Hi everyone
Sorry I wasn't able to upload another chapter last night - I was too busy killing off Virgil.
Oops - now I've let my wicked plan slip. I was going to make all of you think Virgil's dead so I can whisk him away and he'll be mine - ALL MINE!!!!
Actually I was at the ballet.
So to find out what happens next - and to who...
Read on.
Purupuss
*****
Dilemma 1
Gordon had just returned to Thunderbird Two's control seat when the after-shock struck. Even the mightiest Thunderbird shuddered from the force of the shock waves. He watched helplessly as the building below, the one that contained his brother, collapsed like a deck of cards. A pall of dust rose up from the wreckage obliterating the view.
He reached for the intercom. "This is Thunderbird Two calling Virgil, do you read me?"
No reply.
He tried again. "Virgil, can you here me! Virgil! Answer me! Come in Virgil!"
The intercom remained frustratingly mute.
Gordon's first instinct was to notify Scott, to seek reassurance and form a plan of attack. But Scott was out of action, laid up by a virus. Should he radio home? Should he worry his family, perhaps unnecessarily? His thoughts were interrupted by a call on his intercom.
"G-Gordon," it was Brains, "was that another shock."
The voice helped Gordon regain a sense of control and his was already beginning to form a plan of action as he replied.
"Yes, it was, Brains. Quite a big one by the looks of things. A lot of the buildings have collapsed even further." He paused. "Including the one Virgil was in."
"Can you reach him?"
"No, he's not answering the intercom."
"W-we've got to get down there and help him!"
"I know. How's the patient."
"His blood pressure's, uh, dropped slightly."
"Okay, we'll get him sorted and then we'll go get Virgil." The 'plane started to move forward.
"And Gordon."
"Yes Brains?"
"He'll be fine!"
"Yeah," Gordon sounded more confident than he felt. "Yeah, he'll be fine."
*****
In the makeshift hospital Superintendent Hally picked herself up off the floor. The hospital seemed to have survived the aftershock fairly intact. She knew that she would be needed back at Civil Defence Headquarters. She commanded the constable guarding Scott's room to stand his ground and hurried over to the Civil Defence HQ.
Like the hospital, the Headquarters was still structurally intact. Not that you could tell from the papers and equipment that littered the floors.
Superintendent Hally picked her way through the debris until she reached the co-ordination station. International Rescue's Mobile Control stood unattended and she felt a momentary pang of guilt at leaving Scott. Pushing that to the back of her mind she took control.
"Damage reports?"
"Nothing major. No new casualties. The only damage is to already damaged buildings, and they've already been evacuated."
Someone piped up. "Lucky International Rescue got out of there in time. That factory that they were searching was one of the worst affected."
Superintendent Hally swung round to the speaker. "Are you sure they got out safely?"
"Well," the speaker paused, nonplussed, "we saw the stretcher being raised out of the building and the Thunderbird craft seemed to hover above the factory for a mighty long time. It was still there when the quake hit, but reports are that it's coming in to land now. They've rescued one man with possible head and neck injuries and they'll be coming straight to the hospital. Why do you ask?"
"Just want to make sure." The Superintendent was unwilling to appear indecisive, 'I just have a feeling...,' she thought to herself.
*****
Back on the island, Jeff Tracy also had a funny feeling that something wasn't quite right. He kept his thoughts to himself though as Tin-Tin served him a cup of coffee.
"Any news Mr Tracy?"
"Nothing yet Tin-Tin. I haven't heard from them for a while, but I guess they are too busy to radio in."
He was interrupted by the television giving an update on the earthquake.
"There have been reports of a severe aftershock. At the present time no further casualties have been reported. We cross live to our reporter at the scene."
"Thank you Fred. Yes, there has been quite a major 'quake. Reports say that only buildings that were affected by the initial 'quake have been damaged. These had already been evacuated by the rescue authorities, including International Rescue."
Jeff turned from the set. That would explain why Scott hadn't radioed in. The team had clearly been kept busy since their last report and just as well too, judging by the news item.
*****
Virgil became suddenly aware of a shooting pain down his right arm. The force of the pain made him gasp, causing him to inhale a lung-full of the dust. This sent him into a paroxysm of coughing and sent a new wave of pain through his body.
"Are you all right?" The concerned face of his travelling companion came into his field of vision.
Virgil waited until his coughing died down before answering. "No, I don't think so." He looked at his hand. It was jammed between the concrete slab and the wall at his back. A bit of wood that jutted out beside him, was the only reason why he hadn't been totally crushed. He took a breath to steady his nerves. It was clear that the bones in the hand were broken. Virgil didn't care to think that he might have sustained worse injuries than that. "I think I've damaged my hand."
