//------------------------------//
// Chapter 8-Fresh Horizons 
// Story: Thomas and Friends: New Frontiers 
// by The Blue EM2 
//------------------------------//

The combined roar of two Crompton engines was clearly audible in the Amazon as a heavy train rolled to a stop in the middle of the jungle. After an incredibly long journey, the formation had finally located its stopping point in the heart of the Amazon, and the furthest point they could reach whilst running on conventional rails.

The formation had stopped in a loop at the end of the line, so to speak. Charles, who was leading the formation, was thankful they had reached the end of the line. "It's all far too hot out here," he said. "All those stops- my cooling fans were having to work overtime in this heat."

"You're not exactly making it cooler with all the hot air you're putting out," Sophie replied.

"I have a lot to say, that's all."

As the sun continued to set behind them, Lord Haven glanced forwards and backwards from Charles' cab window. "We begin work tomorrow," he said. "We'll need to get all this stock rearranged as well. The supplies for rebuilding the bridges are currently at the back of the train, and we need them at the front so they can be quickly conveyed to the bridge sites."

"Sites?" Pipp asked.

"We have several to rebuild, the first of which is located about half a mile up the track," Lord Haven replied.

"Bet you're gonna enjoy that work," Zipp said. "I'll go set the other switch." She opened the door, climbed down the steps, and walked over to the next switch in order to change it.

She paused when she saw it, seemingly surprised by the site of this switch, before starting to make her way back up to the others. "Guys? Something's not right here."

"Is the switch broken?" Lady Haven asked.

"No, it looks new," Zipp replied. "And that's precisely the problem. Dad, I thought you said this line was abandoned in the 1950s."

"It was," Lord Haven said.

"The point motor is a model from the 1960s, a power assisted example to be precise. If the line was abandoned then, why would a point motor from a decade later be fitted to the track?"

Charles snorted. "What sort of nerd would find that sort of thing interesting?"

"Charles, this is serious," Zipp said. "It suggests somebody has been here more recently, somebody before us."

"It also means we're being followed," Lord Haven said. He turned to Zoom. "I want patrols around the clock, Zoom. Ensure that the security detail is vigilant and watching for any signs of suspicious activity. This is important as we'll be vulnerable when reassembling the train for unloading."

"Yes sir," Zoom replied, before turning to her troops. "You heard the man! Sentry duty! Get the .50 cal set up and watching the river! Watch all sides! Pick up that litter!"

Zipp reboarded Charles' cab as Pipp uncoupled Sophie and the coaches from the trucks. With a fresh rumble the formation moved forward, ready to move the coaches into the main to allow the trucks to be brought ahead.





"Well, new country for all of us," Izzy said, as they exited the airport. The landscape stretched out before them, blue skies with some clouds welcoming them to one of the most southerly countries on Earth.

"Yeah," Aurora said. "I've never been to Australia before. I'll have to see if I can cope with being upside down for prolonged periods!"

Isaac smiled at his wife's joke. "Well, it doesn't quite work like that, but I get what you mean. We'll need to get a road vehicle to drive to where we need to go, as our ultimate destination is a long way away, and furthermore is only accesible by rail."

"Rail?" Izzy asked. "I'm liking the sound of this already!" She glanced about. "Can you hear the thunder?"

"No, as it's not thundery weather conditions," Aurora replied. "But if I did, we'd better run and take cover in that event."

Isaac retook control of the conversation, as they had gone off on a tangent. "We need to get to Paraburdoo by rail, as the region has very poor roads which will make driving their very difficult indeed. The rail line that serves the region is the Hammersley and Robe River Railway, a mineral line which serves several mines in the region."

"That's very far from here," Aurora noted, as she checked a map on her phone. "Several thousand miles, as a matter of fact."

"We'll have to fly from Perth, which is where we are, to Karratha, which is near where the line starts. It's about a two hour flight, which may seem rough given we've just been on a flight, but the alternative would be driving for fifteen hours, which frankly I don't fancy right at the moment."

"So, by plane it is," Izzy said. "Tomorrow, presumably?"

"That would be a good idea," Aurora said."We can go to a hotel, rest overnight, and get the worst of the jetlag off before beginning our travels towards... what did you say it was called again?"

"Karratha," Isaac replied. "It's, as I say, a long way from here. Let's find transport to a hotel."

As the three moved off, none of them were aware they were being watched. Yes, their situational awareness was becoming a bit of a problem at this point, but the fact remained that they were on a mission.

A mysterious man was watching them. "They're here, in Australia," he said. "Are you guys ready for the arrival?"

"Indeed we are, mate," said somebody on the other end.

The man sighed. "You'll stick out like a sore thumb if you insist on talking like Crocodile Dundee. Most Australians are nothing like that in this bit of the country." He put the radio down. "Time to see if the others are ready as well. With all these assets we've got a lot of ground to cover in the desert. And just our luck it's one of Asia's biggest countries."

He paced away to a nearby car.





The top of the Jungfrau was bitterly cold. Whilst not the tallest mountain in Europe it was one of the most accessible, which meant that it was very popular with tourists. And today, Argyle, Goldie, and Sunny were joining that list of tourists who had glimpsed the beauty of one of Europe's last remaining alpine wildernesses, complete with snow.

Sunny was fascinated. "There's so much snow!" she said.

"It's a lot better here than back in Britain," Argyle mentioned. "Normally we only get that slushy stuff- if it snows at all- which ends up clogging drains and blocking pipes."

"We also have some clues to follow," Goldie said, picking up the pace across the snow. "Based on our most recent encounter it appears those who are also searching for the clues are prepared to use force to get what they want. So let's go."

"Of course," Argyle said, who was struggling to maintain the pace. Sunny, likewise, was slipping and sliding about uncontrollably.

"Big strikes, feet far apart," Goldie advised. "That way you avoid slipping and sliding."

"How do you know this trick?" Argyle asked, as he finally caught up.

"I grew up in New England, remember?" Goldie said. "Heavy snow there is a yearly ritual, so I learned how to cope with it pretty quickly. Up here it's no different, in fact it's probably a little easier as there's no blizzard."

"The more you know," Sunny added, as they strode across the snow like three explorers cresting the edge of the known world. Which they weren't of, course, because they were only on top of one of Europe's most well settled mountains in a popular tourist region, but we can't afford to be technical around here.

Sunny was still pretty amazed at what she was seeing. The towering mountain peaks and snow were a totally alien world to her, having grown up in a seaside town. She had only previously seen this sort of thing in books, and was amazed by it all. The walk suddenly stopped when one of her boots bumped into something. "Guys, I've got something!"

Argyle and Goldie turned back to Sunny's location before starting to dig through the snow. "There's something down here!" Argyle called. "Get digging!"

After a few minutes of digging through solid snow, they had found what they were looking for. A chest. "Mission accomplished!" Goldie said. "We've found one of the boxes. Should we look at it here or in the hotel?"

"Definitely back in Interlaken," Argyle replied. "I have my equipment there so I can properly analyse this thing." The pair took the chest between them, and began to take the box down the mountain to be looked at.

Sunny started to follow, but she was suddenly overcome by a bout of dizziness. "Huh? What?"

The world seemed to be swimming around her, and as the light began to shift she suddenly fell over backwards into the snow.

"Time to speak, little one," said a mysterious voice from nowhere.