Chapter One
Wharton Academy, Massachusetts
Ten Years Later
Just over ten years to the day since the first of two mutagenic gas explosions known generally as big bangs Alan Tracy sat bored out of his skull in class in the last class of summer. The subject was mathematics a subject he hated. No hate was too strong a word it was just something that didn't interest him. Like all his brothers Alan was smarter than average but well short of genius level but he could do well in most subjects especially if it held his interest. Unfortunately mathematics was not one of them.
Instead of focusing on what the teacher was saying Alan's gaze was drawn out the window to the sky and space beyond it. Up there in geostationary orbit was his brother John onboard Thunderbird Five. Alan wished he could be up there on the great space station built by his father as part of the ultra secret organisation known as International Rescue or more commonly by the name given to there amazing machines the Thunderbirds. All of which were operated by his father and his brothers, and he so longed to join them to be a part of the organisation his father had created in the memory of a mother he had precious few memories of.
"Mr Tracy." The sharp voice of Mrs Suthers the mathematics teacher said drawing him back to reality. "Mr Tracy are you going to join us in this lesson."
"Sorry Mrs Suthers," Alan said making it sound genuine when in his heart it wasn't genuine. He so wished he was a few thousand miles away on the tropical paradise island that was the home of the Tracy family as well as the base for International Rescue instead of here. Hell he wouldn't mind being a few hundred miles away in Dakota with Uncle Peter instead of this dump of a boarding school.
"Now that you have returned to us from outer space," Mrs Suthers said causing a spate of laughter from most of the other students in the room. Almost all aside from Alan's best friend Fermat Hackenbacker the only other person in the whole school who besides him the secrets of the Tracy's and International Rescue.
The spate of laughter from his fellow students made Alan's cheeks flush red and he internally glowered at the students.
"Enough or all of you will end up with detention," Mrs Suthurs shouted to the class. That did it everyone shut up as though a switch had been thrown no one wanted detention on the last day of term. "Now all of you turn to page four."
Like everyone else Alan opened his textbook and internally groaned as he saw what maths subject they were to study during the last half of the last lesson of term. Algebra. He hated Algebra. If he could work his will he would shoot the sadist who'd come up with it.
Sighing to himself he started work on the first sum.
A Short Time Later
Alan and his fellow students filed out into the corridor as the bell sounded. All around other students were filing out their classrooms filling the corridor with an excited hubbub of noise. Alan waited just outside the room for Fermat to join him in the corridor. Though younger than him Fermat was in the same class as a result of his intelligence. The son of his father's scientist/engineer Hiram 'Brains' Hackenbacker Fermat had inherited his father's intelligence, stammer and fashion sense.
"Am I glad that's over," he said to his best friend. Fermat looked up at him and smiled.
"Y…y….yes so a…am I," Fermat replied stuttering heavily like he always did when excited. He had every right to be. If everything went well and there was no disaster somewhere in the world that required the Thunderbirds to come charging to the rescue Alan's father would be along to pick them up soon and take them back home to Tracy Island.
"It will be great to go back home," Alan said. "Hopefully dad won't be too long."
Suddenly one of the kids ran down the corridor yelling excitedly.
"Come to the common room it's the Thunderbirds there on TV." The kid ran past them still yelling as Alan and Fermat started to turn away to head to the common room both knowing immediately that Jeff Tracy was going to be somewhat late.
As he began walking a blinding pain abruptly lanced through Alan's head and he staggered groaning against the wall. Fermat noticed immediately.
"Alan y…y…you al…all right," Fermat asked in concern. Alan was barely aware of it the pain was incredible unlike any headache he'd ever had and for a second he felt strange really, really strange. And then with the same suddenness that it had appeared with the pain and the odd feeling was gone.
"I'm fine Fermat," Alan replied pushing away from the wall. "What the hell was that?" Fermat shrugged and the two friends turned and ran for the common room.
They reached it in moments to see a crowd of students already there. Pushing there way to the front so they could see better they got many grunts and snide comments though none of the students dared do anything about it. Alan was one of the most athletic boys in the school taller and stronger than most of the boys. Indeed his athletic abilities made him a valuable addition to school sports teams. It also ensured that no one messed with him and by association with Fermat. Normally Fermat would have been a magnet for school bullies but since he was friends with Alan none of the schools bullies risked harassing him, because they'd have Alan to deal with. A few had learned that the hard way.
Reaching the front Alan and Fermat watched the screen to see a huge oil rig wreathed in fire and wracked with explosions. A reporter could be seen talking from the dig of what was probably the rigs support ship and the heading 'disaster in the Bearing strait' was written below her.
