Chapter 26 – Stage One

Monday

25th September 2079

It was the fateful day when Thunderbird Three was due to depart for Thunderbird Five and then onwards towards the asteroid. Breakfast was a quiet affair, with no one saying much as they each mulled over their own thoughts and prospects for the future. John and Alan were especially introspective as they ate their last home-cooked meal for what they knew was going to be a very long time.

One hour later, Scott called a meeting of his brothers in his room where they wouldn't be disturbed. As a mark of solidarity, even though three of them weren't due to launch their missions for another two weeks, they all arrived wearing their International Rescue uniforms.

At least the four of those who'd arrived at the appointed time did…

Scott looked at his watch. "What's holding him up?" he growled.

Gordon snickered. "My guess is that he's trying to put his hair into a bun. He's probably given up on trying to hide it up under his hat."

Scott checked the watch again. "I knew I should have cut it when I had the chance."

The door to the room slid open.

Scott spun on his heel. "It's about time you go…"

He stopped in shock.

Gordon gaped, and then grinned. "Well…! Welcome back!"

Virgil wasn't wearing his International Rescue cap. Nor was his hair pulled back in a ponytail, or hanging loose. Instead it was trimmed short and chestnut brown. Just as surprising, his beard had disappeared. He smiled at his astonished brothers. "I thought I should make the effort."

"Is this what you've been doing for the last hour?" John asked. "Shaving?"

"No, getting rid of the glue." Virgil stroked his bald chin. "Last week, before I saw Father, I visited Garret and he cut my hair. I've been wearing a wig and a false beard all week so I could keep it a surprise for today."

"But why?" Alan asked.

Virgil shrugged. "Today marks a new beginning."

"What are you going to do when this is all over?" John ruffled the newly shorn locks. "Grow your hair again?"

"Nope." Virgil ran his fingers through his hair to smooth it back into place. "I think that no matter how successful we are; Gustav is going to die Doomsday."

"That's good news," Gordon chuckled. "Paintings by deceased artists are always worth more than those by live ones, so if we ever run low on funds again, you can paint another Gustav original, and we'll make a fortune selling it."

"I don't think we can count on the value of Gustav's paintings increasing much," Virgil told him. "He wasn't that well known alive." He looked around his brothers. "I didn't do it only for me. I did it for International Rescue too. It was known to be manned by clean-shaven young men and we don't want to disappoint anyone."

"Clean shaven young men?" John stared at his elder brother's hair. "What do we do about the snow then?"

Like Virgil, Scott had taken advantage of his brief time in the States the previous week to get his hair trimmed short. His hand automatically went to his greying temples. "A lot of women think it looks distinguished," he protested.

"Oh, yeah, Grandpa?" Alan snickered. "Is that why it's only the youngest Tracys that have got hitched?"

"We need to camouflage it." Gordon raised his thumb as if he were an artist contemplating his subject. "Got any spare paint, Virgil?"

Virgil grinned. "I'm sure I can find some."

"We could always use Tin-Tin's hair dye."

His brothers stared at Alan in astonishment. "Tin-Tin dyes her hair?" John clarified. "You're kidding, right?!"

"She says my racing was turning her grey," Alan admitted. "And she's gonna kill me when she finds out I told you, so whatever you do," he pleaded, "don't let on that you know!"

"Our looks aren't important," Scott stated, trying to steer the conversation back on track. "What matters is that today's an important day for the world and, as Virgil said, today's the beginning of a new era for International Rescue." He stepped up between his two blonde brothers.

On an unspoken command the five of them crowded into a huddle; their arms across each other's shoulders as they formed an unbreakable circle. Unbreakable now; but they were painfully aware that not only was this the last time that they would be together until the new year, there was always the horrific possibility that they could never be together again.

Scott continued. "You don't need a long rousing speech from me and you're not going to get one. We all know the challenges ahead of us, and I think we're as ready to face them as we'll ever be. Now…" He hesitated. "We've had plenty of time to reflect on what we've each got to do, and I know none of us are foolhardy enough to believe that it's going to be a walk in the park. We've done the seemingly impossible before and the world is expecting us to do it again; but we've got to face the fact that this rescue is bigger and more complex than anything we've done in the past and that there are numerous things that could go wrong. We've been working from theories and hypotheses from day one and we know that there are no guarantees that our attempts to stop Doomsday will succeed. Therefore, if anyone has had second thoughts and wants to pull out now, then let him. I'll see to it that there'll be no recriminations from me or anyone else in this family."

