"Airframe?"
Virgil nudged his board. "Three and Five secure. We are go."
His eldest brother looked away, back towards Alan, and by extension, their father on the astronaut's far side.
Dad did not look back.
Next to Virgil, Gordon shifted in his seat.
Internally, Virgil sighed. The tension in the cockpit was so thick, every hair on his body was standing at attention.
Even Uncle Lee was silent, sitting behind their father. Virgil was pretty sure that was a first.
How the astronaut had found out about the situation, Virgil didn't know. He could ask John, but to be honest, he wasn't sure he wanted to know.
Virgil had been in the process of loading up Three when the call had come in. Scott had been called 'Simon' three times, the good old 'Vinnie' popped up at least once, but Alan had received an 'Allie' and that had been promising at first…until it proved short for Albert.
Alan had just shrugged and, with a tight-lipped nod from their father, had advised that they would be picking up their Uncle from Cape Canaveral within the half hour.
Scott hadn't said a thing.
Virgil added extra supplies for the extra body and hadn't commented either.
He did, however, notice Dad's shoulders relaxing just a little. Virgil wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.
"Propulsion?" Scott's voice was all mechanical command. No inflection or emotion.
Michael, dressed in a black work suit, didn't react. "All systems green. T-Drive ready."
The situation with the former Mechanic was a grey area worth every grey hair it created. Scott did not like the man. Hell, Virgil was wary as all hell. He couldn't help but remember the smoke, the red lights and the thought that perhaps he was giving his life in an attempt to save his Thunderbird as she fell from the sky.
But Brains trusted him. Swore he was genuine, that he had been under the influence of the Hood the entire time.
But Virgil still had nightmares about watching his brother's 'bird being torn in two.
There were many questions.
And so much pain.
But at the core of it, they needed the man's genius. An arrangement was made with the GDF and 'Michael', as he had chosen to be known as, now worked under supervision with International Rescue. Almost bonded in servitude to atone for everything he had done. And apparently, he went willingly.
Kayo had so many monitoring devices on the man, he couldn't pee by himself.
"Helm?" Blue pierced the air and targeted the youngest Tracy.
Alan didn't flinch, but he did sit straighter.
"Navigation feed locked in. First drop point noted and programmed. Engines prepped and ready. We are go for orbital exit."
Virgil steeled himself. He hated this part. It turned his head and his insides out. The first time they had engaged the T-drive engines it was a miracle he hadn't puked all over himself. The second time, at least he had warning, but it hadn't been much better.
Hopefully these jumps, no more than a second or two in each instance, would be easier. It was an attempt at more precise navigation. Callisto was comparatively closer than the Oort cloud - an odd combination of too far by ion engine and too short by lightspeed engine. So, for efficiency, they were compromising and using a combination. Lightspeed hop, followed by a trajectory change via ion thruster, followed by another hop, the sequence repeating several times. Each time they paused they were to drop a communications buoy, firming up the network with Earth and giving them almost real-time capability.
This was all John and complex, but they would get the Excel to Callisto in less than a day.
Scott's voice was as strong and as firm as it had been the last time they had made a light speed jump.
"On my mark..."
"5..."
"4..." The countdown was a reassuring familiarity.
"3..."
"2..." Virgil braced himself.
"1..." Alan's grip tightened.
"Mark!"
Alan moved.
The ship trembled and the world swam.
A blink and everything steadied again.
Alan's voice was sharp. "First jump complete." He rattled off numbers as Virgil tried to keep his insides on the inside.
"I am so not a fan of that." Gordon beside him was clutching at his stomach.
Virgil only grunted.
"Everyone okay?" Scott sounded far too chipper.
But there were a series of FABs bouncing around the cockpit. Virgil resorted to grunting again.
That earned him an extra long glare from his brother, but Virgil waved it away. Besides, John wasn't communicating any better, his space brother still had his face in his hands.
"That was one hell of a stomach churner. Put my insides in through a washing cycle there, Albert."
The image Virgil managed off that statement had his insides flipping again.
Uncle Lee was also far too cheerful.
"How many more times do we have to do that?" Gordon was whining.
"Four." Alan was as chipper as Scott. Probably a good thing since he was the pilot and all.
"Ugh, I should have brought a bucket."
It was a redundant statement as a bucket required gravity to work. The medic in him flared. "If the nausea becomes an issue, you know what to do."
That earned him another grunt.
"Keep it together, guys. Alan, ion burn for direction change and buoy drop." Scott was ever the Commander.
