"Dad's up to something."
"Good morning to you too John." Scott blinked blearily in the sunlight as he shuffled into the kitchen. He flopped down at the kitchen table next to John, poured himself a glass of orange juice from the jug at John's elbow and gulped down half of it. "You're up early." He observed.
"Late, actually." John meticulously corrected, punctuating it with a jaw cracking yawn. "Lost track of time hacking the firewalls on this server and spent more time undoing the encryptions and reading what's on it."
"Wait... what?" Scott blinked and scrubbed a hand over his eyes as his brain finally finished booting up and everything John had said registered. "Are you hacking Tracy Industries again?"
"Technically I'm not hacking Tracy Industries, just a secured server attached to TI. Look at what I found there." John spun his laptop around to show the blueprints he'd been poring over for the last hour before dawn.
Scott slowly set down his half finished juice and took the laptop, scrolling through the information with rapidly widening eyes. "...what's Dad up to?" He said slowly. "The Thunderbird project? TV21? What the hell?"
"Swear jar!" Gordon chirped as he came running into the kitchen and made a beeline for the fridge.
"Doesn't count if Dad says it." Was Scott's distracted rebuttal, not looking up as he skimmed over the specifications. "Eat your breakfast Fishy. I'll take you to swim practice as soon as you're ready."
"Okay!" Gordon mumbled back around a mouthful of bread and jam, jogging back up to his room to get changed.
"What should we do about this?" John eyed his older brother solemnly. "Dad's been planning this out for years and I've got a feeling he wants us in on it." He clicked on a file and brought up an initial concept sketch of an aircraft of some sort, stabbing one long finger at the signature in the bottom right corner. "Mom was in on this. And the new stuff's being done by this genius engineer he's got, his name's Hiram but Dad calls him Brains."
Scott drummed his fingers on the wooden table and frowned at the laptop, glancing up when a door crashed open upstairs to announce Virgil's reluctant farewell to the land of Morpheus. A random howling was Gordon making a run for the upstairs bathroom before Virgil could get there… and that was Alan, yelling something unintelligible as Dad bodily hauled him out of bed. "We're gonna talk to him about it. Just you and me though." He said quickly, well aware the rest of the household was about to descend on them.
"Agreed." John nodded firmly and took back his laptop, clearing the screen and erasing all traces of his presence in the servers. "Tonight. Once the others are in bed, we'll talk to Dad."
"How though? Just rock up to him and say 'Hi Dad, we know about the secret project'?" Scott asked skeptically. "He'll deny everything and that server will be buttoned down tighter than Fort Knox."
"I have an idea about that." Was John's reply, a small smile lurking at the corners of his mouth, the one that worried the eldest just a bit because it meant that John was being sneaky. But he had no time to query it as Alan came clattering downstairs and the rest of the morning passed in a blur of controlled chaos as breakfasts were eaten and the younger Tracys were dressed and trucked off to training, daycare and school.
Once back in the house and tucked away in the corner of the lounge that was his and John's workspace, Scott could barely focus on his online school work with the bubbling sense of foreboding anticipation growing in his chest. Meanwhile John, also doing online schooling, was cool as a cucumber, busily working away with his earbuds in and seemingly only moving his eyes and fingers.
Grandma appeared at lunchtime to drag them away from their coursework and get some food into them. Mid afternoon Dad emerged from the study to clean up the day's dishes and make a start on dinner while Grandma and the two eldest split up to do the after school run and activities- more swimming for Gordon, cross country running for Scott, extension science classes for John and today was art class for Virgil. The evening dragged on- dinner, dishes and other chores, Dad helping Gordon and Virgil with their homework and preparing school bags and lunches for tomorrow. Then followed a group effort to get the younger three showered and ready for bed, capped with a mission for a final glass of water for Alan who was determined to draw out bedtime for as long as possible.
With Alan at last tucked into bed, finally Dad flopped into the middle seat of his favourite couch and flicked on the news with the volume turned low to provide some background noise while he scrolled through another sheaf of reports and projections on his tablet before turning in for the night. As per the hushed planning session they'd had while he was settling the youngest three down, John and Scott were already in place on either end of the couch to bookend him, their laptops out as they did their own things and tossed various comments at each other as they worked. John waited a good half hour to make sure their father was well and truly distracted, then he caught Scott's eye, winked, and nonchalantly asked "Hey Dad, everything going ok with the power core for the TV21?"