He waited; looking from brother to brother; staring them in the eye to see if there was any hesitation or hint of doubt. "John?"

"Don't worry about me. I've got the easy job."

"Virgil?"

"You can count on me."

"Gordon?"

"I haven't slaved over Thunderbird Four all this time just to let someone else take control."

"Alan?"

"Tin-Tin's pregnant."

Alan's announcement was as effective as a stun grenade exploding in the middle of their circle.

"What?" Gordon squeaked. He cleared his throat. "Did you say what I thought you said?"

Alan nodded. "Tin-Tin's having a baby."

Scott let out a noisy breath, his mind going over the possible repercussions and necessary changes to their plans. "Then you're standing down…"

"No!" Alan almost shouted the word. "Don't you see? I've got even more reason to fight Arnie now. My kid will barely have the chance to live, let alone experience life, if I don't do something."

Shocked, John was staring at his youngest brother. "How long have you known?"

"Coupla months."

"Oh…" The collective light bulb went on.

"That's why you refused to let Tin-Tin go with you," Virgil exclaimed.

"Yeah. It's not that I don't want her company. It's that I couldn't let her. Not in her condition. I think she's been working too hard, but she says that she's okay. She didn't want you guys to know because you'd make her take it easy."

Gordon's eyes were wide as saucers. "And you've kept this a secret from everyone?"

"Not everyone. Dad and Kyrano know."

There was a knock on the door. "Can I come in?" a soft voice asked.

"Uh… Tin-Tin…" Scott hesitated. "Yeah. Come in."

She opened the door and found four pairs of shocked eyes staring at her. As one, those eyes looked down to her midriff and then sped back up again. That, along with the one reddened face that looked away, told her that her secret was out. "They know, don't they, Alan?"

"Uh, yeah." He still looked embarrassed. "I know you didn't want them to know until after their missions, but I couldn't leave without them knowing."

"We probably would have guessed by the time Alan got home again," Gordon noted, and turned scarlet.

John was still trying to get his head around the idea. "I, ah, guess that congratulations are in order."

"Not until things have settled down," Tin-Tin declared. "Then we can celebrate." She did a double take of her own. "Virgil?" She nodded her approval. "You look much better like that. More like the Virgil Tracy we know and love."

"Er, thanks," he replied, not knowing what else to say and feeling that he should at least return the compliment. "And you look, ah… glowing?" He looked to his brothers for confirmation.

Tin-Tin giggled. "Thank you."

Finding that they were in a situation that was outside their realm of experience, Scott's brothers turned to him for direction.

Their leader gave a confused shrug. "I suppose we'd better get down to the lounge..."

Tin-Tin stopped him. "Before you go, we have a surprise for you all."

"Not another," John muttered. "We've already had a biggie."

Scott, itching to start the rescue that they'd been working on for months while at the same time dreading it, didn't feel in the mood for mysteries. "What is it?" he demanded.

"You can wait one minute while we bring it in." Tin-Tin opened the door and looked out into the hall. "They're ready," she called.

The five brothers waited, not knowing what to expect. In the hallway they could see Kyrano and Brains beaming as they looked towards something out of sight. Then the Tracys were treated to the unexpected pleasure of seeing Lady Penelope and Parker in the hall.

Scott stepped forward to greet their friends. "Penny…"

He pulled up short.

The portrait behind his father's desk had come to life!

His smile still a little lopsided, but as wide as the doorway, Jeff Tracy pushed his walking frame into Scott's room. His sons rushed forward, eager to reassure themselves that they weren't seeing an apparition.

"Father!"

"Dad!"

"What are you doing here?"

"How did you get here?"

"You're looking fantastic!"

"I was wrong," John admitted. "This is one surprise I'm more than happy to get… Not that the other was a bad one, Tin-Tin, just a, er, shock…"

Tin-Tin smiled and left the room, closing the door behind her so the Tracys had some privacy.

