THUNDERBIRDS ARE GO

Money and power- those were the two things he had craved for most of his life. Even when he was young, he would always look to take advantage whenever the opportunity arrived. Now, as he sat in his glorious temple, hidden in the Malaysian jungle, he knew that it had all been worth it. However, the job was not yet done- he had always been trying to get his brother, Kyrano, to join his side in the quest for glory, but he had turned his back, and was now working for someone else. He was working for an organisation years ahead of its time, with technology that would more than triple his current wealth if he could get it onto the Black Market. This organisation was yet to show itself to the world, but that did not deter him; He was confident he could draw them out and then defeat them where they stand. International Rescue were going to have their first mission, whether they liked it or not.

"Thunderbird 1 to Tracy Island, this is Thunderbird 1 calling Tracy Island" Scott said, sitting in the pilot's seat of his Thunderbird.
"Thunderbird 1 from Tracy Island, reading you loud and clear Scott." Came the reply over his radio system. As with everything else on the craft, this was his first time using the radio; It had taken him 30 minutes just to figure out how to turn it on. But this was going to be his craft during rescue missions, so he had made it his duty to figure out what every single button and dial did.
"I have completed my test run father, all systems are fully operational and ready to go."
"Good work Scott" His father replied. "Virgil has just picked up Gordon from his test run of Thunderbird 4, and John is now up in Thunderbird 5, so you're free to come back to the Island whilst nobody else is trying to land."
"FAB." Scott said, shutting off the channel. After remembering how to turn TB1 around, he pushed in the required levers and headed straight back for home. Now all he had to look forward to was figuring out how to work the retros properly so he didn't crash into the landing bay. Well, there had to be a first time for everything; He was just glad he got to practise with his new machine before they went out on rescue missions. Then there would be no time to make any mistakes.

Tracy Island was almost deserted when Scott got back, though both his father, Jeff, and their servant, Kyrano, were still on the Island.
"How was the machine?" Jeff asked once he entered the living area. He'd already been over it on the radio, but Jeff wanted to ask in person too.
"It was great" Scott replied. "Like nothing I ever flew in the Air Force, that's for sure."
They both gathered round as Kyrano brought them drinks. It allowed Scott to marvel at just how big Tracy Island actually was- sure, he'd been living there long enough, but it still got him every time. A mass of rocky hills and crystal clear water, Tracy Island was a paradise. Jeff had bought it for his family as a place to escape the world, but now it acted as their base for International Rescue as well as their home, housing as much privacy as it did luxury. A billionaire, Jeff Tracy was one of his era's pioneer Astronauts, who turned his passion for the unknown into a business venture and made a fortune in technology endeavours. After having five sons, all who had their own careers, and then tragically losing his wife, he decided to funnel his money into a worthwhile cause- to help save people's lives. All of this, however, had only been made possible with the help of their Chief Designer and Engineer, Brains. Of course, Brains wasn't his real name, but one the boys had given him for his incredible knowledge. It was with his design that all 5 Thunderbird crafts had been created- each of the crafts piloted by one of Jeff Tracy's sons:

Thunderbird 1, the primary scout vehicle and first response Thunderbird for International Rescue, was piloted by Scott, the eldest of the Tracy brothers. As a former Air Force pilot, this was the craft that suited him the most.

Thunderbird 2, the heavy rescue vehicle, able to carry 'pods' filled with equipment, was piloted by the middle child of the family, Virgil. In addition to other vehicles, it also carried Thunderbird 4 into action whenever it was needed.

Thunderbird 3, International Rescue's space vehicle, piloted primarily by the youngest Tracy, Alan, although he swapped duty with the primary member of Thunderbird 5, John. Whilst Alan is the most talented Astronaut, John has a passion for the stars- but it was established early on that John would not spend his entire time up in space, so himself and Alan swap on a rotary basis. John gets 2 months in TB5, then Alan gets 1 month. Both are adept at operating each other's craft.

Thunderbird 4, the underwater rescue vehicle, was piloted by the remaining Tracy brother- Gordon. Carried into rescue by Thunderbird 2, it was the only vehicle they had capable of performing an underwater rescue.