"Yeah, it's going well, Brains thinks he's got it now...how the hell did you find out about that!?" Jeff just about dropped his tablet, the spit take almost comical as he looked between his two eldest, then sat with mouth agape as a smug John showed his laptop screen- the latest update from the aforementioned Brains about the aforementioned power core and the issues it had been having in testing. "You know about this too, Scott?" He asked carefully.
Scott nodded. "John showed me this morning." He answered, not sure if he should have tacked a 'sir' onto that or not- his father's expression now hovering close to the stern 'astronaut commander' look that meant deep, deep trouble.
"What's going on Dad?" John spoke up. "I've seen the stuff Mom designed, some of the newer schematics and that you've been brewing this up for years, but I haven't got a clue what this is all about."
Jeff looked between his sons, sighed and smiled as he ruefully shook his head. "I should have known you two would jump the gun on this one." He chuckled. "I was planning on telling you at the end of the school year Scott, and John, you'd have been before course selection for the start of next year. Oh, and by the way we're going to have a conversation later about how exactly you got into that system and you're going to secure it, without any backdoors for yourself. Put your laptops away, boys. I'll be right back."
Mystified, they did as they were bid and waited. Jeff came back a few minutes later, a tray of hot chocolates balanced in one hand and a different tablet- this one thicker and obviously packing more serious hardware- tucked under his arm. "Your grandma's in the kitchen," he said in a hushed voice, "she doesn't know about this yet. Let's go outside and talk out there."
The moon wasn't up yet but the stars were out and the night air was mild as they went out to the front porch and sat in the old swing seat. Once again Jeff sat in the middle and his boys flanked him. He handed out the hot chocolates first then laid the tablet on his knees and brought up a wireframe hologram of an immense rocket-shaped craft. "This is going to be the TV21, but to the general public she'll be known as the Thunderbird once everything is fully operational." He explained, swiping his hand through the hologram to show off the cockpit, a large cargo bay with vehicles ranging from modular digging equipment to a pocket submersible, a medical bay and the massive engines that would let it get around the world. "She's going to be paired with a manned communications space station. That'll be linked with the TI satellites we're already putting up there, giving us worldwide eyes and ears." He explained, bringing up the schematics of the space station next.
"But why?" John frowned, refusing to be distracted by the designs though his fingers positively itched to get into the details of that space station. Scott, he could see, could barely tear his eyes away from the TV21. "What's the reason for it Dad?"
"To save lives, son." Was Jeff's quiet reply. "Imagine what could have happened on the mountain that day if we'd had access to this. Or any of the other disasters that happen every single day out there."
"So what, you're going to build it and give it to the GDF?" Scott frowned. "They'll have a nice photo op with you, flit about with it for publicity stunts and then stick it in an airfield and do what they've always done- get there too late."
"Nope." Jeff shook his head. "This one is my baby. I'm setting up an organisation called International Rescue that'll own and fly her to cut through all the bureaucracy that's slowing things down. IR will be totally independent, going anywhere we're needed."
"Not on your own though." John spoke up again. "There's no way you could do this all on your own."
"Not planning to." Jeff assured him. "Kyrano's already on board as my #2 and you remember Uncle Taylor? He's going to assist with space rescues. Brains will be our technical support back on base."
"Just the four of you?" John was skeptical and his eyebrows showed it.
"For now." Jeff shut down the tablet and looked at his eldest sons again. "I was sitting right here with your Mom when I told her about this idea and she made me promise that I wouldn't force any of you boys to join up. Don't get me wrong, I would love it if you did, but this is my dream and you boys have your own dreams that are just as important. I'll find a crew, don't you worry." His phone suddenly buzzed and he checked the screen. "It's Kyrano, sorry boys I've got to take this one, I'll be right back." He stood and answered the phone, walking around the corner of the house to not be overheard.
Scott took a sip of his hot chocolate, dark brows drawn close and head bowed in thought.
"You want in, don't you?" John asked him, intuiting what his brother was pondering.
