My name is Hiram K. Hackenbacker, but feel free to call me Brains as that is what most of my friends call me.
I work as the head engineer and mechanic at International Rescue. If you have any questions about the Thunderbirds or any of the other equipment we use, feel free to ask. Obviously, confidentiality comes first, so I may not be able to answer everything. However, I will still answer any questions as best I can without jeopardising International Rescue and its mission.
Seeing as everyone else on Tracy Island has joined Tumblr, I figured I would join in with the fun, too. (I also may have been pestered after spending too much time in the lab, as if such thing was ever possible).
My inbox is open, and I'm always happy to help aspiring engineers and mechanics, as well as fans of International Rescue.
Hello, this is @little-vulpecula. It's my first time doing a RP blog, so apologies in advance. I am also fairly busy with university, but I will do my best to respond quickly.
This is mainly based on the TAG version of the character but will probably include some TOS aspects and some fanon.
Also, I'm more than happy to interact with OC RP blogs too :)
Also, just an fyi, I know that Brains has a stutter, but since this is his social media, obviously that won't be present in writing form. But if I get involved in some of the more story based rp then it will definitely be included. (I just wanted to put that as a disclaimer so no one thinks I'm ignoring that part of his character).
If you have any OOC questions about the account, feel free to ask my main blog ( @little-vulpecula ).
#Thundersocials for any posts that are part of Brains' social media.
#Thunderscenes for any longer form RP posts.
#OOC for any Out Of Character posts.
Other Tags:
#ThunderFamilyAngst for any posts featuring angst between members of the Thunderbirds family
Other trigger warnings will be used where appropriate. If you feel as though a post is missing a trigger warning please let me know and I will add it.
#BrainsAnswers for any time when Brains answers an ask.
All things MAX
#Brains' Tech Talks for when Brains discusses the Thunderbirds, FAB 1, or any other tech.
#Brains' Mandatory Vacation Time for when Brains is forced to actually take a break.
#Ask Game for any ask games shared on this account.
#MAX's Marvellous Makes for MAX's baking adventures.
All Series
#MAX's Mail for any asks directed towards MAX.
#MAX cam for MAX's rescue mission photos
#Brains' Notebook - Brains' internal commentary on the events of each episode, tied into the @thunderversary-rewatch-party event. Also tagged with #Episode Diaries and all the relevant Thunderversary Rewatch tags. [Complete]
#TAG12QsOfChristmas 12 Questions answered for each day of Christmas. [Complete]
Multiverse Mayhem
#TOS Brains for any posts from the POV of TOS!Brains.
#Spectrum RP for any interactions with characters from Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons.
Any AUs will be tagged as such. These include; #Alien Allie AU.
Risk assessments are very very very important. They keep everyone safe which is essential in this line of work. We very much need them and I refer back to them very often.
But... they do take a very long time to complete and I have been sitting at my desk for far too long.
This is not me saying they are unnecessary. We 100% need them, some companies could learn from our commitment safety. Maybe then we'd get less rescue calls.
I suppose it doesnāt help that certain persons you have to account for in your risk assessment somehow manage to create risks no usual human would identify as even remotely likely⦠š
Risk assessments are very very very important. They keep everyone safe which is essential in this line of work. We very much need them and I refer back to them very often.
But... they do take a very long time to complete and I have been sitting at my desk for far too long.
This is not me saying they are unnecessary. We 100% need them, some companies could learn from our commitment safety. Maybe then we'd get less rescue calls.
Risk assessments are very very very important. They keep everyone safe which is essential in this line of work. We very much need them and I refer back to them very often.
But... they do take a very long time to complete and I have been sitting at my desk for far too long.
This is not me saying they are unnecessary. We 100% need them, some companies could learn from our commitment safety. Maybe then we'd get less rescue calls.
There are far more constructive ways to process your emotions about the never ending to do list, long working day week month, the frustration of non-Brains designed computer systems letting you down at a really key moment for No Reason Other Than Of Course It Did.
One could go for a run. Have a joke with a loved one. Eat a pie. Take a liāl nap and take a breath.
Having survived several Kansas summers (and, yāknow, island life for quite a few years) and being a summer fan, I was not expecting to be accepting defeat at the hands of a village in south-east England but here we are. Consider me melted Foxley Heathš«
Yes, I know, I know⦠I was tired and not thinking.
I was just heading back upstairs and glanced over on the way out and yāknow the way the propellant shines when it spills? Wellllll, thatās all over the back side of one of Oneās fins, so I thought Iād have a look cus yāknow, donāt want a poorly Princessā¦
Didnāt think quite as hard about where I stuck my leg, but anywayā¦
Thatās a loaded question Brains, itās debatable if I have ever been alright šāāļø but yes, just tired. Just a little dip in the sleep quality, it happens.
Yeah, Iāll survive, donāt worry. Minus some leg hair and with a painful reminder from our resident Princess š
More importantly, it was definitely propellant on the fin. Behind scram #3 and #4.
On slower days, my work turns to repairing the seemingly never ending pile of smaller broken gadgets. My patient at the moment; one of Scott's previous jetpacks that is currently suffering from a fried motherboard.
Next on the list; one of Alan's astroboards which has a broken thruster again.
Yes, I know, I know⦠I was tired and not thinking.
I was just heading back upstairs and glanced over on the way out and yāknow the way the propellant shines when it spills? Wellllll, thatās all over the back side of one of Oneās fins, so I thought Iād have a look cus yāknow, donāt want a poorly Princessā¦
Didnāt think quite as hard about where I stuck my leg, but anywayā¦
Thatās a loaded question Brains, itās debatable if I have ever been alright šāāļø but yes, just tired. Just a little dip in the sleep quality, it happens.
