International Rescue: The Next Phase


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Re: Celebrations and Challenges [message #1669 is a reply to message #1668] Fri, 27 July 2012 16:48 Go to previous messageGo to next message
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Saturday, June 2, 8:45 a.m., Banihal Tunnel, Pir Panjal range, India (3:15 p.m. Tracy Island)

"Ah, there is my beauty," the nondescript man murmured as he opened the stainless steel case. The scanner was much more compact than he had hoped for and, as a bonus, there was a micro disk slipped into the foam rubber casing that held it secure. "Instructions on how to use it, and perhaps even the plans for the device," he said in quiet satisfaction. "Now, to make my escape."

The guards had proved to be no trouble; the thief's hypnotic powers had rendered them unconscious before either could draw a weapon. He put on his infrared goggles again and checked to see if anyone was loitering near this, the second to last car on the train. He drew back as the conductor and another railway employee hurried by, flashlights in hand, heading for the last car. The thief had no idea what was in that last carriage, nor did he care. He had what he had come for and now it was time to leave the train and its passengers to their fate.

He stepped out cautiously, just in time to see the conductor, who had forced open the door to the twisted final car, stumble out of it, coughing, dropping to his knees, then passing out entirely. The other employee, who the thief now recognized as one of the stewards, looked terrified. He pulled the conductor away, beginning to cough on his own. Finally, he too, succumbed to whatever was leaking from the last train.

The bandit, known worldwide as the Hood, turned away from the last car. A slightly acrid smell teased his nose behind the mask he wore and he fought the urge to sneeze. Through his goggles he could see a thin plume of gas rising to the ceiling of the damaged tunnel.

~It would be foolish to pass behind that final car since whatever is in it is knocking out those who go by. I will make my way between the cars instead.

He did so, hurrying to find the shadows of the tunnel wall, pressing the case between himself and the wall to hide it should a torch light fall on him. At last he found the door that would lead him to freedom. Smiling, he opened it, and passed through.

The stairway was long and narrow, and the air got colder as he approached the top. He panted in the thin atmosphere, wishing he had brought along an oxygen mask. He knew how much higher on the mountain the stair would take him, but thought himself in good enough physical condition that he could take those stairs twice within just a few hours. He hadn't counted on the burden of the stainless steel case.

At last he reached the exit, the secured hatchway that would give him access to the clear air and his waiting helijet. He pressed a small device to the lock. It beeped as cheerily as it had earlier and the light on the lock turned green. "Yes!" he cried sharply, then he pushed against the hatch.

Nothing happened.

He frowned, and put down his burden to push with both of his powerful arms.

Again, nothing happened.

He cursed and pushed again, harder. All that he could hear was a slight scraping, as of metal on rock.

He stopped to consider this sound. ~Rocks on the hatch? Who would put rocks on the hatch? The thing was clear when I checked it earlier...

At last it dawned on him what had happened. He cursed long, loudly, and inventively. He cursed the mountain, he cursed the tunnel, and he cursed himself for being blind to this possibility. He cursed until he had to stop, panting, the thin air robbing him of the oxygen he need to continue his ranting.

~Now what do I do? he asked himself, sitting down on one of the upper steps. ~I can go back down but, if I did my job with the explosives correctly, there will be no way out. And there is that gas, whatever it is. It could render me unconscious and I would be captured. Rescue will not come soon enough... unless...

He shook his head and shuddered at the thought, but he knew this was his only option. ~I cannot believe it. I cannot believe things have come to this... when I, Belah Gaat, sworn enemy to International Rescue, must humiliate myself and call upon them for assistance.

He sighed, reached into his pocket for a portable satellite phone, one that any prudent businessman might carry, and one he used to make his disguise complete. ~I can only hope whoever answers the call does not recognize my voice.

He dialed the emergency services number. He knew that his signal would not reach them, but he hoped that his enemies could monitor the airwaves and hear him. "Calling International Rescue... I have an emergency... calling International Rescue..."

From: Tikatu Sent: 11/28/2005
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Re: Celebrations and Challenges [message #1670 is a reply to message #1669] Fri, 27 July 2012 16:49 Go to previous messageGo to next message
artisticrainey is currently offline  artisticrainey
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Saturday, June 2, 2068

When Lena woke up from her long sleep, she found that her clothes had been washed, dried and returned to her room. She dressed and found her way first to the lounge. Finding no one there, she headed downstairs to the dining room, then into the kitchen. She went in and saw a distressed Kyrano being comforted by Lisa.

"What has happened? What's wrong?"

"Some of the family are ill," Lisa replied. "We believe that it is due to the fish they ate for dinner. Durian had managed to get into the trash and eat a few of the heads. Shortly afterward, he started throwing up. He isn't well, poor thing. But this morning all three of the children woke up sick. The boys, especially, are really affected."

"Oh, poor babies. How can I help?"

"Lena, you are a guest here. Don't worry; we can handle things. Not everyone had the fish; Kyrano, Tin-Tin, Brains and myself ate other food. And it could be possible that not everyone in the family will be affected."

"No, I want to help. Anyting I can do, just ask. I want to be useful." She turned to the Malaysian. "What's wrong, Kyrano? You don't tink you caused dis, do you?"

"How else could it have happened? Somehow I cooked it wrong."

"Not possible, Kyrano," Lisa replied. "What Durian ate was raw. Therefore, it couldn't have been your cooking."

"Dat's right. Dere must have been something in de fish when dey were caught. And notting you could have done would have eliminated it. I've seen you cook. You are very finicky about cleanliness and torough heating of everyting you make. It has to have been some new bacteria or something, dat is resistant to de usual metods of cooking." She paused. "Who is Durian?"

In spite of himself, Kyrano was comforted, and chuckled at Lena's question. "Durian is the kitten who used to be known as Asterix. Christopher is no longer a member of International Rescue, and decided to leave the cat behind when he departed for home. But please, sit down and I will get you some breakfast right away. You must be starving."

Lena admitted it, and added, "But I still want to help, especially if more -- or most -- of de family is sick. Dere are several tings I can do."

Thus she found herself later, checking on various affected family members, changing and cleaning emesis bowls. She did her work so quietly that most were unaware of her presence. If one of them did wake up while she was there, she soothed them with a cool hand stroking a hot forehead, or holding a head while the person tried to empty the contents of his or her stomach. She always made sure that each person was sleeping before she left the room.

Although she seemed tireless in her work, Brains, Kyrano and Lisa -- fully aware of her ordeal -- made sure she ate and rested. Nevertheless, as the day wore on, they were very grateful for her help.

From: Hobbeth Sent: 11/29/2005


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Re: Celebrations and Challenges [message #1671 is a reply to message #1670] Fri, 27 July 2012 16:49 Go to previous messageGo to next message
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Saturday, June 2, 2068, 3:50 p.m., Thunderbird Five

"Base from Thunderbird Five. Base from Thunderbird Five. Come in, base." John frowned as he called his home for what seemed like the umpteenth time. "Where are you, Dad?" he muttered to himself. "We have an emergency call!"

At last the screen switched on. "Finally!" he murmured.

But instead of the resolute face of his father, the weary visage of Brains looked back at him from behind the desk.

"Go ahead, Thunderbird Five," Brains said.

John was dying to ask what the problem was, and why his father wasn't sitting in his usual spot, but he knew that time was precious so he put his questions aside for the moment.

"We have an emergency call, Einstein," he told the scientist. "A monorail has been trapped in a tunnel by a rockslide. The tunnel is in the Pir Panjal area of India. I'm sending coordinates now. The caller said that there seem to be injuries and some kind of dangerous gas is leaking from one of the cars. The power is out, the ventilation fans aren't working, and the maintenance entrances are blocked."

"All right, Quasar. Send me the details. I'll call up the troops," Brains replied, activating Jeff's computer. He also hit the button on the desk that sent the emergency signal ringing through the house and its environs.

"F-A-B, Einstein." John transmitted the requested data, then asked hesitantly, "Uh, Einstein? Where's the Commander?"

Brains sighed. "He's sick, Quasar. Pretty much all of the veterans are sick."

"All of the veterans?" John asked, incredulous.

"Everyone but me and Sweet," Brains informed him. "They all had fresh caught fish last night and it turned out to be contaminated."

"You mean... everyone's sick? Even GM?"

"Not quite everyone. GM is sick, but not K and his lady. Or our visiting Agent 62. The four of us are helping Dak and Angel take care of the ill ones. Sweet should be back soon with medication that will help."

"How long will this illness last? And just who is going to go out on this rescue call?" John demanded to know.

"I don't know how long it will last, but not one of the veterans is going to be able to take on this mission." Brains adjusted his glasses and gazed at John's concerned expression. "It seems that International Rescue is now in the hands of its new recruits."

From: Tikatu Sent: 11/30/2005


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Re: Celebrations and Challenges [message #1672 is a reply to message #1671] Fri, 27 July 2012 16:49 Go to previous messageGo to next message
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]******Saturday, June 2, 2068; Tracy Island Monorail; 3:55 p.m. ******[/I]

Brandon, Callie, and Elise were all riding in the monorail car to the Villa, having just received an emergency call.

Callie shook her head. "I can't believe the Tracys got sick from the fish."

"I can't either," Brandon replied. What I can't figure out is how the fish got tainted in the first place. As far as I know, there are no contaminants in the water."

When Elise had spoken to Scott earlier, she knew he didn't sound so good. "Poor Scott, his voice sounded like he had every cold and flu symptom imaginable."

"I know what you mean, Elise. Virgil sounded the same way when he called me this morning. I could hardly understand what he was saying." Brandon looked thoughtful as the monorail continued its journey.