"...I do, I think." Scott admitted quietly. "They only let you fly for so long, the Air Force I mean. I was talking to someone and they said once you're promoted high enough they park you at a desk most of the time and I don't want that. I want to be up there." He said, looking to the sky. "I'm good at that, I know I am, but this means I'd get to do more than just fly. I'd get to help people. What about you?"
"That space station is tempting." John stared at the half melted marshmallow clinging to the inside of his cup. "But I don't know if I can handle zero-G yet, Dad's not taking me up until I can pass the physical and I have a hard enough time with regular-G some days." He half smiled at the old joke. "If I can't, I can do good here too."
"Well it's not like The Thunderbird is going to be ready overnight." Scott pointed out. "There's still time for us to do our own things and then see what happens."
"That's true." John nodded. "Dad's going to need a comms guy on that station though." He mused. "It'll mean languages and communications equipment, plus whatever else Dad puts on there."
"Which you love." Scott grinned at him, knowing how oh so tempting that space station was to his star-loving sibling. "Betcha that Brains guy could put a telescope on it if you asked."
"Yeah, I do. You do realise if you take one of the seats on the TV21 you won't just be flying. Did you see the size of that medical and rescue bay?" John said. "And all those other vehicles too?"
"John, we've got Grandma." Scott gave him a long-suffering look. "She's been teaching us how to put each other back together ever since you fell off the roof for the first time. Heck, Virgil corrected his science teacher when he got the tibia and fibula mixed up and he's ten. He's gonna be the medic, guaranteed."
"True. There was a sub too." John added.
"Gordon's." Both brothers chorused, then grinned at each other. If the Fish found out about the sub that would be his decision made, instantly.
"What about Alan?" Scott asked.
"I dunno yet. He's still little." John pondered it. "I guess we'll see?"
A thud of footsteps on wood announced Jeff's return as he put the phone back in his pocket and reclaimed his spot on the swing seat. "Nothing big, just an issue at the new site." He told them. "Any questions so far?"
"Not yet." Scott shook his head. "But I'm interested."
"Me too." John nodded. "No promises though."
"That's fine, I wasn't wanting or expecting any." Jeff reached out and wrapped his arms around his boys' shoulders. "Don't make any decisions yet, and don't tell anyone else, okay? Especially not your grandma."
"And why not?"
Startled, the three turned and looked over to see Grandma Tracy standing on the porch with arms crossed and looking distinctly unamused.
"Busted!" Virgil sang out from the upstairs window, Gordon's blonde head peeking out next to him.
"You two go back to bed!" Grandma called up to the two boys. "And shut that window!" The window snapped shut with alacrity. "And you, Jefferson Tracy," she turned narrowed eyes on her son, "are going to explain why you were pacing outside the kitchen window talking about an island and asking these two to keep a secret from me that included a submarine for Gordon and a medical bay for Virgil."
"Ma…" Jeff tried placating her.
"Don't you 'Ma' at me young man." Grandma warned, shaking one finger at him.
"Then let me explain." Jeff shook his head. "Actually, I'll do one better. Let me show you all. I'll email the schools, you help me pack some bags, we're going on a trip tomorrow."
0o0o0
Well before dawn they'd all trooped out with overnight bags in hand to the airfield down the back of the farm and the small plane Jeff used when he was going to New York. To their surprise he took them cross country to the international airport at Topeka, where they transferred to a much bigger LearJet. Shortly afterwards they were soaring above the Pacific Ocean. Grandma kept the younger kids mostly corralled while the older two took turns as co-pilot to get their hours up for their pilot licences.
Hours later, Jeff guided the nose of the plane down to a tiny speck of rock that reared out of the impossibly blue ocean below them. He circled once, letting them drink in sight of the craggy double peak of the main island, the skeletons of buildings that decorated it and the spikes of rock that ringed the midnight blue throat of the caldera in the middle of the bay. Finally he brought them in for a landing on a short landing strip that terminated at the mouth of a gigantic cave.
There would have been a generalised stampede for the door but Jeff kept it locked and called them all to order first. "Boys." He began, his voice carrying the serious tone they all knew meant this was a big deal. "What you're about to see is absolute top secret, understand? If your teachers or anyone else asks about where you were today, the story is we all got food poisoning." There were more than a few glances between them at that. They were being ordered to lie? "This is a construction site," Jeff went on, "Absolutely do not go anywhere without me or Kyrano and do not touch anything. Understood?"
