Arrogant, adorable, foolish and an Olympic gold medallist is not a great combination for a member of International Rescue. Gordon Cooper Tracy, Olympic and world record holder for the two hundred metre butterfly, highly trained aquanaut and fourth son of Jeff and Lucile Tracy.
Sent away to boarding school when he was twelve, Gordon didn't have much to do with his brothers while he spent years working towards his goal, he was offered a full scholarship to three of the best colleges in America, and he turned them all down to join his family.
Of course he doesn't regret it, saving lives is a noble calling and one that he has never regretted.
Gordon loves being out at open sea, even in the tiny tin can that is his beloved Thunderbird Four. A distress call came through this morning from a broken down and stranded submarine, Scott flew out to assess the situation while Virgil took Gordon and Thunderbird 4. The latter telling terrible jokes and being a nuisance during the whole flight, something Virgil has learnt to tolerate, as he knows that Gordon just has a really weird sense of humour.
"Go get them Gordy" Virgil says to his younger brother, with a friendly punch on the arm.
"I'm on it Virg, just relax" Gordon replies, jumping up from his seat and going down into the module.
Gordon loves being in the water, sinking down below the waves with a smile despite the seriousness of the situation. He finds the sunken submarine easily, trapped in between rocks. Its crew inside, he knows from experience that they are going to be scared he would be in their situation.
He is on his way, so close to the trapped crew when something catches his eye, glittering in the light from his Thunderbird. He knows it is wrong, going against everything he has been taught, but he can't help it. His natural curiosity and love of marine biology is driving him now and not the need to rescue.
"Gordon what is happening down there?" Scott asks.
"I have found the crew; they are safe enough for now. I have found something down here Scott. This could be what I have been looking for. One of the lost sunken cities. You know this place used to be a small town." Gordon tells him.
"Not now Gordon, get the crew first. You know the rules. The people are more important." Scott demands.
Gordon has had enough of the bossiness; Scott has been driving him crazy since he got back from the Olympics. Always telling him that he needs to be more serious, threatening to bring him up on charges, and put on probation. Or worse, removed from the organisation until he can prove that he is reliable.
"Five minutes Scott" Gordon replies, flipping his comm off which he knows will anger his elder brother, but he is beyond caring. The crew are perfectly safe where they are. But this is a once in a lifetime opportunity.
Manoeuvring his Thunderbird further into the crevasse Gordon can't believe what he is seeing. The fallen buildings covered in seaweed, and now the homes of millions of tropical fish. The whole scene is depressingly beautiful.
"GORDON!" Scott calls, louder and more abrupt than before.
Again Gordon ignores him, he knows he has plenty of time. This is not a real emergency; this is just a search and rescue. Telling himself that he has plenty of time. But sea quakes are getting more and more frequent in this area, and he could lose this opportunity forever if it is buried by another quake.
Resting his bird on the floor of the ocean, Gordon decides he is going for a wander, not bothering to tell Scott. He knows that Scott will never approve of this.
"Gordon?" Scott tries a third time. "Where are you?"
This time Gordon knows he can't keep putting him off. "Exploring. This is incredible Scott. A real archaeological discovery."
"You are supposed to be rescuing this submarine crew, get your head in the game Gordon, those people are depending on you"
Gordon rolls his eyes. "Plenty of time Scott."
"Get on with it!" Scott demands.
Gordon laughs in his holographic face, which he knows will enrage his field commander but he is beyond caring now. "Bite me!" he replies before he angrily ends the communication.
"Oh don't tempt me" Scott replies furiously to the now blank screen.
The quake is a huge shock to him, throwing him back against a concrete pillar. Grateful that he is wearing a helmet which keeps him conscious and aware of the blinding pain in his back, which has knocked all the air from his lungs. The pillar is crumbling behind him, falling back into the dark pit.
His flippered feet are slicing through the water in his bid to get away. Every movement hurts his chest and he knows that it is his fault. He should never have been so defiant to think he knew better than Scott.
Gordon groans when he finally reaches the submarine. The dark green ship is buried by rubble. "Virgil?" he calls, not knowing what to do to make this better, but there is no reply the quake has damaged his radio and he is alone down here. Cut off from all outside help. Gordon is completely alone down here.
