14"So, you're interested in being the Driver, and primary build worker for the Orient Express locomotive?"
I nodded.
"Yes, I am. My name is Connor, and when I saw the opening for this position, I couldn't apply fast enough."
The man sitting before me wrote some notes down on the paper on his desk, before leaning back, his hands folded.
"I see. And what is it about this job that made you want to apply for it so quickly?" he asked. I didn't even need to think about my answer.
"I absolutely adore trains, and I love working with my hands. I've been a train lover since I was a kid, and The Orient Express is one of the most famous train's in the world. I've long since dreamed of being a locomotive driver, and getting to be around famous engine's. My general knowledge of steam locomotive's, mixed with my passion for building and passion of trains. That's what made me want to apply. This is a dream job, for me." I said. The man nodded.
"I see. Well, I've got to be honest, we haven't had much interest in this job. I think part of it is because most of the people that live around here know about this engine, and how she tends to act. I don't think most would want to deal with her. But seeing as you just moved here, I'm not surprised you don't know about her yet." he said.
"What do you mean?" I asked. He sighed.
"Well, she's... prideful. As she should be, I suppose. She was born into her fame, being one of the engine's to pull the legendary Orient Express. The thing is... she's gotten into it heavily. She see's herself as the most beautiful engine in the world, and above everyone else. She's had everything handed to her on a silver platter, so to speak. She's always been very well taken care of, and has thousands of adoring fans. And of course, she's always pleasant for them. But when she's in her shed, being maintained, or just waiting for her next run, she gets... moody, I suppose would be the best way to put it. She can be less than friendly, and rather impatient. Are you sure you're willing to put up with that?" he asked. I nodded.
"Of course. I believe that anyone can change. Sometimes they just need someone to help them do it. Even if not, someone has to make sure she's ready to run, and drive her, and as I said, that's a dream job for me." I said. The man held his hand out.
"Alright, if you're sure. You start tomorrow. Be here at eight, and be ready to work. We have all the tools you will need, all you need to bring is some clothes you can get dirty, and a pair of work boots and gloves." he said as I shook his hand.
"I have all of that. I'll be there at eight! Thank you very much." I said as I gathered my things, and walked out the door. I couldn't help but have a grand smile on my face. After many years of dreaming about being able to be around trains as a job, I would finally be able to. As the driver and primary lead maintainer of the Orient Express 4-4-0 no less! I had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming.
I wasn't.
I walked back out to my car, hoping that the lightly falling snow wouldn't have covered it too much. I wiped off the door handle, and got in. Once I started the engine, the wipers cleared my view, and I started off back home. I had to force myself to focus on the road, my mind was so kicked into overdrive. I had only seen picture's of the engine, so the opportunity to see it in real life was astounding.
The ad I had originally seen about the job stated that The Orient Express was going to be making a special "Welcome Back" excursion in about a month that would welcome it back into general service. It had been years since it had covered day to day service, instead just making special runs on occasion.
And... I was going to be a part of it. A big part.
As I stopped at an intersection, my mind turned to what my new boss had said about the engine. Prideful, unfriendly, and impatient. She couldn't be all that bad... could she?
I believe that anyone can change. Many people out there put on fronts that don't show people who they truly are, and sometimes, with help, they can lose that front, and show the world their true self. I was convinced that even if this engine was as bad as he said, I could help change that. The world loves a friendly engine more than a famous engine. At least, I did. My job would be easy.
Or so I thought...
. . .
When I arrived the next day, I was so excited I could hardly contain it. I had on a pair of overalls, heavy duty brown work-boots, and I had brought brown work gloves as well. I wanted to make sure I was ready to work my hardest, and make the Orient Express engine better than new!
I pulled into the lot outside the large shed that housed the engine, and stepped out. As I walked towards the small door in the side of the building, I spotted two other workers outside. One of them, a man, had his hand on the other, a woman, both in work clothes.
The woman looked as if she had been crying.
Part of me wanted to go over and see what was wrong, but I didn't want to butt in. As I walked past, I did hear something the woman said, and it made me worry slightly.
"She's so mean... I was just doing my job..." the woman whimpered as the man patted her back. My pace slowed slightly as I tried to figure out who the lady was talking about. Who was so mean? Was there another lead worker in there that I didn't know about? Or...
Was she talking about the engine?
My boss hadn't mentioned any other lead worker, or anyone else that would be a problem, which lead me to believe the woman was talking about the engine in the shed. Sure, I had been told that she acted as though she was better than others, but... she wouldn't make someone cry, would she?
