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Moonstrike! Chapter 12 - Explanations
I have a huge timeline planned out that I refer to; it has all the episodes listed for 2065 and 2066, along with who is in Thunderbird Five at the time. This is where I get Alan's upcoming race at Parola Sands - from the episode, "Move and You're Dead". Also, on the show, the Tracys smoked cigarettes and cigars, and Lady Penelope also smoked, so some of that is written into this story. This has been beta'd for SPaG by Ruth H. If you see anything else, please let me know.
Disclaimers, et al.
Chapter 1: Discovery
Chapter 2: Enemies
Chapter 3: Trust
Chapter 4: Disappearance
Chapter 5: Alarms
Chapter 6: Contrasts
Chapter 7: Reasons
Chapter 8: Travels
Chapter 9: Rescue!
Chapter 10: Homecoming
Chapter 11: Relations
"Boys... and ladies, I'd like to postpone dessert until a little later." Jeff's announcement startled everyone at the dinner table. "I want to meet in the lounge at nine to discuss the project we've been working on. We can have coffee and dessert then." Scott, Virgil, and Gordon exchanged looks with each other, then turned their gaze on their father.
"Any particular reason why we can't discuss it – and eat dessert – here and now?" Scott asked, speaking for his brothers.
Jeff nodded. "Yes, son. I'd like Lady Penelope to sit in long distance, as it were, and after dinner here is much too early in England. Alan will also be sitting in as well via communicator; he needs to hear this for himself."
"What about Kyrano and I?" Patricia asked. "Are we included?"
Jeff glanced at the doors to the kitchen, where Kyrano was currently making coffee. "If you want to be, Mother, yes. You can sit in."
"I take it everything is ready, then?" Scott asked, taking a sip of his water.
"No, it is not." Jeff's tone took on an angry edge, and he shot a scowling look at John and Rhea, who sat side by side. "However, I have been... persuaded that your input would be invaluable."
John had his head turned toward Patricia at the time, and so didn't see his father's glowering expression, but Rhea missed neither look nor words. She raised a haughty eyebrow at her father, then turned her attention to Scott. With a reassuring smile, she said, "Yes. I'm sure it will be."
"But..." Scott began, glancing between his father and older sister. "If our input would be so valuable, why not bring us in earlier?"
Jeff toyed with his empty coffee cup. "As I said, Scott, I'll explain it all later, when Alan is available. I'd rather not repeat myself." Kyrano took that moment to come out of the kitchen with a thermal carafe full of fresh coffee. "Kyrano, I'll have some of that now, but we'll need more around nine. We'll have Mother's chocolate cake in the lounge; after all, as I've been reminded, chocolate makes everything better."
The meal concluded in quiet conversation, and as soon as it was over, Rhea found Scott at her side. They cleared the table together, and though Scott wanted to talk about the plan, Rhea put him off.
"I need to walk the dogs," she told him. "Want to help?"
"Yeah, I'll help," he replied, "as long as we can talk."
It took a bit to get both dogs ready; they had been cooped up in the suite for some time, staying cool in the air conditioning, and they were very happy to see her. She took them out through the glass doors; she had Bodie's leash, and Scott followed with Bruno. It was still light out, but the sun was setting, painting distant clouds in shades of peach and gold. Behind the island, the sky was darkening, the pale cerulean deepening towards indigo, the first stars appearing over the central mountain. At the corner of the house, just at the head of the pathway that took them down a gentle slope to the beach, Virgil and Gordon awaited them.
"Oh, great. An ambush," Rhea groaned.
"No, no, no! Nothing like that!" Virgil said, shaking his head. "We're just here to help walk the dogs." He hefted a water bottle and collapsible bowl, smiling. "See? I have their water."
Gordon wasn't quite so enthusiastic. "Yeah, and I have their beach toys and the pooper scooper... thing." He hefted a claw-like device used to pick up dog poop and put it in a baggie – without dirtying one's hands.
"All right, so you're helping." Rhea's tone was sour. She turned to look back at the house. "Where's John?"
"In the lab with Brains and Tin-Tin," Virgil replied. "We thought it was better to leave him there."
Rhea's shoulders slumped, and she sighed deeply. "I see. Well, let's go."
They had passed the Round House and were half-way to the beach before anyone spoke. "So," Virgil began, "what's this all about, Ray?"
Rhea shook her head. "No. Not going there. Dad will explain it all to you. You should have been brought into the loop earlier; Brains tried hard to convince Dad from the start, but you know Dad. He has to be in control."
