Good afternoon. Can't believe it's so close to Christmas. And I can't believe I've already started Christmas shopping. Let the official record reflect: my mother has officially corrupted me.

But then again, I'm the one who created a Christmas playlist to play in the car and the songs are getting stuck in her head, so we're corrupting each other.

I own nothing aside from original characters and plot points.

ENJOY!

"We are now flying at three thousand feet, folks. Below us are the clouds and below them way down is the ground. We're up here to show you people a really fantastic sight."

Indiana smiled at the small television she had in her bedroom. After going on an early morning hike with Scott and breakfast with the rest of the family, Indiana had a shower and prepared for an interesting day.

While she got ready, she turned on the TV to find out what was happening throughout the day. Of course, the main cover story was the Thompson Tower.

"That, folks, is the newly completed Thompson Tower. We will fly up there and take you down vertically past the sea of windows."

Indiana decided to sit on the bed as she slid on a black hairband to keep her hair out of her face. Everyone had heard about the Thompson Tower. It dominated the news for several weeks as it was being built.

This latest newscast explained why.

"Open for the first time today, Thompson Tower is more than just a gigantic multiple store; it is a completely self-contained city. Every single commercial item produced in the entire world can be obtained on these 350 floors. A person could live for a whole year without moving from one of the rooms in the twelve hotels, which are housed in the tower. Half a mile wide and two miles deep, it is a stupendous feet of engineering skill and commercial achievement. And beneath the great structure is a massive sub-basement with a honeycomb of corridors and parking space for ten thousand automobiles."

"Wouldn't wanna get lost in that place," Indiana quipped as she turned off the television set.

A knock was heard on the door. Figuring what was waiting for her on the other side, Indiana let out a small smile before grabbing the rock and tucking it into the small coin pocket of her jeans as a source of good luck.

Sure enough, when she opened the door, Scott was waiting on the other side.

"Hey, Ana," Scott greeted her as she walked out, "You ready?"

"I thought I had another hour," Indiana remarked.

"Plans have changed. Brains is eager to start testing the oxyhydenite equipment, so the testing got moved up," Scott clarified, "Virgil and I will be in the test chamber. Brains and Tin-Tin will monitor our progress. We need you to monitor our vitals."

"Okay," Indiana nodded.

After Scott escorted Indiana to the observation room, he went to suit up and join Virgil in the test chamber. Even though Indiana knew (or, at best, strongly hoped) that nothing would go wrong with the tests, she was thankful Jeff had the foresight to have the test chambers built in close proximity to the infirmary.

By the time Indiana arrived at the observation room, Jeff, Brains and Tin-Tin were already there. Scott had already explained to her what Brains and Tin-Tin were doing. They were monitoring the product they were testing while Indiana monitored the test subjects. Jeff was obviously there to witness the tests and give final approval as to whether Brains' latest invention could become standard Thunderbird equipment.

"Oxyhydenite power rising to 27,000. Pressure: 4-5-6," Tin-Tin reported.

"Er-er, good," Brains nodded, "The steel should be yielding a-a-at any moment now."

"If this new gas is all that you say it is, Brains, it will help our work tremendously," Jeff pointed out.

"I-I-I know, sir, but we're still in the experimental stages," Brains reminded his employer, "Er-er, we don't know what kind of effect the mixture will have o-o-o-on the operator. That's why I-I asked Dr. Evans to join us for this stage of the tests."

Speaking into a microphone that allowed him to communicate to his sons in the test chamber, Jeff instructed them, "Remember, boys. At the first sign of trouble, get yourselves out of there."

Scott and Virgil did not acknowledge their father's instructions. They were too engrossed on the task at hand. They would make no sound until a few seconds later, when the experiment began yielding promising results.

"It's working!" Virgil cheered, "The flame's starting to penetrate!"

"It's amazing! Fifteen seconds, I make it! That's three times faster than a laser beam!" Jeff cried out in amazement.

"Y-y-yeah, i-i-it's better than I expected," Brains said.

"Looks like you've done it again, Brains," Jeff praised.

"Well, i-i-it's a little too early to tell, Mr. Tracy," Brains began objecting, "But the signs a-a-are favourable."

"You're doing great, boys," Jeff praised his sons, "Cut a panel large enough to get through and we'll call it a day."

"Okay, father," Scott nodded.

Following that exchange, there was nothing but silence, with the exception of the equipment being tested. However, there was something that was beginning to cause concern for Indiana, and that was the sudden rise in Virgil's blood pressure. The rise may have been slight, but something still felt off to the young doctor.

"I'm noticing a slight rise in Virgil's blood pressure," Indiana warned.

"Are you okay, Virgil?" Jeff immediately asked his son in worry.

"Sure, father. Never felt better," Virgil answered earnestly.

"Why the rise, Indiana?" Jeff pressed.

"Stress is a common cause," Indiana shrugged, "It wasn't a big rise. So, at the moment, it's not too much of a worry."

"Stress?" Jeff repeated in confusion.

