I'm Shocked! I can't believe I'm posting another chapter so soon! patting self on the back Okay, to business.
I don't own the Thunderbirds. Sorry, I know you all are so shocked.
Oh, slaps hand to forehead forgot to let everyone know. Katya is on an indeterminable sabbatical. College is getting in the way of life right now for her, and she can't beta read anything for a bit. I'm in tenative talks with someone who might look over and correct blatant spelling errors, but that's really up in the air. Sooo, until then, you guys are kinda stuck with me...and my horrendous mistakes. Sorry about that. Writing on this story is still REALLY difficult-but I'm not bitter! I'm working on it though; I won't leave all of you hanging. This story is going to get done no matter what. Well, here it is, hope you guys enjoy!
Miss Elizabeth
PS: Please review! I really need to know if this story is worth anything or if I'm deluding myself. This writer's block is really making me feel that I stink as a writer right now. A boosting of my moral would be really good right now! pleading eyes
One other thing...ok i lie...two other things. One, the Japanese endings and names and stuff are out of my head and the little dabbling in anime and manga I've been doing. If any of it is wrong, please let me know. Two, bold words are sign language. AndI'm adding italics can be writing. Know I made some of that clear in earlier chapters...but since I forget...I sure don't expect you all to remember that. ;P
Onward, ho!
Chapter 23: Be Prepared
Scott pulled back on the levers and flipped the switch that worked the VOTL rockets. When the sleek, silver ship had settled on the muddy, dark ground, he turned off the engines. Locking down the astonishing technology, he walked out of the cockpit and through the hatchway. Waiting on the ground were the mayor of the town and the fire chief. Quickly, the mayor and fire chief bowed to the International operative.
"Thank you for coming to help us, sir. We do not know what to do."
"We'll help you all we can, but we ask that your men," here he indicated the fire chief, "assist us. We'll be leading, but this is going to take everyone we can get. If I could get two of your men to help me, I have some equipment that needs to be unloaded. Oh, and if I could use part of the headquarters tent, it would be appreciated. The equipment works better when it's not wet. But then again, don't we all?" All of the men laughed as they looked around at the drenched landscape and people around them. The mayor nodded his approval.
"Lead the way Scott-dono."
As soon Mobile Control was set up, Scott radioed his younger brother.
"Mobile Control to THUNDERBIRD 2."
"THUNDERBIRD 2 to Mobile Control, go ahead."
"Virg, you won't believe it. Half of the houses have just disappeared. Like they were never there. The other half are strewn everywhere. Most of these have people still trapped in them, and they are threatening to collapse anytime now! Please tell me you are about to get here!" Virgil winced as he heard his older brother's voice take on a pleading tone. It must be frighteningly bad to have shook Scott this much.
"I'm about five minutes from your position Scott. Be with you shortly." Scott's answer held a wealth of anxiety in it's one word.
"F.A.B." Scott lifted his head and looked around. The small Japanese village was completely devastated. It looked like houses had been lifted and dropped into a large bathtub. Some of them floated, but most had sunk until only the roof was exposed. On these sat whole families, adults holding desperately to small children, waiting to be rescued. And Scott still had no clue how to do it. He had briefly entertained the idea of using THUNDERBIRD 4, but was not sure the water was deep enough for the undersea craft. He was still trying to thing up a solution when he heard THUNDERBIRD 2's engines. Walking over to the landing site, he waited with the town's officials for Virgil to shut down the engines and exit the huge, green ship.
Virgil started walking down TB 2's ramp, but stopped midway. The devastation was mind-boggling. Seeing Scott waiting anxiously, he quickly strode the remaining distance.
"Virgil, this is Mr. Sagara. He is the mayor of the town." The mayor bowed to the newly arrived International Rescue member, then shook the outstreatched hand.
"Thank you, Virgil-dono for coming. We are in great need of your help."
"We'll do everything we can sir."
Back on Tracy Island, Jeff Tracy sat, nervously waiting for the first call from the danger zone. Suddenly, his attention was drawn to the silent girl, who had been sitting, awaiting the same call. Now, she had left her seat and made her way to the line of portraits. She carefully studied each one, finishing at Scott's portrait. She gazed into his confidant eyes for sometime before sensing she was being watched. Turning around, she saw Jeff gazing at her. Giving him a half smile, she left the wall and came up to his desk. Before she could glance around for a chair, he patted his knee. Her smile grew wider. Coming around to his left side, she sat, crossing her legs Indian-fasion before her. Then, she leaned her head against his leg. Both sat for a time, thinking of all the times they had sat in just this position. Finally, Jeff broke the silence.
"Sorry our conversation was interrupted." She shook her head, and began to sign then stopped, frustrated. Daddy Tracy would not be able to understand her. Seeing her frustration, he grabbed a pad of paper and a pen from his desk, and held it out to her. Smiling gratefully, she wrote her answer.
