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Trial By Fire Part Two
0 reviewsAfter participating in a rescue at a US research base John begin's experiencing strange and amazing side effects.
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Chapter Thirteen: Trial By Fire Part Two
Thunderbird One
A Short Time Later
Scott Tracy grimaced as he guided Thunderbird One over the busy Australian city of Sydney. Things did not look good even from here. A massive cloud of thick black smoke hung in the sky rising from the refinery outside the city. The wind was thankfully blowing the cloud and any possible toxic elements in it away from Sydney not that the wind would save the city if the refinery exploded.
The burning refinery came into view a few miles outside the city itself and Scott quietly groaned at the site on his monitor screen. The refinery and processing facility was huge straddling the coast where they would have an ample supply of water both to make deuterium and to act as a coolant for the processes used when refining alsterene from its natural ore form into the extremely useful but highly flammable liquid form.
Some areas of the refinery including a large cluster of enormous cylindrical storage tanks were undamaged though the rest of the refinery especially around one of the processing areas was an absolute inferno. Flames leapt high into the sky while all around broken piping and pieces of equipment lay blackened and twisted distorted out of all recognition by the ferocious heat of the fire. Scott pulled up a thermal image on his screens, which showed the true intensity of the fire. It had been quite sometime since he had seen an industrial fire this ferocious and it was obvious that from the intensity it was feeding either off deuterium or alsterene or both that was leaking possibly from broken pipelines.
Scott switched the sensors back to normal view and noticed that a virtual fleet of fire appliances from Sydney had arrived at the scene of the blaze and the fire-fighters were doing there utmost with every weapon that they had to put the fire out. Scott flicked on his radio.
"International Rescue Thunderbird One to fire chief respond please," he said into the radio. "Repeat this is Thunderbird One to fire chief respond please." Almost instantly a response came.
"Thunderbird One this is Chief James," a voice with a very pronounced Australian accent said. "I can see you from here, mate are you a sight for sore eyes."
"What the situation," Scott asked immediately getting right down to business.
"We've been unable to bring the fire under control," Chief James replied. "Its being fed by ruptured feed lines from the alsterene refining plant to the main storage tanks. While that leeks still exists there is nothing we can do to get the fire out. Unfortunately we cannot get near the main valves to close them and stop the flow. The fire is particularly intense in that area."
"Is there any news of the trapped men," Scott asked.
"I have some good news for you there," Chief James replied. "We were able to fight our way to them and get them out but the main problem is the fire and its currently heading right for one of the deuterium tanks. At the rate the fires advancing we believe that it will reach the deuterium tank in just over an hour. We're doing everything we can to slow it down but to be honest while that leek is there it's a war we are loosing."
Scott grimaced at the report. While it was good news that they didn't have to worry about the trapped workers the news that the fire was spreading and feeding on leaking alsterene though that did explain the intensity of the flames. When it burned alsterene burned really hot. The news that the fire was almost to one of the deuterium tanks was bad, that tank once it caught would soon explode and could start a cascade reaction of explosions that would culminate in the detonation of the main tanks. Which would not only completely destroy the plant but half of Sydney. Not to mention it would cause a tsunami that would wreak untold havoc and destruction wherever it hit.
"I see," he replied at last. "I'll land and then we'll see what we can come up with to deal with this situation. I'll need some men to come and help me with my equipment if possible."
"You've got them mate," Chief James replied. Scott smiled even as he located the best place to land that was closest to the control centre the emergency services had set up. Within moments he had located the best place and with practised effortless ease he guided Thunderbird One over to that area and shifted the variable geometry wings into landing configuration and deployed the landing gear before engaging the VTOL jets.
With easy grace that somehow also signified her enormous power and advanced nature Thunderbird One slowly sunk down out of the sky. Thunderbird One landed with only the faintest of bumps that was a testament both to Scott's skill as a pilot and the precision engineering that had gone into her construction.
Scott powered down most of Thunderbird One's systems leaving only the camera detector and stealth systems online before flicking on the communications system again.