I would find out soon, as I was at the entrance door to the large shed. I let out a breath, and grabbed the handle, before pulling it open, and walking inside.
. . .
My eyes widened as I took in the sight before me. One single steam locomotive was there, with dozens of parts and tools lying around it. White overhead ceiling lights lit the otherwise dark space, reflecting off parts of the engine, and the crackling of welding could be heard as a few workers handled various different jobs on parts of the engine.
The engine itself looked incomplete, clearly missing parts in places, but that was expected, since it was being overhauled. It was a medium sized engine, with four small pilot wheels in front, followed by four of the biggest drive wheels I had ever seen. They looked huge, even on the average sized locomotive! Each one had a large fender curved around the top of the wheel, black with a light golden highlight. The boiler of the engine was a vibrant mid-tone blue with golden striped highlights, and a black smoke-box and front end. The wheels were a dark black with a silver rim edge, and it was easy to notice the large brass boiler dome above the blue boiler itself. The cab was black with gold highlights, as was the tender.
Two large compression boxes were at the front of the wheel rod assemblies, one on each side, sticking out a few feet from the smaller front bumper of the engine. Atop the bumper were two large black painted headlamps, followed by a third above the engine's face.
The face... was beautiful!
The engine had a very mature face, but one that also looked young. Kind of a mix of the two. Thin, dark black eyebrows, gentle, but fiery eyes, and strong jawline, completed with a smug like smile.
I slowly walked over to the other workers, who stopped what they were doing when they saw me.
"Good morning, I'm Connor, the new lead worker. Would you mind bringing me up to speed on the project?" I asked. The engine snorted quietly, but seemed to be ignored by most. The other workers explained that the engine was in perfect running order, but as it had been sitting for a while, they were taking many parts off to lubricate them, or check them over for any defects. The engine would also get a fresh coat of paint once the parts were reassembled. Everything, whether it was coming off or not, was being fully cleaned and oiled, including everything inside the cab. The coaches for the engine were being refurbished in a different location, but were set to be finished the same time the engine was.
"I see. Well, even though I'm in charge of the project now, I'll be sure to pull my weight. What would you like me to do?" I asked. One of the workmen wiped his hands.
"You should probably introduce yourself to Orient, then feel free to start disassembling her wheel rod assembly on the other side." he said. Then he leaned closer, and whispered, "Orient isn't her real name, but since she won't tell any of us her real name, that's what we call her." I nodded in understanding, and then walked to the engine's front so she could see me. She looked down at me silently, not seeming to care that I was there.
"My name is Connor, I'm the new lead worker in charge of your overhaul. I fully intend to do the best job I can, Miss..?" I paused, waiting to see if she would tell me her name. Finally, she let out a huff.
"Orient. You will call me Orient. Now, less talking, more working. I do not intend to be late for my service when it starts. Hopefully, you all can put your small minds together and actually get something done." she said, before closing her eyes. I stood there silently, before shrugging, and walking back over to the workmen.
"Pleasant, isn't she?" one of the workers muttered as I walked past. I ignored them, and got to work loosening the joints on her rod system. As my boss had said, all of the tools required for anything we might end up working on were present, so I grabbed what I needed, and made slow, but steady progress. Since she only had a total of four drivers, there weren't as many rods, so it was a bit easier. Once I got the starting rod detached from the others, I slid it out of her compression box, and set it on the ground nearby. I would have to make sure to place them down in order, so I knew exactly where each rod was supposed to go for reassembly.
I worked silently, focusing on my task so I could do as good of a job as possible. My concentration was only broken by Orient shouting.
"OW! You imbeciles! Watch what you're doing!" she exclaimed loudly. I stood, and walked over to the other side, to find that two of the workers were having trouble pulling apart the wheel rod assembly on that side.
"Having trouble?" I asked, walking over. They stepped back to reveal a half disassembled assembly.
"We can't get this apart. We've been trying to use force, but it ain't working." he said.
"Clearly." Orient added sarcastically. I ignored her again and took a closer look at the two rods that were stuck together.
"It looks as if they've rusted together." I said.
"ME? Rust? Hah! You must be joking. I am the Orient Express's power! I do not rust. Blind fool." Orient muttered loudly. I looked to the workers.
"See if you can find a can of anti-seize compound. It should help loosen it up. Spray it on, and let it sit for a minute or two, and then try again. It should come apart easier." I instructed. While the workers went to find the anti-seize, I looked at the two rods again.