"How come you know and not us?" Gordon asked. "I mean, you're not even..."
"A part of IR." Rhea finished his sentence. "I know. It's just that Tracy Ventures is heavily involved in this whole... mess."
"From the beginning?" Scott asked. He had gotten ahead of them a little, not far enough ahead that he couldn't hear, and now he had paused to let Bruno do his doggy business. Gordon grimaced, and loaded the claw up with a disposal baggie, ready to pick up the results.
"Phew!" Virgil said, turning his head away and waving a hand before his nose.
"Yeah. I'm not sure what's gotten into him, but it certainly is unpleasant coming out." Rhea moved down the path a little with Bodie, Virgil pacing her. "He usually only smells that bad when he's had some cheese, but Therese knows she's not supposed to feed it to him."
"Smells like he's been eating something else that should be... uh... eliminated." At Rhea's incredulous look, Virgil stammered, "From his diet, I mean." They stopped to look back, and both of them chuckled at the faces Gordon made as he disposed of the fresh pile.
He, Scott, and Bruno caught up with them, with Gordon still making faces and disgusted noises. "Next time, Virgil, you get the pooper scooper." He hooked a thumb over his shoulder, indicating where he'd left the package. "I'll pick up the bag on the way back."
They resumed the walk. "The answer to your question, Scott," Rhea said, "is not quite from the beginning." She paused, thinking carefully about her next words. "It took some time for Brains to come up with a plan, and for him and Tin-Tin to design what will be needed for the project." She turned her gaze toward Virgil. "In fact, one of the reasons we gave Dad for bringing you all into the loop now is that they could use your help with one of the devices."
Virgil rubbed his chin, looking thoughtful. "Hm. What kind of device is it?"
Rhea shook her head. "Nope. Like I said, not going there. You'll have to ask them after Dad explains things."
"I still don't understand why Dad didn't tell us about this sooner," Scott said, frowning. "What reason could he have...?"
"He had his reasons, and though I didn't agree with them, I really couldn't say much." They had reached the beach by this time, and were trudging across the soft sands out to the firmer beach near the surf. "As Gords has pointed out, I'm not part of IR, and as much as possible, I try to stay out of it." She shook her head. "And that's all I'll say about it for now." She glanced at her brothers, and decided to change the subject. "So, you three were out on a rescue yesterday. Tell me about it."
"Little boy went down a drain after his soccer ball," Gordon said. "Got caught on a root and stuck fast." He took one of the flying discs that he'd been carrying and tossed it up towards the rocks that marked the bulk of the island. Scott took Bruno off his leash, and Rhea loosed Bodie; both dogs galloped after it at a ground-eating pace. The male Bershermer got there first, and grabbed the disc out of mid-air, but Bodie chased him, trying to sink her teeth in for a game of tug.
"And?" Rhea watched Bruno tease Bodie by running away, the disc in his mouth. They passed the little knot of Tracys, scattering sand as they hared off in the direction they'd come. Scott stuck his fingers in his mouth and whistled shrilly. That got the dogs' attention; Bruno skidded to a stop and looked back; Bodie caught up, grabbing the disc away, and tearing off back towards the siblings.
Virgil took up the tale as Gordon and Scott both sprinted off in chase of the dogs as they passed, while he and Rhea followed at a more sedate pace. "And we used the Mole to dig down to where he was caught, then cut the pipe to get him out." He shrugged. "One of our easier rescues, to tell the truth."
"Except for where you buried the equipment."
Virgil gave his sister an accusing look. "So, you did listen in on the debrief. For the record, I didn't bury it. Gordon did."
"I only caught the tail end of it. From Gordon's tone I thought something horrible had happened!" She shook her head. "It was nice of him to send the kid a new soccer ball."
"Well, he lost the other one down the drain when we pulled him out." Virgil chuckled. "In fact, he was screaming about it until Alan patched Deke in, and calmed the boy down in Korean. I have a feeling Alan told him he'd get a new one, but Gordon thought about it, too."
"Good thinking." Rhea took her brother's arm as they padded across the damp sands. Gordon and Scott were now playing "monkey in the middle" with Bruno and Bodie as the "monkeys". It didn't take long for one of them – Bodie this time – to jump high enough and grab the disc. She trotted off with it, avoiding Gordon's halfhearted grab at her (which she answered with a throaty growl), a panting Bruno following in her wake.