"Understood." The boys chorused. Grandma stood at the back with her arms crossed, reserving judgement until she had the full picture.
With that, Jeff touched the control that lowered the airstairs. "Welcome to what will be our new home."
The main hangar in front of them had come first in their tour, a massive space dominated by the equally massive half built aircraft that would be the TV21. She'd eventually move to the second hanger, a smaller space dug deeper into the mountain that had once housed an intercontinental ballistic missile and a collection of smaller surface to air missiles intended to defend the installation. The former silo for the ICBM would be the TV21's home and the launch tube for it was now crowned with the completed Round House that Brains, Kyrano and Tanusha lived in while the rest of the facilities were being finished by construction robots. Jeff showed them the foundations of the villa that would be their home and brought up the plans for it on his tablet so they could see what it would one day look like. In front of the villa was a deep pit where the smaller surface to air missiles would have launched from after being transported up from the second hangar. That would be covered over eventually and hidden with a pool, but he wasn't sure what to do with the launch bay itself just yet. He'd also introduced them to Brains; who had been simultaneously horrified and impressed that his server had been cracked by a teenager and had a quick conference with John on how on earth he'd done that without setting off any of the security that Brains and Kyrano had set up for it.
As the sun began to sink to the horizon they'd gathered in the Round House for dinner. Afterwards, Alan, only barely five and overtired, passed out on the couch almost immediately when Jeff and Kyrano gathered the rest in the lounge for a family conference where he explained his dream and reiterated that he didn't expect the others to join him in it.
"It's going to take a lot of work." Jeff explained. "Piloting, search and rescue training, parachute work, medical training, heights and ropes work, SCUBA and space ratings are the bare minimum. For security all operatives would need to be cross trained on everything, and they'd all need to live here on base. I can't ask you to sign your lives away and I'm not going to. Your Mom," he looked at his boys, "made me promise that to her when I first told her about International Rescue. I don't want you to make any decisions now, but I want you to think about it." He got up, feeling his knees creak from sitting for several hours, then trapaising about the island for several more. "You kids relax for a bit, I'll go make sure the guest bedrooms are all set up." He told them, seeing Tanusha already scoot over to Gordon and start talking with him.
He wasn't surprised when his mother followed him around the curved building to the guest wing.
"So this is what you've been up to?" She asked, arms crossed over her chest as she stood in the hallway.
Jeff wasn't sure how to interpret her tone as he turned to face her, the setting sun tinting her greying hair with red. "Yeah. I was going to tell you next month, then John found his way into the server yesterday and told Scott." He explained. "All that the world would know about this place is that 'Jeff Tracy the Billionaire is living the dream on his own luxury island'. It'd all be a facade, hiding International Rescue right in plain sight."
"But you would be living your dream, wouldn't you?" Sally observed, stepping closer to him. "Ever since you were little, if you weren't staring at the moon and dreaming of high speed jet planes, you were helping others." She smiled at him. "I'm so very proud of you." She said simply. "Now, make sure you run the plans for the infirmary and physio facilities by me before those robots build it." She told him.
"Ma?" Jeff blinked, confused.
"If you're going to be doing this, you're going to be getting hurt. There's no way I'm trusting my boy, my grandsons and Tanusha to any strangers." She told him. "I'm going to be running that infirmary so I'll want it set up properly."
"But the kids haven't even said they want in yet!" Jeff protested.
"Did you see their faces?" Sally asked quietly. "Those kids have lost their mothers. I can guarantee you that the only thought they had in their minds was that with International Rescue they'd be able to stop someone else from feeling the pain that they feel. They're going to want in. Scott and Tanusha will probably tell you tomorrow, if not earlier and if she hasn't already told her father. John's going to want to think about it a bit longer, so will Virgil and Gordon. You'll have to explain it all to Allie when he's awake and again when he's older." She told him. "But you're going to have your crew and it's going to be them."
Jeff smiled. "Thank you, Mom." He said, pulling her close for a hug. "I'm so glad you'll be here too."
"You're welcome." She smiled at him. "Now, let's get those guest rooms ready, they've had a long day today and I want to go over the logistics with you, Brains and Kyrano before you all turn in."