Six
On a normal day, under normal circumstances the walk would have been traversed in under 20 minutes.
This had ceased being a normal day about two hours ago.
They couldn't walk in a straight line because Virgil had to steer Scott so that he would avoid bumping into any obstacles.
The further on they got, the more and the bigger those obstacles became.
They rounded a corner. Virgil stopped. This was one very big obstacle!
"What is it?" Scott asked quietly.
"The hallway's blocked."
"What all of it?"
"I think so..." Virgil was scanning the pile of wreckage that blocked their path. "There's no way around it." He detached himself from Scott's grip and moved closer to get a better look. "Hang on... We might just be able to climb over the top."
"Over the top?" Scott was more than a little doubtful.
"It looks pretty secure... if I go first do you think you could follow me?"
"I... I don't know. I guess we can only try."
Virgil was on his wristwatch telecom. "We're going to have to climb the debris John."
"But how secure is it? Can he... can you...?"
"We won't know until we try." Virgil said. "That's unless you can find us an alternate route."
John scanned his GPS. "No, there's nothing. Sorry Virgil, you've only got one option."
"Okay John. Thanks. I'll give you a call when we reach the other side."
John smiled at his brother's optimism. "I'll look forward to it."
"You and me both." Scott said.
***
John shut down the communications link with the danger zone and reinstated the one to Tracy Island. His father looked eagerly out of the monitor at him.
"Any news."
John explained about the obstacle they'd come across.
"I don't like this." Jeff exclaimed heatedly. "Scott needs medical attention now!"
"There's nothing else we can do Dad." John said evenly.
"What about the ventilation shaft the scientists climbed out of?"
John shook his head. "That's nowhere near where Scott and Virgil are. Their only exit is on the other side of the debris. And the quickest way we can get Scott to medical attention is to get them out in The Mole and then fly him there in Thunderbird One."
Jeff took a deep breath. "I'm sorry John. I'm sure you've considered all avenues. I just feel so helpless stuck here."
"Tell me about it." John said, a small smile playing about his lips. "We've just got to sit here and wait."
***
Virgil had managed to scale the obstacle. At the top there was a space just big enough for a fair sized man to crawl through. It was going to be a squeeze. He looked back down. "Put your left foot up, little to the left, that's it. That should hold your weight."
Scott moved up a step. He was perspiring heavily. Who would have thought that moving so slowly could be so taxing? "How much further Virgil?"
Virgil managed to crouch down so that his hand grasped Scott's shirt. "Not far." Still guiding Scott with the placement of his hands and feet he helped him to reach the top. "There you go. That's one small step for man..."
"It's the giant leap back down that worries me." Scott growled. "How high are we?"
"About fourteen feet."
"High enough."
"Okay," Virgil slid the backpack off. "This is where we start crawling. It should be safer in here - less chance of falling."
"I never realised you were such an optimist."
"I never thought of you as a pessimist. Come on, there's room for the two of us to start together." Virgil assisted Scott into the crawl way and then, pushing his pack, and a torch, before him started moving forward.
Scott decided that the way which offered him the greatest feeling of security was to feel every square inch ahead of himself before moving forward.
Gradually the crawl space narrowed until eventually Virgil had to take the lead. The narrowing was starting to worry him, but he didn't voice his doubts to Scott. Then, just as he began to think that there wouldn't be an exit available to them, there was a bend in the crawl way and he could see light from a fluorescent tube. "Nearly there Scott!" He pushed on determinedly, Scott following on more slowly.
Virgil was starting to feel happier about their situation. They were nearly free of the crawl way and the debris underneath had smoothed out. He realised that he was crawling along a flat piece of ceiling panel. He quickened his pace...
Virgil's yell and the sound of crashing building materials, caused Scott to halt momentarily. Then he moved forward quicker than before, ignoring the scratches and bruises that he was inflicting on his poor battered body. He had to find Virgil, find out what had happened. He felt the drop in temperature on his unexposed skin as he reached the opening...
"Stop!!!!"
