The alarms continued to ring and the shuddering from both the space-station and the shuttle began to intensify.
"What's happening?" asked Captain Ashton, the shuttle's main pilot.
"I don't know, sir," replied the co-pilot. "I'm trying to find out."
"Warning – Boarding Tube failure imminent!" said the computer that linked both the shuttle and the space-station.
The passengers in the shuttle were alarmed by the amount of shuddering. "What's happening?" cried a male passenger. "Are we breaking up?"
Jonathan and Judy had started to run towards the tube when the alarms first started. But to the horror of them and their parents, the airlock doors slammed shut before they could enter.
"We have to disengage, now!" Captain Ashton shouted.
The Stewardess came charging in. "Captain, the children are still aboard!"
But before the Captain could answer, there was a loud CRASH and the boarding tube broke away from the shuttle. A piece of debris sliced through one of the oxygen tanks creating a small gash in it.
The co-pilot frantically released their own docking clamps so that they were free of the now loose boarding tube. Henry and Mary both cried out in horror as they saw the large gap between them and the space-station. They could also see their two children staring out in disbelief.
"No…" Judy gasped. "The shuttle's gone without us!" She then rounded on her brother. "THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!" she shouted. "IF YOU HADN'T WANDERED OFF WE'D HAVE BEEN ABOARD THAT SHUTTLE! NOW WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO, HUH?!"
Jonathan said nothing. He didn't know what to think or do.
Henry barged his way into the cockpit of the shuttle. "TAKE US BACK THERE NOW!" he bellowed at Captain Ashford. "MY CHILDREN ARE ON THERE!"
"Sir, the boarding tube broke away!" Captain Ashton replied. "We had to disengage before we were destroyed…"
"DON'T GIVE ME THAT CRAP, MAN!" thundered Henry. "TAKE US BACK THERE NOW! I'M ORDERING YOU…"
Henry was sweating and shaking like he'd been running through a sauna. He then suddenly fainted and collapsed on the control panel. It took the combined efforts of the co-pilot, stewardess and two of the male passengers to carry him out. Mary had collapsed against the door sobbing her eyes out. Her two beloved children were lost and alone.
Captain Ashton knew there was no chance that they could dock with the space-station again without the boarding tube. He was going to have to report this to his superiors. He also knew that with the damaged oxygen tank, the children would soon run out of air. They would need to be rescued quickly. He knew there was only one organisation that could do this job. He therefore turned on his radio and made the call.
"Calling International Rescue. Calling International Rescue. This is Alpha Shuttle 1. We have an emergency situation. Do you read me? Over."
Aboard Thunderbird 5, Becky and Katrina were on duty. Becky, who by now was used to handling Thunderbird 5's equipment, heard the call and responded. "This is International Rescue. Go ahead."
"Malfunction in Space-Station Alpha 2-1 museum," Captain Ashton said. "Boarding tube has broken away. There are two children trapped in the station and one of the oxygen tanks has been ruptured. Those kids won't have long. Can you help? Over."
Becky gulped. This was the first incident where she'd heard of children being involved. She opened her mouth but nothing came out. Katrina noticed this and took over. "Affirmative, Alpha Shuttle 1," she said. "International Rescue is on its way."
The co-pilot returned to the cockpit just as Captain Ashton had finished making the 'mayday' call. "You called for help?" he asked.
"Yes, International Rescue are going to get them out," Captain Ashton said. "I'd happily stay here and wait for them but we won't have enough fuel to get back to base if we do."
With deep regret, Ashton fired the shuttle's engines and began to fly away from the space-station leaving Jonathan and Judy shocked.
"Now what?" Judy asked.
Jonathan had an idea. "Maybe we could try and get the old radio equipment working," he suggested. "Then maybe we can get someone to come and rescue us."
"That's the best idea you've ever had in your life," remarked Judy.
Inside the shuttle, the other passengers weren't pleased that they were leaving the scene knowing full well that the children were trapped in the space-station.