When the three arrived at the Villa, they passed by the sick room, where Dom came out.

"How's the family doing?" asked Callie.

"Well, they're still sick, but at least they're not as bad as they were earlier. Tin-Tin should be back with the medication soon enough."

"Do you have any idea how long they'll be bedridden, Dom?" Elise asked with concern.

"We can't be certain of that, I'm afraid. I also know there's an emergency, so tell whoever is in charge that Nikki and I will be there as soon as we tend to the boys.

The three newbies continued quickly to the lounge where they found Kat keeping Joshua amused. Brandon gave her a quick nod hello before turning to face Brains. Callie and Elise came and stood beside him, followed a couple of minutes later by Nikki and Dom.

"What do we have?" Brandon asked, feeling the familiar adrenaline surge.

Brains looked up at the line of recruits and nodded in approval. "There's a monorail train trapped in a tunnel in the Pir Panjal region of India. An avalanche and some loose rocks have created a dangerous situation. There's no ventilation, and a lot of people are in danger of poisoning from a cloud of toxic gas."

"How much time do they have before the air runs completely out?"

"From what John told me, there's a window of eight hours. After that point, the toxic gas will become too much for everyone trapped."

"That doesn't give us much time to get to the danger zone," Callie remarked to Brains.

"You're right, so we've got to move fast." Brains made his decision. "Elise, you'll fly Thunderbird One to the danger zone and set up Mobile Control. Dom will be the pilot for Thunderbird Two. Brandon, Callie, Kat and Nikki, you'll travel with him. I'll need you to load Pod Five with the Monobrake, the Excavator, and a couple of extra hover bikes."

"Yes, sir," said Dom. "I'll make sure the pod's loaded. Anything else we need to do before we go?"

"Yes. HAZMAT suits, cold weather gear, and oxygen tanks with masks. This is high in the mountain ranges, so the air will be a lot thinner and you're not used to it. You'll find the new heads-up display visors with your uniforms."

Callie nodded. "All right. Brandon and I will check the equipment on our way."

"Very well. If there's nothing else, Thunderbirds Are Go!"

******By MagicMaster8 and TracyFan4Ever Sent: 12/2/2005


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Re: Celebrations and Challenges [message #1673 is a reply to message #1672] Fri, 27 July 2012 16:49 Go to previous messageGo to next message
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Saturday, June 2; Tracy Island

Lena was in Scott's room when the emergency signal went off. She had just cleaned out his emesis bowl, and was returning it to the bedside table. The sound of the alarm had the effect of waking him up and he "leaped" out of bed, only to fall to his knees.

She quickly put the bowl down and hurried to him, lifting him up and pushing him back to his bed. He began to protest. "There's an emergency. I've got to go!"

"Not in your condition. You can't even stand by yourself, let alone leave de room. Now get back into bed."

"You don't understand, Lena. I'm the field commander. I have to..."

"I understand more dan you tink. But you aren't in any condition to fly any of dose vessels you call Tunderbirds. Now lie down and get some sleep, or I'll sit on you until you do. Is dat understood, young man?"

Scott tried once more to sit up, but found he couldn't do it. Plus he was beginning to get a raging headache. He lay back and Lena pulled the bedclothes over him. Then she sat on the edge of the bed and stroked his head.

"That feels good."

"Den I'll keep doing it until you go back to sleep. Don't worry. You've been training de otters to do de job. Dey'll take care of whatever it is, almost as well as you all would. Now close your eyes." She began to hum softly as she stroked his temples, and he shut his eyes. Soon his deep even breathing told her he was asleep, and she kissed him on the cheek, then quietly left the room.

From: Hobbeth Sent: 12/3/2005


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Re: Celebrations and Challenges [message #1674 is a reply to message #1673] Fri, 27 July 2012 16:50 Go to previous messageGo to next message
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Dianne opened one bleary eye as she heard Jeff groan and felt the bed shift as he sat up on its edge. It was something that had happened before as he tried to get to the bathroom to deal with the diarrhea he was experiencing.

But his wife knew that this time was different. She could hear the emergency signal going off and just knew that Jeff was trying to answer it.

"Jeff?" she mumbled. "Where're you goin'?"

"Gotta go. The signal..."

She felt the bed shift again, but before he could stand up fully, she reached across, almost lunging at him, and grabbed the back of his pajama shirt. With a yank, she pulled him back down onto the bed. He turned to her, glaring, as she let go of his shirt.

"You're going nowhere," she growled, glaring back at him. "Doctor's orders."

"But the signal..." he protested.

"Let the recruits handle it. We're all too sick to do anything, you included. Now lay back down before I have to pull rank on you."

"Okay, okay," he said with a sigh as he rolled back into bed. He had to admit, it felt a whole lot better to lie down and close his eyes. He opened them fractionally to look at Dianne, who was still watching him from behind half-opened eyelids.

"I'm going back to sleep," he told her. "So are you." And with that, he readjusted his pillow, snuggling his head into it, and closed his eyes.

Dianne watched him for a moment more, then rolled over. Soon both of them were again asleep.

From: Tikatu Sent: 12/3/2005 1:08 AM


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[Updated on: Fri, 27 July 2012 16:50]

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Re: Celebrations and Challenges [message #1675 is a reply to message #1674] Fri, 27 July 2012 16:50 Go to previous messageGo to next message
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The atmosphere was heavy in Thunderbird Two's cockpit as the great craft sped towards the Pir Panjal range. This was weird. This was bizarre. This was happening. And yet, somehow, none of them seemed able to believe it. Dominic had never felt so afraid in his life, but he pushed the feeling into the back of his mind. There was no time for that. He had a job to do and he would do it right. They all would, because they were more than able. I think this is what they call 'just lucky', he thought. It's just lucky that Elise and I were cross-training on TB2 recently. It's just lucky that this didn't happen a few months ago when we first joined IR. Let's hope that our luck keeps on running... Soon into the trip, Elise's voice rang out from the radio.

"Thunderbird Two from Thunderbird One."

"Thunderbird Two here," Dom replied.

"I've arrived at Danger Zone and am looking for somewhere to set up Mobile Control. What's your ETA?"

"ETA one hour, Thunderbird One," Dom replied.

"FAB. I'll keep you informed of developments here. Try and get as much speed out of her as you can; we need all the time we can get."

"FAB."

"And Dak?"

"Yeah?"

"You're doing great."

"Thanks, Frankie."

"Thunderbird One out."

Dom could hear the smile in her voice, and found himself heartened a little bit more. She knows it, I know it, we all know it. We can do this.

***

It seemed like no time before Thunderbird Two arrived at Danger Zone. Elise had landed TB1 in a safe spot, and was sitting at Mobile Control, thankful for the protective clothing and O2, when the ship came into sight.

"Base from Mobile Control," she said into the radio.

"Base here."

"Thunderbird Two has arrived."

"Good. Tell them to unload the equipment and head into that tunnel right away."

"FAB. I'll make sure everyone is suited up properly."

"Right. Keep me informed. Base out."

Elise watched as Dom circled for a moment before brining the craft down safely, and then raising the hydraulic legs to reveal the pod. Let's do this, she thought, and reached for the radio again to relay Brains' instructions.

From: ArtisticRainey Sent: 12/4/2005


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Re: Celebrations and Challenges [message #1676 is a reply to message #1675] Fri, 27 July 2012 16:50 Go to previous messageGo to next message
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Tracy Island -- June 2nd

Cherie was tossing and turning in her bed. She reached out once more for the emesis bowl. Groaning, she lay back on her pillows. They felt so hard against her aching head.

Lisa looked round the door at her. On seeing Cherie looking so distressed, she went in and sat the bed beside her granddaughter.

"Grandma, I feel so awful. Do you think it was the fish?"

Her grandmother nodded her head. "Yes I'm afraid it was. It was contaminated with a new type of Shigella virus."

Cherie groaned. "How long will I go on feeling so sick?"

"It may hang around for a few days." Lisa remarked, gently stroking Cherie's hot, feverish face. "Tin-Tin should soon be back with the medication your Mom ordered."

"Grandma? I'm never, ever going to eat fish again."

Lisa smiled at her granddaughter. "I'm sure you will, in time."

"Well, if I do," Cherie grumbled. "It won't be any fish caught by my brothers. It's all their fault I'm feeling like this."

"Cherie, that's not very fair," her grandmother said. "I'm sure they had no idea that the fish was contaminated. And they are feeling just as sick as you are."

Lisa changed the emesis bowl and, after bathing Cherie's head with a cool cloth, left the teenager to her restless sleep.

From: Tawnyangel22 Sent: 12/5/2005


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Re: Celebrations and Challenges [message #1677 is a reply to message #1676] Fri, 27 July 2012 16:50 Go to previous messageGo to next message
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******Saturday, June 2, 2068; Banihal Tunnel, Pir Panjal Range, India; 11:30 a.m. (6 p.m. on Tracy Island)******

For the first time since she joined International Rescue, Callie had to go on a mission without any of the Tracys. This was a new experience for her, having been part of the organization less than four months. Her mind and her heart were battling mixed emotions of fear and excitement.

In Thunderbird Two's storage bay, everyone checked the various equipment needed for this operation. Nikki handed out the cold weather gear; the oxygen tanks and HAZMAT suits were left in Callie's hands. Dom did pre-launch checks on the Monobrake while Brandon ran through the diagnostics for the Excavator. Kat prepped the hoverbike and loaded up the relay device needed to enhance communications between themselves and the base.

Callie struggled to keep her own emotions in check. I can't believe I'm actually doing this, she thought. If ever there was that time for the "trial by fire," I think this is really it.

