Part 3
A little bit later Scott and John were walking through the villa together. They were heading for Jeff's office. Scott had talked John into telling their father about this and maybe their father could actually do something about it. Scott suspected what that would be. It would be sending Penny out to this woman to check if she was legit. And if she wasn't Jeff would move heaven and earth to make her pay for upsetting his son. But if she was legit… Scott didn't know what Jeff would do. But he guessed Jeff would calmly explain to John that he loved him as much as the others and that Lucy thought of him as his son, no matter what that other woman said. As the two walked into the lounge they found their father by his desk. John looked at Scott and Scott nodded in a supportive way. John bit his lip and walked up to their father.
"Dad?" he said and Jeff looked up. He smiled gently. But he soon noticed that his oldest blond son didn't return the smile. In fact he noticed that John looked really upset and that wasn't common for the young man. Usually Jeff had to drag whatever was upsetting his middle son out of him. John usually kept his troubles to himself and never turned to anyone about them… until it got too much. He hadn't even talked to Jeff when he was 14 and got arrested for hacking into the FBI. John didn't know that Jeff knew and Jeff was glad to keep it that way. He was happy to let the young man think he could keep secrets from his father.
Jeff knew John probably had lots of secrets, but that was one Jeff had figured out ages ago. Well with some help from Penny. When they started International Rescue Jeff had asked Penny to help him find some hackers to work for him. They'd "borrowed" a hacker watch list from FBI and lo and behold at the top of the page was the name and social security number of Jeff's middle son. Jeff had been furious at first but then figured it was okay, for his job for International Rescue John would have to be able to do some hacking. But Jeff was still going to have a talk with him about those records. He just hadn't got the chance.
"Dad", John's voice cut through his musings. Jeff looked at him and saw the distress on his face.
"What's the matter John?" he asked. John was about to answer when the claxon sounded.
"Base from Thunderbird 5", Alan's voice said. "We have a situation."
"Go ahead Alan, let's have it", Jeff said calmly.
"Dad NASA's Lunar Space Station 22 has left orbit and is on a collision course with Earth", Alan said. "There are 22 people aboard and the evacuation pods have malfunctioned. If we don't get them out they're either gonna die if the stations burns up in the atmosphere or crash into the middle of the Atlantic Ocean."
"FAB", Jeff said. "John, sorry but our talk has to wait."
"FAB", John said and then turned to Alan's hologram. "Alan tell us what you know about the malfunction."
Alan grinned and started to inform them about everything they had learned. It wasn't much but enough for Jeff to be satisfied. Computer failure was to be blamed.
"Okay", Jeff said. "John take Scott in Thunderbird 3 and go help those people."
"FAB", Scott said but John didn't reply. "Johnny?"
"Sir I suggest we bring Gordon and Virgil along too", John said.
"Now hold on a minute John", Jeff said.
"No listen", John said. "There are 22 people on that station and the chances of someone panicking is quite high. We'll need more than just two people to help. If the escape pods are malfunctioning because of computer failure I'm sure the rest of the station is failing too."
"So?" Gordon asked.
"So we might not be able to open any normal airlocks. We might need to break in and to evacuate them all we might need more 'doors' than what two people can make."
"John's right", Virgil said and nodded.
"FAB", Jeff said and nodded. "Hurry boys every minute counts."
"FAB", all four said.
"John", Jeff said and John turned to look at him.
"Yeah dad?"
"If possible… hack those computers and get them back online."
John grinned.
"FAB dad", he said and hurried to join his brothers. Jeff rolled his eyes. He didn't enjoy his sons habit of hacking any computer on earth or in space. But sometimes it did come in handy. He knew it was foolish to believe his son only hacked computers when ordered to. But a father could dream.
"Lunar Space Station 22", John said into the radio when they reached their destination. "This is Thunderbird 3 from International Rescue can you hear us?"
"Yes oh God please help us", a panicked voice said and John's eyes widened.
"We're on our way", he said, making his voice much deeper. John's brothers stared at him in confusion. "Can you get us up to date on your situation?"
"We're locked into the lunch room, except for the guy that was doing the shift in the control room. He's still in there and won't answer any calls. We think he might be hurt."
"Roger that 22", John said. "Make sure everyone is suited up International Rescue out."