"Why are we leaving?" demanded another male passenger. "Those kids are in danger!"
"We're fully aware of that, sir," said the stewardess but we have to return to Earth otherwise we'll run out of fuel and be stranded ourselves."
"Oh, that's marvellous!" said a female passenger. "And who exactly is going to save them now?"
"The captain's told me that he has contacted International Rescue," said the stewardess. "They'll get them out of there."
That made the passengers feel a little bit more relaxed but not by much. An off-duty doctor was tending to the still unconscious Henry whilst the stewardess was looking after Mary. Her eyes were as red as her coat due to all the crying she'd been doing. "What about our kids?" she whimpered. "What's happening to them?"
"They'll be fine, Mrs Brown," comforted the stewardess. "The captain has called International Rescue. They'll be okay."
It was mid-morning on Tracy Island when the call about the space-station incident came through.
"That's the situation, Mr Tracy," said Katrina. "Those kids urgently need our help."
"Don't worry, Katrina," said Daniel. "We'll get them out. Beth, Adie, you're up."
"F-A-B, Dad," the two girls said together.
Laura and Wizzy had to move from their seats so that Adrienne and Beth could sit in them. Once they'd sat down, the chairs began to descend into the floor. The gap was soon filled by two spare chairs so that there wasn't a huge gap left in the floor. After reaching a tunnel below the mansion, they were transferred a short distance on a trolley before being turned to face forwards. The chairs then split up as they travelled through two separate tunnels where robot arms helped them into their uniforms. The chairs were also turned around so that they re-joined the main tunnel facing backwards. They soon reached the very tall silo where Thunderbird 3 was located and a big yellow robot arm lifted them up to a hatch located just down from the nose cone. Once that had connected the rails inside, the chairs travelled forwards into the cockpit. The angle changed as they were now facing upwards in the direction of travel. Now Beth and Adrienne were at the controls of their craft, the hatch was sealed and the giant revolving blast door sealed off all access to the silo and the big door at the top under the library roundhouse was opened ready for the launch.
5…4…3…2…1!
The mighty engines of Thunderbird 3 fired and it rose up through the silo and through the roundhouse, climbing high into the sky.
"Thunderbird 3 is go!" said Beth.
Once in orbit, they contacted Thunderbird 5 to get more information. They found that Kerry was now on duty having been alerted to the situation.
"What do we know about this space-station, Kerry?" asked Beth.
"Alpha 2-1 is the oldest space-station left in orbit," explained Kerry. "It has a museum for well over five weeks now. But as far as we knew it passed its safety test with flying colours. Colonel Jameson did a lot of work on it to make sure it was safe."
"Clearly they must have missed something," said Adrienne.
"How exactly are you going to dock with the space-station?" Daniel asked joining the conversation. "Didn't the shuttle pilot say that the boarding tube had been damaged?"
"Guess we'll have to use our spaceboards to get across," said Beth. "But…"
"How are we going to get the kids between there and Thunderbird 3?" said Adrienne. "Yes, I've been trying to work that out as well."
"I think I might have a solution to that problem," said Jodie. "You might want to check your equipment cupboard. There's a new invention of mine that might just be what you need. It's an inflatable blue space bag with a red plastic holder. It should be big enough for both of them to fit inside providing they're small enough."
Beth and Adrienne looked approvingly at each other.
"I believe we also have some of that tank sealant foam that we can use to repair the damaged oxygen tank aboard as well," said Beth.
"So one of us can rescue the kids whilst the other repairs the damage to the space-station's tanks?" said Adrienne. "Sounds like a plan, sis."
"Good luck," Daniel said. "I won't make any further transmissions so as to not interrupt you. Jodie and Kerry will however still maintain contact should you require any assistance."
"Thanks, Dad," said Beth. "E-T-A to space-station, seven minutes."
