Archive of Our Own ^beta

When Scott Was Born

Scott had always been proud of the fact that he had been born in space.

August 2062 - Tracy Island

“Thank you for all coming to my lab, I’ve just concluded testing on a project that your father set in motion many years before his… disappearance.” Brains pulled up a schematic and knew that all five brothers were all watching him intently.

John recognised part of it immediately, “Dad had me working on some stats for this too, Brains, he wanted precise locations to points and times regarding his second Moon Base mission.” He halted himself with a quick rare smile, as he remembered that both of his parents were on that particular mission. “Sorry I mean their mission!”

Scott looked up at him with a wry smile, “I was there too!”

“Yeah well you didn’t count, you were just a baby!” And the whole family joined in the banter as to who was technically the first of them to have a mission in space – Scott tried to claim it, having been conceived and born at the Moon Base but the others weren’t agreeing to that.

Brains smiled warmly at them just being themselves, but then he needed to keep them focused. “Yes John, your calculations have been added into the project and have been invaluable.” He was trying to keep this as light as he could, he knew what was coming and wasn’t sure how the boys would take.

Brains proceeded to give as much information as they needed and nothing more. He noted the occasional raised eyebrow from them, a questioning look, but this had been one of their father’s projects, Brains was just completing his wishes. It had become the be-all-and-end-all of Jeff Tracy’s existence, hidden for years deep within his heart.

The whole reason for International Rescue.

Brains explained that the project was a transport vehicle for one particular rescue. “Thunderbird-X.” and he unveiled the schematics for that alongside his others.

The genuine rush of admiration from the boys pleased him, she was a beautiful craft, much larger but similar in some ways to the new Thuderbird-S he had completed for Kayo. The main distinction was that this craft was obviously built for space travel. Her double engines mounted either side of her slender fuselage showed what power she had but there was something else, something that the boys were trying to work out, generators of some kind.

“But how could Dad have known that this rescue would be coming?” A reasonable question voiced by the youngest boy. “I don’t understand!” No one ribbed him for it, mainly because they all felt the same.

Brains answered his question with the explanation that this rescue had always been coming – and for the first time, expressed how important it had been to their father that they followed his instructions and asked as few questions as they could.

“O k a y then.” Scott spoke slowly as he looked across to John, this was something big, but if their dad wanted it done, well then they would just get on and do what was required.

Brains then ushered them through doors they had never seen before to stand eventually in a unknown silo – in front of the new craft herself – Thunderbird-X – dark and sinister with swift space capabilities. How the hell had Brains and their dad built it in secret, right there under their noses?

New uniforms too for this mission – all black with no insignia - pressure suits like John’s with additions that worried them all. Brains gave more explanations, it was imperative that they were not recognised or traced, as for the additions they were to aid survival of the journey there and back. This just led them to worried more.

Gordon looked at Virgil who in turn looked across at Scott.

Brains could feel the anxiety rising in them to a pitch he may not be able to contain any further.

“You just have to trust your father that this is the most important rescue of your lives, years in the planning and vital that you complete successfully.” And for once Brains’ stutter was silenced – and that in itself showed them just how significant the project was.

Each of them was sent away to prepare. Brains had repeated several times that time was of the essence and the rescue mission was to launch immediately, even so, and somewhat inevitably Scott called a secret meeting of just the boys – but then Brains knew he would.

“Am I right about the co-ordinates of this rescue?” Scott looked to John and Alan.

“I don’t get it, yes, it’s the old Moon Base, but…” Alan was awkwardly half smiling, confusion spread right across his face.

“But the Moon Base was destroyed in the meteor storm.” John finished for him as he wrapped an arm round Alan’s shoulder in solidarity with the boys confusion.

“I know, I was there remember!” Scott wiped his hand across his face. “It’s deserted, why the hell are we mounting a rescue there – and for who?”

The take-off was so easy that Alan found himself enjoying the new TB-X craft. If he didn’t know it would annoy his brothers, he would have screamed “WEEEEEEEEEEEEE!” as the g-force pushed him back into his seat. She handled like a charm and within minutes they were out into the black velvet void of space.

John was monitoring her systems, Scott trying to make sense of the holomap Brains had given him to study, purposefully devoid of most landmarks or reference points. And all the time Brains was watching them working together on their father’s most precious project.

Virgil pushed Gordon’s hair back before resting a cooling hand on his forehead, Gordon stirred only enough to open his eyes and acknowledge Virgil’s presence in the tiny sickbay.

“How you doing?” Virgil’s voice was low and comforting.

Gordon took a little time then nodded slowly, his usual reply, he was fine!

“Oh yeah, sure you are, no problems here, are there Gordon? You’re just fine!” Virgil smiled down at him as Gordon closed his eyes again and wished with all his heart that his damned space sickness would just go away.

Back in the rear cockpit, Scott looked up as Virgil came through.

“How’s he doing?”

