Thunderbirds Are Go - Queen Bee

by alexgreene

Kayo engages in a conventional rescue mission, doing things the Tracy way, and renews her faith in her membership of International Rescue and her role in the Tracy family.

Thunderbirds Are Go - "Queen Bee"

By Alex Greene

Grandma looked up from the display on the big desk. Kayo was approaching.

'Hi, Kayo,' she said. 'Just monitoring the situation in London. Virgil's tackling this big fire. Some sort of skyscraper.'

'Sounds heavy,' Kayo said, her voice sounding dispirited. 'I just completed my patrol of the perimeter.' She sighed. 'Tracy Island is secure.'

'It is. The local firefighters were on top of the blaze, putting it out with fire suppression gas bombs. One of them got trapped, so Virgil took Thunderbird 2 out to the scene to help.'

'Ah.'

'They actually took out Module One. You know, the fire suppression Module?'

'Okay.'

Grandma frowned at Kayo's dejected look. 'Now I know something's wrong. You always wanted to know when Virgil would use Module One. I seem to recall you getting really excited at the thought of being present on a mission where Virgil had to deploy the Module.' She gestured to the chair facing opposite her. 'Sit.'

Kayo stood. 'I was thinking about something,' she said.

'What about them, honey?'

Kayo sat down facing Grandma. 'It's about the missions I've been on,' she said.

'What about them?'

'You know when I helped Gordon in his encounter with The Mechanic in that underwater city, when he thought that he'd lost Thunderbird Four beneath a collapsed building?'

'I remember that mission.'

'Did he tell you how I saved his craft?'

'No.'

'I sneaked Thunderbird Four under the Mechanic's craft and clung to it like a pilot fish on the belly of a shark.'

Grandma grinned. 'I never knew that,' she said, admiringly. 'What's bothering you about that? Is it related to the current mission?'

'Not quite. I was also thinking about that time that The Mechanic nearly destroyed the Grand Sequoia Dam.'

Grandma nodded. 'I remember that rescue.'

'I brought Virgil's Module 5 with the nanocrete tanks when I joined the others there,' Kayo replied. 'And I managed to stop The Mechanic from getting away with who knows how many gigawatts of power stored in his batteries. But I caught neither The Mechanic or The Hood.'

'That wasn't the point,' Grandma replied. 'Everybody was there to save lives and to prevent the dam from being destroyed, which we did.'

'Yeah, but I failed twice more,' Kayo added. 'Once, when Lady Penelope invited John to that charity ball, and once in our back yard at Gran Roca. Remember that?'

'I remember,' Grandma said. 'Both times, Shadow's systems cut out and she was forced down.'

Kayo nodded. 'When the Mechanic cut out Shadow's systems, you should have heard the sound she made as she scraped along on the sand. It felt as if the underside of my ship was being run across a cheese grater.'

'But she still flew.'

Kayo nodded. 'Not fast enough to stop The Mechanic. And I'm still embarrassed at how easily my Uncle slipped through my grasp in that Chateau Traverse heist.'

'Don't worry about that,' Grandma said, placing a hand on Kayo's arm. 'Again, we saved lives. That's all.'

'Yeah, but I didn't,' Kayo replied. 'Shadow nearly died on me there, and all I could do was take out some of Uncle's flying goons, but not him in person.' She looked at Grandma. 'John did the rescuing. Him and Lady Penelope and the others. Again.'

Grandma nodded.

Kayo slumped. 'I had never felt so useless.'

Grandma put her arm about Kayo's shoulder. 'You did what you did,' she said. 'You do your part, and you save lives. That's all. The job you do usually takes the attention of the bad guys away from the boys, so that they can resolve the problem and rescue people. We can't all save lives, but it doesn't make you less of a hero.'

'All the same,' Kayo said.

The signal interrupted them. John's hologram appeared, floating over the big centre table.

'International Rescue, we have a situation,' John said. 'Kayo, you're needed over in Anderabad.'

Kayo perked up. 'What's happening there, John?'

A hologram of a slender tower structure appeared floating in the air. Its structure was unusual, as if someone had designed a stack of segmented structures one on top of the other, reaching high up into the sky.

'Looks like an unmanned drone cargo blimp rammed the Kramer Heights tower, and it could go over any minute.' Kayo and Grandma could see the site of the impact, like a red sore against the building's side.

