A/N: WAHOO! It's up! I am proud of this fact as I had not planned to even attempting to type this until AFTER I move on Oct15th and then unpack. But not being in the mood to pack in the first place was good motivation. G You will also be happy to know that on paper, the story is done! G Now to type...
Chapter Three: Dragons Flight
Alan woke up feeling refreshed. With the exception of Brains two and a half hour laps in the restroom the night before, everything went smoothly with no sign of Kendra. Tin Tin feared it might mean Kendra was building up strength to hit them hard. A sort of calm before the storm theory. Alan had shuddered at the thought of those implications.
Glancing at the clock Alan noticed it was five AM, time to get Thunderbird Three ready for it's early morning flight. Tin Tin rolled out of bed mumbling something about early mornings and shooting someone. She needed to get the children ready for their own adventure in space.
It had been a bumpy argument with Jeff the evening before when they had broached the subject of the twins going up with John into space. However Jeff was highly outnumbered with very valid points being thrown at him. After a good hour Jeff had agreed to the idea hopping John could handle the responsibility the twins demanded as well as his own job.
Alan gave his wife and kids a kiss before jumping into the shower, coffee waiting for him when he got out clean and refreshed. Breakfast was handed to him by Ohana as he walked by the kitchen on his way to the silos.
"Thank you, Ohana." Alan grinned as his stomach growled at the mere smell of hot eggs, pancakes, a biscuit, and two strips of bacon.
"You're welcome sweetheart. You should not go on an empty stomach." Alan awkwardly ate as he walked.
Getting the rocket ready was fairly quick having finished checks the night before. However he wanted to do some checks over again knowing Kendra was on the loose.
"You need to be careful." A strange voice spoke behind him. Alan turned around and sighed. Another ghost, this one looked normal. No fire nipping at his feet.
"What?" Alan asked.
"You need to be careful. Kendra was weak but she made a deal with the devil himself. He wants a Tracy and you have been marked." The hair on the back of Alan's neck stood up.
"He can't do that." Alan stated wide eyed.
"No he can't but he is going to try anyways. If he succeeds war will break out, bigger then has been seen before, yet smaller then the Armageddon that will come long after your time.
"How do I stop her?" Alan's voice shook.
"With help. Just as the devil is choosing his demons to help Kendra, God is choosing his angles to help you. Until then Kendra is still weak but that wont stop her from trying to get you again in the meantime."
"She's been silent since early yesterday evening."
"Were afraid she is building up enough strength for something major. We will be with you if she tries something."
"Are you a ghost?"
"No, I'm an angel, though there are quite a few 'ghosts' up there who speak very highly of you."
"What should I call you?"
"Jimmy, or Jim for short I suppose."
"Thank you, Jim." Alan whispered feeling a little better knowing he now had a more divine help. Jimmy nodded before he disappeared just as John walked in with a cart full of bags.
"Are you sure you won't send Five crashing down to earth with all of that?" Alan joked. "For that matter we may never get off the ground because we're to heavy to lift off!" John rolled his eyes.
"Better let me fly then."
"Dream on, John." Alan laughed. Tin Tin and Fermat appeared with just as much stuff as John was bringing aboard.
"Okay seriously now, the twins already have most of this stuff on Five"
"But what if..." Tin Tin started, Alan interrupted her by beginning to pull out stuff. In the end three forth of the things on the cart was moved to a 'not going' pile.
"They wont run out of clothes, and even if they do that is what the washing machine is for. They have plenty of toys and sippy cups. I'll allow the teddy bears, food, milk and diapers as you can never have enough of those it seems." Alan told her now having it down from five bags to one. Tin Tin sighed in resignation not looking at all happy. Alan gave her a kiss on the cheek before beginning to move all the luggage into his Bird, the others helped him. Meanwhile Carter and Lucy dug through the toys in the left behind pile and grabbed one each before moving over to a corner to play with them.
Alan laughed when he saw what toys his children had picked before deciding to let them take them for something to occupy then on the trip up.
Jeff and the rest of the family arrived to say goodbye to John and the babies.
"Now, your sure you want to do this?" Jeff asked John about the babies.
"Daad...if I get an emergency call; the kids will be fine in the playroom, and Brainman will be up there and is programed to help with them now." John smiled. Jeff sighed in defeat.
"Okay, well be careful. And call if you can't handle it."
"FAB." John smiled before turning to his brothers and rolling his eyes. Scott opened his mouth as if to scolded him but Alan noticed this and quickly began to speak.
"Well then, lets get settled in and ready. Were scheduled to take off in ten minutes."
"FAB." John said again. After one more round of hugs, Alan and Tin Tin got the twins into their special chairs directly behind Alan.