"Already on it! Next jump in thirty-five minutes."
Far too chipper.
But they were in normal space and that gave them the freedom to move about. Virgil planned to take full advantage.
"Virgil? A word?" It was a question, but his father's tone obviously expected a positive response.
He sighed to himself, so much for the planned snack. "Yeah, Dad." He didn't miss Scott's reflex glance in both of their directions.
Their father unbuckled and floated toward the back of the cockpit. Virgil had had quite a say in the redesign and the seven stripes of colour down the length of the cabin broke up the ivory he had demanded be plastered on the walls to brighten up the place.
Seven strips of colour, one for each brother, sister and now their father.
The suit his Dad wore today barely resembled the one he had been stranded in. The most dramatic difference was his baldric. Once the silver-grey of command, he had relinquished that to Scott.
Or so they had thought.
Virgil swallowed as he clambered out of his seat, exercising his space legs a little as he re-familiarised himself with the environment.
Dad's baldric was now a pale gold and consequently, there was a pale gold stripe to match running the length of the cockpit...right next to the silver-grey of Scott's baldric.
Virgil dropped a hand to Gordon's shoulder as the fish muttered about his stomach again.
"Hey, we have anti-nausea if you need it."
Gordon grunted.
"Virgil?" Dad was holding the door to the residential section of the ship.
"Coming." It was a mutter under his breath that had Gordon glancing up at him, frowning.
A gentle squeeze of his little brother's shoulder and Virgil pushed off after his father.
Dad led him down the main hallway to...the infirmary? "Dad, what?"
"I need to check you over."
"Scott already did."
"I know. Just humour me, please."
Virgil blinked and pressed his lips together before following his father through the door to the tiny medbay. Scott was definitely a Dad clone in many ways.
The difference was that Scott had checked on him before they left and would have grounded his ass if he found anything wrong. Whereas Dad had waited until now?
The mandatory scanner appeared in his father's hand and yellow light flickered over Virgil's arm and torso. A moment as grey eyes examined the readouts.
"I had to make sure." His father swallowed. "And I wanted to apologise."
Virgil blinked again. "Uh, sorry?"
Dad put the scanner away and leant back against the bed in the middle of the tiny room. "I want you to understand why I need to do this."
Virgil's lips tightened, but he held back his response. He wasn't really the one who needed the apology.
His father held up his hands as if to fend off what Virgil was thinking. "I know it is a risk, but it is one I'm willing to take."
"This is not just about you, Dad."
"I know. Please hear me out."
Virgil swallowed down his instinctive defensiveness and waited.
"I have spent the last two years watching all of you risk your lives every day. Unable to help."
"You help, Dad."
His father held up a hand. "Not enough."
"You've done enough. You made the ultimate sacrifice."
"This is not the end of my life, Virgil!" It was both a yell and a plea.
Frozen mid-thought, Virgil just stared.
Dad turned away, pulling against the bed to shift himself. "I'm not finished. I owe Berry and Ju and this is my chance to pay."
"To pay for what? What could be worth your life, Dad? What could be worth putting Scott through all this?"
"Scott? Why is everyone so defensive of Scott. This has nothing to do with him."
"It has everything to do with him!" It was Virgil's turn to get loud. For a moment, he forgot he was in space and his frustrated movement set him on a gentle spin. He had to grab a cabinet to right himself. "It has everything to do with all of us."
His father's hands were placating as he held them out. "I know you boys sacrificed a lot and I will be forever grateful-"
"You don't know, Dad."
"What?"
"Because we haven't told you how close everything came to collapse. How close we were to losing Scott."
Dad's eyes widened. "Virgil-"
"No, you don't get to gamble on this! I can't watch it happen all over again. It will kill him." He wasn't too sure he had the strength himself either. "You were home. You were safe. You could be Dad again. Why on Earth would you ever want to be anything else after all those years? All those times you chose space, or the business or International Rescue over us. You're doing it again. Why can't family be the most important on your list of things, Dad? Just for once?"
It was more than he had intended to say. It bared him to his father's scrutiny, to the sensitive parts of himself that Dad had never quite understood. His throat grew tight and he struggled to hold it together.
Dad reached out a hand and gently gripped Virgil's shoulder. "I am who I am, Virgil. I can't change that."
There was a knock at the door. "Virgil, are you okay in there?"
Scott.
Virgil closed his eyes.
"He's fine, Scott." Dad's voice was firm.
The door opened. Blue ice combed the room. "Virgil, Michael needs you to check the aft sensor array. He's getting an anomalous reading."