On a normal day, under normal circumstances the walk would have been traversed in under 20 minutes.
This had ceased being a normal day about two hours ago.
They couldn't walk in a straight line because Virgil had to steer Scott so that he would avoid bumping into any obstacles.
The further on they got, the more and the bigger those obstacles became.
They rounded a corner. Virgil stopped. This was one very big obstacle!
"What is it?" Scott asked quietly.
"The hallway's blocked."
"What all of it?"
"I think so..." Virgil was scanning the pile of wreckage that blocked their path. "There's no way around it." He detached himself from Scott's grip and moved closer to get a better look. "Hang on... We might just be able to climb over the top."
"Over the top?" Scott was more than a little doubtful.
"It looks pretty secure... if I go first do you think you could follow me?"
"I... I don't know. I guess we can only try."
Virgil was on his wristwatch telecom. "We're going to have to climb the debris John."
"But how secure is it? Can he... can you...?"
"We won't know until we try." Virgil said. "That's unless you can find us an alternate route."
John scanned his GPS. "No, there's nothing. Sorry Virgil, you've only got one option."
"Okay John. Thanks. I'll give you a call when we reach the other side."
John smiled at his brother's optimism. "I'll look forward to it."
"You and me both." Scott said.
***
John shut down the communications link with the danger zone and reinstated the one to Tracy Island. His father looked eagerly out of the monitor at him.
"Any news."
John explained about the obstacle they'd come across.
"I don't like this." Jeff exclaimed heatedly. "Scott needs medical attention now!"
"There's nothing else we can do Dad." John said evenly.
"What about the ventilation shaft the scientists climbed out of?"
John shook his head. "That's nowhere near where Scott and Virgil are. Their only exit is on the other side of the debris. And the quickest way we can get Scott to medical attention is to get them out in The Mole and then fly him there in Thunderbird One."
Jeff took a deep breath. "I'm sorry John. I'm sure you've considered all avenues. I just feel so helpless stuck here."
"Tell me about it." John said, a small smile playing about his lips. "We've just got to sit here and wait."
***
Virgil had managed to scale the obstacle. At the top there was a space just big enough for a fair sized man to crawl through. It was going to be a squeeze. He looked back down. "Put your left foot up, little to the left, that's it. That should hold your weight."
Scott moved up a step. He was perspiring heavily. Who would have thought that moving so slowly could be so taxing? "How much further Virgil?"
Virgil managed to crouch down so that his hand grasped Scott's shirt. "Not far." Still guiding Scott with the placement of his hands and feet he helped him to reach the top. "There you go. That's one small step for man..."
"It's the giant leap back down that worries me." Scott growled. "How high are we?"
"About fourteen feet."
"High enough."
"Okay," Virgil slid the backpack off. "This is where we start crawling. It should be safer in here - less chance of falling."
"I never realised you were such an optimist."
"I never thought of you as a pessimist. Come on, there's room for the two of us to start together." Virgil assisted Scott into the crawl way and then, pushing his pack, and a torch, before him started moving forward.
Scott decided that the way which offered him the greatest feeling of security was to feel every square inch ahead of himself before moving forward.
Gradually the crawl space narrowed until eventually Virgil had to take the lead. The narrowing was starting to worry him, but he didn't voice his doubts to Scott. Then, just as he began to think that there wouldn't be an exit available to them, there was a bend in the crawl way and he could see light from a fluorescent tube. "Nearly there Scott!" He pushed on determinedly, Scott following on more slowly.
Virgil was starting to feel happier about their situation. They were nearly free of the crawl way and the debris underneath had smoothed out. He realised that he was crawling along a flat piece of ceiling panel. He quickened his pace...
Virgil's yell and the sound of crashing building materials, caused Scott to halt momentarily. Then he moved forward quicker than before, ignoring the scratches and bruises that he was inflicting on his poor battered body. He had to find Virgil, find out what had happened. He felt the drop in temperature on his unexposed skin as he reached the opening...
"Stop!!!!"