"Looks like those two could use some water," Virgil said. He climbed up onto the fine, warm sands and crouched down, opening the bottle of water, then pouring some of it carefully into the bowl. This time, Rhea whistled, grabbing the attention of both dogs.
She made a "come here" motion, a sharp movement of her hand toward her waist. Bruno and Bodie changed direction and came back to their mistress, and the water bowl that awaited them.
As they lapped up their drink, Rhea asked, "How's Eva? Any plans to see her soon?"
Virgil huffed a chuckle, craning his neck up to see his sister. "I was hoping to pilot on the way back from picking you up and have a layover in Vancouver so I could see her. Heck, I'd have spent the week and let whoever flies you back pick me up on the way home. But..." He shrugged. "She's busy; it's catalog season and she's working hard. Besides, Canada doesn't celebrate Thanksgiving when we do so she wouldn't have had any time off." Bruno finished his drink, his jowls carrying water away to drip on the sands. Virgil refilled the bowl for Bodie, who lapped the water noisily.
"Well, I for one would have missed you," Rhea told him as he straightened and capped the bottle. "I hear you're getting ready for that show."
He nodded. "Yep. If your interview accomplished anything, it reminded me I had some work to do." Bodie finished her drink, and Virgil stooped over to dump the remaining water out and pick the bowl up again. "I'm going to see if Eva can meet me there for a few days; we can go to the reception together then prowl around the city some more."
"If Dad lets you have the time off," Scott said as he joined them. He looked pointedly at his watch. "We'd better head back; it's getting dark."
"Okay," Rhea said. "How about we run the dogs back to the house? They haven't exactly had a whole lot of exercise here."
Gordon came up, a sour look on his face, and a baggie in hand. "Bodie did her business over on the beach, and Bruno saluted one of the palm trees. I've stirred the sands where they peed, and picked up Bodie's... uh..." He gestured with the bag.
"We get the picture, Gords. Just don't forget to pick up Bruno's bag on the way back," Virgil said, chuckling again. "Who wants to race me and Bodie?" He began to stretch his arms above his head, and did a few lunges to limber up his legs.
"If I didn't have the toys and the scooper, I'd take you on in a cold minute," Gordon groused.
Scott and Rhea exchanged glances; he raised a questioning eyebrow, which made Rhea look thoughtful for a moment. Then she shook her head, her nose wrinkling up and her lips twisting into a dismissive expression.
"Nah," she said, giving Gordon a sly look. "He can bring up the rear. Virge, why don't you give him the water bottle and bowl to carry?"
"Hey! Since when did I become the pack horse?" Gordon cried, as Virgil handed over the bowl and water bottle. Rhea took both leashes, and draped them around Gordon's neck, then stretched her legs in preparation.
"Gordon, do you really think Bodie would let you chase me all the way back to the house?" Rhea said between stretches. "She'd bring you down the way..." The memory of Bodie standing on her assailant's back rose up, and she stopped suddenly, then shook her head sharply, as if to dispel the memory. "... the way she brought down the guy who stole my bag the other day."
"Who says I'd be chasing you?" Gordon challenged, wagging his eyebrows.
"Let's get on with it already," Scott said, impatiently looking at his watch. "Leashes off, I take it?"
"Yeah. Let them have a really good run." Rhea finished her stretching and headed up to the pathway they'd taken down.
"Come on, Bodie!" Virgil had already trotted over to the pathway's base, and was waving his arm the way he'd seen Rhea do. "Let's go!" He started up the path, calling for the dog. But neither Bodie nor Bruno would follow without Rhea's command.
"Bruno, Bodie, come!" Rhea and Scott took off, and the dogs followed, leaving Gordon in their wake.
xxxx
"Sorry we're late." Rhea and Gordon stepped down into the lounge from the study. The smell of fresh coffee and chocolate cake made Rhea breathe in appreciatively. Virgil and Scott were already seated, while Brains was talking quietly with John. "I had to unload the pack horse here," she added, hooking a thumb over one shoulder.
Jeff blinked once, twice, then shook his head. "I think I don't want to know." He glanced around the room, making eye contact with everyone, including Alan, whose communications portrait was active, and Lady Penelope, who was also present via comm link. The aristocrat, dressed in a blue sweater set and pearls, looked fresh and alert. She occasionally sipped from a delicate teacup of fine bone china, though she would not eat in front of the camera. When she saw Rhea, she smiled. "Rhea, my dear, how are you?"
