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.

One Way Ticket

Deep below the surface of the ocean, a new state of the art Magnotrain began its maiden voyage from London to New York City entirely underwater. It was the first train of its kind to undertake such a journey, displaying the wonders of the ocean to the paying customers who jumped at the chance to ride the marvellous machine. Humphrey Harcourt, the company chairman, Beamed a smile of pride and he looked up at the shimmering water above. He was a dear friend of Lady Penelope, who without her gracious financial backing, couldn't make his vision a reality. As a token of his appreciation, he invited the young aristocratic socialite and her chauffeur along on the Magnotrain's maiden voyage. The train moved along an airtight glass tube that ran along the ocean bed like a vein. Penelope felt assured that nothing could go wrong, but Parker had his reservations. He gripped his hat nervously while she casually sipped a cup of coffee. Her sharp pink outfit highlighted her from the rest of the crowd. She looked up at Parker with a smile, ignoring the uncomfortable look on his face.

"Isn't this exciting, Parker?" she said. "You can see everything the ocean has to offer. Simply wonderful."

"Frightening more like, M'Lady," Parker moaned. "I prefer to keep my head above water."

"Come now, Parker," tutted Penelope. "Humphrey has graciously invited us along on his Magnotrain as a gesture of appreciation. You could at least show him some interest."

Overhearing their conversation, The loud and eccentric Humphrey stepped towards them. He flashed a confident smile at them as he placed his hands in the small pockets of his tweed jacket.

"Don't be so glum, Parker old boy," He said. "I assure you that we spent millions of dollars to make the Magnotrain quite safe. The tube is secured down with titanium supports. Nothing can break them."

Penelope's eyes darted back towards Parker. The side of her lips curled into a smile.

"Now will you enjoy the ride, Parker?"

Parker rolled his eyes with a sigh. He tried to simmer the anxiety inside, but it didn't work. As the Magnotrain accelerated through the winding tube, another submarine came into view through the clear glass tunnel. It was a yellow, bulky craft that was too small to house a human being. It sported two fins with a searchlight at either end and a red light blinked away inside the cabin. As it gained pace on the train, its flashlights reflected off the glass tubing. Parker gulped hard as he watched it whizz overhead.

"Cor, that was a bit too close for comfort! Just where did that come from?"

Humphrey wiped the smile from his face. "It's one of two radio-controlled camera subs. They're currently following the train, relaying live pictures for the World News Network. The Magnotrain is going live all around the world."

Suddenly, as the remote-controlled sub moved on, Sparks spat out of its left engine fin. The passengers watched on in horror as it fell towards the glass tunnel, crashing against it heavily with its metallic shell. The tunnel withstood the first impacts, sending vibrations through the system and the Magnotrain itself, but the malfunctioning robot sub wasn't done. Tension mounted inside the train when the maverick sub disappeared over the horizon out of view. None of them could see the impending danger. The news sub struck the tunnel again, cracking it and a torrent of water flooded the tunnel through the incision. The warning systems registered the damage and sprung to life. The Magnotrain's brakes kicked in, bringing the train to a sudden halt. The passengers toppled over each other, confused and frightened by the sudden panic. Among the crumpled passengers. Lady Penelope lifted herself off the floor and adjusted her pink jacket. It took her seconds to hear a faint rumbling sound up ahead, which shook the tunnel with a dull vibration.

"What on Earth has happened?" she asked.

The High Tech tunnel had ensured the passenger's safety, but it didn't alleviate their concerns. Humphrey turned to address them. He raised his hands and spoke to them in a soothing tone.

"Everyone stay calm! There's no need for alarm. We're quite safe!" he said. "Although we can't see it, we've been sealed off from the damaged section of the tunnel. We'll be heading to New York in no time at all."

However, his driver wasn't convinced. He spun round in his chair to apprise Humphrey of the situation.

"I'm afraid not sir," he said regrettably. "The master computer has malfunctioned and closed down the motors."

"Crikey! We're trapped!" Parker inhaled deeply as the sudden realisation hit him.

Fortunately, Lady Penelope used the confused cries of the passengers to her advantage. They were able to stifle her secret radio call to Jeff Tracy on Tracy Island. This was a job for International Rescue and time was against them. She whispered into the small concealed transmitter housed within her compact.

"Calling International Rescue. Jeff, we have a situation down here."

