Thunderbirds

The Sound of Silence

By

Injunuity89

[Author's Notes: This is a rewrite of an earlier story, Lost in Darkness. It is a crossover between Bioshock (namely the city of Rapture) and the 04 Thunderbirds film.]

Chapter One: Hello Darkness My old Friend

Fourteen year old Alan Tracy opened his deep ocean blue eyes and slowly sat up in his bed. Everything looked clearer somehow; it was weird. Gently he swung his legs over the side and pushed himself up, grunting as he did so. He still didn't feel one hundred percent and he didn't know why. For the past month and a half his body ached as if he continuously had the flu without all of the bad side effects such as puking and sore throat. His illness had even been enough to keep him grounded from the rockets.

It was just getting rather ridiculous though. It hadn't been that long since they had managed to reclaim their island fortress from the Hood after Kyrano's brother and his minions managed to capture Tracy Island just so they could use the Thunderbirds machines to break in to the richest banks in the world. They started with the Bank of London. While they had in fact managed to break in to that bank, the Thunderbirds not only managed to take back their operation and stop the Hood, but they also did their job and rescued the civilians that the Hood had put in danger.

After that day, Jeff Tracy had agreed to have Alan be homeschooled, with Tin-Tin's mom Onaha agreeing to actually teach him. It had gotten Alan out of having to write that ten thousand word report for his math teacher Mrs. Garrett; something he was eternally grateful for. However, in a way it seemed that if it wasn't his schoolwork keeping him from rockets, it was something else.

Not today though! Today he felt more like himself than he had in over a month! Maybe he was finally starting to beat whatever had had him down.

"Right…" he said. "No aches…" reaching up he touched his own forehead, trying to judge his temperature, "No fever…" next he put a hand on his stomach. "Actually hungry…" It was a good sign; all of it.

Making his way to his closet, he grabbed a simple blue Hawaiian t-shirt. Putting it on along with the shorts he wore, he left his bedroom. Passing by a clock he saw that it read 1:45. Damn, had he really slept the morning away? As he passed his father's office, Alan glanced in and saw the Tracy patriarch sitting there in his red chair looking over something on the computer.

"Dad," Alan greeted, entering in to his father's office.

"Alan!" Jeff returned his son's greeting, eyes leaving his computer screen to study Alan closely. His son did look better. Color was returning to his cheeks and he no longer looked as if he were sweating bullets all of the time. "How are you feeling?" Jeff asked.

"Better," Alan responded. "You know, I think I'm ready to be put back in to the rotation."

"Whoa, hold your horses, Alan. Let's give it a few more days. This is the first day you actually look like yourself. You don't want to push things," Jeff replied. Even if Alan begged, there was no way in hell that he was going to put his youngest son back in the work rotation for International Rescue, at least not until Alan had at least a week's worth of 'good days' under his belt.

"Seriously? Come on dad, I am feeling better. I can do it!" Alan shot back.

"I have no doubts that you think that you can do it, but you haven't eaten much of anything in weeks, and your PT test scores have really declined. Prove to me that you are better, get your scores back up and I'll put you back in the rotation. Until then, no rockets." Jeff said.

PT tests. PT tests. Why the hell did Jeff rely on those things so much? Every few weeks all of the Tracy's had to take and pass what pretty much was the equivalent to a military PT test: push ups, sit ups, running…and they had only a certain amount of time to do it. It helped keep them all in shape. Even so, Fermat and Tin-Tin still hadn't managed to pass it, which was why they volunteered to help out in Mission Control for the most part, unless they absolutely had to go on the mission.

Stomach rumbling, Alan put a hand on his stomach.

"Go get something to eat. Onaha has some soup on the stove and some chicken sandwiches in the fridge," Jeff said.

Nodding his head, knowing when his father had dropped the subject, Alan turned and left his father's office, headed towards the kitchen.

He would get his strength back in a hurry and he would pass those stupid PT tests in a hurry. He wanted back on the work rotation, especially since John was now back on the newly repaired Thunderbird 5. That meant there was an open space which Jeff had been having to fill in whenever there was a call for the Thunderbirds.

