ECHO FROM THE PAST by QUILLER RATED FRC

A name from Gordon's past could endanger the secrecy of international Rescue.
(This was the first story I ever wrote for posting on the net.)

This is my first venture - with some trepidation - into fan fiction. I have used the Chris Bentley 'Complete book of Thunderbirds' as my reference for dates and ages. The one liberty I have taken with established text is to give Jeff a source for his money. The Tracy Transport Corporation has a reputation for developing and backing safe forms of transport (land, sea or air) - hence his interest in the monorail system in 'Brink of Disaster'.

My gratitude to Gerry Anderson and his team for creating the characters, my acknowledgement to Carlton as the owners of the copyright, and my thanks to Robert Browning for the poetry.

Chapter One: Call Out
Chapter Two: The Racing Tracys
Chapter Three: Operation Eddie
Chapter Four: Not Such A Great Idea

Chapter One: Call Out

It was a warm afternoon on the island and the Tracy boys were relaxing by the pool. Scott and Virgil were splashing about in the water, while John, who had only arrived back from the space station that morning, was sunning himself (he always maintained that the UV lamp on the station was no substitute for the real thing). However, unknown to him, Gordon was in the process of tying a tennis racquet to the awning above his brother's head, so that the shadow lay across John's face to give his tan an interesting, chequered, look.

Alerted by the sniggers of the other two boys, John opened one eye. "Very funny", he said, and threw a cushion at Gordon, who ducked out of the way.

Just then the intercom crackled into life. "Virgil, Gordon, up here on the double. Got a job for you," came their father's gruff voice.

"FAB father," they chorused and headed for the stairs.

Scott and John looked at each other, then followed to find out what was going on.

"Alan's just had a call from the undersea hotel on the Great Barrier Reef," said Jeff as his sons assembled in the lounge "They developed a slow pressure leak this morning and had to do an emergency evacuation, and now it turns out they've left some guests behind."

"Somebody is going to be in big trouble for that - they're supposed to have procedures to ensure that doesn't happen," put in Scott, angrily.

"Well, that's something for the authorities to deal with later," Jeff went on. "Our problem now is to get these people out. They still have enough air for several hours, but the hotel people can't reach them because all the airlock areas are now flooded, so they need someone with equipment that can reach these people directly - and that means us. There's a woman, Donna Mackay, her two small children, and the children's grandfather, Drew Meredith. I can't see we'll be needing Mobile Control - there's nowhere suitable for Scott to set it up anyway as the hotel authorities are controlling this from the mainland, so I'm just sending Thunderbirds 2 and 4. The hotel have promised to fax you plans of the building directly so Gordon can see where to find these people. Off you go then boys!"

The roar of Thunderbird 2's jets was just dying away when John came back into the lounge.

"Dad, I think we may have a problem."

"What's up, son?"

"I thought the name Drew Meredith sounded familiar, so I've just been checking on the database. He's retired now, but he used to be a reporter for the Australian Times."

"So? We've rescued reporters before now".

"Yes, but if this is the guy I think it is, he interviewed the five of us after Gordon won his Olympic medal."

"Ah, and you think he might recognise Gordon? OK, I'll get onto Gordon and see what he thinks. Meanwhile you go find your Grandma and ask her for the newspaper article."

"Grandma?" said John, puzzled.

Jeff smiled knowingly. "Trust me on this one, son. When a boy wins the Olympics, his Grandma keeps the newscuttings."

Chapter Two: The Racing Tracys

A few minutes later Jeff was holding a scrapbook open at a page showing an article from the Australian Times dated 12th September, 2064. Headlined 'The Racing Tracys', it showed a photograph of a grinning Gordon holding up his gold medal and surrounded by his four brothers. The reporter's name was Drew Meredith.

Jeff read on-

This has been a good year for the Tracy family. Last month Alan Tracy become the youngest driver ever to win the world racing car championship, and yesterday his older brother Gordon won a gold medal at the Sydney Olympics in the 400m butterfly, setting new world and Olympic records in the process.

But Gordon (21) and Alan (20) are only the youngest of five Tracy brothers, the others being Scott (24), John and Virgil (23)

All the Tracy boys are handsome, athletic, and outgoing, with the sort of exuberant vigour that makes any room seem small, even a room the size of the lounge of the Grand Hotel where I spoke to them the morning after Gordon's victory. Interviewing the Tracy brothers is both a reporter's dream and nightmare. They interrupt, finish off one another's sentences and tease each other incessantly.

