- Location
- Washington, USA
I hate to say it, but if she can throw trains at people, she has a 200 ton rod from god. I DON'T want to see that level of insanity, thanks. (Depending on how fast she can throw, and how high the train materializes.)
The World is my Layout [Worm AU/Alt Power]
- Thread starter GeneralPatt1000
- Start date
- Location
- Usa
Coils comment....
Did you guys have to give her more bloody ideas. It's bad enough after she kidnapped Vista and has her joining her damn harem. Do you how bloody hard it is with the two of them in a throw away timeline how far your butt cheeks can be moved apart to take a steam endings up your ass with out lube. Next time I am making sure it's the readers that deal with the fallout.
Did you guys have to give her more bloody ideas. It's bad enough after she kidnapped Vista and has her joining her damn harem. Do you how bloody hard it is with the two of them in a throw away timeline how far your butt cheeks can be moved apart to take a steam endings up your ass with out lube. Next time I am making sure it's the readers that deal with the fallout.
owlmessenger
Parts Guy Extraordinaire
- Location
- New York
Q: "Are you expecting any more pushback from the local villainous parahuman gangs over your claiming of territory?" WBZ-TV (CBS Boston)
"If so, what plans do you have in the works to deal with said pushback?" WBZ-TV (CBS Boston)
"Are you planning on working with the local Protectorate branch in any regards in the matter?" WBZ-TV (CBS Boston)
"If so, what plans do you have in the works to deal with said pushback?" WBZ-TV (CBS Boston)
"Are you planning on working with the local Protectorate branch in any regards in the matter?" WBZ-TV (CBS Boston)
MagicalGeek
1st SGT MagicalGeek
Probably Double in any kidnapping attempts
BlackBaron
Inspector General
- Location
- Michigan, USA
- Pronouns
- He/His/Him
If that's the case it should just be like an old flip phone or a slide phone, not a burner. Burners come with a prepaid number of minutes on them, and once they are out of minutes that's usually it unless you want to go back and reload it. Either way a burner is likely going to end up being more expensive if he uses it frequently.
- Pronouns
- He
dang, this is a really great story. Taylor needs to send projections to purchase all model train related items in brockton bay then go online and purchase an insane amount of model trains. i can't wait to see what squealer and armsmaster have tinkered for our 'trainkeeper'. the dichotomy between their two designs will be interesting (the pocket dimension reminds me of shopkeeper!Taylor, also can taylor move the pocket dimension around with her inside it?) also she needs to a hold of some armored train models , those things are hilarious. look at this thing 'Soviet MBV 2 late KT 28 Gun'. can't wait to see where you take this story next, i'm sure it will be great! (edit: i just noticed you didn't mention 'Mush' anywhere, i think he deserves to redeemed as much as squealer does, he'd be great at picking up littered trash.)
Last edited:
- Location
- Somewhere
yeah, but if he only uses it in an emergency or sparingly, it'd be cheaper than a contract phone. Also, no contract gives quite a bit of freedom.
- Location
- Somewhere in the world
I love this story, thanks you so much for writing it, it's just so funny to read.
For Taylor's power, can she create her own models or should her models exist already as model boxes ?
For Taylor's power, can she create her own models or should her models exist already as model boxes ?
I don't know the timeline, but Mush was maybe not mentioned because he didn't trigger at this point of time ?
Chapter 2.5
- Location
- Seattle area
Chapter 2.5
Wildbow owns Worm
Thanks to @DrYuriMom for betaing the chapter
Author's Note:
8:45 am
Brockton Bay General Hospital
Recovery Ward
Finding out that her 13-year-old daughter was a parahuman from the morning news was not how Annette wanted to start her morning. So Annette Hebert watched the television in her hospital room with a great deal of incomprehension when her costumed child appeared in front of reporters near the Trainyards. Why in all that was holy was Taylor, her Little Owl, dressed like a cape and gallivanting about the railroad?
Annette had dashed off a message on her phone to Danny's prepaid-burner phone as soon as the shock began to wear off. She dearly wanted to know why Taylor seemed to have powers and was already out in public with them. Like everyone else in the city, she had been awoken by the explosions out there in the early morning. How Taylor figured into that, she wasn't sure.
Pausing in her thought processes, Annette considered that. No, she knew how Taylor had gained powers. She was well aware that parahumans gained their superhuman abilities through intense moments of stress and trauma. She had been a part of Lustrum's group in college and had learned about the so-called Trigger Event phenomenon from the woman herself. Annette supposed that surviving a car accident with a broken leg and watching her mom suffer much more severe injuries were traumatic. But trains and projections as a power? That was odd.
She shook her head and peered at her phone, which sat on her bedside table. The message she had sent to Danny lay unanswered so far. He had probably expected such a message and was crafting the perfect response. The phone dinged, and she examined it with her free hand.
