Hi, again... :) Thank you, Knightlawn, Tikatu, Creative Girl and Bow Echo, for your kind reviews. Had a quick extra thought, so decided to add a bit more.

2

The Gobi Desert, moments later, in the throne room of a high, rocky stronghold-

The Tracys' weren't the only eyes watching that image, reading that virtual data screen. The Hood, a tall and elegant man in a dark suit, with vivid green eyes and a large, hairless head, watched as well. He was able to see through the innocent eyes of his niece, Tanusha, whose budding power had been smothered; crushed down by his own.

There was something deliciously ironic about all this, the Hood mused. Jeff Tracy had stolen the girl as a mere toddler, many years previous. For that insult, he'd been captured and cruelly punished. Then, he'd been allowed to escape, for the Hood had always the "long game" in mind, and there was never just one strand to his web. Now, "Kayo" was her uncle's eyes and ears on Tracy Island; his unwitting window on the doings of International Rescue and… so it would seem… the Mechanic. Interesting.

Turning his head very slightly, the future world leader said over one shoulder,

"Find your brother, and prepare the Cruiser. It appears that there will be work for you, soon."

Someone stepped out of the shadows behind the Hood's empty throne. A girl, in her late teens, with white-streaked brown hair, blue eyes and a sly, foxy face. She wore extremely enhanced purple body armour, and an implant, and she was very much in his employ. Havok.

"Machine-man gettin' on y'r nerves, again, Guvnor?" she enquired, coming to stand nearly beside him. A stupid child, and disrespectful, as well… but she had her uses.

"The Mechanic is unimportant, as are the Tracys. No, my dear… I have a much larger goal in mind. One that you might call 'world-shattering'."

Warmed by the beauty of his own flawless scheme, the Hood began laughing. Already, he could taste the fear and awe that he would command, with an army of nanites behind him.

"The world shall kneel, Havok, beginning with Jeff Tracy. Then, one by one by… one…" his power lashed out, frying the brain of a small lizard, creeping on the ceiling above them. "...They shall all die."

The lizard fell to the ground at their feet, twitching in agony. Casually, the Hood stepped forward, grinding the small, helpless reptile into a bloody paste.

Barking mad, he was, but willing to pay, and that's all that mattered to Havok. Pivoting, she shot away from the laughing Hood, calling for Fuse as she went. And… if her half-recalled need to slaughter Gordon Tracy was met in the process, well… bonus.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Tracy Island, gathered at the ring-

Caleb hadn't said much, all this time. Being the second-youngest guy in the room, he'd pretty much kept a low profile. That rotating ship holo was just frickin' scary, and the Mechanic gave him the creeping jitters, but worst of all was the knowledge that all of this… his place in IR, his thing with Kaise… could soon disappear, completely. In fact, some kinda weird way, he could feel himself standing at pool-side in Wavey-World, whistle around his sunburnt neck, dying inside; watching screaming kids dive off the fake rocks and listening to that stupid, non-stop theme song. That him had never entered the New Crew contest. Had never been part of IR. And what about the rest? Jan, Cody, Josh and Piper; where were they?

"Excuse me," said Caleb, as Colonel Tracy was starting to speak. "Just a second, please. I gotta… I gotta say something. It's important!"

Everyone turned to look at him, including John's floating blue image. Guessed he had been sort of loud, at that.

"Yeah. My name is Caleb Gonzalez, and I'm only here because, in that other timeline, the GDF held a 'New Crew' contest, to replace International Rescue. Dumb idea, I know, but we did the best we could, with crap equipment and a month's training. Maybe should've introduced myself like: "Hi, I'm Ded Meatly." Anyways… I heard that you were planning a backup team, here too, Colonels… and I just want to ask you to pick us again. We can do the job, Sir… Ma'am… and that way, when the time comes, I'll be in the right place to meet Kaise, when she needs me. I dunno how… it'll just happen. I'll make it happen."

Everyone was still waiting, like he was supposed to go on, so Caleb added, very quietly,

"Please."

That's when, a few at a time, people started to talk. Sheffield was first, saying,

"He's a good man, Colonel Casey. Always where you need him, with the right attitude. Haven't met the others, but if they're anything like Gonzalez, here, you've got the makings of a great team."

A smiling Professor Moffat was next, speaking from the stairs beside Gordon and Alan.

"I can vouch for this young man's dedication to duty as well, Colonel. Rescues take more than just courage. They take a heart for others, and Caleb has that, as one would remark, 'in spades'. Please consider him, and anyone he might suggest."

Sharl spoke up, too, and Brains, plus John and Major Pope. Weird, huh? There were big decisions to make, the end of the world to stop, but everyone put it on pause just to back Caleb's play. Maybe that's what the professor had meant by "a heart for others"? Kaise had been standing behind his seat, all this time. When he put his hand up, she took it, and squeezed.

The Director gave them a very serious look, and then pulled up a virtual data screen.

"What are the names of these others, Mr. Gonzalez? No promises, but if they're as good as you claim, we may have our… already tested… backup crew. Can you live with that, Scott? Jeff?"

Surprised at being consulted, his head caught in a force-five migraine vise, Scott Tracy blinked and then nodded.

"Yes, Ma'am," he decided. "I think we can handle that. Dad?"

Jeff Tracy had drifted over to speak… quite tensely… with the Mechanic. Now, he turned around and said,

"Yes, absolutely. You have my full and wholehearted support, Son." And then he was gone, again; utterly focused on questioning Kane.

Meanwhile, Colonel Casey was waiting, so the part-time aquanaut started spitting out names and web ID numbers.

"There's Janice Ming, 254015… Cody Beech, 234271… Joshua Kelly, 234265… and Piper Austin, 167827."

At each name and number, a picture came up (only, Cody's was weirdly faint and distorted, like he wasn't as much here, as he had been there.) All the imaged people were young; each one a friend and a teammate. At the last picture, Piper's, Alan leapt off the stairs, shouting,

"Wait! That's her! That's the girl! For real, I know her!"

Hurtling startled people and vaulting the furniture, Alan Tracy somersault-crash landed into the ring.

"Her name's Piper?" he asked, staring hard at that shimmering holo. "That's awesome! That's a great name! Where is she?"

Linda Casey frowned, tapping away at her data pad.

"According to WorldGov Secure-Net, enrolled at Union Junior College, studying web design… and apparently sidelines in helmet-cam zombie skate videos, whatever that means."

Overwhelmed, Alan whipped around, seized Caleb's shoulders and just shook him. 'Cause, like, he got it. He totally got it. Where love was concerned, you just found a way, or you made one. Period.