A sample of the conversation comes from when I asked about Gordon's nickname 'Coppertop'. "Well it's partly to do with this," said Virgil, ruffling Gordon's auburn-coloured hair. (This is unique among the Tracy boys, the others all being either blond or dark-haired.) "Just call me a throwback," said Gordon, laughing. "But it's also," chipped in Alan, "because he's like one of those battery powered toys that children play with - the sort you put in the water and they zooom away" making frantic paddling motions with his arms.

I started by asking Gordon about his Olympic victory. How did it feel - was it the 'proudest moment of your life' as some athletes say? "Not quite," he replied, considering, "I think the proudest moment was when I received the letter asking me to be a member of the American team. Yesterday was more of a relief that I had achieved what had been expected of me and not let anyone down. Still the atmosphere in the arena yesterday was amazing - I could really feel the crowd cheering me on. I knew I'd made good time but it wasn't until I'd finished and looked at the clock that I realised I had broken the record as well".

Will you be defending your title at the next Olympics in four years time? "In four years time I hope to be involved in the family business, and training for an Olympics takes up so much time that I doubt I would have time for it. You don't feel this is letting your country down? "No, we have a really strong team this year, but there are also some more good athletes coming up so I'm sure there will be someone to replace me". How would you feel about someone beating your record? He shrugs "Records are made to be broken - that's what they're there for".

Is this your first visit to Australia? "I've been diving on the Great Barrier Reef several times ("He's always happiest when he's getting his feet wet," chips in one of the others) but this is my first visit to the mainland".

Will you have chance to do any sightseeing while you're here? "Oh dear, now I'm going to upset some of your readers. The swimming part of the Games will be over in a few days, but I want to stay in Sydney to support my team-mates, so though I hope to see a bit of the city I won't get chance to see the rest of the country on this visit. Once the Games are over I have a few more days leave which I intend to spend at home, and then it's back to work." Home is the Pacific island where all the Tracy boys live with their father, ex-astronaut and millionaire recluse Jefferson Tracy, when they are not working or studying. All the brothers are training in some aspect of engineering. Their ultimate goal is to join their father's business, the multi-million dollar Tracy Transport Corporation, where they will help test and evaluate new designs. Scott is currently serving a term of duty with the USAF, John is at NASA, Virgil has just finished an engineering degree, Alan is still at college and Gordon is with the WASPs. "They have been very good at letting me have time off for training, but now that is over I am due to start a six month tour of duty in the undersea laboratory in the Azores. I'm really looking forward to it".

How do you feel about brother Alan's achievements? "I was really thrilled when Alan won the championship. I wasn't able to be there to watch, as we were in the final stages of training with the team, but I watched the telecast and cheered him on." Gordon has had his own brush with speed eighteen months ago when a powerboat accident put him in hospital for four months. "Please don't make too big a thing of it in your article", he says, modestly, "but if you can name it, I probably broke it. Having the Olympics as a goal gave me something to work for to regain my health. So I'm quite happy to let Alan be the fastest thing on land, if he lets me be the fastest in the water." 

I then turned to Alan. How do you feel about Gordon's success? "I think it's great. We all shouted ourselves hoarse yesterday at the pool. But I couldn't do what Gordon does. A racing driver is only one of a team - there are others who design, build and maintain the car, and once they've done that right anyone can sit in it and steer it round a track. An athlete like Gordon starts off with the same basic body as the rest of us, but with training and practice hones that body to the equivalent of a racing car. All of us," he indicates his brothers "like to keep ourselves fit, but people like Gordon have to be super-fit."

I then turned to the other Tracy boys. How did they feel about their younger brothers' achievements? "We're thrilled," "We're really proud of both of them," "They've both had to work really hard," says Scott, "Gordon to recover from his accident, and Alan to fit his racing in round his college studies, so yes, they both deserve their successes".