Danny: We were going to tell you when you got home tomorrow, but the situation escalated out of control.
She snorted in amusement and began to tap out a reply slowly. That's obvious, Danny, but you still should have found a way to let me know.
Another ping
Danny: We only found out yesterday ourselves. We were worried about security and being overheard during a hospital visit. Even this texting is risky.
I know, but still. Annette typed, Can you blame a mother for worrying?
Danny: No, of course not. Do you want to come home a day early? The ramp that the boys put in is ready.
Annette smiled. That was one reason why she loved Danny. He was so thoughtful. He had rounded up a couple of the Union men with cement and concrete working experience during the week and proceeded to replace the front steps with a gentle ramp for ease of access.
Don't think you can distract me, buster. We will have a serious talk about this when I get home. Taylor needs to know all the ins and outs of parahuman life.
Danny: So birds and the bees cape style? Is it your turn to start the talk or mine?
Annette tried not to laugh. It wouldn't be very good for her ribs if she did. She managed to keep her amusement down to a chuckle.
Oh, you scoundrel! Just wait till I get my hands on you. I'll talk to the Doctor about coming home today, and we will have words.
Danny: Looking forward to it, darling. Let me know when you are on your way.
------------------------
Brockton Bay Trainyards,
That Same Time
The WBBN reporter, whose station served as the regional NBC affiliate, piped up after Taylor pointed to him. "Dispatcher, what are your intentions going forward?"
"Oh, that's an easy one. I intend to revive the local industry and port by judicious application of the powers that come with my railroad abilities. Jobs will flood back into the Bay as I work with the local authorities and businesses to get our economy moving again. Next question." Taylor pointed at the CNN reporter, who had been rushed out from New York at the last minute.
Said reporter was wondering why she was here, this didn't seem like a national newsagent her company would be interested in, but she asked her questions anyway. "What are your plans moving forward with the rail system in the bay, and are you joining the local Wards team? Is your power limited to trains?
"As I said before, I want to revive our city's economy. That will require me to move into the Docks and Ship Graveyard sections of town." Taylor began to elaborate. "The Docks because they host a boxcar and reefer loading facility and other equipment that served the dry aggregate freighters that came into the Bay. The Ship Graveyard, because underneath all that scrap metal are rails that serve yet more docks and shipbuilding industries. All of that will need to be cleared away, and my powers can do that. In addition, the Graveyard also hosts an intermodal facility used for serving container ships."
"As for the Wards, I will not be joining them. I respect the Protectorate and PRT highly, but I feel they would limit my projects too much if I joined them. And no, my powers are not solely limited to trains. I can also control small vehicles and construction equipment, like that crane you saw earlier. WQIE has the next question."
"WQIE Channel 7, Answering the Questions for the Bay!" the spirited local news reporter announced, "Dispatcher, what do you plan to do with the trains? Why are you fixing the yard, and are you Wards age? Do your parents know?"
"As I said before, rebuild Brockton Bay's economy. But if you want something more specific, The old 4-6-2 Pacific locomotive back there in the Roundhouse will serve as one of my express locomotives once I can get services running to other cities. The F-7A unit sharing the building will also share that duty. The GP-9 and GP-40-2 you've seen today will operate as my switcher and freight hauling locomotives. So will the RS-3 over there in the backshops. The GP-38-2, also back in the roundhouse, will join them once it is repaired. Another engine is in the backshops, but it is so worn and stripped-down that my projections couldn't identify it at first inspection.
"As for the yard, it needed repairs because many of its rails were buckled and rusted due to being left in the elements for over a decade with no maintenance. I did a lot of work on that yesterday you may have heard about. Skidmark also caused damage but mainly of the explosive variety, which probably woke you up last night. I know I indeed awoke to the noise."
The gathering of reporters laughed companionably, as did the crowd behind it.
"My crews will finish repairing the yard from the villain's attack in a little bit. Then I can move operations to the other parts of town. And yes, I am Wards age, and my parents know about my powers, though my Mom most likely found out by watching this conference."
There was another titter of laughter before Taylor pointed at another reporter. She was pleased with the conference so far. This seems to be going well. She thought to herself.
Fox News was the next reporter to be pointed at for a question. "Dispatcher, do you have the permit to build or work in this property? If the trains run properly, are you going to take this place?"
Taylor shook her head. "Technically no, though I believe there is a saying that states possession is nine-tenths of the law. The property was abandoned as far as I am aware, and the only legitimate business is the Amtrak service. My Dad is consulting a lawyer on the matter, though. So your second question is kind of a moot point. I am in possession of the area, and the Protectorate and PRT didn't see fit to remove me last night. As long as the city's villains don't impede my progress, I don't see anyone removing me."
