Sixty One - BF
As they approached the danger zone they could clearly see their objective. A thick plume of inky black smoke rose up from what they assumed was a building. There was little wind and Gordon watched the tall pillar of smoke rise up into the sky. He gave a low whistle. "Nasty."
"No sign of any fire." Virgil noted as he brought the 'plane in closer.
Thunderbird Two touched down - outside the security cordon of the complex. "I'm surprised they've even asked us to help." Gordon noted as they exited the craft.
They were met outside by Scott and Alan. Both looked angry. "Were getting no help from the authorities! " Scott fumed. "They've agreed to let us take Mobile Control into the complex, but only because I pointed out that it was impossible for me to work from out here. And we can't send the 'Firefly' in because they won't give me any plans or any details of the building. It's 'too confidential'. I don't know how they expect us to find him."
"They did say that he was in Laboratory One, and that the power's out. There's no lighting." Alan had the expression he'd get whenever he'd lose a car race due to some bureaucratic bungling. "Which is no help whatsoever. We're talking about a man's life, and they're worried about security!
"So what do we do?" Gordon asked.
"The only thing we can do." Scott told him. "Virgil. You take Thunderbird Two up again and try and get a bearing on our victim. Alan and Gordon will have to use our handheld scanners and follow your directions."
Virgil looked at the pillar of smoke without enthusiasm. "That's going to be like flying into a tar pit! What's in that smoke?"
"We don't know. It's top..."
"...Secret. Thanks Alan. I've got the picture." Virgil sighed. "Lets hope it's nothing corrosive. I'll grab some samples while I'm up there. If there's any environmental impact the World Government's going to want to know about this. Let me know when you guys are ready to go in. I don't want Two in there any longer than she has to be."
"Guess we'd better get suited up." Gordon started heading back into Thunderbird Two.
Grumbling something that sounded like "They expect us to risk our necks and don't do anything to help", Alan followed him.
"It'll take them a couple of minutes. I'll take you back to Mobile Control." Virgil offered.
"Thanks." They'd gone a couple of steps when Scott spoke again. "I guess this means we won't have a chance to have that talk tonight."
Virgil looked at him quizzedly. "Are you really that worried about the equipment?"
"No." Scott said quickly. "I just wanted to talk."
"You never know. We might strike it lucky and be leaving within the hour."
"Yeah." Scott said without optimism.
They arrived back at Mobile Control and Scott reactivated it. It started beeping and whirring, analysing what information it had - which wasn't much. As he listened to the cacophony of sounds Scott gave a wry grin. "Are you sure you didn't have a hand in this. It sounds like you've tried to write an electronic symphony."
Virgil laughed. "I did help with the tone scale, but that's all. You can blame Brains for the orchestration." He looked over towards Thunderbird Two. "Here they come. I'd better get going. I'll talk to you once I'm in the air." He jogged back over to his plane.
"I hope we get the chance to talk once we're home too." Scott said quietly as he heard the footsteps recede.
"Okay." Gordon said as he arrived at Mobile Control. "Where do we go now?"
"You know as much as I do." Scott reminded him, before speaking into the microphone. "Okay Virgil. The guys are ready."
"F-A-B." Virgil's voice intoned out of the speakers and they heard Thunderbird Two's VTOL jets burst into life.
"I guess the first thing we've got to do is find the door." Alan stated. "They did tell us that it was about six metres in from this wall." He indicated roughly the region where they would have to start looking.
"Have you both got plenty of oxygen?" Scott enquired with some concern.
"Yep. We've already checked each other's equipment." Gordon reassured him. "We'll be okay."
"Good. Oh, well. Good luck fellas."
"Thanks Scott."
"See you soon." He heard his brothers voices start to fade away as they moved towards the smoking building. He could smell the acrid fumes and wondered exactly what was in that shrouded building that he'd just sent his brothers into.
"We've found the door." Alan told him via Mobile Control's speakers.
"F-A-B. Move in Virgil."
"Moving in." With some trepidation, but no hesitation, Virgil flew into the inky, writhing tower. Soon all exterior visual references were gone. He brought Thunderbird Two into hover mode and checked a monitor. "I see him." A green dot was showing on screen. He could also make out two other dots, one orange, one white that told him where his brothers were. "He's ahead of you and to your right." He watched the dots move into the building.
