Chapter Eighteen

Communications Mast

"How are you doing Fermat," Alan asked his best friend who was working on one of the circuitry panels for the satellite communications mast which had been designed to resemble a giant steel palm tree.

They had arrived at the satellite station about ten minutes ago and ever since then Fermat had been working to reconfigure the satellite stations connection to the islands main computer. Once that was done they would be able to access the communications protocols and contact Thunderbird Five and then use the uplink to transfer control of the damaged space station back from Tracy Island. They wouldn't have long to do that once the transmission was established as the Hoods henchmen were bound to detect it almost immediately and try to stop them.

"Don't rush me Alan this is very delicate equipment," Fermat replied not looking up. "Shouldn't be much longer," he added.

Alan sighed and left Fermat to it. Instead he went and sat on one of the nearby boulders with Tin-Tin. The views out over the island were spectacular from here with the blue of the Pacific Ocean dominating the horizon beyond the beaches.

"It's a nice view from here," he said softly.

"Yes it is," Tin-Tin replied the gentle breeze blowing over the peak making her long dark hair ripple slightly along its whole length. Despite the fact that she was looking out at the island and the ocean Alan could tell that Tin-Tin's attention was really elsewhere. And it didn't take a genius to figure out that she was thinking about what had happened a short time ago when she'd saved him from the scorpion but in so doing revealed her own powers.

"You know I didn't thank you," he said softly so only she would hear though Fermat was so buried in his work with the satellite station that he probably wouldn't hear them anyway. Tin-Tin turned and looked Alan straight in the eye.

"For what," she asked confused what was Alan on about.

"For saving me from the scorpion. Thank you." Tin-Tin smiled as Alan spoke. Somehow hearing those two words from Alan made revealed her family's secret to him and Fermat worthwhile. If she were put in the same situation again she would do exactly the same thing.

"You're welcome," she replied still smiling. Alan smiled back.

"Ok we're ready," Fermat called making them both jump. Getting up Alan and Tin-Tin joined Fermat at the base of the communications mast. "We first need to get into contact with Thunderbird Five. We can use this," he added pulling out a modified satellite phone from the access panel in the side of the mast.

After a moments thought he handed the satellite phone to Alan since he would be the best one to contact Thunderbird Five. If he or Tin-Tin did it Alan would pester them with questions or be looking over their shoulders all the time to see if his family were okay.

Taking the phone from Fermat Alan turned it on and spoke into it.

"Tracy Island to Thunderbird Five respond," he said into the device. "Tracy Island to Thunderbird Five respond. Dad if you can hear me please respond." A burst of radio white noise came from the device and the small screen washed with static before the face of Jeff Tracy appeared. The image washing in and out as the communication was disrupted by the Hoods jamming field.

Thunderbird Five

A Few Moments Earlier

John Tracy sighed as he struggled to regain control of the environmental systems and door controls. Off to one side Gordon and Virgil were buried in an access panel trying to do the same, while elsewhere in the control room Jeff and Scott were working on trying to manually restart one of the secondary power generators to take the pressure off the solar batteries and give them some more time. Power levels from the solar batteries had dropped to sixty percent and the output dropped a little more every few minutes. Already temperatures on board Thunderbird Five were dropping and the air was steadily getting fouler as the damaged life support systems struggled to function on minimal power.

Sudden activity from the communications system made John jump. He supposed it was the Hood calling to taunt them with the helplessness of their situation. Then a very familiar voice – though he hadn't heard it for a few months – burst out the speaker and he knew it wasn't the Hood calling though the signal was coming from Tracy Island.

"Tracy Island to Thunderbird Five respond," Alan's voice said from the speakers. As they heard Alan's voice speaking Jeff, Scott, Virgil and Gordon all gathered around the only working console with John as Alan's voice came again. "Tracy Island to Thunderbird Five respond. Dad if you can hear me please respond."

Jeff reached forward over John's shoulder and pressed the button that opened the communications channels. And Alan's face flashed up on the communications screen though it was only black and white and washed with the kind of static that came from a jamming field.

"Alan we hear you. Where are you? Are you safe?" Jeff asked and a look of relief appeared on Alan's face as he heard his father's voice.

"I'm at the satellite relay station with Fermat and Tin-Tin. Fermat's going to hack into the main computer and give control of Thunderbird Five back to you." As he spoke Alan nodded to someone that they couldn't see. Presumably it was a nod to tell Fermat to start the hack.