The 5 Tracy brothers were not the only other Tracy's on the Island though. Jeff's mother also resided there, though she tended to stay out of the way of Jeff's business, instead focusing on her many cooking projects that the family had famed her for. Making up the rest of the inhabitants were Kyrano, the family's trusted servant, and his daughter, Tin-Tin, who having completed University was now working as Brains' assistant in the labs on Tracy Island. Scott, so in depth in his mind, almost didn't realise Virgil and Gordon had returned from their test runs, but returned they had. Soon, International Rescue would be operational, and have their first rescue operation. He wondered exactly what it would be.

The harsh sun beat down on the tarmac at London International Airport. It was a hot summer's day; Even hotter than usual. The temperature in the air read an almighty 33 degrees celcius. That was not going to stop anybody, least of all the passengers boarding the maiden flight of Air Terrainean's new atomic powered airliner, Fireflash. It was a big deal in the world of aviation- after all, Fireflash was the world's first aircraft powered solely by Nuclear power. With all 600 passengers now onboard, it was down to the crew to take Fireflash from their current station in London, all the way to San Francisco in America. At a top speed of Mach 6, it would be the shortest ever recorded flight for that route. Entrusted in taking Fireflash from A to B was Captain Hanson, an experienced pilot in every sense, and Lieutenant Matthews, a former helicopter pilot in the British Military, and Co-Pilot to Hanson for Fireflash. Up in the control room, the entire flight control was being handled by Controller Norman, and his assistant Aaron Svensson.
"London Control from Fireflash" Was the first message over the radio, courtesy of Captain Hanson. "We've completed all pre-flight checks. All systems are green. Request permission to take off."
"Fireflash from London Control. You have permission to proceed. Use runway 2-5."
"Understood London. I guess we'll see you on the other side of the pond."
"You'll have Controller Stevens to put up with then" Norman joked. "But either way, this is your maiden flight. Make it a good one."
"Roger that London. Fireflash over and out."

It had taken time to plan, but now The Hood was in place. He laughed at that nickname, which had been given to him once by a rogue General due to the number of disguises he would use, and it had stuck with him. Now, The Hood was going to use one of those many disguises to draw out International Rescue- he had needed to target something big, and what better target than a Military Research centre. He read the large sign above the entry to the base- NOVA. This would be the perfect target to draw them out.
"I'm sorry" Came a voice from the distance. "I'm sorry sir, but this is for authorised personnel only. You're going to have to move on."
"No problem" The Hood said calmly, and stared straight into the eyes of the security guard, his own eyes lighting up a bright yellow. It took only seconds for the guard to collapse on the ground. He didn't know where his powers had come from, but his ability to disable and disorientate people had always come in handy. Now, with security out of the way, he could proceed. The Nova complex itself was a large chemical research facility, so why not steal something whilst you're here? He walked, purposefully, down the expansive corridors, looking for a room that might just hold what he was looking for. Suddenly, a technician turned the corner to face him. With nowhere to go, The Hood was forced to stare him down as he did the guard, defeating him just before he could get to his mobile alarm. Continuing, The Hood finally came across a door that interested him. He didn't know what was in it, but it had plenty of warning symbols that told him it could be important. He tried the door- it was open, so he went inside. What faced him was a set of controls and screens, and infront of him was a glass panel, separating him from 3 people in the adjacent room. It didn't take him long to realise what the controls did, and what he needed to do. Slowly, carefully, he turned the dial marked 'Oxygen' to zero, and flicked the switch to 'Air Release'. He didn't want to drain the air too quickly though- no, he needed them to still be alive when International Rescue arrived, so he set the release to 'Slow'. The next step was easy; He initiated a full system shutdown. As soon as he hit enter, red alarm sirens started to scream, and thick metal doors slid into place around the research team. They were trapped- and, to make sure it would stay that way, he smashed the console, sending a shower of sparks up into the air as the system went into meltdown.
"Who the hell are you!?" Came a shout from the door. Another guard. Knowing he didn't have time for his powers to be put to use, The Hood pulled his pistol from his belt and put two in the guard's chest, then promptly ran for the hills.