Virgil frowned. "Does he think there's a fault?"
"That's why he needs you to check it out." Sharp and defying objection.
And obviously a route to removing Virgil from the room.
Shit.
He glared at Scott, but Scott's expression was more tired than inflammatory. "Have you eaten?"
"Virgil…"
"I'm going, if you're going." Brother-speak for 'I'm only doing as you say if you do as I say and there is no way I'm leaving you alone with Dad right now'.
Blue flickered as the message was received. "Fine. Check in with Michael and I will see you in the mess hall asap." Scott pushed off from the door frame and disappeared down the corridor without another word.
And no acknowledgement that their father even existed.
God, this was hard.
"Sorry, Dad, I have to go." Okay, there was some relief in that, even if he was ashamed to admit it.
The man grunted and squeezed his shoulder before letting go. "We all have our duty."
Virgil pushed off the bed towards the door, turning for a just a moment to look back at his father. But Dad was staring at nothing, simply floating beside the bed apparently lost in thought.
Virgil's throat tightened and he opened his mouth.
But nothing came out.
Now more sad than angry, Virgil pushed through the door and left.
After all, he had his duty.
-o-o-o-
Jeff stared after his son for a long moment. Emotion swirled in his head and tangled with his stomach. That lightspeed jump did mess with his innards more than he would admit.
But Virgil's words messed him up even more.
What weren't they telling him? What had happened to Scott while he was gone?
He had read a good percentage of the mission reports and backtracked through Tracy Industries' history over that eight years. Scott's conduct was exemplary. He couldn't be prouder. Both organisations had flourished under his sons' management, Scott being the major driving force, but his younger sons stepping in where needed.
Hell, even Gordon had dabbled in aquaculture and Tracy Industries was now a major player on that front.
Something soured in his gut that had nothing to do with lightspeed travel. Perhaps he needed to be a little more honest with himself. Maybe things had gone so well, that in truth, his return wasn't really needed.
Scott was brilliant, his brothers…hell, Jeff was ever so proud. His sons were everything. They had accomplished so much.
But what did that leave for Jeff?
He cursed under his breath, disgusted with himself. His natural competitive tendencies did not need to be deployed against his own children.
But that vacant feeling of loss and lack of purpose swelled. He hadn't even thought about not going on this mission. He had grabbed it like a lifeline and now, somehow, he had managed to alienate those brilliant young sons and caused pain and worry where he had no intention.
"Jeff? Where the hell are you?"
Lee.
Despite himself, Jeff smiled.
Pushing off from the bed, he floated through the door and into the corridor. Lee was expertly manoeuvring down one wall, his experience showing in every movement. "I have to say that this baby of yours definitely hits the spot. I'll have two for the Mars colony, please."
Jeff snorted. "Get in line. The GDF are already on my back."
Lee pulled up alongside. "You gonna give them one?"
"I doubt it." He sighed. "Val is ready to vouch, but from what I've read from the last eight years…I don't think they can be trusted."
"Then what are you going to do?" They drifted down the corridor towards the mess. "This technology is a great step forward."
"Yeah. So much power, Lee. I've worried about the Thunderbirds getting into the wrong hands. This….hell…Brains and Michael make a formidable team."
"Your boys make a formidable team, Jeff. You should be proud."
"I am."
Lee pulled him to a halt with a hand. "Then what the hell are you doing out here, Jeff? Gerry had me on the pipeline frantic."
Jeff blinked. "Gerry?"
"The swimming one."
"Oh, Gordon?"
Lee waved a hand dismissively. "Yeah, whatever. But he was upset. Said you were trying to kill yourself."
"What?!"
"Said your health wasn't up to a long space flight. I know you know better than that, Colonel." Blue eyes pinned him.
Oh, for the love of-
"I'm fine, Lee."
"Bullshit. You may not be using that cane of yours, but I saw your medical charts when you got back. You fried your bones good, and your circulation has seen better days. Don't think I'm an idiot. Gerry may be the excitable one, but he's not dumb. Hell, even I can see Vinnie and Steve ain't happy either."
Jeff stared at him, caught between outrage that his best friend still couldn't remember his sons' names and the thought that Lee was also ganging up on him along with those sons.
"I am perfectly capable of handling this voyage. It is short. It is safe."
Lee snorted with derision. "I know you know that there is nothing 'safe' about any space voyage, Jeff. Hell, you're the one who taught me that. What are you playing at?"
That got his back up. "What am I playing at? Berry and Ju are missing, Lee."
