Thunderbirds Blast Off
By Lee Homer
Disclaimer: The second collection of short adventures inspired by the comic strips. It's a fan adaptation only. All rights reserved. I don't own Thunderbirds.
Mudslide!
(River Of Destruction)
New Santiago, the newly built capital city of Chile, stood proudly on the lower slopes of the Andes mountain range. The complex, which consisted of architectural marvels and metallic domes, gleamed in the sun while her residents went about their daily lives, living in the comfort of the city's fully automated systems. New Santiago promised wealth and prosperity, free from crime, famine and disease, but even the most highly advanced cities couldn't prepare for the fury that was mother nature. The city sat on a fault line that ran throughout the area. There hadn't been a recorded earthquake in the area for many a century, but that was soon about to change. On the morning of July 7th, the first of many seismic tremors rocked the city, shaking her buildings and residents about like sardines in a can. Glass towers rocked on their foundations, pressure domes slit open from their weakened hulls. The second tremor struck some thirty minutes after the first. It was much louder and fierce than its predecessor. The people began to panic when the emergency sirens sounded. The Earth caved, devouring cars and street signs as frightened civilians clambered over each other trying to reach the emergency shelters. None of them could have dreamed that their routine morning could end in sheer pandemonium.
As the Earth groaned and shuddered, those who couldn't make it into the shelters, decided to flee the city. But some remained behind, trying to restore order to the people. As the second tremor ceased, two police officers gathered outside the town hall. Their shiny silver uniforms were covered by the dust which the Earth kicked up. One of the officers removed his helmet, airing out his sweat-soaked hair. Calmly, he pulled himself out of his frenzy as he approached his colleague.
"It's no good, Senior Gomez! It's useless!" he said. We haven't got the resources to cope with this mess!"
His blond-haired colleague put a hand on his shoulder.
"Help will soon come, Captain," he replied. "We have sent a radio message."
News of the disaster swept across the globe, beaming onto the sets of every television screen. Up in space, orbiting the South Pacific, Thunderbird 5 also received the call. John Tracy monitored all the updates before they could reach the media channels. As per his father's instructions, he reported into Tracy Island on the hour.
"Base from Thunderbird 5," he said as he opened a channel. "There's nothing for us yet, father, but I thought you should know."
Jeff's low grumble sounded over the radio. "Right John, we'll stand by."
Sitting at his desk with a dire look on his face, Jeff Tracy fixed his attention to the TV screen behind him. The news channel had broadcast minute to minute developments. Scott joined him when Ned Cook, the infamous news anchor appeared on the screen. The updates disturbed them deeply.
"Troops and rescue workers have been rushed to the New Santiago disaster and the authorities expect most survivors to have been dug out within the hour," he said. "There is little hope, however, for the five members of the city treasury who were working in the city hall vault with the door routinely closed. The failure of the air conditioning means that they will suffocate before rescuers can tunnel through to them. A huge pile of debris has buried the vault. The situation is looking grim. Stay tuned as we have the latest in just a few minutes."
Jeff bolted from his chair. The time for them to act had come.
"Action stations!" he cried. "Away you go, Scott! I'll send for Virgil. We've got to get those men clear! Thunderbirds are go!"
Within seconds, Scott's sleek craft hurtled skywards from her concealed hangar. Climbing to a height of 15,000 feet, Scott levelled off and headed for the danger zone. Precious minutes ticked by when Thunderbird 2 arrived at her launch ramp. The hydraulic jacked raised her into the sky, and with a pull of a lever, blasted off into the clouds on a furious cloud of thrust. Thunderbird 2 carried Pod 3 for this rescue as it contained the right equipment they needed to undertake such a challenge. In less than half an hour, Thunderbird 1 crossed the coast towards Chile. The sky grew dark as black, foreboding clouds developed around him. Lightning bolts illuminated the sinister haze of the horizon, followed swiftly by deafening thunderclaps. Despite his stern bravery, they made Scott uneasy.
"Base from Thunderbird 1. I'm approaching the Danger Zone now," reported Scott. "The Earthquake has upset the weather. Hold on while I take a look at something down there. I think we're in real trouble."