As her nerves were getting slightly on edge, she accidentally dropped one of the suits on the floor. "I've got to be more careful," she said as she picked up the suit. She checked every nook and cranny to make sure nothing in the suit was compromised, which would pose a threat to anyone wearing it. "Doesn't look like anything's damaged. I don't want the suits to have problems before we can even get to the rescue."

Shaking his head, Brandon noticed how nervous she was. "Take it easy, Callie. The suit's okay. I don't think anything bad is going to happen."

"I've got to check it, Brandon. It's that important to me." She sighed. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you like that."

"It's okay. If it makes you feel any better, I'm nervous, too. Just remember what you learned from your training and you'll do just fine, I promise."

"Thanks. Here's your HAZMAT suit."

Callie got into her own cold weather gear and new heads-up visor when she got a call from Elise. "Ursa from Frankie. You about ready?"

"Almost. I just need to get myself into my HAZMAT suit and my oxygen tank. What's up?"

At Mobile Control, Elise answered, "I want you to go with Big Mac in the Excavator. You're the one who can determine what's creating the toxic gas inside the cavern."

"F-A-B, Frankie. When I get in there, I'll start analyzing the components with this device Einstein wanted me to test. I think he calls it the Chemicalyzer. Base will have to keep their ears open through the whole thing."

"Okay. MGM will take the hover bike to install the relay device so communications between Mobile Control and Base will be much clearer through the mountains."

"Anything to keep the lines open and clear." As soon as Callie finished getting dressed, she said, "All right, I'm ready to go."

"F-A-B. Good luck, Ursa."

"Thanks." Something tells me I'm gonna need all the luck I can get...

From: TracyFan4Ever Sent: 12/5/2005


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Re: Celebrations and Challenges [message #1678 is a reply to message #1677] Fri, 27 July 2012 16:51 Go to previous messageGo to next message
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After working in her last hospital for a while, Nikki felt she had more freedom in the workplace to carry out her job without always having to wait for instructions from the doctors. That's how she felt now. This was the first rescue without Dr Tracy and she hoped it went well.

After suiting up, Nikki joined the others as they made their way to proceed with the rescue.

"This is going to be a tough one without the others," she said.

"I'm sure we'll all do fine." Brandon laid a hand on Nikki's shoulder.

Kat agreed. "We've done the training and we've had loads of experience plus years of experience in our past fields. With this rescue we can prove to ourselves that we don't need to heavily rely on the original team.

Nikki nodded. "You're right. Let's get these people out of there."

Everyone quieted down when the radio activated and they listened for their instructions from Elise.


From: Nikki-browneyes1 Sent: 12/6/2005


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Re: Celebrations and Challenges [message #1679 is a reply to message #1678] Fri, 27 July 2012 16:51 Go to previous messageGo to next message
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Saturday, June 2nd -- Banihal Tunnel, Pir Panjol Range, India, 12.00 noon (6.30 pm Tracy Island)

"I've got to get this relay device up and running," Kat muttered to herself. She managed to secure her data pad and the case containing the relay device equipment onto the hover bike. Then she started it up, rode it out of the pod, and disappeared inside the tunnel.

She remembered earlier when they had gathered in the lounge. Brains had told them about the rescue call. He had handed her a large case and data pad, saying, "Kat, you will need to set up this relay device, so that you can all communicate with Mobile Control from inside the tunnel. You can download the instructions on to the data pad on your way to the danger zone. If you think of any problems or questions, you can contact me before you enter the tunnel."

~Now where is the best place to set this thing up? she wondered as she drove slowly into the tunnel. Callie and Brandon drove past her on the Excavator, followed by Nikki and Dom on the Monobrake.

Finally stopping about a mile inside the tunnel, she found a good spot, and began to unpack the equipment. Setting up her data pad, she began working on the device by the light of the hover bike's headlamp.

~This is not going to be easy. How on earth am I to construct it? she thought.

Picking up the poles, which made up the base of the relay device, she managed to fit them together. Struggling to raise them into a tripod was definitely not easy. Reading her notes again, she realised that she should have put the device together before constructing the legs. Sighing to herself, she managed to lay the poles back down on the ground.

Kat reached in the case for the large dome and the antenna. The antenna was small and fitted neatly in to the top of the dome, which could be turned to any direction. Once more she studied her data pad.

~Oh Brains, I do wish you were here, she thought as she retrieved the last piece of equipment from the case. Rumbling noises from further down the tunnel, made her wonder how the others were getting on.

She screwed together the sections to form a cylindrical object. Plugging in the connecting wires and switches; she finally fitted the dome and antenna. Now all that was left was for Kat to place the cylinder and dome on the tripod, and then see if it worked. She managed to raise the tripod once again. Once everything felt steady, she gingerly stretched as high as she could and fitted the device to the tripod.

Turning the 'out' switch to the 'on' position, Kat listened. There was a great deal of crackling and buzzing. Twisting the multidirectional dome in one direction, the crackling was greatly increased; but the buzzing stopped. Turning it in the opposite direction, the crackling disappeared; but the buzzing was louder. ~Come on, come on, Kat was silently praying. Eventually, after she had turned the dome in what seemed every conceivable direction; the buzzing and crackling suddenly ceased.

~Fingers crossed, here goes! Kat muttered to herself
"MGM to Mobile Control, can you hear me?

Nothing.

"MGM to Mobile Control, come in Mobile Control."

Then to much to her relief "Mobile Control to MGM. Receiving you loud and clear."

"MGM to Frankie. Good to hear you." Kat's relief was great.

From: Tawnyangel22 Sent: 12/6/2005


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Re: Celebrations and Challenges [message #1680 is a reply to message #1679] Fri, 27 July 2012 16:52 Go to previous messageGo to next message
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The sound of the excavator working had long disappeared; the Monobrake made its way steadily up the tunnel. The track above was mostly unharmed, except for a few nicks made by falling debris. Nikki checked through her medical bag once more as Dom kept an eye on the controls. Everything was just as it had been at the last check, of course, but it paid to be meticulous.

"How's it looking?" She asked Dom as she finished putting everything back.

"I'm not sure how much usable track is left, to be honest. It's probably not a lot."

"Right."

The assessment proved to be true very quickly, as the Monobrake's warning signal began to sound, reverberating down into the blackness.

"That's us," Dom said, beginning the shut down process. "It's on our feet from here."

"At least it won't be an endless trek," Nikki said. "We've come a long way already."

"Yeah. By the time we get there we'll have got the signal from Ursa and Big Mac, I reckon."

As they collected their things, and Nikki relayed the situation back to Mobile Control, and then they headed on into the tunnel.

From: ArtisticRainey Sent: 12/7/2005


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Re: Celebrations and Challenges [message #1681 is a reply to message #1680] Fri, 27 July 2012 16:52 Go to previous messageGo to next message
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While Kat was setting up the relay, Callie and Brandon had gone ahead to check the damage caused by the cave-in. Brandon looked confident on the outside, but he was as nervous as Callie. Like her, this was his first assignment without the guidance of the Tracys.

This is a far cry from the first rescue I went out on. At least the Tracys were there to guide me. Now, though, it's different. Please, let me do this right, Brandon thought fervently as they continued into the tunnel. He watched as the excavator chewed through the rocks and it didn't take long for them to get through the pile of rubble.

"Okay," Brandon said, after they'd broken through, "we need to find out what we're dealing with. Callie nodded in agreement. They continued on, the only illumination coming from the Excavator's front light. As they pushed forward, the extent of the damage became clear.

"There it is," Brandon said as the first of the monorail cars came into view. The metal rail was twisted, the compartment battered. He noticed a white gas rising from the open doors, creating a light mist that hovered over the cars.

"You ready to get started, Ursa?" Brandon asked, bringing the Excavator to a halt.

Callie stood up, checking her HAZMAT suit one more time. "I'm ready to go, Big Mac," she answered, her voice slightly shaky.
This didn't get past Brandon. "You'll do fine, Callie. Remember, we were taught by the best."

"But, what if...?"

Brandon cut her off. "Nothing is going to happen. Stay focused and concentrate on the task at hand."

After a few more words of reassurance from her colleague, Callie took a deep breath and stepped out into the tunnel, activating the Chemicalyzer. Brandon watched her for a few moments before reaching out and activating the radio to report to Mobile Control.

Post by Magicmaster8 Sent: 12/9/2005


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Re: Celebrations and Challenges [message #1682 is a reply to message #1681] Fri, 27 July 2012 16:52 Go to previous messageGo to next message
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As Brandon made a preliminary report to Mobile Control, Callie scanned the air in the tunnel with the new Chemicalyzer device. For about ten minutes, nothing seemed to register. However, when she got closer to the train, the device started beeping. Looks like I've got something here, she thought. "Base and Mobile Control from Ursa. I'm getting readings on the Chemicalyzer. Base, I'll upload the data to you through Thunderbird Five."

Back at base, Brains monitored the situation. "Okay, Ursa. Use your heads-up visor to check around for any chemicals in and around the train. India is known for transporting chemicals and people in the same train."

She looked at the screen in front of her eyes. Wow, this thing really works! Able to see information in front of her face, she continued analyzing the chemicals.

Elise waited outside patiently for Callie's readings. I know she's the right one for this part of the job, she thought. The sooner we can get the information, the quicker we can contain it.
Inside, Callie was able to see the names of the two chemicals. "I've got it. The two chemicals are alsterene and zinc oxide."

Elise said, "F-A-B. Ursa, you and Big Mac concentrate on containing the two chemicals. You may need to neutralize what's already leaking first. I'll talk with MGM about the ventilation problem."

"Wait, Mobile Control. Before we can neutralize the leak, we need to contain the drums first. This way there won't be another leak."

"Ursa's right," Brains said. "The containers need to stop leaking first."