Going to the kitchen, Alan helped himself to a half bowl of minestrone soup and a half a chicken sandwich, along with some orange juice. It was a strange combination but even so he managed to put it all away in record time. After eating, Alan joined the rest of his brothers minus John down at the family pool.

For the rest of the day and in to the evening they all spent splashing around in the warm water. While Virgil, Scott and Gordon didn't go easy on Alan when their little brother had joined them, they didn't shove him in the water either like they all liked to do at times. No, they would wait until he was all better before their evil ways would come back to the surface. They all were patient.. They could wait!

For that one night everything was right with the world. It was as if everything was finally starting to come together.

However, all good things have a bad habit of ending.

The next morning was no exception. At 6:30 AM just after sunrise it happened. The alarms on Tracy Island began to go off. The President of the United States had called Jeff personally on a special phone, giving Jeff a mission for the Thunderbirds. After he had gotten off the phone, Jeff had activated the alarm from his master bedroom, summoning his sons to the Mission Control room.

Within four and a half minutes all of the Thunderbirds were assembled, dressed in their flight outfits and standing in front of their respective photos as Jeff relayed the mission to them. A hurricane had hit the state of Florida and Disney World was in danger as they had several patrons trapped in the hotels. While one might not think something like that would be worthy of the President's time, every citizens life was important to the President and she knew that if anyone could help those people it was the Thunderbirds.

Just as Jeff finished relaying the information to his sons, the youngest Tracy stumbled in to the room looking disheveled. He was covered in sweat and his face was pale. It was quite clear to all present in the room that Alan was not as recovered as they hoped he was. Perhaps it was about time to take him to a hospital, but not now. No, the President needed the Thunderbirds. After though, after they completed the mission then Jeff could properly take care of his youngest. He had tried the waiting game; waiting for Alan's body to beat whatever was making him sick but it was obvious that his youngest needed some help.

"Alan, go back to bed. We have this," Jeff ordered.

"No dad, not this time. I have to go! I have to do this!" Alan shot back.

"I don't think so, Alan. You are too sick! You can barely stand as it is." Jeff replied.

"I'm fine!" Alan countered. His eyes twinkled in the light of the room as the sweat dripped from his head. He didn't know why but he felt as if he had to go on the mission. He couldn't explain it. It was as if something bad would happen if he didn't go, but he also knew that his father wouldn't believe him if he said something like that.

"Hey," Scott grabbed Alan's forearm, keeping his brother from stepping forward, "Next time baby bro. We can't be worrying about you too."

'Scott's right," Jeff replied.

They were losing time, they all knew it but they had to get Alan out of the Command and Control room first.

"Oh jeez," Gordon commented. He had been looking at Alan's face the second his baby brother's nose decided to start bleeding.

"That's it. Fermat, Tin-Tin get Alan back to his bed," Jeff ordered, fixing the two young children with his gaze for a moment, just long enough to get their affirmation of his orders.

"But dad!" Alan exclaimed, wiping at his bleeding nose.

"The rest of you…Thunderbirds are Go!" Jeff continued, ignoring his youngest. He had to make it clear that the mission took priority now. He absolutely hated ignoring one of his children; especially when one of them was sick, but he had been called upon to do a job and he had to see it through.

Rounding the table, Jeff stood in front of his personal tube that would shoot him down to the docking bay.

After Scott, Virgil and Gordon had entered their respective tubes, Jeff glanced back only once to see Fermat and Tin-Tin; both of whom had a hold on Alan's forearms, leading him from the room with Alan having a dejected look on his face, Jeff backed in to the tube and pressed the button; the elevator quickly lowering him down as the door with his picture on it closed, blocking the tube.

Within three minutes Thunderbird 1 and 2 launched from Tracy Island, headed towards Florida.

By that time Fermat and Tin-Tin had gotten Alan back to his bed. His strength was fleeting; his stumbling feet had been attest to that as they had to all but drag him the last few feet and get him tucked back in.