Before she could point to the next reporter, one preempted her selection process and shouted, "WCVB-TV ABC Boston, do you plan on buying the rights to and restarting the Boston and Maine Railroad? And if so, what do you plan to do with the rail lines that go through the different gang-controlled areas of the cities that Boston and Maine operated in if you do?"
Taylor frowned at the rude reporter but gave no other sign of her displeasure. "Yes, I do. That's one of the things my Dad is discussing with his lawyer. As far as I am aware, the name was abandoned along with the tracks, facilities, and locomotives. I will try to acquire the name rights to have more legitimacy. As for the criminals, they will move out of my way or get the same fate as Skidmark. Locked in prison with the key thrown away."
WBZ-TV representing the CBS Boston affiliate, was more polite than her counterpart from her competing station. But, once called upon, she asked. "Are you expecting any more pushback from the local criminal parahuman gangs over your claiming of territory? If so, what plans do you have in the works to deal with said pushback? Are you planning on working with the local Protectorate branch in any regard in the matter?"
"Not immediately, though I won't lie and say I'm not half-expecting someone to visit me over the next few days. Once I start expanding into the Docks, however, I will most definitely expect to see some conflict. I have no special plans, but if the villains cause more trouble than my projections can handle alone, I'll eat my hat. Either that or drop a tank onto the battlefield or something like that. As for the authorities, I am more than glad to work with the Protectorate on any law enforcement or security issue that comes up."
Taylor pointed at the last reporter, "Okay, WING, you're the last one. What do you have for me?"
The final reporter nodded, "Do you have any plans for building a Light Rail in place of the Brockton Bay Ferry, which Daniel Hebert of the Dockworkers Association has been lobbying to restart since its shutdown?"
"That's a great idea. I hadn't really thought that far ahead yet," Taylor answered. "It's something I will consider, that's for sure. Maybe not a Light Rail. I've heard those tend to be super expensive and run over budget and beyond deadlines. Perhaps a trolley system? Who knows? I will certainly give it some thought. I believe though, I will have to consult the city on such a project."
She mimed checking her watch, and Officer Davies studied his own. "8:55," he whispered to her.
She nodded her thanks to him. "That's all the time we have for today, folks. If you have any further questions, you may address them to The Corporal. I have an appointment with the Roger's Rangers."
Taylor waved to everyone and turned to rush for the roundhouse. Hopefully, Mr. Barnes will delay Emma with unpacking the car for a while. I want to see if I can start that engine. Something's really nagging me that it is unique.
The reporters began to pack up, each taking their spare microphones from the lectern so it could be put away. The crowd of onlookers started to mill about. Some began to leave while others stayed to watch. One person even fastened a camera to a light pole to publicly livestream the operations in the Trainyard.
-------------
Trainyard Roundhouse
8:55 am
Frank Hodges of the Brockton Bay Fire Department's Station 6 did not really know what to think when his station got the call from Central Dispatch to head out to the Trainyard in a pump truck to do a charity call. When asked what the truck would be filling up, the Central Dispatch had only said, "A 12,000 gallon tender for a steam engine."
And so Frank's squad had climbed in the pump truck of Station 6, hoping that once they arrived on the scene that someone would explain what was going on in greater detail. Station 6 was in the northern half of the Docks part of town, so it was the closest to the Trainyards. Its trucks and crews had seen a lot of action in the years since Lung had shown up, but this was the most unusual call since then.
He and his cohorts stood next to a great freshly painted steam engine. Its black paint with white lettering shone in the bright morning sunlight. His pump truck was pulled up next to the roundhouse, and its hoses attached were to a hydrant standing outside. It was lucky that the Trainyard facilities had their own access to the fire mains. He didn't know where the next closest hydrant was.
They had already sprayed out the inside of the tender. It had been a dirty job, but it was quickly done thanks to the 1500 gpm pumping capacity of the truck. The tender had been drained overnight, but the old water had left behind algae and other muck. Now the tender's insides were sparkling clean and filling with clean freshwater. It would take about 10 minutes to fill the whole tender, and it was perhaps half full now.
Frank heard the sound of running feet. He turned from where he was watching two of his men keep the hose from flying all over the place. A girl dressed up in a classic engineer's uniform was speeding towards him, obviously in a great hurry. This must be the so-called Dispatcher.
When she arrived, he noticed that the girl was slightly ethereal in appearance, like the other projections he had seen so far. "Good morning. You must be Dispatcher."
The girl stopped before him and grinned widely up at him. She seemed completely unwinded. "That's right, sir. Thanks for coming by to fill up the tender. I don't know how else I would have gotten it done."
"It's no problem, Miss. It's always a pleasure to help those willing to donate their time and money to the community. I must also thank you for your willingness to donate to the New Hampshire State Firemen's Association. It will go towards a good cause, I assure you." Frank waved at the scene behind him, "I can see you are setting up quite a production here. It will bring a lot of jobs and money to the city if you can pull it off."