"F-A-B. Sorry about that."

"Don't worry about it, Frankie. Call it a learning experience. Ursa, Big Mac, you both know what to do."

"Right, we'll get on it immediately." She contacted Brandon. "Big Mac, we've got several canisters leaking alsterene and zinc oxide. First thing to do is contain these drums to prevent more gas from coming out, then neutralize the mixture already affecting the area."

"I wonder if there's been anything else besides the leaking materials."

"There's one way to find out. Thunderbird Five from Ursa. Do you copy?"

John responded, "Loud and clear, Ursa." That relay's working perfectly. "What can I do for you?"

"Do you have the train's manifest?"

"I'm getting that information right now." After about twenty seconds of silence, he said, "I have the info. Stand by for uploading to your heads-up."

Callie saw some information scrolling across her screen, but the screen was blurry. She couldn't reach the ball on her visor to scroll down because of the HAZMAT suit. Great, I've got no way to see all the information. "Quasar, I can't reach the scroll ball. Can you get the list to scroll slowly for me?"

"F-A-B, Ursa."

As the manifest list went through, one item caught her eye. "Thunderbird Five from Ursa. Do you know about this item: 'Prototype for project #2149-E'?"

"Negative, Ursa. I have no idea what that is. I tried to get information from government officials and got nothing out of it."
"Thanks, Quasar." The list kept scrolling slowly downward, and she noticed something she never expected to see. "Sodium bicarbonate?" Slapping her helmet-covered head, she muttered, "Of course, the most common chemical neutralizer in the world: baking soda! There should be more than enough to neutralize the gas in here."

Back at the base, Brains smiled. "Good work, Ursa. You and Big Mac can use the baking soda to stop the gas when you get done sealing the broken containers of alsterene and zinc oxide."
Callie realized there was a problem with that idea. "How do we do that? We didn't bring any equipment for sealing the canisters."

We didn't anticipate having to use the foam sealant, and Kat's the only person who's actually used it, Brains thought. We never did train the others on this. Fortunately, there's plenty of that in Thunderbird Two.

From: TracyFan4Ever Sent: 12/10/2005


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Re: Celebrations and Challenges [message #1683 is a reply to message #1682] Fri, 27 July 2012 16:53 Go to previous messageGo to next message
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The Hood had secreted himself behind a large piece of concrete. Keeping his head low to avoid the gaseous mist that was filling the chamber from the top down, he listened and watched with interest as the Excavator chewed its way through the rubble, then rumbled into the cavern. Two figures, suited up in HAZMAT suits with the IR insignia on them clambered out, one of them holding out a device that he had not seen before.

~Could it be the engineer? he wondered as he squinted through his infrared goggles. ~No, this person is too tall. His interest was diverted by two more suited figures entering the chamber, one carrying a clearly-marked medikit and the other a cutting device. ~Hmm. Four? Then who is out at their Mobile Control? And who is in their space station?

Suddenly, he was reminded of the information he had gleaned from his brother, Kyrano, during their last encounter. A tidbit that his dreaded enemy had recently recruited new blood for his endeavors. ~Perhaps these people are some of their new members. Then should I stay and watch them? Or should I make good my escape?

The decision was hard to make. Tantalizing bits of vocalization wafted his way, and he strained to hear if these people were part of the hated Tracy clan or not. He finally decided that the one with the device was not, and was a woman, but he could not determine anything about the other one, besides the fact that he was male. The others were too far away to hear.

~I had better leave, he said to himself, as he looked upward. ~This gas is moving downward and I do not have my breathing equipment.

So saying, he waited until the two nearest him entered the car from which the gas was escaping. Then he picked up his prize and moved, quickly and carefully, to the hole dug by the Excavator.

xxxx

"Mobile Control to MGM. Come in, MGM."

Kat adjusted the relay minutely and answered the call. "MGM here."

"Ursa is in need of some foam sealant. I'm told you're the only one who is familiar with it," Elise said. "Can you pull it from Thunderbird Two and take it down to her, then show her how to use it?"

Kat was surprised; she hadn't any idea that she would be doing so much in this rescue. "F-A-B, Mobile Control. I'm on my way."

She hopped on the hoverbike and, after giving the relay on last look, pressed on to the mouth of the tunnel.

As she hurried to procure the items her comrades needed, the Hood had come upon the Monobrake.

~Hmm. Could I use this to make my getaway? It seems to be able to ride both on the rail and on the ground.

He climbed up on the machine and looked over the controls in the open cockpit. ~No, there is a computer that most likely requires a password before the vehicle will start. And I do not have time to tinker with it. I will press on.

In the meantime, Kat had found the canisters of foam sealant. She made sure she had the right equipment to apply it. Then she ducked into the crews' quarter to eat a quick energy bar. Her sugar needs supplied, she closed up her jacket, made sure her HAZMAT suit was secure, grabbed what she had come for, and went back out the way she had come in, through the pod's catwalks.

Walking over to Mobile Control, she checked in with Elise.

"I have what Ursa needs."

"Good," Elise said with a smile behind her oxygen mask. "I'll radio in that you're coming. On your way back out, do me a favor? Check on the Monobrake? I had an indicator light on it a moment ago. Then stop at the relay, check it over, and come back here to relieve me at Mobile Control."

Kat's eyes grew wide. "Me? At Mobile Control? Whatever for?"

"We need to see if there are any ventilation shafts clear of the rock that slid down. If there's even one within the Danger Zone, we need to hook it up to a generator to clear that gas from the tunnel. The fastest way to check is for me to reconnoiter with Thunderbird One."

"Oh, I see. Will you be long at it?"

Elise shrugged. "I shouldn't be."

"All right. First this, then the Monobrake, the relay, and back out here."

"You've got it. Now get going."

"F-A-B."

Kat secured the canisters and equipment on the back of the hoverbike, and sped off down the tunnel in the direction of the Danger Zone.

The Hood stopped walking. He heard a humming sound echoing through the tunnel, one that sounded vaguely familiar. He shrank back against the wall as his augmented sight watched a small figure whiz by on a hover vehicle.

~Now I know that some of the new members of IR are here. Even my thrice-cursed niece is not as small as that. He stopped for a moment. ~Although... Tracy does have a young daughter. That could have been her. He put down the heavy case he had been lugging along. ~Perhaps I should wait and see if she comes back out. Surely Tracy would not allow the child to remain within such a hazardous place but is using her as a courier. I will move along slowly and see what happens. Perhaps I can relieve her of the vehicle to help me escape.

So he picked up the case again and started walking, watching all the time for the return of the small person who was driving the hoverbike.

From: Tikatu Sent: 12/11/2005


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Re: Celebrations and Challenges [message #1684 is a reply to message #1683] Fri, 27 July 2012 16:53 Go to previous messageGo to next message
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As soon as the call from Brandon and Callie came through, the two nurses had sped up the last section of the tunnel. When the monorail train came into view, parts gnarled and twisted into an unrecognisable mess of metal, they set to work. It was a blessing to find that the doors of the cars were easy to slide open for the most part. On occasion they had to use the gutting gear to get through to the people inside. I guess this is why they invented electronically sliding ones... Dom thought. It's a pity that they're not working now.

They were quick in starting their triage, and soon Dom started to evacuate the worst cases out to the Excavator's tunnel. There weren't as many red tags as there could have been. Another blessing, he thought. The soft hiss of the oxygen supplies mingled with the sound of dulled moans from the injured, and it was punctuated by the steady beat of feet. I love anti-grav stretchers. They make life so much easier, Dom thought as he lined up another red tag for transport.

"When... When will we be out of here?" The man asked, his face creased with pain behind his O2 mask.

"Very soon, sir," Dominic replied. "Don't worry."

The man closed his eyes and muttered something in his native tongue, which Dominic took to be something like relief.

The sooner we're out of here the better, he thought, and headed back up the tunnel for the next patient.

From: ArtisticRainey Sent: 12/11/2005


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Re: Celebrations and Challenges [message #1685 is a reply to message #1684] Fri, 27 July 2012 16:54 Go to previous messageGo to next message
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Tracy Island, the same day

Lena walked into the lounge and sat down quietly. Brains glanced over and briefly smiled at her, acknowledging her presence, then returned to monitoring the transmissions. Seeing that he was concentrating so hard, she didn't interrupt, but hoped there would be a lull, so she could talk to him.

Ten minutes later, her wish was granted. He looked up again and said, "Hello, Lena. How is the family doing?"

"As well as can be expected. Dey are all asleep at de moment. Did you find out what caused dis illness?"

"It was a form of Shigellosis, that was in some fish the family ate."

She frowned slightly. "Shigellosis? Dat sounds familiar."

"It should. There were an exceptionally large number of cases in Kenya about 55 years ago. Mostly children according to the accounts."

Her face cleared. "Now I remember. A lot of de schools had been sent vegetables dat had been grown in water dat sewage had gotten into. About 30 children died. De rest of us wanted to."

"The rest of you?"

"Yes. My brotters, sister, and I came down wit it, but had a doctor who had de medicine dat would help. So we survived. But I tought it could be killed by normal cooking procedures."

"The usual form can. But this seems to be a mutated strain, one that appears to be very heat resistant. And since very little of the bacteria needs to survive to infect anyone, nothing anyone could have done would have prevented it."

"I presume you have contacted de CDC? Dey have to locate de area dat has de sewage de fish swam trough."

"Yes, I did that as soon as I got the test results."

"Dat's good. Well, I'll leave you to handle de rescue and go tell Kyrano. He has been so upset, tinking dat he was responsible. Even Lisa isn't having much luck comforting him."

"I thought Tin-Tin told him about the results."