"Stress doesn't cause long-term high blood pressure, but can cause temporary spikes like what we're seeing here," Indiana clarified before letting out a curse, "Scott's blood pressure went up too."

"They seem f-fine, Dr. Evans," Brains observed, "But ultimately, i-if you d-decide to pull the p-plug, i-it's your c-call."

"It's not a huge spike," Indiana shook her head, "Let's see how they go. If they show other symptoms, I'll pull them out and run some tests."

"Nearly there, Scott," Virgil said to his oldest brother.

"Yeah. Few more minutes," Scott nodded in agreement.

Indiana alternated between watching Scott and Virgil in the test chamber and monitoring their vitals. Aside from the blood pressure spike, the monitors weren't presenting anything alarming. However, Scott and Virgil themselves were starting to present worrying symptoms.

Just like Virgil was the first to experience the spike in his blood pressure, he was the first to experience this latest symptom. He was beginning to sway as though he was trying to keep himself upright. Scott began exhibiting the symptoms mere moments later.

"Virgil? What's wrong? Are you alright? Virgil! Answer me! Are you okay?! Scott, can you hear me?! Answer me, Scott!" Jeff barked.

Immediately, Indiana pressed a button that allowed her to listen to the boys' breathing, observing, "Their breathing sounds normal, but something's wrong. We need to stop the tests."

Virgil finally stopped fighting the battle he knew he was going to lose. With a thud, he fell onto the floor, his grip on the gas cylinder slacking as his hand went limp. He had passed out.

Jeff reiterated Indiana's previous instructions, "Turn off those gas cylinders, Brains! Let's get them out of there!"

"Yes, Mr. Tracy!" Brains immediately nodded.

Mere moments later, Scott passed out as well. Brains immediately rushed into the test chamber and went to work turning off the gas cylinders.

"I'll go prepare the infirmary," Indiana immediately decided.

"We'll bring them in soon," Jeff promised.

It was a hectic hour. By the time Scott and Virgil were brought into the infirmary, Indiana had already prepared everything she needed to run a series of tests, including a blood test. Just as Indiana got the samples ready to be tested, Brains joined her, bringing with him the gas masks the boys were wearing.

"Let's get to work, Brains," Indiana said.

"I-I-I hope I-I-I didn't…," Brains trailed off nervously.

"Hey. No one blames you, Brains. This is why we run tests," Indiana reminded him, "It's better that it happens here than out in the field. That gas you invented worked brilliantly. Now, let's find out what's going on."

Brains and Indiana immediately set to work. While Indiana did a quick check on the boys' vitals, Brains examined the gas masks.

"I-I-I c-can't find a f-fault in the m-masks," Brains reported, "They sh-should've f-filtered the a-air they were b-breathing."

"So, if the tests come back saying the gas entered their bodies, it wasn't through inhalation," Indiana hummed.

"That must be the test results now," Brains remarked as he heard the printer beep.

Sending up a silent prayer in thanks for the advancements of medical technology, Indiana sighed as she read the results, "Well, they had to absorb it somehow. Their blood samples contain oxyhydenite."

"W-what are the main ways to absorb chemicals in the h-human b-body?" Brains inquired.

"Well, we've already eliminated inhalation. Swallowing and injection can automatically be ruled out," Indiana began listing, "It must've been absorbed through their skin."

"I-I've heard of d-dermal absorption of c-chemicals, but g-gasses?" Brains asked sceptically.

"It is possible, but not a lot of research has been done on it. Anytime a study's been done regarding dermal absorption of chemicals, it's usually involved a dry chemical or a chemical in a solution, like swimming in a body of contaminated water," Indiana explained, "It's the only explanation that makes sense."

"H-how l-long w-would it t-take for them to a-absorb?" Brains inquired.

"It can take as little as 26 seconds for your skin to absorb a chemical into your bloodstream," Indiana answered as she leaned against the small desk near Scott's bed, "We're in a new area, Brains. Not just with the gas, but with what happened to the boys."

"I s-suppose this is the o-only explanation for w-what happened," Brains mused, "T-the l-limited timeframe for a-a-absorption c-certainly explains the rapid o-onset of their s-symptoms."

"The good news is, the tests said it was relatively mild," Indiana pointed out as she read the results once more, "We pulled them out at the right time."

"I g-guess you'll want to r-run the t-tests again, t-to make sure the g-gas has left their b-bodies," Brains presumed.

"Yeah, but let's wait a little bit," Indiana told him, "We need to collaborate a bit longer."

Brains was reassured by this. Indiana was right. They needed to work out how and why this happened, and what can be done to prevent this from happening in the future.

Indiana sat on Scott's bed while Brains sat at her desk. From her position, she was able to read the boys' vitals. She was happy to see that they had stabilized. In fact, Indiana almost swore they looked better than they did before.

It was another couple of hours before Tin-Tin and Jeff entered the infirmary. In that time, Indiana ran another series of tests on the boys just to make sure the gas had left their bodies. The good news was, the test results came back clear. Brains and Indiana had just reached a consensus on what happened when Jeff's voice broke into the room.

