This story was written for the 2012 TIWF "Outside Looking in" challenge and I was thrilled when it was announced as the winner.
In this challenge we had to take any original episode, or part of an episode, and rewrite it from the point of view of someone outside the action. It could be a news reporter, a victim, a bystander's point of view, or even a minor character from the episode itself as long as that person was in no way pivotal to the action. The episode I chose is "Terror in New York City".
Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own the Thunderbirds or International Rescue. They were created by Gerry Anderson and the rights are owned by ITV. I am merely borrowing them for this story. I only own my ideas and any other original characters. Please do not use my original characters or the situations without permission.
A TWIST OF FATE
Prologue
The chains rattled a metallic staccato as the little yellow submersible was winched carefully out of the sea. Water dripped from her in a steady cascade, the droplets diving back to rejoin the choppy surface below.
Petty Officer First Class Mark Oliver, missile specialist on the USN Sentinel, leaned against the upper deck railing and watched as the DSV was lashed securely onto the deck. The Sentinel had already destroyed one of International Rescue's craft; allowing their sub to slip off into the murky depths of the North Atlantic would be unthinkable.
The sub was smaller than Mark had expected, yet the simple black wording on the nacelles and tail fin was enough to leave anyone awestruck. Thunderbird Four, International Rescue's submarine; fresh from its successful mission in New York City.
Few people ever got to see any of the fantastic Thunderbird machines, let alone the famous International Rescue in action. They flew in, performed miracles and flew out again. Never any fanfare, never any fuss. They were the epitome of altruism at its most unpretentious.
International Rescue had captured the public's imagination and the media had built the mystique to such a level that the organisation and its operatives were regarded as nothing short of super heroes.
It was almost surreal now to have one of their famous craft and its pilot relying on the Navy for transportation back to the South Pacific where the Sentinel was undergoing sea trials.
It was the least they could do, Mark thought wryly, since the Sentinel had been responsible for that need in the first place.
That fateful day had started no differently to any other. He'd certainly had no reason to believe that he would be responsible for downing International Rescue's giant transporter. In fact, if anyone would have had the audacity to suggest he was capable of doing such a thing, he would have laughed at them.
At the time, he'd had no inkling of the impending disaster and Mark was transported back in time as he reflected on the events of the past week...
... and his own role in them.