It's all right, Daddy Tracy. You are in the rescue business. When there is a call, you must answer it. Besides, this way I can see first hand what it is like in International Rescue. I would like to ask one favor. Could you explain the situation to me? I feel so useless not knowing what is going on.
Jeff smiled. He remembered how his practically adopted daughter hated to not know what was going on around her. She always wanted to be in the thick of things. Quickly he explained what he knew of the situation. Right at the end, a sound caused both of them to turn their attention to the small screen on the desk.
"Base to Mobile Control. Go ahead Scott."
"Father, we are at a complete impasse. There is no good way for us to get near the people trapped on the houses. We already tried using both TB 1 and TB 2, but the force from the hovering jets put too much pressure on the precarious houses. We are at a complete loss for a course of action." Jeff frowned and studied the map Mobile Control was sending to him. He barely noticed Lona lean over his shoulder, staring avidly at the situation. He had no clue how IR was going to pull of this rescue, but they had never failed in a rescue before and they would not do so now!
"Scott, I'll get Brains on it immediately. If all of us put our heads together, we'll think of something. In the mean time, watch out for mud slides or flash floods."
"F.A.B." Sighing, Jeff stabs the button to cut transmission. He quickly sends a message to Brains. Then, his brow furrowed in thought; he sits, elbows resting on the desk and his head resting in his hands. For several minutes, no sounds can be heard in the main communications room. Then, with a thud so hard that it jars Jeff's head from his hands, Lona's hand strikes the desk. She begins to sign furiously.
Jeff looks on, bewildered. "Lona, I don't understand. Write it down. What's going on?" Grabbing the pad, she begins scribbling as furiously as she had signed a moment before.
I know! I know how you can save those people! If you could stretch a line from the shore to each house and send someone across, you could quickly get people to safety. Or send life preservers out and then pick them up in some kind of floatation device.
Jeff frowned over the piece of paper, then a huge grin comes over his face.
"I think you just solved our problem. Good work, Lonnie!" Hitting the talk button, he hails Mobile Control.
"Mobile Control from Base. Mobile Control from Base."
"Base from Mobile Control. You got something for us, Dad?"
"Yep. Use the grappling gun and shot a grapple and line out to each house…"
"Dad! There is no way the structures can hold another person's weight!"
"If you'll let me finish, then we can get this rescue done." Jeff's voice cracked with authority and frustration. Scott let out a frustrated sigh.
"Yes sir."
"Now, using the line, send the inflatable life jackets to each of the trapped people. Then, you can pick them up in the water using a boat."
"That's a great idea Dad, but we don't have a boat."
"Ask around, and if that doesn't turn something up, then check and make sure Brains didn't pack an inflatable raft in Pod 1. Meanwhile, we'll hunt one up and see if we have a way to get it to you."
"F.A.B."
Scott threw another thanks to heaven that Mr. Sarazaka, a friend of the mayor, happened to have a small fishing boat. Gordon had shot a lifeline out to each floating house; most from the shore, but a few were required to be shot from a hovering THUNDERBIRD 2. Quickly, the THUNDERBIRDS crew had sent inflatable life vest down for every rescuee. A THUNDERBIRDS member had carefully talked each group of stranded people off the houses and into the water by radio. Now, the people were floating in groups, waiting to be picked up. Using the boat, Alan was picking up the groups of wet villagers closest to the shore.
Scott stared at the information Mobile Control was feeding him. It was not good.
"Mobile Control to Virgil, come in Virg."
"Virgil to Mobile Control, what's up Scott?"
"Virg, I've just got the latest weather forecast. A village about two miles from here has started to receive torrential rain. Those dark clouds over to the North-west must be them. It's moving slow, but it is moving straight here."
"But if it is moving slowly Scott, we should have enough time to get everyone to higher ground."
"I'm not so sure Virg. This is taking a long time since we only have one boat. And rain is not all I'm worried about. All the rain from that village will…well will flow directly here."
"Scott! All those people waiting out there! They'll get swept away! Scott, I've been thinking. Now that we no long have to worry about the houses, could we not also use the rescue platform in THUNDERBIRD 2? Gordon could fly TB 2 while I use the platform to rescue more of the people. With two of us working out there, it will take half as long." Scott frowned at the microphone in front of him. Everything Virgil had said was true, but the houses were still a threat. Many of the groups of survivors were huddled near the fragile buildings, and could still be seriously hurt if the building collapsed on them. But he realized, it was a risk they would have to take. The flood waters were a greater danger.
"F.A.B. Virg. Just be careful, both with the houses and yourself." The last was said quickly, but Virgil caught it all the same.
"Will do Scott, I know your life would be so boring without me!"