"Well, Indiana. Is there any change in the boys?" Jeff asked worriedly.

"Not yet," Indiana shook her head, "But Brains and I have the test results and we think we worked out what happened."

"You have?!" Jeff pressed urgently, "Well, what went wrong? Was it the masks that were faulty?"

"No. D-Dr. Evans and I-I-I checked them, Mr. Tracy, and they're per-perfectly sound," Brains shook his head.

"The important thing is Scott and Virgil are physically okay," Indiana moved to reassure the worried father, "But the blood samples show that their skin absorbed the gas into their bloodstream."

"Dermal absorption?" Jeff repeated in confusion, "Are you sure that's possible?"

"We t-think so, Mr. Tracy," Brains nodded as he gestured to the medical journals he and Indiana have pulled out, "B-between our own r-research and w-what happened in the t-test chamber, it's the o-only sound conclusion."

"There have been no after affects?" Jeff questioned.

"No," Indiana shook her head, "The latest tests confirmed there's no sign of any gas left in their bodies."

As Indiana relayed this information to Jeff, Virgil began stirring in his bed. It went unnoticed until Tin-Tin drew their attention to this.

"Look! Virgil's coming round!" Tin-Tin cried.

"Hi, Virgil," Jeff greeted his son, "How are you feeling?"

Slowly, Virgil opened his eyes fully and sat up in his bed to take in his surroundings. Immediately, Indiana was by his side, telling him to follow the light to test his pupil response and taking note of his vitals.

"Just great," Virgil answered, "Hey! What am I doing in the sick room?!"

"Don't you remember the gas, then?" Jeff asked.

"Of course!" Virgil gasped, "Yeah, I remember feeling dizzy and… I guess I must've passed out."

"You feeling okay?" Indiana asked worriedly, "No headaches? Dizziness?"

"I'm fine, Indy," Virgil reassured her as Indiana quickly felt around for a lump on the head. "No headaches. No dizziness."

"Scott's coming round too, now," Tin-Tin reported.

Sure enough, Scott was beginning to wake. As he opened his eyes and sat up, Indiana immediately rushed to his side to do the same checks she just did on Virgil.

"Gee. That was sure a good sleep," Scott remarked.

"Hello, son. How do you feel now?" Jeff asked gently as he sat on Virgil's bed.

"Hey! What's with all this bedside manner stuff, Ana?" Scott demanded.

"You passed out in the test chamber," Indiana reminded him, "Don't you remember?"

"Oh yeah," Scott nodded as Indiana read his vitals, "That's right."

"No headaches? Dizziness?" Indiana questioned as she felt around for a lump on his head.

"I feel fine," Scott mumbled, "What? You feeling for a lump?"

"You and Virgil did fall over pretty hard," Indiana retorted.

"What happens now?" Jeff cut in.

"Well, I-I get back to the lab and start working on the oxyhydenite again," Brains declared before gesturing to the medical journals strewn across the desk, "D-do you mind if I b-borrow some of these journals, Dr. Evans?"

"Knock yourself out, Brains," Indiana smiled, "Hopefully, it'll help you find some more answers."

"P-perhaps we can c-contribute to these," Brains quipped, "M-maybe we can help develop more d-data for dermal absorption of gaseous chemicals."

"Hey! What about us?! Can't we get up?!" Virgil demanded.

"That's Indiana's call," Jeff deferred to the trauma surgeon.

"Don't see why not," Indiana shrugged, "Actually, some fresh air will do you some good. Why don't you go sit by the pool for a bit?"

Scott and Virgil were happy with Indiana's answer. Indiana watched them get up from their beds to make sure there was no residual dizziness before deciding they would be fine getting themselves to the pool. Besides, they wanted to get changed from the outfits they wore under their protective suits.

Soon enough, Scott and Virgil were enjoying the mid-morning sun and the fresh air by the pool. Indiana sat between their chairs, continuing some of her work while also keeping an eye on the boys to make sure any unexpected side effects didn't suddenly creep up on them. Her experiences as a trauma surgeon made her paranoid in that regard, but it was this diligence that contributed to a lot of her success.

Alan came down to join them soon afterwards. He and Gordon returned to Tracy Island a couple of days after the Sidewinder rescue. Immediately, the Tracy Island residents noticed an improvement in Gordon's spirit. They noticed that he seemed to be more at peace. They knew that a lot of the guilt he struggled with before was still present, but at least a heavy load seemed to be taken off of Gordon's shoulders.

They also noticed Gordon contacting Mirabel Marks and his psychiatrist more since his return to the island. The psychiatrist was the same psychiatrist Gordon was assigned following the hydrofoil accident. Gordon had made tremendous steps forward in his recovery, but it was clear there was still a way to go. But they were all ready to support him every step of the way.

Especially Scott. Even if he couldn't disclose anything about his military missions, he can relate to how Gordon feels, having lost quite a few friends.

"How do you feel now, boys?" Alan asked, "Mighty strange stuff, that gas of Brains'."