"I'm feeling better now that I've had some sun, and I'll really feel good after eating Grandma's chocolate cake." Rhea shot a grateful smile at Patricia, who was seated on a sofa, next to Tin-Tin. "How are you?" she continued as she took a slice of cake from the serving cart, then settled herself into a chair. Kyrano brought her a cup of coffee, pouring cream and offering sugar. She fixed the drink to her liking, and sipped it before setting cup and saucer down on the coffee table, and taking a bite of her cake.
"I am very well, thank you." Penelope touched her lips with a linen napkin. "I am scheduled to go shooting with Sir Jeremy Hodge later this afternoon. Purely business, you understand."
"Of course." Whatever Rhea thought of her father's relationship with Penelope, she kept it firmly under wraps. She and the aristocrat-cum-model were unlikely friends, having met at one of François Lemaire's New York shows. Though Rhea had not been impressed by the fashions, she had been suitably impressed by the model, and when confronted by Penelope after the show, told her so. Penelope made it a point to visit Rhea when in New York, and was responsible for the security of Rhea's home. She worked closely with Marilee Henderson on security matters that affected both Tracy Ventures and International Rescue, which meant if Jeff Tracy knew it, Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward very likely did, too.
"Now that everyone is settled," Jeff said, rising from his desk chair and coming around to stand before the group, "let's get down to business." He took a deep breath. "First of all, I have an apology to make. Scott, Alan, Virgil and Gordon, I'm sorry I haven't brought you into the loop regarding this project before now. Brains suggested more than once that I should, and this afternoon, John, Brains, Tin-Tin and Rhea ganged up on me and convinced me that I shouldn't wait until everything was ready to tell you. Which brings us to why we're here tonight." He caught the gaze of each son in turn, then nodded at John.
John returned the nod, and turned his attention to his brothers. "Back in January, I discovered that a line of asteroids were coming in from outside the system, moving in the direction of the sun. The WSA's sensors picked them up not long afterward. No one is sure where these things came from; the deep space probe Far Horizons 3 is scheduled to be launched late next year in an effort to backtrack along the asteroids' flight path and gather more information." He activated a hologram projector. Jeff turned the lights down, and suddenly, the solar system in miniature hung suspended over the coffee table, a blinking red dot representing the asteroids. "They're dark colored, probably mostly carbon in nature, which made them difficult to spot. It's why WSA's sensors didn't detect them at first. We sent up a set of probes in July, and they finally made contact with the lead asteroids about a week ago. This shows their current position as of earlier today."
"I'm a bit confused here." Virgil frowned, directing his attention to his father. "Obviously you think this is a danger that we have to do something about, right?" When Jeff nodded, Virgil continued. "So, why haven't we heard anything about these asteroids before now?" He paused, looking thoughtful, then his face cleared. "Unless... do you mean the ones that the World Gov astronomers are saying will pass us by at close range?" He sat back and lifted his hands, palms up. "They've assured everyone that they're not coming anywhere near us."
"In a way they're r-right, Virgil." Brains got up from his seat. "This is the path that the, uh, World Government believes the asteroids will take. The, uh, trajectory definitely takes the a-asteroids away from Earth." A touch of a laser stylus, and a yellow line curved its way between planets, to pass by the blue-green globe at a relatively safe distance. "The unlikelihood of a direct strike on the Earth has n-never been in, uh, doubt. However, the observations that John and I have been making, uh, from Thunderbird F-Five have brought us to the d-distressing conclusion that the lead asteroids will hit the moon."
The laser stylus came into play again, and a red line appeared. It paralleled the yellow line for a bit, then gradually separated from it well before intersecting with the moon. "Some of the i-impact will follow this, uh, pattern." The moon's image swelled up into prominence, showing clearly its gray, pockmarked surface. A jagged line of red dots represented asteroid hits. Blue dots nearby were marked with the names of the various moon stations. "We believe that whatever asteroids don't actually, uh, hit the stations will land quite close and are large enough to create severe m-moonquakes," Brains explained. "We've checked our vector calculations very carefully and are certain they are, uh, correct."
"So, either the lunar stations will suffer direct hits or be destroyed by moon quakes?" Scott sounded incredulous. "I'm having trouble seeing this happening."
"Me, too. Your trajectory and those that the World Gov has published seem to be very different," Gordon said. "According to your calculations, could some of the asteroids hit Earth?"
"If any of them did," John said, his tone firm, "they would probably burn up in the atmosphere." He shrugged. "It all depends on what they're made of."