'Fire suppression systems cut in, extinguishing the fires,' John said. 'There's no danger of an inferno like the one Virgil's dealing with in London. The problem is the evacuees. We have got something like a hundred people who need rescuing, pronto.'

Kayo looked at Grandma. 'A hundred? Not even Thunderbird 2's cargo bay can accommodate that many. And last time I checked, Shadow only has room for me on board.'

'My thought exactly,' Grandma replied. 'Brains might have a solution.' She patted Kayo's shoulder. 'Go on. Suit up. I'll talk to Brains.'

'Kayo,' stammered Brains over the intercom, as Kayo mounted the Shadowbike and the canopy closed over her.

'Kayo here,' she said, as she fired up the bike's powerful engine. 'What've you got for me?'

'I had been thinking a l-lot about the sort of problem that could arise if there were a large number of p-p-people who needed rescuing from an inaccessible confined space.'

'And what did you come up with?'

'I'll be p-placing the package outside, on Thunderbird Two's runway,' Brains replied. 'Once you launch, come b-back with Thunderbird Shadow and pick it up with your grapples. It's not heavy. Shadow will l-lift it easily.'

'Will do,' Kayo said. 'Continuing launch sequence.' With a roar, the Shadowbike plunged along a straight tunnel towards the platform where Thunderbird Shadow awaited launch.

'"Shadow will lift it easily,"' Kayo murmured, struggling with Shadow's controls against the heavy load dangling beneath her sleek black craft.

'What was that, Thunderbird Shadow?' This was Brains' voice over the comm channel.

'Just comm static, Brains,' Kayo replied. 'On final approach to Anderabad.'

Already, she could see the problem ahead – the Kramer Tower, a massive star-scraping building, just like the one in London that Virgil and Alan were tending.

About a third of the way up, a massive chunk had been taken out of it. Rags hung limply down, the remains of the canopy of the cargo blimp, most of which had fallen approximately a hundred stories to the ground after the impact.

'The immediate area has been evacuated,' John said, over the intercom. 'It is impossible to completely evacuate all of Anderabad, but at least local law enforcement and emergency services have managed to evacuate all of Downtown. It won't protect anyone if the building topples sideways, but if it goes straight down at least there won't be any lives lost.'

'Apart from the evacuees inside the tower,' Kayo said, 'if we can't rescue them in time.'

'Not to worry,' Grandma said, over the comm. 'You'll make it, and get them all out, safe and sound.'

'I have j-just n-noticed something,' Brains said. 'The building has been built in segments, like a pagoda,' Brains said, over the comm. 'It's designed to withstand quakes and high winds by being flexible and springing back to vertical again.'

'Where do I land this thing?' Kayo asked.

'Any c-clear space you can find,' Brains replied. 'You'll need to p-park Shadow some distance from it as well. Give it room to expand.'

Kayo saw a public park, and arrowed the sluggish Thunderbird Shadow towards it. 'Expand into what?' she asked.

'J-just set her down and you'll see,' Brains replied.

'I don't see what it does,' Kayo said, as she stood on grass some distance from the strange, cigar-shaped object in front of her.

'It's voice activated,' Brains said. 'Just say "deploy," and stand well back.'

'I remember how the RAD nearly flattened Scott,' Kayo said, wryly. 'I'm taking no chances. Deploy.'

The silvery object began to open up before her eyes, rapidly expanding into a strange cage-like structure with rounded ends. 'What is it?' she asked Brains.

'Take a look for yourself,' Brains replied, once the structure had completed unfolding. Kayo ran over to the large structure.

'I see internal seating,' she said, 'thrusters, and some sort of pressurised gas connected to something big on the roof. What have you put together here?'

'Get in the cockpit,' Brains said, 'and take her up for a spin.'

In the front of the construct was what looked like one of Thunderbird 2's Pods. It looked as if it had been pre-assembled before deployment. 'You mean this thing is meant to fly?'

'But of course,' Brains replied. 'It's a bigger version of the Bumblebee flight-capable pod which we deployed at high altitude in our attempt to rescue Langstrom Fischler, that first time.' Brains' holographic face grinned. 'I've taken another leaf out of his book too.'

