"Gordon! Brains! Up here on the double!" bellowed Jeff.
Gordon looked up from his work inside TB4 with a start. Something was wrong. His father rarely called them up to the lounge in that tone of voice. Gordon looked at Brains and Brains at Gordon then they both bolted towards the lounge.
At his desk, Jeff still had his hand in a fist, staring at the portraits, ..waiting, ..waiting....
Scott landed TB1 next to the remains of Thunderbird 2. When he got out, he stood there just gaping at the huge mass of mangled green metal that used to be the workhorse behind International Rescue. He thought to himself "If Virg were alive, this would kill him". He snapped out of his fugue with that thought. "NO! Virgil and John are NOT DEAD!" he said aloud. "They are alive and we are going to get them out!" He looked down at his watch communicator and hailed base.
Scott's portrait started to beep, and Jeff answered abruptly just as Gordon and Brains entered the lounge. Jeff's reaction to Scott's hailing left both Brains and Gordon with a sour feeling in their stomach. "Scott, what is..how bad..Virgil? John?" Jeff couldn't seem to get out the question he needed to ask.
Scott already in a state of shock and dispair didn't think he could feel any worse. But when he heard his father stutter when trying to ask about Virgil and John, his heart just sank.
"Father, I am at the site now. Thunderbird 2 is destroyed. I have not been able to determine if either John or Virgil have survived. I tried TB2's communications and both watch communicators. No answer. I then tried the thermalscan, but with all the wiring shorts inside, I cannot make out any distinguished forms. But I do not think there is a fire inside. There was not that much heat showing up on the scan. TB2 is settled on her right side, the mole has punctured a hole out the bottom of the pod and about ΒΌ of the mole auger is showing. The tail assembly is gone, the right wing is sheared off and the left wing broken at the midpoint. I can't see much of the nose section, it is buried in the side of the hill. None of the doors are visible." Scott forced himself to be as professional as possible. He wanted to leap onto the top of TB2 and just tear away at the sheet metal to get inside to his brothers. But, he had to give Base all the facts as clear and precise as possible so that a plan of attack can be worked out.
This was the first Gordon and Brains had heard about the accident. Tears were streaming down Gordon's face as he looked at his father, distressed and in shock. He didn't want to believe what he heard. He was sure there was more to it and he just walked in late or misinterpreted what Scott had just said. Maybe he was just describing a bad dream, or what might have happened if TB2 didn't just escape by the skin of her shell. Brains had sunk into the closest chair. He was mumbling incoherently. He had to think. He designed TB2, what were their chances of survival? What about the engines, was there a radiation leak? Would the nose cabin be able to withstand such a severe crash? "Think, Brains, think" he commanded himself. "uh,..uh..Scott? Have you t-t-taken a r-r-reading to s-s-see if there is a- a-a-any radiation l-l-l-leakage from the e-e-e-engines?" asked Brains. (He didn't notice how bad he stutter had gotten) Scott answered "give me a minute Brains" After what seemed like an eternity, Scott was back on the com "there is no radiation leak, the engines apparently were spared".
Alan had listened to the transmissions. He was sick. "It could have been me down there if it wasn't my turn up here in TB5. It SHOULD have been me instead of John! Alan was thinking. He was feeling himself starting to panic and a feeling of clostrophobia was enveloping him. This is the feeling that John always complained about when his brothers were on a mission, but Alan was way to worried to appreciate it just now. He started pacing around TB5 trying to think of a solution. What could he do from up in space? He was working himself up into a very agitated state.
"Scott", everyone turned to Jeff as he spoke. He seemed to be pulling himself out of his state of shock and taking control as he always had. "I want you to come back here on the double".
"NO! NO way am I going to leave John and Virgil, they could still be alive, they must be alive" screamed Scott.
"Scott" Jeff said in a quiet controlled voice, "TB1 can be here, pick us all up and be back at the crash site before we can get there in one of our private jets. TB1 can also hold a few more pieces of equipment than our private jets. You cannot do anything by yourself. Please come pick us up, now"
Scott hesitated. He knew his dad was right. He was always right it seems. But he stared at the crumbled hulk finding he couldn't drag himself away. He stood and stared at Thunderbird 2 for what seemed to be an eternity. But it was only seconds. He snapped out of it and was in TB1 and on his way within minutes. "I'm on my way, Father".
Jeff turned to Brains. Brains, what can we bring with us in TB1?
Alan's portrait eyes lit up flashing at a speed indicating extreme urgency.
"Go ahead Alan" said Jeff. Alan, almost hysterical now screamed "come pick me up, I need to help too" Jeff's reply was unexpected. Alan was expecting a flat out "NO." But instead, he heard, "Alan, it takes 3 hours one way to go to TB5, which one of us would you like to take away from John and Virgil's rescue for six hours?" Alan just sagged into the chair. His dad was right. He would be an asset in helping, but no way could he get there in less than 6 hrs. And it would mean one less person digging out Virgil and John. All that pent up energy built up in the last few minutes just came forth in a flood of tears. He could hear his father through the sobs "Alan, there is something we need for you to do, find out where that transmission came from. It was obviously a setup. I want to get that S.O.B. who did this to your brothers." "and Alan...we will keep the communications lines open so that you can hear everything that is going on. Son, I want you here with us, believe me, I do.' "OK, dad", Alan's reply was barely audible. Jeff continued. "One last thing, son.....you will have to break the news to Grandma and Tin-tin, try to track them down. Can you handle that?"
Alan responded "yes dad, I can find both that bastard who did this to my brothers and I will also track down Grandma and Tin-tin. And thanks dad for giving me something to do, I need to keep busy." Telling his Grandmother about two of her grandsons from miles above the earth was going to be the most difficult thing Alan ever had to do in his life.