"I'm sure she would have, but she was sent to get de medicine before she had de chance." She stood up. "Would you like me to bring you some coffee and someting to eat?"

"Thank you, Lena. I'd appreciate that a lot. That reminds me." He turned back to the computer and as Lena left the room, she heard him say, "MGM from Base. MGM, do you have your food packets?"

From: Hobbeth Sent: 12/12/2005


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Re: Celebrations and Challenges [message #1686 is a reply to message #1685] Fri, 27 July 2012 16:54 Go to previous messageGo to next message
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"...and so you see, Kyrano, dere was no way you could have caused dis," Lena concluded. "De contamination was not your fault."

Kyrano's shoulders sagged momentarily in relief. "Thank you very much, Mrs. Matumbo, for bringing this news to me. I was very worried that I had done something wrong, but I could not think of what it might have been. To know that I am not at fault is a great relief."

He straightened up, and turned to smile at Lisa, who had her hands on his shoulders. She smiled back encouragingly, then asked Lena, "Did Brains say when this sickness might end?"

Lena shook her head. "No, he didn't. But de medicine dat Tin-Tin is bringing should help a lot." She smiled ruefully. "I should know; I had one of de otter versions of dis as a child."

"Did someone call my name?"

The three in the kitchen looked up and cried out in pleasure and relief at seeing Tin-Tin standing, smiling, in the doorway. She brought in the packages she was carrying and put them down on the countertop, then extracted a bag bearing the name of a New Zealand pharmacist. "I've got what we need to treat the Tracys. The rest of the items are waiting in the elevator."

She frowned a bit, then asked, "I noticed that Thunderbird Two is gone. What happened? Was there a rescue call?"

"Yes, Tin-Tin," Lisa replied. "The new recruits are handling it. I'm sure Brains can give you more information when you go upstairs."

Tin-Tin nodded. "I'll go up right now and see what I can do."

Kyrano put a hand out to stop Tin-Tin. "How is Durian?"

The young woman sighed. "The vet seemed optimistic that he'd pull through, but he'd really like to know what kind of bug he's dealing with."

The retainer nodded. "I shall call him and tell him what Mrs. Matumbo has just told me. Perhaps that will help in the treatment of the creature." He looked down a bit and smiled slightly. "I fear I have become attached to little Durian. I hope he survives this illness."

"Me, too, Father," Tin-Tin said softly, reaching out to touch her father's arm. Then she turned to go. "I'd better deliver this to Brains and man the desk for a bit so he can administer it to the Tracys."

"Tin-Tin, please tell him I will be dere wit his coffee and snack in a few minutes," Lena said.

Tin-Tin nodded, then hurried off. The three adults glanced at each other, then Kyrano stood. "I will call the vet now."

"And I'll help Lena whip up something for all of us to eat," Lisa said. "Come on. It's back to work for us."


From: Tikatu Sent: 12/14/2005


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Re: Celebrations and Challenges [message #1690 is a reply to message #1686] Fri, 27 July 2012 17:22 Go to previous messageGo to next message
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Banihal Tunnel, Pir Panjol Range, India

Kat drove the hoverbike along the tunnel. Arriving at the danger zone, she quickly found Callie and Brandon.

"Here's the sealant. Now let's get those drums sealed." Handing Callie one of the spray cans, she showed her how to apply the sealant foam. Once she was assured that Callie could use the device, Kat headed back towards the tunnel entrance. The gas was beginning to infiltrate the air. All around her was noise, dust, and moaning passengers, some seriously injured, others just trapped in the wreckage. She noticed Dom and Nikki working amongst the injured.

Stopping at the monobrake, she climbed off the hoverbike and examined the larger vehicle. Nothing seemed amiss. Assuming that it was most likely a false alarm, she climbed back on the hoverbike and headed towards the relay device.

The Hood's patience had been rewarded. The small figure had returned on the hoverbike and after stopping it, had gotten off. With his infrared goggles he could make out a device on a tripod. Some form of communication, he wondered. He watched for a moment; trying to decide what to do. The figure was small. He had the element of surprise. He was sure he would be able to overcome whoever it was. Making absolutely sure that the box was safe, he began to move forward. He stopped again and waited deciding just what he would do.

Once back at the relay device, Kat contacted Mobile Control to advise Elise that the monobrake seemed okay and that she was on her way to relieve her. She had just contacted Elise. Suddenly she broke off mid-sentence. She had heard something, as though someone was creeping along in the dark. The hairs at the back of her neck seemed to stand on end. She was not alone. Someone or something was slowly edging towards her. Holding her breath, she pressed herself into the tunnel wall. Suddenly the shuffling stopped. Kat held her breath. Had she been detected? Had she been heard? After all she had been talking to Mobile Control.

Elise became concerned when Kat failed to continue talking and tried to re-establish contact.

"MGM from Mobile control. Come in, MGM. Everything okay?"

Inside the tunnel, everything was so quiet. She almost began to imagine she had heard something, until Elise's voice made her jump. "Frankie," Kat began to whisper. "I'm sure I heard something like someone was coming along the tunnel. I don't feel that I'm alone."

"Do you think it could be one of the passengers?" Elise queried.

"I'm not sure. Shall I make myself known?"

"No, not just yet. Let me check with Dak. I'll try to find out if one of the passengers has wandered away."

Once Elise had broken off with her, Kat resumed listening to her surroundings. The silence was almost deafening. Apart from the occasional rumble way down the line and sometimes a drop of water falling, everything was quiet. Too quiet, Kat thought. She sensed that she wasn't alone, but whoever it was, was also keeping very still.

Elise contacted her once more. "MGM, according to Angel and Dak, none of the passengers have moved. Unless they have been freed, they are either too injured, or still trapped in the train."

"Shall I try to make contact, Frankie?" Kat asked.

"I'm not sure, MGM. I don't like the idea of you tackling someone on your own."

Just at that moment the Hood rushed Kat, throwing her to the ground. She rolled over, trying to get away from him, and let out a yell. Then she heard the sound of the hoverbike been driven away at high speed.

"What on earth's happening MGM?" Elise's voice was loud in her ear. "What's going on? Are you okay?"

Kat lay on the ground in total darkness. She felt totally disoriented. Gasping for breath, she tried to move. Her head and knees ached, and there was a tight feeling in her chest.

"MGM from Mobile Control. Come in please."

"Mobile Control from MGM," Kat gasped. "Someone has just pushed past me, knocking me over. He got away on the hoverbike."

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm just winded," Kat replied, trying to catch her breath.

"I'll watch out for him when he leaves the tunnel. I'll get Einstein to contact the Indian authorities. After all we are not exactly sure who this person is. He seems desperate," Elise remarked before contacting John. "Quasar from Mobile Control. An unknown passenger has attacked MGM. I'm going to contact Dak to see if they could spare Angel or Big Mac to help her back to Thunderbird Two."

"Mobile Control from Quasar. Is MGM okay? Has she been badly injured?"

"Quasar from Mobile Control. She appears to be badly winded. I'm going to get help for her."

Kat heard this conversation. "No, Frankie! I'm okay. Just let me get my breath back, and I will make my way out to Mobile Control to relieve you."

"MGM from Thunderbird Five." John sounded concerned. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes, thank you, Quasar. I'm just a little winded. It would seem that one of the passengers, for some unknown reason tried to escape and in the attempt pushed me out of the way. I have no idea who he was or why he was here. But he has got away on the hoverbike."

"Do you think he was traumatised, and didn't know where he was?" John asked her.

"Dunno. I think that he was certainly shocked to find me here. It all happened so quickly. Anyway once I get my breath back I'm going to head back to Mobile Control. I have to relieve Frankie, so that she can check the ventilation units."

Retrieving her torch, she painfully began to make her way out of the tunnel.

Satisfied that she was okay, John reported all of their conversation to Base. Brains didn't seem too happy about the intruder, feeling that there was more to it than a traumatised passenger. But as the rescue was top priority, he had no choice other than to let the local authorities handle it.

From: Tawnyangel22 Sent: 12/15/2005


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[Updated on: Fri, 27 July 2012 17:22]

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Re: Celebrations and Challenges [message #1691 is a reply to message #1690] Fri, 27 July 2012 17:23 Go to previous messageGo to next message
artisticrainey is currently offline  artisticrainey
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Brains was just concluding his update on the progress of the rescue for Tin-Tin when Lena walked in. She was carrying a tray with two mugs, a carafe of coffee, some snacks and other necessities for the drinks. He moved aside to allow her to set it on the desk, and immediately poured both himself and Tin-Tin some coffee.

"Ahh," he said after taking a sip. "Lena, you are an angel of mercy. I needed this." He grabbed a bite to eat.

"You are de one who will be dat, once you give de medicine to dose who need it. And de sooner it is administered, de sooner dey will feel better."

"Will you come help me?"

"Of course. Are you going to give doses to everyone?"

"I think that I'll inject those who were hardest hit first."

"Dat would be Mrs. Tracy, Alex, Tyler, and Cherie."

"Then we'll wait to see how they respond to it. After that, we can decide if anyone else needs some of the medicine. Since we're already upstairs, we'll start with the children." He turned to the young Malaysian. "If there's any more trouble, Tin-Tin, give me a holler."

"All right. Now go take care of the poor children and Grandma."

He smiled at her and motioned for Lena to follow him. They came to Cherie's room first, and went in. She was awake, throwing up in her emesis bowl. Lena hurried over and held her head until the retching ceased. Then she helped the young girl lay back, taking a cool damp cloth and wiping her face with it.

Cherie's eyes were closed, but she knew who was there. "Lena, I wish it would stop."

"I know you do, sweetheart. And Brains has some medicine dat should help it go away sooner."