When the other man saw where the hand was he gave a long low whistle. "Gee, you're lucky that's all that's broken. How'd you manage to get your hand in there?"
Virgil gave a rueful smile. "I guess instinct took over from common sense. I automatically tried to stop that slab from falling onto me. Anyway, how are you?"
"Me? I'm fine, tough as old boots. I'm more worried about how we're going to get you out in one piece. Any chance of calling up some of your friends."
As if on cue a voice was heard from within the rubble. "This is Thunderbird Two calling Virgil, do you read me?"
The man started looking through the rubble to find the intercom that Virgil had dropped.
Gordon's disembodied voice came through the ether again. "Virgil, can you here me! Virgil! Answer me! Come in Virgil!"
"There it is!" Virgil pointed to the intercom. At that moment a chunk of concrete rolled off another and landed on the intercom which was flattened with a puff of smoke and a shower of sparks.
Momentarily demoralised both men stared at the space where the intercom had been.
"Guess it's not our lucky day." Virgil was the first to speak.
"Yeah, you wouldn't have another on you would you."
"Yes, but I don't think it'll do us a lot of good." Virgil looked at his shattered wristwatch/telecom on his right arm.
Both men were silent as they collected their thoughts.
Virgil waited until the pain had subsided before he reached into a pocket in his trousers. Every movement seemed to cut him like a knife. He paused and then pulled out two bits of metal, each similar in size to a pencil. He jammed his thumbnail under a flap of metal on one and flicked it so that it rotated and settled at right angles to the body of the instrument. The movement caused him to drop the other one.
"Bother. Could you get that please,...? I suppose if we're going to work together I'd better know what to call you."
"Neil. And I guess your name is Virgil." Neil retrieved the 'pencil'.
Virgil smiled. "So much for secrecy. Thanks." He looked at the 'pencil' in Neil's hand. "If you could open out each end of that, like this..." he repeated the operation with the other end of the 'pencil' still clasped in his hand. He then slid open a section of the instrument and a thread, no thicker than a human hair fell out and dangled from the silver casing. At the end of the thread was a tiny connector.
Neil copied Virgil's instructions. "Much easier with two hands." He said. "What is it?"
"It's a jack..."
"A WHAT?"
"A jack, it'll only move a few millimetres, but hopefully it will be enough to release my hand without bringing everything down on top of us.
"Now..." trying to twist his body round without moving his right arm, Virgil managed to jam his jack next to his hand and between the wood and the concrete. "...if you could do the same with yours on the other side. Now connect those two bits at the end. Good." He paused. "See that button..." Neil looked at the connector, there was indeed a tiny red button. "Stand as far back as you can and push that button. And get ready to run if anything goes wrong!"
Neil was amazed at how calm Virgil was. 'I guess when you've been in tight situations as often as this guy must have been, you get somewhat used to stressful situations.' he mused. He pushed the button.
At first it seemed that nothing was happening, then slowly, ever so slowly the concrete slab started to move. A light shower of dust fell to the ground at their feet. Virgil became aware that he was biting his lip. 'It's not going to be enough' he thought. 'It MUST be.' Suddenly he felt the pressure on his hand lessen, and a moment later he was able to pull it from it's prison. He slumped back against the wall and his knees buckled as he was swamped with a mixture of relief and pain.
Neil rushed over to his side. "Here, let's have a look at this hand." With infinitesimal care he examined the damage. "Could be worse, but you're not going to be able to use it for a while. We'll have to immobilise it so that we can get out of here."
Virgil managed to shrug his pack off his left shoulder. "Can you help me get this off?" Once freed of the pack he opened a pocket and reached inside, pulling out a container of saline solution and some bandages. "Can you clean up the cuts?"
"No worries." Neil was quick and efficient in his work. "Now what."
Once again Virgil reached into the pack. This time he pulled out a glove. "Here, hold this open while I slip my hand into it?"
Once this operation was completed Virgil released a valve on the side of the glove. The glove expanded, surrounding the injured hand in a protective cushion.
"Strewth." Neil was once again impressed. "You haven't got anything in that pack that can get us out of here quicker have you?"
Now the injured bones were immobilised Virgil began to feel more in control of the situation. "Nope, we'll just have to start walking and hope that our exits aren't blocked."
"Keep optimistic mate," Neil swung the pack onto his broad shoulders, "she'll be right."
They set off on what they were sure would be a long journey back to safety.