"International Rescue base and Thunderbird Two from Thunderbird One," he said. Immediately his communications screen lit up and displayed two separate images. One was the face of his father the other was Virgil's.
"Go ahead Scott," Jeff said.
"Go ahead Scott," Virgil echoed at the same time.
"I've arrived at the danger zone and it doesn't look good," Scott reported. "The fire is feeding on alsterene leaking from damaged pipelines and is heading right for one of the deuterium tanks. The fire department can't get anywhere near the valve controls to shut the flow of alsterene into the pipes off. The one piece of good news is that the fire department have been able to rescue the trapped workers on their own."
"That's something I suppose," Virgil replied. "That just leaves us with the fire to deal with before it gets to that deuterium tank."
"Any idea's Scott," Jeff asked.
"Not yet dad. I'll know more when I have mobile control up and running. Virgil what's your ETA?"
"I'll be there in about fifteen minutes Scott," Virgil replied.
"Do what you can to speed it up will you Virgil," Scott said. "At its present rate of advance we've only got an hour before the fire reaches that tank." Virgil's vidcom image frowned.
"That's not a lot of time," Virgil commented. "Alright Scott I'll try to get there quicker but I cannot promise anything."
"Understood just do your best Virgil."
"F.A.B," Virgil replied.
"Good luck boys," Jeff said from his side of the screen.
"Thanks dad we're going to need it," Scott replied. Jeff nodded and disappeared from the screen. Virgil vanished a moment later.
Scott sighed before undoing his seat restraints and stood up out of Thunderbird One's pilot's seat. Then he headed back to where he kept the two large metallic cases that when unfolded and locked together would be his mobile control station from which he could plan and monitor every aspect of the operation.
Scott retrieved the two cases and then headed for the entrance hatch. He had work to do and not a lot of time to get it done in.
***
Thunderbird Two
A Few Minute Later
John sat nervously besides Gordon as Virgil brought Thunderbird Two in to land at the danger zone. John couldn't help but wonder why he was feeling nervous about the rescue mission this time. Though he hadn't been on as many rescue missions as his brothers he never usually felt like this.
"John are you alright," Gordon asked looking at his older brother in concern.
"I'm fine Gordon," John replied. "Just a little nervous that's all."
"Well that's understandable," Gordon replied. "This is the first time you've gone on a mission since those nanite things got inside you. Given you've got new abilities that none of us - yourself included - are aware of the full extent of its only natural that you'll be nervous."
John nodded realising that Gordon had hit the nail on the head so to speak and determined what was bothering him when he hadn't been able to do it himself. It was because of the nanites in his body that he was nervous, it was the lingering uncertainty about what exactly the nanites had done to him that was making him nervous. He knew they'd improved his senses as well as made him stronger and faster, but aside from his incredible speed they did not know yet the full extent of his enhancement.
"Your right," John said with a sigh.
"Try not to think about it," Gordon suggested just as with a soft bump Thunderbird Two landed. "Focus only on the task at hand, it won't bother you then."
"Gordon's right John," Virgil said from the pilot's seat even as he powered down the flight system save the stealth system. "Just focus on the fact that we have a job to do here and you'll probably find that your nerves about what the nanites have done to you will go away." A smile graced John's handsome face.
"Thanks guys," he said.
"No problem," Virgil replied. "Now what do you say we go and see Scott and see if he's come up with a plan of action."
"Yes lets," John agreed undoing his seat restraint and standing up. Gordon smiled even as he undid his own restraint and stood up. Finally Virgil did the same.
"Okay let's go and see what Scott has been able to come up with," Virgil said leading the way out of Thunderbird Two's control cabin towards the access to the outside world, it would only take a few minutes to get to mobile control as he had deliberately parked Thunderbird Two as close as he could to the command area while still giving them a straight run from the pod to the entrance of the refinery.
John and Gordon followed both of them hoping that Scott had come up with a plan to put the fire out quickly before the whole refinery blew up.