The party was in full swing on Tracy Island. Well, it wasn't so much an actual party as an excuse for Jeff to start barbequing again. If there was one thing Jeff enjoyed when not overseeing the finalisation of IR, it was putting on a good barbeque. The boys were all out, with the exception of John up in the Space Station, enjoying the food and the music they had put on, kicking back in shorts and T-Shirts, despite the fact it was now night over Tracy Island. They all knew very well that this could be the last time they have something like this, with John up in Thunderbird 5 ready to start listening for distress calls. With most of the food having been eaten, they were all just sat around the pool, joking with each other about the things they might face.
"Old lady stuck in a tree" Virgil suggested, which brought laughs from the group.
"Drowned fish" Was Scott's contribution, and everyone looked at Gordon.
"I did not sign up for this just to save somebody's fish." He replied to their stares. "If I'm going down in Thunderbird 4, it best be a shark."
"I'm just waiting for someone to call us at half 3 in the morning because they're snowed in." Virgil said.
"Get Alan on the snowplough!"
"Hell no, I'll probably be too busy up in orbit clearing space crap so half the world can watch that pirate TV station."
"You mean like Tin-Tin?" Scott enquired, and there was more laughter. It didn't last long. They could all hear their father's phone going off, and the fact he answered meant it was someone important. After waiting for 5 minutes, Jeff called them all inside.
"Boys, I've just been on the phone with Bob Langley-"
"You mean Colonel Langley, the guy that helped us set up International Rescue?" Scott asked.
"Yes, exactly. 20 minutes ago, someone broke into one of his research labs in England and now 3 people are trapped inside, and they can't get them out."
"Does this mean?..." Alan asked tentatively.
"Yes Alan, International Rescue has its first ever assignment."
Suddenly, there was a series of beeps coming from one of the portraits on the wall- each of the 5 boys had their picture, in IR uniform, on the wall, linked to their video-radio, and John's was going off.
"I've been listening in on your conversation father" He began, "You may just want to wait on that first ever rescue."

15 Minutes Earlier

"We are now leaving London airspace" Matthews commented as Fireflash flew over the English Coastline.
"Right on schedule too. All systems are still operational which is a bonus."
"Can you imagine if something went wrong on our maiden flight? At least we'd be guaranteed to make the news."
As if on cue, a red warning started to flash on the control panel.
"You just had to say it Matthews" Hanson commented, "You just had to say it."
"What's wrong?"
"Hydraulic pressure has dropped slightly. Doesn't look like anything to worry about but I'll run a diagnostic."
After the press of a few buttons, Fireflash gave Hanson its readout.
"The problem is originating in the landing gear... I probably should go and check it out, just in case."
"You do know Norman will have a fit if he finds out you built a passageway into the wings of Fireflash?" Matthews asked sarcastically, and Hanson brushed him off.
"I'll be 5 minutes, max."

After making his way into the wing, Hanson started to look for the problem. It was weird being inside the wing during flight; He'd only ever been in it with the plane on the ground. Now, he was trying to find a problem that could be dozens of little things. Cautiously, he moved round to the landing gear mechanism, being careful not to trip over the mass of wiring on the floor. As soon as he saw it, his mouth dropped.
"Matthews... We have a situation down here."
"You found the problem? Have we blown a gasket or something?"
"No. It's far more serious than that." Hanson took a deep breath. "Matthews, get on the radio with London Control. Somebody has strapped a bomb to our landing gear."

"So that's the situation with Fireflash father" John concluded. "If they try to land then it'll set the bomb off, and not only will 600 people lose their lives, but it would spread radioactive material over half of London.
"Can't they just try and remove the bomb?" Scott asked.
"No. The bomb has a locking mechanism. If it's moved, then it'll detonate."
"This makes it difficult, but we have no other choice." Jeff said, "We're going to have to split the team into 2 and attempt the rescues simultaneously." He gathered the 4 boys together, whilst John watched from his screen.
"What's the plan father?" Virgil asked.
"Fireflash is the one that'll need heavy rescue. The only option I see is to take the Elevator Cars and use them as a cushioned landing, in the hope it won't set off the bomb, so you'll need Thunderbird 2 and equip pod 3."
"Right father."
"Alan, you'll go with Virgil and set up mobile control at London Airport. You'll be the one co-ordinating the rescue from inside the control tower. Scott, you and Gordon take Thunderbird 1 and head for Nova research centre. John will fill you in on the details whilst you're in the air, but you'll need to take the cutting gear."
"FAB."
"These are our first rescues." Jeff reminded them. "Let's make sure they're a success."