"Yeah, he's working on it now," Scott nodded before remarking, "The funny thing is, I feel better than normal."

"Yeah, me too," Virgil agreed, "Let's hope Brains irons out the snags. That new cutting power could be useful."

"Not if it knocks you out each time you use it," Indiana retorted, barely looking up from her work.

"You understand all this stuff?" Alan asked as he looked at what Indiana was reading.

"If I don't, all those years at medical school would be a waste, wouldn't it?" Indiana joked.

"You're trying to find out more about dermal absorption," Scott observed as he read the headlines of some of the journal articles Indiana was reading.

"Unfortunately, there's not a lot of data when it comes to gaseous chemicals," Indiana sighed in frustration, "There's been very limited research on this. But it's the only explanation that makes sense for what happened."

Scott, Virgil and Alan looked at each other before nodding in agreement, a conspiratorial smile gracing their faces. Standing up, Virgil and Scott swooped down. Scott restrained Indiana while Virgil grabbed her research and handed it to Alan.

"Say, Tin-Tin's sure enjoying herself!" Alan suddenly observed as he took off, Indiana's research in hand.

"That was low," Indiana grumbled.

"Consider it payback for the number of times you pulled that on us," Virgil laughed.

"Yeah, you keep pushing us to take breaks," Scott shrugged as he wrapped his arms around Indiana from behind, "About time we returned the favour."

Indiana let out the sigh, "Well, I suppose I should be glad you didn't throw me in the pool."

"We're not stupid," Scott and Virgil immediately scoffed.

"Reckon you're in the best place! Boy, is it hot today!" Alan remarked, "How's the water, Tin-Tin?"

"Just great, Alan! Why don't you come in? It's so cool," Tin-Tin offered the youngest Tracy.

Under normal circumstances, Alan would've accepted the offer. In fact, he wouldn't need a lot of convincing.

Alas, these weren't normal circumstances.

"Haven't time," Alan responded apologetically, "I've gotta get ready to relieve John in an hour. His term of duty at the space station is over for another month."

"It'll be nice to see him again. He must get lonely up there," Tin-Tin mused.

"Is he? Is he really?" Indiana quipped, "With all the stars?"

Scott let out a shrug. Yes, he knew John was eager to get back to Earth at times and take part in life rather than simply observing it from above. But John also regularly told him of some of the benefits to being aboard the space station. It's allowed him more time to work on his books. In fact, he's generated some of his best work to date and he has another book about ready to be published.

Virgil turned to Alan and Tin-Tin and did a subtle gesture towards Scott and Indiana with a smirk. Alan and Tin-Tin noticed what Virgil was trying to tell them. When Scott "restrained" Indiana while Virgil and Alan made away with her research to force her to take a break, he didn't let go. Some would argue it was to make sure she didn't go after Alan and truly took a break, but the way he changed his hold on her suggested otherwise.

It was almost like how a man would hold the woman he loved.

It wasn't the first time Scott and Indiana had a moment like this, where they inadvertently acted like a couple. Just as frustrating, they don't even realize most of the time.

And just like what happened at other times, something ruined the moment. The source this time was the kiosk started beeping. This signalled that Jeff wanted everyone in the lounge because there was an emergency call.

"Well, someone's in trouble, Virgil," Scott quipped.

"Yeah. Let's join dad and get the brief," Virgil nodded before turning to Alan and Tin-Tin, "Tin-Tin, Alan, you'd better come to."

"Be right there," Alan responded as he went to help Tin-Tin out of the pool.

Scott and Indiana went ahead of the gang. Virgil hung back a bit to talk to Alan quietly.

"I've been meaning to talk to you about that pool you and Gordon started," Virgil muttered to him.

Alan froze in fear. Was he going to rat them out to Scott and Indiana? Actually, he was amazed they didn't already know.

Alan was certainly surprised when Virgil slipped him some money and told them his bet. Smiling, Alan took out a pocketbook he happened to carry on him and took note of Virgil's bet. Tin-Tin shook her head in dismay at the boys.

She wanted to be out of the line of fire when Scott and Indiana learned of this.

"Good. You're all here," Jeff acknowledged everyone, "How many of you have heard of the Thompson Tower?"

"That giant superstore that's opening today?" Indiana asked, earning a nod, "That's meant to be a self-contained city, complete with hotels and everything."

"We've received an emergency call from the tower's control centre. The tower's on fire. We don't know the cause of the fire, but all attempts to put it out have been unsuccessful. Furthermore, three people are trapped below the building," Jeff explained.

"What's their condition?" Indiana immediately asked.

"Unknown," Jeff answered before turning to his oldest son, "You'd better get over there right away, Scott. We won't know all the details until you investigate."

"Okay, father," Scott nodded, "I'm on my way."

Scott immediately made his way to Thunderbird 1 while Jeff made his way to the radio.

"This is International Rescue Headquarters calling Thompson Tower. We have received your call for help. Give me all the information you have," Jeff requested.