***
Mobile Control
Scott frowned at the display on one of mobile controls monitor screens. The was studying an overview of the refinery determining what they needed to reach there ultimate goal of putting the fire out. He had already decided that there first task was to get to the main valves that controlled the flow of liquid alsterene through the pipes between the processing facility and the main storage tanks. If they could close the valves then the flow from smaller processing tanks in the processing plant to the main tanks would stop eliminating the leaks that was the fires primary source of fuel, the question was how to do that.
Scott was fully aware that they had the equipment to get to those valves what he needed to work out was the way to get to them. Debris and fire blocked the main road to that part of the refinery and while they had the means to get through it would take time. Time they couldn't really afford to waste, so he was trying to find another way into that area. But no matter how hard he looked he could not find any other way to get to the building that housed the valves.
Scott sighed in resignation. Looks like we've got no choice in the matter, he thought, we will just have to work as fast as we can on this one.
The sound of approaching footsteps caught his attention and Scott looked away from the monitor and looked in the direction that the footsteps were coming from, to see Virgil, Gordon and John coming his way from Thunderbird Two.
Scott was momentarily surprised to see that John was on the mission, he had expected that given what had happened to John with the nanites that dad would have kept him at home. Then he realised that dad had probably tried to keep John at home but that the quietest of the Tracy sons had argued otherwise and dad had given in. John could be very persuasive when he wanted to be Scott knew that very well.
He didn't have anymore time to think about it though as his brothers came within earshot or at least earshot for himself, Virgil and Gordon. John would almost certainly have been able to hear him ages ago had he spoken. Scott put aside that train of thought before he started thinking again about the nanites inside John as that was where that train of thought would inevitably lead. Scott forced himself back into full International Rescue mode putting the concerned and surprised older brother back in his box for now.
"Hey guys," he said in greeting. "I'm glad that you're here, we've got no time at all to waste on this one."
"We got here as quickly as we could Scott," Virgil replied. "Have you been able to come up with a plan?"
"Indeed I have," Scott replied. "Gather around and I'll brief you on just what we have to do." He smiled as Virgil, Gordon and John all gathered around him and took a deep breath before beginning to brief them on exactly what they needed to do to deal with this emergency. And save a large chunk of Sydney from otherwise certain destruction.
Enhanced
Chapter Thirteen: Trial By Fire Part Two
Thunderbird One
A Short Time Later
Scott Tracy grimaced as he guided Thunderbird One over the busy Australian city of Sydney. Things did not look good even from here. A massive cloud of thick black smoke hung in the sky rising from the refinery outside the city. The wind was thankfully blowing the cloud and any possible toxic elements in it away from Sydney not that the wind would save the city if the refinery exploded.
The burning refinery came into view a few miles outside the city itself and Scott quietly groaned at the site on his monitor screen. The refinery and processing facility was huge straddling the coast where they would have an ample supply of water both to make deuterium and to act as a coolant for the processes used when refining alsterene from its natural ore form into the extremely useful but highly flammable liquid form.
Some areas of the refinery including a large cluster of enormous cylindrical storage tanks were undamaged though the rest of the refinery especially around one of the processing areas was an absolute inferno. Flames leapt high into the sky while all around broken piping and pieces of equipment lay blackened and twisted distorted out of all recognition by the ferocious heat of the fire. Scott pulled up a thermal image on his screens, which showed the true intensity of the fire. It had been quite sometime since he had seen an industrial fire this ferocious and it was obvious that from the intensity it was feeding either off deuterium or alsterene or both that was leaking possibly from broken pipelines.
Scott switched the sensors back to normal view and noticed that a virtual fleet of fire appliances from Sydney had arrived at the scene of the blaze and the fire-fighters were doing there utmost with every weapon that they had to put the fire out. Scott flicked on his radio.
"International Rescue Thunderbird One to fire chief respond please," he said into the radio. "Repeat this is Thunderbird One to fire chief respond please." Almost instantly a response came.
"Thunderbird One this is Chief James," a voice with a very pronounced Australian accent said. "I can see you from here, mate are you a sight for sore eyes."
"What the situation," Scott asked immediately getting right down to business.