"That's the plan." Dispatcher looked fondly at the Pacific steam locomotive. "The great big gentleman behind you will be my primary express locomotive on the line from Boston to here and Portland once I can get the train together. Perhaps I can offer a free excursion to your families over a few days as thanks."
Frank blinked, not having expected that. "That would be mighty generous of you, young lady. I know many men and their families would take you up on that."
"I hope so." Dispatcher looked up to the cab, where the two projections dressed as steam locomotive crew supervised. "Is Roger safe to operate?"
The fireman nodded, "We had to replace a few gauges, but otherwise, everything looks good. We found papers in the roundhouse offices indicating it had a complete rebuild shortly before the Museum shut down, so the boiler should be fine."
"Great! Did you find anything else of interest?" Dispatcher noticeably brightened her demeanor. Could this girl get any more cheerful? Frank wondered.
"There's a big old safe back there that's locked tight. It looks like several attempts were made to pick it, but it appears the Merchants or whoever else didn't succeed. There may be many items of importance in there, Ma'am."
Dispatcher nodded, "I'll see if I can hire a locksmith." She jerked her head at the firemen filling the tender. "Is it safe to start the locomotive while they're working?"
The engineer nodded. "Shouldn't be an issue. We've been feeding water into the boiler as it became available. We just need to start a fire."
"Mind if I climb up and have a look while you do that?"
"Of course not." The fireman helped Dispatcher up the ladder into the cab of the engine. Frank craned his head to watch as the locomotive crew walked the young cape through, starting a warming fire in the firebox.
------
Taylor was fascinated by all the gauges and controls in the cab. She had never seen all the details of a steam locomotive cab, so her power was going nuts, helping her identify what everything did. But she forced herself to focus on the fireman, who was shoveling a bit of coal in the firebox from the tender.
"To get a fire going in a steam locomotive, you must first start a warming fire. Coal won't burn immediately as it has a higher ignition point. So what you do is lay a bed of coal, chuck in a few pieces of wood and kindling and finally throw in a couple of burning paraffin oil-soaked rags on top." The fireman instructed, showing Taylor the process. "Here's a rag. I'll soak and light it, then let you throw it in the firebox."
Taylor watched as he did so, then she quickly grabbed the rag and threw it on top of the kindling. The rag burned merrily for a moment; then, the fire caught on to the kindling. "By the way, where did you get the wood?" She asked.
"There was a bit in the back of the roundhouse." The fireman explained. "Good, it looks like the fire will catch. We'll have to wait a few minutes to get it going properly."
Taylor nodded as the flames licked at the pieces of chopped wood. She was going to speak but was suddenly interrupted by a rush of power flowing through her. It staggered her, forcing her to grab onto the fireman for support. "Yardmaster? What's going on?" She muttered.
Something that I did not expect. By lighting a fire in this engine, your power is interacting with its spirit. Its accumulated experiences, memories, name, and past crews have influenced it to the point where it possesses a character all its own. It has latched onto your power somehow and is feeding off of it to generate a way to interact with the world.
"What? I don't even..." Taylor could barely comprehend the concept. A train engine having a spirit? That was a challenging idea to accept. She had heard of it bestowed to vehicles before, especially to ships but to trains? Maybe the rush of power was making it hard to think because her mind felt like a brick at the moment.
I must do more calculations. Yardmaster stated matter of factly.
"That's clear enough." Taylor felt the power draw ease to something more manageable. It was still there in the back of her head, however, as if it was taking up one of the slots provided for powering unfueled or model locomotives.
A slight change in the lighting and a blur of motion caught the corner of her eye. She turned and saw another projection come into being beside her. It was a tall man in what looked like a Revolutionary War officer's uniform but wearing a conductor's cap. A line of medals sat on his left breast, and a smart looking wig was under his cap. He was fair-skinned and had sideburns and a mustache for facial hair.
It only took a few seconds for him to form, but once he did, he shuddered slowly into motion. Taylor and the other projections stared as he looked himself up and down and nodded in satisfaction. His form was less ethereal and more solid-looking than the other projections.
The strange man, projection, spirit, finally looked up from his examination. Taylor finally noticed a nameplate underneath the medals, which stated the man was B&M 3716 Roger's Rangers.
"Good day to you lass, and welcome aboard. How may I, Roger's Rangers, serve you on this fine day?"
Wildbow owns Worm
Thanks to @DrYuriMom for betaing the chapter
Author's Note:
Thank you to Ckosacranoid, Ender, Aryosss, DarthNyan, Bronze_Moose, Hikari Nova, and owlmessenger for providing the questions for the interview portion. I hope you enjoy this latest chapter of The World is my Layout.
8:45 am
Brockton Bay General Hospital
Recovery Ward
Finding out that her 13-year-old daughter was a parahuman from the morning news was not how Annette wanted to start her morning. So Annette Hebert watched the television in her hospital room with a great deal of incomprehension when her costumed child appeared in front of reporters near the Trainyards. Why in all that was holy was Taylor, her Little Owl, dressed like a cape and gallivanting about the railroad?
