Sixty Six - BF
The stretcher Percy was lying on was wrenched from their hands by the force of the explosion. Instinctively Scott dove over the injured man to try to protect him from any potential threat.
Gordon was thrown against the wall and then flung to the floor. Already unnerved by the alien environment he was working in, this new threat was too much. He curled up into a ball and started yelling.
As the noise from the explosion and falling rubble died away Scott became aware of this strange new sound. "Gordon?" He gingerly lifted his weight off Percy. "Alan! What happened?" He started feeling his way over the newly displaced debris towards his brother.
"I don't know. There was another explosion somewhere in the complex. Are you guys alright?"
"I am, but I don't know about Gordon." Scott knew he'd reached his objective when he brushed against something soft and then a hand grabbed his arm. "Gordon! Are you okay?"
Gordon's grip was like iron. "Scott! I've got to get out of here! I've got to get out now!"
"Gordon! Calm down! It's okay."
"No it's not. I can't take this. I've got to get out!" Gordon stood, took a step and overbalanced on the uneven floor. He fell with an alarming crash amongst the rubble.
"Gordon! Are you alright?" Scott was feeling about for his brother again.
"No I'm not. I've got to get out!" Gordon yelled hysterically.
Scott was hit by a flailing arm. 'Is this how Virgil felt dealing with me?' he asked himself grimly. He grabbed the arm and held the hand tightly. "Gordon listen to me! Are you hurt?"
"H-Hurt? N-No. I've just got to get out of h-here!"
"Gordon. I need your help to get Percy out of here."
"Can't help. I c-can't help."
"Calm down Gordon." Scott begged. "Please calm down."
Alan was listening to this exchange. "Scott! Do you want me to come in there?"
"No I don't!" Scott yelled and then calmed down himself. "Sorry Alan. But you don't have the experience either. I couldn't deal with the two of you." He took a breath. "How's Percy?"
"Percy? He's fine. There's no change to his stats. What are you going to do?"
"I don't know Alan. I've got to get Gordon to calm down, then we've got to get out of here. Virgil! Are you listening?"
"I'm here Scott."
"Help me."
"Help you? How?"
"Talk to Gordon. You kept me calm in Regnad."
"But I was with you then!"
"Virgil! Just try it will you!" Scott was hit by and managed to grab Gordon's other flailing hand.
"Gordon. Please try to calm down." Virgil said lamely. Then an idea came to him. "John. I could use your help here."
"What can I do?"
"You're good at this. Help me talk to Gordon. I'll put the circuit onto three-way"
John bit his lip. Gordon was at his calmest about water. "Try to get him to imagine that he's underwater."
"Imagine that he's..." then Virgil shrugged. At least it was an idea. He donned a headset so that he could talk directly to Gordon without his brother hearing any other conversations that were being carried out. "Gordon can you hear me? Listen to me. I'm going to paint you a picture."
"I can't see it!" Gordon panted in reply.
"No. It's going to be a verbal picture. I want you to imagine it. Close your eyes Gordon."
"It's already dark!"
"Doesn't matter. I want you to imagine what I'm going to say to you. You're swimming. You're scuba diving. The fire suit you're wearing is actually your wet suit. Your pack is actually your oxygen tank..."
The word oxygen sent warning bells ringing in Scott's brain. How much did they have left? He'd been using his the longest. Percy had a smaller canister. Gordon's hyperventilating would mean that he would be using his oxygen supply quickly.
"Gordon!" He interrupted. "I need to let go of your hands for a short time."
"No!"
"Please Gordon. I'll be as quick as I can. Just listen to Virgil and John okay?"
"I want to get out. I've got to see something."
"Talk to him Virgil!" Scott released Gordon's hands and stepped back quickly to avoid being grabbed again.
"You're going deeper into the water. You're not sinking, it's a controlled descent. You're diving into the... the..." Virgil's mind went blank. He flicked a switch so that John and Alan could hear him, but Gordon couldn't. "Quickly! What's the name of that trench in the Pacific Ocean? You know the really deep one."
John was onto Thunderbird Five's computer. "I don't know. I'll look it up." He said urgently.
"Come on Johnny. What's it called?"
"The Mariana Trench" Alan said calmly.
They were stunned for a moment. "How'd you know that?" John asked.
"Gordon showed me a book on it the other day."
"Good. You can do this then." Virgil said eagerly.
"No way! I only remember the name 'cause it's the same as a new model of car."
"Great!" Virgil muttered before reinstating his link with Gordon. "Sorry Gordon. Slight technical hitch with Thunderbird Two. You are descending into the Mariana Trench. You can feel the water about you. It's supporting you, calming you. You can feel the currents massaging you. The water is changing from aqua marine, to..." he stopped. Gordon wouldn't know what he's talking about if he were to name actual pigment colours. "The water's changing colour from pale blue, to a deeper blue to dark blue. It's getting darker and darker, but you don't mind. You feel perfectly safe..."
