Thunderbirds
Shaft Of Doom
by Lee Homer
Disclaimer: All rights reserved. "Shaft Of Doom" is a fan adaption of the comic strip by Fleetway Comics.
Chapter Three
Virgil returned to base camp as soon as Brains updated him on the chaos below. He didn't know what he could do to help but felt that he was needed in the control room. As soon as he touched down, He hurried for the control room. Brains frantically paced the room along with the equally baffled Charlie. With Scott out of contact, his options seemed to be dwindling. Virgil approached him, stopping the stressing scientist in his tracks.
"Brains, take it easy." He said, placing his hands on Brains' shoulders. "I got your call. Now, what's happening down there?"
"I've lost r-radio contact with Scott." Brains replied. "He was drilling down towards the Seismos Seven when another tremor knocked him o-of course!"
In an attempt to relieve some of the pressure, Virgil began to list the alternative procedures. "Have you tried the emergency transmitter beam?"
"I-I've tried, Virgil. There's no reply. Gordon is standing by, but I don't know what to do next."
Gordon had been listening from the depths. His eagerness always overpowered his common sense, no matter how commendable it made him.
"I can swim down there and pull them out with emergency cables?" He said as his eagerness lit up the airwaves. "I have the gear with me already. It'll only take a few minutes."
Virgil grabbed the microphone. "Gordon! That would be suicide. The force of that current would rip you to shreds!" He then turned to Brains. "If only we could get an underwater camera or something down there. At least that way, we'd have an idea with what we're dealing with."
Suddenly, Brains shot up out of his seat. Virgil had just hit a spark. A spark which lit up the answer in all of its glory.
"O-Of course! That's it! We can use Braman!" He said.
It wasn't the answer Virgil had expected. "Braman? You brought him with us?"
"He's in the Mole. I had programmed him to assist me with the Mole's underwater tests back at base." Brains explained. "A few weeks ago, I had p-programmed him to respond to certain voice patterns starting with Scott's."
"So Scott can program Braman now?"
"Only with simple commands. I can program him with s-specific instructions which Scott will be able to direct from the Mole."
Virgil understood the premise of his plan. "Let's just hope he's awake when Braman's online. Okay, Brains. What do you need?"
"I'll need his control terminal from T-Thunderbird Two. It's our only shot. I'll tell Gordon to stand by. He'll be needed too."
Virgil raced for the exit without a moment to lose. Down by the sea bed, Gordon received his instructions to suit up and wait. Brains had a lot riding on this idea. Without a time check to go on, everything hinged on his robot assistant. Virgil swiftly returned with the computer terminal, setting it up on the Mobile transmitter system. Brains flicked all the switches and spoke into the tiny mouthpiece.
"B-Braman. Can you hear me?"
The dashboard sprung to life with an array of buzzing and clicking lights. A monotone voice replied to the request.
"Affirmative."
"G-Good. Now listen carefully. I need you to Grab The Mole's emergency cables and attach them to the Seismos Seven. Then feed the other side through to Gordon in T-Thunderbird Four. I have worked out the coordinates for you to follow to the letter. I-I shall program them into your directive. Scott will assist you down there. Do you understand?"
The men were met with radio silence. Brains knew that his little pride and joy was merely processing his instructions. He was used to long response times, but for Virgil, it was frustrating.
"Come on, Braman. What's it to be?"
Suddenly, mechanical tones stopped. Braman had finished processing his instructions.
"Did you get that, B-Braman?"
"Affirmative. Find Cables, Find Gordon." Braman replied bluntly.
Brains smiled behind the microphone. "Okay. Off you go then."
All they could now was wait for Gordon's signal. This was the largest task which he had programmed Braman to undertake. He knew that the robot was fairly robust and waterproof, but could he battle the currents which forced the two drilling machines down there in the first place?
Scott eventually regained consciousness, but his eyesight had restored itself fully, fumbling about for his seat, he pulled himself up off the floor, just catch the blurred outline of an object moving at the opposite end of the cabin. Braman bolted up-right from his travel case and looked around the cabin. His sensors detected Scott, who was still sitting here half dazed. He rose up out of the case and marched his way towards the weary Tracy Brother. Scott's sight eventually shifted into gear, staring directly into Braman's cold reflective face panel.
"Braman?" He said in confusion. "W-What are you doing here?"
"Cables. Cables." Braman chanted.
Scott rubbed his throbbing head. "What?"
"Cables. Cables. Gordon. Cables for Gordon." Braman continued.
Scott tried to make sense of the robot's ramblings. "Okay, Brains has taught me about this. Cables. Is Gordon going to pull us out with cables?"
"Negative." Braman replied.
"The Seismos Seven then?" Scott continued.
"Affirmative,"
"Using Thunderbird Four?"
Braman shook his head. "Negative."
Scott winced at the large gash on his head. How could he think when his head felt like it was hit by a train. Still, he tried to put the pieces together.
"I've got it. What about the Mole's emergency cables? Is it those you want?"
"Affirmative. Cables for Gordon."