Annette had dashed off a message on her phone to Danny's prepaid-burner phone as soon as the shock began to wear off. She dearly wanted to know why Taylor seemed to have powers and was already out in public with them. Like everyone else in the city, she had been awoken by the explosions out there in the early morning. How Taylor figured into that, she wasn't sure.
Pausing in her thought processes, Annette considered that. No, she knew how Taylor had gained powers. She was well aware that parahumans gained their superhuman abilities through intense moments of stress and trauma. She had been a part of Lustrum's group in college and had learned about the so-called Trigger Event phenomenon from the woman herself. Annette supposed that surviving a car accident with a broken leg and watching her mom suffer much more severe injuries were traumatic. But trains and projections as a power? That was odd.
She shook her head and peered at her phone, which sat on her bedside table. The message she had sent to Danny lay unanswered so far. He had probably expected such a message and was crafting the perfect response. The phone dinged, and she examined it with her free hand.
Danny: We were going to tell you when you got home tomorrow, but the situation escalated out of control.
She snorted in amusement and began to tap out a reply slowly. That's obvious, Danny, but you still should have found a way to let me know.
Another ping
Danny: We only found out yesterday ourselves. We were worried about security and being overheard during a hospital visit. Even this texting is risky.
I know, but still. Annette typed, Can you blame a mother for worrying?
Danny: No, of course not. Do you want to come home a day early? The ramp that the boys put in is ready.
Annette smiled. That was one reason why she loved Danny. He was so thoughtful. He had rounded up a couple of the Union men with cement and concrete working experience during the week and proceeded to replace the front steps with a gentle ramp for ease of access.
Don't think you can distract me, buster. We will have a serious talk about this when I get home. Taylor needs to know all the ins and outs of parahuman life.
Danny: So birds and the bees cape style? Is it your turn to start the talk or mine?
Annette tried not to laugh. It wouldn't be very good for her ribs if she did. She managed to keep her amusement down to a chuckle.
Oh, you scoundrel! Just wait till I get my hands on you. I'll talk to the Doctor about coming home today, and we will have words.
Danny: Looking forward to it, darling. Let me know when you are on your way.
------------------------
Brockton Bay Trainyards,
That Same Time
The WBBN reporter, whose station served as the regional NBC affiliate, piped up after Taylor pointed to him. "Dispatcher, what are your intentions going forward?"
"Oh, that's an easy one. I intend to revive the local industry and port by judicious application of the powers that come with my railroad abilities. Jobs will flood back into the Bay as I work with the local authorities and businesses to get our economy moving again. Next question." Taylor pointed at the CNN reporter, who had been rushed out from New York at the last minute.
Said reporter was wondering why she was here, this didn't seem like a national newsagent her company would be interested in, but she asked her questions anyway. "What are your plans moving forward with the rail system in the bay, and are you joining the local Wards team? Is your power limited to trains?
"As I said before, I want to revive our city's economy. That will require me to move into the Docks and Ship Graveyard sections of town." Taylor began to elaborate. "The Docks because they host a boxcar and reefer loading facility and other equipment that served the dry aggregate freighters that came into the Bay. The Ship Graveyard, because underneath all that scrap metal are rails that serve yet more docks and shipbuilding industries. All of that will need to be cleared away, and my powers can do that. In addition, the Graveyard also hosts an intermodal facility used for serving container ships."
"As for the Wards, I will not be joining them. I respect the Protectorate and PRT highly, but I feel they would limit my projects too much if I joined them. And no, my powers are not solely limited to trains. I can also control small vehicles and construction equipment, like that crane you saw earlier. WQIE has the next question."
"WQIE Channel 7, Answering the Questions for the Bay!" the spirited local news reporter announced, "Dispatcher, what do you plan to do with the trains? Why are you fixing the yard, and are you Wards age? Do your parents know?"
"As I said before, rebuild Brockton Bay's economy. But if you want something more specific, The old 4-6-2 Pacific locomotive back there in the Roundhouse will serve as one of my express locomotives once I can get services running to other cities. The F-7A unit sharing the building will also share that duty. The GP-9 and GP-40-2 you've seen today will operate as my switcher and freight hauling locomotives. So will the RS-3 over there in the backshops. The GP-38-2, also back in the roundhouse, will join them once it is repaired. Another engine is in the backshops, but it is so worn and stripped-down that my projections couldn't identify it at first inspection.
"As for the yard, it needed repairs because many of its rails were buckled and rusted due to being left in the elements for over a decade with no maintenance. I did a lot of work on that yesterday you may have heard about. Skidmark also caused damage but mainly of the explosive variety, which probably woke you up last night. I know I indeed awoke to the noise."