Yeah, Iāll survive, donāt worry. Minus some leg hair and with a painful reminder from our resident Princess š
More importantly, it was definitely propellant on the fin. Behind scram #3 and #4.
Yes, I know, I know⦠I was tired and not thinking.
I was just heading back upstairs and glanced over on the way out and yāknow the way the propellant shines when it spills? Wellllll, thatās all over the back side of one of Oneās fins, so I thought Iād have a look cus yāknow, donāt want a poorly Princessā¦
Didnāt think quite as hard about where I stuck my leg, but anywayā¦
Ah no, the suit wouldāve taken the damage for me. Bare skin. Was finishing up a bit of Four maintenance and was in my finest āgetting covered in oilā shorts.
And no, I will not wear a pair of coveralls, despite what @ilikebigshipsandicannotlie says.
Mh, maybe. Which is ironic really, because I only went over because it looked like there was a leak down one fin⦠but donāt worry, I think any contamination became history the minute One decided to brand my leg. Silver linings āØ
. . . @brains-ir um, could you confirm this theory 'cause you know the chemical make up of the stuff that goes into the Thunderbirds? Also if inhaling the fumes is a bad idea?
If your brothers stay on the island and have families⦠how exactly do you see that panning out?
Hi Anon!
Ah well I guess weād figure it out as it goes along, yāknow? Iām pretty chill about it all.
I mean⦠I have a few liāl ideas of how it might work but you know, nothing detailed, just casual thoughts because of course they might not choose to and Iād never want to put any of them or their eventual partners under pressure to stay rather than build their lives elsewhere.
*hides huge bundle of extensive architectural plans, school brochures and notes of brainstorming session with Tycho Reeves under sofa cushion and puts on innocent expression*
But in a vague sense⦠well we do have quite a lot of space here which we could build on, not just on the main island but we own Mateo and several of the other smaller ones surrounding us, all of which could hold a small villa and be just a short undersea shuttle ride away so could provide a sense of privacy whilst still being really connected.
There are some great schools in Aotearoa which support hybrid schooling so maybe weād just have a liāl Thunder-school-bus kind of set up, maybe later on we might employ a tutor who could come out⦠and of course the partners may well have jobs off-island they need to travel for so weād need to get a few more jets to hand to enable everyone to get where they need to be.
By that stage of course I hope weād have expanded the rosta a bit⦠got some more folks in training and maybe even have another base somewhere in the northern hemisphere. As much as weāre protective of the ābirds, something has to give and the 6 of us arenāt enough to be what the world needs by ourselves, especially if we end up with responsibilities to kids and partners. Perhaps that might be more sets of ābirds, perhaps it might be equipping local response better. There are a lot of options.
Who knows, Iām happy to wait and see - I havenāt thought a huge deal about it. Like I say, very chill.
Exactly! Your genius shouldnāt be limited by how many Tracys you have to pilot them!
Oh we met at a conference last week. Donāt be daft nobody comes close to you - we were just chatting about whether/how his vacuum transport tubes could work on a small scale within a city or even between a network of islands within a km or two of each other⦠just in case, yāknow? I was going to come and show you, if you were interested? Heād insist on you beta-img it anyway
If your brothers stay on the island and have families⦠how exactly do you see that panning out?
Hi Anon!
Ah well I guess weād figure it out as it goes along, yāknow? Iām pretty chill about it all.
I mean⦠I have a few liāl ideas of how it might work but you know, nothing detailed, just casual thoughts because of course they might not choose to and Iād never want to put any of them or their eventual partners under pressure to stay rather than build their lives elsewhere.
*hides huge bundle of extensive architectural plans, school brochures and notes of brainstorming session with Tycho Reeves under sofa cushion and puts on innocent expression*
But in a vague sense⦠well we do have quite a lot of space here which we could build on, not just on the main island but we own Mateo and several of the other smaller ones surrounding us, all of which could hold a small villa and be just a short undersea shuttle ride away so could provide a sense of privacy whilst still being really connected.
There are some great schools in Aotearoa which support hybrid schooling so maybe weād just have a liāl Thunder-school-bus kind of set up, maybe later on we might employ a tutor who could come out⦠and of course the partners may well have jobs off-island they need to travel for so weād need to get a few more jets to hand to enable everyone to get where they need to be.
By that stage of course I hope weād have expanded the rosta a bit⦠got some more folks in training and maybe even have another base somewhere in the northern hemisphere. As much as weāre protective of the ābirds, something has to give and the 6 of us arenāt enough to be what the world needs by ourselves, especially if we end up with responsibilities to kids and partners. Perhaps that might be more sets of ābirds, perhaps it might be equipping local response better. There are a lot of options.
Who knows, Iām happy to wait and see - I havenāt thought a huge deal about it. Like I say, very chill.
Work has been a lot and I've been quite busy! Took some time off social media for my own sake ā”
Here's some things thats happened!:
- Got a pretty big (annoying) legal case fixed up!
- I got to hold a large meeting with partners and (hopefully) future ones!
- Cosmo is still the best hunter off them all (of course) and he has made some new friends!
- Changed office as the old one is getting turned into a mini break room (the quiet zone š¤«)
Enjoy the pictures šø š
(Ooc: uhhhhh.. hi š I've been quite busy, I lost a lot off motivation for this account :(, but its kinda back ? I'm going to try, I've been logged out of Tumblr for a bit, sooooo yeahhh. I'm not upp to date on anything (gonna try to look through some recent stuff) On a more exiting note, I am officially done with school š graduate on the 29th this month!! until I continue to study further... )