Scott finally understood what Braman was programmed to do. He crawled over towards the side compartment which hadn't been damaged from the fall. He opened the hatch to find the steel cables that were designed to lift a small aircraft if necessary. He stood back a step as Braman lifted the cables with a metallic clunk and dragged them towards the airlock.
"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" Scott asked him.
"Cables for Gordon," Braman replied.
Scott simply nodded. "Good luck, Braman."
Opening the outer airlock. Braman stepped out into the cavern. His metal feet crunched the rocks under him as he dragged the cables towards the Seismos Seven. While he was carrying out his task, Scott got to work on repairing the radio. After jiggling a few circuits, he made contact with the others.
"Mobile Control this is Scott Tracy. Come In Mo..."
"Scott, thank god!" Virgil replied over the radio. "Are you alright!?"
Scott reacted to Virgil's loud excited tone. "Yeah, I'm fine, Virgil. Don't worry about me. I can see Braman fixing the cables to the Seismos Seven, Have Gordon meet him at the other end. I'm going to get the Mole up and running again."
Scott got to work on solving his own problem while Braman had worked halfway through his instructions. Securing the cables to the Seismos Seven's hull, he then began the tremendous task of scaling the drill tunnel up towards Thunderbird Four. Braman used his processing power to stabilize his body. The torrent of water presented a challenge that couldn't stop him. He had successfully made it halfway up the tunnel. Unfortunately, he was about to complete the trip, unscathed. His armour plating received one dent after another as he was repeatedly hit by projectile rock. A shimmer of light waited for him ahead. He was going to make it.
Gordon patiently waited for him in his diving gear He could hear the faint sounds of clanking echoing up the tunnel. The sounds grew louder until eventually, Braman's head emerged from the top of the tunnel. Gordon swam over to him.
"Cables for Gordon." Braman cackled.
"You did it, Braman!" He smiled. "Mobile Control from Gordon. I have the cables from Braman. I'll put him in Thunderbird Four with me. I'll handle the rest."
Attaching the cables to Thunderbird Four, Gordon swam inside his craft. He started up his motors and threw his Thunderbird into full reverse. The hull began to creak and shake as he pushed her to full power. He couldn't tell if it was working or not as a plume of dust obscured his view. Back in the cavern, however, Scott had gotten fast to work on the Mole's ballast tanks when he noticed that the Seismos Seven started to move. He watched it slowly slide up through the tunnel with a jolt, leaving nothing but a crater where it sat. Scott reached for the radio to update his brother.
"Mole to Thunderbird Four. It's working, Gordon. You're dragging her clear. Keep going!"
However, Gordon was starting to struggle. Pulling back on the rudder, he continued to take the strain. Brains' idea had turned into a tug of war. Just as he was concentrating, Braman succumbed to his treatment from the see. He wasn't completely waterproof after all.
"Malfunction. Malfunction!"
"Almost there." He said as he could smell electrical smoke. "Damn it Braman. Don't spark out on me now!"
Suddenly, Gordon made out a shape amongst the dust plumes. His eyes widened as the damaged remains of the Seismos Seven appeared before him. Without a second to waste, Gordon grabbed the emergency oxygen tanks, fastened his scuba tank and swam his way over towards the wrecked drilling machine. He located the main hatch, and cut it open with a laser torch. Inside, Matt could hear the outer hatch being forced from its hinges. Dave had completely passed out from Oxygen deprivation. He couldn't share in the thoughts and emotions which his colleague was feeling.
"We're saved. Come on, Dave...wake up! We're...we're getting out of here!"
The door behind them hit the ground with a thud, revealing Gordon on the other side. He tossed Matt an Oxygen tank before helping him place one on Dave.
"This is International Rescue. Come with me immediately." He instructed as he beckoned the men to follow him.
"What about my friend? He's in a bad way?" Matt asked.
"I'll carry him," Gordon replied. "Just make your way through the hatch towards Thunderbird Four. I'll be right behind you."
One by one, The three men left the Seismos Drill and made for Thunderbird Four's airlock. Once inside, Gordon radioed into Mobile Control. Matt sat by Dave in the passenger compartment, holding his oxygen tank. Their next stop was the county hospital. The initial rescue was over, but Scott's day was far from over. Unbeknownst to International crew, another tremor was fast approaching them and this one was a monster!
Back at base control, the seismograph began to spike, immediately drawing Virgil's attention. The needle erratically flew across the paper reel, producing new and terrifying readings. Virgil grabbed the readout.
"Brains, it's not over yet. Look at this readout?" He said as he passed the slip of paper to Brains.
Brains adjusted his thick blue spectacles. "Oh no. If this readout is correct. T-There's another tremor coming it. It measures a solid Six point Five on the scale."
Virgil's stomach began to tighten. "When will it hit?"
Brains studied the readout carefully. "I estimate that the shock-wave will hit a-approximately Two minutes!"
In a state of panic, Virgil grabbed the microphone in a race to warn his brothers. There was little time to prepare for this one.
"Mobile Control to Scott and Thunderbird Four. We've got another Tremor coming in. It's a big one. Prepare for impact in Two minutes. Repeat. Brace for impact!"
With that, the pair prepared to brace themselves. There was nothing more they could do.