"Thompson Tower to International Rescue. This is the situation. The fire started in the parking area. We sealed the corridors under the building to try to contain the fire to that area, but we didn't know there was a family inside until it was too late. We checked the cameras before sealing the corridors, but they weren't detected until we did another check to see if the fire spread."

"And you can't reach the trapped family?" Jeff asked.

"No. Due to a failure of the main vent seal, the fire spread to the tower. We are in the process of evacuating the tower, but we cannot get to the family trapped in the corridor. Fire tenders are having no luck extinguishing the blaze."

"What state are they in?" Jeff inquired, "Are there flames in the corridors?"

"No. The fire doors have prevented the flames from entering the corridors, but they're filling with smoke. There is also the concern about what will happen should the tower collapse. The weight of the rubble could cause the corridors to cave in."

As Jeff continued talking to the controllers at Thompson Tower, Indiana heard the familiar sound of Thunderbird 1's thrusters coming to life. Looking over, she saw Thunderbird 1 launch from her silo under the pool.

"Okay. I get the picture. Thunderbird 1 will be with you soon," Jeff promised before turning to his second oldest, "Right, Virgil. Launch Thunderbird 2. You'll need the Mole."

"Right, father," Virgil nodded dutifully before asking, "Indiana, you coming?"

"I don't think I'll be needed," Indiana shook her head, "You guys know how to treat smoke inhalation. That seems to be their biggest danger."

Virgil nodded in understanding before disappearing into the passageway taking him to Thunderbird 2's silo.

"Indiana, radio Scott. He'll need to know," Jeff requested.

"Base from Thunderbird 1," Indiana spoke into the radio.

"Loud and clear, Ana. Is Virgil on his way?"

"Yeah. He's just preparing to launch now. He's bringing Pod 5 with the Mole and the Firefly aboard," Indiana answered, "We just contacted Thompson Tower and got more details. By all appearances, the fire originated in the parking lot under the tower. Origin unknown. They sealed the corridors to stop the fire spreading, but they didn't know the family was in there until it was too late."

"They didn't check the cameras before they sealed the corridors?"

"They did, but they weren't there at the time," Indiana answered, "They don't know how they got in there, but they can't get them out. Not with the way the fire's caught the tower."

"Is there anyone else in the tower?"

"They're managing to evacuate everyone in the tower itself without any difficulties. The main concern is the people trapped in that corridor. There's concern that if the tower collapses, the weight of the rubble could cause the corridors to cave in," Indiana warned him.

"Right. I'll radio in when I'm at the danger zone."

"F.A.B.," Indiana nodded as she disconnected the transmission.

"How long will it take for that family to be affected by the smoke inhalation?" Jeff inquired.

"Depends on the person and their health history. Sometimes, symptoms of smoke inhalation can occur right away or take up to 24 hours to develop," Indiana answered, "They'll need oxygen as soon as they're rescued and then a chest x-ray and blood tests to determine the extent of the inhalation."

Scott was relieved when he finally arrived at Thompson Tower. He felt like, even with Thunderbird 1's impressive engines, he had been flying for several hours.

Then, he saw the horror. The entire tower was covered in roaring flames ranging in colour from orange to yellow to red. He knew that the tower would collapse within the next few moments. It was already starting to break up. He had heard on the way over that they had to order the fire tenders to clear out so they wouldn't be buried in the rubble.

He also remembered what Indiana said could happen if the tower collapsed. The corridors could cave in and the family would be buried alive. If that happened, they had no chance of rescuing them.

"International Rescue from Thunderbird 1. Approaching danger zone," Scott reported.

"F.A.B, Scott. Virgil is 9.5 minutes behind you."

Scott let out a quiet curse at Virgil's estimated time of arrival before diverting his attention to radioing the control centre, "Tower Control Centre from Thunderbird 1. Coming in to land. I'll need some men to help with my equipment."

"Standing by. But how are you gonna affect this rescue?"

"Leave that to us. Thunderbird 2 will be here soon," Scott promised before terminating the transmission and initiating another one, "Thunderbird 1 from Thunderbird 1. I'm over the tower now, and it doesn't look good. Can you cut down on arrival time?"

"I'm not sure, Scott. It depends on wind variation. I'll try."

"Well, I'm going down now," Scott proclaimed.

With a practiced ease, Scott flew Thunderbird 1 through its landing procedures. He had done this a million times before, it felt like. As promised, he was met by men who would help him transport everything he needed to operate Mobile Control from the control centre.

Within moments, everything was set up, and Scott was looking at the plans for the corridor system. He was immediately pointed to the corridor the family were trapped in. They were trapped in D-50. They couldn't risk drilling into the corridor directly. That could harm the family. But due to the possibility of ground instability due to the fire, they need to come in a safe distance away, but still close enough where they could reach them in time.

"Now, these people are here in D-50. We'll have to go down and enter the corridors here. Half a mile away," Scott thought out loud.

Then, the main tower controller cried out what he hoped he wouldn't have to hear before they got the family out, "The tower's coming down! It's finished!"