"I'll deal with you later, youngster!" Scott said in mock anger, a large smile evident in his voice. Virgil grinned.
"Bring it on, old man. Virgil out."
Scott, with digital binoculars pressed hard to his face, surveyed the rescue scene. Virgil was helping the last few people from his group into the rescue platform, while Alan was heading out to the last group of survivors close to shore. He was glad this rescue had speeded up; the latest reports said that the village upstream was flooding rapidly, luckily everyone had escaped to higher ground. The THUNDERBIRDS would not be needed. Using different dials and buttons, Scott focused the binoculars on the remaining group of three survivors, floating patiently in the large lake created by the flood waters. Suddenly, blaring sirens grabbed his attention. His eyes widened as he read the latest information Mobile Control's sensitive instruments had picked up. The flood waters from the village upstream were heading here faster then Scott would have thought possible.
They had less then five minutes.
"Virg! How long till you get to the last group?"
"About fifteen minutes Scott, why?" Scott never heard the last part, he was racing for his sleek jet, THUNDERBIRD 1 as fast as he could. There was no time for a pre-flight check, so he flicked the button to start the engines; at the same time turning on the anti-detection shield. Even in times like this, International Rescue's secrets had to be protected. Scott was lifting off within two minutes of the warning. With as much speed as he could coax within a small flight space, he raced over to where the three people were waiting to be rescued. Dropping a safety line down, he let the great jet lose altitude for a moment before holding her steady.
Virgil's worried voice came over the cockpit's speakers.
"Scott, what are you doing? What's going on?" He was quickly joined by Jeff, who always listened into IR's radio chatter.
"Scott, I order you to inform your brother of your actions. What the hell are you doing?"
Ignoring both of his family member's insistent voices, Scott activated his outside sound system.
"Sirs, ma'am, I need you to grab onto the rope and hold on real good. We have a rush of water expected here in seconds. Please, grab hold so I can lift you to safety." Pushing another button, he hailed Alan.
"Alan, don't ask questions, just get the hell out of the water. NOW!" Watching his view screen, Scott knew the second the last person had a firm grip on the safety line. And not a moment too soon. He looked up to see a wall of water heading straight towards them. Quickly, but with as little jolting as possible, he raised THUNDERBIRD 1 and the safety line to a safe height. The water crashed down where the people had been a moment before, then went on, flooding the town further.
By the time Scott had dropped off the three survivors and landed his plane, the rain had started, drenching everything out of doors. Turning off the powerful engines, he drew a deep breath before head to the hatch. Time to face the music…or the yelling at any rate.
Virgil was waiting for him at the bottom of the hatchway ladder. His arms were folded across his chest, and his normally cheerful face was dark with anger and a touch of fear. Scott leaped past the last three steps and slowly turned to face his younger brother. He was going to take whatever his brother gave him, he deserved it. Virgil had only recently got him back, and they had had a long talk the night after Scott had left the med center. Scott knew he had been extremely worried and hurt then, and was still dealing with it all.
"So, you don't even bother to inform your bro…buddies what your plan is or that you are leaving Mobile Control-which is the procedure. You didn't run through pre-flight check; you're lucky THUNDERBIRD 1 didn't blow sky high. Then you go on and pull a reckless stunt… What the hell is wrong with you!" Scott stood there, never saying a word. What could he say? He had done all those things; of course, it had been to help save lives, but for now that did not matter much to Virgil. Scott was shocked a second later when Virgil pulled him into a huge bear hug. "If you ever pull a stunt like that again, I won't give Dad a chance to have a go at you," he whispered. Scott nodded and winced.
"How bad…"
"It's bad."
"You know, I had thought that my older sons had grown up a little bit. I would have almost expected this from Alan, but from his oldest brother? You are the field commander, Scott. If you can't handle it, then Virgil can always take your place."
"Yes sir."
"I know you had little time to spare, Scott, and you did save those people's lives. But we have rules, and those rules protect your life and the lives of your brothers. Next time, set up a signal or one word that lets us know you have to take immediate action. We'll discuss it back at base. We already need to discuss the idea of keeping a small water craft besides TB 4 in THUNDERBIRD 2 on a permanent basis. Scott, if you all are about done there, then head on back."
"F.A.B. sir." Scott had given both his answers shortly and susinctly. He understood why his whole family was giving him the run through. Didn't mean he had to like it though. Jeff looked at his eldest son, his worried air giving way to a small smile.
"You did the right thing, son. You just scared about five years off each of us. We were worried about you, we wouldn't be yelling if we didn't care a little bit about you." John, who had heard the whole exchange from space, butted in.
"Yeah, who else would keep Gordon and Alan from cracking their old jokes at Virg and me?"
Jeff started chuckling. "Lona just reminded me that she would be the next in line." John started laughing and pretended to wipe his brow.
"Shoo, I'm safe."