Kayo climbed into the pod, and heard discharges coming from above. She turned back to see large black and yellow balloon canopies expanding above the pod. Shaking her head, she climbed fully into the pod and let it slide shut, sealing her in.

Kayo strapped in. 'Rotors,' she said, trying out a cyclic control. She heard intermittent roars. 'Thrusters, too.'

'The thrusters are for precision,' Brains said. 'Rotors and gas bag canopies provide lift.'

'They're not ionised hydrogen, are they?'

'Oh, n-n-no,' Brains replied. 'Highly c-compressed helium. Inert.'

Kayo smiled. 'Good to know.'

''Sorry to interrupt,' John said, 'but the evacuees have now all been gathered on the two hundredth floor. There's a large open space there – it looked like some sort of a ballroom – and there's a large panoramic window on the west side. You can make your approach there.'

'What do we call this thing?' Kayo asked, as the craft began to lift off the ground.

'I am calling it a Short-Range Mass Evacuation Module,' Brains replied.

'SRMEM,' Kayo said, as the frame rose into the sky. 'That doesn't sound very catchy.'

'What would you call it?'

'I dunno,' Kayo said. 'Queen Bee, maybe?'

'You are approaching Floor 200,' John said. Kayo looked at the tottering building, where terrified faces pressed up against the glass.

'What do I do now?' Kayo asked.

'Turn Queen Bee around,' Brains replied. 'The ramp is in the stern. It will deploy as you approach the window, and form a quick seal against the glass. A diamond cutter will then cut open the window and allow the evacuees to enter.'

'Got you,' Kayo said, turning Queen Bee around. As it began to reverse, Kayo remotely piloted Thunderbird Shadow, which majestically rose from where she had parked it. As it drew near, she pointed the prow of her ship towards the glass window.

'Deploying comm unit,' she said, tapping a control. With a soft phut, Shadow launched a small object at the glass, where it landed and stuck fast to the window. 'Comm unit deployed,' she said, opening a channel.

'Evacuees, please stand back from the window. This vehicle will come into contact with it shortly, and deploy a cutter. Expect a large piece of the glass to fall backwards into the room. It should be tough enough to remain intact – but if it does shatter, I don't want anybody getting caught by shards of flying glass. I repeat – step back now.'

Kayo watched as the people did as they were told. 'Manoeuvre complete,' she said. 'Now reversing towards the window and auto-deploying the evac ramp.'

Queen Bee's stern bumped against the hard glass of the panoramic window. Kayo heard the suckers auto-deploying against the glass, and a hard scratching sound – the cutters doing their work.

A moment later, there was a large slam, as the glass slab fell inwards to the floor. 'There's your door,' she said, over the PA. 'Everyone get in, take your seats and strap yourselves in.'

A thunderous roar overhead signalled the arrival of Thunderbird One. Kayo looked up at Scott.

'How are you doing with the evacuation, Kayo?' he asked.

'Smoothly so far,' Kayo replied.

'Thunderbird Two is still deployed in London, so Virgil and Alan cannot make it,' Scott said. 'What can we do?'

'The wind's threatening to push the tower this way,' Kayo said. 'Can you go to the top and steady the building, and maybe if she starts coming down can you make sure she falls in a safe direction?'

'A controlled fall? Yeah, I can do that,' Scott said. 'Beginning ascent.'

The roaring of Thunderbird One's engine dwindled away, leaving Kayo in the module awaiting the last of the evacuees to enter the rear section of Queen Bee.

'Looks as if everyone is inside,' John said. 'The building has been evacuated.'

'Good,' Kayo said. 'Closing and sealing the hatch, and detaching the ramp.'

The ramp came free of the glass, a large gaping hole in the window's centre. Queen Bee slowly moved away from the tower, Thunderbird Shadow keeping pace beside it.

'Thunderbird One in position,' Scott said. 'The building is dangerously unstable, and the wind is making the top lean over a little too much for my liking. Kayo, now would be a really good time to get the lead out and haul your Queen Bee and the evacuees out of there!'

'I'm on my way,' Kayo said.

There came a series of pops and bangs from the stern. Queen Bee lurched and dipped sickeningly.

Kayo wrestled with the controls. 'I'm losing control! What's happening?'