But then, suddenly, Scott noticed something he didn't anticipate. The course of an outlet stream that ran through the mountain lake had been diverted by the earthquake. It saturated the mountainside, sending a great sea of mud shifting down towards the city. Scott watched on in horror as the mudslide crept downwards, engulfing the land one acre at a time. It ripped trees from their routes and turned cars on their sides. Loose boulders travelled in the thick brown torrent of sludge. Scott continued his report as the chaos unfolded.
"There's a mud avalanche on its way and I reckon it will hit the city in about 30 minutes!"
Over in Thunderbird 2, Virgil updated his brother on his progress. Thunderbird 2 was often slower than her sister ship, but she always arrived on time. Scott's voice called out to him as he approached the coast.
"What's your ETA, Virgil?"
"Twenty Two minutes, Scott. Fix a landing spot for me as close as possible to save time." Virgil replied.
"FAB. I'm coming into land now."
A group of exhausted police officers climbed over the mounds of rubble when they looked up to the sound of engines approaching them. They looked up in awe as Thunderbird 1 touched down in front of them. They had read about the fantastic machines of International Rescue but they never thought they'd ever get to see one up close. Scott left his craft and approached the chief officer. He soon disillusioned them when he informed them of the impending danger.
"You've just enough time to pull out before the mudslide hits here," he said, stern-faced as his brow furrowed. "You won't reach the vault in time so risk your lives of all your men?"
The police chief grumbled. "I don't like it! but it makes sense! We'll pull out!"
Another officer begged the question; "Is there nothing we can do?"
Scott shook his head. Instead, he offered the men two things.
"There are two things you can help me with," he said. "Level an area here so Thunderbird 2 can land, and have an ambulance copter standing by on the high ground. Now let's get moving!"
As the officers climbed into their rescue vehicles and got to work, Scott trudged back towards Thunderbird One. He switched on his pencil-shaped microphone and called up to his brother. The last man got clear when Thunderbird Two emerged from the smoke. Virgil had witnessed the advancing mudslide as he flew over, leaving him the grim duty of updating his brother.
"The mud's reached the city limits, Scott!" he said. "I can you now. I'm coming into land."
Thunderbird 2's powerful downward jets hissed into life as Virgil set the green giant down upon the newly levelled ground. The craft raised skywards, revealing Pod 3 and freeing the pod flap. Scott made his way into it and climbed into the cab of one of their impressive machines. The pod flap lowered and the first of the two machines crawled out. It was a large, bulky blue bulldozer on two tracks, with a large ram scoop mounted on the front. Behind it was a large trash compactor furnace, much like the ones used in rubbish trucks. As Virgil steered it towards the rescue site, Scott followed him out of the Pod. He took the wheels of the Demolition and Object Moving Operator. Abbreviated as 'DOMO', the 29-ton tank carried three still arms, each of which carried a magnetic suction cup, powerful enough to stabilise a two-story house. Scott guided his brother towards the vault as he kept behind him.
"Virgil, the vault's under the centre of that pile. Clear a section down to ground level. I'll help you."
"FAB, Scott!" acknowledged Virgil.
Suddenly, as their mechanical arms whirred into action, the two wonder machines tore into the rubble at a fantastic rate. Virgil's dozer scooped up large mounds of rubble, tossing it into the large compactor behind. The grinding of metal upon metal accompanied by a jet of black smoke demonstrated the effectiveness of the machine. Working steadily behind him, The DOMO picked and tore away at ruined walls and concrete chunks as her magnetic suction cups lifted the pieces and dropped them in a pile to one side. They managed to unearth the roof of the vault. Its structure had weakened from the damage which made it easier for Scot to prise it open. He focused the DOMO's grabs on the damaged section of the roof, pulled it clear with one almighty pull and then reversed the way it came. Virgil stopped his vehicle and prepared to make his descent into the vault.
