Chapter Text
Rudolph One was brought out every December in Gorlitz, Germany. A quaint colourful town that puts on a Christmas Market for tourists and locals every year. Up above the town is a floating base called The Kolibri, or Hummingbird in English and is kept in the air by twelve enormous fans powered by advanced fusion reactors. Rudolph One takes passengers out into space by a two-way monorail system and small pods fly back and forth from the nearby little airport in town carrying up passengers who want to go into space.
The Coulson family, were onboard a pod heading up to the hovering craft and their two children were excitedly chatting and leaning against the windows looking down on the town below, whilst their parents were reading the guide to the trip.
"Look at that!"
"Wow! Everything looks so tiny!"
Jack Coulson turned to his youngest children with a chuckle. "Kids, please sit still. You don't want to rock the pod. Now pay attention to the steward when getting on the rocket."
"Jack, have they got their wristbands?" His wife asked.
"They're in the backpack, I'll get them out when we arrive, Victoria."
"Good, we don't want any accidents."
On the other side of the world, the weather was completely the opposite of the cold winter that Germany was experiencing. It was hot and humid, with sunshine blazing down on the Pacific island where the Tracy family lived and worked. It was December 12th, and while decorating for Christmas, the family was also decorating for a very special occasion happening the following week.
"What's left, Virgil?" Jeff asked his second eldest son.
"Not much. Just the catering and that will have to be delivered the day before to be stored in the fridge."
Jeff nodded. "Have you got all of your RSPVs?"
"The last one arrived today, according to Natasha. She's still recovering after her birthday yesterday," he added with a laugh.
Scott walked into the lounge eating an apple, "morning. How is the prep going?"
"Very well. I don't know how you did all your wedding arranging so quickly. It's been so hard."
Scott smiled. "Keep it simple, that'll help. We did all the fittings early too."
"So did we. Her dress is delivered and our suits."
Jeff shook his head. "Let it all happen and you'll be fine, son."
Gordon yawned as he walked in, "what a night."
"Son, you should be asleep. You had a long night rescuing that cargo ship."
"I know, but I'm an early riser. Can't help it," he yawned again with a stretch. "What's on the agenda today then?"
Scott shrugged lounging back on the sofa, "Same as usual; we wait for a call."
Jeff raised an eyebrow, "Oh no you don't. We need to decorate the house for Christmas, or at least start."
Scott shared a look with Virgil, "what about the wedding decorations?"
"We can share," Virgil smiled. "Where shall we start, Dad?"
"I think we should get the tree up, don't you?"
At Tracy Industries' New Zealand location, staff were busy running the office side of the rescue business including ordering parts, payments for damages and charity events. Natasha Howard, a friend of the Tracy family and Virgil's fiancé worked in the Air Division and was busy sorting out a production line for a new plane. She was working with Brains back on the island, and having a personal connection to the family allowed her to gain knowledge of the fleet allowing her to work on side projects the Tracy's worked on.
As she scrolled through items of parts required for a plane, her eyesight wandered down to her ring finger where sitting upon it was a glittering silver stone, she smiled fondly and was only brought out of her daydream by one of her colleagues giggling at her.
“Can’t stop looking at it can you?”
Natasha shook her head. “I can’t believe it’s next week if I’m honest.”
“I’m amazed that his family are allowing so many of us to be on their island for it. I thought it was secret?”
"Yes, usually, but I know for a fact that no one will see the island from the plane."
"As long as we're not blindfolded? My mascara will be ruined."
"Don't be silly, Chlo," Natasha spotted her phone ringing. "Excuse me, hun. Call coming in... hello, my darling."
"Hi, Tash. Are you okay?"
"Super, darling. How can I help?"
"Have the flowers come in?"
"Uh-huh, and they're at my house. How is the catering coming along?"
"Between the wedding and Christmas preparation, very mix 'n' match," Virgil chuckled. "But I'm not worried, it'll all be ready in time."