The girl opened her eyes and saw him for the first time. He had a needle in his hand. "A shot?" she whined. "Can't you give me a pill instead?"

"Shh," admonished Lena. "What good would a pill do if you trew it up before it could do any good? Now be a good girl and let him give you de shot. It'll only take a few seconds." She leaned over and whispered in Cherie's ear as Brains took her arm and injected the drug.

"There! All done," he said. "And you didn't even flinch."

"I never felt it! I was listening to what Lena was saying, and didn't notice. Thank you, Lena," she replied.

"My pleasure. Now, take some sips of water, and get some sleep." She took a mug from the nightstand and held the straw to the young girl's lips. Cherie drank some, then sank back into her pillows with a sigh.

"One down. Now for the boys," Brains said quietly to Lena.

The young girl heard. Without opening her eyes, she said, "Bet they flinch."

Both adults looked at each other and smiled. "Sleep now. I'll be back later to see how you are doing," said Lena as she followed Brains out of the room.

The boys were both sound asleep, and Brains did his work so efficiently, they never woke up. Then they headed downstairs to see and help Emily.

From: Hobbeth Sent: 12/18/2005


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Re: Celebrations and Challenges [message #1692 is a reply to message #1691] Fri, 27 July 2012 17:23 Go to previous messageGo to next message
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"Come on now, Joshua," Lisa cajoled, putting some peeled slices of fruit on the plate in front of the toddler. "Eat your apple."

"No!" Joshua cried. "Wan' Da!"

"Your Daddy's at work now, Josh," Lisa said softly, trying to put a piece of fruit to the little boy's mouth. "He'll be home soon. He wants you to eat your fruit."

"No!" the little boy cried, his lower lip beginning to wobble. "Wan' Da!"

Lisa's shoulders slumped. She knew what that trembling lower lip meant. Joshua was tired, but too wound up to sleep. He was hungry, but he wanted his father more than food.

One more try, she thought, then I take him out and try to rock him. I haven't been this unsuccessful with a child since Jared's twins.

She held out the sipper cup, half full of milk, offering it to the little boy. "Here's some nummy milk, Josh. Drink it up, now."

Josh took the cup, put it to his lips and took a swallow or two, then tossed the cup aside. "Wan' Da!" he wailed.

"Okay. That's it," Lisa muttered to herself. She unfastened the boy from his booster seat and took him away from the table. There was a small crib set up in Kyrano's sitting room and Dom had brought over several of Joshua's toys, including his current favorite, his horsie. Lisa brought him down to Kyrano's quarters and sat him on the floor, groaning as she sat down with him.

"Okay, Josh," she said brightly. "Let's play with the blocks!"

Josh picked up his horsie and held it tight. "Wan' Da," he said with a sniff as he crawled into Lisa's lap.

Lisa rocked him back and forth, stroking his bright blond hair. "I know, Josh. I know. He'll be home soon." I hope.

From: Tikatu Sent: 12/18/2005


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Re: Celebrations and Challenges [message #1693 is a reply to message #1692] Fri, 27 July 2012 17:23 Go to previous messageGo to next message
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The wrecked monorail lay on the floor of the tunnel like a wounded snake, one long twist of ruined metal. Silence reigned; the darkness was thick. The rhythm of Nikki's breathing beat a steady tattoo in her ears as she checked the last compartment of the ruined vehicle. There was no one left. She breathed a sight of relief. That's them all.

"Dak from Angel," she said into her comm unit.

"Dak here. 'Sup?"

"The last of the passengers are out. It's time to start evac."

"Already on it."

"FAB. I'm on my way back now. Angel out."

---

Considering the potential carnage that could have been caused, the number of red tags that were ready for transport was small. As soon as Nikki got back to the triage area, she and Dom began to take the casualties out of the tunnel. It was slow work, with only the two of them; Callie and Brandon were still sealing up the containers.

"Did they find out who it was who pushed past MGM earlier?" Nikki asked.

"No," Dom replied. "And I did another head count. There's no one missing."

"This is creepy," Nikki said. "It's given me the jitters."

"Me too. But let's not think about it. The sooner we're out of here the better."

From: ArtisticRainey Sent: 12/19/2005


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Re: Celebrations and Challenges [message #1694 is a reply to message #1693] Fri, 27 July 2012 17:24 Go to previous messageGo to next message
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In the tunnel, Callie and Brandon continued their clean-up efforts on the spill.

"I think four canisters of baking soda should do it," said Callie.

"I'm not so sure, Ursa. This is a pretty big spill," Brandon replied, taking one of the canisters and opening it, spreading the contents on the ground.

As Callie spread some from another container, she said, "Yeah, you're right, Big Mac. We should make it eight. That should definitely be enough."

He looked around the site. ~I'm still not sure, but Callie's the expert. I'll go with what she says. "Just make sure we cover every area of the spill, right?"

"Yeah. Even one little area left can still be dangerous."

"Tell me about it," Brandon replied, opening another container. Lifting it with a grunt, he started carrying it down the tunnel, stopping ever so often to cover the spill, leaving Callie to work on the area closest to the damaged car.

~I just need to put enough baking soda over this area, and it should neutralize the problem completely, she said to herself.

About an hour later, the pair finished pouring the sodium bicarbonate, and the effects started to show immediately.

"Eww," said Callie. "Mobile Control from Ursa. Spill has been neutralized. The liquid is now harmless, but it looks like someone just lost their lunch."

At Mobile Control, Elise raised her eyebrow at Callie's description of the neutralized spill.

"F-A-B. And, Ursa? That was a little too much detail," Elise said dryly.

Standing behind Callie, Brandon heard her graphic description and let out a small 'erp', his face turning pale. She heard the little sound and looked over at her partner, noticing his paleness.

"Big Mac? Are you okay?" she asked with concern.

"Uh, yeah, I'm fine," he replied hastily. "Come on, we've gotta finish cleaning this up. Grab a shovel and let's go, Ursa."

The two worked side by side, scooping up the neutralized chemicals and putting them in the empty sodium bicarbonate containers. Callie noticed how quickly Brandon was shoveling up the chemical piles.

"Whoa, take it easy, Big Mac. What's the rush?"

"I... just... want... to get it done, that's all."

"You're getting sick just seeing this vile shade of green, aren't you?"

"No, I'm not," Brandon said defensively. "I just want to get the job done, that's all."

"Whatever you say. I just hope, for your sake, you don't lose it in that HAZMAT suit."

"If I do, I'll blame you," he replied in an attempt to lighten the seriousness of the situation.

"If you do," Callie said sweetly, "I'll tell Gordon what REALLY happened."

"Oh, no!" Brandon said in mock horror. "If you tell him that, he won't let me live it down," he said with a laugh. Another 20 minutes went by and their task was complete.

"Whew," said Brandon with a sigh of relief. "I'm glad that's done. Now, can we please get out of here?"

"Come on, let's go," Callie said in reply. The two walked back to the Excavator, both having one nervous thought. They hoped Kat would get the ventilation fans working soon.

Post by Magicmaster8 & TracyFan4Ever Sent: 12/21/2005


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Re: Celebrations and Challenges [message #1695 is a reply to message #1694] Fri, 27 July 2012 17:24 Go to previous messageGo to next message
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A little while later, Lena went softly into the youngest Tracy boys' bedroom. Alex was sleeping, but Tyler was tossing about on his bed. She immediately went over to him and found that he was only half awake. Laying a cool hand on his forehead, she whispered, "Shhh, little one. You must get some rest, so you can get well."

His eyes opened and he looked directly at her. "Who are you?"

"I'm Lena Matumbo. I was here a couple of monts ago, remember?"

Tyler frowned for a moment. "Oh, yeah. I remember now. I don't feel good. I think I'm gonna. . ." He rolled onto his stomach and leaned over to throw up into an emesis bowl placed beside his bed. All of the invalids had similar receptacles near them. Lena held his forehead in her hand, supporting him.

When he was on his back once again, he whimpered. "I don't like feeling this way. Can you make it go away?"

"De medicine dat Brains gave you earlier when you were asleep will do dat, honey," she said as she stroked his hair. "It will take a while. I understand you were very sick recently. Dat's why you are so sick now. But you will get better. Just rest."

"I'm thirsty."

She found the insulated cup that was on the nightstand and put the straw in his mouth. He took a couple of sips, then turned away. She straightened out his bedclothes and sat next to him, once again stroking his forehead. "I'm going to sit here until you go back to sleep. Would you like to hear a Swahili lullaby dat I used to put my babies and grandbabies to sleep wit?"

"Okay."

She softly began to sing and Tyler's eyes slowly closed. Soon his deep even breathing told her that he was asleep. She emptied and rinsed out the bowl, putting it back in its place by his bed. Then she checked on Alex, who was lightly snoring. She smiled, and quietly left the room, to check on Cherie.

From: Hobbeth Sent: 12/21/2005


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Re: Celebrations and Challenges [message #1696 is a reply to message #1695] Fri, 27 July 2012 17:24 Go to previous messageGo to next message
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June 2, 2068, 1:45 p.m. local time

The Hood was having difficulty. The hoverbike he had stolen, though seemingly simple to operate, wasn't made for riding at high speeds with a heavy load. He had not had time to secure the stainless steel case to the back of the machine, and was still carrying it in one hand, while trying to hurry down the darkened tunnel. As a result, he found the machine listing to the right until finally, the case bumped and scraped against the wall.

That one bump was his undoing. The hoverbike slewed around, the rear of it smashing into the tunnel wall. The impact threw him from the machine, and he landed painfully on the concrete floor. Cursing in Malay, he shook his head groggily, and got to his feet. He hissed as he took stock of himself, but was relieved to see that he had nothing more than a series of nasty scrapes and bumps that would become bruises in short order.