At the villa on Tracy Island, Jeff Tracy sent his boys on their way. It was a job for all of them. The underwater rescue gear was required along with a modified Monobrake. Gordon and Alan accompanied Virgil towards Thunderbird Two while Scott prepared to launch Thunderbird One. As Jeff returned to his desk, he informed Penelope that the boys were on their way. He couldn't imagine how it felt to be trapped in a glass tube at the bottom of the sea, despite the memories of his harrowing encounter with a mono-train. He watched on as Thunderbird One blasted through the concealed swimming pool door, disappearing behind a thick screen of rocket exhaust. Thunderbird Two launched a short while later, taking up position behind the supersonic rocket plane. By this time, news of the accident had been relayed on every news channel. Some of them asked the question, Would they see International Rescue? Jeff sank back in his chair and signed. If there was one thing they didn't need, it was publicity.

Eventually, the two mighty machines arrived off the Eastern US coast. Scott surveyed the area, scouting for a good location to deploy Thunderbird Four. The blips sounded over the small radar monitor as his sonar device picked up the metal vibrations from the glass tunnel below. He hovered there for a while until his brother's arrived in Thunderbird Two. Virgil had made a quick detour to the mainland so he could drop off Alan and the Monobrake. Scott guided him in until Virgil brought the big green Thunderbird to a hover above the water.

"Thunderbird One to Thunderbird Two, you got here just in time," he stated over the microphone. "Is Gordon ready?"

"FAB, Scott," acknowledged Virgil. "Alan's on his way through the tunnel. I'm about to drop the pod."

"FAB. Let's get moving, boys!"

Releasing the mechanical latch which kept the pod in place, Virgil dropped the bulky green pod Four until crashed upon the waves below. As it gently bobbed up and down, the pod flapped lowered and a silver metal slipway protruded into the water like a tongue. Then suddenly, with a sudden blast, the yellow streak that was Thunderbird Four, thundered down the launch ramp, disappearing beneath the waves. At the controls, Gordon Tracy steered down towards the glass tunnel. He had a simple task to undertake. Thunderbird Four had been loaded with an extra-strong sealant that could withstand the pressure from the depths. As he caught the reflective tunnel with his powerful searchlights, he smiled.

"Thunderbird Two from Thunderbird Four. I've located the tunnel. I think I can see the damaged area," he said. "The aqua sealant should do the trick. Let's hope I've brought enough of it."

However, Scott responded with a sudden urgency in his voice.

"Gordon, we've received an update from John. There's more trouble! Lady Penelope reports that the tunnel has started to buckle under the pressure. It could flood at any moment!"

Gordon frowned. "Oh no! The train and her passengers wouldn't stand a chance! I better hurry!"

Then, a youthful and optimistic voice sounded over the radio. It was Alan. Having just entered the tunnel via a service shaft, he had monitored their transmission via the Monobrake. Fortunately for them, he had already gained speed and was hurrying along the glass tunnel towards the Magnotrain. Despite the claustrophobic conditions, The Monobrake managed to traverse the tunnel with barely little room around him. Beads of sweat ran down his face as he kept his foot on the accelerator.

"Hey guys, don't forget about me now!" He said with a nervous grin. "Virgil didn't drop me off in New York to go sightseeing you know."

"FAB, Alan, where are you?" replied Gordon. "The Monobrake might be the Magnotrain's only chance!"

"I'm closing in on the Magnotrain now," Alan said. "I should spot it any moment now."

Time was running out. Suddenly, the water pressure on the sealed-off tunnel became too great. The glass cracked under the strain as the bulkhead door gave way to the large inflow of water. The water swirled around the Magnotrain, violently lashing the sides of the glass carriage. The passengers began to panic even more. Humphrey and Penelope could no longer contain their frenzy. He looked at her with despairing eyes.

"What are we going to do? How are we going to get out of here now?"

Lady Penelope tried to find the answers. As she tried to keep her composure, she saw the glint of a headlight shine through the glass compartment behind her. The panicked passengers failed to notice the International Rescue vehicle pull up behind them. Penelope smiled as she watched Alan hop out of the vehicle, carrying a tow cable. She turned to the passengers and attempted to calm them once again, ignoring her fears that this could be the boys toughest assignment yet.

"Don't panic! International Rescue has arrived!" she said as she diverted their attention towards the young man behind them.

One by one the crowd cheered, but their cries of joy went unheard through the soundproof glass. Alan fixed the large metal tow cable to a coupling on the end of the train and secured it in place. He wasn't sure if it would do the job, but he had to trust his instincts. He raised his wristwatch and updated Scott on his progress.

"Alan to Thunderbird One. I've reached the Magnotrain, Scott, but her engines will flood if the water rises any further."

"Gordon's taking care of it now, Alan," Scott replied sharply. "Just get those people out of there!"

"FAB, Scott. I've attached a tow cable to the Magnotrain now. I'm going to try and pull her clear on full power."