There is a theory among sociologists that younger children often over-achieve in an attempt to get out from the shadow of their older siblings. Do you think that is the case here? "I've heard that theory," replies John, thoughtfully, "but no I don't think it's true here. All of us have always been encouraged to explore our full potential, in whatever area - and of course we've been lucky enough to have the opportunity to do so. It's just that Gordon and Alan's achievements have been in fields that get public recognition, unlike the rest of us. Virgil for instance, is a very talented musician, but he'd rather pursue his engineering career, and Scott is an ace pilot." "And John," cut in Scott  "is the intellectual one of the family - always with his head in a book".

Earlier, when I had been talking to Gordon about breaking records, he had turned to John and asked to be reminded of a quotation that John had mentioned a few days before. John quoted Robert Browning, 'A man's reach must exceed his grasp, or what's a Heaven for?'

As they left to accompany Gordon to his next practice I couldn't help thinking that the collective reach of these Tracy boys - the pilot, the scholar, the musician, the athlete and the sportsman - would be long indeed. Whatever the future held for them, I am sure it would be something momentous.

Oh, and the room seemed to get much larger once they'd gone.

Chapter Three: Operation Eddie

Gordon listened to his father's summary of the problem from the cockpit of Thunderbird 2. "Sure, I remember the interview, but do you think the guy will remember me? It's nearly ten years ago and he must have interviewed hundreds of people since then."

"That's a chance I'm not prepared to take," said Jeff ". You're going to have to do an 'Operation Eddie'." Ever since the rescue of Tin-Tin's friend Eddie Houseman, Jeff had drawn up a scheme to protect the secrecy of International Rescue from people who might be in a position to identify them. "So remember boys - don't use names, just call signs. And Gordon, make sure Mr Meredith sees you as little as possible".

"FAB, Dad. If I wear my wetsuit then the hood should cover my hair and part of my face, and with the cutting goggles on as well he won't see much of me. Then hopefully I can be back down the tunnel to Thunderbird 4 and into my seat ahead of him, so all he'll see then is the back of my head."

"ETA now 10 minutes" cut in Virgil. "Gordon, you'd better get down to Thunderbird 4 and strap yourself in".

Fifteen minutes later, Gordon was sinking through the depths in Thunderbird 4, happy to be back in what he regarded as his own private world. The vivid colours of the Great Barrier Reef flashed by him as he headed down towards the co-ordinates of the undersea hotel. Soon he could see it coming into view ahead of him. The quarters which housed the stranded tourists were easy to spot as they were the only ones with lights on. He manoeuvred his craft towards the window and looked in. Oddly enough, his arrival did not seem to be creating the interest he would expect. Two small boys were looking towards the window and pointing, but the young woman who was presumably their mother was bent over the figure of the older man who was sitting propped against the far wall, and barely gave him a glance. Gordon moved his ship to below a clear section of wall adjacent to the window and pressed the release that would send out the flexible airlock hose. A clang, followed by a reassuring series of green lights on his control panel told him it had made a secure contact. Climbing through the airlock and into the flexible tube, he irised open the far end to reveal the wall of the hotel building. Making sure his goggles were in place he began to cut.

The section of wall fell inwards with a loud clang. "International Rescue at your service!" said Gordon The young woman turned to him, panic etched on her face. "Oh, I'm so relieved somebody's come. I think my father's had a heart attack".

Gordon climbed through the hole and went to look at the man lying slumped against the wall. His skin was a greyish blue, and his pulse, when Gordon felt his throat, was thin and unsteady. 'So much for minimum contact', he thought briefly, 'but then this guy doesn't look like he could recognise anyone at the moment, except possibly the Grim Reaper'. Aloud he said 'Well, we'd better get him into Thunderbird 4, then I'll see what I can do for him." Turning to the two young boys he said, "See that hole I've just made in the wall? If you go through it you can slide down into my submarine." To the young woman he said "Give me a hand to carry your father over there, then I'll go first and we can get him into my craft.'

It took quite a bit of careful manoeuvring to position the semi-conscious man next to the hole. Gordon then climbed in, and with Donna behind her father, they were able to ease him down into Thunderbird 4. Gordon closed the airlock and operated the switch to release the tube from its grip on the building. He went to his medicine cabinet and followed the instructions he found on a bottle marked 'Suspected heart attack - ONE tablet only to be placed under patient's tongue'. He then unlooked the facemask from the rack which held his scuba gear and fitted it over the patient's face, adjusting the flow to give pure oxygen.

