Home » The Archives » Chapter 9 » Regrouping and Recouperation
| Re: Regrouping and Recouperation [message #236 is a reply to message #235] |
Mon, 23 July 2012 15:30   |
artisticrainey
Messages: 1228
Registered: July 2012
Location: Northern Ireland
Karma:
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Field Commander
Switzerland |
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Tuesday, August 14, 2068, 10:30 a.m., Tracy Island
"Delta Zebra Zebra two-five-three-eight, to Tracy Island. Requesting permission to land."
"Andy!" Jeff cried as he headed to the radio. "This is Tracy Island. Permission granted, and welcome!" He turned to the intercom and flicked a switch. "Lisa? Maggie? Andy's here!" He glanced over at Virgil, who had a data pad in his hands, going over his birthday party plans again. "Come on, son. Let's go down and meet him!"
They met Maggie and Lisa coming from the kitchen, where they'd been helping Kyrano with some of the party preparations. "It's about time the man got here," Maggie said, irritably. "I love Dianne dearly, but she is not the best of patients!"
"Do you know a doctor who is?" Virgil asked good-humoredly.
They took the elevator down to the hangar level, and the monorail over to the Cliff House. Maggie shook her head in awe as they passed over Thunderbird Two. "I still can't believe it," she said, her voice sounding awed. "All of this... it's amazing."
Jeff gave a distracted, "Um hm," which had Virgil looking at him with a frown. He huffed out a breath through his nose, and turned to Maggie with a smile.
"So, Aunt Maggie, which Thunderbird impresses you the most?"
Lisa chuckled as Maggie raised an eyebrow. "Would you be terribly disappointed if I said Thunderbird Six?"
Virgil dramatically put both hands over his heart, throwing his head back. "Oh, you wound me!"
"You've been taking acting lessons from Gordon, I see," Lisa said dryly, shaking her head. "And I thought only Alex was becoming as big a ham."
"Oh, but he is, Grandma," Virgil said, as the monorail deposited them at the Cliff House and they started across the catwalk to the freight elevator. "You should have seen him at Scott's paintball party!"
The ride down to the hangar floor was quieter, and Jeff seemed lost in thought. He looked straight ahead as they passed the family jets and the newest addtiion, Heather's Blue Streak. He steadfastly refused to look to the right, but the others did, their faces sobering as they caught glimpses of the battered pieces of Thunderbird Seven in the pod vehicle repair bay. Then they reached the small aircraft door, built within Thunderbird Two's huge, camouflaged portal. "Virgil? Get the float, please?"
"Sure, Dad." Virgil strode off briskly to find one of the antigravity luggage carriers.
"Stand over there, ladies," Jeff said. He pulled noise reducing headphones from a chest, and passed them to the two women, then motioned them to one side as he picked up a pair for himself, and a couple of fluorescent sticks. He donned the headphones, activated the sticks, then pressed the button that opened the door. Little by little the gray light of the overcast day flowed in, the outline of Drew's jet briefly showing in shadow as the sun was uncovered and covered once again. Jeff used the lighted sticks to guide Drew into the hangar and motion him to an empty berth. Virgil stood well away; the backdraft of the barely-powered engines whipped his hair around, and made the women's clothes rustle and sway.
Finally the sleek jet was in position, and the engines powered down all the way. Maggie took off her headphones, sighed, and smiled. Virgil pulled the float along behind him, and offered to take the headphones from the women when they reached the plane. Jeff handed him the equipment he had used, and took over the float until Virgil returned. The side door swung down, revealing the stairs, and a rumpled Drew Carmichael descended. He shook hands with Jeff, gave Lisa a quick squeeze and a kiss on the cheek, then enveloped Maggie in his arms and kissed her long and hard.
"I have missed you, woman," he said when the kiss ended.
She pulled his head down toward her again for another kiss. "I've missed you, too."
When this one was over, Drew looked around. "I always wondered what your hangars looked like, Jeff. As I recall, you had just about everyone flown over from Christchurch and Wellington for the wedding." He saw Virgil pulling luggage from the cargo hold. "Oh, hey, Virgil! Thanks for getting that!"
"No problem, Uncle Drew," Virgil replied. "You don't have much."
Drew smiled, then his eyes were drawn to the open end of the hangar, where the nose and pods of Thunderbird Two was just visible. "Wow." He shook his head. "I never thought I'd be involved in this."
"I'll give you the grand tour later, Andy," Jeff promised, clapping a hand on Drew's shoulder. "Right now, let's get you and your luggage upstairs. Dianne was sleeping last I looked, but I know she's looking forward to being allowed out of the sick room."
As they headed for the freight elevator, Drew and Jeff dropped back a little. "How did things go with Mrs. Hanson? Will you need someone else?"
"She's good. I like her and she's developed a rapport with Tyler already. And I've already let her in on the family secret." Jeff rubbed his neck. "As for whether or not we'll need another recommendation, I hope not. It all depends on what Penny finds on her background check." He shook his head. "I feel like we're doing this backwards in a way, but necessity demanded it."
"'Necessity is a mother'," Drew said with a small smile. "I'll talk to her, too. I need to apologize for a few fibs I told, if nothing else."
Post by Tikatu on 1/16/2007
  
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