Chapter eight Sink or swim.
Jeff knew as soon as the wave hit them that something was terribly wrong, and it was confirmed when the lights flickered enough to tell him that the emergency generator had kicked in.
"Brains ?" He turned to face the young man, his face pale. "What's happened?" Brains sat at his computer his face starting to pale.
"All lower level sensors are off line;" He said quietly his usual stammer not in evidence. Jeff's own face paled as he realised what was happening. Scott had already made his way over to the communications and tired to reach his brother but to no avail.
"Dad I can't reach them," He said softly.
"Communications must be out to," Gordon said. Jeff's hands gripped the back of the chair his knuckles turning white.
"Scott, Gordon go down and see how bad it is down there," He said quickly. They both left the room.
" What do you want me to do father?" Alan asked. Jeff again turned to Brains.
"Is it safe to go back up top yet?" He asked. Brains nodded.
"YYes the house should be safe now," He said. "It will take a while for the sea to calm down enough to be able to go out though;" Jeff nodded and turned back to his youngest son.
"Go up to the house and see what damage has been done," Alan nodded and left the room. Jeff sat down and rested his head in his arms and praying that his son and Kathleen were okay.
Scott and Gordon rushed down the steps towards the lower levels, when Gordon reached forward and grabbed Scott,
"Scott stop," He cried out. Scott stopped and looked down and swore. He would have started forward again but Gordon stopped him, "Scott there's nothing we can do right now,"
Scott looked down at the still rising water level suddenly feeling helpless. Gordon moved down where the water level had risen to.
"It doesn't seem to rising any more," He said. "Pumps must be handling it,"
"Surely the level should be lowering ?" Scott said. Gordon shrugged.
"Water must still be coming in at the same rate as the pumps are clearing it," He said sadly.
"Let's get back to dad and Brains perhaps they came up with a way to get to them," Scott told him. Gordon looked down at the water and knew that they may already be to late, with a sigh he set off after Scott.
When they arrived back Alan to had returned.
"The inside of the house is fine everything held," He was telling their father when they returned. "But there is a lot of damage outside. It's going to take us some time to clear one and threes launch pads," Jeff sighed and nodded. Looking up he noticed Scott and Gordon's return.
"Well?" He asked. Scott gave a sigh.
"The two lower levels have completely flooded," Jeff's face paled.
"Isn't the water level going down at all?" He asked. Scott shook his head.
"No," He told him. "The pumps are working, but the water is still coming in as fast as they can clear it,"
"How come?" Alan questioned. Brains looked up from his computer.
"IIi think I know why," He said softly. They all turned to him. "IIi think the wave must have filled the higher caves with water and it is still filtering down to the lower levels," He gave a sigh. "It could take days to clear,"
"Days!" Scott exclaimed. "Virgil and Kathleen don't have days we have to do something now!"
"We may have to face the fact it might already be to late Scott," Jeff sighed. He desperately wanted them to be alive. He had always know that he could lose one of his sons on one of the many rescue missions they had done, but to lose one at home seemed very unjust to him. Scott stared at his father for a moment.
"If there is a way out father, Virgil will find it," Scott told him. Every confidence in his brothers skills. "He'll find it I know he will,"
The water had already risen to Kathleen's waist. Virgil looked around desperately, trying to find a way out. Looking up he saw the air vent.
"Of course!" He exclaimed. He climbed up on to the bed and began to find the release catches.
"Is there room for us in there?" Kathleen asked dubiously. Looking up at the now open shaft. Virgil nodded.
"Yes," He told her. "Brains designed them that way, one for easy maintenance and two if the base was ever taken over by hostile forces we could escape from any room that they decided to keep us in," He hauled his self up and into the opening. Leaning back down he grabbed Kathleen's arms and using his strength pulled her up beside him.
"Here we go again," She muttered. Virgil gave her a quick grin and she couldn't help but smile back,
"I have to admit that most people meet in more romantic places than this," Virgil said with a small laugh. Then started to crawl forward.
"Oh I don't know, even these circumstances some girls would really envy me," She told him.
"Yeah right," He scoffed. "Like who?" Kathleen grinned mischievously and crawled behind him.
"Oh may be Melissa," She told him. He turned back to her, a grin on his face.
"She may like it;" He said then gave a shudder. "But I think it would be my worst nightmare,"
Time seemed to stop while they crawled along so how long it was they didn't really know. With time they reached a shaft that ran upwards. Virgil sighed with relief; he had been worried that the water may flood the shaft before they reached this point. Looking down he saw the water in the lower levels. He turned back to Kathleen.
"We have to up now," He told her. "There are foot and handholds so it shouldn't be too difficult," Kathleen nodded. "When we get up to the next level I'll find somewhere to get out of these shafts," They pulled themselves out into the main shaft. Looking down Virgil noted that the water was still rising though a lot slower and water had also started come out of the tunnel they had just exited.
"The water is more than the pumps can handle," Kathleen said. Virgil nodded.
"If it keeps up like this we'll be having problems with the machines," He said. A worried expression on his face. He turned his attention back to the climb and getting themselves out of danger.
Scott and his father where still in Brains lab looking at plans of the base. Alan and Gordon had gone up to the house with Tin-Tin, grandma and Kyrano to start the clear up that was needed.
"We have to find a way to clear the lower levels of water?" Jeff said rubbing the back of his neck, "If Virgil and Kathleen are still alive, time is of the essence and according to Gordon the water is rising again," Scott nodded. Gordon had been reluctant to tell them what was happening when he had come back to report to them,
"Wwe will have to do something soon MMr Tracey," Brains told them. "Ssea water getting into the thunderbirds systems could cause serious damage iif in them for any length of time;" Jeff looked at the scientist.
"Right now Brains my main worry is Virgil and Kathleen," He told him. " Doing some thing with out thinking it through properly could cause more problems," The younger man nodded. Then a voice piped up from the doorway.
"Like getting even wetter," Surprised the three men turned to the doorway and saw to their relief Virgil and Kathleen standing there. Both where wet through. Jeff gave a cry of joy and embraced them both. When he had finished Scott to embraced them.
"You had us worried bro," He told Virgil. Virgil grinned at him.
"I even had me worried," He said. "It got a bit hairy for a while," Scott nodded. Jeff looked at the pair of them and smiled.
"I think the both of you should get some dry clothes on," He told them. Virgil nodded and with one arm curled around Kathleen they left.
"Now back to the problem of getting the water out of this base," Both Jeff and Scott turned back to the map able to concentrate on the task at hand.