Scott was feeling about in his pack. He retrieved a spare oxygen cylinder and made his way over to the stretcher. "What's Percy's oxygen levels, Alan?"
"They're low, but not critical."
"Okay. I'll change his cylinder first. Then I'll try to change Gordon's."
"What about you?"
"I've still got some. I'll get a spare out of Gordon's pack when I change his."
"Well don't leave it too long. You've still got to get them out of there."
"Has Brains worked out what's happened with the sensors?"
"He thinks there must be something in the smoke that's blocking the signals. He wants us to run some tests before we head home. We might have to wash Thunderbird Two down before we leave if it proves to be some kind of contaminant. We don't want to be spraying harmful stuff over half the planet."
"Thunderbird Two?" Scott said absently. He was concentrating on removing one oxygen cylinder and replacing it with another.
"Last time I saw her she was as black as the ace of spades. Virgil's going to have a fit when he sees her."
"There's fish swimming about you." Virgil was running out of ideas.
Gordon was starting to calm down. "What kind of fish?"
"Oh." Virgil was stumped. He didn't know. "Angel fish?" he hazarded.
"You don't find them here." Gordon informed him.
"How about starfish?" John suggested.
"A starfish." Virgil repeated to Gordon. "One of those translucent ones that gives off it's own light."
Gordon must have been satisfied by this as he made no comment.
John was bringing up the subject on the computer. "Good choice Virgil. Tell him he's surrounded by lots of them. I'll get you more info."
Virgil didn't get the chance to continue as Scott interrupted. "Gordon. I'm going to replace your oxygen cylinder and then get a spare out of your pack. Okay?"
Gordon was sounding nearly normal. "Okay Scott. Now what else can I see Virgil?"
Scott felt around until he found where Gordon's oxygen cylinder was housed in his suit. He got a spare out of his own pack, bled some oxygen into Gordon's mask to keep him going during the changeover, and then quickly removed the old cylinder and replaced it with a fresh one.
It wasn't till he'd finished that he realised how easily he was managing all these tasks. The thought surprised him somewhat. He was finally getting the hang of this blindness lark just when he was going to regain his sight again. He grinned at the thought.
A beeping sound wiped the smile from his face.
The signal told him that his own cylinder only had fifteen minutes of air left.
He found Gordon's pack.
It was open.
He felt inside.
It was empty.
He didn't have time to ponder how this had happened. Clearly everything had fallen out when Gordon had fallen over. Scott felt about, but couldn't find any of the lifesaving cylinders.
He only had twelve minutes of air left.
He had to get out of there.
"Virgil. Get John to talk to Gordon. I need your help. Switch to two way."
Virgil complied. "What's up?"
"We've run out of oxygen cylinders."
"What! How!"
"Gordon's pack was open."
"Gordon left his pack open? He must have been really stressed to forget that. How much oxygen have you got left?"
"Enough." Scott prayed he was telling the truth. "But I'm totally disoriented. Which way's out."
Virgil looked at the screen that represented the positions of the three men in the building below Thunderbird Two. "Take a step to your left." Scott complied. "Okay. That's the way you've got to go."
"Good, thanks." Scott stepped up to where he thought Gordon was. "Gordon? Are you ready to move?"
Gordon stopped telling John about the sunken ship he was currently exploring in his mind. "Move?"
"Yes. We've got to get out of here."
"I don't think I can."
Scott knelt down. "Come on Gordon. This is your big brother you're dealing with. I've always looked after you haven't I? Who took you to swimming practise every morning? Who made sure you always had your lunch before you left for school? Who stuck up for you when the bigger kids called you 'Matchstick'."
"You." Gordon said quietly.
"Who caught you sneaking out of Old Man Burstead's place with an armload of apples?"
"That was John."
"Right. And who was it who calmed Dad down before he told you off for stealing."
"You."
"Have I ever let you down?"
"No... I'm sure it was John who told on me."
"You can ask him later. But now I need your help. Percy needs your help. And by helping us you can get out of here."
There was silence.
"Are you with me Gordon?"
"I'll try."
"That's all I'm asking for. Come on. Get onto your feet and let's get out of here." Scott felt Gordon stand up. "Have you got the stretcher?"
"I've got it Scott." Gordon's voice was quiet.
Scott found the other end. "Right! Lift!" Another signal went off in his helmet. Only ten minutes of oxygen left. If they weren't out by the five minute warning he'd have to get Alan to come in with a replacement. "Come on Gordon. Let's get out of here!"
