Chapter Six

Peter smiled as he saw the familiar silhouette of Tracy Island appear on the navigational system of his heads up display. He couldn't see it through the windscreen but that was only natural since the sun had gone down and the island wasn't brightly illuminated except for the lights around the main house. And those didn't radiate nearly bright enough to be seen properly from here.

But he didn't need to see the island the navigational systems built into the car knew it was there. A symbol flashed up on his display the car had just been scanned by the islands security system which could see through the cars stealth system with no trouble at all after all it had been designed by the same person who designed the stealth system used by the cars and the Thunderbirds i.e. Brains.

Peter pressed a single button on his steering wheel sending an acknowledging pulse to the island. And a second later a series of rings outlining an approach trajectory appeared on his screen. He would begin his approach for landing in a few moments. He glanced briefly over at his passenger to see that Gear had seemingly dozed off. Though the faceplate of his helmet he could see that his eyes were closed and he was leaning against the side of the door.

"Gear," he called softly and the metahuman genius awoke with a start.

"Wha…what," Gear asked looking around momentarily startled and at a loss to his whereabouts and then he remembered. "Sorry I hadn't realised that I'd fallen asleep."

"It's okay I just woke you up because we'll be landing in a few moments. Now you must excuse me while I follow this landing course."

"Sure."

Gear watched interested as Peter flew the car through a series of holographic rings that outlined a course with a downward loop to the island that he could see on the navigation display as a holographic wire frame image on the windscreen.

In moments they were flying level only a few feet above the ocean surface and heading straight for the island. And Gear began to get a little concerned as they were heading straight for a vertical cliff and showed no sign of pulling up.

"Ugh shouldn't we pull up," he said. Peter smiled he could imagine what Gear was worried about though he himself knew they had nothing to fear.

"Relax Gear were in no danger," Peter told him and chuckled as Gear looked at him as if he was crazy.

Indeed Gear was wondering if Peter was indeed crazy. He knew that they would be killed instantly – and make a hell of a mess – if they hit the cliff at this speed. He silently debated if he should have backpack take-over control of the flight systems and veer them off. But before he could decide he saw lights come on in the cliff face highlighting a section of the rock, which was parting to reveal a hidden doorway. Of course, he thought, a hidden hanger entrance.

"See," Peter told him.

"I see. You had me worried there." Peter laughed then concentrated on guiding them in.

They passed through the concealed entrance and were flying along a circular tunnel that in the islands distant volcanic past had been a lava tube. Though the tunnel had been lined with metal with inset lights. As they flew down the tunnel that lead deep into the island Peter reduced their speed until they were only just staying in the air.

The tube gave way into an underground hanger facility where two more cars similar to his were parked. Landing the car he switched it back into car mode retracting the wings and jet engines before manoeuvring into a parking spot and turning off the engine.

"Come on," he said to Gear as he opened the driver side door and got out. Gear also got out and looking down the side of the car was surprised that there were no seams in the bodywork of the car where the engine nacelles and wings had been projecting from the main body of the vehicle. Yet sophisticated sensor systems he'd built into backpack showed that they were there. The camouflage job was very impressive so was the way the entrance to this hanger had been hidden.

Peter cleared his throat. And Gear jerked his head around.

"Are you coming Gear or are you just going to stare at the side of my car," Peter asked amused.

"Sorry," Gear replied as he walked around the car and came to stand beside Peter.

"This way," Peter said gesturing to the side.

Letting Peter take the lead Gear followed him out of the hanger and into concrete lined corridor that let to a station for some sort of internal monorail. A car sat waiting patiently for them and they climbed aboard. The doors closed almost immediately and the car began moving on own volition since they'd not imputed any commands.

"Where are we going," Gear asked as the monorail began speeding through what seemed like a long tunnel that was probably originally another lava tube. It was almost pitch black outside the only light really coming from the car and cones of light cast by marker beacons that he quickly calculated were placed every three meters. The blackness reminded him of the subway system under Dakota though he hadn't ridden on it for years. As Gear he didn't need to as he could fly anywhere he wanted and as Richie he would just get into his car and drive.

"Our ultimate destination is the residential complex up on the surface," Peter replied. "But it's on the other side of the island from here. This monorail will take us to the main underground complex we can take a lift up to the main house from there." Gear nodded his understanding as the car speeded along its way.

In moments it exited into a large brightly illuminated cavern. Far below neatly lined up facing doors that probably lead to another cavern were a variety of machines all with international rescue insignia. Gear recognised them as various machines that were used in rescue operations. It was strange seeing them here doing nothing just sitting inert waiting to be called upon.

The monorail followed its track round and they were through that cavern into another short tunnel the opened into a second much larger cavern and below them he could see Thunderbird Two. What he wouldn't give to have a look at the inside of that machine.

A symbol abruptly flashed up on his visor display startling him. He focused a little of his attention on the datastream from backpack. Backpack was picking up a repeating signal of some sort like a beacon. It was faint since it was on a very low frequency that backpack could barely detect but it seemed to be coming from the other side of the cavern where a large cylindrical door stood. A frown appeared on Gear's face, he doubted that there was supposed to be a beacon active here.

"What is it?" Peter asked seeing him frown.

"Backpack is picking up a strange repeating signal on a very low frequency its barely detectable."

"What do you think it is?" Peter asked in concern mental alarm bells going off. There shouldn't be any signals like the one Gear described being generated here.

"I think it's a beacon of somesort," Gear replied.