“Same, looks like shit, feels like shit but still saying he’s okay.” Virgil reached for the coffee modules, cracking the seal on a decaf. “Y’know, it beats me every time I see him with space sickness. You can put him down of the deck of the tiniest boat in a force 8 gale, waves 40 foot high, the boat bucking and rocking like crazy, enough to make me feel sick watching him from TB-2. But he’ll stick to the deck like he’s glued on and never feel a thing, but put him in space and he can’t even stand up. I just don’t get it!”

Scott shook his head, “Me neither, 24 hours and he’ll have adapted to weightlessness, won’t he?”

John gave a wry smile, “Gordon? Ah well, our little brother’s a bit of an anomaly there – I’ve known him take over three days on TB-5 to adjust!”

“Mmm but he doesn’t have three days on this rescue gentlemen, we are somewhat…” Brains was aware of the number of times he had said it but said it again anyway. “Time restricted. At this stage I do not know quite what to expect – how much time you will have to complete the rescue.”

“Go on.” John had raised an eyebrow at him, “In what way are we time restricted – by what?”

Brains always knew it would be John who would need to know the technical details behind the project, he was going to be the difficult one to fob off with half explanations.

“We’re approaching the Moon Base now, Brains.” Alan interrupted, then jolted in his seat,

“Whoh! What the hell is that!”

They all leaned in to see, visible to the naked eye some 400 miles ahead of them was a vortex, spinning calmly in iridescent blue light.

“Is it a black hole?”

“Doesn’t look right for a black hole, too small.” Alan began to manoeuvre closer.

“No Alan,” Brains’ hands clamped down on his shoulders firmly. “You need to approach the vortex from these precise co-ordinates – a single degree out and we may well miss our mission entirely!”

“What? Are we going through this thing?” Scott’s concern mirrored them all.

“You must trust me, the calculations are precise, I have run so many models on this…”

“MODELS!” John’s disbelief was tangible. “You expect us to go in there on modelling calculations?”

Scott came to stand boldly in front of Brains, “No! We go no further Brains until we know what we’re going into and why!” John moved to stand shoulder to shoulder with him as Virgil moved swiftly to join in. “Alan, hold our position!”

“No Alan proceed.” Brains was equally firm, “Our very existence depends on it – you must trust me, time is of the essence. We have been generating this vortex ourselves since we left Earth’s atmosphere, it is a pathway through which we must travel to reach the rescue site.”

“So the rescue is not on the old Moon Base?”

“Not exactly,” Brains had found that balance needed between commanding them forwards whilst still not telling them enough to freak them out.

“What do I do? We’re already being dragged in – what do you want me to do?” Alan hauled at the controls. “No, it’s too late we’re going through, I can’t stop us!”

The drag increased their speed, they held on as TB-X hurtled towards the soft swirl of blue light, rattling vibration deafened them, took them off their feet, put pressure on their skulls but within seconds they passed and all was silent.

Well almost, Gordon hauled himself into the cockpit and sat slumped up against the gangway. “Hey, what I miss?”

The Moon Base was again clearly visible as they approached, but the view was not as they remembered. It shone out in pristine condition, not even fully complete as they approached. Three wings were still under construction, though it was clear that no work was being done right then.

Brains was checking the scanner over and over. “It has already occurred! We are already running late!”

Scott pulled him round by the shoulder. “Now Brains! NOW! We need to know what just happened and we need to know what you are up against.”

Brains conceded, it was time to give them a little more to work with – oh how he wished Jeff was here to explain it to them.

“The vortex has taken us back in time to an incident that should have destroyed the base and killed everyone in it. Your father knew what was needed to save the crew that worked here and set up this project for you, his sons, to help them survive.”

The expressions on the five boys faces were identical – disbelief, utter complete disbelief.

“Not possible!” Scott uttered.

John frowned, “Maybe it is, theoretically, it has been for a while now.”

“But is that ethical?” Virgil was asking, “We could be changing the history of the Earth itself by coming back to save the lives of people who otherwise would not have lived. Things will change – there will be…”

Brain’s held up an urgent hand. “No, again you will just have to trust me, trust your father, no lives will be changed. BUT fail to complete this rescue and thousands of lives will be lost, literally thousands. Please, you must trust me, we have very little time.”

Scott looked round at his brothers. “Well?”

“You have no time to debate it, I’m sorry, Alan land at the northwest docking port. Scott and John, you will find that the Idris culcession plant is failing, there was a small electrical explosion caused by condensation about a week ago but now it is deflected ironizing particles into the life support modules and releasing Idris gasses. Your task is to stabilize the life support and repair the Idris culcessor. And one last important detail, keep your helmets on and your visors in shadow mode, you must not be recognised – do you understand!” It wasn’t a question.

TB-X landed, locking into the docking port.

“You will need to hurry!” And Brains nearly pushed the two oldest brothers through the air lock. “Gordon are you up to this now?”

He nodded, standing as tall as he could beside Virgil.