The hoverbike, however, was wrecked. He could go no further with it.

~Even International Rescue's machinery is cursed against me! he thought angrily. ~Now I must walk the rest of the way to the tunnel entrance where the authorities will be waiting for me, unless... yes! A maintenance access! International Rescue may be set against me, but Dame Fortune is smiling on me! From here I can escape the tunnel and make my way to my waiting helijet!

With renewed energy, the Hood picked up his burdensome case and strode over to the maintenance access. He opened the door and began the long climb to the exit that would put him on the mountain's rocky slope, hopeful that, at least for today, all of International Rescue's machinations against him would be for naught.

From: Tikatu Sent: 12/26/2005


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Re: Celebrations and Challenges [message #1697 is a reply to message #1696] Fri, 27 July 2012 17:25 Go to previous messageGo to next message
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It seemed to be taking forever to reach Mobile Control, but as Kat huffed and puffed along she was determined to make it on her own and not have to call for help. Silently cursing the idiot who had pushed her off the hoverbike, said object came into view.

"Oh no." Kat stared down at the mangled bike, which now lay against the tunnel wall. She looked around. There was no sign of the stranger.

She looked down at the bike again. Whoever it was obviously had no idea how to control it or they wouldn't have dumped and mangled it. There was no way she'd be able to get the bike out by herself.

As she raised her wrist-comm to her mouth she noticed the maintenance entrance. "So that's he got out. MGM to Mobile Control."

"Mobile Control here. Go ahead. MGM, are you okay?"

"Yeah, getting there. I've found the hoverbike. It's wrecked I'm afraid, but I think our culprit got out through a maintenance tunnel." Kat heard Elise sigh.

"Okay, MGM I'll contact the others and maybe we can bring it out on the monobrake after Angel and Dak have evacuated everyone. How are you doing for time?"

"FAB. I should be with you in about 5 mins or so."

"FAB. Mobile Control out." Elise sat back. This was not good. Obviously, Kat's attacker was someone who had not wanted to be seen hanging around the train wreck and who apparently wasn't too injured, if injured at all. ~The question is, what did they want and why were they in such a hurry to escape?

Minutes later, Elise saw a hobbling Kat emerging from the tunnel. She walked over to help.

"Here, sit down and take it easy for a bit," Elise said."You didn't get a look at him or her did you?"

Kat shook her head. "No. He pushed me from behind. I felt something was wrong but he caught me off guard."

"You're sure it was a 'he'?"

Kat nodded. "With that brute strength, it would have to be."

"Well, I called base and Quasar and they know what's going on. I guess there's nothing else we can do except get on with the job at hand." Elise gave Kat a quick run down of Mobile Control. The mechanic was familiar with it, having worked on the technical side of it with Brains.

"I'll take TB1 up and get a look at those ventilation shafts and hopefully one will be clear enough to work with."

"FAB, Frankie, and good luck."

"Thanks." Elise hurriedly jogged towards the silver rocket, muttering to herself. "Now I have to get this damn thing back up in the air again."

She hadn't been happy about piloting it in the first place on this rescue, but buckled down and did it. Right now, it just wasn't her favorite thing to fly. That, and the fact that Scott was its 'mommy', made her cringe.

Kat watched as TB1 lifted up gracefully, teetered back and forth a little, then banked over to the right to fly back along the tunnel. She bit her lip, thankful that Scott wasn't here.

Elise flew over the seven mile length of the tunnel carefully. ~How am I going to figure out which vents are over the Danger Zone? she asked herself. ~Time to ask Base.

"Base from Thunderbird One," she called.

"Base here, Thunderbird One. Go ahead, Frankie," came Brains's voice.

"Base, the tunnel has a lot of ventilation shafts. How can I find out which ones are over the Danger Zone?"

Brains replied."You'll need to locate Big Mac and Ursa with the Thermal Imager and then calculate the distance MGM will need to get the generator in position. If you have problems with the imager, call Quasar to locate them by their chips."

Elise listened carefully to his words and simply replied "FAB."
Locating the thermal imager she continued to fly along the tunnel until she got the tell-tale reading indicating life. Two distinct images confirmed that she'd located Brandon and Callie.
The first two vents she saw were a lost cause. Both were covered with debris and rocks, but the 3rd and 4th ones looked okay.

"Base and Mobile Control from Thunderbird One. Vent shafts 1 and 2 are blocked, number 3 is about 1/4 blocked but vent 4 is clear. That's our best bet for setting the generator up."

"FAB, Thunderbird One," Brains replied.

"Big Mac and Ursa from Thunderbird One, come in."

"This is Big Mac. Thunderbird One, go ahead."

Elise relayed what Brains had told her.

"We're just finishing up now and then will be heading out."

"FAB Big Mac. I'm showing 4 vents located where you are. From up here, two are covered, the third is partially covered but the fourth one is clear. Unfortunately, from down where he was they all looked the same and looked okay.

"Which one is the one we're going to use Frankie?" Elise checked the imager once again and advised "Vent shaft 4, not the one that's immediately above you, but the next one."

"FAB." Brandon acknowledged.

Elise bid them farewell and turned Thunderbird One back towards Mobile Control, leaving Brandon to update Ursa on the situation.
"TB1 returning to danger zone, Mobile Control."

"FAB."

Thunderbird One came down with a few bumps but remained intact and Elise was soon running towards Kat. She immediately updated Kat on what she'd seen from the air.

"Big Mac and Ursa have been informed. Now we have to find out when the Monobrake is coming out, then we'll have to get you and the generator on it. Then it will head back down the tunnel."

"Okay, I'll check the status on the Monobrake and then Mobile Control is all yours," Kat replied.

From: FrankieCTB2 Sent: 12/28/2005


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Re: Celebrations and Challenges [message #1698 is a reply to message #1697] Fri, 27 July 2012 17:25 Go to previous messageGo to next message
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Kat watched as Elise piloted Thunderbird One up and headed for the mountain range. She sat looking at the controls. ~Me, in charge of Mobile Control! I'd better tell Brains that I'm here.

"Base from Mobile Control."

"Mobile Control from Base. Is that you, MGM?

"Yes, Einstein. I'm just covering for Frankie whilst she searches for a clear ventilation shaft so I can get the generator to work the fans. Have you received any news on the person who pushed me over and stole the hoverbike?"

"No news from the authorities. However, Dom has reported that there were no missing passengers."

Just then John contacted Mobile Control. "Mobile Control from Thunderbird Five. Come in, Mobile Control."

"Thunderbird Five from Mobile Control, MGM speaking. How can I help you, Quasar?"

"MGM, are you all right?"

"Okay, although my elbows and knees are very sore. I guess I will have some beautiful bruises."

"Glad to hear you weren't seriously injured. Good luck, MGM, and take care."

"Thanks, Quasar. I will. Talk to you later."

John signed off and Kat continued watching the dials, and listening in to the conversations coming through from the danger zone. After what seemed an eternity, Thunderbird One's engines could be heard..

********************

Dom helped Kat place the small, yet surprisingly heavy, generator on to the monobrake. She climbed up beside him, and they drove back inside the tunnel. Kat asked if he could stop at the relay device.

"Just for a precautionary check," she said.

Once she was satisfied that everything was still in order, she climbed back on board, and they continued to the site of the crash. Working with the co-ordinates that Elise had provided, Kat started to look for the ventilation unit. Dom left her, stating that he should continue his work with Nikki. Kat looked around, seeing if anyone else were free to assist her. Seeing Brandon talking to Callie, she called to ask if either were free.

"I can give you a hand, MGM." Brandon answered. "How can I help?"

"Can you carry this generator to the ventilation unit? It's not too far."

Brandon picked up the generator and followed Kat.

Kat and Brandon climbed up to the ventilation unit. Brandon heaved the cables attached to the generator to her. Between them, they managed to fix the cables from the generator to the ventilation unit. It was not an easy task; the cables were cumbersome and the connections were dirty and full of debris. But finally they were attached. Switching on the power, there was a hum; and then the large fans began to slowly rotate, going faster and faster, until the bad air and gasses began to be drawn away from the crash site, up the shaft and out into the atmosphere.

"Phew, Big Mac," Kat said. "This has been some rescue. I wonder how the Tracys are? I can just imagine Scott's face when he learns that I have been in control of Mobile Control, if only for a short while."

Brandon nodded. "This has sure been a baptism by fire for all of us."

written by TawnyAngel22 Sent: 12/29/2005


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Re: Celebrations and Challenges [message #1699 is a reply to message #1698] Fri, 27 July 2012 17:25 Go to previous messageGo to next message
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Saturday, June 2, 2068, 3 p.m., local time, Pir Panjal range, India

The Hood sat back in his pilot's seat, sipping a cup of green tea that he had brewed in the tiny galley of his hoverjet. The stainless steel case was stored securely in the helijet's hold, and though he was impatient to get back to his Malaysian stronghold and examine his prize, he waited.

~Patience will be my weapon this time, he mused. ~If I leave now, I may attract the attention of International Rescue, and Thunderbird One can easily outfly this craft. If I wait until they are gone, I should be able to leave undetected. He smiled smugly. ~The camouflage on my helijet was excellent. Thunderbird One flew over me twice and did not detect my presence.

Taking a sip of tea, he lifted his binoculars to his eyes again. "Yessss," he murmured. "Thunderbird One is airborne... but something must be wrong with the pilot. I have never seen it lift off with such a lack of grace. And... yes, Thunderbird Two has lifted off. And again, the pilot's skill is lacking." He put down his cup. "Perhaps... could it be possible? Could all of the eternally cursed Tracy family have been missing from this operation? Could this have been staffed solely by their new recruits?"