"It was twelve minutes ago when a large explosion rocked the rig behind me. Most of the crew have evacuated the rig but six workers are still trapped clinging to the hull. The rig will not last much longer. A call went out to the Thunderbirds moments ago and here they are now."
With a roar a sleek silver and blue rocket appeared over the scene. Thunderbird One. The camera zoomed towards the sleek ship though its sophisticated stealth systems prevented anyone from seeing into the cockpit or getting precise details of the hull. Up close images were constantly blurred. Many a reporter and many a spy had been frustrated by the fact that they were unable to get decent photos of any of the Thunderbirds.
Thunderbird Two a large green transport appeared in the picture as well hanging over the rig and being buffeted by the hot air rising from the burning rig. An explosion erupted from the rig and the craft was visibly punted to the side with the concussion wave.
"Come on dad," Alan breathed under his breath knowing his father would be the one commanding and flying Thunderbird Two along with his brothers Virgil and Gordon. His oldest brother Scott would be commanding/flying Thunderbird One. "You can't get it on that approach."
Sure enough Thunderbird Two pulled back a little and came in at a different angle then a platform lowered from the central section. A platform manned by a single individual in a white uniform with green trimmings and wearing a helmet. Alan knew immediately that it would be Virgil his was the only one that had that colour scheme. His dad's and Gordon's were both white and red, Scott's white and blue and John's white and gold. Wonder what colour mine will be if dad ever lets me be a Thunderbird, Alan thought.
Virgil fired a series of rescue lines from the platform and locked onto the six trapped workers then began wincing them to safety.
As soon as Thunderbird Two was clear Thunderbird One came in and fired a missile at the burning well head. The brilliant explosion of the impact rocked the rig and blinded the camera for a moment but when the blast cleared the fire had been extinguished the explosion sealing the well head and also depriving the fire enveloping the rig of the oxygen it needed to keep burning.
Cheers erupted throughout the common room as the two Thunderbirds shot passed overhead heading for the US coastline. The reporter came back on but Alan tuned out what she said.
"Tracy," the voice of the headmaster called and all the boys in the room froze then parted. "There's someone here to see you."
A familiar beautiful woman in a pink outfit entered the room. Lady Penelope Crieghton-Ward, British Aristocrat and secret agent for International Rescue. One of many that they had and one of there most trusted.
"Alan Tracy," she said in a refined English voice. "Lady Penelope Crieghton-Ward at your service. Your father has asked me to pick you up for him he has been unexpectedly delayed." So I saw Penelope, so I saw, Alan thought. "Now will any of these young gentlemen be accompanying us?" Though her voice was perfectly composed Alan clearly saw a hint of humour in her eyes.
Immediately every boy in room put his hand up aside from Alan and Fermat. Alan chuckled to himself. She knew that would happen, he thought. He put his hand on Fermat's shoulder.
"Just Fermat." A silent sigh of dismay settled over the crowd of boys and they looked at Alan and Fermat in envy and jealousy.
"As you wish," Penelope replied her eyes smiling. She wouldn't let anyone else accompany them at any rate. Only Alan and Fermat were coming with her and Parker. She'd never transported Alan and Fermat home before normally if Jeff couldn't do it then Peter would but she'd been here, having attended a dinner for a charity she supported and had been closer than Peter who would have had to come all the way from Dakota City – so Jeff had called her and asked her to do it. It was the least she could do for him.
"Go and get your things," she instructed the boys. "But try not to take too much time."
Alan chuckled then he and Fermat hurried off to the room they shared. There cases were already packed it was just a matter of going and grabbing them.
A Few Minutes Later
Alan and Fermat climbed into the back of FAB-01 Penelope's bright pink car – like everything else she owned. Penelope had this to them bizarre love affair with the colour pink. Her chauffeur/butler Parker started the engine and the car pulled away from the Wharton Academy and left the grounds.
Neither Alan nor Fermat were alarmed when the car picked up speed and kept on picking up speed as it drove along. Nor were they alarmed when the car began making a beeline for the coast. Parker pressed a button on the dashboard and the car's profile alerted. A jet engine appeared from the boot and wings sprouted out from the sides. A second later the car was in the air having changed itself into a plane of sorts.
Equipped with the same kind of stealth technology as the Thunderbirds FAB-01 went completely undetected by US military radar. Even sensors designed with stealth aircraft in mind couldn't detect them as they shot towards the Pacific Ocean so they received no challenge from the air force.
Alan and Fermat leaned back in their seats content as they headed for home.