The Sudrians: Reversion

Reversion

The sun was higher in the sky later that morning, the fog had finally cleared, and only a few clouds were above, with a chunk on one side of the busy town. Cars and people bustling about in the markets further in, whilst the trains nearby ran smoothly across the tracks, passengers and goods alike, with shunting tank engines shuffling the rolling stock around the sidings. Noah shunted a few wagons into place, a second train he was about to take back, he rested once completing his train, he took a deep breath and sighed.

"Hey, Noah!"

The tank engine looked over to see two other engines, just as dirty as he was in BR black liveries, or what could be seen of them. One was a USATC S160, and the other was an SR Q1, both sitting nearby him. Cheerful faces on their smokeboxs.

"Didn't expect to see ya here so soon!" called the S160, "what brings ya back here?"

"Some other engine broke down," Noah replied, "I said I could take the train in his stead, a bit of a heavy one for me, but I managed. Just."

"Never give up do you?" chuckled the Q1, "you should really think about yourself and not be so selfless!"

"He's a war engine though!" laughed the S160, "he's been in the second world war like me, fighting for what's right!"

"I was built for those times as well Max," smirked the Q1, he then looked over to the tank engine sitting nearby in the sidings, "besides, Noah can't even remember those times."

"Right! Amnesia," said Max, "forgot about that. But he does remember a few things... right? It has been over ten years for crying out loud!"

"Do you Noah?"

"Not much," Noah replied with a kind smile on his face, "only a few moments here and there. Everything before the works is really a blur to me still." The old tank engine then looked away, his smile fading slightly. "Perhaps it a gift," he continued, "some engines I have heard that survive have not had pleasant lives after those times at the front lines."

Both the S160 and the Q1 looked at each with concerned looks. "Sorry if we ever hurt ya, buddy," said Max.

"Yeah," said the other engine, "we only were being friendly."

"Oh don't worry, you didn't hurt me at all," Noah replied, his smile widening again, "I was just... thinking... that's all."

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"...Positively."

***

The sky was becoming darker, a dark blue was forming across the atmosphere as the fog began to return. The old tank engine pushed his final train of the day into a place, ready to head back with it. "Come on old boy," called his driver, "the line is going to be clear soon! Let's get you back so you can get that spot in the shed that you and that other engine always try and get before each other... what's his name. James was it?"

Noah chuckled. "No," he replied, "it's Joel."

As the driver returned to the cab, Noah began to wander off into his thoughts again. He focused on them hard. "James..." he said, the name swirled through his smokebox, taunting at him, it sounded so familiar... but what could it be? Could it be an old memory he had forgotten from the amnesia? The inspector did say he could his memories back eventually, maybe it would click now? But Noah wasn't so sure, it had been years, and there had not been any memories he could get from his previous life before the war.

But the name, James had never made him feel close to unlocking the truth. He scowled and cursed under his breath, he knew it was best to exhaust himself over such things, they had become irrelevant to him now. Figments of the past shouldn't consume him like they did when he first came out of the works all new and repaired.