Down below, the interior of the building was pitch black. They switched on their torches. The beam of light was unable to penetrate through the thick smoke. Unperturbed by this, Gordon turned on the direction finder that was incorporated into the visor of his fire suit. He could see a grey glow and little else. He fiddled with the controls to improve the picture.
The glow brightened, but otherwise there was no improvement.
"Gordon." Alan said quietly. "My direction finder's not working. I can't see the walls or obstacles or anything!"
"Me neither." Gordon told him. "Try switching it off and on again."
That didn't work.
"How's your contrast and brightness?" Alan asked.
"I've got them on full." Gordon replied, perplexed. "I'm not seeing anything!"
"Something's got to be interfering with the signal." Alan said.
Gordon switched his direction finder off with finality and surveyed his surroundings.
He could see nothing.
"I don't like this Alan." He said uneasily. "I think we should get out of here and check the equipment out."
Up above them Virgil watched the two dots retrace their steps. "Scott, what's wrong? They're coming out!"
"Coming out?" Scott repeated in consternation.
"I'm coming in to land." Virgil stated. By the time he'd done so, and run over to Mobile Control, Gordon and Alan had already explained their predicament to Scott and John, who was listening in via the radio link.
"It's that dark, it's like we were blind!" Gordon exclaimed, and then started. "Sorry Scott."
But Scott hadn't heard him. He was deep in thought. "Gordon." He'd made a decision. "Go get my fire suit."
"But..."
"Go!" Scott ordered. Gordon took off at a run into Thunderbird Two's hold.
"Just what are you planning to do Scott?" John asked in concern.
"I'm going to go in and rescue that guy."
"Scott!" He heard various exclamations of protest from his brothers.
He held up his hand for silence. "You've got to admit that at the moment I'm the best qualified to undertake this rescue."
This statement was met with an uneasy silence.
"Do you think this is wise?" Alan asked quietly.
"What other option do we have?" Scott asked. He heard Gordon come running back with the required protective equipment.
"What are you going to do?" Gordon asked.
"I'm going to do the rescue."
"But Scott..."
Scott ignored him. He was still in control. "Alan! I want you to man Mobile Control. Keep everyone up with the play as to what's happening... John! You can radio base and let them know what we're doing... Virgil! Is Thunderbird Two's imaging system still working?"
"It should be..."
"Good. I want you to be my eyes. Let me know where our victim is in relation to my position." Scott pulled the fire suit up over his shoulders and sealed the front. "Gordon! You can lead me over to the entrance..."
Virgil gripped Scott by both shoulders. "Are you sure about this?" he asked quietly.
"Yes I am. I'm also sure that if I don't get a move on we're going to be retrieving a dead body from in there."
"Be careful." With these parting words Virgil headed over to once again prepare Thunderbird Two for lift off.
As Scott pulled the hood over his head, Gordon affixed a "Sonar Sender" to his brother's collar. "You know this isn't designed for this situation."
"Yeah I know. I'll just have to hope that Brains made it strong enough."
"Knowing Brains you could put it in one of Thunderbird One's jets on full throttle and it'd still come out working." Gordon checked the seal on Scott's suit before pulling his own hood over his head. "Are you ready?"
"As I'll ever be."
"Okay." Gordon led Scott over to where the entrance was shrouded in thick black smoke. Then he hesitated. "Let me come with you."
"Thanks Gordon, but, no offence intended, you'd be more of a hindrance than a help. I'll be able to move quicker without you holding me back."
"If you're sure." Gordon said quietly.
"If anything goes wrong, or I ask for help, or I lose contact with you guys, I want you in there straight away. You'll have to follow Virgil's directions to find me. Okay."
"Okay." Gordon said with more resolve. "Come on then. I'll take you as far as I can go safely."
"That's fine with me."
It wasn't long before Gordon was totally disorientated in the blinding smoke. "Sorry Scott. This is as far as I can go."
"Thanks Gordon. I'll see you soon."
Reluctantly, Gordon felt Scott move away down the smoke filled corridor. He then retraced his steps back into the safety of daylight.
