The journey to the astroid K/46 is a long one, even with Thunderbird 3 ions engine, just allows a little talk and memorys to be spilled out
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
——————
They were 12 hours into the flight, Jeff had crossed his arms and fell asleep leaving the two other astronaut to their own devises
Alan watched as Zayne floated to the back of Thunderbird 3, checking her systems, the blond pushed up the shoulder guards, before floating to the back
"Hey...Ze?" Keeping his voice low, to avoid waking up his dad, knowing very well how light he slept
"What's up?" Zayne matched his tone, but didn't turn to look at the younger astronaut
"I...I just want to make sure your alright...i mean come on...your dad...alive?"
The man in purple paused slightly, hand hesitant over the handle that kept him from floating away
"I..." Alan paused watching Zayne inhale deep, right bad question
He rubbed the back of his head "sorry..."
"It's alright Alan...I get everyone's concern for me..."
Alan nodded slightly, letting Zayne continue
"A lot...I...I grieved and buried that under work and studying...an entire company...getting news that they could be all alive..."
Alan gave a half smile "I understand..." He glanced towards his own dad and sighed "when we found Braman repeated dad's SOS..." He smiled, which turned sour "and...the entire Gordan incident after"
Zayne finally looked at the Tracy a hand patted Alan before he wad pulled into a hug, which Alan greatly returned, hiding his head in Zaynes shoulder clinging on feeling a tremble and a shakey breath
"We'll get your dad back Zayne...I promise it" Alan whispered
"Thank you Alan..."
They pulled away and Zayne was trying to hide the tears that were floating in the zero gravity, Alan giggled
"Damn...gravity..."
A steady beep and John's hologram appeared, stiring the sleeping Jeff
"Everyone alright?"
Alan let Zayne give him a helpful nudge towards the front of Thunderbird 3
"Were all good, how's home?" Alan half smiled, hearing Zayne sniffle floating behind him
"Gordans returned, he says hey and also asked for space bread to add to the list with space milk"
A chuckle came from Jeff
"Anything else?" Zayne leant in
"Apart from a sudden spike in Derek's industry's suddenly a buzz...both myself and EOS don't know of what..."
Zayne nodded
"Keep a distance John...incase this buzz is an early warning of hornets coming out of that nest"
John nodded "my thoughts exactly, it's about lunchtime you lot, make sure you eat" a look towards Zayne direction befire the coms went quiet
Jeff grumbled stretching floating out his chair
"Alan, you settle for a bit kid, well go get the packs" He helped Zayne to orientate a little as they floated back towards the other side of the room, opening the bulk heading towards thier food for the travel
———
"What do you remember of the hope crew Zayne?" Jeff raised an eyebrow Zaynes way who slowly rotated, legs tucked loosely to his chest, mid swallowed of the of his rehydrate lasagne pouch, brow furrowed focusing
"Well my dad for start" He hummed "then there's Dimitri mission specialist, looks scary but big sweet heart....Eliana and Theo...Doctor in engineering and medical, work together perfectly...then we have Viggo he was the bases sanitation, I remember him singing when ever he worked..." Zayne faced slowly towards the two Tracys "then we have Rebecca she was the tower control specialist, always had stickers and Micheal was electronics always with sweets on him"
Jeff chuckled
"I remember first meeting Dimitri...scared the crap out of me" He took a mouthful of food "what you remember the most of your old man?"
"His planes" Zayne responded instantly "he was restoring a spitfire for display"
Alan coughed in suprise "He was?"
Zayne nodded
"Anderson tech always try and give a nod to aviation and space history" He shrugged "We contine that on even now"
"Wow..."
Jeff smiled "I remember you father picking up Martian rock, for wife tax..." He shook his head
"Yeah...that's also a thing"
Alan cackled "wife tax?"
Zayne chuckled "okay, my ma she's a geologist of astral body's which means-"
"WAIT HOW COME I WAS NEVER MADE AWARE OF THIS-"
Zayne snorted at Alan's yell
"He would always pick up rocks whenever he traveled, around Earth or to space, it was there weird bonding thing"
"Postcards" Jeff chimed "I would collect postcards and see if I can arrive faster home compared to the postage"
Zayne did laugh at Alan's look of surpise at his father who floated unaffected by the stare
"Usually I would win..." Jeff said gleefully
———
John smiled listening to the laughter, on the live communications with Thunderbird 3, he remembered the post card arriving about a few hours after Jeff would return home and his giggle of glee beating the postal service, yet again
He focused on the scanners eyes on the main facility for Green industries, just watching for now
He kept his word about not poking his nose where it should be, the building was practically a buzz under his finger as he scanned location, which raised more speculations
Did Derek know about the beacon?