Scott looked out the window and saw the horror unfold in front of him. Burning layers were peeling away from the tower, falling to the ground below. The flames seemed to roar in anger. Fortunately, the controllers had confirmed that everyone had been evacuated from the tower prior to his arrival. But there was a higher level of concern for the family trapped below ground.

Their chances of being buried alive just went up exponentially. And Scott didn't like that.

"Thunderbird 1 Control from Thunderbird 2. Approaching danger zone. Be with you in five minutes."

"F.A.B, Virgil. The tower's down! It's sure gonna make our job tougher!" Scott remarked before lowering his voice, something he normally did whenever he was about to suggest a dangerous idea, "Now, listen carefully, Virgil. By the looks of things, we're gonna have to cut through a whole heap of steel fire doors."

"Guess Brains' new gas would've been ideal for that."

"Well, that's just the point. The way I figure it, that gas is our only hope," Scott proclaimed, "There's no time, even for laser beams."

"But that stuff's not safe! True, it only knocked us out on test, but prolonged exposure could be fatal!"

"But three people are gonna die if we don't chance it," Scott successfully argued, "Now, what do you say?"

"Well, the equipment's aboard. Brains put it in the pod after the test. Okay, Scott. I'm game. If lives depend upon it, then we must risk it!"

"Good man," Scott praised, "I'll check it out with father, Ana and Brains. They ought to know what we're planning."

"Sure thing. And good luck."

Scott let out a grumble as he prepared to radio base. He wasn't looking forward to this call.

Suddenly, he was glad Indiana didn't come with him. She may have killed him for even thinking of this. Or let him go down, rescue the family and kill him later.

Either way, Scott would've been looking at a shortened life expectancy.

Everyone was doing a variety of activities around Tracy Island. Gordon and Alan decided to put in some extra training to make sure they were fit when they got the chance to join the others on an emergency call. Tin-Tin was doing secretarial work for Jeff on the typewriter while Jeff sorted out some business with his company. Brains and Indiana decided to continue their research.

All those activities were interrupted when Scott's portrait began beeping. Jeff didn't waste any time, and neither did Scott.

"Father, we're gonna have to use Brains' gas. It's our only hope."

"Are you certain there's no other way?" Jeff implored urgently.

"Uh, yes, father. Those people are gonna die if we don't chance it."

"Brains, Indiana, what do you think?" Jeff turned to the resident scientist and doctor.

"I don't like it!" Brains immediately started objecting, "The gas masks are useless! They'll be completely unprotected!"

"The alternative is simple, dad. Either we chance the gas or we take off and return to base. But there's no sense in sitting around waiting for that family to die!"

"Indiana, you're our chief medical officer. It's your call," Jeff proclaimed.

"I don't like it either, but Scott's right. We don't have a choice," Indiana sighed before turning to the portrait, "But keep in continual radio contact! Brains and I will want to monitor your progress!"

"Perhaps small doses of the gas will be harmless," Tin-Tin suggested.

"There'll be no time for an on-off operation, Tin-Tin. It's all or nothing," Jeff objected, "Okay, Scott. Be careful. Both of you."

"F.A.B."

"I hate this part of the job," Indiana muttered as the transmission disconnected.

"M-Mr. T-Tracy, may we record the transmissions?" Brains asked, "It will help us review the d-data after they return."

"Of course," Jeff nodded as he organised for that to happen, "Maybe using the gas in that environment will help you find some answers."

What Scott didn't realize is that they would be able to hear everything from that moment onwards, starting the continual radio contact right away so he wouldn't forget. He didn't want to deal with Indiana if he did.

"Okay, Scott. What's the action?"

"Now listen, Virgil. We're gonna have to drill down to the corridor system in the Mole. The closest we can get to the folks in the corridor is in C-17. But first, we'll have to clear the west section of that burning rubble."

"That's where we start drilling, is it?"

"That's right. Now, there's a lot of soft rock there. So, you'd better get the Firefly out of the pod and start clearing. I'll join you as soon as I can."

"Okay, Scott. Will do."

"Oh. And Virgil."

"Yes?"

"Go carefully. That rubble is white hot."

The four people in the room waited with bated breath for any news. At the moment, they didn't hear anything of note. They just heard Virgil report that he was approaching the designated area in the Firefly and Scott deciding to head out to Thunderbird 2 to prepare the Mole so they can start drilling as soon as it's clear. They briefly heard one of the controllers inform Scott they arranged for a car to take him back to Thunderbird 2, much to Scott's gratitude.

"Gosh, the heat from that rubble is fantastic!"

"You reckon the Firefly can stand it?"

"Well, we'll soon find out. Here goes."

"We'll have to take note of that," Indiana told Brains as they started writing down observations.

"The corridors will be h-hot and f-filled with smoke," Brains pointed out, "Maybe that will have an impact on the equipment."

"As a rule of thumb, all smoke contains carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and particular matter at minimum. Anything else depends on the individual fire," Indiana added, "We should see if there's a potential interaction. Particularly if they plan to use this in future fire rescues."

