Changes in the Wind: Part I - Thomas and the Forgotten Ones

Chapter XI: Consequences

Entering the small shed, the wooden doors were unlocked, allowing for Thomas to open them slowly. As he did, he slowly saw the insides of the shed. Realising that it was much bigger on the inside than what it looked like from the outside. Crates and barrels were left everywhere and scattered across the floor with pieces and shards of metal coving the area as well. But what caught his eye was what was in front of him, at the end of the shed.

He gave a sigh and a small smile as he saw Gabriel at the end, unconscious, pale in the face, but looking otherwise fine. But then Thomas stopped suddenly, the doors banged shut as he noticed what was above him. It looked odd and it looked goofy at first, Thomas blinked in case he was seeing things, but he stopped once realising it was real. 

A claw sat on top of Gabriel's roof, a crane had lowered it on top of him and it looked like it had been fitted on top of Gabriel by force. Its sharp teeth stared at Thomas like it was longing to get a hold of him. Thomas gulped nervously. Suddenly, he heard a door open, Thomas eyes looked up to see a man above, now closing a door at the top-right corner end of the shed. The man didn't take much notice of Thomas, he walked across the railings which ended right where the crane and Gabriel were.

The man then looked at Thomas and the tank engine then figured out who it was. "Doctor Haywield?" he quizzed.

Haywield nodded in confirmation, not saying a single word. He then glanced at his watch and then back at Thomas. "We've got some time remaining," he said stoically, "I can answer some of your questions if you've got some that are."

He leaned on the railing towards Thomas with an unbothered expression. The tank engine's brow furrowed. "Did you... change those points?" he asked.

Haywield nodded. "Reason why I wasn't here to greet you when you first came in," he explained, "railway switches and this shed are quite a distance from each other."

"But... why didn't your guards or scientists do it? Come to that, where is everybody?"

Thinking for a moment, Haywield pondered how to explain. "Well," he began, "that's because I told them to leave, it was a matter of time before your island's military will come and seize the place. I told them to leave the island when they have the chance, the country if they have to! But I think they won't get very far I'm afraid, they only left a few hours ago and by then the S.R.F. would've been allowed to come here."

"The S.R.F.?" said Thomas, "but... why...?"

"They got some evidence from one of your good friends," said Haywield, with slight disdain, "the council here have now allowed their army to go and come here to take the facility over for a... forceful investigation."

"Edward..." murmured Thomas, now understanding that the barrel he asked the blue engine to take was now in the care of the Sodor Council and had given Sodor Royal Forces the full clear to come here to investigate any illegal activity.

Haywield narrowed his eyes at the engine below him. "You're very unique, I give you that," he said, "I knew unique engines were here, prototypes, experimental moguls, hybrid saddle tanks, one-off tank engines--well was at first."

He paused and looked at Thomas. "I'm not much for words," he clarified, "I hate hearing myself talk, but you... you and your region have ticked me off. I was creating evolution here, ways to develop humanity quickly and become stronger than ever. Now don't get me wrong, I do love steam engines, they are like my children, I did create the control lever just for you lot."

Thomas remembered clearly. It was a very odd and exciting time, most engines were praising the doctor for his ingenuity and his genius intellect, but where this was going now, Thomas was getting more and more disturbed by the doctor's words.