End
He felt the power build up beneath them - slightly more than necessary but not too much. She was like a wild beast coiled, waiting to pounce. His heart pounding he threw the lever forward. With a roar the craft was launched out through its exit.
Exhilaration coursed through his system. Flying! He was flying! His eyes flicked over the instruments, checking they were reading correctly, then he looked out the window, watching the white, fluffy clouds as they came closer.
Flying!
***
Jeff couldn't help but smile as he watched Thunderbird One launch through the swimming pool. "I'll bet there was a time that he believed he'd never do that again." He commented.
"There was." Virgil informed him dryly. "Usually while he was asleep. At three o-clock in the morning! He'd keep me awake moaning about it."
Jeff chuckled. Now that things were returning to something resembling normality it was easy to lighten up. A week ago such a comment would have sent a worried frown across his face.
"So..." Virgil continued on. "when do I get to take Gordon for a test flight?"
Jeff tapped him lightly on his cast. "It'll be a while yet I'm afraid..."
***
Thunderbird One changed to horizontal flight.
"How'm I doing Alan?" Scott asked.
"Great." Alan said. "I found her a bit ragged doing tight corners. See what you think."
Scott sent Thunderbird One into a tight U-turn. "Feels alright to me."
"How about steep climbs?"
Scott pointed Thunderbird One's nose to the heavens and let her rip. Then he reversed into a dive, before launching another manoeuvre and then another...
Thunderbird One performed flawlessly. Scott performed flawlessly.
"Base to Thunderbird One." Jeff's voice sounded almost apologetic over the radio.
"Thunderbird One." Scott acknowledged.
"Time to come home. The mail plane will be here in about half an hour." Jeff said. "Don't forget to let Alan land her."
"F-A-B" Scott acknowledged and turned Thunderbird One back to the island. "Hey Alan. Thanks."
"For what?"
"You know for what. A guy who can land a rocket as big and powerful as Thunderbird Three, through the Round House, doesn't need practice landing Thunderbird One through the swimming pool. Whose idea was it?"
"Dad's."
"Remind me to thank him too." Scott brought Thunderbird One in to hover over the swimming pool and hesitated.
"Scott." Alan prompted. "My turn."
"I could do it Alan!"
"I'm sure you could. But what would we tell Dad?"
"He doesn't have to know everything does he?"
Alan grinned, then unbuckled his safety harness and rose so that he was standing beside the pilot's seat. "I'm not going to lie to him, even if you're willing to. And you can't land her while I'm standing here. So either you get out of that seat or Dad's going to get very annoyed if Thunderbird One's still hovering over an open swimming pool when the mail plane gets here."
Reluctantly Scott relinquished the controls. Next time he'd land her!
***
It was one year to the day after that fateful Tuesday at Regnad Corp.
A rescue call had come in. John had finished explaining the situation.
Jeff spoke up. "This should be fairly straightforward boys, but I can't emphasise enough that speed is of the essence. Virgil. I don't think you'll need any assistance. It sounds easy enough."
Scott and Virgil were both jogging over to their respective secret access ways. They skidded to a stop.
"Easy?" said Scott.
"No assistance?" said Virgil.
Scott looked at Virgil.
Virgil looked at Scott.
"Ah, Alan!"
"Ah, Gordon!"
"What?" Their two youngest brothers chorused.
"How'd you like to take Thunderbird One?" Scott asked Alan.
"How'd you like to take Thunderbird Two?" Virgil simultaneously asked Gordon.
"Are you two feeling alright?" John asked, amazed.
"Really?" The youngest chorused again in astonishment.
Virgil looked at Scott.
Scott looked at Virgil.
"Nah!" they said in a chorus of their own.
And were gone in the blink of an eye!
************************************************************************
To everyone who loyally read Blind Ambition to the end... well one of them anyway.
Sorry it was cut into two. I hope it wasn't too confusing to read. Imagine what it was like to upload. ;-)
Also, I would like to say thanks to everyone who gave me such wonderful reviews. I really appreciate the fact that you took the time to write them.