Something was seriously wrong, they just weren't sure what. Alan; in their opinion really needed a hospital, but Jeff would have to take him when the Thunderbirds came back. Until then, all Alan could do was rest. Even as the two children left Alan's room, neither they nor Brains were aware of a small craft that had infiltrated the area; the craft anchoring just off shore.

Normally Tracy Island's anti detection software was second to none; the best in the world really. A lot of people; news agencies included had tried to find them but until the whole 'Hood fiasco', their island had remained secure. No, with this crew, it was exactly as if they knew where to go.

With the small boat anchored, five of the six men climbed out and snuck through the sand and trees, keeping low to avoid detection. There were cameras, sensors and pressure plates all over but they all knew exactly where to step to avoid them. Their boss had given them all detailed information about how to breach security, how to get in to the house, who their victim was and most importantly how to get out again.

Reaching the house was almost too easy. There literally was no one out standing guard, but why should there be? Kyrano was no where to be seen. Ohana was in the kitchen just toddling around. Brains was in the Control Room monitoring the on going mission along with Fermat and Tin-Tin, that left no one else around who could possibly spot them.

"Five minutes. In and out." The team leader instructed.

Receiving acknowledgements from his men, the team leader opened up the vent cover which was only secured via a little latch. Pulling back the cover, he motioned for his men to get in to the vents. Like a well oiled machine they all went in. Straight ahead, right turn, up a shaft, go past the second floor to the third. Go to the shaft on the right, left turn and straight for twenty feet. That would put them right outside the victim's room.

It took only one and a half minutes to traverse the vent system given how big the vents were! A full grown man only had to bend over and walk! That was how big the suckers were! Really, whoever designed the property didn't think things through, unless of course he never expected intruders! Oh well, it made it easier for them!

Reaching the end of the shaft, right on schedule, they quietly opened the vent cover and climbed out of the vent system, right outside the bedroom of one Alan Tracy.

Glancing in the bedroom they saw the blond haired boy in his bed already tossing and turning. It was very clear that he was sick. His hair was drenched and plastered to his head. He was also very pale; almost like a ghost.

Under normal circumstances the men would be worried about catching whatever it was that Alan had, but they already knew that he would be sick and they all had been assured that the sickness was not contagious and there was no possibility of them catching it given that they wouldn't be there long. With that knowledge, the five men entered Alan's room. Three of them kept watch just inside the room while the other two grabbed Alan; one taking his upper half and the other taking his legs. It was a smooth grab, Alan Tracy didn't even wake up or make a sound as he was carried out through the vents.

Just as the clocks on the men's wristwatches struck five minutes, Alan's bare feet came out of the vents. Once they were all out they hoofed it back to their craft with their package in tow. In just seven minutes their mission had been complete! It was why they got paid as much as they did. It was because they could deliver results!

Boarding their craft they managed to get out as easily as they had gotten in past the detection screen. After getting far enough away from the Island, they killed their engine. Alan had never woken up once which was good for them.

"Okay boys, phase two!" The team leader said.

Taking off their masks, two of the men in the boat began to gently undress Alan Tracy. They took off everything; his blue jacket, his sweat soaked grey t-shirt and blue track shorts and even his grey boxers, though they laid a silver sheet over his his nether region to give him some modesty. They weren't rapists after all, they wouldn't just leave him completely uncovered for the world to see.

Next, two other men took the tarp off of something that was near the back of the boat. Lying prone, looking like he was asleep was another Alan Tracy! Each blond hair on its head, those blue eyes; though they couldn't be seen, and those rosy red lips…it looked just like Alan's twin! Working in tandem, the men dressed the other Alan in young Alan Tracy's clothes. Next, they dressed the real Alan Tracy in a simple grey suit. Now, after the switch it was only too easy to tell them apart. That was the idea though. The clone had to be exact or the deception would not work.

Wordlessly the men tied a rope around the clone of Alan Tracy and dumped the boy in to the ocean. The boy never once squirmed or made any sound, even when he hit the water. It was as if he wasn't truly alive! Still, the men held him underneath the water for thirty minutes, until the body went through the convulsions and until the air bubbles stopped.