"A homing beacon," Peter demanded. Gear shrugged his broad shoulders.

"Possibly. A very covert and complex one if it is."

"Where is it coming from?"

Gear turned and point across the hanger to the cylindrical metal door that was only just visible now. Peter followed his gaze and frowned.

"Somewhere beyond that door where does it lead."

"That leads to Thunderbird One's silo. There shouldn't be any signal's coming from there." Peter got to his feet and went to the monorail's communication panel though they would be stopping in a few moments. He needed to alert Jeff to the possibility of the unthinkable having occurred, that someone might have planted a tracking device on Thunderbird One. He pressed the call button.

And Scott's face appeared on the vidcom screen immediately. Scott opened his mouth to greet him but Peter jumped in first.

"Scott is your father there?" Scott caught the concern in his uncle's voice.

"He's not here uncle," Scott replied. "Alan realised that he's a metahuman and hasn't taken it well. He ran off, dad went after him but they haven't come back yet. What's wrong?" Quickly Peter explained about the signal that Gear's robot had just picked up.

A look of shock, horror and alarm flashed across Scott's face as he spoke. Shock that there could possibly be a homing beacon, horror and alarm for the same reason.

"Can you meet us at the monorail station with some scanners set to low end radio frequencies we need to find the source of the signal. We think its coming from Thunderbird One but we cannot be sure," Peter said. Scott nodded.

"We'll be right there," Scott answered then signed off.

Scott got up from the communications unit in the main living room to see Gordon, Virgil, Brains and Fermat looking at him in curiosity. Tin Tin, Kyrano and Onaha had left the room to clear up the uneaten dinners. Onaha would cook something else a little later when everyone felt like eating something they didn't feel like doing at the moment. As for Penelope and Parker they'd had to leave to return to England though they had wanted to stay but they'd had to go. Penelope after all had to go to a garden party tomorrow in UK time, a garden party being held by Queen Elizabeth, so it was one social engagement that she could not miss under any circumstances.

"What is it Scott," Virgil asked.

"Yeah what's going on," Gordon added.

"Uncle Peter thinks that someone has somehow managed to attach a homing beacon of somekind to Thunderbird One."

"What that should be impossible," Brains exclaimed as Virgil and Gordon gasped in shock. "I designed it so that would be impossible. What makes Peter think that."

"What makes Peter think what," Jeff's voice abruptly said. Everyone spun around to see Jeff coming back into the room through the open doors to the swimming pool and sundeck area. Alan was walking behind him and everyone noticed that he looked like he'd been crying.

"Uncle Peter thinks that someone has somehow managed to attach a homing beacon of somekind to Thunderbird One," Scott explained again. Jeff's eyes went wide. "He thinks it because Gear's robot has picked up a repeating signal on a very low radio frequency coming from the Thunderbird One silo. He says it's like a beacon of somekind. Peter wants us to meet him with some scanners so we can find what exactly is causing it."

"You and Brains get down there," Jeff ordered immediately. "Take the scanners Peter indicated. Find that signal and shut it off."

"F.A.B," Scott replied as he and Brains took off first for an equipment storeroom to pick up the scanners and then for the monorail station.

Jeff turned to Virgil.

"Virgil go to the sensor control room and turn our perimeter scanners to full active mode turn on the underwater detectors as well. If someone has bugged Thunderbird One then we should be alert for possible uninvited guests."

"F.A.B." Virgil took off as well heading for the hidden panel in another room that would give access to the sensor control room.

"What can I do dad," Gordon asked silently hoping he wouldn't have to do anything major he wanted to talk with Alan on his own as it was obvious that Alan wasn't taking this whole turning into a metahuman thing well. And he couldn't blame his kid brother for feeling that way. He would have freaked as well if it happened to him.

Jeff caught that Gordon didn't really want to do anything and it fitted in with what he needed to do next. He needed to go to his office and fill John up on Thunderbird Five in on what had happened to Alan as he still didn't know. Jeff realised that he should have told John earlier just after he'd called Peter but for some reason it had slipped his mind and he realised that he hadn't been fair to his second oldest son by not telling him earlier about Alan turning out to be a metahuman. He knew John would immediately worry about Alan and would continue to do so until his tour of duty on the station was up at the end of next week and he got to see Alan in person. John always worried about his brothers but especially Alan. Though there was a difference of eight years between them Alan and John had a strange sort of bond that no one could explain. John wasn't quiet as close to Alan as Gordon but he wasn't far off.

"Gordon I want you to stay here with Alan and Fermat. I need to go and speak to John."

"Ok dad."

Jeff turned away and once again headed for his office. Fermat looking at Alan and Gordon saw that they really needed to speak alone.

"I'm going to my room for a little bit," he said before leaving the room for the separate chalet he and his father shared. Kyrano and his family lived in a similar chalet only the Tracy's lived in the main house full time.

Now that they were on their own Gordon sat down on one of the couches and to his total lack of surprise Alan sat beside him and leaned against him not wanting to talk just a little bit of comfort from the brother he was closest too. Gordon was happy to oblige and gently put his arm across his younger brothers shoulders pulling Alan in close and letting him know by the simple contact that as far as he was concerned Alan was still Alan, still his brother even if he was now a metahuman.

Alan read the silent message and knew that Gordon meant it and he realised that dad was right. The fact that he was a metahuman was irrelevant to his family they were here for him. And for really the first time since his powers had abruptly appeared Alan really, really knew that everything was going to be all right on the family side of things at least.