They started moving forward.
The stretcher Percy was lying on was wrenched from their hands by the force of the explosion. Instinctively Scott dove over the injured man to try to protect him from any potential threat.
Gordon was thrown against the wall and then flung to the floor. Already unnerved by the alien environment he was working in, this new threat was too much. He curled up into a ball and started yelling.
As the noise from the explosion and falling rubble died away Scott became aware of this strange new sound. "Gordon?" He gingerly lifted his weight off Percy. "Alan! What happened?" He started feeling his way over the newly displaced debris towards his brother.
"I don't know. There was another explosion somewhere in the complex. Are you guys alright?"
"I am, but I don't know about Gordon." Scott knew he'd reached his objective when he brushed against something soft and then a hand grabbed his arm. "Gordon! Are you okay?"
Gordon's grip was like iron. "Scott! I've got to get out of here! I've got to get out now!"
"Gordon! Calm down! It's okay."
"No it's not. I can't take this. I've got to get out!" Gordon stood, took a step and overbalanced on the uneven floor. He fell with an alarming crash amongst the rubble.
"Gordon! Are you alright?" Scott was feeling about for his brother again.
"No I'm not. I've got to get out!" Gordon yelled hysterically.
Scott was hit by a flailing arm. 'Is this how Virgil felt dealing with me?' he asked himself grimly. He grabbed the arm and held the hand tightly. "Gordon listen to me! Are you hurt?"
"H-Hurt? N-No. I've just got to get out of h-here!"
"Gordon. I need your help to get Percy out of here."
"Can't help. I c-can't help."
"Calm down Gordon." Scott begged. "Please calm down."
Alan was listening to this exchange. "Scott! Do you want me to come in there?"
"No I don't!" Scott yelled and then calmed down himself. "Sorry Alan. But you don't have the experience either. I couldn't deal with the two of you." He took a breath. "How's Percy?"
"Percy? He's fine. There's no change to his stats. What are you going to do?"
"I don't know Alan. I've got to get Gordon to calm down, then we've got to get out of here. Virgil! Are you listening?"
"I'm here Scott."
"Help me."
"Help you? How?"
"Talk to Gordon. You kept me calm in Regnad."
"But I was with you then!"
"Virgil! Just try it will you!" Scott was hit by and managed to grab Gordon's other flailing hand.
"Gordon. Please try to calm down." Virgil said lamely. Then an idea came to him. "John. I could use your help here."
"What can I do?"
"You're good at this. Help me talk to Gordon. I'll put the circuit onto three-way"
John bit his lip. Gordon was at his calmest about water. "Try to get him to imagine that he's underwater."
"Imagine that he's..." then Virgil shrugged. At least it was an idea. He donned a headset so that he could talk directly to Gordon without his brother hearing any other conversations that were being carried out. "Gordon can you hear me? Listen to me. I'm going to paint you a picture."
"I can't see it!" Gordon panted in reply.
"No. It's going to be a verbal picture. I want you to imagine it. Close your eyes Gordon."
"It's already dark!"
"Doesn't matter. I want you to imagine what I'm going to say to you. You're swimming. You're scuba diving. The fire suit you're wearing is actually your wet suit. Your pack is actually your oxygen tank..."
The word oxygen sent warning bells ringing in Scott's brain. How much did they have left? He'd been using his the longest. Percy had a smaller canister. Gordon's hyperventilating would mean that he would be using his oxygen supply quickly.
"Gordon!" He interrupted. "I need to let go of your hands for a short time."
"No!"
"Please Gordon. I'll be as quick as I can. Just listen to Virgil and John okay?"
"I want to get out. I've got to see something."
"Talk to him Virgil!" Scott released Gordon's hands and stepped back quickly to avoid being grabbed again.
"You're going deeper into the water. You're not sinking, it's a controlled descent. You're diving into the... the..." Virgil's mind went blank. He flicked a switch so that John and Alan could hear him, but Gordon couldn't. "Quickly! What's the name of that trench in the Pacific Ocean? You know the really deep one."
John was onto Thunderbird Five's computer. "I don't know. I'll look it up." He said urgently.
"Come on Johnny. What's it called?"
"The Mariana Trench" Alan said calmly.
They were stunned for a moment. "How'd you know that?" John asked.
"Gordon showed me a book on it the other day."
"Good. You can do this then." Virgil said eagerly.
"No way! I only remember the name 'cause it's the same as a new model of car."
"Great!" Virgil muttered before reinstating his link with Gordon. "Sorry Gordon. Slight technical hitch with Thunderbird Two. You are descending into the Mariana Trench. You can feel the water about you. It's supporting you, calming you. You can feel the currents massaging you. The water is changing from aqua marine, to..." he stopped. Gordon wouldn't know what he's talking about if he were to name actual pigment colours. "The water's changing colour from pale blue, to a deeper blue to dark blue. It's getting darker and darker, but you don't mind. You feel perfectly safe..."