"Boys…" Jeff disengaged himself from his walker and, taking up the position that had been Scott's moments before, put his arms about John and Alan's shoulders. With no word or thought of complaint, Scott took his place between Virgil and John and the Tracy huddle reformed.

"When did you get here, Dad?" Alan demanded.

"Just after you visited me. I needed to see you all one more time before you start your biggest rescue." Jeff squeezed his sons' shoulders. "Making it a surprise was Tin-Tin's idea. She manned the proximity beacons to make sure we didn't set them off, and let us know when it was safe to sneak in."

Virgil grinned. "I knew she was good at organising us all."

"Kyrano had made us enough meals to keep us going until we flew out here, enabling Lady Penelope, Parker, and I to be in quarantine too. Once we got here, Kyrano's been looking after us in the Round House."

Gordon smacked himself on the forehead. "So that's where he's been disappearing to!"

Jeff looked across the group to his eldest. "I'm not here to usurp your position, Scott. You're still commander."

"No way!" Scott exclaimed. "If you're here, you can earn your keep!" He grinned. "It'll free me up to concentrate on making sure that Thunderbird One and I are ready for our mission."

"No, you can't expect me to suddenly turn up and take over now. You'll have to maintain command at least until after Thunderbird Three leaves."

"Oh," Scott lost his smile, suddenly remembering why they were all in uniform. He looked at his watch. "Nearly time for launch…" He nodded to his father. "Do you want to say anything more before we head out there?"

"Yes. I want to say to you boys…" Jeff stopped and looked around the five of them. "No. You're not boys now, are you? You've shown that in the way that you've accepted this challenge… And 'Men' sounds too impersonal…" He smiled. "Sons! I know it hasn't been easy, and that you've all given up a lot and are risking even more to attempt the seemingly impossible, but I'm proud of you and all you've achieved… Because of that I had something made that I hope will be of use, and will also signify what each of you mean to International Rescue and to the family."

Mystified his sons watched as Jeff released his hold of John, lifted the seat of his walker, reached into the basket beneath, and drew out a box.

Gordon watched as his father performed these tasks with relative dexterity and assuredness. "Why do I think that you understated the extent of this 'procedure' on your 'hand'?"

Jeff looked at him, and to his sons' surprise, reddened. "I didn't want you to worry."

"But what exactly did you do?" Alan asked.

"I haven't got time to explain it now, just be as grateful as I am that it was a success." Jeff deflected any further questions by closing the basket's lid and placing the box on top. He then tried to open it, but his fingers fumbled the catch. He sighed. "Although, I've still got some work to do before I can say that I'm one hundred percent… Will you open it for me, Scott?"

Scott flipped open the catch, glanced at his father for approval, and then swung the lid open.

Inside were six small parcels and one by one Jeff handed them to each of his sons keeping one for himself. "You can open them."

"Looks like we're getting Christmas early instead of late, Alan," John quipped as he removed the paper that protected his gift.

Inside each parcel was a sky-blue button shaped object. On one side was the International Rescue motto: "Never give up at any cost". On the other was enamelled a picture of an eagle flying in front of storm clouds.

Jeff grinned at Virgil who was looking a little stunned. "I hope the picture wasn't copyrighted. I made Sara take a photo of it before she made me clean it off my arm."

"Er, um, no," Virgil stammered. "I like it better like this."

"Now, if you slip your nail into the gap and open it…" Jeff attempted to show them how and failed.

Scott had followed orders. Both sides of his disc sprang apart and a chain fell free. "It's a locket!?"

"Yes. I thought you each might like to put something special in for the duration of your missions."

"Like a wedding ring."

Jeff squeezed his youngest son's shoulder. "Yes, Alan. I thought you might want to store your ring somewhere safe when you're working so it won't be damaged. And, and I know this sounds mushy and I don't expect your brothers to understand, so that you can keep it close to your heart."

Alan placed the charm around his neck. "Thanks, Dad."

"That's all right for you," Gordon grumbled. "But what are we going to put in ours? I'm certainly not putting my wedding ring in mine."

