The Standing Stones

**The Standing Stones** is the fifth and final episode of The SCPs of Sodor and the seventy-fifth episode overall.

The Standing Stones/Transcript

## Plot

On Sodor, in 964, during a battle, Jackson Bailey runs over to the Standing Stones to find Dr. Hatley and Dr. Murphy there, to their surprise.

One millennia later, during the construction of the Waterton Branch Line, a skeleton is discovered along with a rock with ancient Sudrian text written on it. The SCP Foundation then arrives and takes the relics to Camp Culdee. Dr. Murphy gives Dr. Pierce a description of the skeleton, and realisation dawns on Dr. Hatley that the skeleton could be King Godred himself. She also points to the rock as evidence as it matches the description of the Rock of Godred, which was found during the construction of a bridge crossing the Els River. On the rock are the Standing Stones and ancient Sudrian text, with some of it missing due to being damaged. Dr. Pierce then orders Agent Potter to take his men out to look for Old Bailey around the Brendam Branch Line. The foundation had given them a mobile jammer to prevent Old Bailey from escaping.

While Dr. Hatley was translating the Sudrian text, Agent Potter and his men were out searching for Old Bailey. At night, they found him, but just as they were about to put him into custody, the jammer ran out of batteries, allowing Old Bailey to escape, but not before punching Agent Potter.
As Agent Potter told the crew about the news, Dr. Hatley had translated the text as “Open wide the gates of…”. She also says the Standing Stones were where the kings of Sodor were crowned. Given their previous experience with ancient Sudrian, they decide to take precautions, much to the annoyance of Sir Handel Brown and his engines, with all Nartwin Express trains cancelled.

One day, at the Standing Stones, Dr. Hatley states that the Standing Stones are made up of exactly 50 pieces, but is interrupted when Agent Potter informs Dr. Pierce about an important transmission from Camp Culdee. After they leave, Dr. Hatley confers to Dr. Murphy about a strange feeling she has over the missing word: time. After Dr. Murphy says, “Open wide the gates of time”, they are suddenly transported to where they are, but everything has gone. They then hear a roar and heavy footsteps. After being confronted by a Tyrannosaurus rex, they sprint back to the stones and when Dr. Hatley repeats the phrase, she realises they’re traveling through time. After smelling smoke in the air, they wander off to find a fighter jet and UFOs, and above them is a massive airship. They go back to the Stones and are transported through time again. This time, they hear sounds of a battle. An old man then approaches them and says “Open wide the gates of time.” They are then brought into a desert with the standing stones before being brought to a peaceful time. He tells them that he was the one who found the rock before the Danes invaded and when they did, he sabotaged the rock so they couldn’t read it. He advises them to think about a specific date to visit before saying the words, otherwise the stones will take them to a random time. Suddenly air raid sirens blare as the Britannic Republic is launching an assault against the Fifth Reich. Before going off to the front lines, he gives them his name, Jack. Murphy and Hatley hesitate, uncertain it will work, but they try it, and are brought back to where they were, in 1964, meet back up with Dr. Pierce and Agent Potter.

Later, they return to the base and Hatley and Murphy explained everything. Hatley deduces Bailey being able to move through time is enabling him to avoid them. Pierce then says that due to heavy fog, Bailey will be at Sudwin at nightfall and they are preparing to catch Bailey once and for all. Hatley then has a revelation, having overlooked that fogman has a direct translation into old Sudrian, and assumes Bailey could be Culdee.

Back in 2015, the others are in disbelief at the idea, though Edward says Culdee denies being a tyrant, since the legend is the only source on what happened during the time. Culdee had been neglectful, as he wanted to time travel rather than rule a kingdom after discovering what the stones could do, making the Danes easily take control of Sodor. While the legend could be false, the rock is very true, now on display at Peel Godred. Edward himself doesn’t believe the Standing Stones are a time machine, but points out that a fence was erected around them in 1964, which was also when Old Bailey stopped showing up. While Edward is talking, the turntable has finally been repaired, and they prepare to get back to work.

Back in 1964, Old Bailey has decided to tell the SCP Foundation the truth about his abilities when Agent Potter shows up saying that someone has come through at the Standing Stones. They go over to the Stones, where they meet with the former director of the LNER’s division on Sodor, Jonathan Star. He adds, “But you can call me Godred.”

## Characters

* Edward
* Diesel
* Barry
* Iris
* Salty
* Mr. Star
* Old Bailey
* Gwen Hatley
* Gavin Potter
* Rodney Pierce
* Angus Murphy
* Duck *(cameo)*
* Donald and Douglas *(cameos)*
* Rheneas *(cameo)*
* Duncan *(cameo)*
* Falcon *(cameo)*
* Duke *(cameo)*
* Brian *(cameo)*
* Bertie *(cameo)*
* Sir Handel Brown *(cameo)*
* Alan Lang *(mentioned)*

## Trivia

* The events of the episode take place during Return and continues from it's epilogue.
* The flying battleship seen in the future is the Space Battleship Yamato from the 1974 anime of the same name.