"Ok we are standing by," Jeff replied.

Control Room

Tracy Island

Transom accompanied by the Hood returned to the control room to see if she could use the islands network of sensors and security camera's to find Alan Tracy and his three friends. It was unlikely that she would spot them on the security net as they were no doubt doing there best to stay off it. Still there was always the chance that they would get careless and she would see them. Then it would only be a simple matter of alerting Mullion to their coordinates and trusting the metahuman mercenary to actually catch them this time.

As she entered the control room Transom heard one of the consoles bleeping for attention. Moving over to the main control station and sitting down Transom looked at the offending console and was surprised. Someone was sending a signal to Thunderbird Five from the islands satellite station, a signal that had been somehow boosted so it had enough power to breach the jamming field being generated by the sub. That same person was also steadily breaking through the firewalls surrounding the islands main computer banks they would be through to the operating systems in minutes. Once in there they would be able to lock her out of systems and transfer control of Thunderbird Five back to the space station. And without access to the computer the plan to rob the world's biggest banks and forever ruin the reputation of International Rescue and make themselves filthy rich in the process would be ruined.

"Sir someone is sending a signal from the islands satellite station and also attempting to break into the main computer," she reported to the Hood.

"Stop them," the Hood ordered knowing immediately that it was the kids who were doing it and that his carefully conceived plan was suddenly on a knife edge. "While I advise Mullion of their coordinates."

"Yes sir," Transom replied sending a signal to the sub to increase power to the jamming field then typing furiously on the consoles to block the kids access to the main computer.

Simultaneously the Hood spoke into his own small radio unit advising Mullion of the location of the children.

Communications Mast

"They are onto us," Fermat called as he suddenly found his commands into the small computer terminal in the communications mast base being actively countered by someone in the control room. The amount of power to the communications system was also reducing as power levels in the jamming field. "We're being jammed."

"Can you finish," Alan asked.

"I'll try," Fermat replied working with even more urgency. He had to get this to work he had to. It might be the only chance they had to save Alan's father and brothers from the Hood.

"Alan what is happening," Jeff demanded from the small hand unit Alan was holding. The image of Jeff with Alan's brothers standing in the background was flickering and washing with static interference more and more.

"Hang in there dad one more minute," Alan replied as Fermat cursed and hit the side of the mast with the heel of his hand in rage.

"It's not going to work Alan," Fermat said. "The signals too weak now for data transmission." On the screen of the satellite phone Jeff's face had almost vanished in static.

"Dad can you hear me," Alan said into the phone. "We're being jammed we are going to loose you. Don't worry we'll take care of everything." Because we have to there is no one else left free who can, he added to himself.

"Negative its t…." Jeff started to reply than the transmission vanished all together and the screen went blank.

"NO!" Alan shouted in sudden anger and felt his powers surge beyond any possibility of him containing them with his still relative inexperience in the area of metahuman power control. His hands tingled in a now almost familiar sensation and the blue water glow appeared around them and in his eyes.

The hand held satellite phone unit immediately began hissing and sparking as the blue corona caused water to seep into its circuitry.

Alan threw the remote away a second before it burst into flames, it landed a few feet down the slop wedged into a crevice in the rock where it burned quietly. Then he closed his eyes and brought his powers back under control with more than a little effort.

Then he sat down on the edge of the concrete platform the communications mast rose from and looked down at the ground embarrassed by the momentary loss of self-control that had resulted in the destruction of the small phone unit.

"Sorry," he said apologetically to Fermat and Tin-Tin realising that he had probably frightened them with that display of anger.

"Its okay Alan," Fermat answered sitting down beside his friend. "You don't have to be Mr tough guy and Mr always in control of myself all the time you know." Tin-Tin sat down besides Alan as well.

"We're worried about our parents too Alan," Tin-Tin added. "Loosing your temper briefly as a result is nothing to be ashamed of." Alan smiled.

"Thanks," he said softly. Then he looked up and spoke normally. "The Hood knows we are alive now we should go." As he spoke he also stood up.

"Even worse," Fermat replied as he and Tin-Tin also stood up. "He knows exactly where we are."

As if in response to Fermat's words they heard the roar of a powerful engine and a powerful all terrain buggy appeared from the service road.

And came straight towards them.