As they approached the danger zone they could clearly see their objective. A thick plume of inky black smoke rose up from what they assumed was a building. There was little wind and Gordon watched the tall pillar of smoke rise up into the sky. He gave a low whistle. "Nasty."
"No sign of any fire." Virgil noted as he brought the 'plane in closer.
Thunderbird Two touched down - outside the security cordon of the complex. "I'm surprised they've even asked us to help." Gordon noted as they exited the craft.
They were met outside by Scott and Alan. Both looked angry. "Were getting no help from the authorities! " Scott fumed. "They've agreed to let us take Mobile Control into the complex, but only because I pointed out that it was impossible for me to work from out here. And we can't send the 'Firefly' in because they won't give me any plans or any details of the building. It's 'too confidential'. I don't know how they expect us to find him."
"They did say that he was in Laboratory One, and that the power's out. There's no lighting." Alan had the expression he'd get whenever he'd lose a car race due to some bureaucratic bungling. "Which is no help whatsoever. We're talking about a man's life, and they're worried about security!
"So what do we do?" Gordon asked.
"The only thing we can do." Scott told him. "Virgil. You take Thunderbird Two up again and try and get a bearing on our victim. Alan and Gordon will have to use our handheld scanners and follow your directions."
Virgil looked at the pillar of smoke without enthusiasm. "That's going to be like flying into a tar pit! What's in that smoke?"
"We don't know. It's top..."
"...Secret. Thanks Alan. I've got the picture." Virgil sighed. "Lets hope it's nothing corrosive. I'll grab some samples while I'm up there. If there's any environmental impact the World Government's going to want to know about this. Let me know when you guys are ready to go in. I don't want Two in there any longer than she has to be."
"Guess we'd better get suited up." Gordon started heading back into Thunderbird Two.
Grumbling something that sounded like "They expect us to risk our necks and don't do anything to help", Alan followed him.
"It'll take them a couple of minutes. I'll take you back to Mobile Control." Virgil offered.
"Thanks." They'd gone a couple of steps when Scott spoke again. "I guess this means we won't have a chance to have that talk tonight."
Virgil looked at him quizzedly. "Are you really that worried about the equipment?"
"No." Scott said quickly. "I just wanted to talk."
"You never know. We might strike it lucky and be leaving within the hour."
"Yeah." Scott said without optimism.
They arrived back at Mobile Control and Scott reactivated it. It started beeping and whirring, analysing what information it had - which wasn't much. As he listened to the cacophony of sounds Scott gave a wry grin. "Are you sure you didn't have a hand in this. It sounds like you've tried to write an electronic symphony."
Virgil laughed. "I did help with the tone scale, but that's all. You can blame Brains for the orchestration." He looked over towards Thunderbird Two. "Here they come. I'd better get going. I'll talk to you once I'm in the air." He jogged back over to his plane.
"I hope we get the chance to talk once we're home too." Scott said quietly as he heard the footsteps recede.
"Okay." Gordon said as he arrived at Mobile Control. "Where do we go now?"
"You know as much as I do." Scott reminded him, before speaking into the microphone. "Okay Virgil. The guys are ready."
"F-A-B." Virgil's voice intoned out of the speakers and they heard Thunderbird Two's VTOL jets burst into life.
"I guess the first thing we've got to do is find the door." Alan stated. "They did tell us that it was about six metres in from this wall." He indicated roughly the region where they would have to start looking.
"Have you both got plenty of oxygen?" Scott enquired with some concern.
"Yep. We've already checked each other's equipment." Gordon reassured him. "We'll be okay."
"Good. Oh, well. Good luck fellas."
"Thanks Scott."
"See you soon." He heard his brothers voices start to fade away as they moved towards the smoking building. He could smell the acrid fumes and wondered exactly what was in that shrouded building that he'd just sent his brothers into.
"We've found the door." Alan told him via Mobile Control's speakers.
"F-A-B. Move in Virgil."
"Moving in." With some trepidation, but no hesitation, Virgil flew into the inky, writhing tower. Soon all exterior visual references were gone. He brought Thunderbird Two into hover mode and checked a monitor. "I see him." A green dot was showing on screen. He could also make out two other dots, one orange, one white that told him where his brothers were. "He's ahead of you and to your right." He watched the dots move into the building.
