Reclaiming Control
Chapter One
Disclaimer: Do not now, nor have I ever, owned the Thunderbirds. Nor have I recently acquired seaQuest DSV. If that changes, I will let you know.
Victor Talbot stared out the window of his office watching the foot traffic flow in front of the government building. As the Minister of Defense for the Ausland Confederation, he knew he would have to do something spectacular if he ever hoped to be the head of the government itself. And his next appointment should guarantee that the position of power that he so deserved would one day be his. Briefly glancing to the map of the Confederation territory – Australia, Paupa New Guinea, East Timor, the Philippines and South New Zealand – Talbot chafed at the restrictions that tied their hands against the might that was the UEO.
Looking out over the courtyard, Talbot hummed a tune from his childhood as he watched a group of school children disembark from a school bus. Newcastle was once mainly known as a port and steel town. While the steel mills still functioned – though far from the government center – and the port still bustled, the neighborhoods that had once housed the blue collar workers for the mills and docks had long ago been razed. Elegant, refined housing development of the government employees – mainly on the higher levels were now there, as well high end shopping malls. Low-end government workers and the displaced working class were forced into long rides on the commuter rail. But that was why one worked to better themselves, didn't they?
A discreet knock on the door pulled Victor from his thoughts. His long-time secretary Helena stuck her head in. "Victor, your two o'clock is here."
Pasting on his best political smile, he motioned towards himself. "Send her in, Helena."
A middle-aged blonde entered the room, wearing her own political face and seemingly open smile. "Mr. Minister, thank you for seeing me."
"Please, let us not stand on formality here. I would be forced to call you Secretary General Dre and you would be calling me Minister Talbot. I am Victor and you are Andrea, alright?"
Disgraced former Secretary General of the UEO, Andrea Dre took the seat offered to her by Talbot and nodded. She knew since her arrest by the security forces from the seaQuest, she no longer had that title. Damn those peace-loving idiots of the UEO who simply couldn't comprehend that to make the wheels of government turn in the right direction, you sometimes had to dance with the devil. Sacrifices had to be made. Unforgivable in the eyes of many – especially Nathan Bridger, Captain of the seaQuest – one of the sacrifices that had been offered up had been a sixteen-year-old boy. Lucas Wolenczak had been among the hostages at what Andrea liked to refer to as her "last political gambit", the teen was to have been the assurance that the seaQuest's crew would not interfere with her plans. But Bridger and his people had outsmarted her, with the help of that blasted teenager and their dolphin.
With a cool nod and a tight smile, Dre leaned forward as if confiding to a close friend. "Victor, I owe you so much. When I declared my rights as a citizen of Ausland, there were some who claimed I had no right. But my mother was from Port Arthur, I was born there when my mother was visiting her parents. I may have grown up in Philadelphia but I have just as much right to claim Ausland citizenship." Andrea straightened slightly. "Do you know some snickered when I used the fact that I was a Tasmanian to claim my citizenship? My mother was proud to have been born in Port Arthur. We never claimed, as others try, that we were descended from guards. Oh, no. We were descended from people who were placed in chains for refusing to conform to standards of narrow-minded fools. I take great pride in being of the blood of people who would never do what is easy. I tried to bring that government back on track and what do they do? Toss me in jail."
Talbot remained silent as Dre ranted. First, he knew the UEO had almost been relieved that they had been spared a high-profile trial when Ausland had claimed Dre, allowing her to quietly leave UEO. Secondly, Talbot held back on his thoughts of Dre boasting about being descended from "guests" of the former penal colony. A criminal was still a criminal in his eyes. While Tasmania was often known for it's beautiful landscape, or, to fans of the Looney Tunes cartoon of the 20th century, the Tasmanian Devil, with many Mainlanders tending to look down their noses at the "Tassies", even going so far to accuse them of suffering from inbreeding. But he knew that Andrea Dre could bring ideas and information that would help bring the Ausland Confederation to equal authority with the UEO – and help carry his political star all the way to the top.
"Now Andrea," Victor began, "let's get down to basics. You said you had an idea that would help propel the Ausland Confederacy to power and dominance. What exactly are you referring to?"
A calculating smile crossed Dre's face. "What does the UEO have that makes her have such power? Simple: they have the seaQuest. The seaQuest is not only a dominant force militarily, but its symbolic power is virtually immeasurable. And before you say it is impossible to get the seaQuest, I still have contacts within the UEO. I have discovered that in ten days, the seaQuest will dock in Auckland, dropping off almost all of its crew – military and science – pick up one civilian consultant and return to sea for three hours to install and test a new computer communications system designed by Tracy Industries. The only people aboard the vessel will be Captain Nathan Bridger, Lieutenant Timothy O'Neill, head of Communications, Lucas Wolenczak, who is the ship's computer expert and John Tracy, the civilian consultant."
Talbot quickly seized upon the name of the consultant. "Tracy? Any relation…"
Andrea nodded. "Jeff Tracy's second son. Apparently, he and O'Neill designed the program. It seems they met when the youngest Tracy son was kidnapped at a UEO conference he was at with his father. In fact, O'Neill recently received a commendation for helping to rescue the boy. Probably tapped into a phone line or something. I don't consider either of them a threat. And Lucas is only sixteen. The only real threat will be Bridger – and if you control Lucas, that should be covered as well. You should have seen him worry over that boy, it was pitiful. You would think it was his own son. Now, I understand Bridger is responsible for you losing the potential financial backing of one Frank Cobb. I happen to know that Mr. Cobb and several other UEO prisoners with a vested interest in this plan will be on a transport heading for a military prison in the Marshall Islands. It just so happens, that they will be rather close to the same path the seaQuest will be on at just the right time. You can get the seaQuest, valuable information from the people on board and some rather priceless hostages. Well, is my plan something you can lend your endorsement to?"
Raising his eyes once more to the map of the Ausland Confederacy, Talbot coolly smiled. Oh, yes, he could definitely participate in this plan. He had wanted a bigger office for a while now.
A/N - Victor Talbot is my own creation, but the Presidential Primary Season starts here in New Hampshire, so I saw plenty of slimy politicians for months. He is the creative blend of the worst of the worst. Lord help us all if this is what will be sitting in the Oval Office next year. As for Andrea Dre - like Stark, I wanted her back. And you may have noticed a nod to another SQ baddie - oh yeah. Him too.
Snicker-snort. John and Tim aren't threats. She don't know them very well, do she?
And thanks for the patience. I know I promised to have this up at the beginning of the month. But my Beta/muse/cheerleader has been tied up (figuritively only - I think) and I just didn't feel write launching this without her. And HUGE thanks to Questfan for the feedback so as not to offend our friends Down Under. Thanks also to Shudunedus for feedback on villains and plotlines. I will be posting another chapter within the week. Hope you enjoy and make me happy with those lovely reviews. - CC