"But, if you can see this, surely others can as well," Alan said, a thoughtful frown on his face. "How come no one else is speaking out?"
"They are being suppressed, Alan." Penelope spoke, her tone grave. "I have it from Lord Silton that the government does not want to cause a general alarm and panic, especially since the majority of their own astronomers are, shall we say, following the party line and denying this eventuality. Those who have spoken up and tried to call attention to the truth have disappeared, or been stripped of all credibility through underhanded means. There have been reports of coercion, of kidnapping..." Her voice grew cold and very, very calm. "This simply Will. Not. Do." She stopped, took a deep breath, and gave Brains a small, sere smile. "But we know the truth, and what must be done."
"Suppressed?" Scott still sounded skeptical.
"Scott, you remember Tatiana Rafalko, my friend from Harvard?" John asked, his gaze fixed firmly on his older brother. When Scott nodded, John closed his eyes briefly. "She's missing. A lot of astronomers who would have told the truth are missing, and some are dead." He shook his head. "I don't hold out much hope that she's still alive, either." His voice hardened. "Where the World Gov hasn't been doing the job, then count on it: Tellus Prime has been."
Gordon glanced over at Rhea, who had been quiet up until now. "So, is this where you tell us where Tracy Ventures comes in?"
Rhea smiled slightly. "I think for you to understand my part, you should hear the plan first." She nodded at her father. "Commander."
The simple use of that word made her brothers sit up and take notice. Jeff came out of the shadows and turned up the lights a small amount. He left the hologram projector on, and stood to one side of it. "Ever since we understood the danger, we've been trying to prepare for it as best we could. We decided on a three level attack, with each level implemented if the ones before it looked inadequate." He reached behind his desk and pulled out a silver ball, about the size of a volleyball. "This is phase one. Brains?"
"W-What the Commander is holding is a prototype, a piece of a deflector net." Brains moved back over to the hologram generator. "It's an offshoot of our new f-flying camera. The idea is to s-surround the moon with layers of these, uh, devices." The moon's image pulled back, to show the satellite in full, and a series of dots rose up from its surface. "They use our anti-gravity technology to float, then connect with one another, creating a force field gr-grid that can, uh, deflect incoming debris." A cutaway view showed five layers around the moon, each a different color. "The field is flexible, and the devices themselves are, uh, shielded, with multiple redundancies b-built in, making them hard to destroy." There was a very realistic representation of several asteroids coming in to hit the net. A few small explosions were seen, and an asteroid fell through the "hole" created to be destroyed against the next lower layer. "The layer at the bottom is the strongest in terms of, uh, tensile strength."
He shook his head. "I'm told by Rhea that there's some, uh, question about making them strong enough to deflect the, uh, asteroids and keep them intact."
"It's a battery issue," Tin-Tin explained, sitting forward so she could see everyone. "So far there has been nothing on the market that will provide enough power for both the anti-gravity and the force shield."
"The flying camera doesn't have this problem," Scott said, his voice and slight frown showing a touch of skepticism. "I don't see why this..." He gestured toward the ball. "... this deflector point would have it."
Virgil shot him a look. "The flying camera is rechargeable, Scott, and only uses a fraction of its battery power even with all the things it can do."
Tin-Tin nodded. "Not only will the force shield use a good deal of power, the points will likely be floating in place for hours, perhaps days before activation. This will drain the battery significantly before it's even needed."
"And until we can solve the energy supply issues," Rhea added, "I can't put them into production."
"I see," Scott said, nodding, his face clearing. "All right. So that's phase one. What's phase two?"
Jeff, who had been leaning against the desk, stood straight again. "Phase two is evacuation of the moon stations."
"What?" Alan sat up as if stung. "How the hell are we going to do that with only Thunderbird Three?" He glanced around quickly, alarmed. "We don't have anything else!"
"Actually, Alan, we do." Rhea was speaking again. "You'll remember that Tracy Aerospace launched a new space shuttle not long ago? It's built along the lines of Thunderbird Two, with interchangeable cargo and passenger pods, as well as VTVL capabilities. We have one completed and tucked away for safety's sake. Another is set to roll off the assembly line and into testing within the next four weeks, and we should have at least six by the time they're needed. They'll be used to haul the deflector equipment to the moon, and take the station personnel away from the danger zone if not back to Earth."
Gordon's eyes shifted as if counting the people in the room. "Six shuttles, huh? Who's going to pilot them?"