“Good because you two have another most essential task. Most of the crew will already be evacuated as far as the sickback, but by now they will have been rendered unconscious by Idris gasses.” Brains gulped, “Only one crew member should be conscious, a man in a separate chamber, aim to reach him first, his knowledge will be invaluable. You have two re-pressurising units with you, seal off the sickbay, clean the air there and keep it pressurised. Go! Go! We have very little time!”

“And me?” Alan called from the pilot seat – the look on Brains’ face told him the answer, “Okay, okay, I know ‘stay on board TB-X to maintain communications and secure TB-X for our exit’” he mimicked Brains perfectly, “Yeah – got it!”

Brains smiled at him as he followed Virgil and Gordon.

“Do you believe all this?” Scott was working back to back with John in the cramped Idris chamber.

“D’you know what? I kinda do.” John’s reply surprised Scott and he tried to turn to check out the expression on John’s face in the iridescent glow of the gasses. “There was always something that trouble Dad, I could never find out what. He would stand on TB-5’s ring and look out at the Moon as though it haunted him. I asked, but he was always slightly evasive. And just think of all those times we couldn’t find him even though we knew he was on the island – no, I kinda get this. He was always working towards rescuing the Moon Base. Mom always said it was like his second home, she was fond of it too.” John turned to almost face Scott, “You must have some affection? You were born here.”

Scott wasn’t sure, the last time he had been here, the place had tried to kill him. Affection? No, he wouldn’t say that. “No, I don’t remember…”

“Scott! I don’t like the look of this!” John interrupted as he flicked a relay again and again – no response.

“So…, are you okay with all this Virg?” Gordon wasn’t prone to nervousness but this was way out of his comfort zone, give him three miles of sea water over his head any day!

They were searching each compartment methodically, making their way to the sickbay marked on their own scant schematic. This was just another rescue, like thousands of rescues before it. Search, recover, treat, rescue. Time after time they had worked together through one compartment after another on countless types of crafts - land, sea and space. So why was this one spooking them quite so badly?

Time travel – seriously?

Virgil took his time to answer. “I honestly don’t know, bro, I’m struggling to get my head round it – everything I know about time travel…”

“Comes from the movies? Yeah me too.”

“It can’t be right to change history like this, it’s not moral or… something!”

They had reached the sickbay doors and slid inside to avoid the gasses entering with them but it was already too late, there were 9 casualties, none of which were conscious. Virgil set up the sealant and began cleaning of the air whilst Gordon searched for the separate chamber.

“Got it!” He called, he could see through small port windows that there was someone already being treated on a bed but the door would not budge. At the base of the door a man was braced up against it opening. Trying with his own body to hold back the gasses entering the side ward.

“Hey, Hey! Can you hear me!” Gordon called, “It’s okay we’re cleaning the air, you can let me in!”

“No.” came the flat reply in the weakest of thin voices. “No, not until the air is clean!”

Gordon shrugged and looked to Virgil who merely shrugged back.

“Okay but it’ll take a minute – how is your casualty doing?”

But this time there was no reply.

In the minutes that ticked by while the air was cleaned, both brothers tended the casualties they could reach – oxygen was what was needed, even so none of them made a quick recovery.

The sharp chirrup from the cleaning unit alerted Gordon that it had finished its cycle and as it pressurised the sealed room, he made his was to shove with all his might and push the man away from the door to gain access.

The woman laying on her side in the bed, lifted her head just a little as Gordon came in, he could see little more than the top of her head and one eye, then a hand waving slowly at the prone man behind the door.

“My husband! Is he okay?”

Willingly Gordon knelt and turned the man slightly to check.

The cry that emanated from Gordon, seared through the base on all the boys coms. A cry of terror, of horror, of what exactly?

A throng of voices echoed back, all asking what had happened? Was he okay? Where was he? All at the same time with no clarity at all.

Not that it mattered to Gordon, for what he had seen had bottomed out his blood pressure in one massive drop, he’d ripped off his helmet in a vain attempt to gasp for more air despite all the warnings and then passed out on the decking to lay side by side with the man.

The hands that wrapped around him, to reassure him, instantly stopped still as his brothers recognised the man and then also his wife. Gordon was left where he was as they too realised the implications of what they saw. John was frozen like a statue. Virgil had dropped to his knees. Alan had been caught by the shoulders as he came running to Gordon’s rescue, Scott through some inborn instinct had grasped the boy and held him inwards to his chest, hands over Alan’s eyes until Scott himself could assimilate what he was seeing.

Brains walked passed them all, reached down and comforted the man.

“It’s okay Commander Tracy, we are a rescue team, your base is being repaired and if I can just revive our two obstetrician here,” he place his other hand on Gordon’s side and looked over to the dazed Virgil. “Then we can go ahead and get this baby born.” But Jeff was out of it again and hadn’t heard a thing. So Brains turned his attention instead to Gordon, sitting him up, feeling the other brothers glaring at the back of his head until Brains knew he had to turn and face them all.