"I'm sure you'll all think of something." Then Jeff lost his smile. "Alan and John; none of us want to see you go for as long as you have to, and you needn't worry that you'll be forgotten while you are away. Hang on to that thought. Remember that we'll only be separated for four months, and that's only a blip in the history of this planet that you're helping to save."

"No, Dad, we won't," Alan promised. And then, surprising everyone including himself, he pulled his father into an embrace. "And you take care of yourself too." A little embarrassed he stepped back, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Someone's got to keep these guys in line."

Jeff chuckled. "I'll do my best." He turned to his eldest. "I've said my piece, Scott. You'd better take over."

"Right. Thunderbird Three launch in T minus thirty minutes…"

"Scott…"

Scott stared at his father. "What?"

"You've forgotten something."

"I have?" Bewildered, Scott scrolled through the checklist on his tablet PC. "I don't think so…"

"What is our organisation?"

"Our organisation?" Scott looked confused. "You mean International Rescue?"

"Yes. And what does International Rescue say for affirmation?"

Scott stared at Jeff. Then he smiled. "F-A-B."

"Exactly. Take over, Scott!"

"F-A-B." Scott held his hand out into the middle of their huddle. Grinning, Alan then John followed by Gordon and finally Virgil placed their hands on top of his. "You too, Father."

Jeff obeyed, buoyed by the easy way that his sons were pulling them back into the world of International Rescue. "F-A-B," he chuckled.

"Are we ready to save the world, Fellas?"

They pumped their hands upwards. "F! A! B!"

-I-R-

-F-A-B-

Time passes quickly when you want to hang on to every minute, and Alan and Tin-Tin spent as much of that final thirty minutes as they could hanging onto each other.

John made the most of what remained of his time on Earth with the rest of his family. However he made a point of seeing Scott alone. "Are you going to be okay?"

Scott nodded. "I'll be fine. I'm enjoying flying Thunderbird One again."

"Don't forget that if you ever need to talk, you know where to find me. I'm not planning on going anywhere."

Scott chuckled. "Thanks. And if you ever need company, don't forget to give me a call. Apart from a quick trip to the ice, I'm not planning on going anywhere either."

John smiled and held out his hand. "Good luck, Scott. Keep safe."

Scott grabbed the outstretched limb. "That's not going to good enough, Brother." He pulled John into a bear hug. "You take care of yourself, you hear?"

"I hear… Look after them; especially Dad. I expect to have you all waiting for us when Alan and I return home."

"I'll do my best."

"I know you will."

Both men stepped back, reluctant to say goodbye.

John cleared his throat. "I think I'll go see if I can rescue Tin-Tin from Alan's clutches long enough to steal a quick hug from her. She won't want to know me when he gets home. Mind you, by then we might not be able to get our arms around her."

Scott chuckled with a rueful shake of his head. "That was a bombshell, wasn't it?"

"I'll say! Alan must have been bursting to tell someone for weeks!" Then John sighed. "I guess we'd better head back to the lounge."

Scott nodded, suddenly sombre. "Guess so."

In the lounge things were subdued. Even the sounds of the ocean and the screeching of the gulls seemed to have been muted in a solemn gesture of solidarity.

Alan and John took their places on the couch that would take them to Thunderbird Three, as their family and friends stood close by so they could all share that final farewell.

The sun went behind a cloud.

"Alan… John… I w-would like you to, er, wear these on your weaker wrists." Brains held out what looked like two bracelets.

John took his bracelet and examined what appeared to be a metal disc on a sky-blue silicone strap. "Is it traditional to give jewellery when people are going away for a long time?"

Brains looked confused. "N-No. N-Not that I'm aware of."

"I was beginning to wonder." John slipped the bracelet onto his arm.

Alan did the same with his own bracelet. "Knowing you, Brains, these things have a purpose. What is it?"

"If you p-place the disc against the inside of your wrist, where the veins are closest to the surface… Er, allow me." Brains twisted Alan's bracelet around until he was satisfied with its placement and then repeated the action with John. "The d-disc is a medical scanner. It will r-record your pulse, temperature, and other d-data, and transmit that information back to Earth in real time."

"What's the point of that?" Alan asked. "It's not like you'll be able to do anything if one of us gets sick, and for half the time you won't even be able to receive a useful signal from me."

