Chapter 28: D-Day
Sunday
8th October 2079
It had taken so long to reach this date that no one seemed to know what to do with themselves. It hadn't helped that during the night the island had taken on a life of its own and had jolted them out of bed. What with that, and subsequent aftershocks, no one on Tracy Island had had a good night's sleep.
Alan, already thousands of kilometres away from his home planet, had reported in early, needing to wish his brothers good luck for their upcoming missions, but not wanting to risk interrupting some vital preparation. He'd signed off by wishing John many happy returns and suggesting that when he had a moment he check in the bottom drawer of the cabinet on the right wall in storeroom number three.
After Alan had vanished from the screen, John had continued to stare at it, wondering how he'd managed to forget his own birthday. He finally decided that he'd forgotten it because there were more important things to worry about.
Much more important.
D-Day
30 minutes to blast off
Final preparations had been completed. Brains had given Scott, Virgil and Gordon medical examinations and had declared them all physically prepared for their upcoming challenges. The Thunderbirds and the Mole had undergone their final diagnostic checks.
All was ready.
Scott had ceded control of the whole operation, including his tablet PC, to Jeff, but nevertheless he called his two brothers into his room for a final, brief meeting. "Are you guys A-OK? Gordon?"
Gordon had been subdued this morning and was looking grey at the prospect of diving to the deepest part of the ocean. "Yeah."
"Are you sure?"
"Apart from wanting a bit more sleep, I don't think I could be more ready," the redhead admitted. "I just want today to be over and done with."
Scott nodded his understanding. "Virgil?"
"I keep telling myself that this is no different to any other drilling job in the Mole we've undertaken. It's just a bit deeper."
"Does that help?"
"No." Virgil fingered his yellow sash. "I don't remember being this apprehensive before our first rescue. Do you?"
"No, but we've matured," Scott reminded him. "We've got a better idea of our own mortality. Plus this time we've got the extra burden of knowing that we're attempting to save the lives of everyone on this planet."
"Instead of just an airliner full of passengers," Gordon remarked. "Including Tin-Tin…"
"Yes."
"While trying to stop a madman…"
Scott raised an eyebrow. "Lady Penelope took care of that problem."
"While you guys had to stop an atomic explosion from destroying not only London Airport, but a large part of the surrounding countryside as well…"
"We don't need to be reminded that the Fireflash was a big job and an important one, Gordon," Virgil complained. "We were there!"
"Yes, you were. And you were nearly killed doing it!"
"Even so, that Fireflash job is nothing compared to the scale of what we're going to try to do today. This is almost overwhelming!" Virgil looked at his eldest brother. "How about you, Scott? How are you feeling?"
Scott gave what he hoped was an unconcerned shrug. "The weather over the Bentley Subglacial Trench is perfect. If it can stay like that I shouldn't have any difficulties." He reached out; his right hand to Virgil's right hand; his left to Gordon's left. "Good luck, Fellas."
His brothers grabbed his hands, used their free ones to take each other's and, forming a triangle, held on tightly.
"We're International Rescue!" Gordon stated, with a sudden show of bravado. "We can do this, right!"
"Right!" Virgil agreed. "Never give up at any cost. That's our motto."
"Besides," Gordon's attempted jocularity didn't quite ring true. "What's the worst that can happen?"
His brothers didn't answer that. They all knew exactly what the worst could be. Even if they survived this challenge, the planet might not.
Scott gave his siblings' hands a final squeeze and then dropped them. "Let's get this show on the road."
They joined the rest of their family in the lounge. From his portrait on the wall, John gazed down on them.
Jeff looked at his three sons, wishing that there was something that he could say or do that hadn't already been said and done. He wished he had something to reassure them that their work would be a success.
He had nothing.
The earth shook. A shimmy that seemed to express the nerves they were all feeling.
"That's gotta be one advantage to flying out of here," Gordon commented. "We're going to be away from the quakes." He nudged Virgil. "What say when we've finished you and I stop off somewhere where the ground isn't doing the cha cha every two minutes? You could do some painting… I'll do some swimming… You could join us too, Scott," he offered.
"Maybe in a few months time."
"Brains…" At the sound of Jeff's voice, Brains looked up from where he was perusing his computer. "Do you want to say anything, Brains?"
Brains' thick glasses trained on Scott, then Virgil, then Gordon, and then finally back to Scott. He opened his mouth as if to say something and then closed it again. "No."
"Does anyone want to say anything?"
Everyone looked like they wanted to say lots of things, but had decided against it. They all shook their heads.
Jeff stood. "Well, Boys. I guess this is it. It's what you've worked months for. It's what the world's waiting for. All we can do now is wish you all good luck. We'll keep all communications to the minimum and send them through John to minimise interruptions."