“Boys, I cannot imagine the shock you must be in seeing your parents again.” He spoke quietly to the brothers alone so that Lucille heard nothing. “But by now, you must understand, if we did not come and rescue your father and mother, then none of you would ever have been born. Your father, this man here, won’t know who you are yet but he will begin to understand the significance. He will cover up all evidence of you being here and work his whole life long to make what he knew did happen, actually happen.”

Ever the practical, John asked, “You’ve somehow used Vernalls’ Cycle of Time theory and made it work?”

Brains nodded, “Yes, in the months to come your father here will begin to research the possibilities. He and Lucille are the only ones conscious, the only ones to see you. Later he will convince Lucille that you were all a figment of her imagination under the influence of the pethidine. Whilst explaining to the rescuers and his crew that he got everyone into the bunker himself and made what repairs he could to be able to call for help.”

John nodded, “That was how Dad always told us it happened. So, there is no change to the history as we know it. But you said that thousands of lives are to be saved?”

“Yes, all those lives that you and your brothers save daily with International Rescue, John.”

Scott was still struggling with what he could see, still holding Alan close in, “So this is my birth?” he asked in a voice so fragile that the answer would have shattered it to a million tiny shards.

John came to stand slightly behind him and placed his hands gently on his brother’s shoulders, supporting him before he too collapsed. “It’s okay Scott, it’s just history, your history. We know it happened. The only difference is that you can actually witness it for yourself.” He felt Scott shaking and pulled him back into his arms, embracing both his youngest and eldest brothers in one. “It’s okay Scott, we can do this.”

Lucille watched all of this. To her, these tall figures dressed all in jet black uniforms and shaded helmets must have looked like an invading force of aliens.

One of these aliens was approaching her now, on shaky legs admittedly and with his hands out to steady himself. No helmet on this one and strangely she was reassured by the looks of him. Very Earth like, a good face despite being washed out and gaunt, blonde and brown eyed.

Gosh but he reminded her of her father!

Surely, this creature wasn’t an alien?

Gordon stopped just short of reaching out for her.

“Mom?” he asked in the voice of a lost child.

And her heart went out to him, “You must have hit your head real hard on the decking there. I’m not your momma, child.” And she took his hand into hers, warm and comforting.

Gordon was drowning the a swell of emotions, he just wanted to fold into her arms, wipe away the misery of the last 9 years grief of being without her, but he didn’t seem able to move.

Virgil had come to stand beside him, his hand outstretched too, she obliged and took it gently asking. “Could you take off your helmet, please? I find it a little intimidating.”

And although she was talking to Virgil, every one of the brothers ripped off their helmets, in unison, to be seen by her. She smiled at them, at their unity, then looked at each of them in turn. Virgil also reminded her of her father and she smiled again, wondering if this was all a pethidine induced dream. The tall red head at the back of the group reminded her of Jeff’s grandfather, even down to the colour of his eyes. He and the tall dark one were unwrapping their hold on the little one. She smiled warmly at them both, such protection from the older ones, even though she wasn’t sure what from.

The little one was young, very young, she beckoned him forward.

Falteringly he stepped forwards, his eyes flicking from his mom to his two brown eyed brothers, his legs, like Gordon’s, turned to jelly.

She moved Virgil’s hand over to join Gordon’s and held them together whilst she drew in this little lad.

“You’re not very old to be out here, child.” And she wrapped her arm around him and he dissolved into her embrace.

“Help me… help me up!” Commander Jefferson Grant Tracy, conscious again, needed to take command again and was clawing at Brain’s shoulder, “My wife is having our first baby, help me over to her please.”

Scott and John instantly moved forward to help their father, the sight of him again after two long years of loss was more that they could handle, both of them shaking like leaves as they lifted him to his feet.

“Lucille, are you okay?” he called, and entirely dependent on the strength of the two strangers supporting him, he staggered to her side.

“How could I not be with such wonderful midwifes!”

He looked from one young man to the next, who were they?

His mind struggled to think straight, there had been no distress signal and even if there had been, there was no conceivable way that anyone from Earth could have got there in time for them.

So who were these young heroes?

Each one of them had so strange a shattered and stunned look upon their faces, and apart from the one word, ‘mom’, none of them had spoken. Plus, he had to admit that the way they stared at him and his wife was somewhat unnerving.

He tried to break the spell that held them so tightly that it disabled them utterly.

“My wife - she’s having a baby. Now!”

“Obstetrics – Virgil, Gordon.” Brains spoke quietly.

They both jolted at the sound of their names.

Virgil was still struck dumb, his mouth softly open, his eyes welling with tears as he watched his mother, still in disbelief. Gordon touched his arm but Virgil couldn’t move yet.