"Not you, Gords," Rhea said with a chuckle. "For this phase, we'll bring in some agents, call in some favors, and hire crew outright. Whoever we hire will be working strictly for Tracy Aerospace, not IR."
Penelope spoke up. "Of course, all outside crew will be hand-chosen and fully vetted."
Jeff smiled at her. "Of course." He turned back to those sitting in the lounge. "Our main concern will be coordinating the evacuation with the individual colony directors. We're still working on that aspect."
"Actually, I don't think we'll have much trouble," John informed those present. "The colonies' project commander contacted me on behalf of all the directors some months back. They had done their own calculations, realized the danger, and found that no one else would listen. I told them we were working on it and they've been sending me data ever since."
"Data we've found very, uh, useful, too, in planning this step," Brains added.
Jeff glanced around the room, making eye contact again, and rubbed his hands together. "So, that's phase two. Any questions?"
"Yeah," Scott said, raising an eyebrow. "How much time do we have to prepare for this?"
Jeff looked at Brains, who replied, "We need to have everything ready to g-go by next August. Our, uh, timetable puts the event in mid-September."
"So, we have time. That's good." Scott sounded relieved. "So, what's phase three?"
"I think I'll let John explain phase three." Jeff stepped away from the desk and sat down.
"Phase three... yeah." John looked distinctly uncomfortable. He licked his lips and took a deep breath. "Well, ever since we realized where the asteroids were heading, I've been studying them. During the past month, I've been watching them through the astrodome, taking pictures, while Deke has helped me keep up with our own little group of probes. I've been trying to get a handle on what these are made of and how big they are. I figured that we needed to find out everything possible about them... so we could implement phase three, if need be." He made a face. "Problem is, we still don't know enough. I don't know if phase three is even feasible."
"Stop dancing around the subject, John, and tell us what we have to do." Alan sounded impatient. "I'm sure that no matter what you throw at us, we can handle it."
John shot his youngest brother a quelling look. "Blow up the larger asteroids."
The flat statement, said in such quick response to Alan's testy remarks, brought the brothers up short. "Blow up the asteroids?" Virgil asked, his eyes wide. He gave a low whistle. "Whoa. That's some tall order, John."
"Yeah, I know." John was scowling, but not at his brothers. "That's why there's got to be some in-depth study of these things. That's why we'll have to pay them a visit."
"I guess this is where Thunderbird Three comes in?" Alan was eager now, leaning forward.
"Yes," Jeff said. "However, we still have some time before the asteroids get close enough to make the trip feasible. Not only that, we'll need to discuss how International Rescue will function while the trip is made." He shook his head. "This is why I really wanted to wait to bring you boys into the loop, so we could immediately go out and do this survey. Regardless, I want you to keep your focus on our planet-side operations. They can't be suspended in lieu of this upcoming disaster."
"Indeed not," Penelope added. "It is imperative that the world sees International Rescue as still functioning normally during this time." When there was no reply, she added, "Tellus Prime and the World Government will be watching you all very carefully. They both know that IR is the only organization with the equipment, experience, and resourcefulness to deal with the threat, and the only one beyond their reach. By continuing as usual, you will cause them to think you are perhaps unaware of the matter. It is simple camouflage."
"I still don't get those Tellus Prime nut jobs. Why would they want to stop us?" Gordon asked, puzzled. "I mean, don't they want to save the Earth?"
"Their agenda is far more complex than that, Gordon," Penelope said softly, "and they see this event as an opportunity to achieve some of their goals. So – as John indicated - they, too, are suppressing the truth wherever and whenever they can... and using far more permanent and bloody means to do so."
There was a moment of quiet at that statement, then Scott ventured, "So what happened the other day...?" He glanced toward Rhea.
"We are very sure it was their handiwork, yes," Penelope replied. "Their latest actions rather confirm it."
"Latest actions?" Virgil glanced from Penny to Rhea.
Rhea huffed out a quick breath. "My two assailants are dead. One was found in a dumpster outside of Gamma building and the other... the other was found on my front doorstep."
This time, it was Gordon who let out the low whistle, his eyes wide. "Wow," was all he could actually verbalize.
"'Wow', indeed, Gordon. A significant warning," Penny added. She paused long enough to fix Rhea with a firm gaze. "One that I am certain Rhea will heed as far as her personal safety is concerned."
Rhea colored, but she looked away from Penny's earnest scrutiny. "Yes, yes, I'll be careful," she muttered.