"And there we have it. Alan Tracy is dead," The team leader said. Next, he untied the rope from the clone body, letting it drift because he knew that with the tide it would make it's way back to the Island. That was indeed the point. The family had to believe without a shadow of a doubt that the boy was dead. If they did then they wouldn't come looking, not that they could find Alan where he was going!

"Right, to the plane boys! We have a package to deliver." The team lead said. With that, the motor on the engine was fired up and they raced off back towards the plane that was out there on the ocean several miles away. Their mission had been complete but oh they wished they could stick around to see the look on Jeff's face. It was sure to be hilarious, but no, not this time.

…

Ten hours passed by and in that span of time no one went to check on Alan. They were all too busy dealing with the rescue of the people trapped in the hurricane. One might not think a rescue such as that would take so long, but one rescue turned in to four and then ten. It was a huge, royal pain in the ass, but finally it was done. On the eleventh hour Thunderbird 1 and Thunderbird 2 touched back down on Tracy island. All of the Tracy's were shot. However it had been a good day. While it had been hair raising, no one had lost their lives that day and that's the way it should be.

Slipping out of his uniform, Jeff Tracy put on his white t-shirt with black stripes on the end of his arm sleeves, and his black pants. His other boys were getting back in to their island gear as well. While it wasn't just a matter of getting comfortable once more, in a way it was also a matter of security. While their anti detection grid and software was state of the art, there was such a thing as a camera and he didn't want to take the chance of their secret operation being discovered. Besides, being an ex astronaut and billionaire made him important enough to the paparazzi, but should they find out that he had created International Rescue? Ha!

"Good job boys! We did it again!" Jeff called in to the little locker room before he stepped out and in to the hanger bay. The room was rather small; seven lockers and a bench big enough for them all to sit on. That was all that was in there. It made changing in to their normal clothes a whole hell of a lot easier after getting back from a mission.

Meeting his good friend Brains at the elevator, Jeff clapped him on the shoulder and offered him a smile.

"I am fixing to run post flight diagnostics, Mr. Tracy. Is there anytt..tt thing you want to tell me?" Brains asked, his signature stutter making it's presence known again.

"Brains, I did notice there was a shimmy before an illumination of the engine 3 out light. It lasted only a few minutes." Jeff said, walking with Brains towards Thunderbird 2.

"I will check that out sta…sta…immediately!" Brains declared. The Thunderbird machines were in a lot of ways his babies. He designed them and aided in their construction. Really, they were Jeff's vision. The whole organization was Jeff's vision. The ex astronaut had found him, pulled him to the side all those years ago and told him of a dream he had and by the time Jeff had finished, Brains had been very excited to take part in it.

Now the whole of International Rescue had grown to not only encompass the United States but they had operatives all over the world. World leaders knew of their existence and how to contact them, and the President of the United States knew who they were as well. Other than that no one knew. It was how everything remained a secret. It was their system and it worked well.

While Brains got to work, Jeff went back to the main elevator, meeting Scott, Virgil and Gordon there. Together, the four of them rode the elevator up to the main floor of the house. Immediately after stepping off they all went to the kitchen to find Fermat sitting on one of the stools, having a plate of cookies and a glass of milk.

Grinning, Scott approached the young lad and playfully attempted to snatch one of the cookies off of his plate, but Onaha smacked Scott's grabby hands.

"Now now," she exclaimed, "Fermat's a growing boy. There's plenty for everyone."

Grabbing a big tray, she turned around to show them that there were four plates with five cookies a piece and four glasses of ice cold milk just waiting for them.

"Thanks Onaha!" Virgil said.

One by one the brothers helped themselves to their cookies and milk; Jeff taking his last. Taking a bite of the warm Chocolate Chip cookie, Jeff allowed the chocolate to melt in his mouth before he chewed and swallowed the cookie. It was so damn tasty. Everything Onaha made was amazing. There was nothing that couldn't be demolished that day. She was just that good of a cook!

"Alan's still in his room, Mr. Tracy," Fermat said after he drank some milk, "Tin-Tin and I got him to bed and he fell right to sleep."