“Gordon?” Brains tried again, feeling of the two of them, that Gordon might be able to get going the soonest. Between them Virgil and Gordon had delivered countless babies, on top of mountains, under the sea, trapped by volcanos or buried by collapsed buildings. They had trained for it, they simply got on with it, but this… this was different, this was their mother.

Gordon tore his gaze away from his Mom and looked at Brains as though he only just realised he was there, “What? Oh right,” then to Lucille, “How… how far apart are the contractions?” His voice still lacked its strength but at least he was working again, checking her monitors.

“Oh there is no way I’ve been counting that!” She tried a smile but he was still a little too numb to respond. “Its my first baby, I’ve read everything about childbirth, but, let’s face it until I’ve actually given birth the once, there is no way I’m sure of what I’m doing.” She halted a moment and then decided to ask the obvious, “You two look a little young to be delivering babies – have you ever done this before?”

Gordon was looking blankly at her as though he’d just been asked to instantly calculate the joint masses of Jupiter and all her moons. Virgil was still holding her hand and had no answers yet either.

John, who was absorbing everything with a scientist’s analytic amazement, help to settle his father close to the bed and reached forward to be part of the hand holding sensation, again she obliged. Despite his own bewilderment, he kept his mind clear, kept his ability to absorb what was happening sharp and stored it all away in his memory for the future.

He smiled at her and her hand tightened on his.

He knew the numbers of babies wasn’t actually countless, “Yes, they’re both experienced, Virgil here,” and he placed his other hand comfortingly on Virgil’s shoulder, startling him into looking round. “Virgil has delivered a grand total of 23 babies and little squid here, Gordon, has 17 to his tally, 18 if you count twins as separate births. You’re in very safe hands here, I promise.” He looked at both of his shell shocked brothers, “If only we can galvanise them into action.”

“S’okay John, we’ve got this.” Virgil spoke for the first time, and looking up at Gordon, asking,

“Okay?” and got a short nod from his younger brother in reply.

“Okay, so can we clear the room of non-essential people then please?” Gordon opened both hands wide and ushered everyone to the door. “Not you Da… Commander Tracy, you’ll been needed here.”

Scott stood stock still. A pillar so ridged that Gordon could see he wouldn’t be able to move him and to be honest, he didn’t want to try either.

“You okay Scott?” He asked softly. “Scott?”

Eventually Scott turned his head to face his brother, tears toppling over the edge of his so very blue eyes. He shook his head.

Gordon wrapped an arm around him as far as he could reach. “S’okay Scott.”

But Scott shook his head again.

Lucille was catching her breath from a short bout of contractions, “Is he okay?”

Gordon wasn’t sure.

“I… I don’t… Is…?” Scott’s voice was little more than a hoarse whisper.

It was so hard for Virgil and Gordon to see their big brother, their hero falling apart but then this was an exceptional circumstance, even for the boys of International Rescue. Scott’s whole being was shattered as he watched his mother’s laboured attempts to give birth to him.

“You better stay too, c’mon.” and Gordon lead him to the bench seat alongside the bed where Jeff was now perched precariously. “Sit here.”

Jeff was watching them intently now, trying to work out for himself what was going on.

Brains and John with a reluctant Alan, had moved away as far as the door and waited in the doorway to be sure Scott was settled before Brains placed an urgent hand on John’s arm,

“Please, we have to keep going, we are time restricted. Alan you must make ready Thunderbird-X. John, we must make the necessary repair to the station before we leave to be sure that everyone here survives until help comes.”

Jeff took his chance, “But no help is coming – we’ve not been able to send a distress signal.” He eyed those left in the room, “So how did you know we were in trouble? Who are you?”

“I am sorry, Commander, but we cannot tell you this. Though I can tell you that you will work it out eventually. When you do,” Brains pulled out a neat card, “My name is Hackenbacker, and as I know you will find me anyway, I thought I would make it easier for you. This is where I will be when you come to find me.”

With Virgil and Gordon taking turns to watch over Lucille’s progress whilst still tending to the crew, it was left to Scott and Jeff to stay permanently by her side.

Jeff’s frown had deepened, he was struggling so hard to think through the muzziness of his head after the gas.

Scott stayed ridged, confused beyond belief.

“You okay son?” Jeff would have used that term for anyone 10 years younger than him, but it startled Scott so much that he physically jumped. “Hey, steady there!”

Lucille was having a little rest, she lay back on her pillows as she watched the two of them benignly.

“Do you know, you two could be brothers, look at him Jeff, same chin, same beautiful blue eyes, same dark unruly hair. Honestly, you could be related.” She reached out a hand to her son, “Tell me, do we know you from somewhere, could you be related?”

Too much! Too much! Overload!

Scott stood abruptly, what little blood left in his face drained away and he could feel himself falling but could do nothing to stop it as a blackness folded over him.

Virgil caught him just inches before he crashed to the metal decking and lifted him up and out of the room. There wasn’t a single bed left unused, so he had no choice but to lay Scott on his side on the decking as Gordon rushed to get something soft under him.

