to the repair docks.

On their way, Carla had to pass by angry faces of the many ships and boats whom she splashed during her one hour of hyper speed. She knew that she is in trouble as she had been dropped off at the repair docks.

Days later, Carla's engine had been repaired and Foduck succeeded in having all of the rocket fuel removed from the fuel dock and replaced it with normal boat fuel and oil. It was lucky that Kingston hadn't gone too far so that he could return to help out.

"Got to be more careful next time," Foduck told Hank. "Right," Hank agreed, "And try to be more careful, even when being interrupted."

By the time Carla had returned to normal, she had been grounded by Constance and Nautilus for her reckless actions, not allowed to leave her dock. She also had been reprimanded and given a red strike in the Great Big Harbour book.

Nonetheless, she can still have visitors. "Hey Carla," said Theodore. "Hi," Carla replied. "How are you doing?" Millie asked. "Doing better now," Carla answered, "Well, kind of." "Not allowed to leave your dock for a month?" Emily asked, "Yeah, I know. Boring, isn't it?"

"Well, it serves you right!" George boomed. "George!" Emily said severely, "Carla, you know, the rocket fuel wasn't your fault." "Yes, I should have checked it right," Hank said. "It's a mistake that could happen," said Foduck, "And this mistake has been resolved."

"Yeah," Carla replied, "And I shouldn't have been so careless in the first place. I'm sorry. Sorry, Hank." "That's okay," Hank said "We all make mistakes and we learn from them." "And I'll try to be more respectful," said Carla. "I'm sure you will now," said Millie. "Anyway," said Emily, "We got to go to work now. It was nice talking to you."

"Thank you," said Carla as Millie and the five tugboats started to leave. "We'll see you again soon," said Theodore. "Yes," said George, "See you in a month!" "George!" Emily shouted. "Bye," said Carla slowly.

And the tugboats started their jobs. Millie began her job as well. "Say," Hank said, "Didn't NASA had that mistake with the ice-" "Don't mention it!" Foduck shouted. "Just curious," Hank whispered.