#coaster soul: Xcelerator | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

techycatartist · 4 months

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For the first time in over a year, the sound of a hydraulically-powered launch rang out across Knott’s Berry Farm.

Ka pulled Xcelerator in for a tight embrace.

“Sorry I couldn’t make it here earlier, the flight got delayed a few hours…”

“Hey, there’s no need to apologize-- if there’s one thing I won’t fault anyone for, it’s not showing up on time…”

In typical Intamin fashion, “Xcel” missed its initially-scheduled reopening because the coaster needed more time to “wake up”. But once it did…it went down for technical issues shortly after. Regardless, Xcelerator was now operational for the foreseeable future.

“Apparently, I was supposed to re-open like…two-ish months ago. But allegedly something broke when they were testing my coaster and so Knott’s had to place an order for ANOTHER new part. Good thing it didn’t take as long, because it’s clear that I’ve missed A LOT of stuff. I mean…Cedar Fair and Six Flags are MERGING?! Have I woken up in some kind of alternate dimension?”

“No, no…this is our usual reality. It’s just that we’re now faced with the prospect of one company trying to deal with twenty-seven amusement parks. In my eyes, it’s only a matter of time before they start putting some of them up for sale. I can only hope that the parks that do find themselves in this situation can find a new operator…”

Following Xcel, Ka re-acquainted himself with the other Coasterdroids that called Knott’s their home. In Xcel’s absence, GhostRider had shifted their role as the sole “park leader”, though the two had been co-leaders ever since Montezooma passed the (metaphorical) baton to Xcel back in 2002.

Of course, a trip to the birthplace of the Boysenberry couldn’t be complete without indulging in one of the many treats offered by Knott’s that incorporated it into their recipe.

“Call it basic, but this berry was one of the things I missed the most. Well, that and Cordelia’s fried chicken. There’s a reason why we still serve it all these decades later…”

“Given that I was re-acquainted with it a few hours ago, I have to wholeheartedly agree”.

The rest of the afternoon was spent right at their coaster’s station; Xcel talked to their other cousins via video call, Ka occasionally adding to the conversation. It all happened as dozens of humans moved in and out of the vicinity, completely unaware of the pair’s presence.

“…Man, I didn’t expect to see Storm Runner break down like that. Emotionally, I mean”.

“While this may be because of our more frequent contact, I believe that they had missed you the most out of all of us. Given what they’ve been through, it must be a relief that you were just as they had remembered…”

This seemed to shift the mood of the conversation.

“Oh, right. I completely forgot. Wildcat’s Revenge is an entirely different Coasterdroid now”.

“They opened back in June, and yet their parkmates are still keeping Wildcat’s Revenge in the dark about it”.

“I can’t imagine being in their shoes— realizing that you took someone’s place, from someone who was never offering up their spot. But I don’t have to imagine how it feels to lose someone when their coaster’s still around…or at least part of it is”.

A plain, brown construction wall blocked entrance to anyone who wasn’t allowed to be there.

“When I woke up this morning, I noticed that Timberline wasn’t with the others. Turns out they had passed away a few months ago. Back in July, GhostRider woke up one day to find their coaster walled off— and it was completely demolished two weeks later”.

Xcel glanced down at the concrete, misplaced guilt creeping back into their soul.

“I know…I know. We’re not supposed to last forever. Tim’s manufacturer has been defunct for decades now. Their coaster was far from Knott’s star attraction— It was only a matter of time. But if Silver Dollar City can give a season’s notice for Fire In The Hole, what’s stopping other parks from following in their example? Is it because it was a “kiddy” coaster, and therefore didn’t deserve the park’s attention? I couldn’t help but be blindsided due to my situation, but why would you put my family through that?”

“It seems that Fire In The Hole is an exception to the norm, sadly. While some coasters may show their decline plainly, others are caught off-guard by their closure. Timberline may have been approaching an inoperable state, but if it wasn’t impossible to keep them around, they should have at least made it to New Year’s”.

“I can only hope that we’re welcoming someone else into our family next year; It’s the only thing that would make this less painful. But if Kings Island is still waiting for a Vortex successor, maybe I’m giving Cedar Fair— or the amalgamated “Six Flags”— too much credit. Unfortunately, Tim’s not the only one we’re missing around here…”

Montezooma’s loop-less structure stood above the two, seemingly abandoned.