“What happened?”

“Mom just asked Scott if they could be related – said he looked so like Dad they could be brothers!” Virgil held a cooling hand to this brother’s forehead much as he had for Gordon. “Hey big bro this is no time to be lying around, come on?” But there was no response, so Virgil turned to Gordon, “Can you get back to Mom, she’s close now.”

“Okay Jefferson, I can see something’s not right and it’s not the damage to the life support system!” Lucille had got up on one elbow and was looking her sternest at him. “Spill – what’s

going on?”

“To be perfectly honest, Luc, I truly do not have an idea – there should be no one else within days of us, we sent no distress signal. But these guys are here, they’re mended the life support, they’ve sealed us off from contaminations and leaks, set up temporary air locks, they really know their stuff.” His admiration showed, but then he dropped another frown in. “And they just happen to arrive with two qualified obstetricians? Don’t you think that’s all a bit too odd?”

She began to pant again as another wave hit her, “As long as they deliver our baby safe and well…, I don’t give a damn who they are…. they’re okay by me!” She managed through gritted teeth.

Gordon was beside her now, from nowhere it seemed to her – so okay what was he? Were jet black si-fi looking space suits the new outfit for angels? What?

She gripped his hand so tightly that her nails dug into his wrist, drawing blood, until the contraction subsided. Normal red blood, not blue nor green – human not alien.

“Right!” Jeff rounded on Gordon once she settled back on the pillow. “I want to know just what’s going on and I want to know now!”

The boy felt the heat of guilt race up between his shoulder blades and into the back of his head, as he recalled a hundred occasions in his mischievous childhood, cornered by his father demanding an explanation just like this. He withdrew his hands from his mother and clasped them tightly behind his back. Instantly he was back in the study of the house in Kansas attempting to look innocent of whatever crime he was being accused of, even though he and his father both knew he wasn’t.

He desperately wanted to start his sentence with ‘sorry Dad, I didn’t mean it to happen!’ but managed to stay in control enough to actually say, “Sorry Commander, I don’t have any answers for you, you’ll have to ask Mr Hackenbacker.” And he waited while his dad eyed him with that look Gordon remembered so very well.

“Jeff, leave the boy alone, he’s doing his job, let him get on with it!” Lucille huffed, her tiredness showing in her shortness of temper. “Do me a favour, go and check on the older one who collapsed a moment ago, I’m worried about him.”

And Gordon smiled, he’d remember to tell Scott that later.

At the doorway Alan was back hanging on the frame, watching silently.

“Aren’t you supposed to be somewhere else?” Jeff snapped.

Unlike Gordon, Alan had seldom seen his father’s angry face and cowered away from him. “I just wanted to stay a little longer.”

“Jeff! Let the boy stay!”

And Jeff scowled as his frown deepened yet again.

Gordon explained to her, “This, this is Alan, are you up to him coming back in for a moment?”

“Alan? So you’re called Virgil, Gordon, John and Alan, what’s the taller boy called?”

Alan creeped over the doorway, passed his father and came to stand beside her. “Scott.” He offered. “He’s the eldest of us brothers,” and got a sharp nudge from Gordon. “Oh sorry, could you forget I said that?”

She laughed.

That laugh that floated on the air, the laugh that reminded them both of late summer evenings on the porch, telling stories and playing games, sunsets, walks on the beach, happy Christmases, good cooking, birthdays, everything that was their mother, all wrapped into her delightful laugh.

For the first time since they left Tracy Island, Alan smiled too, leading to Gordon joining in.

Okay so this was workable, so what if they had travelled through time, to deliver a baby that was their own brother Scott, see their parents again but definitely not as ghosts? So it was all too weird! So what? This was an opportunity, and those willing to take it were blessed with time again with people they loved so dearly.

“Oh no, I really don’t think I could possibly forget that! You’re all brothers? Working for the same organisation? Wow, that’s almost beyond belief! And you’re all named after famous early astronauts too, that’s really cute! Five boys though, oh I pity your poor mother giving birth to you lot!” and she laughed again.

Alan and Gordon shot each other a look and laughed, if a little nervously this time.

She reached out and took one of each of their hands in hers, drawing them in closely. “What does your mother think of you all the way out here in space?”

A lump came to Alan’s throat and he looked to Gordon for guidance who took his time before answering, “She passed away a few years back.”

Lucille tightened her grip instinctively just a little in support. “Well, I bet she must have been very, very proud of you all. You two especially, you’re just kids doing a job like this…” But she stopped, realising that the little one was dissolving into tears. “Come here.” And she drew him closer again, her arms wrapped around his shaking shoulders, as she turned to Gordon to apologise, “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to make him cry!” Tears were rolling down her face now, and she pulled Gordon in to the hug too.

And Jeff just frowned deeper.

Scott open both eyes so quickly that it startled Virgil.

“Steady now, they may well need you in the service room, but you’re not moving a muscle until I know you’re okay” Virgil helped him up onto his elbows and supported him there.