The gathering of reporters laughed companionably, as did the crowd behind it.
"My crews will finish repairing the yard from the villain's attack in a little bit. Then I can move operations to the other parts of town. And yes, I am Wards age, and my parents know about my powers, though my Mom most likely found out by watching this conference."
There was another titter of laughter before Taylor pointed at another reporter. She was pleased with the conference so far. This seems to be going well. She thought to herself.
Fox News was the next reporter to be pointed at for a question. "Dispatcher, do you have the permit to build or work in this property? If the trains run properly, are you going to take this place?"
Taylor shook her head. "Technically no, though I believe there is a saying that states possession is nine-tenths of the law. The property was abandoned as far as I am aware, and the only legitimate business is the Amtrak service. My Dad is consulting a lawyer on the matter, though. So your second question is kind of a moot point. I am in possession of the area, and the Protectorate and PRT didn't see fit to remove me last night. As long as the city's villains don't impede my progress, I don't see anyone removing me."
Before she could point to the next reporter, one preempted her selection process and shouted, "WCVB-TV ABC Boston, do you plan on buying the rights to and restarting the Boston and Maine Railroad? And if so, what do you plan to do with the rail lines that go through the different gang-controlled areas of the cities that Boston and Maine operated in if you do?"
Taylor frowned at the rude reporter but gave no other sign of her displeasure. "Yes, I do. That's one of the things my Dad is discussing with his lawyer. As far as I am aware, the name was abandoned along with the tracks, facilities, and locomotives. I will try to acquire the name rights to have more legitimacy. As for the criminals, they will move out of my way or get the same fate as Skidmark. Locked in prison with the key thrown away."
WBZ-TV representing the CBS Boston affiliate, was more polite than her counterpart from her competing station. But, once called upon, she asked. "Are you expecting any more pushback from the local criminal parahuman gangs over your claiming of territory? If so, what plans do you have in the works to deal with said pushback? Are you planning on working with the local Protectorate branch in any regard in the matter?"
"Not immediately, though I won't lie and say I'm not half-expecting someone to visit me over the next few days. Once I start expanding into the Docks, however, I will most definitely expect to see some conflict. I have no special plans, but if the villains cause more trouble than my projections can handle alone, I'll eat my hat. Either that or drop a tank onto the battlefield or something like that. As for the authorities, I am more than glad to work with the Protectorate on any law enforcement or security issue that comes up."
Taylor pointed at the last reporter, "Okay, WING, you're the last one. What do you have for me?"
The final reporter nodded, "Do you have any plans for building a Light Rail in place of the Brockton Bay Ferry, which Daniel Hebert of the Dockworkers Association has been lobbying to restart since its shutdown?"
"That's a great idea. I hadn't really thought that far ahead yet," Taylor answered. "It's something I will consider, that's for sure. Maybe not a Light Rail. I've heard those tend to be super expensive and run over budget and beyond deadlines. Perhaps a trolley system? Who knows? I will certainly give it some thought. I believe though, I will have to consult the city on such a project."
She mimed checking her watch, and Officer Davies studied his own. "8:55," he whispered to her.
She nodded her thanks to him. "That's all the time we have for today, folks. If you have any further questions, you may address them to The Corporal. I have an appointment with the Roger's Rangers."
Taylor waved to everyone and turned to rush for the roundhouse. Hopefully, Mr. Barnes will delay Emma with unpacking the car for a while. I want to see if I can start that engine. Something's really nagging me that it is unique.
The reporters began to pack up, each taking their spare microphones from the lectern so it could be put away. The crowd of onlookers started to mill about. Some began to leave while others stayed to watch. One person even fastened a camera to a light pole to publicly livestream the operations in the Trainyard.
-------------
Trainyard Roundhouse
8:55 am
Frank Hodges of the Brockton Bay Fire Department's Station 6 did not really know what to think when his station got the call from Central Dispatch to head out to the Trainyard in a pump truck to do a charity call. When asked what the truck would be filling up, the Central Dispatch had only said, "A 12,000 gallon tender for a steam engine."
And so Frank's squad had climbed in the pump truck of Station 6, hoping that once they arrived on the scene that someone would explain what was going on in greater detail. Station 6 was in the northern half of the Docks part of town, so it was the closest to the Trainyards. Its trucks and crews had seen a lot of action in the years since Lung had shown up, but this was the most unusual call since then.
He and his cohorts stood next to a great freshly painted steam engine. Its black paint with white lettering shone in the bright morning sunlight. His pump truck was pulled up next to the roundhouse, and its hoses attached were to a hydrant standing outside. It was lucky that the Trainyard facilities had their own access to the fire mains. He didn't know where the next closest hydrant was.
