The Complete Thunderbirds Story
Adapted by Lee Homer
Disclaimer: A fan adaptation of the origin story, printed in the pages of Thunderbirds The Comic. All rights reserved. I don't own Thunderbirds.
-Three-
Dreams of his family danced in his head as Jeff battled with his condition. He awoke to find himself inside a medical bay. His body had suffered from the elements. His skin was red and bruised, his lips were dry and chapped and his bones ached. As he tried to sit up, he was quickly stopped by a young, fair-haired doctor. He tried to stand, but upon doing so, collapsed to the floor. The lack of stamina made it very difficult for him to grasp his surroundings, A short while later, he was approached by another man, dressed in an officers uniform. He loomed over Jeff with a smile.
"Welcome back to the land of the living, Colonel Tracy," he said. "I'm Captain Carlson."
"Where...where am I?" Jeff asked wearily.
"You're aboard the W.N Safeguard," replied the Captain. "We were dispatched by your superiors to come and pick you up from your island exile."
Jeff took his time to process the Captain's words.
"Island...exile? W.N. Safeguard? Wait a minute. The Safeguard is an aircraft carrier? How did I get here?"
"I'll explain it to you in good time, Colonel." answered the Captain. "You're severely dehydrated and we're en-route to the Miami Naval port as we speak. You're currently in our sickbay under observation."
Jeff nodded. "How long have I been out?"
"Five days. You came here in a hell of a state. We managed to save you at the last second. I don't know how you did it, sir, but you held on long enough for us to help you."
Jeff forced a faint smile on his face. The realisation had finally kicked in. He had escaped death. He had made it. The Captain instructed him to rest a little while longer while he secured a cabin for him. The next morning, he was given a pair of flight overalls to wear before being escorted to his quarters. He arrived into a cramped but cosy dwelling which provided the comfort which he missed. As he continued his recovery, his suspicions about the mission returned. He still wasn't closer to finding the answers. Then, one morning while was shaving, there was a knock at the door. A young crewman entered and left a package on the bed for him. Puzzled, Jeff opened the parcel to see his flight uniform. The one he had worn on the ASP before his exile. He paused, staring blankly at the flight insignia on the sleeve. He changed into it, realising that it now felt loose and baggy. He didn't realise just how much weight he had lost from hunger. Suddenly, his thoughts were interrupted by a call over the intercom.
"Colonel Tracy, please report to the Bridge."
Another surprise awaited Jeff when he arrived on the main bridge. Captain Carlson approached him, accompanied by a familiar face. It was Controller Luke Davis. Carlson began the conversation.
"Welcome to the bridge, Colonel. I'm glad to see you're looking much better," he said. "I believe you already know Controller Luke Davis from the World Space Agency."
Jeff looked over at his friend with angry eyes. He felt betrayed. Now was the time for answers.
"Just what is this all about?" he snarled. "I demand answers!"
Luke raised his hands calmly. "If you'll just relax a while, I'll explain."
With the Commander's permission Controller Luke Davis led Jeff to the flight deck. Davis revealed that the Asp malfunction was carefully planned. Major Hauptman and the other crew members were part of the plan to abandon Jeff at sea.
"We couldn't let you in on it..that would have made the exercise useless."
"You mean it was part of the training programme?"
"Sorry, Jeff," Luke replied. "We had to do it. If anything goes wrong on the Moon mission you could be on your own in a hostile environment. We had to find out how the Mission Commander would react."
At that moment, the anger washed away. Jeff felt that sense of release. It felt terrific.
"How did I do?" Jeff wanted to know.
"You passed with flying colours and, Jeff, the attitude of Major Hauptman towards you... that was also part of your training. You'd be no good if you let personal squabbles get the better of you."
"What happens now?" Jeff asked not quite understanding the elaborate plot which had surrounded him.
"You're going home," Luke replied. "By my reckoning, we should get you back to Kansas just in time for the big event..."
"I wondered when you'd stop treating me like a guinea pig," laughed Jeff. "Come on, I've got a date with my wife!"
When he finally arrived home, Jeff was greeted at the door by his father. Grant remained speechless as pulled his son in for a hug. The realisation that his Son was alright brought him close to tears. Jeff shared the sentiment.
"It's okay, Dad. I'm alright," he said. "I'm sorry I was away for so long."
"Don't apologise, Son," replied Grant. "I'm just so glad you're here. We were about to lose hope. I mean...I mean...Lucille thought she was never going to see her husband again...and little Scott, he..."
Jeff grabbed his excited Dad by the shoulders.