He began to power up his helijet. "I could perhaps ask it of my half-brother when I return to my temple." Then he shook his bald head. "No, the last attempt nearly laid me low. I will not risk it again except in greatest need. However... perhaps I can find a way to learn more about these new recruits. I will give the matter some thought."

With that, he lifted off the face of the mountain and made his way in the opposite direction of the Thunderbirds, heading for Malaysia, and an enjoying evening with his new toy.

xxxxxxxxxx

"Thunderbirds Two and Five from Thunderbird One," Elise called into her microphone. "Calling stand down at 1500 hours local time. Base, we're on our way back."

"Thunderbird One from Thunderbird Two," came Dom's Irish accent. "F-A-B. Stand down acknowledged."

"Thunderbird One from Thunderbird Five," said John at nearly the exact same time, "F-A-B."

"Thunderbird One from Base." Brains's tenor added to the blend of male voices. "F-A-B. What is your ETA?"

Elise laughed, a short chuckle that removed some of the tension she felt flying the lead Thunderbird. "One at a time, you guys, one at a time! Base, our ETA is 2 hours. I'm pacing Thunderbird Two home."

"F-A-B, Thunderbird One," Brains replied. "You've all done well."

"Uh, Base from Thunderbird Two," Dom called out. "What is the status of the... uh, other team?"

Both of the Thunderbird pilots and the space monitor could hear the heavy sigh. "Still incapacitated. I'll give you more of a report when you return to base."

"F-A-B, Base. Thunderbird Two, out."

"Does that mean we'll still be on sick room duty when we get back?" Nikki asked, frowning.

"I don't know," Dom said distractedly as he prepared to lift Thunderbird Two back into the air.

"Tell you what, Dom," Nikki began. "I'll get a nap in crew's quarters on the way home and take over the sick room for a while. It'll give both you and Brains a break."

"You're a true angel, Nikki," Dom replied with a grin. "Thank you."

"I could watch Joshua for you," Kat suggested.

"Thank you for the offer, Kat, but I think I'd like to spend some time with my son myself," Dom replied kindly. "He doesn't always like it when his Da goes to work."

Callie stretched. "I'll be glad to get back and have something decent to eat." She turned to Brandon and nudged him. "How about you?"

Brandon shook his head. "I'll pass on the food, I think. I've still got those chemical leftovers on my mind."

The group laughed, and Nikki got up to find the crew's quarters, intending to nap while the others came down off the euphoria of their first, unaccompanied rescue.

xxxxxxxxx

"Base from Thunderbird Five," John called as soon as Brains was done talking with the on-site rescue team.

"Base here, go ahead."

"Einstein, I intercepted a message from the Indian Defense authorities. It seems that Kat's mysterious attacker has made off with the prototype of a new anti-aircraft scanner, one that will even detect our ships."

Brains groaned. "Oh, wonderful. Any way for us to get the schematics so we can develop a countermeasure?"

John shook his head. "I don't know. I doubt they'd give the schematics up at this point. Maybe the Commander can come up with something once he's back on his feet."

"I hope so. Anything else I need to know?"

The space monitor shook his head. "Not that I can think of."

"Then I'd better get on with my medical duties."

"F-A-B, Thunderbird Five, out."

From: Tikatu Sent: 12/29/2005


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Re: Celebrations and Challenges [message #1700 is a reply to message #1699] Fri, 27 July 2012 17:26 Go to previous messageGo to next message
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Brains sat back with a sigh and looked over at Tin-Tin, then at Lena, who had just come into the lounge. "It's over. They are on their way back to the island."

"Wonderful," said Tin-Tin. "Now we know that they can handle themselves. Why don't you go get some rest until they arrive? I can handle things from here."

"Can't," he replied, smiling at her. "I have to check on Mrs. Tracy and the three youngest kids, to see if they have responded to the injections. And if they have, I think there are three others who could probably use some of the medicine. But I would like you to stay here and make sure the airspace is clear when they get close, so they can land."

"That I can do. Go take care of the invalids."

"Lena, would you come with me and assist?"

"Of course. I'll see you later, Tin-Tin."

"I'll look forward to it. Give my love to all of them," the young Malaysian replied.

Lena and Brains headed to the boys' room, where they found Tyler sleeping peacefully, and Alex sitting up, reading. He looked up at them as they walked in, and smiled.

"How do you feel, Alex?" Brains asked, walking over to the bed.

"I'm a lot better than I was this morning. I've been awake for about an hour, and haven't felt like I needed to throw up in all that time. But I'm still feeling a little queasy and weak."

Brains and Lena smiled at each other. "Has your brotter been awake in dat hour?"

"Uh-uh. He's sleeping like a baby. Man, whatever it was, sure is going away fast."

"It had some help. A few hours ago, we gave you two an injection while you were asleep."

"An injection? And I didn't wake up? Where did I get it?"

"In your arm."

Alex started rubbing his arm. "That's why it hurts, isn't it?"

Lena chuckled. "Wrong arm, Alex. Dat pain is all in your mind."

Brains laughed at the expression on the boy's face. "You get some rest. If things go as well as they have so far, you'll probably be fine in the morning. Just take it easy."

Alex nodded and returned to his book, as Brains and Lena left and headed to Cherie's room. She woke up as they walked in, and sat up. "Hi, Lena, Brains." She paused, realizing that she was sitting up and not throwing up. "I feel so much better. Do I need more of the medicine?"

"No, Cherry. One shot is supposed to be enough, and judging from you and their brothers, it is. So after we check on your Tracy grandmother, we'll be giving shots to a few others. You should all be completely back to normal in a day or two."

"Just stay in bed and rest, honey," Lena added, smiling.

"Okay. Can I read?"

"As long as you don't get overtired," Brains answered. "Any time you feel yourself getting sleepy, stop and take a nap. That way, you'll get better even faster."

She agreed, and they left. They checked on Emily, who was also responding, but less quickly than the children. She had been awake when they walked in, but fell back to sleep before they left.

Brains was feeling optimistic about the medicine's efficacy, and he and Lena discussed who else should receive a shot -- and in what order. He decided, after checking the other rooms, that three other people needed injections -- Jeff, Scott and Virgil.

"Alan and Gordon seem to be less affected than the others, and Dr. Tracy is fighting it very well on her own. I'll keep an injection on hand in case she goes downhill, but I don't think she'll need it," Brains told Lena as they reached the top of the stairs.

"All right. Who do you want to do first?"

Brains stopped in the hall to consider her question. "Mr. Tracy. Then Scott and Virgil."

They went to the master suite and Lena knocked. They heard a voice, but couldn't make out the words. She took matters into her own hands, and opened the door. Dianne was awake, but didn't sit up. The bedclothes were twisted, so Lena went over to her and straightened them, telling her that the children were feeling better, as was Emily.

"That's good to hear, but I haven't seen any improvement in Jeff. I'm not quite as nauseous as I was, but I have a long way to go before I feel like myself again."

"We've come to give your husband an injection of de medicine. Dat will help."

As Brains went to Jeff's side of the bed and pulled one of his arms out from under the covers, the older man woke up and looked up at him. "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to give you an injection. You aren't improving according to your wife, and it hasn't been that long since you were in the hospital."

"An injection?" Jeff replied, unconsciously repeating what Alex said earlier, and trying to move his arm back under the covers. "I had enough of needles in the hospital to last me the rest of my life."

As Lena tried to hide a smile, Dianne irritably said, "Jeff, just take your medicine like a man. Do you want to feel like this for a few more days, or for a shorter period?"

"Oh, all right," Jeff groused. He held his arm out. "Just do it."

Brains gave him a wry look, and quickly injected the medicine into Jeff's arm. Lena moved over and straightened the covers on his side of the bed, made sure there was water in their containers nearby and the bowls were cleaned out. Then they left and headed to Scott's room.

Scott was awake and throwing up when they walked in. Lena hurried over and held his forehead, then helped him to lay back when he was through. She gave him some water and cleaned out the bowl, replacing it where it had been. Scott watched her, then looked over at Brains.

"What's that?"

"Some medicine to counteract the illness."

"That's a needle. I don't want a needle."

Lena gazed down at him. "My hero. You aren't afraid of such a small ting, are you?"

"You don't understand, Lena. I - I fainted the last time I got an injection."

"Come on, Scott," said Brains incredulously. "That was different. That needle was larger than this one. It won't be so bad."

"Welllll... I don't know."

"Lena, will you do what you did when I gave Cherie a shot?"

"What did you do, Lena?"

"I just talked to her, like dis," Lena replied as she leaned over and began whispering in his ear.

Brains took Scott's arm and gave him the injection. Much to his surprise, Scott flinched. "I don't believe you. You actually felt it?"

"Sorry. I barely felt something, and instinct took over. Thanks, Lena."

"You're welcome. Now, get some sleep. I'll check in on you in a few hours." She covered him as he settled down and she and Brains left the room.

Once outside, she said to her companion, "Like fotter, like son?"

He choked a laugh. "It would seem so, wouldn't it? Let's hope we don't have to go through the same thing with Virgil."

Fortunately, Virgil was asleep and, like Alex and Tyler, never woke up as they took care of him. They left and parted company, Brains heading down to the sick room to take care of the syringes. Lena headed to the lounge to keep Tin-Tin company.

"All set?" Tin-Tin asked.

"All set," Lena affirmed. "Now all we have to do is wait for de otters to get home."

written by Hobbeth Sent: 12/29/2005


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Re: Celebrations and Challenges [message #1701 is a reply to message #1700] Fri, 27 July 2012 17:26 Go to previous message
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And with that we end Chapter Six: Celebrations and Challenges!



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