Jonathan and Judy had been busy trying to work out how to get the radio equipment of Alpha 2-1 working. It wasn't easy, but Judy used all the tricks she'd learned from her father to fix any electrical issues.
"Uh-oh," Jonathan said suddenly. "What does this red flashing light mean?"
Judy looked over at the control panel. "Oh, dear," she sighed. "I think that means the oxygen supply is running low. I just hope this radio equipment still works." She picked up the microphone and pressed the button. "Mayday! Mayday! Mayday! Can anyone hear me? We need help."
Incredibly, Judy had managed to get the radio equipment working much to the astonishment of the girls aboard Thunderbird 5.
"Where's that coming from?" asked Becky.
Katrina checked her computer. "Good heavens!" she exclaimed. "It's coming from that space-station! But I thought all its equipment had been decommissioned!"
"Those kids must have got its communication system working again," Kerry said. "Let me speak to them." She pressed a button on her desk. "This is International Rescue. We read you loud and clear."
Judy and Jonathan were just as amazed that they'd got the old equipment to work. "Oh, my God! International Rescue, my name is Judy Brown. I'm with my brother Jonathan. We're trapped aboard the space-station museum. I don't know what happened but the tunnel that connected it to the shuttle broke off, and now we're running low on oxygen. Please help us!"
"Okay, Judy, I need you to calm down!" said Kerry, noticing that Judy was starting to sound like she was about to cry. "You'll be pleased to know that the pilot of the shuttle already informed us of your predicament. In fact, if you look out one of the windows, you might see Thunderbird 3 coming towards you."
Jonathan and Judy hurried to the nearest window and looked out. Their eyes widened with awe at the sight of the big red rocket which was approaching the space-station.
"Can you see her?" Kerry asked over the radio.
"Yes!" said Judy excitedly. "Yes, we can!"
"Good," said Kerry. "Now just sit tight and stayed tuned to this frequency. We may need your help at some point. I'll be in touch." Kerry switched frequencies. "Did you hear that, Thunderbird 3?"
"Certainly did, Thunderbird 5," answered Beth. "Wow, those kids are smart!"
"Making our final approach now," said Adrienne. "How we going to do this, Beth?"
"I don't mind," replied Beth. "You get the kids and I'll fix the oxygen tank?"
"Deal," said Adrienne removing her seat safety-bars. "I'll go and get the equipment we'll need." She got up from her seat and headed over to the equipment cupboard located behind the cockpit whilst Beth brought Thunderbird 3 into free-float close to the space-station.
Adrienne returned carrying a foam-pad and the blue inflatable ball that Jodie had told them about.
"Is that it?" asked Beth, looking at the ball. "It's a bit small."
"Jodie, are you sure they're both going to fit in this?" asked Adrienne.
"It'll adjust its size to adapt to those inside it," Jodie replied. "But it can only hold two at a time."
"Then it's lucky that's all we've got to rescue," said Adrienne.
"Girls, you'd better hurry," Kerry interrupted. "Judy says that they're running low on oxygen."
"F-A-B," Beth and Adrienne said together. They put on their helmets and then stepped onto their spaceboards. The hatch in the roof of Thunderbird 3 opened and they headed out towards the space-station. Adrienne was carrying the spaceball whilst Beth carried the foam-pad.
During the 20th Century, London's docks had been mostly located within the city itself. In the latter part it moved to the Isle of Dogs and further down the river. With those areas now vastly developed, Port of London was now based primarily at Tilbury near Southend. This was where all the large container ships brought their cargo as they were too big to get any further down the River Thames. The port was always busy twenty-four hours a day. So much goods travelled in and out that it wasn't difficult for the occasional load of contraband sneaking past the authorities.
Preventing the entrance of several illegal weapons into the country was the reason for why Lady Penelope was making her way into docks this very night with Parker and FAB1. They were on a mission to bust gun-runner Oswald Cobblepot who was believed to be attempting to smuggle a large shipment of guns, grenades and other weapons through the port from his ship – The Final Offer. But first, they were going to have to get past the port's security.