Virgil moved closer to the hologram, squinting at the cutaway, and humming thoughtfully. "Brains, I think I may have an idea for you here." When he saw he had Brains's and Tin-Tin's attention, he explained. "Bubbles. Instead of making the force field project as planes, have it project as a sphere. That way you don't actually have to shield the device; the field itself does that. It might lead to some uncovered pockets here and there..."
"Th-That's a good idea, Virgil," Brains said, nodding and smiling. "Let's run some, uh, simulations..."
"If you'll excuse us, everyone?" Virgil, Tin-Tin, and Brains barely waited for the responses before heading from the room, walking close together and brainstorming every step of the way.
John watched them go, and shut off the holographic projector. He sauntered over to Alan's portrait. "Have Deke ping the probes every other day for now and then download..."
Rhea sipped her coffee and watched Gordon help their grandmother to her feet. "Land's sakes! What a project!" she declared as she stood and stretched. "Your father made a wise decision to bring you in sooner rather than later..."
Jeff was speaking with Penelope; he was standing close to her portrait and using a low tone that Rhea couldn't really hear. That left Scott, who wandered over and snagged his sister's half-eaten piece of cake. "Hey! I'm not done with that!"
She reached out a hand, her attitude expectant. Scott looked at it, snorted, and handed the plate back to her. She favored him with a smug smile and a regal nod, then sat down cross-legged on a chair to finish her dessert.
"So," Scott began as Rhea took another bite of her cake. He picked up the remains of Virgil's abandoned slice, and began to fork up a bite. "Tellus Prime is gunning for Tracy Ventures, huh?"
Rhea finished chewing, and chased the cake down with some coffee. "They haven't exactly claimed responsibility for the kidnapping attempt or what happened to my attackers, but it's a good guess that they're behind it. After all, they were behind that commotion back in September."
Scott swallowed his large bite, but still sprayed a few crumbs as he said, "I suppose you'll be beefing up your home security?" It was more of a statement than a question.
"Yes, and I might even start traveling with visible bodyguards, too." She made a face. "I bet Mother Hen will insist on that." Pausing, she added, "It might be a good time for a personnel review, too, as far as security is concerned. I can have Marilee pose it as a clearance review and maybe we can smoke out the Tellus Prime people at Ventures."
Scott frowned, his fork halfway to his mouth. "That's assuming there are any."
Rhea gave him a sad smile, and putting her fork down on her plate, reached out to pat his knee. "Scott, in this case, it's not an assumption. It's a given. This group has to have someone, very probably more than one someone, on the Ventures payroll. Trying to smoke them out will be like finding a needle in a haystack, but we have to try."
Jeff had finished his conversation with Penelope, and now the aristocrat was saying her goodbyes. "Well, I must be off. Rhea, I have received a catalog from François; his latest designs are too, too French, I feel, but there are some pieces that intrigue me. His show will take place in two months; however, I have declined to model for it. Other things take precedence, you know."
"Yes, I do." Rhea returned the smile. "I'll talk to you again soon."
"Yes, please ring me up sometime. It would be pleasant to just chat without the world's fate hanging over our heads, like the sword of Damocles."
"It would be at that. Have a good day, Penny."
"I shall. Au revoir, everyone." The live feed cut out, replaced by Penelope's portrait, the one with the pink pearls.
"Hey, Ray!" Alan called from his portrait. "I'd been wondering why you said I wouldn't be racing much. Scott said that you might know something I didn't. I reckon you had this mess in mind when you did that interview."
Rhea made a sour face. "Yeah, Alan, that's what I was thinking. Figured neither you nor Brains would have the time. Was I wrong? Do you have any races lined up?"
Alan looked thoughtful, then nodded. "Actually, yeah, I do. Parola Sands next spring. The car's already in production... Brains said something about 'geared steering'."
Rhea winced. "I'm sorry, Alan. I should be more up on what you're doing. Listen, can you send me a schedule or something? I'd like to be there, if I can."
"Don't know much about a 'schedule' as this is the only race I have planned, but I'll send you the details." He shrugged. "You can at least watch it on vid if you can't make it out."
"Thanks, Alan. I'll do what I can to be there." She punctuated her statement with a yawn. "Gah! Still feeling the jet lag!"
Alan laughed. "Well, I'll take that as a sign to quit and hit the hay myself. G'night, everyone!"
Those still in the lounge said their goodnights, and Alan's portrait winked out, too.