"Good. Oh, could you tell Brains that I have ordered those parts for him, please? They should arrive next week."
"FAB. Thanks, Nat.”
"No worries. Until the aisle then, my love."
"FAB. I love you."
"I love you too," Natasha hung up with a smile and Clotilde laughed.
"I thought my husband and I were close, but you two, you're something else."
Natasha laughed. "You're such a tease. Want to grab a coffee?"
"Sure."
Rudolph One's gondola took off carrying 50 passengers, and among them sat the Coulson family. They watched the sky around them turn from sunset into darkness as they entered the Earth's upper atmosphere, and one of their kids waved across at the other cable car going back down. Jack smiled at his daughters but his eldest son was on his phone paying no attention to the surroundings.
"Lincoln, please get off your phone."
Lincoln rolled his eyes. "I'm actually sending some photos to my friends. It's just space."
"Come on? This is a once in an opportunity trip."
"But there's nothing to see," he moaned.
Victoria looked over at them. "Son, your father is right. You don't want to miss this."
"Fine, fine. What's the worst that can happen?"
There was a long beep and the tannoy system rang out through the pod playing a pre-recorded message.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we have detected a small air leak and will have to return to Earth immediately. Please do not panic and we'll be back on the ground soon."
Victoria gripped the twins' hands and looked worriedly across at Jack. "Honey, what's going on?"
"No idea, Vicki, but I'm sure they'll let us know soon. Lincoln, buckle up."
"Yes, Dad."
Up on Thunderbird 5, John was checking out the tourist attractions that went into space, and he caught sight of the gondola on his holoprojector. Everything seemed normal, only it was detaching from the cables that held it aloft.
"That's odd," he remarked and zoomed into the image. "This is International Rescue, calling Rudolph One. Come in please?" There was no answer. "Rudolph One, I repeat, come in please?"
"Leave. Us. Alone." Came a very graverly voice in response.
"Hello? Hello?" John grimaced and pressed his insignia. "International Rescue? We have a situation."
Jeff looked up from his desk. "Go ahead, John?"
"Sorry to interrupt the decorating, but Rudolph One is in trouble."
Scott put down the Christmas lights he was holding. "What's Rudolph One?"
"It's a gondola cablecar that takes people into the upper atmosphere and back to a floating base," Jeff said and looked back at John. "What's gone wrong with it?"
"Hard to tell, Dad, but when I called them I got a very clear instruction," John turned aside and played back the message he had received for his dad and brothers to hear.
"Leave. Us. Alone."
Virgil crossed his arms. "I don't like the sound of that."
"No me either," Scott nodded.
John's hologram suddenly lurched backwards as he spotted something off-screen, "whoa, it just fired the thrusters!"
"Can you tell where it is heading?"
"No idea, Dad. I'm going to have to track it manually."
"Trip for Thunderbird 3?" Alan asked eagerly.
"I don't think you'd be able to do anything, Al, it's not high enough for a space rescue. I'm going to have to track where it goes."
"FAB, son. Keep tabs on it and I'll put your brothers on standby."
"FAB, Dad. Thunderbird 5 out."
The city of Ulaanbaatar was once thriving with culture and architecture, but after the conflict of 2040, it had fallen once again into ruin and desolation. Houses were abandoned and had fallen into disrepair, and one was more likely to see wild goats than people on the streets.
Rudolph One lowered slowly down to the ground in the middle of the countryside near an abandoned mosque and the passengers onboard looked out worriedly at their surroundings. One of them stood up and turned to them all.
"So sorry we had to take a detour, but we needed a ransom."
Jack narrowed his eyes. "Who are you?"
The man turned with a smirk. "Brave to ask, mister, but not smart. If you want to keep your life, you'll stay quiet like the rest of your fellow passengers."
Jack knelt on the floor with his family and pulled one of his daughters close to his side kissing her forehead. "We'll be okay, we'll be okay."
Their saboteur was now on the phone. "Yes, it's Hansa, I have the rocket. Tell the leader."