"We're h'approaching a checkpoint, m'lady," said Parker. "'ow do you want to play it?"
"We don't have time for a lot of diplomacy on this job I'm afraid, Parker," replied Penelope. "Activate the stealth-mode so we'll be hidden from the CCTV."
"Yus, m'lady," said Parker. He pressed a button on the dashboard. FAB1 was still visible to the naked eye but to CCTV cameras, it was invisible. Even Penelope and Parker themselves couldn't be seen by them.
The Security Guard on the gate was rather curious to see FAB1 pull up at the barrier.
"Good evening, officer," said Penelope.
"Er, good evening, Your Ladyship," the Guard said. "What brings you here?"
"I'm here to see Oswald Cobblepot," Penelope said. "I heard his ship was docked here so thought I'd come and pay him a surprise visit."
"I see," said the Guard. "Well, we don't normally allow unplanned visits, but I think we can make an exception just this once. You're clear to proceed."
"Thank you, officer," said Penelope sweetly as the barrier gate opened to let FAB1 pass through.
"That was h'easier than h'expected, wasn't h'it, m'lady," said Parker.
"Quite," agreed Penelope. "But I don't think we'll be having it as easy as that again tonight."
FAB1 drove through the docks until it was close to the berth where The Final Offer was moored. Not wanting to catch unwanted attention, Parker parked the car behind a group of containers. "Will this do, m'lady?"
"Perfect," said Penelope. "We'll proceed on foot from here."
They left FAB1 on lock-down mode and made their way on foot towards the warehouse next to the berth. They had to duck into the shadows a couple of times to avoid being spotted by passing dock workers. Then they had to dive behind some crates when a forklift truck came round the corner.
"What the?!" exclaimed the dock worker driving the forklift. "Funny, I thought I saw someone. Must be imagining things."
Parker and Penelope lay still and silent until the forklift had driven off into the warehouse.
"That was close, m'lady," said Parker.
"Indeed, Parker," agreed Penelope. "Far too close."
They continued on their way and soon found their way onto the roof of the warehouse where they could crouch down and get a good view of what was going on aboard the ship. Men shouted to one another as crates were unloaded from the forward cargo hold of The Final Offer. A quick scan with her x-ray binoculars confirmed what Penelope suspected.
"That crate's got guns in it, Parker," Penelope whispered. "I can't say how many there are for sure but there must be at least twenty inside."
"Cor blimey!" exclaimed Parker. "Your contact was right, wasn't 'e?"
Penelope looked over towards the superstructure of The Final Offer. Looking through the binoculars again, she saw two smartly-dressed women walking along the deck. One was blonde with a white coat, trousers and boots on, the other was dark-skinned with black hair and a dark blue dress with black trousers and brown boots on. And walking between the two ladies was a very short and stumpy man with a brown fur coat on and a cigar in his mouth. He was also carrying an umbrella in his left hand.
"Parker…" Penelope whispered. "There he is."
Parker lifted up his own binoculars and looked at the stout man Penelope had pointed out. "Cor!" he exclaimed. "'e's really h'is h'as ugly h'as they say 'e is!"
"Shhh!" hissed Penelope. "Someone might hear you!"
"OI, WHAT ARE YOU DOING UP HERE?!"
Penelope and Parker jumped and looked round to see two dock workers had come up onto the roof for a cigarette break.
"Damn it!" said Penelope. "Let's go!"
As the two men approached, Penelope and Parker jumped to their feet. Parker tackled one of the men whilst Penelope sent the other one flying with a well-placed kick. The man went flying backwards and disappeared over the side of the building.
A klaxon started blaring out alerting the security personnel that something was wrong. Penelope and Parker tried to make a run for it, but before they were able to get to the stairs, a group of armed men, all with penguin heads on their clothes appeared and blocked them off. Another group of port security officers appeared from the staircase that they'd come up on. There was nowhere for them to go.