"Don't you trust your boys?"
"I trust them!"
"Then let them do their jobs. You've done enough."
Jeff glared at him. "I don't see you retiring your space legs."
"I didn't go missing for eight years and fry my bones. You don't have to do this. Your boys will find Berry and Ju. I've seen them in action. You should trust them."
Jeff's shoulders dropped. "I do." It was an exhale. But... "Lee, I have to. I can't sit on the sidelines anymore."
Blue eyes stared at him, appraising. They weren't unlike his eldest son's eyes and probably shared the gene through Lucille.
The thought of his wife clenched his heart like it always did. Lee didn't look much like his sister, but there were traces.
"Well, you've argued your ass out here. Looks like you've pissed half your family off in the process. I'd tread carefully. That eldest of yours looks ready to chew iron."
Jeff grunted.
Lee reached out and grabbed an arm. "They're good boys." A swallow. "Lucy would be very, very proud."
It was targeted and it hit perfectly. His throat tightened just a little. "I know."
No more than breath. "I know."
-o-o-o-
"I want to know why."
John looked up from his tablet to see Scott floating in the doorway.
The astronaut knew this was coming. Hence his retreat to Thunderbird Five for a 'systems check'.
"Because Dad needs this." He turned back to his tablet, poked the device and shut down the scan he was running.
Scott pushed off the door frame and pivoted to a vertical stance - as a commanding posture as he could get in zero-g.
John raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment, forcing himself to relax in his partially seated position. He knew his brother was unhappy with him and he understood why. So, the question was a pertinent one.
"Dad does not need more illness and that is exactly where this is leading."
"We won't be out here that long."
"How do you know? We don't know what has happened? We won't know fully until we are on site."
John let his brother's ire wash over him. "Scott, what are you going to do the day they say you can no longer fly?"
Blue eyes stared at him a moment. "What has that got to do with anything?"
John's lips thinned. "Deny it all you want, but you know exactly what I mean." He held his brother's glare. "Dad has been grounded for nearly two years. Put yourself in his place. How do you think you would feel?"
He could see the inner turmoil on his big brother's face. He hated going against Scott. It didn't happen often, but it did happen and each time it hurt because it felt so wrong. Someone had to stand up for Dad in this and John feared the day he would be in his father's place. To not be able to go into space. To never be able to see the stars unfettered by atmosphere again…he dreaded it. Just like he knew Scott dreaded losing his wings.
It was inevitable and they would both fight it as long as they could.
Just like their father.
But understanding didn't make it any easier from a son's perspective either. John knew in intimate detail exactly what his father's health issues were. He empathised with him in ways that perhaps only Alan amongst his brothers could possibly understand. If he wasn't careful, this was his future, too. Perhaps not as severe, perhaps not quite the same, but the risks were there.
His father's cane reminded him every time he saw it.
Scott had already changed his rota on Five, Alan standing in more often, John on solid ground enough for cursed gravity to keep his systems running as they should.
Virgil had become hypervigilant as well, medical checks increased. He had once caught Dad's chart up on display right next to his own, Virgil's eyes comparing symptoms, obviously worried towards preventing issues before they happened in his little brother.
It had been a taxing couple of years.
"Okay, you've made your point." It was grudging. "But it doesn't remove the fact that his health is at risk. After all he's been through…he's been hurt enough."
"Him or us?"
"Excuse me?"
"We have all been through hell and back. This isn't just about Dad, Scott. I know. I'm just as scared as you." He was, but he was shunting it away. He couldn't afford it. "But this is who he is. You know that. He's not going to wrap himself in a blanket, sit in a chair and rock his life away. If he did, he wouldn't be Dad." He blinked. "How do you see your twilight years? Are you going to slow down any time soon?"
"John-"
"He's got all of us. He's not alone out here. We'll keep him safe."
Blue eyes continued to stare at him, but there were no more words for a long time.
John simply stared back, calm and waiting.
"I am so angry at you." The words slipped from his brother's lips in frustration.
"I know." John tilted his head just slightly. "Because you know I'm right."
Scott got angry a lot, but he was rarely blinded by it. He couldn't afford to be. And while Virgil tackled their big brother in his own way, John, in the few times Scott turned to him in this kind of situation, found that waiting him out with calm words usually worked. Not always, sometimes his brother just exploded more. But this time, this time John knew he was right and that Scott would understand, if he would listen.
His brother's lips thinned, obviously with reluctance. "I want a medical monitor on him at all times. I want Five trained on him at all times."