They nodded their understanding.
"Prepare to launch, Scott…! And good luck."
"F-A-B." Scott strode across to the twin lamp fittings, placed his back to the wall, and looked at his family. "See you soon." He swivelled out of sight.
"Virgil. Gordon. Take up launch positions. Good luck, Boys."
"See you down there, Virg," Gordon promised as he proceeded to the passenger elevator.
"F-A-B." Virgil placed his back against the painting of the rocket.
He slid away out of sight.
"Thunderbird One to base. Ready to launch."
Jeff checked the radar. "Thunderbird One, you are cleared to launch."
"F-A-B."
Outside the blast-proof doors that led from the lounge to the patio, the rocket plane that was Thunderbird One roared up out of the swimming pool and skywards. The sun glinted off her body briefly as she turned south. Within seconds she had disappeared from view.
"Thunderbird Two to base. Ready to exit hangar."
Jeff checked the radar again. "Thunderbird Two, you are cleared to exit hangar."
"F-A-B."
Now that Thunderbird One's exhaust gases had dissipated, the patio doors had opened and Tin-Tin and Kyrano stepped outside to observe the next phase in the unfolding drama. They stood in the tropical spring sunshine; watching as the palm trees fell backwards and Thunderbird Two lumbered forward. They weren't surprised when she stopped metres short of her usual launching platform.
After that earlier damaging earthquake it had been decided that as there wasn't a need for excessive speed on this rescue it would be quicker and easier to remove the rubble and fill in the hole that had been the launch ramp. Thunderbird Two would have to make do with a vertical take-off.
"Thunderbird Two to base. Ready to launch."
Jeff checked the radar a third time. "Thunderbird Two, you are cleared to launch."
"F-A-B." Four vertical columns of fire shot out from beneath the great craft, four clouds of smoke mingled into one, and a delayed concussive roar blasted the villa.
Jeff spoke into the radio one last time; his missive going out to the pilots of Thunderbirds One, Two and Four. "Thunderbirds are go. Good luck, Boys. This is base signing out." He sat back with a sigh. "Well, that's that. For better or worse the mission is…"
"We must evacuate the i-island i-immediately!"
Jeff stared at the engineer in confusion. He'd anticipated a quiet moment's contemplation on the dangers he'd just sent his sons into; not being told to leave his home. "What?!"
"I didn't want to worry the boys; th-they have enough to worry about. B-But magma is rising under the island," Brains showed Jeff a lot of, to him, meaningless squiggles on the tablet PC. "The volcano could erupt before the day is over."
Jeff got to his feet. "Isn' there..." He stopped and composed himself. "Isn't there anything we can do?"
"There is, er, something that can be done," Brains admitted, "but only Scott in Thunderbird One can do it. I didn't tell him because I don't want him rushing the Bentley Subglacial Trench deployment... John," he turned to the wide-eyed man who was listening to their conversation, "I want you to t-tell Scott to return to Mu'a as soon as he has completed his mission."
"Understood, Brains." John nodded. "But why Mu'a?"
"B-Because that is where I have stored the missiles required to nullify the volcanic activity occurring on this island. It is also where we are evacuating to."
"F-A-B. I won't breathe a word to Scott until he's leaving Antarctica," John promised. "You guys had better get moving. Report to me as soon as you get there."
"F-A-B, John," Jeff acknowledged. "Tin-Tin, you're the bes' pilot we've got left. Ready the helije'."
"Yes, Mr Tracy."
-I-R-
-F-A-B-
Jeff stared out the window of his helijet as he watched his home disappear from view.
His home? He'd only returned a little over two weeks ago and now he was being whisked away again.
Taking care not to get too close, Tin-Tin had flown over the peak that dominated the island. There were no signs of fiery rock or glowing magma, but an ominous cloud of sulphuric smoke was writhing up from the crater.
Jeff wondered if Scott would make it home in time and what it was that Brains intended him to do with missiles to save International Rescue's base.
Mu'a was an island within the chain owned by Jeff Tracy. Preparations had been made months earlier in case an evacuation had been deemed essential, but somehow no one had quite been able to believe that such a move would have been necessary; certainly not before or during their main mission.
It still didn't seem possible even as the helijet touched down and they climbed out; their feet crunching on the gravel of the helipad.
"Permit me, Mr Tracy." Kyrano offered his arm to allow Jeff to walk unsteadily across the uneven surface.
"Thank you," Jeff acknowledged. "Ironic, isn't it? Here we are trying to save the world and our own home's about to be destroyed."
"Keep positive," Kyrano instructed. "It may not yet happen."
"The show ain't over until the fat lady sings, huh?" Jeff chuckled as they reached the sealed footpath. "Sometimes I wish I had your optimism, my friend… Thank you, Honey…" He accepted his walker from Tin-Tin.