"Thanks Fermat," Jeff responded, smiling at the boy. Fermat really was the spitting image of his father. The boy even had a stutter but it wasn't nearly as bad as Brains' stutter. No, it only seemed to surface if the boy was nervous about something. Not only that but Fermat had a mind for mechanics and computers just like his father. It wouldn't surprise Jeff Tracy at all if Fermat wanted to join his father some day in the Control Room. If Fermat chose that one day instead of also going on the missions then Jeff would support it.

Finishing off his glass of milk, Jeff Tracy placed the glass in the sink. He then put the plate now containing two cookies on the table before he left the kitchen and his children. He wanted to check on Alan. If Alan was still as sick as a dog then he needed to get his youngest in to see a doctor.

Walking up the wooden steps on to the third floor and main living quarters area of the Tracy family home, Jeff made his way past Virgil, Gordon and Scott's rooms as well as his main office door. Alan's bedroom door was at the end of the hall on the right. Really it did have the best view of the ocean and the sunsets each night. That was what his wife had always said. Really for Jeff, it was a toss up between his office view and Alan's room, but he wasn't going to tell Alan that.

Approaching Alan's room and finding the door shut, Jeff lightly knocked on it and then pushed the door open.

"Alan?" He gently called.

Entering in to the bedroom, Jeff saw the bed cover on the ground but Alan was neither on the ground nor on the bed. A little surprised, Jeff went to the half bathroom that each bedroom had, and knocked on the door.

"Alan?" He called again, "Son, are you in there?" When there was no reply on the other side of the door, Jeff tried the knob and found the door unlocked. Opening it up, the half bathroom was completely empty. Now a little worried, Jeff made quick work of checking Alan's closet and when that revealed nothing he checked Scott, Gordon, Virgil and John's bedrooms and bathrooms. They were all empty; tidy but empty.

Now Jeff was very concerned. Just where the hell was his youngest?! Making his way back downstairs Jeff found his boys still in the kitchen just talking about this or that.

Fermat was still there too going over something with his father and Tin-Tin was helping her mother.

"Alan's not in his room, has anyone seen him?" Jeff asked everyone present.

Just like that all talk stopped as all eyes turned to look at Jeff. The room was so quiet that anyone could have heard a spoon drop.

"No Mr. Tracy," Onaha replied with a shake of her head.

"We put Alan to bed when you told us to," Tin-Tin said. "He passed out pretty much when he got there."

Jeff could tell by her voice that she was worried that potentially they had done something wrong. He didn't mean to sound that way but he was scared; very scared. If Alan wasn't in his room or the boys rooms, then there were only so many places in the house that he could be, and in his state…that was what scared Jeff the most.

"I'll ch-ch- search the cameras," Brains volunteered, heading straight up to the Control Room to do just that.

"Virgil, Gordon, check the hanger bay, Scott check the crafts, Fermat and Tin-Tin, check upstairs. Relay through Brains if you find him. If not, meet in the Control Room in fifteen minutes," Jeff commanded.

Instructions given, everyone quickly left the kitchen. The Tracy brothers checked the hanger bay and the Thunderbird crafts themselves and found nothing, while Fermat and Tin-Tin checked all of the rooms and hiding spaces in the upstairs half of the house. Jeff himself checked the bottom half of the house including the pool and yard but there was nothing! It was as if Alan had vanished in to thin air!

Now Jeff's internal worry meter had gone from 100 all the way to 1000. The regroup in the control room provided no new information other than the fact that it was now known that Alan was not in the house which only left one other place he could be.

Tracy Island wasn't that long across but there were plenty of places a single person could hide. It could take days to search every square inch and that was several days that they did not have. With Alan as sick as he was and apparently sleep walking, anything could happen to him and there were plenty of bugs and spiders and such that had enough poison to kill a human.

"Scott, take Thunderbird 1 and search the beach front. Gordon, check the jungle. Tin-Tin, take Fermat and search the road to Satellite Hill. I'll take Thunderbird 2 with Virgil. Let's go, let's find your brother!" Jeff instructed.