Down below, the interior of the building was pitch black. They switched on their torches. The beam of light was unable to penetrate through the thick smoke. Unperturbed by this, Gordon turned on the direction finder that was incorporated into the visor of his fire suit. He could see a grey glow and little else. He fiddled with the controls to improve the picture.
The glow brightened, but otherwise there was no improvement.
"Gordon." Alan said quietly. "My direction finder's not working. I can't see the walls or obstacles or anything!"
"Me neither." Gordon told him. "Try switching it off and on again."
That didn't work.
"How's your contrast and brightness?" Alan asked.
"I've got them on full." Gordon replied, perplexed. "I'm not seeing anything!"
"Something's got to be interfering with the signal." Alan said.
Gordon switched his direction finder off with finality and surveyed his surroundings.
He could see nothing.
"I don't like this Alan." He said uneasily. "I think we should get out of here and check the equipment out."
Up above them Virgil watched the two dots retrace their steps. "Scott, what's wrong? They're coming out!"
"Coming out?" Scott repeated in consternation.
"I'm coming in to land." Virgil stated. By the time he'd done so, and run over to Mobile Control, Gordon and Alan had already explained their predicament to Scott and John, who was listening in via the radio link.
"It's that dark, it's like we were blind!" Gordon exclaimed, and then started. "Sorry Scott."
But Scott hadn't heard him. He was deep in thought. "Gordon." He'd made a decision. "Go get my fire suit."
"But..."
"Go!" Scott ordered. Gordon took off at a run into Thunderbird Two's hold.
"Just what are you planning to do Scott?" John asked in concern.
"I'm going to go in and rescue that guy."
"Scott!" He heard various exclamations of protest from his brothers.
He held up his hand for silence. "You've got to admit that at the moment I'm the best qualified to undertake this rescue."
This statement was met with an uneasy silence.
"Do you think this is wise?" Alan asked quietly.
"What other option do we have?" Scott asked. He heard Gordon come running back with the required protective equipment.
"What are you going to do?" Gordon asked.
"I'm going to do the rescue."
"But Scott..."
Scott ignored him. He was still in control. "Alan! I want you to man Mobile Control. Keep everyone up with the play as to what's happening... John! You can radio base and let them know what we're doing... Virgil! Is Thunderbird Two's imaging system still working?"
"It should be..."
"Good. I want you to be my eyes. Let me know where our victim is in relation to my position." Scott pulled the fire suit up over his shoulders and sealed the front. "Gordon! You can lead me over to the entrance..."
Virgil gripped Scott by both shoulders. "Are you sure about this?" he asked quietly.
"Yes I am. I'm also sure that if I don't get a move on we're going to be retrieving a dead body from in there."
"Be careful." With these parting words Virgil headed over to once again prepare Thunderbird Two for lift off.
As Scott pulled the hood over his head, Gordon affixed a "Sonar Sender" to his brother's collar. "You know this isn't designed for this situation."
"Yeah I know. I'll just have to hope that Brains made it strong enough."
"Knowing Brains you could put it in one of Thunderbird One's jets on full throttle and it'd still come out working." Gordon checked the seal on Scott's suit before pulling his own hood over his head. "Are you ready?"
"As I'll ever be."
"Okay." Gordon led Scott over to where the entrance was shrouded in thick black smoke. Then he hesitated. "Let me come with you."
"Thanks Gordon, but, no offence intended, you'd be more of a hindrance than a help. I'll be able to move quicker without you holding me back."
"If you're sure." Gordon said quietly.
"If anything goes wrong, or I ask for help, or I lose contact with you guys, I want you in there straight away. You'll have to follow Virgil's directions to find me. Okay."
"Okay." Gordon said with more resolve. "Come on then. I'll take you as far as I can go safely."
"That's fine with me."
It wasn't long before Gordon was totally disorientated in the blinding smoke. "Sorry Scott. This is as far as I can go."
"Thanks Gordon. I'll see you soon."
Reluctantly, Gordon felt Scott move away down the smoke filled corridor. He then retraced his steps back into the safety of daylight.