This property on Mu'a was by no means as grand or palatial as that on Tracy Island, but it was dry, comfortable, away from an erupting volcano (if not that volcano's earthquakes), and most importantly, had a direct video link to Thunderbird Five.
Jeff's first priority was to initiate contact with John. "I want to know how the boys are getting on."
"Scott's approaching the Bentley Subglacial Trench," John confirmed. "The weather's holding, but a storm is approaching from the sou'east."
"And Thunderbird Two?"
"Virgil's making good time. He's just passed over the equator."
"What's the weather like in the Philippines?"
"Settled. A slight swell, but nothing that should cause Gordon or Thunderbird Four any problems."
"And at the Dead Sea?"
"There's a strong easterly, but nothing that'll upset Thunderbird Two." John smiled at his father. "Looks like we're in the gods' good books."
"Let's hope we don't do anything to upset them," Jeff growled.
"How are things on Mu'a?"
"No different from the last time we were here. I'd rather be on Tracy Island, but we can't afford to take the risk. We flew over the crater and the eruption looks imminent."
"Well, as much as I'd love to, I'm not about to tell Scott to hurry."
"Good. I don't want you to..."
-F-A-B-
The blue sea was becoming dotted with slabs of ice. That ice quickly overtook the seascape and became the land's overriding feature.
It was a perfect day.
Roosting penguins in dirty patches amongst the blindingly white snow looked up when they heard the roar of the rocket plane flying overhead. But the speed of light is faster than the speed of sound, and Thunderbird One was long gone before their bills pointed to the crystal clear skies.
Thunderbird One was following an unerring path along a preordained computer-generated route; past the landmarks of the driest, coldest, and one of the most isolated places on earth. To port, the grandeur of the Vinson Massif was becoming visible above the snowy plains. To starboard Mount Erebus reared up from the Ross Island; a faint plume of smoke ascending from its crater. If Scott Tracy had been aware of its similarities with Tracy Island, the scene would have sent shivers down his spine. As it was he took no notice as he narrowed in on the Bentley Subglacial Trench… And kept a wary eye on the storm clouds that hovered ahead on the other side of the continent.
He knew the weather could change here; and change very quickly.
-F-A-B-
Thunderbird Two's flight was just as uneventful. The Pacific Ocean retained its azure hue as the summer sun turned into a winter one when they crossed that demarcation line known as the equator.
"Lovely day for a dip," Gordon joked as, already dressed in his wetsuit, he leant against the edge of the flight console. From here he could see outside while enjoying a final conversation with his brother.
Virgil opened his mouth to say something, appeared to change his mind and closed it again. Then he repeated the action. Finally clamping his mouth shut.
"Spill it."
Virgil kept his gaze on the horizon. "It's nothing."
"I don't believe you."
Virgil glanced up at Gordon. "I keep remembering your panic attack. Are you sure you're going to be able to do this?"
"That happened once and once only," Gordon reassured him. "And it happened months ago. I'm fine."
"You're not worried about Neptune?"
"I'm not worried about Neptune, Poseidon, Titan, Sedna, Tangaroa or any other god of the sea. My only concerns are whether or not I can launch the ACG on its correct trajectory and whether or not Brains' theory will actually work."
"Yes," Virgil agreed. "I've got to admit that that's been worrying me too. We've got a lot riding on Brains' hypothesis."
"He's been really on edge today, hasn't he?" Gordon stated. "He didn't seem to be concentrating on what he was doing when he gave me my physical. He took my blood pressure twice because he didn't remember doing it the first time and then discovered that he had recorded it in his computer."
Virgil checked their bearing. "I noticed that he seemed uptight too. He was nearly as obsessive over that tablet PC as Scott was at his worst."
"I suppose it's understandable. He's got the whole world's survival riding on the back on one of his theories. If he's miscalculated it could be curtains for the entire planet. It's a lot of responsibility for one person to deal with, knowing that we won't get any second chances."
"And now it's out of his hands and down to us."
"So we'd better not let him down."
Virgil nodded. "Agreed." He indicated ahead of them. "We're due south of Guam; Challenger Deep coming up. Time for you to get into position."
"F-A-B." Gordon held his hand out. "Good luck, Virgil. Don't forget to pick me up on the way home."
"I won't." Virgil switched Thunderbird Two onto autopilot. "Somehow a handshake doesn't seem to cut it in this situation." He got out of his seat and both brothers embraced. "You tell Neptune to stay out of your way, okay!"
"F-A-B," Gordon grinned. "Give my best to the Dead Sea."
And he walked out of the flight deck.
