Thunderbirds Blast Off

By Lee Homer

Disclaimer: A collection of short adventures based on the comic strips from the Thunderbirds Annuals of the '60s and '70s. All rights reserved. I don't own Thunderbirds.

Whirlpool

FAB 2, the luxury yacht of Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward, floated gently upon the calm waters of the Caribbean Sea as she dropped anchor off the coast of Cuba. Lady Penelope relaxed on the deck as she sprawled on a sun-lounger, using a parasol to deflect the sun. Parker approached her with a tray of drinks when a sudden splashing sound made him jump. Penelope slumped forward towards the sound of commotion as two beautiful Whales leapt upwards from the water, arched through the air and splashed down again. They put on quite the performance, so much so that Penelope couldn't help but feel captivated by their sudden appearance. She smiled as she sipped her tropical beverage.

"Look, Parker! Wasn't that incredible?" she said. "I've never been so close to a Whale before. They truly are majestic creatures."

"I suppose so, M'Lady," Parker shrugged. "But when you said we'd be sightseeing, I didn't think you meant fish."

Penelope looked up at him with a judgemental look.

"Whales are not fish, Parker, they are Mammals," she corrected him. "Wonderful Mammals that grace all the oceans of the world."

"I guess so, M'Lady," Parker sighed. "It's just they make nervous much like the currents out here. I still don't think we should have anchored so far out."

Penelope smiled at him assuringly. "Now relax, Parker. FAB 2's autopilot has been programmed to avoid such things. We're quite safe."

Her sentence was cut short when another Whale leapt out of the ocean, arched over the yacht and crashed down again. A whoosh of spray from its fins soaked the deck much to the annoyance of the chauffeur. Penelope giggled as Parker shook the loose water from his clothes.

"And besides," she continued. "These Whales feed on tiny sea creatures. They're perfectly harmless. I believe it's called 'breaching' when they jump up and splash you like that."

Parker grumbled. "Yeah well, I think it's dangerous if you ask me, M'Lady.

Suddenly, FAB2 lurched forward, knocking the pair off balance. As Penelope deflected her fall with her arms, she looked up to see the tail fin of a whale, strike the bow of the yacht. She braced herself, but the impact wasn't damaging. As she looked up, she could see the ocean begin to flow in the opposite direction as if something had drawn it away. The motors of FAB 2 began to strain until they cut out completely. Parker picked himself up off the deck and hurried down the narrow stairwell towards the engine room. The yacht's atomic engine had burnt itself out. FAB 2 was inoperable. Back on deck, Penelope felt the anchor lose its grip as the current swept it away from the seabed alone.

"Parker! The current is taking us with it. What's happening?"

Parker sprang up the staircase and looked over the starboard railing. His eyes widened in horror as his lips quivered.

"We appear to be heading for a...a Whirlpool, M'Lady!"

A large torrent of water swirled horrendously in a clockwise direction. It swallowed helpless fish and coral-like a drain in a bathtub. As it expanded, its heavy forces pulled in FAB 2 like it was nothing. As the torrent grew, so did their rate of speed. Penelope tensed at the sight of the monster whirlpool.

"We're going to be pulled right under!" she screamed. "Isn't there anything we can do, Parker?"

Parker jerked the wheel violently. He tried his best to steer the yacht clear, but the current was too powerful for him to overcome.

"It's no use, M'Lady," he replied with despair in his voice. "We're not going anywhere. What are we going to do?"

"Now, calm down, Parker," Penelope replied calmly. "There's nothing to gain by panicking. I'll call Jeff. The boys will help us."

Penelope reached into her handbag which sat on the table and pulled out her shiny gold compact. She opened the lid and switched on the small circular transmitter.

"Lady Penelope aboard FAB 2 calling International Rescue. Jeff, are you there? This is an emergency!"

Lady Penelope's cry for help sounded over her portrait video screen. Jeff Tracy's stomach tightened as the picture began to shake violently over the monitor. Penelope didn't have much time to hold on. He had to act fast. Scott, Virgil and Gordon also heard the distress call as they entered the lounge. Jeff assumed that they heard the situation, saving them valuable seconds.