"Strange, normally this wouldn't rust here. The lubricant and movement should prevent it. What would cause this?" I said to myself. Once the workers came back and started applying the anti-seize, I walked to Orient's front.
"How long have you sat here?" I asked. Orient sniffed.
"Too long! I should be out where my fans can admire me, not sitting in some shed, with less than adequate peasants fiddling with me." I sighed.
"Uh-huh. Ignoring that. Last time you moved, you feel anything strange coming from your right side? Only when you moved?" I asked. Orient looked on in distaste.
"I do not worry about pain. Pain is nothing." she said. That wasn't a no.
"Pain is a problem, I'll have you know. And I didn't hear you say no. I'm going to have to do a full inspection of the area where the rusted rods where. Something is not right." I said. Orient glared at me.
"You'll do no such thing! I want to be out of here as soon as possible, I will not have your "Inspection" slowing down the already slow progress! I am fine!" she snapped. I stood up straight, and pointed at her.
"I will do my job, which is to make sure you are in one hundred percent operating order. And that entails an inspection! You may be the one we're working on, but I'm the one in charge of this project, and I do not intend to give it anything less than my all, no matter how much you bitch about it!" I said loudly and firmly. Orient was not the only one that look more than a little surprised. Some of the nearby workers were looking at me, some surprised, some intrigued. Orient looked rather mad, though.
"I will not be spoken to that way by a mere worker!" she said. I put my hands on my hips.
"And what are you going to do about it, huh? You can't move, and you won't, until we're done. And seeing as I'm in charge, I can make that take as long as I feel needed. Keep up your attitude, and perhaps I'll find the need to do more inspections, and delay your completion further. It's your call." I said, before walking back to the men who were finally able to pull the rods apart, leaving a bewildered Orient behind.
"Dude, that was amazing! I've never heard anyone shut her up before, let alone stand up to her." one of the men said. I shrugged.
"She's an engine, really, what is she going to do about it? She can complain, insult, and threaten all she wants, but in the end, what can she actually do?" I asked. The men clearly hadn't considered that, judging by their faces. "Well, anyway. I see you got those two rods apart, so I'll go back over to my side. In the future, if something isn't doing what you expect it to, tell me before using force. And leave those rods close. I need to look at them closer later." I said, before going back over to my side. I had to walk around Orient's front to do so, and while she said nothing, I could feel her watching me.
. . .
It took the next four hours, but I managed to get all of the wheel rods off on Orient's left side, and decided that was a good stopping point for a break.
"Why don't we call it lunchtime, and take a break?" I said. Nobody else seemed to have any problem with that. Orient had been getting on most of their nerves for the rest of the morning, so I think they were looking forward to getting away from her for a while. I decided to stick around, and talk with Orient a bit. If I could get her to warm up to me, maybe I could get her to stop being... stress inducing.
I walked back into the shed once I had grabbed my lunch from my car, and Orient's face scrunched up in disgust.
"If you even think about working on me while you eat, think again. I don't want any of your greasy food crumbs spoiling my body!" she said. I set my lunchbox on a nearby table, and turned to face her.
"Oh, would you knock it off?! We're doing our best to get you in tip top shape so you can enjoy your new service, and all you've done is be a pain in the ass! I like to think of myself as a pretty patient person, but you are really pushing it to its limits! None of us ever did anything other than try to help you, so I can't figure out why you're acting this way. Do you realize when I got here this morning, there were two workers outside, one of which was crying? I'm lead to believe you were the cause of it! Really? Is that how you replay our hard work? By making others cry?!" I said, trying my best to look intimidating.
"Pff. Probably Melissa. That girl is one of the dumbest workers here. She can't do anything right." Orient muttered. I sighed, seeing that she took nothing I had just said seriously. I pointed a finger at her.
"Keep it up, I dare you. Eventually, no one is going to want to work on you, and then where will you be, huh? You'll sit here, and you'll sit here, and you'll sit here. Alone, in the dark, while some other engine pulls your service. You can't run if you aren't finished. And you won't be finished if no one wants to help." I said, before picking up my lunch, and taking it outside. Hopefully giving her some time alone would help Orient really consider my words.
If not, she'd get what was coming to her.
As I ate, one of the other workers came over. I recognized her as the woman who had been crying this morning.
"Hi, I'm Melissa. Sorry I wasn't able to introduce myself earlier, I was..." she trailed off before sighing, and sitting down on the bench next to me. "She's just so... unbelievable. I know I'm not the most skilled person in there, but I try my best! And then she goes and... and tells me to quit before I kill someone with one of my dangerous mistakes." she said quietly. I looked at her quickly.