Tin Tin somehow found more tears in her ducts and was crying while trying to smile as she gave the kids farewell kisses. Finally after Alan had the engines ready to go, and all preflight checks done, Tin Tin came up to him.
"Be careful honey, get the kids and John up safely and come home safe as well." Alan gave her a kiss and nodded.
"I love you, sweet." Alan whispered.
"I love you, too." With that Tin Tin left the rocket. As soon as the hatch was shut, Alan began the count down.
Thunderbird Three request permission to take off." Alan spoke into the microphone.
"Permission granted. God speed Thunderbird Three."
"Lift off in Five, four, three, two, one." With a blast of fire they were off, shooting for the sky. Alan's favorite part of going to space was as they left the atmosphere and the light of day turned quickly to night. starry sky above the earth. Pushing in the route number of Thunderbird Five, Alan put Three into autopilot.
"So what all are you bringing?" Alan asked.
"Books on learning Spanish and American Sign Language. More games, chocolate, other books...you know me." John grinned. He had never brought the forbidden chocolate up to space before Alan had began rotation up there and snook it up on his first rotation. Since then it was a temptation he could not resist.
"Any good music?" Alan grinned.
"A few compact jewels, but other then that...I like to listen to radio stations from around the world." Alan nodded. He had discovered that perk on accident.
"Da!" Lucy called. Alan turned around in his seat.
"What's up, Lucy?" Alan asked his grinning daughter.
"Spa?"
"Yep, were in space!" John answered.
"Yeah!" Both children yelled. Alan grinned.
Alan sighed in relief as he docked with Thunderbird Five with out any problems. Opening the hatch Alan unlocked Lucy and Carter and helped them down off the chair.
"Go play, da?" Carter asked.
"Not yet. We have to carry everything in first. Grab your toys." The two picked up their toys almost shaking in excitement. Alan grabbed two bags before leading the way into Thunderbird Five. Alan led them into there play room and shut the gate that served as the door so that John or whoever was up there with them could keep an eye on them without keeping the door open.
The twins took one look at all of the toys upon entering, dropped the toys they came with and ran for the new moving them into the middle of the room creating an instant mess. Just beyond the only room was the children's bedroom. Complete with the small beds with rails on them, and small dressers. The whole room was painted in sooting colors to promote calm and sleeping, very unlike the play room.
Alan gave both twins a big hug. "You have to behave and take care of your Uncle John, okay?"
"You no stay?" Lucy asked.
"No honey, daddy needs to go see mommy back on earth. This is your mission, not mine." Having grown up within International Rescue the twins were very aware of the meaning of rescues and missions. Their eyes got wide, they were always asking when they could go on missions. Carter however shook his head.
"Then I see mommy too." Carter told him.
"No your both are in charge of taking care of Uncle John, remember?" I will be back soon." Alan smiled.
"Pwomise?" Lucy asked.
"Promise." Alan grinned before taking a breath and painfully leaving the room. This leaving thing was a lot harder then he thought it would be.
"I love you!" Alan called over his shoulder.
"Love you too, daddy!" The twins yelled back. Alan smiled, how would he live without them?
"Alright John, do you need help with anything before I take off?" Alan asked, but before he could hear an answer the alarm rang. Alan stepped up to the consul as John seemed trapped behind everything he brought up with him.
"Help, please!" A womans voice spoke.
"This is International Rescue." Alan replayed.
"A dam broke! There are at least ten families out here on their roofs, probably more. I tried calling the locals, the water is rising!" The woman told him panic in her voice.
"Okay stay calm, about how long do you think you have before the roofs are over come?" Alan asked.
"Umm...Ricky! How long do you think we have before the water reaches us?...Are you sure?..." Her voice came back to Alan. "An hour, tops." The woman told Alan.
"Okay let me get a rescue under way, I am going to come back onto this line in a minute or two so don't change the channel."
"Yes, sir. Thank you." Alan hit the mute button to her. John sat beside him and shook his head.
"Local authorities were all unresponsive." John told him. Alan nodded and pushed another button. Sending an alarm off down on the island.
"Thunderbird Five to Base." Alan stated.
"You still there Alan? Where's John?" Gordon joked before what sounded like a squeak and a thump before Jeff came on.
"What's going on, Alan."
"A rescue, your needed at..." Alan gave the information needed for the rescue quickly.
"FAB." Jeff spoke. Alan switched back to the woman.
"Mam?"
"Yes, it's rising faster!"
"Okay mam, I need you to stay calm. The Thunderbirds are on the way. Now stay on the line with me and tell me about yourself." Alan told her calmly to try and keep her calm.
Alan did not get cleared to un-dock from Five for another two hours.
"Thunderbird Three to Base, request permission to launch." Alan said.
"Per-per-per granted, Thunderbird Three." Brains said.
"Thunderbird Three to Thunderbird Five permission to un-dock."