*****
Sorry I wasn't able to upload another chapter last night - I was too busy killing off Virgil.
Oops - now I've let my wicked plan slip. I was going to make all of you think Virgil's dead so I can whisk him away and he'll be mine - ALL MINE!!!!
Actually I was at the ballet.
So to find out what happens next - and to who...
Read on.
Purupuss
*****
Dilemma 1
Gordon had just returned to Thunderbird Two's control seat when the after-shock struck. Even the mightiest Thunderbird shuddered from the force of the shock waves. He watched helplessly as the building below, the one that contained his brother, collapsed like a deck of cards. A pall of dust rose up from the wreckage obliterating the view.
He reached for the intercom. "This is Thunderbird Two calling Virgil, do you read me?"
No reply.
He tried again. "Virgil, can you here me! Virgil! Answer me! Come in Virgil!"
The intercom remained frustratingly mute.
Gordon's first instinct was to notify Scott, to seek reassurance and form a plan of attack. But Scott was out of action, laid up by a virus. Should he radio home? Should he worry his family, perhaps unnecessarily? His thoughts were interrupted by a call on his intercom.
"G-Gordon," it was Brains, "was that another shock."
The voice helped Gordon regain a sense of control and his was already beginning to form a plan of action as he replied.
"Yes, it was, Brains. Quite a big one by the looks of things. A lot of the buildings have collapsed even further." He paused. "Including the one Virgil was in."
"Can you reach him?"
"No, he's not answering the intercom."
"W-we've got to get down there and help him!"
"I know. How's the patient."
"His blood pressure's, uh, dropped slightly."
"Okay, we'll get him sorted and then we'll go get Virgil." The 'plane started to move forward.
"And Gordon."
"Yes Brains?"
"He'll be fine!"
"Yeah," Gordon sounded more confident than he felt. "Yeah, he'll be fine."
*****
In the makeshift hospital Superintendent Hally picked herself up off the floor. The hospital seemed to have survived the aftershock fairly intact. She knew that she would be needed back at Civil Defence Headquarters. She commanded the constable guarding Scott's room to stand his ground and hurried over to the Civil Defence HQ.
Like the hospital, the Headquarters was still structurally intact. Not that you could tell from the papers and equipment that littered the floors.
Superintendent Hally picked her way through the debris until she reached the co-ordination station. International Rescue's Mobile Control stood unattended and she felt a momentary pang of guilt at leaving Scott. Pushing that to the back of her mind she took control.
"Damage reports?"
"Nothing major. No new casualties. The only damage is to already damaged buildings, and they've already been evacuated."
Someone piped up. "Lucky International Rescue got out of there in time. That factory that they were searching was one of the worst affected."
Superintendent Hally swung round to the speaker. "Are you sure they got out safely?"
"Well," the speaker paused, nonplussed, "we saw the stretcher being raised out of the building and the Thunderbird craft seemed to hover above the factory for a mighty long time. It was still there when the quake hit, but reports are that it's coming in to land now. They've rescued one man with possible head and neck injuries and they'll be coming straight to the hospital. Why do you ask?"
"Just want to make sure." The Superintendent was unwilling to appear indecisive, 'I just have a feeling...,' she thought to herself.
*****
Back on the island, Jeff Tracy also had a funny feeling that something wasn't quite right. He kept his thoughts to himself though as Tin-Tin served him a cup of coffee.
"Any news Mr Tracy?"
"Nothing yet Tin-Tin. I haven't heard from them for a while, but I guess they are too busy to radio in."
He was interrupted by the television giving an update on the earthquake.
"There have been reports of a severe aftershock. At the present time no further casualties have been reported. We cross live to our reporter at the scene."
"Thank you Fred. Yes, there has been quite a major 'quake. Reports say that only buildings that were affected by the initial 'quake have been damaged. These had already been evacuated by the rescue authorities, including International Rescue."
Jeff turned from the set. That would explain why Scott hadn't radioed in. The team had clearly been kept busy since their last report and just as well too, judging by the news item.
*****
Virgil became suddenly aware of a shooting pain down his right arm. The force of the pain made him gasp, causing him to inhale a lung-full of the dust. This sent him into a paroxysm of coughing and sent a new wave of pain through his body.
"Are you all right?" The concerned face of his travelling companion came into his field of vision.
Virgil waited until his coughing died down before answering. "No, I don't think so." He looked at his hand. It was jammed between the concrete slab and the wall at his back. A bit of wood that jutted out beside him, was the only reason why he hadn't been totally crushed. He took a breath to steady his nerves. It was clear that the bones in the hand were broken. Virgil didn't care to think that he might have sustained worse injuries than that. "I think I've damaged my hand."
