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It was nearly the end of Series 8, and Duck was no longer fitting
into a stereotypical character nor making any comedic progress. The other engines laughed at him.
"Disgusting" said
James.
"No, isn't that my line?" asked Henry
"No, yours is despicable," added Gordon, but due to carelessness was doing
a very good Henry impression with his face.
Duck chuffered into a random station where the engines magically were.
He felt very upset, as his face seemed to indicate.
"I've tried to fit in," he moaned, "look I've even got a catch
phrase - We do it the Great Western Way!"
"No, that'll never work," said Fergus the Steam Traction Engine who was there
for some reason, "you've got to Do It Right."
"Bust my boiler," said Thomas, "short and quick and a phrase that can be
written into every script."
"Anyone would think," added Gordon, "that Duck wanted a real character!"
Suddenly,
the Fat Controller materialised out of nowhere.
"Ash you can shee," he said, doing his best Parkinson impression, "I
'aven't had any shleep for 30 years sho I can't keep an eye out on who is developing a pershonality!"
"Please sir,"
said Percy who chuffered in with some trucks, "what does person-wally mean?"
"It means," said Thomas with that happy-ending
music playing, "that one of us has real emotions and feelings."
"Oi!" the Fat Controller zoomed in, "Duck, you're progress
to become a minor weak character has been good lately, but you simply cannot fit into our simple structures. You will have
to go to the other end of the line."
Duck, sadly, puffed away. He passed Edward.
"Oh don't cry," said the old
engine, "at least you still kept your old traits. They've given me 'mean old fart' now."
And, remembering what he just
said, Edward puffed out, swearing at Duck and muttering about how root beer isn't like the old days. Duck, momentarily confused
by the events, decided to continue going. His driver was sympathetic.
"At least you look different," he said, "I was
cloned and there's about 50 of us in each of the engines."
Finally Duck reached to the other end of the line, where
there was a big white void. Duck cautiously entered and soon, he completely changed. He began to look like a real engine,
with proper colours and textures. His driver changed too.
"Look," said his driver, "I'm tanned!"
But Duck couldn't
respond, as he saw the strangest of sights.
"Look," he said, "there's Boco! And Sir Handel! And Duke!"
"Welcome
brother," said Boco, "you've come to a new life. A life where you actually do meaningful things. A place where one man doesn't
control everything. A place where trucks won't spontaneously appear in front you. Come, you have much to see...."
Duck
followed Boco towards the horizon, passing a large overhead sign. It read: Now Entering: The Railway Series
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