Brains eagerly nodded in agreement as he wrote this down.

They found out how good the radio contact was because they heard the controllers, who were clearly standing near Mobile Control in the control centre.

"What the heck's that?!"

"Well, it's like nothing I've ever seen before."

"Look at the way it's clearing that rubble!"

"Yeah. And the heat down there must be unbearable."

Indiana had a hard time stifling her laughter at the remarks. Everyone was used to people making all kinds of remarks about their equipment. But it never failed to amuse Indiana. Although, this was the first opportunity they've had to use the Firefly in a rescue, so they should've expected to get some comments on it.

Much to everyone's dismay, Virgil reported that he was having trouble getting some of the rubble to shift. He was going to have to use the Firefly's built-in cannon to break it down even further. They heard some indecipherable muttering from Scott as he arrived at Thunderbird 2 and began climbing into the Mole.

"Are you ready yet, Virgil?"

"Yep. Nearly through, Scott."

"Right. I'm coming to join you right now."

Indiana struggled to keep her laughter in this time when she heard one of the tower controllers remark, "These International Rescue boys sure have some great equipment!"

Yeah. That'll be something she'll never get used to.

"At least we get some free entertainment," Indiana quipped.

"Right, Virgil. Proceed to drilling position."

"F.A.B."

"We'll need to listen c-carefully," Brains warned everyone.

Jeff nodded quietly. This was the only part he didn't like about sending his sons out like this. Usually, the worst part was sitting around waiting for them to call in with an update. But now, he gets to listen to everything unfold in real time.

He didn't know what was worse.

"This is it, Virgil. Take her down here. We'll be able to move down through the earth to enter the corridor system from the side."

"Right. Here we go."

Brains and Indiana quickly moved to prepare to note down anything and everything Scott and Virgil said over the radio. They knew they were going to be listening in, so hopefully, the boys will make it a point to make casual observations of the environment they're in.

"What's the plan, Scott?"

"We know those folks are in D-50, and the nearest corridor we can get through is C-17."

"Why the cutting gear, Scott?"

"All electronic systems have failed. We have to cut through the steel fire doors."

"That means we'll be working in the dark!"

"No. The emergency power plant for the lights is in the control centre. That's one blessing."

Scott and Indiana inadvertently made the same remark at the same time, "About the only one."

Several moments later, they heard Scott telling Virgil to help him get the gear ready.

"Here we go," Indiana muttered.

"Right. This is the first door. Now, let's get busy with that cutting gear!"

"Keep your fingers crossed. These doors aren't as thick as the test door, so we may be lucky."

"Yeah, but there's more of them to go through!"

"Good job, boys," Indiana quietly praised as she and Brains made those notes.

"Hopefully, the fact that the d-doors aren't as thick will r-reduce e-exposure time," Brains quipped.

"But could that be cancelled out by the fact they have more than one door to go through?" Indiana asked worriedly.

"That is a distinct p-p-possibility," Brains hummed in consensus.

"Increase pressure to the cutters, Virgil. We're not gonna make it if we don't work faster."

"Oh dear," Tin-Tin muttered worriedly, "I don't think we tested that in the chamber."

"It was a v-very controlled e-environment, Tin-Tin," Brains pointed out, "W-we always knew t-there could be d-differences in real-world a-a-applications."

Indiana and Brains also made it a point to note that Scott was operating the equipment while Virgil was monitoring from a relatively safe distance.

"How do you feel?"

"Fine, but that doesn't mean a thing. We were okay last time."

"Yeah. We thought we were."

That was true. Indiana remembered the boys' reactions when they awoke in the infirmary. Everything happened so fast. They barely began feeling sick before they were suddenly falling to the floor unconscious. This gas hit them quickly. It also gave Indiana the smallest bit of hope. Based on what happened in the test chamber, Scott and Virgil should begin feeling the effects of the gas by now.

"Okay. That's number one. Come on!"

Everyone who had gathered in the lounge let out a small, collective sigh of relief. They were making good time so far. But they didn't know how far they had to travel between doors. They had heard Scott mention they had to enter through a specific corridor. They couldn't drill directly into the corridor the family was trapped in. But they didn't have the first-hand knowledge of how far away that corridor was and how many fire doors they would have to cut through.

"No effects yet, Virgil?"

"No, but it's sure hot down here! Burning!"

"Oh, thank God!" Indiana gasped out.

"T-they s-started f-feeling the effects of the g-gas at around this t-t-time in the t-test chamber," Brains stated, "P-perhaps there's an element in this e-e-environment that's causing a d-delayed reaction."

"Or stopping it altogether," Indiana retorted, "They keep pointing out how hot it is down there. Maybe it's the heat."

"T-that's a d-distinct p-p-possibility," Brains nodded in agreement.

"This is the last one, Scott! We made it okay!"

"Yeah, but don't ask me how. Maybe Brains and Ana can supply the answer. They've been listening the whole time."

"If Indy remembers to breathe this time."

Jeff let out a chuckle when he saw the death glare Indiana shot at the radio.