The freighter was it an actual accident or purpose to destroy the evidence?
He rubbed his eyes with a sigh, he also needed to eat, he floated out of the main him, letting the gravity ring pull him to its surface, his feet tapping across the surface to get something in his system
"Thunderbird 5" He turned towards the hologram of Colonel Casey and half smiled "Colonel-"
"I'm looking for Anderson. You have an idea where he maybe?"
Crap-
"Uh...well about that-"
———
"GDF knows about the situation" Johns voice cut through just as they were finishing up eating
"What?"
"I couldn't come up with a lie and col-" John rushed
"Johnny, hey breath" Zayne floated towards the hologram
"she would have found out one way or the other" Jeff sat down
"I've kept what we have brief, but what she does know is the beacon and your heading to the astroid there being held"
"Will they head to Green industries?"
John shook his head "not with out actual evidence and a warrant for an arrest"
Zayne nodded "if this rescue is successful, she wouldn't need to worry about either."
He sat down, glancing towards Alan
"Where's are ETA, Captain?"
Alan eyes flickered over his hologram
"82 hours"
Zayne nodding "John-"
"Keep an eye on Derek make sure he doesn't pull anything when you get there"
A wail of sirens dragged him out of his slumber, heart leaping to his throat at the sudden commotion and alarm, Mark was already moving, yanking on his gear, hopping put of his room, trying to pull his boots on as the corridors were plunged into a scarlet light
"This is not a drill-" Stoyans voice carried static, fear just creeping into her tone
Oh applesauce-
He broke into a full run, towards the command center
He skidded in, nearly taking out Boucher who yelped
"Stoyan-"
"Three hours into darkside rotation, the station...I..I don't know its out of my contro-"
"It's alright lass, it's alright, breath" He leant over her shoulder as a deep rumble left the damage station like a wounded mechanical beast
Fingers dancing over the keys as he checked for damage
Low-level were no go, core overheating and pratically taking itself apart, artificial gravity won't last either, falling out of orbit with the moons, with what ever is happening
All not good
And no way to call for aid with being behind the damn moon
"Sir?"
Stoyans little voice pulled him out of thought
He looked at her, the fear in her eyes, the tremble in her lip
"Pull everyone back" his voice steady, giving the order
"I don't want them caught down there"
Stoyan eyes widened, before nodding tapping keys
Circulating the message base wide
"this is not a drill, everyone return to command center for uncoupling, repeat return to center command"
Anderson was moving already, ready to run down to help evacuation
Boucher stopped him, eyes wide in realisation of what was happening
"sir?"
"Stay, prepare for uncoupling" he pressed his fingers to his ear peice turning away "Mikhailich-"
"Here" His voice coming over his ear peice, steady
"get Linder, I'm heading for Simmons"
"Da, sir-"
"You hears Stoyan, pull back to center command"
"Da."
He running towards engineering
———
"ELAINER-"
"I CAN FIX HER-"
He heard Simmons as suddenly a whine ripped through the station
His boots lost connection to the floor mid run and he floated up, colliding with some debris, but managed to stay on target landing beside Simmons, who clung desperately to the wall, one hand with a wrench, a pleading look in her eyes looking more close to tears to try and fix the issue
"Anderson-- I..I can-"
"No. Simmons it's overloading it'll kill you."
He kept his voice even for her sake, her eyes side as he watched her throat shift
"We need to evacuate Simmon"
A single nod, and she released her grip
He pushed off with his boot carrying her back to command
———
Space he's used to, getting through a station in zero gravity was easy, managed to do it in the stations early stages of creation
He's trained for this
He launched himself forward, gaze drifting back for Simmons who just managed to keep up with her commanding officer
"Anderson!"