"I am hopeful that the d-devices will pick up the early symptoms before you are even aware that you are ill. The early warning may be enough t-to alert us to the possibility of an illness and we will be able to mitigate any, ah, potential p-problems. Or at least reduce the s-severity of the symptoms."

"So you're saying that I'm finally going somewhere where I won't have Big Brother watching over me 24/7," Alan cocked an eyebrow in Scott's direction, "and I've got to put up with Good Friend instead?"

Embarrassed, Brains shuffled his feet. "I-If you think it is an intrusion, A-Alan, you can…"

"No," Alan said hurriedly, waiting to allay any discomfort he'd caused the engineer. "I'm grateful that you'll be looking after me even when I'm far away."

"Yeah," John agreed. "Thanks, Brains." He looked at the bracelet again and then pressed it back into place. "Let's hope these things are redundant."

Brains fixed him with a solemn stare through his thick glasses. "I h-hope that too."

"Okay… Anyone else need to say anything?" Scott turned to his two space-bound brothers. "Is there anything that you guys need to do before you go?"

"No," John confirmed. "I'm as ready as I can be."

"Me too," Alan added. "The sooner we get this mission underway, the sooner we'll be home again." He took Tin-Tin's hand one last time. "Look after yourself, Honey."

"You too." Her eyes were bright with unshed tears, but she was remaining strong. She bent forward and gave him a kiss. "I love you, Alan." She stepped back into her father's comforting arms.

Scott wished with all his heart that he didn't have to separate the couple. "Good luck, Fellas," he said, and as the wishes of good health and good luck echoed from the rest of the group, he sent the couch sinking down through the floor.

Everyone assembled out on the balcony to witness Thunderbird Three launch herself on her longest and most difficult mission. As they waited they listened to Scott's conversation with the spaceship's pilot.

"Base to Thunderbird Three."

"Thunderbird Three, receiving. All systems are go."

"You are cleared for launch, Alan."

"F-A-B."

There was a flash of light from the vicinity of the round house. Seconds later a deep rumble assailed the ears of those watching as an orange arrow shot up on fletchings of fire through the structure.

Scott joined the group on the balcony and together they watched the departing spaceship until Thunderbird Three was no longer visible in the sky.

Even then they stayed together in the sun; feeling restless and unsettled. They were all aware of an odd sensation of confusion. Real concerns for the safety and wellbeing of those who had just left were intermingling with the exhilaration of embarking on International Rescue's first rescue in over seven years.

It was Jeff Tracy who broke the silence with the phrase that summed up the monumental event that they'd just witnessed.

"Thunderbirds are go!"

-I-R-

-F-A-B-

John and Alan took advantage of the run up to Thunderbird Five for one final check of all of Thunderbird Three's systems. Should they discover any faults on this short trip, she was still close enough to Earth to turn back for repairs. Should anything go wrong after Alan had left Earth's gravitational pull, they knew full well that he would be on his own.

The trip and eventual docking with the space station was uneventful. They then proceeded to transfer extra supplies, which had been brought up on earlier flights, from Thunderbird Five's control room to the spaceship.

Finally, as they had done with Thunderbird Three, both brothers gave Thunderbird Five a thorough going over. John might not have been about to embark on the same long, dangerous mission as his brother, but just like Alan he was going to be entombed in a space capsule, far from any help or support, for a very long time.

At last he was satisfied. "I think that's it." He turned to his brother.

Alan was staring out the window; gazing onto the planet that he called home.

John joined him and looked down towards the Pacific Ocean. "She'll be all right, Alan," he soothed. "You thought you had it tough growing up with one mother hen clucking over you all the time. Tin-Tin's going to have to deal with three…! Not to mention a father and father-in-law who'll wrap her in cotton wool."

Alan managed a chuckle.

"And I know that there's not a lot that I'll be able to do from up here, but I'll keep an eye on her too."

Alan looked at his elder brother. "Thanks."

"You'll be home before you know it."

"I keep telling myself that," Alan admitted, looking back towards the blue-green globe. He sighed. "It's beautiful… I don't ever want to forget it."

"You won't."

"And I want it to stay like this forever."