"Permission granted." John stated.
"Launching in three-two-one..." Once again, Alan was off only this time he was alone.
"Entering atmosphere in three...two...what the?" Alan yelled into his microphone as he quickly pulled up as his heart raced. He had nearly avoided hitting a giant asteroid. One that for some reason was not coming up on monitors.
"Oh God. Oh God. Oh God." Alan was muttering over and over into his open microphone.
"Alan? ALAN!" Jeff yelled.
"Oh God. Oh God. Oh God..."
"Alan Jefferson Tracy, answer me now!" Jeff commanded.
"I'm here..." Alan whispered sitting back in his seat as he moved his ship into orbit around earth. "I've gone into orbit just outside the atmosphere. I...I should be dead." Alan said quietly. A chill went down Jeff and all of his sons back.
"What happened, son?" Jeff asked calmer now that Alan was responding.
"An asteroid, a huge asteroid that was not on my monitors. Could be because it has already began to enter the atmosphere...I don't know. By my calculations I should not be talking to you right now. It was like I was in slow motion and the asteroid was speeding up. I may have sustained damage, need to check for damage before re-entering the atmosphere." Alan spoke with a shaky voice.
"Are you alright?" John asked his bother.
"I'm in little bit of shock, maybe. But yeah, I'm fine. How did the rescue end?" Alan asked trying to move his mind in another direction.
"It went off without a hitch. Everyone was ready as per your instructions." Alan nodded and began to run a full diagnostic of his ship.
"Good to hear, so your all on your way home?" Alan asked.
"Are ETA is ten minutes." Scott spoke up.
"Okay, um...Brians are you listening?" Alan asked.
"I'm he-he-hear, Alan."
"Could you go over the diagnostics as they come in as well? I'm a little shaky and don't really trust my eyes very well at this moment." Alan asked.
"I am opening the pro-program right now, Alan."
"Thank you, Brian's."
"No problem, Alan." Alan sighed as he began to to really calm down. He pushed a button and video from cameras placed all over the ship appeared. Alan made sure all written and video diagnostics were copied down to Brains.
"I don't see any d-d-damage." Alan stated after an hour of going over all the data.
"I ag-ag... concur, Alan." With a relived sigh Alan asked for a new window to get through the atmosphere to get back to earth.
"Your window is in five minutes, Thunderbird Three." Jeff spoke.
"Okay, I'm getting her ready and positioned for another go."
"FAB." Jeff responded. Alan quickly got his bird ready before sitting back and looking down at the earth. The change from day into night was the best part of going up into space, the just staring at the earth circle below you was the best part of being IN space. It was so calming and yet amazing to look at.
"Window in Ten...Nine...Eight...Seven..."Jeff started making Alan jump. Quickly starting thrusters, Alan did last minute positioning before Jeff got to one. With that, Alan was once again on the move heading the short distance towards the atmosphere. Alan frowned as he was jerked around a lot more then was normal. Something seemed off, he was half way through the atmosphere when the alarms began to go off and he found himself with out any controls. Eyes wide in horror, Alan waited for the chance when he could make radio contact, something you could not do in the atmosphere. Suddenly he was out and free falling super fast towards the earth he had been admiring below.
"Mayday! Mayday! I've lost all controls and am falling fast!" Alan yelled into the now open microphone as he tried every restart he could think of.
"You can't do it, Alan." Kendra's voice spoke from the seat behind him. Alan glared back at the grinning beast before returning to the controls.
"Mayday!" Alan yelled.
"Alan, pull up! Pull up!" The sound of one of his brothers yelled into his ear piece.
"I am!" Alan yelled back. The engine won't start! I need help!"
"Your not going to get any help, Alan. Your going to die painfully as you should have before." Kendra whispered into Alan's ear.
"Shut up, Kendra! Alex, nows a good time to help! I'm calling all angels, please!" Alan yelled towards the sky, ignoring the laughing behind him. The earth was coming alarmingly close in the window. The vast ocean was coming up to meet him, family members were screaming in his ear none of it made any since at this point. Without thinking he switched off the offending ear piece.
Then everything went silent. A calm washed over Alan like he had never felt before. The engine light remained off, the earth was almost there, and Alan pulled up on the stick and watched in amazement as his Thunderbird slowly moved to where her nose was facing higher then her bottom. Then ever so gently the craft landed in the water. The ship emergency balloons launched to keep the Bird afloat. Time seemed to speed up to a normal pace as Alan just sat there shaking a loud rushing sound in his ears. He realized belatedly in pure amazement that he was alive and intact. Bruis ran across his chest from the safety straps he never was thankful for until that moment. He also held a pounding headache but he was thankful to be able to have one.
Alan let the first sound come one of his mouth since talking to his family. It came out as a sort of screaming moan.