"That happened one time," Indiana grumbled.

"STAND BACK, VIRGIL! Come on, Virgil! Here we are!"

"My wife and kid! They're unconscious!"

"Okay, fella. Let's get them out of here."

"And fast! The roof is starting to cave in!"

By this point, Tin-Tin, Indiana and Brains had crowded around Jeff's desk as they anxiously waited for word. Scott and Virgil weren't going to say anything more at this point. Their main priority was going to be getting the family out before the corridors caved in on them.

But they still heard from the tower controllers, who must have been standing in close enough proximity to Mobile Control to be picked up.

"Look! The ground! It's giving way!"

"That means the corridors have caved in."

"But did they make it in time?" Jeff asked urgently.

"Those International Rescue guys tried, but it was impossible. They died helping others. I reckon they're the bravest men I've ever met."

"Wait! Look over there!"

They figured from the cries of one of the men that the Mole was emerging from the ground. But they still needed to hear.

"Hello? Can you hear me? Are you okay?"

"All present and correct. We made it just in time."

They all sighed in relief as they heard Scott's voice over the radio. They could just hear in the tone of his voice that he's okay.

"What an organisation! No one knows where they come from, but thank heavens they come. Yes, sir!"

Indiana let out a small laugh as she went to follow Brains to the lab. They had work to do with this new data.

It took Brains and Indiana several weeks to come to a conclusion. Today, they were reviewing their final conclusions in the lounge area before they reported them. Scott, John, Virgil, Jeff and Tin-Tin were also in the lounge area doing various activities. Jeff was enjoying a smoke. Tin-Tin was reading a newspaper. Indiana figured she'd be reading about the recent inquiry into the Thompson Tower fire. She had heard that it was happening soon, but didn't know when. She did know they wanted this resolved as quickly as possible. Everyone wanted to know what happen.

Scott was watching Brains and Indiana with peculiar interest. He was struggling to resist the urge to walk over there. But he didn't know what to do. He didn't know what the urge was related to. Did he want to take a glimpse at the results? Was he impatient to know the conclusion Brains and Indiana drew? Did he want to tuck that stray strand of hair that kept falling over Indiana's face behind her ear? What did he want to do?

He couldn't answer that (or, at the very least, bring himself to admit it). So, he had to content himself with sitting on his hands and waiting.

"I think we got it, Brains," Indiana sighed.

Scott's mind screamed a silent curse when Indiana rolled her neck to work out any kinks that developed.

Boy, he was screwed.

"I-I believe you're right. T-there's no doubt about it," Brains nodded.

"No doubt about what?" Scott pressed.

"You and Virgil were saved by the heat in the corridors," Indiana proclaimed.

"The heat?" Scott repeated in surprise, "But how?"

"It must be a characteristic of the gas," Brains shrugged, "As Dr. Evans found from your test results and the d-d-data we gathered, the vapour filters into the body via the pores and attacks the blood cells. But when the temperature is high enough, it causes the gas to evaporate."

"You mean, the vapour is dispelled by the heat so it doesn't get a chance to enter the body?" Jeff surmised.

"That's right. So, the solution is simple. All we have to do in future is to use electrically-heated gas cylinders," Brains decreed.

"Well, that's great!" Scott smiled, "The equipment can be introduced as standard gear in all the Thunderbirds."

"Yeah," Virgil nodded in agreement before looking at Tin-Tin, "Say, Tin-Tin's quiet. What are you reading, honey?"

Tin-Tin began reading the article, "Joe, Blanche and Tommy Carter were at the enquiry into the Thompson Tower disaster and they all looked fit and well. The fire, it was stated, was caused when a car crashed in the parking area. Once again, through these columns, we thank International Rescue for their invaluable help. Without them, the Carter family would have perished."

"Well, that's good. Kinda makes the job worthwhile," Jeff quipped.

"Just one thing, Tin-Tin. You didn't say if the driver of that car was male or female," Scott pointed out.

"I was afraid you'd ask me that, Scott. Yes, you guessed it. The driver was female," Tin-Tin responded.

"And what does the gender of the driver have to do with this?" Indiana asked Scott pointedly.

Whatever response Scott had died before it even left his mouth when he got a good look at the glare Indiana was shooting at him.

"I, er…," Scott suddenly cleared his throat, "I'm gonna go, er…"

Scott didn't even bother to come up with an excuse. He just got up and left. He didn't run out of the room, but he did leave at a rather brisk pace.

Indiana smirked, "I think I've trained him well."

Indiana left the room at this point. Not to kill Scott. His reaction was enough for Indiana. She had decided that with all the hard work she had done with Brains to work out the snags of his gas, she had earned a nice swim.

"I think I'll go find Gordon," John decided as he too left the room.

Virgil snickered. He knew why he wanted to find Gordon. But he wasn't going to admit to it out loud.

Not until he knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that Scott and Indiana were out of killing distance.

That would be wise, Virgil. That might be wise.

Next chapter may be delayed. I'm at that point where I have to make those decisions I mentioned earlier.

Adios!