John placed his hand on Alan's shoulder. "And the five of us will do our best to make sure it does."

"If…" Alan hesitated. "If I don't make it back… Tell Tin-Tin that what I want most of all: is for her to be happy. If she falls in love with someone else and wants to get married again, even if it's Gordon, tell her she has my blessing."

"I think he's discovered that he's not the marrying type." John grinned, trying to make light of the comment. "I can't see him getting involved with anyone again for a long time. Not even Tin-Tin."

Alan showed no emotion at his brother's forced good humour. "Will you promise me something, John?"

"Of course I will. What?"

"If I don't survive…"

"Alan…"

"Make sure my kid knows all about me. I want him, or her, to know that I did this for them."

"You have my word." John squeezed Alan's shoulder. "Why do I think that you're asking me, rather than anyone else, because you think that as I've got the easy job I've got the best chance of survival?"

"No." Alan placed his hand on top of John's. "I know better than anyone that there's nothing easy about being in Thunderbird Five. Not when you're listening to them get into trouble and knowing there's nothing you can do to help."

"You've got that right, Kiddo." John pulled himself up short. "Guess I'm going to have to stop calling you that, aren't I? Now that you're going to have a kid of your own."

Alan managed a wan smile. "Want to know the truth? I think the idea of being a father is more frightening than shooting an asteroid into Jupiter. We're not talking about only four months. We're talking about a lifetime!"

"At least you won't be treading unchartered ground. You've got two great role models to follow."

"Yes," Alan nodded. "I have." He straightened and held out his hand. "Good luck, John."

John grasped his brother's hand. "Sometimes Scott's right," he said as he pulled Alan into a brotherly hug. "Take care of yourself... Don't do anything stupid, Alan. Do you hear me?"

"You mean aside from travelling halfway across the solar system to shunt an asteroid into a gaseous giant planet?"

"Yeah. Aside from that."

Alan grinned. "I hear you. The cab will be back to pick you up in four months time."

"Just don't leave the meter running."

Alan laughed. Then he pulled himself up tall. "See you soon." He strode out of Thunderbird Five and through the airlock. "Thunderbird Three ready to disengage."

He heard John's voice. "Thunderbird Three, airlock sealed. You are cleared to disengage."

"Clear of Thunderbird Five. Setting course for Jupiter."

"Understood."

Back on Earth as the conversation was fed through the intercom units in their various workstations, their family heard the exchange. They also heard John's final: "Good luck, Alan. Keep in touch."

"F-A-B."

-F-A-B-

Now that he was alone, Alan did his own checks of his spaceship. He prowled through the various compartments and cabins to reassure himself that everything was shipshape and that nothing had been neglected. Entering the infirmary he pulled open the fridge's door and checked inside. The top shelf was lined with bags of red.

Blood.

His blood. Some collected by Brains over the past two and a half months and some synthetic. He shut the door, pulled open a drawer, and looked down on the scalpels, saws, and sutures that resided there.

A shiver ran up his spine. If anyone was going to require any of this it was going to be him. And he would be administering it to himself. There would be no one to help. He was alone...

He slammed the drawer shut and stalked out of the room. He had to stop thinking like that. If he carried on he'd be a nervous wreck before he'd passed the Moon's orbit.

He decided to check the sleeping quarters. His single bed looked lonely and he resisted the impulse to curl up on it in the foetal position for the next four months. More out of the need for something to do than because it bothered him, he smoothed down a crease in the bedspread that covered his pillow.

Something crackled.

Mystified he pulled back the bedspread to reveal what appeared to be a letter folded into two.

Even more puzzled he picked up the page and opened it. Two photographs fell out. The first was a photograph of Tin-Tin and him on their wedding day. The second...?

At first Alan stared at the grainy greyscale picture, trying to work out just what it was showing him. Judging by the angles of the actual photo and the data around the edges it appeared to be a cross-section scan of something, but he didn't know what. Then he noticed Tin-Tin's name across the top and realised what she was showing him.

It was an ultrasound of a baby.

His baby.

That was the moment when he nearly turned Thunderbird Three for home.

Instead he took a deep breath, tucked the letter into his pocket to read later, and strode out of the room to continue his inspection.

To be continued...