Virgil was having enough trouble dealing with this whole concept himself – how Scott must be feeling was beyond his imagination.

“Shit Virgil, but this is all too weird for me!”

“I know Scott, I know. But we’ve no choice but to keep going for our own survival.” He watched Scott try to absorb it all – it was far too much for any of them.

Scott looked at him squarely, disorientated beyond understanding, “Yeah but who the hell has ever been at their own birth!”

Virgil thought about it for a moment and then smiled broadly – “Well, I guess everyone, you’re just here twice!”

Scott struggled to stand up, rocked a little and accepted Virgil’s support for a moment or two longer. “Okay, okay so what’s John doing now?”

“No idea, but he’s been asking how you’re doing every 30 seconds or so, I think he might need you.”

Scott made his way out of the sickbay – holding on to stanchions and doorways as he went.

Virgil watched him go, worried for his stability – both physically and mentally, then turned abruptly to see his father standing behind him, a fierce stare on his face.

“What kind of crackpot organisation allows you to bring your kid brothers along!”

Virgil rolled his eyes wondering which of the boys had said the word ‘brother’ but knew it would have been Alan.

“The kind that works as a family, sir. Both of them are excellent at what they do, you.. “ He halted himself from adding ‘you should know you trained them every step of the way.’

“You feeling any better?”

Jeff eyed him with suspicion, “I asked your brother this, now I’m asking you – how did you know we had a problem?”

Virgil went to speak…

“And don’t tell me to ask Mr Hackenberger or whatever his name is, I’m asking you – how?”

Like Gordon before him, Virgil was transported back to his childhood. It was well known that he’d never lie, that he was hopeless at covering for his siblings and would always spill the beans on which ever brother had done something wrong. That phrase, that same spine chilling phrase to a nine year old - ‘I’ve asked your brother now I’m asking you!’

Virgil gulped, “I’m sorry, I have to refer you back to Mr Hackenbacker, that’s my orders.”

“Son, I’m going to need some answers from someone – so you better get him back here, now!”

John had never been so grateful to see Scott, “We have another problem.” He stepped back to allow Scott to see the slow meltdown of the Dortite conduits.

Instantly clear headed at the sight, Scott murmured, “Shit, that’s why they outlawed the use of these damned things. What the best prognosis?”

Brains looked at John and agreed – “Catastrophic.”

“Alan, we need you to take TB-X out of range of an explosion. Virgil, Gordon evacuate all casualties to the north bunkers immediately!”

“You have got to be kidding me, I can’t do that here!” Gordon voice was a pitch higher than usual, calm and authoritive but just that touch strained. The birth was now imminent – Alan had already returned to TB-X and Gordon was watching a part of his mother that he should never ever, ever have seen! Keeping his head, he’d kept going, there was little choice, yet he was willing Virgil to come back and lend a hand. Scott’s little head was in sight, there was no way that Gordon could move Lucille.

“Sorry Gordon, we have no option, the whole system is about to blow and the base will be bombarded with Dortite particles as well as Idris gasses, so unless you want your mother fried, she has to move!” Brains realised that he had used the ‘M’ word too and clapped both hands over his face.

Jeff, savagely torn between staying with his wife and saving his crew, had rushed to help with the evacuation and had missed hearing it. Lucille was busy with some pretty serious contractions now. The baby was coming, right there and then, she was concentrating on what she was doing and the boy who was helping her. Beyond the door all hell was letting loose, but she just concentrated on the baby.

“Time for the hard work – you up to this?” Gordon had gone way past any embarrassment he might have felt – even managing to overcome the concept of delivering his own big brother.

Outside, Jeff and Virgil evacuated all the crew into the bunker as John and Scott came running through to join them, Brains close behind them. Once everyone was safe, Jeff came back for his wife, with four strangers tagging on, right behind him.

To greet him in the sickbay was the brittle cry of a new born infant, the sound small against the screams of the base disintegrating.

Refusing any help, he lifted his wife from the bed and gave a curt acknowledgement to the boy holding his new son.

Chasing down the corridor now, the Dortite particles building behind them, igniting in pockets, bright and irritated bursts of light, fragmenting their journey.

The Tracy boys working in unison to protect this young family with all their might.

Fumes began to overtake them. Those from the sick bay had long abandoned their helmets and had no masks of any kind for Jeff and Lucille so they ran faster, pushing debris away, avoiding falling cables and lighting ducts. Virgil tripped and was half carried by Scott and John onwards until he got his footing. They were beginning to choke, Idris acid in the fumes attacking their throats. The Dortite sparking explosions that got bigger and bigger, blowing them sideways with increasing force. Gordon, leading the way with the baby was blown clean off his feet, he rolled instinctively, curling round the baby in his arms, protecting him in the same way that his big brother had always done for him, all his life.

Jeff began to flag, his inflamed lungs reducing his ability to continue against the force of the explosions and the heat in his throat.