As he said this, Alan could feel the water rise around his feet. As it rose towards his calf, he leapt back into the Monobrake and started her up. The water level continued to rise as the Monobrake's caterpillar tracks screeched under the water, struggling for traction. He could feel the Magnotrain jolt slightly, but the rising water level prevented it from moving. Outside of the flooded tunnel, Gordon observed his brother's valiant effort. Donning his wet suit and scuba mask, he left Thunderbird Four with a sealant rifle. As he glided through the water towards the damaged area, he called out to his struggling brother.

"Don't worry, Alan! The tunnel should be sealed up in no time. So long as Brains' new sealant can get us out of this sticky situation."

Gordon aimed the nose of his rifle at the crack and squeezed the trigger. The rifle excreted a thick, luminous orange substance that took on a rubbery texture. Gordon coated the tunnel with the stuff, completely clogging up the damaged section. The sealant expanded with an unsettling creaking sound. A few minutes ticked by when the results of his work displayed themselves. The sealant had worked. Satisfied with the result, Gordon called out to Alan again.

"It worked! Good ol' Brains! He's done it again!"

Meanwhile, the Monobrake's engines continued to strain under the waterlogged tunnel. It had been minutes since Alan made his first attempt. Just as he thought his plan would fail, the Magnotrain began to lurch again and again until finally, it was pulled free from its pressurised trap. Alan smiled as he dragged the train along the tunnel towards the New York terminal. He then changed direction, crawling along the same service tunnel in which he entered. Alan smiled to himself. He knew full well that it was Brains idea to tow the train out. He hoped, however, that the Monobrake could withstand the rest of the journey for he could hear an unhealthy sound coming from the main engine. The long trip took over an hour, but it was worth the wait. Lady Penelope, Parker and Humphrey sighed collectively as they observed the surface descend above them.

"They did it! The International Rescue guys did it!" exclaimed Humphrey. "Those guys are amazing! They're prepared for anything!"

Lady Penelope smirked at Parker.

"We quite agree with you," she said. "Don't we Parker?"

"Absolutely, M'Lady." Parker agreed smugly.

They eventually emerged from the tunnel only to witness an amazing sight. The passengers feat their eyes upon the two Thunderbird machines as they sat there outside the emergency service tunnel. With her engines screaming, the Monobrake managed to complete the rescue. Scott, Virgil and Gordon assisted with the evacuation of the passengers while Alan unhitched the vehicle and steered it back towards the pod. As soon as the passengers dispersed, Lady Penelope seized her moment to wave the boys goodbye. They watched as the two Thunderbirds took off for home, disappearing over the Manhattan skyline. Parker exhaled as he slumped his body up against the damaged Magnotrain.

"Cor' what a day! I can't wait to get home, M'Lady!" he huffed.

Penelope agreed with him sympathetically. "I know what you mean, Come along, Parker. I'll make the necessary travel arrangements when we get to the hotel."

"Very good, M'Lady."

Later that evening, as the sun disappeared beneath clouds, Lady Penelope enjoyed a quiet dinner on her hotel balcony which overlooked Central Park. As she finished a glass of wine, the secret agent and her butler planned their trip home. Before she settled down for the night, however, she decided to contact Jeff Tracy one last time. Parker stood out admiring the city while her ladyship made her call.

"I received a call from Humphrey earlier this evening. It looks like the Magnotrain will be out of action for some time. I do feel sorry for him. It was such an exciting trip before the disaster."

"I know, Penny, but rest assured we'll happily help with the repairs," Jeff replied over the compact radio receiver. "Brains can't wait to get an up-close look at the Magnotrain himself."

Penelope smiled. "Well, I'm sure Humphrey will be most grateful for the help. Oh and Jeff, do thank the boys for me once again. Especially Alan. He did a magnificent job."

"Will do, Penny. By the way, how are you going to get home?"

Penelope looked over at Parker for a moment.

"Don't worry about us, Jeff. Parker and I are going to fly home instead. One prefers flying these days. Isn't that right Parker?"

Parker rolled his eyes with a heavy sigh. "Yes, M'Lady."

Ending the call, Lady Penelope and Parker turned in for the night, putting behind their ordeal under the sea. In the months that followed, and with the help of Brains posing as Hiram K Hackenbacker, Humphrey Harcourt announced to the world that his Magnotrain was back in service. With brand new technology and safety procedures, The Magnotrain completed her first maiden trip, which was received to much acclaim. It was a victory for Humphrey, for the Magnotrain and for Brains who took great pride in designing the new systems. Now that mankind could traverse the oceans at high speed, there was no stopping them. The future would continue to innovate.

END