"She said what?!" I asked. The girl jumped at my raised voice, before sighing.
"I almost burned someone with a welder this morning. I turned around with it still on, and there was someone standing behind me. She said that I should quit before I screw up again, and kill someone." she said again. I stayed quiet.
"You're Melissa, right?" I asked finally. The woman nodded.
"Y-Yeah. How'd you know?" she asked. I sighed.
"Orient. I tried giving her a talking do before I came out here, but I don't think she really cared to listen. She did mention you, though. I won't repeat what she said, because I don't believe it. Tell you what, in the future, next time you do something, take a moment to make sure you think through what you're doing. Think of any possibilities that could happen due to an action. It will help you remember to do things safely. And always be aware of your surroundings. Don't daydream, keep your mind focused on what you're doing, and where you are. It will help, trust me." I said. The young woman smiled after a moment.
"Okay, thanks. I... I'll try my best." she said as she stood. "Well, I'll let you eat in peace." she said before walking off. I watched after her for a moment, before turning my thoughts to that section of rusted wheel rods. They would need to be replaced, because of those snapped at the speed the Orient Express traveled... it would be major damage. My concern was that they shouldn't be rusting in that spot. I was lead to believe there was a leak of some kind around that spot that, in Orient's time sitting, had covered that spot, and caused it to rust. On the other hand, I could just be over thinking things, but it was better to be safe than sorry.
Eventually, lunch was over, and I walked back inside, fully expecting Orient to start insulting me again, but she actually didn't say anything. I saw her look at me, and then look away, so she definitely knew I was there. I wasn't going to complain if she stayed silent though, so I just went back to work.
Since I had lay out the pieces of her rod assembly in order, once I had them all freshly cleaned and lubricated, it was easy to put them back in. I bolted the main rod onto her drivers first, making sure each one was tight, and then put the secondary rod on.
"That's too tight." Orient said. I sighed, and loosened it ever so slightly.
"Better?" I asked. Orient said nothing, so I assumed it was acceptable for her. I slid the small rod into her compression box carefully, making sure it lined up properly, and was fully greased all the way around. As I worked, the other workers slowly arrived back as well and resumed their work. Just as I put the last rod on, I heard someone call out.
"Wait, where's George?"
I peeked underneath Orient to see across to the other side, and saw a man looking around.
"George who?" I called.
"He's the one that's been helping me align the brakes on the drivers over here. He's usually back by now." the man replied. I stood up, and around Orient to the man.
"Was he here this morning?" I asked. The man nodded.
"Yeah, he was. We were almost finished with the brakes over here, actually. Orient yelled at him early this morning, before you got here, and he seemed to get sour after that. Lemme call him." the man said, pulling out his cellphone. He dialed a number, and after it rang a few times, started talking. While he did so, I walked back toward Orient's front so I could finish the work on my side. As I was directly in front of her, I heard a loud voice.
"You quit?! Seriously? You couldn't have told someone?" the man yelled into his phone. I paused, and then looked up at Orient, who was watching me.
"What did I tell you? It's already happening." I said just loud enough for her to hear, before going back to my area to finish her rod inspection. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her open her mouth, and then close it again. Perhaps she finally had no response.
I double checked all of the rods, and they were all good, so I went back over to the brake repairman.
"You need help finishing the brakes here?" I asked, wiping my brow. The man shrugged.
"Sure, if you want. George up'n quit apparently. Said he was sick of being around Orient, and he didn't get paid enough to be insulted and yelled at all day. Can't say I'm surprised. Any-hoo, hand me those brake blocks." he said, pointing to some large fresh brake shoes on a cart. I carried them over one at a time, and the man pushed them into the brake arms, and used his measurement tool to make sure they were set properly so they would grip the wheel with maximum force.
"Looks good. Tighten that one up, and I'll do the other one." he said, tossing me a large wrench. I tightened the new bolts until the brake was secured, and then waited for him to finish.
"Go up into the cab, and pull the manual emergency brake lever. Gotta make sure they sit flush against the wheel right." he instructed. As I climbed the ladder into Orient's cab, I realized this is the cab that I would be working in once she got rail ready. It was a fairly standard cab layout, pretty simple. Decent visibility out of the front window and side window. The back of the cab was open so getting coal would be easy for the fireman. I pulled the large red lever, and heard a creak.