Virgil stepped in, lifting his mother clear and running on with her as Scott and John supported their father.

They were all slowing but determination drove them on.

Their joint survival depended on it.

Gordon reached the air lock first, carrying the lightest of their casualties, and scrabbled to open the emergency oxygen masks, fitting one as quickly as possible over the baby’s face. Hands from behind him pulled a mask over his own face and he turned to see Scott looking out for him yet again.

They were all there, all safe, all surviving.

Inside the bunker, Commander Tracy checked his crew first then came to sit beside his beautiful wife and baby.

“He’s beautiful Luc, how on Earth did I ever get to contribute so such a wonderful creature?”

She smiled at him, “Well, the way I’m feeling right now, he’s going to be an only child! I am never going through that again!”

He smiled, that was okay with him, he’d been an only child and done just fine!

She nestled into his shoulder and slept.

He stayed watchful, his index finger held by the tiny mite in his arms, perfect little miniature fingers holding tightly to his daddy’s touch. Jeff couldn’t get over how amazing the baby was, bright eyes watching him intently. This baby would be a quick thinker, strong – a real Tracy - Jeff thought, a grin spread wide across his face. There was never a moment that he could think of in his life that even came close to matching this one. The little one closed his eyes and with a big smile, slept too. Jeff pulled them both in a little closer and closed his own eyes.

“Cute, eh?” Gordon was grinning widely too at the sight of them.

“Hey no fair, I can’t see them!” Alan whined from TB-X.

Gordon stepped forward quietly and took a photo.

“That, that just doesn’t seem right Gordo.” Virgil’s concern was mirrored in John and Scott’s faces.

“It’s for Alan, it’s only fair, we can all see it but he’s missing it. If it worries you all so, I’ll delete it once Alan’s seen it.”

Their problems were not over though, “We remain time sensitive, we have to expedite an escape of our own now that everyone is safe.” Brains whispered. “We need to use their masks to collect every bit of our equipment, including the helmets you were categorically told not to remove, and then we must leave with as little fuss as possible.”

They agreed but before they moved, Scott stepped forward to kneel beside the sleeping family, he wanted to touch the baby just once, but his father’s eyes opened, fiercely glaring at him.

“I still haven’t worked out who you are yet!” Then his voice softened, “but whoever you are, we’re so very grateful.” He watched Scott’s face, saw the longing in him. “Did you want to hold the baby?”

Scott shook his head, but John had come to kneel next to him, “Yes, yes he would please.” And he took the tiny mite, wrapped in a pure white sheet and looked down on him. “Oh Scott!” and then handed the baby over to his brother.

Scott almost hesitated, but his hands were firm and steady when John’s hands retracted and left the baby with him. He stood and the babe awoke, bright eyes direct and sure watched him intently, a tiny hand waving up to find something to grasp hold of. Folding the baby into the crook of his arm, Scott used his free hand to take the baby’s. Tears were rolling down his face unchecked as he found it so natural to sway gently, rocking the baby until his eyes slowly closed again into peaceful sleep.

Despite the urgency of Brains’ time restrictions, they allowed Scott time to reconcile himself to what had happened. Even so, it wrenched at Scott’s heart to hand the baby back, he leaned back into John’s hands on his shoulders as he stepped away.

“We have to go Commander.” Was all Scott could manage.

Jeff nodded, there was a knowing to his face, something about these rescuers that seemed comfortable, despite their strange over the top emotions.

“I thought you would like to know, we’ve decided to call the baby after your young brother who delivered him, he’s going to be called Gordon.” Jeff smiled then flinched as he was bombarded with a synchronised “no!” from them all.

Gordon grinned, “That’s really kind but we’d all really appreciate it if you called the baby Scott after our eldest brother here.”

Jeff looked from one to another of the boys, what the hell was going on here?

But he agreed, he’d explain to Lucille in the morning.

“Commander, we have confirmation that a rescue mission is on the way to you from Earth, you will be safe here in the bunker until their arrival.” Brains offered him his hand, “I’m sorry I could not explain more, but I myself am under orders given to me by the owner of this project. I could not break his trust.” They shook hands. “But I will see you again, sir.”

July 2049 – Universite Paris-Sud

Hirum K Hackenbacker was singularly the hardest working genius the world had ever seen, except of course, that they hardly ever saw him because he kept himself hidden away, always working. On the extremely rare occasions that he was seen, it was at events such as the Paris Lectures, and even there he was still illusive, preferring to work in the university labs at every free moment he had.

The man standing at the door of the lab was a stranger, around 40 – 45, greying at the temples, vaguely familiar, wasn’t he one of NASAs famous astronauts?

The man took a breath, he’d worked most of his life towards one project, now he needed Hackenbaker’s genius to help him fulfil it.

He introduced himself.

“Mr Hackenbacker, my name is Jeff Tracy, and I believe I have you to thank for my five strong healthy sons!”