John arched an eyebrow, reached over and thumbed a switch. Their father's vitals flickered into all their holographic glory. "Virgil already beat you to it. Wouldn't let him on board without it."
Those eyes tracked the readouts but Scott didn't comment. "Keep an eye on him."
John sighed and picked up his tablet again. As if he would do anything else. "Just like I do with all of you. They don't call me the 'Eye in the Sky' for nothing."
A grunt and Scott moved back towards the door. John poked at his tablet and resumed the scan he had been running. It wasn't often humans were in this chunk of space and he planned to record everything he could.
If he was non-verbally dismissing his brother, it was on purpose. Scott needed to process and John was not needed for that.
And John had work to do before they jumped again.
He didn't notice his brother leave.
-o-o-o-
Gordon sat back and watched his father and Virgil leave the cockpit. John followed a moment later.
Gordon wasn't hungry, not by a long shot. His stomach was still protesting the jump and he was quite happy staying where he was.
He wasn't surprised that Scott, after reassuring himself that Alan was okay monitoring the course correction, disappeared after John. Gordon did not want to be in the room when that encounter happened. Not that he didn't have his own beef with the astronaut over this. He couldn't believe John would support their father going into space. John, of all people knew the health ramifications.
Speaking of which…
He unbuckled and pushed off his chair in the direction of his father's chair. Formerly, his chair. He was of two minds regarding that fact, but considering he didn't think Dad should even be in space, where he sat was of the least importance.
He hooked his foot around the base of the seat and pulled himself in beside his little brother.
Gordon's eyes danced over the flight controls. "How's it going?"
Alan glanced at him. "Computer is performing perfectly. We'll stop to drop the buoy in about twenty-five minutes." A raised eyebrow. "How's the tummy?" And yes, there was a small smirk accompanying that.
"It's fine." As if to penalise him for lying to his little brother, his gut twisted.
Gordon let out a groan.
The smirk turned to a worried frown. "You sure you're okay."
He grunted at his brother. "I'll live." And he remembered that there were four more jumps there and likely five more on the way back. "Maybe."
"Get Virg to drug you up. You'll enjoy it more."
'Enjoy' was rarely in the same sentence as 'space' in Gordon's book. "Might do that." Puking in zero-g was just messy and not to mention gross. "How come you aren't feeling it?"
Alan shrugged. "Been playing with g-forces since I was a kid? This isn't much different."
Gordon grunted at him again.
They sat there together for a moment or two. There was something about hanging with his little brother that was different from hanging with his older brothers. More relaxed maybe, or just…different.
"Not often my 'bird carries yours. This has to be only the second time."
Gordon blinked. "Yeah? I think so. Not too many oceans in space."
"Tell that to the Jupiter system."
Space oceans were a thing. After the mad dash that was their trip to Europa, Gordon had made a point of reading up on all the extra-terrestrial oceans he could find.
Earth, of course, was the only body in the solar system with surface liquid water. There were buckets of ice on many of the other planets and moons, but none of that interested the aquanaut. He preferred his water well above zero degrees celsius.
Europa had been fascinating and he was still basking in the accolades from the scientific paper that he, Alan and his heroes, the Pendergasts, had jointly written. Readings from Four's scanners had recorded everything and Earth's scientific compliment were still going nuts years later. Tracy Industries had helped fund a proper scientific expedition to the moon.
Hmm, come to think of it, they should probably drop in and say hi on the way back. Would be interesting to catch up with Gwen and her team in person instead of over holovid.
Would be hilarious to knock on their door as a surprise. Hi, we were just in the area…
He grinned.
"What are you up to?" Alan was eyeing him suspiciously.
Gordon snorted. "Just thinking we should drop in on the Europa Extra-terrestrial Marine Expedition on the way back. I owe Gwen a jump-scare."
His brother tilted his head, obviously calculating the possibility. "Could do. You should speak to Scott."
That dragged him back to reality. "I guess it depends on Dad."
Blue eyes darted in his direction. "Dad will be okay. You know that, don't you?"
Gordon found he didn't have the energy to get angry. "How can you know that?"
"I don't." Alan went quiet a moment. "But then how do you think I manage each time you go out on a mission?"
The aquanaut stared at him. "What?"
"Well, your health has never been and never will be one hundred percent, yet you still dart down to the bottom of the ocean, jump off high places and do things just like the rest of us. Do you think I don't think of losing you all the time?"
Gordon froze a moment digesting that his little brother still worried about that… "That's different."