"That was great cake, Grandma," Rhea said as she rose, taking her empty dishes to the serving cart. "Great coffee, too, Kyrano. Thanks!"
"You are most welcome, Miss Rhea." The retainer bowed, then took Rhea's dishes from her.
"You have a smear on your cheek, Rhea dear," Patricia said, reaching up with a napkin. Two brushes, and she smiled in satisfaction. "There. All gone."
"Thanks, Grandma." Rhea kissed Patricia on the forehead. "I need to take the dogs out for one last walkies before bed. Scott? You want to help?"
Scott shook his head. "Sorry, Ray. I need a smoke, and I know how you feel about that." He patted down his pockets to find his cigarettes, moving toward the balcony as he did so.
His sister just shook her head, and meandered toward the door, yawning and stretching as she did so.
xxxx
In England, Penelope summoned her butler. He appeared in the double doors to her drawing room.
"Yus, milady?"
"Parker, I have a job for you," she said, slipping a cigarette into her long, black holder. Parker came forward with a lighter, and lit the cigarette for her. She took a drag, and let the smoke out slowly.
"I want you to contact our operative at Tracy Ventures. Tell him to check the records of Therese Archibeque, Long Nzuyen, Dr. Emilio Chavez, Marilee Henderson, and each member of Miss Tracy's security detail. I do not remember the name of the other person in Miss Tracy's office, but he will know it and he should check their records as well."
"Beggin' your pardon, milady, but wot h'exactly h'are we lookin' for?" Parker asked.
"Anything that would indicate a possible betrayal of our cause or a danger to our friends." Penny took another draught of her cigarette. "We must keep our endeavors on target."
Parker nodded gravely, once. "Yus, milady."
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I love the sibling stuff at the beginning of this chapter :) Poor Gordon, turned into a pack mule.
and yay Penelope and Parker!
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Just dropping in to let you know that I have, indeed, finished reading up to this point. YAY! Something more helpful will be along, but until then, yep, still here. Still having fun.
Before I pop in with anything constructive, a few questions for you:
1) We keep talking word counts because of NaNo, but I'm wondering, how far along are you to a complete first draft, and what is your total word count then?
2) This may seem like a silly question, but as I'm reading along and making notes, do you want me reading with my fic brain or my somewhat professional brain? Again, I know it's odd, but it will make a difference in how I comment about things like pacing and such if I know if you're looking to hear from me strictly in a "hey, this is only a fun fic" sense or from a "I want do to something more as a writer" sense. It became one of those weird moments for me as I was reading the homecoming chapter as I realized I didn't know how you wanted me to look at this, so ...
Anyhoo, I will hopefully be able to go back to the next chapter tonight and get started on some comments for you. Until then, I'm having fun. It's been a joy to read, and I don't see any signs of that changing at all. YAY!
Later!
*hugs of encouragement on the way*
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Okay. Word count vis a vis finished draft.
I wrote this, or started writing this as it was far, far from finished, during 2007's NaNoWriMo. I wrote over 50K; in fact, I may have written over 70K. (I haven't been keeping track of my final word counts per year.) Most of what I wrote back then was Rhea's stuff: her background, her scenes, her parts of the story. There wasn't a lot of the boys in it except as it related to her. I knew then that I would have to write all the inbetween stuff with them later, and that's what I started doing back in August for Camp NaNoWriMo. I had a hard time stuffing my inner editor in a box then, too, which made my word count during that time pretty abysmal. So, as far as finished product, this is probably it so far.
Having said that, I've decided to be a NaNo Rebel this year, and instead of starting something that I won't finish, I'm going to focus on finishing this. So, more will be coming and it will be way, way rougher than this stuff is because I AM going to put my inner editor in a box and tape it shut. Not sure about the final word count, but I promise it won't be as long as The White Winds!
AS for how I'd like you to look at it, definitely more of a "I want to do something more as a writer", with a really critical eye towards Rhea. I think you've been doing that already, really.
I appreciate this sooo much!
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Hey, I think being a rebel works however you want it to. You have to write what you want, but if having that benchmark and/or pressure of a deadline to work with helps you, I'm all for it. Rebel on, baby!
All righty then. The writer commentary it is. Because there are things that, in a fic-only kind of light, work, but if you're looking at them from a writerly perspective, they are something I would immediately cut for pacing. No worries; I'll get back to them here shortly. I should be able to do the next chapter tonight.
Until then, have a simply fantastic rest of the afternoon. Happy shlepping of the brood!