"Good! The brakes are perfect!" the man called. I stuck my head out the side cab window.
"You want it left on?" I asked. He shook his head.
"Nah, not yet. We gotta do the other side still, and you can't pull the old brakes off if they're on." he explained.
"Duh." I heard Orient comment. I idly smacked in inside of her cab, unsure if she could feel it or not. Just to let her know I was still listening to her. I climbed back out, and stretched.
"It's about quitting time for today, so why don't we stop here? We'll be at a good place to resume tomorrow." I said. One by one, the workers set down their tools, and headed for the main office. I walked around Orient, making sure nothing was left out of place, or in a dangerous spot. I could still feel her eyes on me, although she still said nothing.
Once I felt everything was satisfactory, I went into the office as well, where the other's were getting ready to leave.
"Good work today, guys. We keep this up, and she'll be out of your hair in no time. Look forward to that." I said. I was standing in the connecting doorway between Orient's shed, and the small room used for the office in the corner, and when I heard her gasp, I knew she had heard what I said. Although she had treated us poorly, I still felt bad for saying that. At least, about her hearing me say it.
Once the others had left, I walked back to Orient, and sat on an oil drum near her front, letting out a sigh.
"What's the matter with you?" she asked. I looked at her, and chuckled.
"Just a little tired, that's all. Working on an engine is one thing, but when there's more to deal with, it's more difficult." I said, giving her a knowing glance. She looked away.
"So... someone quit?" she asked after a moment. I nodded.
"It would seem so. Unfortunately, that will set us back a little. I'll see if we can work a little faster to make up the time." I said.
"Great." Orient said in a sarcastic tone.
"Why are you like this?" I asked. She looked at me.
"Like what?" she asked bluntly.
"Unfriendly. Rude. Sarcastic. You're not making it easy to work around, or on you." I said. She snorted.
"I do not need to explain myself, or my history to you. Even if I did, you would not understand. You will just have to deal with me the way I am." she said. I stood, and headed for the office door.
"It would seem so. Anyone can change, you know. But they have to want to." I said, before closing the door, leaving Orient to herself. I punched out for the day, and walked out to my car. As I started the engine, I realized what Orient had said.
'I do not need to explain myself, or my history to you. Even if I did, you wouldn't understand.'
What did her history have to do with what I had said?
. . .
When I got home, my curiosity was still eating at me, so I fired up my computer, and Googled the Orient Express and its full history. I read for a while, learning about how its route had changed multiple times over the years, and that there were many different engine's that had pulled it. Orient wasn't the fastest or the strongest engine to pull it, but she was easily one of the most beautiful. I had never seen another engine like her. Her massive wheels, and her special curved fenders over them were unlike any other engine I'd ever seen. Her large headlamps completed her front end, and her beautiful blue, black, and gold paint theme was perfect for her.
If only she herself was different. Never in my life had I met someone so full of themselves, and had so little concern for others. I couldn't imagine she was always like that, but I doubt she'd tell me anything about her past. She said she wouldn't anyway. Claimed I wouldn't understand.
But what did that mean? I wouldn't understand what?
I was unable to find answers to any of my questions, so I finally shut off my computer and got ready for bed after eating a quick meal. Perhaps over time, I could understand Orient better.
. . .
When I arrived the next day, there were less workers than yesterday, which raised some concern.
"Where is everyone?" I asked the nearest worker.
"I heard more people quit after George did yesterday. Almost everyone is fed up with Orient's attitude. I know more of us are thinking about quitting. Not all of us are getting paid, as some of this was volunteer work, so it's nothing off our backs." he said gruffly. I put a hand to my head, and leaned against Orient's tender.
"Faaaantastic. Now progress will be even slower, and Orient will have a fit about it." I muttered. Someone had to tell her, and as I was the leader, of course it had to be me. I walked up to her quietly.
"I have some bad news, Orient." I said softly. The engine looked down at me, and raised an eyebrow. She said nothing, so I took that as a sign to continue.
"We lost more workers between today and yesterday. There are now only about five of us. Apparently some of the people who left were only volunteer's. This unfortunately means your progress will slow even farther. I will call my boss later and see what he's going to do, but until then, all we can do is keep working. I'm sorry." I said, putting a hand on her bumper in an effort to show her I was sincere.
"Sorry? Now I will never be able to run my service! I..." she paused, before closing her eyes, and let out a slow sigh. "Why did I have to be a machine? Why couldn't I have been human? I could have been a model, or some other celebrity. Why did I have to be something that can't take care of itself? Why do I have to have help to maintain my image?" she said quietly as she opened her eyes. I was a bit surprised by what she had said, all things told.