He looked across at Donna. "I think that's all I can do for him now. We'll head for the surface and get him to a hospital". Crossing to the control chair, he pressed the radio. "T4 to T2. Come in please."

Virgil's voice came back "T2 here. What kept you? I was starting to get worried".

"There's been a complication. It looks like Mr Meredith has suffered a heart attack. Can you arrange to fly us straight to a hospital when you pick us up? I'll be surfacing in about ten minutes."

Chapter Four: Not Such A Good Idea

Gordon blew the tanks that would take them to the surface, regretting slightly that he had no time to look at such beautiful underwater scenery. He surfaced next to the pod that was floating in the water and sent out the remote signal that would flood the pod's tanks, allowing it to settle in the water so that he could reverse in under the power of his own jets. Once inside the pod he pressed the switch that would close the pod door and blow the tanks, as the magnetic grapples came up to attach his craft to its ramp.

Virgil's voice came over the radio. "T2 to T4. Let me know when you're ready for pick-up. I've been in touch with the hospital at Cairns and we'll be flying straight there."

"Thanks, T2", replied Gordon. " I'll be putting Ms Mackay and her boys in the passenger cabin, but I'll be keeping Mr Meredith here with me."

There was a pause at the other end of the line. "Do you really think that's a good idea?" "I don't see what else I can do," replied Gordon. "I really think he should be moved as little as possible until we get him to the hospital. Having him die on us wouldn't be a good idea either."

"FAB, let me know when you are ready".

Gordon showed Donna and her boys to the passenger area, then returned to Thunderbird 4 and signalled to Virgil that they were ready. A roar of jets that could be heard even through the walls of the submarine, followed by a series of clunks, told him that Thunderbird 2 had settled on the pod. The roar increased in volume as the big craft's jets took the weight of the pod and lifted it out of the water.

"ETA to Cairns 15 minutes," came Virgil's voice over the radio.

Gordon unstrapped himself from his seat and went to look at his patient. Meredith's skin had lost its grey pallor and he was starting to recover consciousness. The young man crouched down beside his patient, removing the breathing mask from the old man's face. "It's going to be all right, Mr Meredith," he said, trying to sound reassuring. "You've been rescued by International Rescue. Your family are safe. We think you've had a heart attack, but we're taking you to hospital now. How are you feeling?"

The old man smiled weakly. "A lot better, thank you." He looked round. "Where are Donna and the boys?"

"It was a bit cramped in here, so I've put them in another part of the ship. You'll see them when we get to the hospital. I didn't want to move you because I was worried about the strain on your heart"

The old man was fully awake now and looking around with interest. "So this is one of the wonderful Thunderbird machines?"

Gordon smiled "Yes, this is the craft that rescued you."

Meredith looked closely at Gordon, his eyes going to the young man's forehead. "And do they still call you 'Coppertop' at home?"

Gordon froze, an icy feeling in the pit of his stomach. His hand went to his forehead where a few strands of auburn hair had slipped out from under his wetsuit hood.

The old man smiled. "It's OK, son, I won't give you away." He shook his head. "It's ironic. At one time, like every other reporter in the business, I would have given ten years of my life to know the identity of one of the members of International Rescue. But now I don't have ten years". He drew a laboured breath. "The doctors tell me this old heart is only good for a few more months - too much living it up in my younger days. Now Donna and her kids are the most important thing in the world to me, and I'm trying to make up in the little time I have left for all the years I neglected them for the sake of the next story. By rescuing them you have put me in your debt, so your secret will be safe with me."

Just then Virgil's voice came over the radio. "Landing at Cairns hospital in two minutes. They've told me to land on the front lawn and they'll have medics standing by"

'That's one of your brothers, I presume?" said Meredith. "No, you don't have to answer. Just an old reporter who can't get out of the habit of asking questions. Well, I said you boys would go far, but I never imagined quite how far."

Within a couple of minutes the craft had landed and Gordon was showing the medical team how to enter Thunderbird 4. It took them a bit of careful positioning to get the old man out of the craft on a stretcher chair, but soon he was on the ground, with his daughter and grandchildren at his side.

Drew Meredith reached out and grasped Gordon's hand. "Keep reaching for heaven, son".

"We will, sir," replied Gordon, " We will".

Drew Meredith died two months later. He had kept his word.