Chapter 2: To the rescue
A/N: Thanks for the reviews!! Here's the next chapter. Every necessary info you'll find in the first chapter. Please read and review!
A/N2: Due to a stupid mistake I made (you'll read more about it in chapter 4 which is in process at the moment) I changed this chapter slightly.
Scott stared at his brother in amazement. He had always thought that he had pushed the red bird to its limit, but compared to what John got out of the big machine, his limit was just the 'normal speed'.
The eldest Tracy-brother didn't know how John did it, but somehow he managed to get the best out of machines... out of everything actually, including people.
Looking at his oldest sibling now, he looked just like he normally did. Calm, rational, and concentrated. The only difference was that this time, he was paler, and his features were more serious, if that was possible. Scott worried a lot about his younger brothers, but he wasn't the only one who worried. And at least Scott could actually do something in a rescue. He knew that John worried at least as much as him, being in Thunderbird 5 a lot of the time, not able to do anything but be the one to relay information, and the calm voice of reason through the whole process. Scott knew he wouldn't be able to do that.
He once had to though. Alan had been having a bad case of the flu and had to stay home, and John had been on his honeymoon with Nicole. Someone had to be in Thunderbird 5. Since Gordon hated space and had never been able to handle it very well and Virgil wasn't very far behind in that subject, Scott had been the obvious choice.
Luckily there had only been one, fairly simple rescue, but Scott had been worrying non-stop right from the beginning. And he knew that his worry had somehow transferred over the open communication link to Virgil, Gordon and Brains. They had sounded more nervous than usual.
Later Virgil had told him that he had sensed that Scott was worrying and nervous and that just because of that, he had become nervous too.
Since then, Scott's respect for both John and Alan had increased. Both had to go through that experience often, Alan to a lesser extent than John. And they still managed to stay calm... or at least appear calm.
It was always comforting to hear the voice of John through the com-link when things didn't go as fast as expected, or not as good as expected. John managed to instil comfort and hope when the situation seemed hopeless. Did he realize what a great job he was doing? Scott knew that John didn't think his job within International Rescue was very important. Yes, necessary, but not important. And Alan didn't appear to think so either. Alan always loved being where the action was, more than relaying information through the space station. And because he somehow managed to be less on Thunderbird 5 than on Earth, he didn't have to deal with the helplessness as much as John.
Sometimes Scott wondered why Alan had become an astronaut. He didn't even like space. He loved the speed at which Thunderbird 3 could go through space, but the actual vacant darkness with its mysterious lights didn't appeal to the youngest member of the family.
Virgil didn't like space much either and Gordon detested it, even though he went up about once a year to help John with certain updates.
Such updates required two people in Thunderbird 5 and two people on base.
John would be in Thunderbird 5. He knew the machines. Every button, every wire. He and Brains had built the space station together.
Brains and Tin Tin were both needed on base.
Alan, even though he was an astronaut, only knew the necessary procedures for if something needed an update, or needed repair, and not for major ones like these, and therefore was not the ideal person to help John with the updates.
Scott, even though he was great with flying everything that could fly, did not understand the complicated things that John would need assistance with.
Virgil, for all his knowledge about machinery, did not qualify either for the job, as the job would need more precision than Virgil could muster.
Gordon however, knew more about the systems on board Thunderbird 5 because some systems were the same or similar to those on board Thunderbird 4. Which was also the reason that John helped Gordon with updates on Thunderbird 4.
Scott was shaken from his thoughts as John broke the silence.
"Thunderbird 3 calling Thunderbird 5."
"Thunderbird 5 to Thunderbird 3, receiving you loud and clear." Alan's voice came back.
"We are approaching space shuttle 278. ETA, 6 minutes."
"OK Thunderbird 3, report when you've decided on an approach."
"FAB Thunderbird 5, Thunderbird 3 out."
John looked at his older brother. "I figured that you keep Thunderbird 3 steady, next to the shuttle, and I go there with 5 oxygen bottles."
"And you use the 6th?"
John nodded. "There are five people on board. They are running out of oxygen... although I do wonder what happened to their own oxygen bottles."
John punched in a couple of buttons. "International Rescue calling space shuttle 278. International Rescue calling space shuttle 278. Do you read?"
"We read you loud and clear."
"Our ETA is 4 minutes. Can you please tell me whether your oxygen bottles are still intact?"
The man's voice came back. "No, we had a small explosion in the room where we kept the oxygen bottles and space suits. We've tried to fix some of the control systems, but there's too much damage to fix enough to get it on the right course again, or back to Earth, I'm afraid."
"Are there any wounded?"
"No, luckily no-one was in the room where the explosion occurred at that time. Although now we're afraid that the whole thing might explode, probably not too long after the oxygen runs out."
John stored this new information.
"OK, here's the plan. My colleague will keep our ship next to yours. I'll come over with oxygen flasks to get you out. Do you know for how long you still have oxygen?"
The man asked something to someone else that the two Tracy boys couldn't make out, and then said: "We have 11 minutes."
John nodded. "OK, we're coming alongside within one minute. Please all go to the air lock, and wait for me to arrive."
"OK, understood."
"International Rescue, out." The communication was broken and the red space ship adopted the speed of the 278 as it was in the right position. John turned to Scott.
"Your turn." He attempted a smile and got one in return.
"Thanks, John. Good luck and keep in contact."
John nodded. "Give Alan an update on the situation."
"We'll do."
Scott squeezed Johns arm as he brushed past. John looked at Scott again and nodded. Then John turned and went to change into the space suit.
Scott thought about the moment that just occurred. It didn't happen very often that the two of them were on a rescue in the same craft. Understanding had passed between the two of them as they had looked at each other those two seconds. John knew Scott was worried. And Scott knew that John knew.
"Scott? I'm going out now."
"FAB."
A/N: That's it for now. I'll try and post the next chapter before I go on my two-week holiday... I won't be able to post from a sailing boat, now will I? : Anyway, I'm not sure whether I'll be able to, but I'm going to try. Please review!!