'Oh, n-no,' Brains replied. 'Some of the canopies supporting the stern have punctured. I'm afraid that Queen B-Bee is going down.'

'But we're still too close to the tower!'

'Kayo, every part of Anderabad is too close to this tower,' Scott replied. 'If she falls anywhere but in your direction, over the park, there are hundreds, thousands of citizens below who will be right underneath it!'

'Wait a minute,' Kayo said. 'Brains, what was it you said about this building's construction? Its segments make it flexible, and it is constructed to always snap back to the vertical. Yes?'

'Yes,' Brains replied. 'But after the d-damage …'

'Scott, can you try one thing? Use Thunderbird One's grapples to help the building to get back to vertical. If I'm right, the building will actually help you to straighten it out.'

Kayo remotely piloted Shadow to rise up over the flagging Queen Bee. 'Deploying grabs,' she said, sending the signal to Thunderbird Shadow to grab Queen Bee from above, stabilising her.

'Now I'll manoeuvre this whole kit and kaboodle to a safer part of town,' Kayo said, cutting Queen bee's engines and allowing Shadow to control its trajectory back down safely to earth.

Kayo found a large empty plaza a few kilometres away, and set Queen Bee down, parking Shadow a short distance away. She ran a quick check on the evacuees emerging from the ramp, to see if everybody was safe and in good health, before handing them over to the fleet of First Responders and ambulances waiting nearby.

Kayo climbed onto the Shadowbike, and let Shadow raise it upwards to reintegrate with the main body of her craft as Shadow took off. 'Scott, I'm coming to help you -'

For the rest of her days, Kayo and Anderabad City would remember what happened next. As they were several kilometres away, the sound took a while to reach them, so what they saw next happened at first in terrifying silence.

At first, it looked as if the tower was shrinking in on itself, like a telescope collapsing. Then small puffs of smoke blew out here and there, rings of brownish-grey up along the length of the building.

Then, gracefully, Kramer Heights seemed to slump, shrinking in on itself like a withering plant, as upper segments slammed into lower segments, causing them to pancake – flattening and landing on each segment below, the increasing weight of all the upper storeys being borne by the levels below, each level collapsing like a vast accordion, the whole collapse becoming concealed by the clouds of smoke and dust which rose like a shroud to conceal the final moments of the graceful building.

And then the roar came, like thunder which never ended; rolling and booming, with the occasional dull thump which everybody felt through the ground. One wave buffeted Thunderbird Shadow as she rose up into the sky.

'Scott …' Kayo whispered, her heart hammering.

Thunderbird One rose beside her, then above her so that Kayo could see Scott inside her flight cabin, intact and well.

'Good plan, Kayo,' he said. 'I'm okay.'

'All evacuees rescued intact and in good health,' Kayo added.

'And no casualties below, because Downtown Anderabad City was successfully cleared,' Scott replied. 'So, if there's nothing else calling, we can do one last check to see if everybody's all right, and then …'

Kayo smiled. 'And then home.'

Back on Tracy Island, Grandma looked at Scott and Kayo as they came up to the big desk.

'That was quite a rescue,' she said.

Kayo glanced at Scott. 'You could say that,' she said.

'Hey, I'm off to help Brains conduct some repairs on Thunderbird Two,' Scott said. 'Looks like Alan got her hull scorched. Virgil's livid.'

'Will you be repairing Queen Bee for the next time?' Kayo asked.

'She did well on her maiden rescue,' Scott replied. 'I'm sure you'll get to pilot her again some time.'

'I look forward to it,' Kayo said, with a grin, as Scott made his way down towards the hangar level. She turned to look back at Grandma.

'You look very different,' Grandma Tracy said to Kayo. 'The spring is back in your step.'

'Thanks,' Kayo replied. 'That was a real rescue. I was actually of use for once.'

'Yes, it was,' Grandma said. 'And Kayo, honey, you have never been useless. You've always been there, you've always done your bit, and yes, you have helped save countless lives.'

'But others did the rescuing.'

'I know,' Grandma replied. 'But today, you were the rescuer. You were the lifesaver.'

Kayo grinned. 'I can't wait to go out there again and actually save some more lives.' She paused. 'If the opportunity to be a hero arises again.'

Grandma chuckled. 'Oh, I have no doubt, Kayo – they will.'