"Don't you like being an engine? One of the most beautiful in the world, at that?" I asked, trying to cheer her up. She looked at me, and after a moment, I realized a light blush had appeared on her cheeks.
"O-Of course I love being an engine! I am the definition of elegance and class! I just wish I could take care of myself. You wouldn't understand!" she snapped. I worked on polishing one of her headlamps, so I wouldn't be able to focus on her harshness.
"Nobody will understand if you don't tell them, and explain. Perhaps that's your issue, hmm? You feel nobody understands you, because you don't let anything out? It's not good to keep things bottled up. Haven't you ever had anyone to talk to, or spend time with?" I asked as I straightened out the headlamp.
"Wh-What are you saying?" Orient asked, frowning. I sighed.
"I'm saying maybe your problem is that you need someone to talk to, but because of the way you act, no one can get close enough for you to do so. You should try lightening up a little, and see if you can make a friend. Someone to confide in, someone who will listen. It always helped me feel better when my sister listened to me vent about my problems. Of course... she's no longer around, but... still." I said, growing quiet at my mention of my sister.
I did have a sister, long ago. But, my family had lost her to an illness, and... it hit us hard. I loved talking about her, to keep her memory alive, but it was also painful.
"S-Sister? You had a sister too?" Orient asked in an unusually quiet tone. I nodded.
"I did. She would always listen to me, and try and make me feel better." I said. Orient bit her lip for a moment.
"What happened to her?" she asked. I felt tears build up in my eyes, and looked away.
"I don't... I don't want to talk about it." I said. Orient snorted.
"All of this talk about opening up, and then you won't talk to me? I go out of my way to ask you about your irrelevant personal life, and you..."
"She died because of an incurable illness! I had to watch her slowly get worse and worse, bedridden, knowing there was nothing I could do! She got weaker and weaker, barely able to move herself without help, until she fell asleep and never woke up! Alright?! I was twelve! You have no idea what it's like to lose someone at that young age!" I shouted, walking away before Orient could say something else uncalled for.
I went into the office, and sat in the chair, shaking. I wasn't sure if it was because of anger, or sadness. How could she be so... uncaring? Couldn't she see that talking about my sister was painful?
I sat in silence for a few minutes before I heard a door slam from the shed part of the building. I turned around and saw nothing. Aside from Orient, the tools and parts, and a few other random things in the shed, no one was present.
I stood, and walked back to the work area.
"Guys? Hello?" I called. No response. I walked up to the front door of the building, and looked through the window. I saw several cars leaving the parking lot. I looked around, and noticed that everyone belongings were gone.
"Did... did everyone just quit?" I asked aloud.
"Typical. No work ethic." Orient commented. I quickly turned around and walked up to her.
"No work ethic? NO WORK ETHIC?! It's you, you stupid engine! You've driven everyone away! People can only take so much before they've had enough, and won't take it anymore! You talk about work ethic, I think everyone that was here had a stronger work ethic than you ever will! To put up with you for one damn day takes more strength than most people have! You're like a bad boss, or an annoying repeat customer! No one looks forward to seeing you, or dealing with you! I can truly see why! You have absolutely no sympathy for concern for anyone but yourself! You don't care if what you says hurts others, you don't care about anything! Nothing except your damn passenger service, and yourself! And look where's its gotten you! Now I'm the only one here to work on your ass! You know what, no. Not me. Not today. I'm no longer in the mood to see you. I'm leaving too. Maybe I'll be back, maybe you'll be left here to rot until someone else finds you, I don't really care right now!" I said before quickly grabbing my things, and storming out of the shed.
"H-Hey, wait..." I heard her call, but the door loudly slammed shut, cutting her off. I threw my things into my car, and tore out of the parking lot, nearly skidding on the snow and ice.
"Most ungrateful, unpleasant engine I've ever met." I muttered as I drove home.
I always thought anyone could change, with the help of others. But now...
That theory was truly being tested. And the results so far didn't look promising.
Letting your fame go to your head is never good. It changes you, whether you realize it or not. Orient, as we call her now, clearly doesn't realize it, even with Connor's attempted assistance.
She said one or two things that may provide a hint at what happened that made her this way. Did you notice anything in particular she said that could be a hint?
'Orient' is owned by The-Orient-Express over on DeviantART. That's not actually her name, but I won't say what it is yet. You'll find out.