"Is it?"
"Dad…okay, I get your point. But I'm also worried about Scott."
"What?" Alan stared at him.
"Can't you see what this is doing to him?"
"Er, what?"
No, Alan hadn't seen. "I have never seen Scott so terrified."
"I repeat – what?"
"When Dad told us he was going. Scott just…" He swallowed. "Dad is hurting Scott and I, for one, am not going to stand for it. Virg isn't either."
Alan was staring at him. "You said Dad was cold and didn't care. Abrupt, yes, that's Dad, but I can't believe he doesn't care." The astronaut shook his head.
"If he cared, he wouldn't have come."
"Gords-"
"Alan, trust me on this."
His little brother stared at him again. "I trust you, Gordon, you know that. It's a given. But I also trust Dad. He knows what he's doing."
Gordon pressed his lips together. "He doesn't know everything and I really wish you guys would stop worshipping him as a god."
"He's not a god! He's just…Dad."
"Yeah, and that's the problem."
There was silence after that. Gordon not willing to berate Alan any further. It wasn't Alan's fault. He didn't have the history with Dad Gordon did. He hadn't had to fight to swim. Hadn't seen Virgil struggle with his choices.
Hadn't seen Scott give his everything to his father only to have it…ignored.
But no, that was history. Long ago. Before the Oort Cloud. Gordon had his issues regarding his father. He loved him, but he was a difficult man under all that passion. Being the son of a hero wasn't everything it could be.
Scott worshipped the ground his father walked on. Gordon, not so much.
To see his father hurt Scott like that…Gordon's blood just boiled.
"Is Scott okay?" Alan's voice was smaller than usual.
"That's just it, Allie. I don't think so. You know how he gets. Like before the Oort Cloud. I, for one, don't want him going there again." 'There' being more a mental place than a physical.
Alan's head dropped. "No."
A voice rumbled behind them and both jumped. Michael was talking into comms, to Scott, something about the aft sensor array.
Crap. It was a sign of his distraction that he had forgotten the Mechanic was there. He glanced over, but the tattooed man showed no sign of even knowing they existed.
Gordon sighed.
A hand landed on his knee. "It's going to be okay." Blue eyes sought his. "It will be, Gords."
He let out a breath, suddenly wishing he had Alan's faith.
If anything happened to Dad…
"It. Is. Going. To. Be. Okay." The hand on his leg squeezed tight.
But Gordon didn't answer.
-o-o-o-
The drop of the communication buoy saw all of them back in the cockpit. John was the mastermind behind this little exercise and Virgil was, as usual, very proud of his space brother.
The design was ingenious, of course. John had taken a portion of the T-drive technology and applied it to communications. The same Tunnels created by the engine could be used to push what would otherwise be a simple comms signal through to the next buoy at a vastly accelerated rate. His brother had been working with Brains to realise this technology. Back in Earth orbit, a satellite connected the new network to the planetary network. On the way out, they would connect the Jupiter system. On the way back, they would connect Mars. Time delay communications would be a thing of the past.
Possibly as a tension reliever, John's first signal went straight to Lady Penelope.
Gordon's demeanour shifted immediately. His excited babbling did much to lighten the atmosphere in the cabin. The uninformed wouldn't have been blamed for thinking he hadn't spoken to her for years. Virgil knew for a fact the two of them had had a conversation shortly before they left.
The concept of 'young love' made him feel old.
And indicated just how tired he really was.
But sleep was something he couldn't see happening very soon. Sure, he could try to take a nap en route. Hell, he had to. But his head was full of worry that likely wouldn't let him rest.
Scott let Gordon babble for a full minute before cutting him off with the mission. Perhaps the commander saw how much the atmosphere needed to be lifted from the black depths they had fallen into.
Virgil hated it when his family argued. It didn't happen often...okay, maybe they did quarrel every now and again - it came with the territory of working together. But nothing deep like this. Nothing that cut into the core of their very foundation. The surety that held them together.
Virgil sighed.
"Ready for jump." Scott's voice was all command and it forced Virgil to focus.
Pre-jump checklist as his brother called out to each of them.
"Airframe?"
"Craft secure. We are go."
Blue eyes flickered to Michael. "Propulsion."
"T-drive ready."
"Helm."
Alan's back was tensed, his hand on the lever that would propel them further away from Earth. "Ready."
The familiar countdown, such a part of their lives. Scott's voice carried security...and Virgil's faith.
Alan's arm moved.
And the Excel jumped.
-o-o-o-
TBC