Walk on the Wild Side
By Sapphire
A sequel/missing scene to 'Fork In The Road' – this story is set between the last chapter and the Epilogue of that story.
Some short words from the author:
I've written 'Fork In The Road' and 'A New Road' (shorter story set in the same universe) way back in 2004.
I've always intended to write more in this universe, and had already written half of this story when I sort of lost my drive (I guess my muse got lost somewhere during my vacation in New Zealand). The story sat on my hard drive at home and did nothing for the longest time, except to be looked at once in a long while, only to be placed back unaltered.
Now, finally, I've got back to it.
It's not quite the story I've originally had planned, but that's what happens when you allow your characters too much voice.
Disclaimer: Thunderbirds are not mine - this universe however is (yes, YES, my own universe … cue megalomaniac laughter). And I'm German, so if there are strange usage of words and punctuation, I hope you can forgive me (and thanks here to my ever suffering editor Macx)
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Chapter 1: Down the Rabbit Hole
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Scott rushed down the narrow jungle trail with his brother Virgil in tow.
The path led from the back door of the kitchen down to the beach that was on the other side of the island, cutting through the jungle in a more or less straight line. To their left towered the extinct volcano that was at the centre of Tracy Island. The sun was shining directly overhead, though the light was blocked partially by the tall trees and the dense foliage, casting the trail before them in a mottled pattern of light and dark. Even though it was a typical hot day on the island, down here the temperature was relatively cool.
Overhead an airplane passed by, heading for the small airstrip beyond the house. Looking up, Scott caught a short glimpse of the plane, spotting the WASP markings on its side.
"Come on, we have to hurry," Scott urged his younger brother on.
Virgil followed reluctantly, casting a glance back to the house. It was obvious that he would rather be back there, helping his family with the aftermath of the pirates' attack, and as much as Scott agreed with that sentiment, he knew that they couldn't do as Virgil wanted.
The last one and a half days had been anything but dull. It all had begun with an earthquake that had shook up Tracy Island and opened up an underground cave where Scott had fallen into. Little had he known that in the cave was a gateway to another dimension and that he had somehow traded places with the Scott Tracy from another world.
He only found out when he discovered that in this other dimension his mother had died in an avalanche some years ago when rescue workers had been unable to reach her in time. His father there, determined to prevent something like this to happen to others, had created a rescue organisation with the most advanced technological equipment imaginable. Helping him to build this equipment was a brilliant engineer fondly nicknamed Brains. Like in the world he knew, the family had moved to Tracy Island, only there the tropical paradise hid the headquarters of International Rescue. The Scott of this world and his brothers were the brawns in the outfit, each one piloting one of the five main rescue vehicles, the Thunderbirds.
Scott had had to admit that once he had gotten over his shock – and the silly uniforms the brothers were wearing – he had been deeply impressed. Father had given each of his brothers the machine most suited to his inclination, drawing on each and everyone's strength. When Scott saw Thunderbird 1 return from the mission that had interrupted the family's breakfast and watched her land in the opening left by the retractable swimming pool, he couldn't help but wonder how the rocket plane would handle. He would be lying if he didn't admit to himself that he itched to get a chance on her steering yoke.
Naturally, the Tracys from the other world wanted their Scott back, so they sent him and their Virgil through the gateway. Back in his own dimension, Scott was to remain close to the gateway, waiting for Virgil to return with the other Scott.
At least that had been the plan.
While Scott had been in that other world, a band of modern day pirates had attacked the island in his home dimension. While waiting for Virgil and the other Scott to return to the cave, he had heard gunfire. Naturally he hadn't hesitated and had headed back to the house. On his way, he had run into the other Scott and together they had dealt with one of the pirates without a problem. Back at the house, Alan, who also had managed to knock out one of the bad guys, had joined them.
But then there had been more gunshots.
Racing to the living room, they found his Virgil holding a smoking gun, which he had used to shoot the leader of the pirates just as he had fired at the other dimension's Virgil, who had been seriously injured in the shooting.
It was about then that the first WASP ship finally appeared on the horizon, alerted by the emergency call father had sent out just before the pirates had landed.
As the injured Virgil could not be moved, and it would be far too complicated to explain why suddenly there were two Scotts and two Virgils, father had told them to make themselves scarce.
And that was why they were running down the kitchen path.
"Come on," Scott said once again, grabbing Virgil by the arm and pulling him towards the beach. They had to reach the cave with the gateway before the island was overrun by WASP personnel.
Finally, they reached the tree line that separated the beach and the jungle.
Scott stopped, checking out the terrain. He didn't see anybody.
"Looks to be clear."
He pulled Virgil on.
Together they crossed the sand, turning left. After a couple of hundred yards the beach was replaced by a group of large boulders and rocks, an outcropping of the volcano that reached past the beach into the ocean. Halfway across that area a fissure opened up like a fresh cut wound. This was the gap that had opened the other day during the earthquake.
Scott peered inside, but couldn't see anything. The sun's light barely reached inside and the cave swallowed it up like a black hole.
Scott shivered, even though the sun was warming the skin on his back. He felt a sudden trepidation at the thought what was hidden in that cave.
"Are you sure about that?" Virgil asked, his voice doubtful.
Scott pulled himself together. They didn't have a choice. He and Virgil had to disappear for a couple of days at least. The island was simply not large enough for them to find a hiding place where they were safe.
Besides, if he recalled correctly, Virgil had been given a time limit in which he had to return with the other Scott. If they didn't return within three hours the other Alan and the other Gordon would also cross over to this dimension. If this happened, chaos was guaranteed.
And he owed it to the other Tracys to let them know what happened to their Scott and their Virgil
He nodded. "Quite sure."
Together they climbed in. The cave's inside was a cold shock after the heat of the day outside. Goosebumps formed on Scott's arms and neck. Inside, they found that they could see quite well once their eyes had adjusted to the dim light.
Scott turned to the rock wall that hid the gateway. It looked just like any other wall in the cave.
Virgil furrowed his brow. "This is the gateway? It doesn't look like much."
"Yes, I know. Brains had hooked up some gadgets and with their help the wall practically glowed like a Christmas tree. But that was the only way to show that there's something unusual. That is, until you walk through."
Virgil, still looking doubtful, picked up a small rock and made to throw it at the wall. But Scott caught his arm before he could complete his move.
"Don't," he warned his brother. "There are people on the other side. You don't want to hit them, do you?"
Virgil looked sheepishly at the rock in his hand and dropped it.
"Sorry."
Scott grinned. He could understand Virgil's doubt. If he hadn't gone through the gateway himself – twice, if he counted his initial trip, though he couldn't remember it as he had been unconscious at the time – he wouldn't believe either that the wall in front of them was anything but what it seemed to be. A perfectly ordinary rock wall.
"Let's go."
He took Virgil's arm, inhaled deeply then stepped forward to the wall.
And through it.
TBC
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