"Okay, Penny. Stay calm, the boys are on their way," he said as he turned to his eldest son, Scott. "Away you go, Scott. We don't have a lot of time left. FAB 2 is about to be sucked down by a whirlpool in the Mediterranean. She doesn't have a lot of time left."

"FAB, Dad," replied Scott eagerly. "I'm on my way."

Jeff then turned to Virgil. "Virgil, take Gordon with you and Thunderbird 4. You'll need Brains with you on this one."

"He's in his lab, father," replied Virgil. "I'll go and fetch him."

While Gordon made his way towards the passenger chute, Virgil marched his way into the confined laboratory of Brains, International Rescue's brilliant mind. The young scientist, slouched over his workbench, half asleep. Virgil's sudden entrance startled him.

"Hey, wake up, Brains!" Virgil said as he motioned him to follow. "Lady Penelope's in trouble!"

Brains removed his thick spectacles and rubbed his eyes. "FAB V-Virgil. You can brief me on the way."

Thunderbird 1 took off from her hanger at a lightning speed. Thunderbird 2 soon followed with Pod 4 and together, the two super-machines streaked across the sky towards the danger zone. They were grateful for the relatively short flight as it provided them with extra time to perform the rescue. When they finally arrived at the scene, they both looked down in horror at the monstrous current that swallowed the ocean. FAB 2 teetered on the edge of it, inching its way closer and closer towards oblivion. Scott's heart thumped at the sight of the danger as he called through to his brothers in Thunderbird 2.

"There's FAB 2, Virgil. Wow, look at the size of that whirlpool!"

Observing the scene from Thunderbird 2's cabin, Virgil and Gordon shared their brother's observations.

"Yeah, it's amazing!" Virgil gasped as he looked over at Gordon. "Do you think Thunderbird 4 can pull FAB 2 clear?"

Gordon thought about his tactics for the moment as he rubbed the bottom of his chin. He looked across the cabin at Brains who had come to the same conclusion himself. There was only one way to find out. Virgil glided away from the Whirlpool while Thunderbird 1 hovered overhead. He gently lowered the big green transporter over the turbulent water and released the Pod. The violent waves buffeted the pod, Thunderbird 4's stabilisers kept Gordon safe from the nauseating rocking. The Pod flap lowered and Thunderbird 4 streaked down its launch ramp into the depths. The water swirled around him like a tornado, obscuring his vision. Even with his powerful torch lights, it was a challenge to navigate through the currents. Eventually, he made out the red, oval shape of FAB 2's hull as it drifted further and further away from him. Thunderbird 4's motors started to strain under the pressure, but it wasn't enough to deter the aquanaut. He pressed on until he was within range of the hull.

"Approaching, FAB 2's hull now, Virgil," he said as he wiped the beads of sweat from his face. "I'll move in with the hydraulic magnets. I'm going to push her away from the Whirlpool."

Gordon heard a tinge of concern in his brother's voice. "FAB Gordon. Be careful though. Take it easy!"

The seconds ticked away and Gordon pulled a lever on the console to his right. The sub's searchlights lowered, revealing its utility tubes behind. A long, metallic cylindrical arm extended outwards towards the hull. It waded through the churning water until made contact with the metal bulk of the yacht. Up on deck, Penelope and Parker could hear Gordon's engines groan underneath the waves as the yellow submarine emerged on the surface. Although her engines screamed, the yacht refused to move. A dull vibration shook the deck plates under their feet.

"Oh, it's no good, M'Lady!" Parker fretted. "We're still not moving and we're edging dangerously near the edge!"

"Oh, dear. The underwater pull must be enormous!" Penelope was exasperated, her cheeks flushed red from the stress. "I hope Gordon is alright down there?"

Unfortunately, Gordon's plan had fallen apart at the seams. The cabin shook around him as a red light blinked away on the console over the label marked 'Main Motors.' He couldn't ignore the threat, but He tried desperately to hang on. As he wiped his saturated face again, he called up to Thunderbird 2.