Scott returned to the Pod, concerned by the approaching Mudslide. He knew that he had to create a second barrier that could divert it out to sea. Unfortunately, with little time left, he had one option left. He left the DOMO and hurtled towards Thunderbird 1. He had to stop that Mudslide one way or another before it could strike the vault with his brother inside. Strapping himself inside the controls, he ignited his engines and took off at a low altitude. He soon spotted the advancing slide, which crawled menacingly through an abandoned property, wiping it clean off its foundations. A narrow valley sat between it and the city's centre. A small dirt road ran through the two large jagged cliffs which sat at either end. It provided Scott with the shot he was looking for. He climbed skywards and brought Thunderbird 1 down in a steep dive. Her machine gun turret flipped down from beneath the nose cone and fired a volley of missiles at the jagged cliff tops. The following explosions loosened the rocks, sending them tumbling down towards the road. The rocks flowed in the right direction, but it wasn't enough to hold the approaching torrent. Scott swung about for another pass, targeting the opposing cliff face. He thumbed the button, blasting it with pieces with another barrage. The rocks piled on top of each other, layer upon layer, forming a barrier that sat across the narrow road. He sat there patiently and waited for the impact.
Then suddenly, amongst the dust clouds came the slow, gurgling sound of the Mudslide. He pounded the rocky barrier hard, using its full weight to breakthrough, but the mass of rocks and debris kept it at bay. It was all he could do for now. Sighing with relief, he returned to the landing site, hoping that the barrier would contain the mud. He could hear it creaking and bubbling through the air when he left his craft and hurried back towards the DOMO. He knew he could do more to re-enforce it and set about the task of transporting more rubble towards the barrier.
Virgil had complete his perilous climb into the depths of the vault. He had dropped a total of six stories, planting his feet on the metal floor outside the main doors. The metallic walls amplified the chaotic sounds from outside, adding to the tension. He had slung a laser cutter over his back which was connected to a single gas cylinder. He removed his IR hat and placed on a protective safety visor. The visor had a two-way microphone fitted inside its frame, allowing him to keep in contact with his brother. He trained the nose of his laser at the heavy blast doors, switched on the gas cylinder and began to cut his way in. The heat began to build around him along with the sudden fear of being buried alive when the Mudslide hit. He did not know Scott's plan, unaware of the dam he had created outside the main centre. He believed that the mud was almost on top of him. As he cut through three-quarters of the door, he could hear weary voices echo from inside.
"Someone's cutting through!"
"We're saved!"
"What's happening!? Who's that?"
Suddenly, Virgil retracted his laser cutter and the door hit the ground with a ringing concussion that stung his ears. Five weary men with tattered rags on their backs staggered out of the vault. He called out to them, instructing them to follow him towards an awaiting rope which suspended from the top of the hole.
"Quickly!" he yelled. "Climb up!"
As they made their ascent, Scott filled in the gaps of his makeshift dam. The mud had already seeped through the barrier, clogging up the axels of the DOMO. Scott struggled for traction as his vehicle slid back towards the town. The debris he carried from town seemed to make the difference, but it wasn't going to hold for long. As he breathed heavily, Virgil's voice cut through the tumultuous sounds.
"We're almost clear of the vault, Scott! We'll be another five minutes at best!"
"Make it snappy will you!" Scott barked. "I can't hold this mud back much longer!"
The five minutes passed at a lightning pace when Scott threw his vehicle in reverse. There was nothing more he could do. The DOMO, cached in mud and silt, trudged down the track it had made for itself and crawled up the ramp into the Pod. Virgil swiftly followed as he loaded his large dozer into the Pod with the five survivors inside.
"Quick! Get inside the pod!" he yelled again. "Hurry!"
As Thunderbird 2 collected its pod, the brothers looked on in terror. The suspense had led to this moment. The barrier split in too as the mudslide charged towards the town centre like a rapid flood. The pressure build-up caused the increase in its momentum as it smashed into the debris and decimated anything left standing. Thunderbirds 1 and 2 lifted off seconds before the mud engulfed the ground in which they sat. From the relative safety of the air, they watched in despair as the mud swept away New Santiago, leaving a trail of destruction. They may have failed to divert the flow, but there were no casualties. Virgil called his brother.
"Scott! Are you okay?"
And in Thunderbird 1, Scott's reply was strained.
"Yes! I'm fine!" he replied, exhaustedly. "I just wish we could have done more to save the town."
"We did everything possible," Virgil assured him. "I'll take these guys to the hospital then I'll see you back home."
"FAB," Scott replied as he cracked a solemn smile. "Only one thing worries me I guess. Somebody's got to clean the DOMO, and I've seen enough mud to last me a lifetime."
END