Gordon looked up from his work inside TB4 with a start. Something was wrong. His father rarely called them up to the lounge in that tone of voice. Gordon looked at Brains and Brains at Gordon then they both bolted towards the lounge.
At his desk, Jeff still had his hand in a fist, staring at the portraits, ..waiting, ..waiting....
Scott landed TB1 next to the remains of Thunderbird 2. When he got out, he stood there just gaping at the huge mass of mangled green metal that used to be the workhorse behind International Rescue. He thought to himself "If Virg were alive, this would kill him". He snapped out of his fugue with that thought. "NO! Virgil and John are NOT DEAD!" he said aloud. "They are alive and we are going to get them out!" He looked down at his watch communicator and hailed base.
Scott's portrait started to beep, and Jeff answered abruptly just as Gordon and Brains entered the lounge. Jeff's reaction to Scott's hailing left both Brains and Gordon with a sour feeling in their stomach. "Scott, what is..how bad..Virgil? John?" Jeff couldn't seem to get out the question he needed to ask.
Scott already in a state of shock and dispair didn't think he could feel any worse. But when he heard his father stutter when trying to ask about Virgil and John, his heart just sank.
"Father, I am at the site now. Thunderbird 2 is destroyed. I have not been able to determine if either John or Virgil have survived. I tried TB2's communications and both watch communicators. No answer. I then tried the thermalscan, but with all the wiring shorts inside, I cannot make out any distinguished forms. But I do not think there is a fire inside. There was not that much heat showing up on the scan. TB2 is settled on her right side, the mole has punctured a hole out the bottom of the pod and about ΒΌ of the mole auger is showing. The tail assembly is gone, the right wing is sheared off and the left wing broken at the midpoint. I can't see much of the nose section, it is buried in the side of the hill. None of the doors are visible." Scott forced himself to be as professional as possible. He wanted to leap onto the top of TB2 and just tear away at the sheet metal to get inside to his brothers. But, he had to give Base all the facts as clear and precise as possible so that a plan of attack can be worked out.
This was the first Gordon and Brains had heard about the accident. Tears were streaming down Gordon's face as he looked at his father, distressed and in shock. He didn't want to believe what he heard. He was sure there was more to it and he just walked in late or misinterpreted what Scott had just said. Maybe he was just describing a bad dream, or what might have happened if TB2 didn't just escape by the skin of her shell. Brains had sunk into the closest chair. He was mumbling incoherently. He had to think. He designed TB2, what were their chances of survival? What about the engines, was there a radiation leak? Would the nose cabin be able to withstand such a severe crash? "Think, Brains, think" he commanded himself. "uh,..uh..Scott? Have you t-t-taken a r-r-reading to s-s-see if there is a- a-a-any radiation l-l-l-leakage from the e-e-e-engines?" asked Brains. (He didn't notice how bad he stutter had gotten) Scott answered "give me a minute Brains" After what seemed like an eternity, Scott was back on the com "there is no radiation leak, the engines apparently were spared".
Alan had listened to the transmissions. He was sick. "It could have been me down there if it wasn't my turn up here in TB5. It SHOULD have been me instead of John! Alan was thinking. He was feeling himself starting to panic and a feeling of clostrophobia was enveloping him. This is the feeling that John always complained about when his brothers were on a mission, but Alan was way to worried to appreciate it just now. He started pacing around TB5 trying to think of a solution. What could he do from up in space? He was working himself up into a very agitated state.
"Scott", everyone turned to Jeff as he spoke. He seemed to be pulling himself out of his state of shock and taking control as he always had. "I want you to come back here on the double".
"NO! NO way am I going to leave John and Virgil, they could still be alive, they must be alive" screamed Scott.
"Scott" Jeff said in a quiet controlled voice, "TB1 can be here, pick us all up and be back at the crash site before we can get there in one of our private jets. TB1 can also hold a few more pieces of equipment than our private jets. You cannot do anything by yourself. Please come pick us up, now"
Scott hesitated. He knew his dad was right. He was always right it seems. But he stared at the crumbled hulk finding he couldn't drag himself away. He stood and stared at Thunderbird 2 for what seemed to be an eternity. But it was only seconds. He snapped out of it and was in TB1 and on his way within minutes. "I'm on my way, Father".
Jeff turned to Brains. Brains, what can we bring with us in TB1?
Alan's portrait eyes lit up flashing at a speed indicating extreme urgency.
"Go ahead Alan" said Jeff. Alan, almost hysterical now screamed "come pick me up, I need to help too" Jeff's reply was unexpected. Alan was expecting a flat out "NO." But instead, he heard, "Alan, it takes 3 hours one way to go to TB5, which one of us would you like to take away from John and Virgil's rescue for six hours?" Alan just sagged into the chair. His dad was right. He would be an asset in helping, but no way could he get there in less than 6 hrs. And it would mean one less person digging out Virgil and John. All that pent up energy built up in the last few minutes just came forth in a flood of tears. He could hear his father through the sobs "Alan, there is something we need for you to do, find out where that transmission came from. It was obviously a setup. I want to get that S.O.B. who did this to your brothers." "and Alan...we will keep the communications lines open so that you can hear everything that is going on. Son, I want you here with us, believe me, I do.' "OK, dad", Alan's reply was barely audible. Jeff continued. "One last thing, son.....you will have to break the news to Grandma and Tin-tin, try to track them down. Can you handle that?"
Alan responded "yes dad, I can find both that bastard who did this to my brothers and I will also track down Grandma and Tin-tin. And thanks dad for giving me something to do, I need to keep busy." Telling his Grandmother about two of her grandsons from miles above the earth was going to be the most difficult thing Alan ever had to do in his life.