John turned off the radio and turned to his brothers and noticed they staring at him. John chuckled and got up, getting into command position. Scott may be the field commander but up in space John and Alan's words were law. John looked at them and made sure they had their suits ready.
"Okay guys", he said. "The operative I just spoke to served with me on NASA's Lunar Space Station 21. His name is Juan Fernandez and luckily he's a bit daft. He won't recognize my voice. But I don't want him to see my face so we should use the 'secret identity' options on our helmets."
"Toned windows coming up", Gordon joked and they activated the toned windows so no one would be able to see their faces.
"Good", John said. "Now listen. I want the three of you to start evacuating the astronauts in the canteen. I'll help making a door but then I'm going for the command center."
"I'll go with you", Scott said.
"Scott I can manage."
"I don't doubt that John but chances are that guy caused all this."
"True", John said. "But I have more experience in zero G than any of you and probably that guy too. I'll be able to take him if that's the case."
His brothers looked skeptical and John smiled softly.
"Don't worry guys I'll be fine. Now let's get started."
With that John opened the airlock on Thunderbird 3 and all four of them set to work. They used the special cutting tools Brains had designed for just these types of emergencies. John, who'd used them before finished before the others. He attached four small rocket magnets, pullies as Gordon called them, to the piece he'd cut loose. He contacted the astronauts to prepare them for what was about to happen. After getting an all clear he activated the pullies and they pulled the metal out of the way. Gordon finished after him, then Virgil and lastly Scott. John made sure the evacuation was going smoothly before putting his magnetic shoes onto the station. He headed for the command center. He'd asked Alan to send him the schematics of the place. It looked like the station he'd been at, just some minor changes.
Soon John was on top of the command center. He leaned down and looked through the window but he couldn't see anyone in there. He frowned because he could see that the emergency suit wasn't hanging there. So the guy must be in it. He nodded and started to cut his way in.
"Thunderbird 5 to John", Alan's voice said over the radio. "Do you copy?"
"John here Thunderbird 5", John replied. "Is this about the heat scan I asked you to do?"
"Yes and there's a person in there, not far from you so be on your guard John. But John, the person in there isn't Milos Viaska. They found the real Milos dead in his home."
"So whoever is in there is an intruder."
"Looks like it. John… be careful."
"FAB Thunderbird 5", John replied and activated the pullies. The hole was dark and no one appeared in it. John called out over radio to the guy but got no reply. He activated the heat sensor in his helmet and entered. He couldn't see anything and the sensor wasn't picking anything up. He moved further inside and still couldn't see anything.
"John behind you!" Alan shout in the radio. John jumped and made a vault over his attacker and landed behind him. The guy turned with a growl and came at the middle Tracy again. But John was more experienced in Zero G than the other man and could easily avoid him. He became aware of a mask floating around near the door. John understood who this was.
"Hood", he growled.
"Well if it isn't International Rescue", the Hood's oily voice was heard from the other man's radio. "Here to save some lives?"
"The others are evacuating the astronauts, it's only you left", John spat, moving in the opposite direction of the Hood. But the Hood didn't seem like he was trying to escape.
"The astronauts?" he asked. "Oh you thought this was just about them?"
John felt a cold lump grow in his stomach. If this wasn't about killing the men and women on this space station… what was it about? John had a growing suspicion.
"You are trying to set us up aren't you?" he asked and the Hood laughed.
"I knew there was a clever one among you", he said. "And since you've figured that out… please inform me of the rest of my plan."
"No way in hell. You might change it!"
"Oh? Well in that case let me enlighten you", the Hood moved closer and John gripped a steel piece and held it out like a sword. "Why the hostility Thunderbird? I just want to talk."
"Stay there then", John growled. The Hood stopped moving.
"This station is right now falling towards the Earth isn't it?" the Hood said and John nodded. "Well you see in about 15 minutes it will hit central Rio de Janeiro and wipe it out of existence."
John's eyes went huge, the Hood couldn't see that of course.
"And it wasn't going to until International Rescue started poking around", the Hood went on. "By now they know that someone from International Rescue entered the control room… and now…" he pressed a button on the remote. "That operative changed the course for Rio." John felt the station shake.
"John what's going on", Scott's voice came over the radio.