They had already sprayed out the inside of the tender. It had been a dirty job, but it was quickly done thanks to the 1500 gpm pumping capacity of the truck. The tender had been drained overnight, but the old water had left behind algae and other muck. Now the tender's insides were sparkling clean and filling with clean freshwater. It would take about 10 minutes to fill the whole tender, and it was perhaps half full now.
Frank heard the sound of running feet. He turned from where he was watching two of his men keep the hose from flying all over the place. A girl dressed up in a classic engineer's uniform was speeding towards him, obviously in a great hurry. This must be the so-called Dispatcher.
When she arrived, he noticed that the girl was slightly ethereal in appearance, like the other projections he had seen so far. "Good morning. You must be Dispatcher."
The girl stopped before him and grinned widely up at him. She seemed completely unwinded. "That's right, sir. Thanks for coming by to fill up the tender. I don't know how else I would have gotten it done."
"It's no problem, Miss. It's always a pleasure to help those willing to donate their time and money to the community. I must also thank you for your willingness to donate to the New Hampshire State Firemen's Association. It will go towards a good cause, I assure you." Frank waved at the scene behind him, "I can see you are setting up quite a production here. It will bring a lot of jobs and money to the city if you can pull it off."
"That's the plan." Dispatcher looked fondly at the Pacific steam locomotive. "The great big gentleman behind you will be my primary express locomotive on the line from Boston to here and Portland once I can get the train together. Perhaps I can offer a free excursion to your families over a few days as thanks."
Frank blinked, not having expected that. "That would be mighty generous of you, young lady. I know many men and their families would take you up on that."
"I hope so." Dispatcher looked up to the cab, where the two projections dressed as steam locomotive crew supervised. "Is Roger safe to operate?"
The fireman nodded, "We had to replace a few gauges, but otherwise, everything looks good. We found papers in the roundhouse offices indicating it had a complete rebuild shortly before the Museum shut down, so the boiler should be fine."
"Great! Did you find anything else of interest?" Dispatcher noticeably brightened her demeanor. Could this girl get any more cheerful? Frank wondered.
"There's a big old safe back there that's locked tight. It looks like several attempts were made to pick it, but it appears the Merchants or whoever else didn't succeed. There may be many items of importance in there, Ma'am."
Dispatcher nodded, "I'll see if I can hire a locksmith." She jerked her head at the firemen filling the tender. "Is it safe to start the locomotive while they're working?"
The engineer nodded. "Shouldn't be an issue. We've been feeding water into the boiler as it became available. We just need to start a fire."
"Mind if I climb up and have a look while you do that?"
"Of course not." The fireman helped Dispatcher up the ladder into the cab of the engine. Frank craned his head to watch as the locomotive crew walked the young cape through, starting a warming fire in the firebox.
------
Taylor was fascinated by all the gauges and controls in the cab. She had never seen all the details of a steam locomotive cab, so her power was going nuts, helping her identify what everything did. But she forced herself to focus on the fireman, who was shoveling a bit of coal in the firebox from the tender.
"To get a fire going in a steam locomotive, you must first start a warming fire. Coal won't burn immediately as it has a higher ignition point. So what you do is lay a bed of coal, chuck in a few pieces of wood and kindling and finally throw in a couple of burning paraffin oil-soaked rags on top." The fireman instructed, showing Taylor the process. "Here's a rag. I'll soak and light it, then let you throw it in the firebox."
Taylor watched as he did so, then she quickly grabbed the rag and threw it on top of the kindling. The rag burned merrily for a moment; then, the fire caught on to the kindling. "By the way, where did you get the wood?" She asked.
"There was a bit in the back of the roundhouse." The fireman explained. "Good, it looks like the fire will catch. We'll have to wait a few minutes to get it going properly."
Taylor nodded as the flames licked at the pieces of chopped wood. She was going to speak but was suddenly interrupted by a rush of power flowing through her. It staggered her, forcing her to grab onto the fireman for support. "Yardmaster? What's going on?" She muttered.
Something that I did not expect. By lighting a fire in this engine, your power is interacting with its spirit. Its accumulated experiences, memories, name, and past crews have influenced it to the point where it possesses a character all its own. It has latched onto your power somehow and is feeding off of it to generate a way to interact with the world.
"What? I don't even..." Taylor could barely comprehend the concept. A train engine having a spirit? That was a challenging idea to accept. She had heard of it bestowed to vehicles before, especially to ships but to trains? Maybe the rush of power was making it hard to think because her mind felt like a brick at the moment.
I must do more calculations. Yardmaster stated matter of factly.
"That's clear enough." Taylor felt the power draw ease to something more manageable. It was still there in the back of her head, however, as if it was taking up one of the slots provided for powering unfueled or model locomotives.
A slight change in the lighting and a blur of motion caught the corner of her eye. She turned and saw another projection come into being beside her. It was a tall man in what looked like a Revolutionary War officer's uniform but wearing a conductor's cap. A line of medals sat on his left breast, and a smart looking wig was under his cap. He was fair-skinned and had sideburns and a mustache for facial hair.