Leaning against Thunderbird Four while he tries to alleviate the pain in his back before falling to his knees on the ocean floor, while he tries to figure out his next move. The one thing he knows for certain is that he can't stay here, he is running out of air.
He is just grateful that his own bird isn't damaged, as he lets himself back in gasping in the breathable air in relief.
Despair and desolation are the only companions he has left, he is going to die down here and so are four innocent people. But the terror is abating slowly, as the air fills his lungs and allows him to think properly.
He is the only one able to save these people, and if he loses his own life in the process then it is nothing less than what he deserves.
Once the decision has been made, Gordon knows that there is no going back, this is his one opportunity. Tanked up with a fresh oxygen supply, Gordon fires up the engine, knowing that there is a large chance of another quake but he is beyond fear now.
Using the magnetic claws, he slowly starts to shift the debris. Piece by piece, before finally he uncovers the airlock. He knows that he is lucky it is intact, and even luckier that it opens without having to use force.
The three men and one woman waiting for him are huddled together in the dark, their life support systems are no longer working at full capacity, and the oxygen is slowly draining from the room. One of the men looks about his age and is barely conscious.
"I am Gordon Tracy from International Rescue, and I am here to rescue you" Gordon announces. The four faces look drained both physically and emotionally as they accept the emergency oxygen masks from him with relief. "My ship up just outside, I will take you all out individually and evacuate you up to the surface where the rest of my team are waiting."
He knows that he doesn't deserve their gratitude, they should have been evacuated a half hour ago, but they don't know that. They don't know that he decided exploring was more important than their own lives.
He sends them up to Virgil one by one in the dry evacuation tubes, which is the only way Virgil knows that Gordon has been successful having not been able to contact him.
Gordon doesn't want to go back up there to face the wrath of his eldest brother and field commander. By his act of deliberate defiance he has put five lives in extreme danger, and he knows that Scott will not let this go.
Telling himself that he does not have to be afraid, that Scott loves him, Gordon starts to raise Thunderbird Four. The palms of his hands are sweaty underneath his gloves with anxiety and his breathing heavy, which doesn't abate when he finally breaks the surface.
Virgil has dropped the submarine crew with the relief boat that has come to save their colleagues, and is now left alone with Gordon, who remains in thunderbird four during the flight home, unwilling to face his brothers.
Once the two are safely back in the hangar, Virgil goes down to see his younger brother, finding him curled up on the seat, his arms wrapped around his knees still in his diving suit, he is trembling. "Come on, let's get you upstairs. You need a hot shower and you need some rest" Virgil tells him.
His voice is all business, and Gordon knows that he is just as angry as Scott is as he tries to shrink back into his seat, making himself even smaller. He can't move from this spot, and he wishes that he had been crushed down there. There is a single tear on his cheek as he resolutely stares down at his knees.
"I am not leaving you hear, you have to face up to the consequences of what you did down there." Virgil tells him, reaching for his arms and forcing him to his feet.
Gordon doesn't say a word as he allows Virgil to force him from the hangar and up into the lift to the lounge.
Scott is waiting for him. Sitting at the desk. "Virgil" he acknowledges his brothers safe return, while ignoring Gordons presence completely.
"Scott?" Gordon asks, speaking for the first time.
"Go to your room Gordon" Scott replies not bothering being polite.
"Scott please?" Gordon tries again.
"NOW!" Scott roars in anger. "AND STAY THERE UNTIL I SUMMON YOU!"
Gordon flees from his elder brothers, and up the stairs to the families living quarters. Throwing the door open and entering the safety of his room, he throws himself onto his bed and sobs his heart out.
*TB*
"What are you going to do to him?" Alan asks over dinner.
"One count of gross misconduct, and if he has any sense, he won't fight it." Scott replies in disgust, looking over to the cupboard in the corner. From the outside the cupboard is innocuous and innocent, but to the Tracy's it is the fabled cupboard of doom.
"YOU'RE GOING TO BEAT HIM?!" Alan cries in horror.
*TB*
TBC