He ducked the grapple hook that sunk above his head as Mikhailich hooked in, pulling himself along with Linder latched onto his shoulder
"Gravity out, thought to grab diz sir"
A second grapple was given to the commanding officer who took It with a silent nod
"Get in there Mikhailich"
Strapping it to his forarm as they floated into central command
He gave one look to the red lit corridors
His pride and joy, the spark for space travel, cumbling around him
He pulled himself into the command center, slamming his heel into the button to seal the doors, spinning around to his crew, doing a mental head Count of everyone here:
- himself
- Mikhailich
- Linder
- Simmons
- Boucher
- Stoyan
Everyone here
"Stoyan."
The emergency key was turned and button hit, the command center hissed, as the doors sealed and disconnected from the main hub, rocket thrusters giving them the distance from the main station
Which was spitting debris, small implosion her main collum as she fell apart
Mark felt sick, this couldn't have happend, none of this
"Stoyan- we need clear of the moon to radio an SOS" He ordered, feeling command move trying to jet out of the dark side of the moon
He swallowed wiping a hand down his face
"Boss- something up on scan-"
His gaze snapped towards the dark blur towards them
A sharp lurch and the world went black
———
The alarm chirped, and Mark grumbled, his green eyes flickering patting the alarm off, he stuffed his head into the pillow with a sigh,
Before rolling over to grab his phone smiling at the message from his dad, he waited a second brow furrowed
His ma would have knocked on his door by now to make sure he was up
Like she would usually when his alarm goes off
He clambered out of bed
"Ma?"
Nothing
He raised an eyebrow, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he pulled his slippers on, heading downstairs hearing muffled sobs
He raised an eyebrow
"Ma?"
He stepped into the kitchen
Stopping at his ma tears falling down her face, and two men
He recongnised from Anderson tech, when he would visit with his dad, Kurt and Joseph...both ground contro...
No
"Where's dad..." He croaked out
"Marky..."
"Mam...where is dad." His voice more desperate then before, heart leaping into his throat as he backed away
No, this can't be happening, all some joke right? It can't-
"He-hes alright?" Mark gasped "he-he sent me a message- he...he's oka-"
"Mark..." his ma moved quickly pulling him into a tight hug
He latched on gasping screwing his eyes shut as he hid his head in her shoulder
"H-he can't be dead-"
"He-"
A sob wrecked throigh his chest
"Everything will be okay marky...it'll be okay"
———
"-...rk-" He blinked hard, head spinning
"...-ma-..." He winced moving his hand weakly, feeling a hand clasp his own, guiding him out of the dark realm of sleep, feeling slowly coming back to him, his brown flickering to meet a even blurrier world
"Hey...slowly...easy..."
"W..."
"Don't.. don't worry about that right now Mark..." He said quietly
He blinked hard trying to clear his vision, laying on what feels like a cot
Gravity?
Where they back on Earth?
His gaze flickered around an enviroment he didn't quite recognise
"Theo-"
He tried to sit up, but nausea swung wide, nearly making him throw what content was in his stomach, making him grab the doctors shoulder
"You've been out...for a few hours..."
"Concussion...amongst other things..."
He blinked hand coming up to the bandages around his head
"What..."
"Mark...dont freak out"
"Are we on Earth?"
"No."
His blurry gaze flickered towards a lump in the opposite cot, who was sat up, tired but focused look on Dimitris face
"Report-" Mark croaked, trying swinging his legs around to get up, with Theos protest
A deep inhale
"You were out for nearly 48 hours."
He gripped Theos shoulder
"That true?"
"Yes sir..."
"Anything else?"
"The impact...rattled us all bad...my arms broke...Viggo gone quiet, Elaina is blaming herself and Rebbaca..."
"What about Bec-..." He staggered up world spinning sharp
The world went black
———
He blinked seeing a pink blurr, swallowing a thick taste of bile that bit at the back of his throat
"Bec..."
"I'm here Mark..." She quietly said "scared Theo though..."
He grunted
"Shouldn't push yourself...your fragile..."
"Head wound..."
"Unresponsive...lot of blood...I was lucky..Dimitri grabbed anyone who was close to him...Theo landed on you.."
"Like...getting hit by an ambulance on a road..."
A slight chuckle
He swallowed
"Where are we Becca?
She swallowed, feeling her trace a scar on his palm, her fingers trembling
She was scared, trying to sooth her emotions, he knew this
His hand closed around hers his thumb stroking her knuckles