When the other man saw where the hand was he gave a long low whistle. "Gee, you're lucky that's all that's broken. How'd you manage to get your hand in there?"
Virgil gave a rueful smile. "I guess instinct took over from common sense. I automatically tried to stop that slab from falling onto me. Anyway, how are you?"
"Me? I'm fine, tough as old boots. I'm more worried about how we're going to get you out in one piece. Any chance of calling up some of your friends."
As if on cue a voice was heard from within the rubble. "This is Thunderbird Two calling Virgil, do you read me?"
The man started looking through the rubble to find the intercom that Virgil had dropped.
Gordon's disembodied voice came through the ether again. "Virgil, can you here me! Virgil! Answer me! Come in Virgil!"
"There it is!" Virgil pointed to the intercom. At that moment a chunk of concrete rolled off another and landed on the intercom which was flattened with a puff of smoke and a shower of sparks.
Momentarily demoralised both men stared at the space where the intercom had been.
"Guess it's not our lucky day." Virgil was the first to speak.
"Yeah, you wouldn't have another on you would you."
"Yes, but I don't think it'll do us a lot of good." Virgil looked at his shattered wristwatch/telecom on his right arm.
Both men were silent as they collected their thoughts.
Virgil waited until the pain had subsided before he reached into a pocket in his trousers. Every movement seemed to cut him like a knife. He paused and then pulled out two bits of metal, each similar in size to a pencil. He jammed his thumbnail under a flap of metal on one and flicked it so that it rotated and settled at right angles to the body of the instrument. The movement caused him to drop the other one.
"Bother. Could you get that please,...? I suppose if we're going to work together I'd better know what to call you."
"Neil. And I guess your name is Virgil." Neil retrieved the 'pencil'.
Virgil smiled. "So much for secrecy. Thanks." He looked at the 'pencil' in Neil's hand. "If you could open out each end of that, like this..." he repeated the operation with the other end of the 'pencil' still clasped in his hand. He then slid open a section of the instrument and a thread, no thicker than a human hair fell out and dangled from the silver casing. At the end of the thread was a tiny connector.
Neil copied Virgil's instructions. "Much easier with two hands." He said. "What is it?"
"It's a jack..."
"A WHAT?"
"A jack, it'll only move a few millimetres, but hopefully it will be enough to release my hand without bringing everything down on top of us.
"Now..." trying to twist his body round without moving his right arm, Virgil managed to jam his jack next to his hand and between the wood and the concrete. "...if you could do the same with yours on the other side. Now connect those two bits at the end. Good." He paused. "See that button..." Neil looked at the connector, there was indeed a tiny red button. "Stand as far back as you can and push that button. And get ready to run if anything goes wrong!"
Neil was amazed at how calm Virgil was. 'I guess when you've been in tight situations as often as this guy must have been, you get somewhat used to stressful situations.' he mused. He pushed the button.
At first it seemed that nothing was happening, then slowly, ever so slowly the concrete slab started to move. A light shower of dust fell to the ground at their feet. Virgil became aware that he was biting his lip. 'It's not going to be enough' he thought. 'It MUST be.' Suddenly he felt the pressure on his hand lessen, and a moment later he was able to pull it from it's prison. He slumped back against the wall and his knees buckled as he was swamped with a mixture of relief and pain.
Neil rushed over to his side. "Here, let's have a look at this hand." With infinitesimal care he examined the damage. "Could be worse, but you're not going to be able to use it for a while. We'll have to immobilise it so that we can get out of here."
Virgil managed to shrug his pack off his left shoulder. "Can you help me get this off?" Once freed of the pack he opened a pocket and reached inside, pulling out a container of saline solution and some bandages. "Can you clean up the cuts?"
"No worries." Neil was quick and efficient in his work. "Now what."
Once again Virgil reached into the pack. This time he pulled out a glove. "Here, hold this open while I slip my hand into it?"
Once this operation was completed Virgil released a valve on the side of the glove. The glove expanded, surrounding the injured hand in a protective cushion.
"Strewth." Neil was once again impressed. "You haven't got anything in that pack that can get us out of here quicker have you?"
Now the injured bones were immobilised Virgil began to feel more in control of the situation. "Nope, we'll just have to start walking and hope that our exits aren't blocked."
"Keep optimistic mate," Neil swung the pack onto his broad shoulders, "she'll be right."
They set off on what they were sure would be a long journey back to safety.
*****
