The Scarecrow of OZ by S. D. Stuart

Author:S. D. Stuart [Stuart, S.D.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: SCIENCE FICTION
Publisher: Ramblin' Prose Publishing
Published: 2013-07-22T04:00:00+00:00

The massive black locomotive sat on railroad tracks that started at the center of the large city and stretched all the way to the external defensive wall. It belched a cloud of steam that engulfed Caleb in a white shroud. He lost sight of Dorothy and the Tin Man for a brief moment until the hot vapor dissipated. When it cleared, he could see them standing with Toto on the other side of the town square from where he stood next to locomotive.

Ellis puffed furiously on his pipe, doing his best to compete with the locomotive, as he spoke to one of his men. “Have you been able to reach the Oracle?”

The tattoo covered soldier, not taking his eyes off the men unloading crates from the locomotive, shook his head. “No sir. The only thing we get on his frequency is static.”

“Keep trying. I want to make sure our friends here are welcomed with open arms and not firearms.”

“Yes sir.”

The soldier ran off and Ellis placed a hand on the oversized wagon wheels that had been fitted to the locomotive. The wheels were as big around as he was tall. His fingers stroked the grooves carved at alternating angles along the edge of the ten-inch thick wheels.

“These grooves might give you a bit of a bumpy ride as you gain speed on the track, but that’s nothing compared to the ride you’ll get when you run out of track. These modified wheels should provide enough traction on the ground to keep you going through the siege camp, and all the way to the center of OZ before you run out of coal.”

Caleb inspected the row of wheels mounted on the locomotive. He didn’t know much about trains, but he knew they had to be on a track to get to where they were going. His eyes follow the tracks the locomotive rested on. They ended against the wall at the edge of the city. Men with shaved heads and tattoos worked tirelessly to clear away stones from the wall, leaving only one layer of protection between the city and the siege camp outside. This would give the locomotive minimal resistance when it hit the wall; and a big surprise for the bandits on the other side who had no idea what was coming.

Still, riding a wild out-of-control locomotive without a guide-track did not sound like the best idea Caleb had ever heard.

“How do we steer the train once we are off the tracks?”

Ellis chuckled. “You won’t be needing to steer her. Think of this length of track as a gun barrel and the locomotive as a bullet. We’ve already aimed you in the right direction. You will just keep going in a straight line until she stops.”

“What if we hit something?”

“You’ll just go right on through it.” He slapped a hand on Caleb’s shoulder. “There ain’t nothing in OZ that can stop this beast once she gets started. Trust me, you’ll carve a path through everything in your way until you run out of steam.

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