"It's okay, Dad. Deep breaths. What's happened?" he asked him.
Grant's smile resonated with Jeff's heart.
"Why don't you go in and meet your son?" he said as he gestured him into the house.
Jeff's jaw dropped. "Meet my so...You mean?"
"That's right. He's here. Virgil is here."
Dropping his bags, Jeff raced into the house and dashed up the stairs. He entered the master bedroom to see Lucille in bed, cradling his baby son. Scott screamed as he scrambled towards him. Lucille looked up at him. Tears streamed from her eyes as he held her close.
"Jeff...I thought you were...I can't believe it!"
"It's okay, Lucille. I'm here. I'm here."
While his wife sobbed into his sleeve, he looked down at his newborn son. Little Virgil slept peacefully in his mother's arms. He couldn't help but tear up himself. It didn't dawn on him until now that he had missed the arrival of his son. His mission had cost him dearly. Now, he had to make up for it somehow.
"I'm so sorry," he said, overwhelmed with emotion. "I'm so sorry I missed the birth. I...
Lucille looked up at him and rest her hand assuringly on his cheek. "Please, don't blame yourself. You're here now. You came back to us."
This new perspective on life changed Jeff. He spent the next few weeks, doting on his wife and his two boys and spending as much time as he possibly could. Unfortunately, it wouldn't long before he had to resume his training.
Back at the Cape, Jeff met his fellow crew members in the hangar bay. The tension felt different again as the friendly camaraderie dynamic returned. Hauptman was the first to approach him with a firm handshake.
"Sorry we had to put you through all of that, Colonel," he apologised. "I hope there are no hard feelings?"
"Yeah, I guess mental training can be harsher than physical training," added Allison Richards. "If it's any consolation, we all felt horrible about it and we think you've handled it amazingly."
Jeff smiled at his colleagues. It felt good to be appreciated again.
"Mission Control explained the set-up," he replied. "You guys fooled me, but you also did me a favour. You see, you gave me the chance to find an ideal spot to settle down and call home."
Allison was intrigued. "That island you were stranded on?"
Jeff nodded. "That's right. It'll make the perfect setting for a family home. When I finally retire, I'm going to do something about it."
The new year arrived, marking the start of a new decade for the people of Earth. It also marked the end of Jeff's training. The gruelling and life-changing missions had come to an end. They were now ready to embark on their mission to the Moon. It also meant another step closer towards the future he had dreamed of so many times.
On the morning of January 3rd, the ASP sat on the launch pad, fuelled and ready to go. Jeff and teams sat at their stations, completing their launch checks before take-off. After an exchange of luck and best wishes, the ASP launched off the pad, making its way towards the stars for the final time. The first leg of their journey took them towards the Freedom Space Station which awaited their arrival.
"Freedom, here we come," he said as he looked across at Major Hauptman.
After a long day's flight, The ASP docked at the orbiting research station. The crew disembarked, entering the station through a series of long cylindrical corridors. It took them two days to study the next segment of their mission, taking the time to fuel their landing craft and check their supply stores. Jeff, Larry, Allison and Hank expressed their feelings towards the mission. Nerves co-existed with anticipation and hope when they climbed into their modular vehicle known as the 'LEV.' They powered up their systems and after a thirty-second countdown, they were on their way towards the Moon. They watched their floating sanctuary drift away behind them.
They eventually achieved lunar orbit after a slow few days of flight. The LEV rotated into a vertical position. Hauptman gently guided the craft down, steering her towards the proposed landing site that had been mapped out for them. Then, after a tense few minutes of calculated manoeuvrers, the LEV touched down on the lunar surface. They had done it. Climbing into their spacesuits, they prepared to leave the craft. The Sun illuminated the surface around them whole the Earth gleamed in space like a shiny pearl. The 21st century celebrated the first Moon landing by humans for over thirty years. Colonel Jeff Tracy, Major Larry Hauptman, Allison Richards and Engineer Hank Wright congratulated their success. It was thanks to them that they had paved the way for the next chapter in their history.
Their mission was shared around the world. Images beamed onto every TV set on the planet. In the family sitting room, the Tracy family gathered around the TV set to watch the mission as it unfolded. An overwhelming feeling of pride filled the room. Jeff's parents held each other while Lucille sat comfortably on the sofa with Virgil and Scott. Scott wandered over towards the TV set and placed a little hand on the screen. He recognised the sound of his father's voice over the speaker. Lucille looked down at him with a smile.
"Look, Scott. Daddy's a hero."
The whole family were proud of the fact that their name had made its mark in human history. It would be a story that would be shared with future generations in the years to come.