The swimming pool, one of Tracy Island's biggest features, was now deserted. Slowly, it began to retract, disappearing into an unseen gap in the side of the ground. Now in its place was a deep chasm, one which led to a launch pad underground. Sitting on that launch pad was International Rescue's primary vehicle, Thunderbird 1. Now, with both Scott and Gordon onboard, they were beginning launch procedure, ready to blast off into the sky and over to England. As Scott mapped the internal countdown in his head, he began pressing buttons and pulling levers: The rocket motors fired up, charging to full capacity, the side supports fell away and the wings retracted. Meanwhile, on the other side of the Island, a rock face on the side of one of the many mountains fell away, only to reveal yet another hangar. As the dust settled, Thunderbird 2 proudly drove through the gap and into the outside world. The palm trees that lined the runway fell away, leaving TB2 to proceed right to the edge of the island. As Virgil turned the power up to full blast and readied the jets, the launch pad elevated, tilting the craft upwards, a blast protector swinging up behind them. Both crafts waited until everything was in place, and then, together, they launched, their powerful thrusters forcing them into the skies. Within seconds both craft had left Tracy Island, off on their first ever missions.
"You're worried about them, aren't you Mr Tracy?" Kyrano asked, both of them looking out over the balcony.
"Of course I'm worried Kyrano, but we have been leading up to this moment for months. Now it's time we give something back."
"They are good kids, they will not let you down."
"You're right about that Kyrano. I just hope we're not too late."

He was watching on an embankment, right outside the facility. Having escaped the pathetic excuse they had for security, he was now watching, waiting for International Rescue to finally arrive. Once they did, he would have their secrets, and there's nothing they could do to stop him.

"International Rescue to Nova centre, this is Thunderbird 1. I am now overflying the research facility and request permission to land."
"International Rescue, you have permission to land. Use the car park outside the main entrance."
"Understood." Scott replied, firing up the retros and lowering TB1's altitude. As soon as he found a suitable spot, he brought the craft down fully, then disembarked along with Gordon. He found someone waiting for him at the door as he made his way to the facility.
"International Rescue I take it? I'm Dr Slater. I'm in charge of this facility; Chief Overseer is my technical title but I'm basically in charge."
"How is the situation?"
"Not good. There are 3 blast doors between us and the people trapped in the chamber, and we still haven't been able to get through the first one. We tried explosives, but that had no effect, and the entire system is offline so we can't disable the shutdown electronically. Whoever came in here locked down the entire centre, then smashed the console and killed one of our guards whilst escaping. We've sent for a new console, but it won't get here before the air runs out."
"Did you get all that Brains?" Scott said, holding his radio in his hand.
"I g-got all that Scott. I fear that wh-whoever initiated the attack may still b-be here."
"That's a good point. Dr Slater, my organisation works on an operational basis and as such the details of it must remain secret. I need you to send guards out to protect Thunderbird 1, and it must not be photographed."
"I can appreciate that" Dr Slater said, "Grobzcyk, Halstridge! Take Unit 1 and protect the International Rescue craft at all costs. Nobody is to get into that craft and nobody takes photos. Is that understood?" Both men nodded, and went on their way.
"Is there any other way into the research chamber?" Gordon asked, getting back to the rescue.
"The only other way would be through the control room, but that's protected by a sheet of indestructible glass. You fire a bullet at it, the bullet flies back at you. It can withstand the pressure of 2 superimposed Category 5 hurricanes and lava won't even leave it with a burn mark."
"T-That's that option out of the q-question then" Brains answered. "What are the blast doors made of?"
"They're built using a Technetium-Aluminium alloy, that's what makes them so solid."
"T-Technetium? Do you have any SRXE is your l-lab?"
"Why yes we do." Slater responded. "Why?"
"I think I might just have an idea."

TO BE CONTINUED