"Shit", John swore and suddenly felt something hit the side of his head. Scott's call had distracted him and the Hood had used that to strike him in the head with a chair. The Hood hurried into an escape pod, the only one from the command room and activated it. It shot out and John cursed.
"John answer me", Scott's voice sounded worried. "John what was that coming out of the command center?!" John sighed.
"John here", he said. "It was the Hood. Is everyone safe?"
"Yes", Virgil answered. "Everyone but you are back on Thunderbird 3."
"Good", John said. "Start the engines and get out of here."
There was total silence on the other side of the radio. Then he heard Gordon's nervous laugh.
"Really fun joke John", he said. "It sounded as if you told us to leave when you're still in there."
John didn't answer at first. He was putting the power back in the command room, removing the receiver from the Hood's remote which was connected to the mainframe. He moved a big cupboard over the whole he'd come in through, a filing cabinet and a chair. Hopefully it would hold. Then he sat down in the command chair and started working on the computers.
"John", Virgil's calm voice cut through his thoughts. "We're not leaving you on that station."
"If you don't leave me Rio de Janeiro is doomed", John replied. "It was the Hood. He used the astronauts to lure us here so that he could change the trajectory of the falling station so that the world would blame us for the city's demise. I won't let him."
"John there's nothing you can do from there that you can't do from Thunderbird…", Scott began and then trailed off.
"True but by the time we reach Thunderbird 5 and I get into the space station's systems it will already have crashed", John replied calmly. "I need to work now boys so I'm turning off the radio."
"Don't you dare John!" his father yelled over the link. John didn't reply. "I know you can hear me."
"I'm gonna re-route the trajectory again", John said. "I'm gonna crash the station into the Atlantic. If I'm lucky I can get to an escape pod and actually survive this."
"John the systems were down!" Scott yelled.
"I'm working on that", John said. "Don't make me remote control Three out of here."
"You c-can't do that", Brains pointed out. "W-we haven't f-finished developing the s-system yet."
"I have", John said and touched the "control panel" on his arm. "Last chance guys. Leave or I make you. Get the guys on the ground and then come get me."
"We might not get there in time Johnny", Gordon whispered.
"Well at least try. John out." With that John turned off the radio and set to work. He looked at the scanners that was up and running and saw an unidentified craft leave the station. Thunderbird 3. It had to be her. John sighed and continued to work. The Hood was an evil criminal but not the best hacker. John was soon having most systems up and running… now there was just the question about finding the best place to crash the station.
Alan stared out the window of Thunderbird 5. He was trying to catch a glimpse of the station his brother was at right now. But he couldn't see it from his position. Alan had always been close to John. John was like his mentor. Everything Alan knew of space he learned from John. John had even held a lecture or two at NASA when Alan was training to be an astronaut. Alan knew he took John for granted and weaseled his way out of rotation duty more often than not… but John never complained. Never. Alan sighed and bit his lip.
"Come on Johnny", he whispered. "Get out of there. Mom don't take him yet. You can't want him yet… mom please."
John was sweating and felt his vision blur a little. He could hear the station "scream" as it fell through the sky.
"NASA control to Lunar Space Station 22", a voice said over radio. "Whoever is piloting get out of there before the station explodes."
John knew that voice, it was his former boss so he changed the settings on the transmitter on his helmet and then did it on the radio of the station. Less chance of them getting his real voice.
"Not until I know the trajectory will hit somewhere it will make little to no damage", he replied. The NASA control room got a bit shocked at the very strange, robotic voice. But they figured it had to be one of the men or women of International Rescue.
"International Rescue", the radio guy at NASA said. "We thank you and pray for you."
"I don't need prayers", John said, not noticing how he slipped into an old way of speaking. "I trust the fates to deal in my favor today."
John turned off the radio and punched in a few commands on the station before getting out of the chair. He had to struggle to get up against the force pushing him into the chair.
"Impact imminent", an automatic voice said. "In t-minus 30 seconds."
"30 seconds, that's a life time", John grunted sarcastically. He managed to drag himself to the nearest escape pod, get inside and send it flying. Just in time. The station exploded and the shockwave knocked the escape pod of course. John was tumbled around in the pod and then hit his head with such force the helmet cracked. After that… blackness and John knew no more.
TBC