"We've been unable to bring the fire under control," Chief James replied. "Its being fed by ruptured feed lines from the alsterene refining plant to the main storage tanks. While that leeks still exists there is nothing we can do to get the fire out. Unfortunately we cannot get near the main valves to close them and stop the flow. The fire is particularly intense in that area."
"Is there any news of the trapped men," Scott asked.
"I have some good news for you there," Chief James replied. "We were able to fight our way to them and get them out but the main problem is the fire and its currently heading right for one of the deuterium tanks. At the rate the fires advancing we believe that it will reach the deuterium tank in just over an hour. We're doing everything we can to slow it down but to be honest while that leek is there it's a war we are loosing."
Scott grimaced at the report. While it was good news that they didn't have to worry about the trapped workers the news that the fire was spreading and feeding on leaking alsterene though that did explain the intensity of the flames. When it burned alsterene burned really hot. The news that the fire was almost to one of the deuterium tanks was bad, that tank once it caught would soon explode and could start a cascade reaction of explosions that would culminate in the detonation of the main tanks. Which would not only completely destroy the plant but half of Sydney. Not to mention it would cause a tsunami that would wreak untold havoc and destruction wherever it hit.
"I see," he replied at last. "I'll land and then we'll see what we can come up with to deal with this situation. I'll need some men to come and help me with my equipment if possible."
"You've got them mate," Chief James replied. Scott smiled even as he located the best place to land that was closest to the control centre the emergency services had set up. Within moments he had located the best place and with practised effortless ease he guided Thunderbird One over to that area and shifted the variable geometry wings into landing configuration and deployed the landing gear before engaging the VTOL jets.
With easy grace that somehow also signified her enormous power and advanced nature Thunderbird One slowly sunk down out of the sky. Thunderbird One landed with only the faintest of bumps that was a testament both to Scott's skill as a pilot and the precision engineering that had gone into her construction.
Scott powered down most of Thunderbird One's systems leaving only the camera detector and stealth systems online before flicking on the communications system again.
"International Rescue base and Thunderbird Two from Thunderbird One," he said. Immediately his communications screen lit up and displayed two separate images. One was the face of his father the other was Virgil's.
"Go ahead Scott," Jeff said.
"Go ahead Scott," Virgil echoed at the same time.
"I've arrived at the danger zone and it doesn't look good," Scott reported. "The fire is feeding on alsterene leaking from damaged pipelines and is heading right for one of the deuterium tanks. The fire department can't get anywhere near the valve controls to shut the flow of alsterene into the pipes off. The one piece of good news is that the fire department have been able to rescue the trapped workers on their own."
"That's something I suppose," Virgil replied. "That just leaves us with the fire to deal with before it gets to that deuterium tank."
"Any idea's Scott," Jeff asked.
"Not yet dad. I'll know more when I have mobile control up and running. Virgil what's your ETA?"
"I'll be there in about fifteen minutes Scott," Virgil replied.
"Do what you can to speed it up will you Virgil," Scott said. "At its present rate of advance we've only got an hour before the fire reaches that tank." Virgil's vidcom image frowned.
"That's not a lot of time," Virgil commented. "Alright Scott I'll try to get there quicker but I cannot promise anything."
"Understood just do your best Virgil."
"F.A.B," Virgil replied.
"Good luck boys," Jeff said from his side of the screen.
"Thanks dad we're going to need it," Scott replied. Jeff nodded and disappeared from the screen. Virgil vanished a moment later.
Scott sighed before undoing his seat restraints and stood up out of Thunderbird One's pilot's seat. Then he headed back to where he kept the two large metallic cases that when unfolded and locked together would be his mobile control station from which he could plan and monitor every aspect of the operation.
Scott retrieved the two cases and then headed for the entrance hatch. He had work to do and not a lot of time to get it done in.
***
Thunderbird Two
A Few Minute Later
John sat nervously besides Gordon as Virgil brought Thunderbird Two in to land at the danger zone. John couldn't help but wonder why he was feeling nervous about the rescue mission this time. Though he hadn't been on as many rescue missions as his brothers he never usually felt like this.
"John are you alright," Gordon asked looking at his older brother in concern.