"It's no use, Virgil. My engines are over-heating!" he yelled. "If I don't detach, then I could go over with the yacht when it does! Is there anything you can do up there?"

As Gordon's plea for help sounded over Thunderbird 2's radio, Brains had already formulated a plan. There was something they could do after all but required the combined power of all three Thunderbirds. He told Gordon to hold on for a little while longer while he switched the channel to Scott. There, he issued his instructions.

"Scott, I need you to move into position over FAB 2's b-bow!" he said. "Use a magnetic cable and keep her steady!"

"FAB, Brains." Scott acknowledged.

"Now, Virgil. I need you to use our magnetic cables on the stern of the yacht," he continued. "Then with our engines combined, we can help Gordon push FAB 2 clear of the Whirlpool. I-it should be enough thrust to move her."

Virgil formed a smile in the corner of his mouth. Gordon also liked the idea. With vital seconds remaining, the Tracy brother's organised their craft. Thunderbird 1 fired a cable from her underside, snagging the bow with pinpoint accuracy. Penelope and Parker retreated to the bridge as they heard Thunderbird 2 move overhead. Virgil opened a small hatch below the cabin and a small metal canon lowered from it. It angled its launcher towards the stern of the yacht and fired a cable at it. It missed by meters, snagging the metallic roof above the bridge. Penelope and Parker could hear it connect with the metal hull. Its magnetic current kept it in place. Then, on the count of three, the three machines ignited their motors. Tendrils of flame flickered as the Thunderbirds whirred. Their combined thrust moved the yacht at a snail's pace. The fierce currents fought to keep hold of the vessel, but the Thunderbirds relented. Down below, Gordon felt the strain ease a little as they listed away from the centre of the Whirlpool. Finally, they picked up momentum until they dragged the yacht clear from the current. To make sure they were clear of danger, Thunderbird's 1 and 4 continued to tow FAB 2 towards Ibiza while Thunderbird 2 returned for the Pod. Gordon sat back in his chair, sighing with relief. The whole operation was touch and go.

"Well done, guys," he said with a grin. "I thought we weren't going to make it."

The voices of Scott and Penelope conversed with him over the radio.

"That was a remarkable effort, boys!" said Penelope. "I thought we were going to drown!"

"I'm just glad we made it in time, Lady Penelope," replied Scott. "We'll tow you into shallow water and then Brains will repair the engine for you."

"We are very grateful. As a thank you, I must invite you all aboard for one of Parker's signature cocktails. I imagine you all could use a refreshing drink after this."

Gordon smiled and said. "I wouldn't say no. That sounds like a terrific idea."

By late afternoon, FAB 2 bobbed up and down in Havana harbour. Thunderbirds 1 and 2 sat in a quiet car park as Scott, Virgil and Gordon boarded the yacht. As they sat out admiring the view, Brains emerged from the engine room, covered head to toe in motor oil. He pulled out a rag and wiped the oil streaks from his face. With a smile, he presented Penelope with the good news.

"Well, I've stabilized the p-problem. I reset the autopilot," he said as he beamed a smile.

The boys looked at each other as they finished their drinks. Brains flashed a confused look as the three of them hurried across the gangplank towards their crafts. As Brains turned to leave, he felt Penelope grip his arm.

"Not so fast," she said with a determined smile. "While you were down there working, the boys had a terrific idea. We all agreed that you deserved a holiday."

Brains didn't know what to say. He was overdue for a vacation. Shyly, he tried to reject her offer.

"But..I can't.."

"Now that's enough. I've cleared it with Jeff and it's been arranged," she continued. "You need to relax. So while the boys return to base, you're going to enjoy a little pleasure cruise with me."

Brains cheeks flushed red. He hadn't been waited on before. He sat comfortably in the sun lounger next to her and watched as the two Thunderbirds took off for home. Parker approached him with a cocktail. He found it irresistible to refuse it.

"W-Well. I guess it's wrong to argue with Lady Penelope," he stuttered as he took the glass. "Cheers."

END