It only took a few seconds for him to form, but once he did, he shuddered slowly into motion. Taylor and the other projections stared as he looked himself up and down and nodded in satisfaction. His form was less ethereal and more solid-looking than the other projections.
The strange man, projection, spirit, finally looked up from his examination. Taylor finally noticed a nameplate underneath the medals, which stated the man was B&M 3716 Roger's Rangers.
"Good day to you lass, and welcome aboard. How may I, Roger's Rangers, serve you on this fine day?"
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Bavintugeef
Pizza the Hutt (Verified)
Ooooh engines with History get their own projections... Neat
I only just found this story, but I'm really enjoying it, I really like the more lighthearted Worm fics like this one appears to be
Thanks for your hard work and keep up the great story
I only just found this story, but I'm really enjoying it, I really like the more lighthearted Worm fics like this one appears to be
Thanks for your hard work and keep up the great story
misterq
Mister Questionmark
- Location
- Somewhere near Space
And now chibi Taylor can summon shipgirls train guys...
Moving into the boat graveyard is going to be interesting.
Would Taylor's power work on any vehicle that came into the trainyard?
For instance, tinkertech vehicles like a Dragon suit?
Because that would make things very, very interesting.
Moving into the boat graveyard is going to be interesting.
Would Taylor's power work on any vehicle that came into the trainyard?
For instance, tinkertech vehicles like a Dragon suit?
Because that would make things very, very interesting.
Honorguard Ra
(Verified Lizard Dude)
Yay new chapter! I didn't expect any of the engines spontaneously coming to life, but I'm glad it was the steam engine.
- Location
- Askew to the British Isles
Yardmaster (Queen Admin) didn't expect the train to have it's own sense of self. If that is true then it looks like things are about to get interesting.
Please lets not drag Dragon into the story. The lore behind the spirits of the rail yard is enough.
- Location
- United States
And Squealer is still mia from the story. must be waiting for the reporters and law enforcement to leave before showing herself to Taylor and making her recruitment speech.
Seeing as any engine with history can be made manifest. There are a few British Steam locos that could be shipped over or found in the US. The Flying Scotsman I know was over in the US before 1990 but seemed to have been shipped back to the UK. Mallard is another. the fastest Steam loco of its time. Would need a complete overhaul and a replacement center crankshaft, crankshaft bearing, and steam chest assembly. Tornado or the last and first of the A1 is a fairly new one and would need to be built from scratch. Big boy 4014 I think is sitting in a scrap yard or in big need of a rebuild.
Wonder if it needs the physical hull of the loco to work or if you can get one of the models and still have it work? Would make shipping and repair costs cheaper. And just so you know (don't know if it is different in the US) But us Brits call our Locos her or she. They are temperamental and if not handled with a delicate but firm hand, she will let you know of her displeaser.
Wonder if it needs the physical hull of the loco to work or if you can get one of the models and still have it work? Would make shipping and repair costs cheaper. And just so you know (don't know if it is different in the US) But us Brits call our Locos her or she. They are temperamental and if not handled with a delicate but firm hand, she will let you know of her displeaser.
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Renu Commission of Dispatcher
- Location
- Seattle area
Hexcalibur
Not So Ordinary Sword
- Location
- Somewhere
- Pronouns
- It
So, Taylor's mask doesn't actually hide her identity that much.
it's the Clark kent syndrome. the lack of glasses throws everyone that doesn't know her very well off
"Accumulated experiences, memories, name and past crews have influenced it"
Unlimited Train Works?
In all seriousness did she just get something similar to Emiya Shirou's tracing, but instead of projecting the train she projects a person based on it, it's "spirit", or am I misunderstanding how it works?
Unlimited Train Works?
In all seriousness did she just get something similar to Emiya Shirou's tracing, but instead of projecting the train she projects a person based on it, it's "spirit", or am I misunderstanding how it works?
Honorguard Ra
(Verified Lizard Dude)
That's super adorable! Look how happy she is! Slice of life fics like this are great. Here's an odd thought- Train Wreck. What are the odds of him turning out to be a decent person in this fic? What about his steampunk armor being close enough to trains for Taylor to be able to repair/upgrade it? I have this image in my head where Dispatch is gently scolding him for neglecting the maintenance on his armor, and TW is just sheepishly sitting there while a repair crew starts gathering supplies.
Is it wrong that I kind of want to see him acting like a switch engine in the yard to support himself? Being able to take pride in your work does a lot for lifting your spirits.
- Location
- Burlington, KY, USA
We already know QA can project her in clothes she isn't actually wearing (the costume doesn't exist yet). What's to stop her from making other changes to the projection and showing them off to mislead people on what Dispatcher actually looks like. The PRT would add Changer/Stranger to her ratings.