"I'm fine Gordon," John replied. "Just a little nervous that's all."
"Well that's understandable," Gordon replied. "This is the first time you've gone on a mission since those nanite things got inside you. Given you've got new abilities that none of us - yourself included - are aware of the full extent of its only natural that you'll be nervous."
John nodded realising that Gordon had hit the nail on the head so to speak and determined what was bothering him when he hadn't been able to do it himself. It was because of the nanites in his body that he was nervous, it was the lingering uncertainty about what exactly the nanites had done to him that was making him nervous. He knew they'd improved his senses as well as made him stronger and faster, but aside from his incredible speed they did not know yet the full extent of his enhancement.
"Your right," John said with a sigh.
"Try not to think about it," Gordon suggested just as with a soft bump Thunderbird Two landed. "Focus only on the task at hand, it won't bother you then."
"Gordon's right John," Virgil said from the pilot's seat even as he powered down the flight system save the stealth system. "Just focus on the fact that we have a job to do here and you'll probably find that your nerves about what the nanites have done to you will go away." A smile graced John's handsome face.
"Thanks guys," he said.
"No problem," Virgil replied. "Now what do you say we go and see Scott and see if he's come up with a plan of action."
"Yes lets," John agreed undoing his seat restraint and standing up. Gordon smiled even as he undid his own restraint and stood up. Finally Virgil did the same.
"Okay let's go and see what Scott has been able to come up with," Virgil said leading the way out of Thunderbird Two's control cabin towards the access to the outside world, it would only take a few minutes to get to mobile control as he had deliberately parked Thunderbird Two as close as he could to the command area while still giving them a straight run from the pod to the entrance of the refinery.
John and Gordon followed both of them hoping that Scott had come up with a plan to put the fire out quickly before the whole refinery blew up.
***
Mobile Control
Scott frowned at the display on one of mobile controls monitor screens. The was studying an overview of the refinery determining what they needed to reach there ultimate goal of putting the fire out. He had already decided that there first task was to get to the main valves that controlled the flow of liquid alsterene through the pipes between the processing facility and the main storage tanks. If they could close the valves then the flow from smaller processing tanks in the processing plant to the main tanks would stop eliminating the leaks that was the fires primary source of fuel, the question was how to do that.
Scott was fully aware that they had the equipment to get to those valves what he needed to work out was the way to get to them. Debris and fire blocked the main road to that part of the refinery and while they had the means to get through it would take time. Time they couldn't really afford to waste, so he was trying to find another way into that area. But no matter how hard he looked he could not find any other way to get to the building that housed the valves.
Scott sighed in resignation. Looks like we've got no choice in the matter, he thought, we will just have to work as fast as we can on this one.
The sound of approaching footsteps caught his attention and Scott looked away from the monitor and looked in the direction that the footsteps were coming from, to see Virgil, Gordon and John coming his way from Thunderbird Two.
Scott was momentarily surprised to see that John was on the mission, he had expected that given what had happened to John with the nanites that dad would have kept him at home. Then he realised that dad had probably tried to keep John at home but that the quietest of the Tracy sons had argued otherwise and dad had given in. John could be very persuasive when he wanted to be Scott knew that very well.
He didn't have anymore time to think about it though as his brothers came within earshot or at least earshot for himself, Virgil and Gordon. John would almost certainly have been able to hear him ages ago had he spoken. Scott put aside that train of thought before he started thinking again about the nanites inside John as that was where that train of thought would inevitably lead. Scott forced himself back into full International Rescue mode putting the concerned and surprised older brother back in his box for now.
"Hey guys," he said in greeting. "I'm glad that you're here, we've got no time at all to waste on this one."
"We got here as quickly as we could Scott," Virgil replied. "Have you been able to come up with a plan?"
"Indeed I have," Scott replied. "Gather around and I'll brief you on just what we have to do." He smiled as Virgil, Gordon and John all gathered around him and took a deep breath before beginning to brief them on exactly what they needed to do to deal with this emergency. And save a large chunk of Sydney from otherwise certain destruction.
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