July 2059

Above the earth, a silent watcher monitored the worlds communication, able to use specialised equipment it could identify and photograph individuals, it was able to use ever day technology to listen to calls, use internal cameras from laptops to mobile phones, nothing was private. "Hello?" a voice came over the comms "International Rescue!" the distressed female voice crying said "I n-need help! I'm trapped!". A hologram of the earth appeared, it took only seconds for the watcher to locate the person that had been trapped in San Francisco which had been hit by an earthquake, 8.5 on the Richter Scale.

John frowned floating over to the emergency communications device which gave direct contact to Tracy island. "International Rescue we have a situation" he said there was no response "hello, John to International Rescue? Tracy Island respond" there was no response, Just as John was about to hit the GDF icon, "Thunderbird 5, this is Thunderbird one the voice said, "sorry having a bit of an issue with communications, we are already approaching danger zone, we are making final approach!" Scott said over his comm as the danger zone came into view.

The normal beautiful city of San Francisco now filled the sky with clouds of smoke, bright orange flames could be seen for miles, once a proud citadel were people could feel safe, lay broken crumbling smashed as if nature had decided to return these stone and metal structures back to the earth, Man's complacency to think they could build giant safe Skyscraper all over San Francisco and in such close proximity to each other, would aid the destruction of a once beautiful city, if only they had understood that the Pacific Plate was unstable and could be manipulated, when the earth quake hit these Skyscrapers, these giant monoliths of wealth, fell like stacks of dominos, those properties that remained after the earth quake all showed signs of damage. One action news reporter who was there as it happened reported through the carnage, "My name is Tegwyn and I am reporting for BBC world news, there are dead bodies everywhere" as she struggled to hold back the tears, "you can hear people scream, they are crying out for help, please if you can hear me? Help us," Tegwyn reached inside her pocket and pulled out her phone she pressed an app on her phone IR Hello?" a voice came over the comms "International Rescue!" the distressed female voice crying said "I n-need help! I'm trapped!" and dropped the phone. Tegwyn leg was trapped by large piece of masonry, she could not get her leg free and hoped that if there were any rescue teams she may be freed.

As remaining Emergency services began pulling people out of the rubble and devastation around them, smaller tremors could be felt, more buildings crumbled. It was important to get as many people as they could safety out of the danger zone, there was deep concern of another large quake hitting again. An emergency protocol was put into play designed to deal with disaster should it happen, but no one could have predicted the scene before the emergency services. One team began setting up communication, while other teams moved those who could be moved quickly to a safe zone. The fire service all three remaining station set out to help those trapped and injured. Civilians were moving rubble by hand trying desperately to find loved ones or just helping others, today people came together no matter race, colour or religion.

As the thunderbirds found a safe place to land the Tracy brothers prepared themselves to assist, they could hear people mournful cries, people begging for help, men women and children. The rescue pilots got to work, Virgil's Exo-suit designed to lift incredible weight began shifting large amounts of debris, the whirring sound of the hydraulics of his suit as he moved rubble out the way was somehow a comforting noise to those trapped, his brothers moved those trapped, getting them to safety. Today IR along with fire and police crews worked relentlessly to save life's.

As Scott helped direct the rescue teams to those trapped, he had another mission, the women who called IR, he spotted the reporter from the BBC, her leg was trapped by the debris, however she was close to a wall and using the specialised helmet he could see the wall was about to fall. "Tegwyn" he said, but before she answered a large piece masonry came crashing down, she instinctively raised her arm to protect herself, but the falling masonry broke her arm. Tegwyn screamed in pain she fell backward. Scott ran over using what looked like some sort of carjack freed her leg and quickly moved her out of the way of the crumbling wall, and not a moment to soon as the wall gave way. "oh my god!" the young women yelled, tears streaming down her face and looked at the pilot "Thank you!" as she through her arms around him. Scott smiled, however, Scott said to the reporter "Do not ever assume you know about us, not everything is as it seems. There will be trouble if you give us anymore bad write ups" he growled, Tegwyn nodded "yeah, no problem" she squeaked. Scott carried Tegwyn to one of the medical tents that had been setup, as he turned to go she shouted "Wait, have you ever tried Shawarma" as he turned he winked "hasn't everyone" and left the tent.

Alan was for once on a rescue with his brothers, but he was frozen at the sight of the destruction in front of him. How could nature do this? It always amazed him that the planet could be so calm but so destructive, snapping out of his daze, the young rescuer set to work moving from tent to tent he helped where required no job was to small, Alan knew the medical teams where over whelmed. Putting aside his personal goals to use the thunderbirds, he realised what his father had meant when he was a child Alan was told that IR real purpose was to save lives, taking a deep breath Alan saw to the injured.

While International Rescue worked alongside the emergency crews. John Tracy monitored the tectonic plates checking to see if there were any more earthquakes on the way, something seemed wrong the OBS (Ocean-Bottom Seismometer) failed to give any warning, as he ran further scans he discovered an anomaly in the OBS signal somehow, someone used a high frequency through the Seismometer relay system? Could that have had something to do with the earth quake? There was something else the signal seemed somehow familiar, John's eyes opened wide "like the one International Rescue had used" he said out loud. The colour drained from his face, his father and Brains had warned them all about agent 47, The Hood.

John moved to communication "this is thunderbird5 to" before he could say another word the darkness was all around him as he was struck from behind.