John sighed in relief seeing that the rocket had finally landed and he called Tracy Island.
"That's right, Dad. Ulaanbaatar. I have no idea what's going on down there but no one has left the rocket. It's unclear if anyone is being kept prisoner or even if they can take control but it's not moving."
"FAB, son. Thunderbirds 1 and 2 are on their way now."
"Send Shadow, too. We may need a little bit of stealth.
Kayo smiled at John's words. "You've got it, J. On my way, Mr Tracy."
"Be careful out there, Kayo."
"Always," she smiled and her seat began to lower down to the launch tube under the house while across in the main hangars, Scott and Virgil launched their ships from the island.
The passengers aboard Rudolph One were all huddled together and some children were crying whilst their parents comforted them as best they could feeling scared themselves.
"What do you plan to do with us?" A passenger asked nervously.
"You'll be perfectly fine, as long as you don't interfere and ask questions," Hansa sneered.
A man entered the rocket, dressed head to toe in military gear that no one recognised, and thick black eyebrows shadowed his already dark eyes. He grinned maliciously. "Wonderful! So sorry to upset your Christmas festivities, but this could not wait. I'm not interested in heroes or rockets, I just want the engine to this and you can go."
"We're in the middle of nowhere!" A passenger cried.
The man turned, “not my problem.”
"Well, who are you then?" A passenger asked.
"Do not speak to the leader!" Hansa yelled but the stranger hushed them.
"Now now, Hansa, they're allowed to be curious. I have interrupted their Christmas after all. I am Dr Godbur. You've never heard of me I am sure. I work in the shadows, unlike some geniuses who have come before me. And what I want is simple...For you to be quiet!" He shouted. "Now, who is the pilot here?"
A man raised his hand shakily. "They are flown automatically, so there’s no need for a pilot."
"But you're in charge?"
"I'm just a steward."
Godbur nodded and Hansa dragged the man over.
"Tell me, what do you know of the design of Rudolph One?"
"I don't know anything."
Hansa grabbed a tuft of hair in his hand and held him tightly.
The steward cried as Hansa tugged his hair. "Please! I don't know anything about it!"
Jack covered his children's eyes and Victoria wrapped her arms around him. "Shh kids, just be still."
"How can I get to the engines?" Godbur asked patiently ignoring the steward's cries.
"A simple answer is all he needs," Hansa snarled.
"You will have to break it open from underneath!"
Hansa threw him to the ground, "there, that was easy."
Godbur nodded. "Thank you. Of course, there is another problem. These people are in the way."
Thunderbird 1 approached the Mongolian borders and Scott called John in Thunderbird 5.
"Any change in the situation, John?"
John shook his head. "No, thankfully, but watch your back down there, Scott."
"FAB. How far behind me is Kayo? I think we should go in together."
"Ten minutes, tops."
"FAB, John. Going down now and I will stay aboard Thunderbird 1."
Scott fired the thrusters and the flaps opened as Thunderbird 1's engines hummed dropping to 1000ft and her landing struts retracted from the wings. Dust and sand scattered under Thunderbird's VTOLs and she landed gently. From his vantage point, Scott looked out at the remote countryside and spotted Rudolph One sitting alone and seemingly empty. He activated his heads-up display and zoomed in on the rocket and its surroundings, but seeing nothing on the outside he turned on the infrared. Suddenly all 50 life signals appeared, plus an extra two.
"Thunderbird 5, I can see the passengers. They're all inside the craft but they're all on the ground apart from three people."
John frowned. "On the ground? That sounds suspicious."
"I need to go in and see for myself what's going on. But I'll send a drone first."
"FAB, I'll tell Kayo and Virgil what you're doing. She's over Kazakhstan now and Virgil is five minutes behind her."
"FAB. Launching the drone now," Scott sat back in his seat and watched a drone fly ahead of Thunderbird 1 across the field over to Rudolph One, he carefully brought it down to a window and frowned at the view it was showing. "John, these people are being held against their will. We need the GDF!"