Date: Thursday, July 19, 2035
Time: 11:37 p.m.
Location: Zhongnan Mountain, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
Thirty-six minutes after launching Thunderbird One from Tracy Island, Scott was in the air over Zhongnan Mountain…which, via the only set of words spoken by Kyrano since launching, Scott had learned was part of the Qinling mountain range that created a natural barrier between northern and southern China.
"Thunderbird Two from Thunderbird One. I have reached Zhongnan Mountain. I see the crevasse in the earth. It looks to be a couple of miles wide at its origin, which is the base of the mountain, and extends approximately eight miles north and west, pretty close to that town you spoke to the police in, John. Am sending visual feed from External Camera B to your Monitor 3."
"Got it, Scott," Virgil replied, sounding much more alert now that he'd undoubtedly downed at least two large mugs of strong coffee. "John's checking it out against seismographic indicators."
"Which is giving me bupkis," John interjected. "The only seismo readings we've got appear to have been from the crevasse formation itself. Hang on; I'm going to Comm 2 for a sec."
"FAB," Scott replied, wondering who it was John was calling from Two's tiny secondary communications room. He then looked back at Camera B's monitor and his heart caught in his throat at the image that greeted him. "That crevasse is on the move!" he exclaimed, slowing his 'bird so it hovered directly over what he was seeing. "It's getting closer and closer to the village!"
"Ah, Scott, the only, ah, land in the area that's flat enough for you or, ah, Thunderbird Two to put down, south, ah, southwest of Zhongnan, i-isn't stable enough," Brains advised. "The, ah, area is simply too mountainous, save for the, ah, village that itself is in danger of being swallowed up."
Scott looked down at Kyrano, whose eyes were glued to Camera B's monitor. "Kyrano, are you sure you don't know anything about this part of China?"
"I have never been here myself," he stated quietly. "But I know of it."
"Well then give me something to work with!"
Seated in one of two jumpseats below Scott's gimbal-slung pilot chair, Kyrano shifted, his right hand moving to rest upon his left. It was in that movement that Scott saw a tremor he'd never noticed before. Kyrano covered it quickly by clasping his hands together in his lap, but it'd been there, Scott was certain of it.
"Don't try to help them," Kyrano finally said. Scott's eyebrows drew together in a deep frown. "Return to Tracy Island now." He looked up and met Scott's eyes. "Please."
"You know we don't back off when someone needs us, and right now there's a whole village about to die!" Scott snapped, more out of frustration than anything. "Now you tell me what's going on, Kyrano. Why did you want to come with me? What's making you say we should turn our backs on people who need us, for the first time in nine years?"
The airwaves were silent as Kyrano swallowed, looked down at his hands and said nothing. Just as Scott was about to order Brains to find a stable place for them to land, Kyrano finally spoke. "There is Evil here, Scott. I thought I sensed it from the island, but I couldn't be certain until I came into the area myself, which is why I asked to ride along."
Scott looked back down at him. "Evil?"
Kyrano nodded. "If you land, you or Virgil…" His voice trailed off and a look of what Scott could only describe as pure fear replaced the normally tranquil appearance of Kyrano's lined and weathered face. "Please…there is nothing you can do for them."
"Scott!" John hollered.
Scott's face whipped toward Monitor A in time to see John barreling up behind the pilot's chair, stopping only when his head was plastered against Virgil's. John's crystal blue eyes were so wide that Scott could see the whites surrounding his irises. "The hell?"
"The chasm opening up isn't the only thing they're dealing with down there. Those people are under attack!"
"Explain!" Scott barked.
John nodded once. "I just spoke to the police station in Shibianyuxian again. There was utter mayhem in the background. I asked Wei-kuo, the man I was talking to, if the chasm had reached them; if that's why people were screaming. He said no. He said the xiōng shén è shà were attacking."
"The who what? English, John!"
"Fiends," Kyrano supplied before John could answer.
"Fiends," Scott repeated, glancing at Kyrano, then looking back to John. "Give me more than that. What, is it wild dogs? A mob of people?"
"I don't know. There was a loud crash and then the line went dead. Scott, we've got to get down there!"
"You're right," Scott said, "we do. Brains, give me a place to set us down, close as you can to the village, and I mean now!"
"I-It's not safe, ah, Sc—"
"At any cost!" Scott reminded him…reminded them all. "Coordinates!"
"Latitude 34 degrees, 2 minutes, 28 seconds. Longitude 108 degrees, 58 minutes. It's a local highway populated to the south, u-unpopulated to the north. It's the closest I can safely get you."
"Virgil, you heard the man. I'll see you on the ground. Thunderbird One out."
With that, Scott moved toward the coordinates and set about the business of landing his baby just north of the highway Brains had steered them to. As soon as One was firmly on the ground he powered her down, unbuckled his harness and made to leave the cockpit. He looked at Kyrano, who was gripping the armrests of the jumpseat so tightly that the knuckles of his tanned hands were white. His eyes were closed and his lips were moving, though no sound was emerging.
"Stay here, Kyrano," Scott said. And with that, he was out of his 'bird.
"Membantu mereka," Kyrano whispered, eyes opening but not seeing the cockpit. "Please, I ask with all that I am. Protect them."