Scott was feeling about in his pack. He retrieved a spare oxygen cylinder and made his way over to the stretcher. "What's Percy's oxygen levels, Alan?"
"They're low, but not critical."
"Okay. I'll change his cylinder first. Then I'll try to change Gordon's."
"What about you?"
"I've still got some. I'll get a spare out of Gordon's pack when I change his."
"Well don't leave it too long. You've still got to get them out of there."
"Has Brains worked out what's happened with the sensors?"
"He thinks there must be something in the smoke that's blocking the signals. He wants us to run some tests before we head home. We might have to wash Thunderbird Two down before we leave if it proves to be some kind of contaminant. We don't want to be spraying harmful stuff over half the planet."
"Thunderbird Two?" Scott said absently. He was concentrating on removing one oxygen cylinder and replacing it with another.
"Last time I saw her she was as black as the ace of spades. Virgil's going to have a fit when he sees her."
"There's fish swimming about you." Virgil was running out of ideas.
Gordon was starting to calm down. "What kind of fish?"
"Oh." Virgil was stumped. He didn't know. "Angel fish?" he hazarded.
"You don't find them here." Gordon informed him.
"How about starfish?" John suggested.
"A starfish." Virgil repeated to Gordon. "One of those translucent ones that gives off it's own light."
Gordon must have been satisfied by this as he made no comment.
John was bringing up the subject on the computer. "Good choice Virgil. Tell him he's surrounded by lots of them. I'll get you more info."
Virgil didn't get the chance to continue as Scott interrupted. "Gordon. I'm going to replace your oxygen cylinder and then get a spare out of your pack. Okay?"
Gordon was sounding nearly normal. "Okay Scott. Now what else can I see Virgil?"
Scott felt around until he found where Gordon's oxygen cylinder was housed in his suit. He got a spare out of his own pack, bled some oxygen into Gordon's mask to keep him going during the changeover, and then quickly removed the old cylinder and replaced it with a fresh one.
It wasn't till he'd finished that he realised how easily he was managing all these tasks. The thought surprised him somewhat. He was finally getting the hang of this blindness lark just when he was going to regain his sight again. He grinned at the thought.
A beeping sound wiped the smile from his face.
The signal told him that his own cylinder only had fifteen minutes of air left.
He found Gordon's pack.
It was open.
He felt inside.
It was empty.
He didn't have time to ponder how this had happened. Clearly everything had fallen out when Gordon had fallen over. Scott felt about, but couldn't find any of the lifesaving cylinders.
He only had twelve minutes of air left.
He had to get out of there.
"Virgil. Get John to talk to Gordon. I need your help. Switch to two way."
Virgil complied. "What's up?"
"We've run out of oxygen cylinders."
"What! How!"
"Gordon's pack was open."
"Gordon left his pack open? He must have been really stressed to forget that. How much oxygen have you got left?"
"Enough." Scott prayed he was telling the truth. "But I'm totally disoriented. Which way's out."
Virgil looked at the screen that represented the positions of the three men in the building below Thunderbird Two. "Take a step to your left." Scott complied. "Okay. That's the way you've got to go."
"Good, thanks." Scott stepped up to where he thought Gordon was. "Gordon? Are you ready to move?"
Gordon stopped telling John about the sunken ship he was currently exploring in his mind. "Move?"
"Yes. We've got to get out of here."
"I don't think I can."
Scott knelt down. "Come on Gordon. This is your big brother you're dealing with. I've always looked after you haven't I? Who took you to swimming practise every morning? Who made sure you always had your lunch before you left for school? Who stuck up for you when the bigger kids called you 'Matchstick'."
"You." Gordon said quietly.
"Who caught you sneaking out of Old Man Burstead's place with an armload of apples?"
"That was John."
"Right. And who was it who calmed Dad down before he told you off for stealing."
"You."
"Have I ever let you down?"
"No... I'm sure it was John who told on me."
"You can ask him later. But now I need your help. Percy needs your help. And by helping us you can get out of here."
There was silence.
"Are you with me Gordon?"
"I'll try."
"That's all I'm asking for. Come on. Get onto your feet and let's get out of here." Scott felt Gordon stand up. "Have you got the stretcher?"
"I've got it Scott." Gordon's voice was quiet.
Scott found the other end. "Right! Lift!" Another signal went off in his helmet. Only ten minutes of oxygen left. If they weren't out by the five minute warning he'd have to get Alan to come in with a replacement. "Come on Gordon. Let's get out of here!"
They started moving forward.