-I-R-
-F-A-B-
Back on Mu'a Island Jeff Tracy sat in the house's lounge and watched the video consoles. There wasn't a lot else that he could, or wanted to do at the moment. Not that the videos were showing him much. One camera was focused on the Tracy Villa. Another on the runway. A third on the Round House. And the fourth was trained on a wide shot of the volcanic peak that dominated the entire complex. Apart from the smoke that slowly writhed above the mountain all four shots may as well have been still photographs.
He could have asked John to patch through video signals from the Thunderbirds, but until they reached their destinations there would be nothing of interest to watch there either.
Jeff's mind drifted to his sons; wondering what they were doing, what they were thinking, what they were feeling at this precise point in time. Were they scared? Were they confident?
Were they ready?
He supposed that they were as ready as they could be in such a short space of time.
He thought back to the last time that each of his sons visited him in the States. Unaware of his and Lady Penelope's plans, the boys had thought that this would be their final opportunity to see their father before they set off on their respective missions. And, although they'd tried to hide it from him, he could tell that they were aware that they might never return again. They'd tried to appear upbeat, but he could sense that they were unsure whether they could succeed in their tasks. The most obvious representation of this had been Virgil, who'd arrived later than expected for his allocated half day with his father.
Jeff remembered the surprise he'd felt when his son had walked in the door clean-shaven and with his hair cut short. "I wanted you to remember me the way I am," the younger man had said.
All of Jeff's sons had made the most of their brief time with their father. It had been quality time, unlike those last few days before Thunderbird Three's launch and then today. Those days had been frantic snatches of conversation in between long, intense periods of work.
Were they sufficiently rested?
Were they ready?
Even if they were and they successfully launched their acoustic concussion generators deep into the Earth there was still going to be a long stressful wait until the ACGs detonated and the SHAKER reported whether or not Doomsday had been averted.
Was the little International Rescue had managed to do in three months going to be enough to save the world? Was it enough to ensure the survival of the next generation?
Jeff thought back even further to the beginning of August. Then he'd been surprised and delighted by a visit by his daughter-in-law.
"Tin-Tin! What are you doing here?"
She'd seemed a curious mixture of demure shyness, quiet elation, and nervous tension. "May I use your phone, Mr Tracy?"
"Of course you can. Do you want to use the one in my study for some privacy?"
She'd smiled. "No. You may listen."
Jeff hadn't caught the number that she'd dialled, but he recognised the voice who answered the phone.
"Hiya, Honey... Well?"
Her face had lit up. "Yes."
"Really?!" Jeff couldn't interpret the emotions revealed in that single word. It was like he'd never heard Alan sound like that before…
And yet there was something familiar about it.
"Do you want to tell him?" Tin-Tin had asked.
"Yes."
Tin-Tin twisted the videophone around so that Jeff could see his son's face. "Hi, Dad."
"Hello, Alan."
"Guess what!"
Jeff remembered the bemusement he felt at the couple's clandestine manner. "What?"
"We're going to have a baby!"
"What…?" Jeff remembered staring at his youngest boy.
No, not a boy; now a man.
Then he looked at the young lady that he'd always regarded as a daughter.
What lay ahead of them?
Jeff remembered feeling the joy, the pride, the wonder, the realisation…
The fear.
The world was going to end.
What did the future hold for this child?
Alan was going to be flying to Jupiter and back. He would be gone for months.
If he returned.
So that was why Tin-Tin wasn't going with him.
"Dad?" Alan's voice had cut into his reverie. His son had had the time to get used to the idea, and would have been through the elation and fear. Now he was frowning at Jeff's lack of reaction. "Are you okay?"
Jeff nodded. "Yes." He let the more positive emotions overwhelm him. "Yes! That's wonderful news!" He felt his lopsided face explode into a grin. "I'm going to be a grandfather!"
Relieved, Alan had laughed. "Kind of a shock, isn't it?"
"Yes. I never expected to hear anything as wonderful as this. Not now."
"We are not going to tell anyone back at the island, except for my father," Tin-Tin had explained. "I will need to be free to work as hard as any of them, and they will not give me that freedom if they know. It will be a secret shared by the four of us."
Jeff had understood. "I wish it didn't have to be like this, Tin-Tin."
She'd taken his hand. "Nor do I. But it is necessary."
He'd squeezed her hand…
"Mr Tracy." Jeff looked up to see Tin-Tin, to his masculine eye still not obviously pregnant, standing beside him.
He took her hand and squeezed it. "Yes, Tin-Tin?"
"Are you all right?"
He smiled at her, wanting to alleviate her worries. "I'm a darn sight better than I have been for a long time. And you? You must be glad that now you've got time to rest."
"I will be happier when they are all home."
Jeff sighed. "Won't we all, Tin-Tin. Won't we all…"
To be continued…