“Monty should’ve been back by now. Everything else had been fixed up for the summer, but it’s almost 2024 and the only thing we have are their spikes. You probably know this already, but rumor has it that Knotts realized that KumbaK was the wrong choice— but by the time they figured it out, something had gone terribly wrong. Not the first time this has happened to Knott’s, though at least Windjammer…operated. Not consistently, mind you, but it was there for three years until Knotts had had enough and sued TOGO…”

Something about Xcel’s recount had struck a chord in Ka, though not in a good way.

“…Though it seems like money is the real issue here, because if they weren’t listening to their wallets, maybe we could’ve had Gerstlaurer handle the refurbishment. Y’know…the company that was FOUNDED by a former Schwarzkopf employee?”

“They had also handled Sooperdooperlooper’s new trains and Psyke Underground, if I recall”.

“Even better! They have prior experience working with Schwarzkopf’s coasters. But I guess KumaK's offer was too good to refuse…”

There was something else that came to Ka’s mind; a rumor that Zamperla had offered a multi-ride “package deal” to Cedar Fair. If true, it was the reason why Carowinds got a set of new flat rides this year. It was the reason why Cedar Point had installed Wild Mouse for their new “Boardwalk” section.

It was the reason why they were in charge of Top Thrill 2, instead of Intamin.

Though, a good price was not the only factor at hand.

Cedar Fair, perhaps more than any supposed discord between park and manufacturer, had become entirely disinterested in dealing with Intamin.

But Ka had hoped that the two would’ve “buried the hatchet” by now.

Instead, the reins were handed over to a manufacturer—while competent in their own right—had never taken on a project of this scale before.

“But even if they sue KumbaK, even if they win…I don’t think they can bring Monty back, Ka. I mean…the loop is gone-- and it was allegedly a complete mistake on the contractor’s part. Worse, they may have also damaged the foundation beyond repair. They may be able to make a new loop, but if they don’t have any strong ground to put it on, why would they even bother…”

“You recognize that these are all rumors, right? It’s not wise to assume all of that is true, or if any of it was in the first place”.

“It’s hard to ignore them when Knott’s has said nothing about it, and if all of that isn’t the reason why their coaster is half-demolished, then what is?”

Xcel’s composure was rapidly degrading.

“If it was going to end up like this, they should’ve just laid Monty to their eternal rest. That way, we would know for sure that they’re gone…!”

At that moment, not providing Xcel with the emotional comfort they needed would be cruel— but Ka’s mind had already latched on to the apparent parallels between Montezooma and TT2.

Frankly, it was odd that Xcel hadn’t noticed it themselves, or even asked Ka about TT2.

So, in that moment, Ka buried his feelings and helped Xcel process their grief.

Realistically, it was likely that the refurbished “MonteZOOMa” would have little memory of their past life, given the drastic changes; this also applied to TT2. Ka was already grappling with the idea that the connection they had with their sibling has been lost to time.

The thing worse than losing his sibling in spirit would be to bear witness to TT2’s failure.

Zamperla had, at the very least, made good on their intention to refurbish it.

But just a little over a month later….

A video had been attached to a text message.

“Their coaster has hit a major milestone. I feel that TT2’s return is imminent…”

On the morning of December 13th, Top Thrill 2 completed its first full-circuit test, accompanied by the sound of their excited parkmates.

To say that Ka was relieved was an understatement.

Given the time difference, Xcel wouldn’t see his message a few hours later— but he knew it would be a great thing to wake up to.

After all, it had only been a couple of days since Knott’s formally announced “Snoopy’s Tenderpaw Twister”, a Zamperla-made kiddy coaster and intended successor to Timberline Twister.

Ka forwarded the footage to Xcel with his own message;

“Good Morning. Millennium sent me this footage today— it has brought hope that I desperately needed, and I think it will also bring some to you”.

#techystory #techycharacters #techyockingdaka #(this was supposed to be written last month but life (tm) got in the way)#(though bcs I know what happened after Xcels reopening it got to end a more hopeful note)#cw death #cw death mention

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