Purupuss
He felt the power build up beneath them - slightly more than necessary but not too much. She was like a wild beast coiled, waiting to pounce. His heart pounding he threw the lever forward. With a roar the craft was launched out through its exit.
Exhilaration coursed through his system. Flying! He was flying! His eyes flicked over the instruments, checking they were reading correctly, then he looked out the window, watching the white, fluffy clouds as they came closer.
Flying!
***
Jeff couldn't help but smile as he watched Thunderbird One launch through the swimming pool. "I'll bet there was a time that he believed he'd never do that again." He commented.
"There was." Virgil informed him dryly. "Usually while he was asleep. At three o-clock in the morning! He'd keep me awake moaning about it."
Jeff chuckled. Now that things were returning to something resembling normality it was easy to lighten up. A week ago such a comment would have sent a worried frown across his face.
"So..." Virgil continued on. "when do I get to take Gordon for a test flight?"
Jeff tapped him lightly on his cast. "It'll be a while yet I'm afraid..."
***
Thunderbird One changed to horizontal flight.
"How'm I doing Alan?" Scott asked.
"Great." Alan said. "I found her a bit ragged doing tight corners. See what you think."
Scott sent Thunderbird One into a tight U-turn. "Feels alright to me."
"How about steep climbs?"
Scott pointed Thunderbird One's nose to the heavens and let her rip. Then he reversed into a dive, before launching another manoeuvre and then another...
Thunderbird One performed flawlessly. Scott performed flawlessly.
"Base to Thunderbird One." Jeff's voice sounded almost apologetic over the radio.
"Thunderbird One." Scott acknowledged.
"Time to come home. The mail plane will be here in about half an hour." Jeff said. "Don't forget to let Alan land her."
"F-A-B" Scott acknowledged and turned Thunderbird One back to the island. "Hey Alan. Thanks."
"For what?"
"You know for what. A guy who can land a rocket as big and powerful as Thunderbird Three, through the Round House, doesn't need practice landing Thunderbird One through the swimming pool. Whose idea was it?"
"Dad's."
"Remind me to thank him too." Scott brought Thunderbird One in to hover over the swimming pool and hesitated.
"Scott." Alan prompted. "My turn."
"I could do it Alan!"
"I'm sure you could. But what would we tell Dad?"
"He doesn't have to know everything does he?"
Alan grinned, then unbuckled his safety harness and rose so that he was standing beside the pilot's seat. "I'm not going to lie to him, even if you're willing to. And you can't land her while I'm standing here. So either you get out of that seat or Dad's going to get very annoyed if Thunderbird One's still hovering over an open swimming pool when the mail plane gets here."
Reluctantly Scott relinquished the controls. Next time he'd land her!
***
It was one year to the day after that fateful Tuesday at Regnad Corp.
A rescue call had come in. John had finished explaining the situation.
Jeff spoke up. "This should be fairly straightforward boys, but I can't emphasise enough that speed is of the essence. Virgil. I don't think you'll need any assistance. It sounds easy enough."
Scott and Virgil were both jogging over to their respective secret access ways. They skidded to a stop.
"Easy?" said Scott.
"No assistance?" said Virgil.
Scott looked at Virgil.
Virgil looked at Scott.
"Ah, Alan!"
"Ah, Gordon!"
"What?" Their two youngest brothers chorused.
"How'd you like to take Thunderbird One?" Scott asked Alan.
"How'd you like to take Thunderbird Two?" Virgil simultaneously asked Gordon.
"Are you two feeling alright?" John asked, amazed.
"Really?" The youngest chorused again in astonishment.
Virgil looked at Scott.
Scott looked at Virgil.
"Nah!" they said in a chorus of their own.
And were gone in the blink of an eye!
************************************************************************
To everyone who loyally read Blind Ambition to the end... well one of them anyway.
Sorry it was cut into two. I hope it wasn't too confusing to read. Imagine what it was like to upload. ;-)
Also, I would like to say thanks to everyone who gave me such wonderful reviews. I really appreciate the fact that you took the time to write them.
Purupuss