"Thank you." Alan just sat there for a minute or two shaking from the shock before his brain caught up with his body.
Belatedly Alan found the ear piece he had been wearing but the line was dead, so he turned to his watch.
"Thunderbird Three to Base."
It was happening again. In a period of less then five years his youngest stood on the very brink of dying. Jeff stood by his desk waiting as Alan went through the atmosphere after having a near fatal miss with a unknown asteroid sensors should have picked up in the area long before it even got to the atmosphere. He thought he was going to have a heart attack when the impact alarm had gone off and Alan was suddenly yelling right before he was to enter the atmosphere. Although all tests showed the ship miraculously undamaged, Jeff had a bad feeling. His fears came to a head when after the normal three hour no contact time turned into four minutes then five. His other sons and friend held there breaths beside him, waiting. Then a signal appeared on radar, along with many alarms.
"Mayday! Mayday! I've lost all controls and am falling fast!" Alan's voice filled with pure fear yelled from the speakers. More alarms went off and pictures of the rapidly falling ship come up on monitors. It's nose pointing straight down.
"Alan, pull up! Pull up!" Scott was yelling in the background.
"I am!" Alan growled back. There was the sound of whispering.
"Is there someone else on board with him?" Virgil asked. Johns face paled even more then is was already, from his picture on the wall. Tin Tin walked at hearing the yelling.
"Shut up Kendra! Alex, nows a good time to help me! I'm calling all angels, please!" Alan's voice cried, breaking his brothers hearts as they waited frozen in there spots.
"Fight her, Alan! You survived her once, you can do it again!" John was sobbing into the microphone. At the same time Scott was yelling:
"Turn it again! Is the main switch flipped? Alan you have to find a way to turn on the engines, it couldn't have been damaged. What if your..." The line suddenly went to static, the alarms were silent and the picture of Thunderbird Three went blank.
"Alan?" Gordon made his first sound since this started. "No...No...No..." He sunk to the floor in tears. Tin Tin still stood frozen in the doorway. Scott stood up suddenly his chair scrapping the floor.
"I'm going to take Thunderbird One to Threes last know location." Scott whispered. Virgil took a step back.
"I'll take Two" Jeff only nodded mutely. Scott and Virgil both patted Tin Tin's back as they passed. She did not move a muscle. Lucy and Carter appeared wide eyed into Johns screen and looked at there mom.
"What's wrong?" Lucy asked.
"Nothing baby." Tin Tin answered after a moment.
"Daddy, okay?" Carter asked.
"Daddy is fine, honey. I can feel it." Tin Tin sighed in relief.
"How do you know?" Gordon asked from the floor.
"Thunderbird Three to Base." Alan's voice came over the watch on Jeff's wrist. Everyone left in the room seemed to melt in relief as well.
"Base here, it's good to hear your voice." Jeff chocked out.
"It's good to be able to speak." Alan nodded.
"Where are you?" Jeff asked.
"Floating in an ocean. I still don't have engines or power for that matter. Opening hatch to let some air in, it's getting really stuffy and hot in here." Alan sounded extremely tired.
"Are you hurt?" Gordon's voice was heard through the watch from a distance.
"Bumps and lots of bruising on my chest. Other then that I seem fine."
"Seat belt?" Gordon asked with a wince.
"Yeah, is Tin Tin alright?" Alan asked.
"I'm fine, Alan. Don't you ever do that to me again!" Tin Tin told him sternly. "Now, come home.." They heard Alan laugh.
"Yes mam, is someone on the way?"
"Scott and Virgil are both on the way. Call them and let them know your alright." Jeff grinned.
"FAB." Alan turned off the transmitter and everyone on the island sat back smiling.
Alan leaned out of Thunderbird Three onto the balloon and took a deep breath of fresh air. Along with the engines it seemed air circulation had been cut off at some point as well. While he was outside he took a good look at that side of his B ird and groaned. Apparently the flammable paint could not withstand the extended time in the atmosphere.
Alan shuddered at how close he had come to exploding. With a shudder he turned his watch back on and made a call.
"Thunderbird Three to Thunderbird One and Two." Alan stated.
"Alan?" Scott yelled a large grin plastered to his excited face.
"Good to hear from you, sprout!" Virgil told him. Alan smiled back at the now split screen.
"Yeah, same here. Umm...I think I may be a little south west of where I was when everything turned off."
"Where on our way. We are almost where you were and I am triangulating where your watch signal is coming from now." Scott told him.
"Thank you. ETA?"
"Ten minutes." Scott told him, and he nodded.
"How's your Bird?" Virgil asked.
"Going to need a lot of work done to it...oh crap." Alan mumbled having just glanced back into the cockpit.
"What's wrong?" Scott asked.
"I'm taking on water." Alan stated simply. Not at all surprised at the turn of events.