REAPING THE WHIRLWIND by CLAUDETTE RATED FRT

This story was written in response to the Tracy Island Writers Forum's 2006 Fic Swap Challenge.

Fic Swap Request: I'd like to see a story where an attempt to prevent a natural disaster (either by IR or someone close to them) ends up accidentally causing one, requiring Scott, John and Virgil to rescue the victims.

"I sure hope this is going to work." sighed the dark haired man as he tried to ease the stiffness that had started settling into his shoulders and back some time before. "I'd hate to have wasted all this time and effort on nothing."

"Relax Virgil," The lazy drawl came from his brother, seated beside him in the cockpit of Thunderbird Two. "Brains knows what he's doing. The test flight worked fine last week and all he had to do was multiply up the quantities. This'll work like a dream, you'll see." John Tracy turned back to the controls in front of him. "Well, that's the last of it gone. Now all we have to do is wait. In a few hours this area will have all the rain it needs and in a few months thousands of people will have food to eat. That's what I call a good days work." John stood from the passenger seat and made his way to the door leading to the living quarters of the ship. He paused in the doorway "I'm going to make a drink. Want one?"

Nodding in silent acknowledgement of the offer Virgil started banking the craft on a long sweeping turn as he flicked open a communications channel. "This is Thunderbird Two calling Thunderbird One, come in please."

The familiar tones of his older brother floated through the cabin "Thunderbird One to Thunderbird Two. Go ahead Virgil."

"Scott, we've finished the seeding process. Am taking Thunderbird Two down below cloud level and returning to your position to await developments. Will be with you in ten point two minutes."

"F.A.B. Virgil. I'll let the authorities know."

Humming quietly to himself Virgil continued turning the large workhorse of the International Rescue organisation towards the point some miles to the south where its smaller sister craft was waiting for him after having completed its own run of cloud seeding with Brains' newly developed formula. As Thunderbird Two slowly descended into the clouds he turned on the control board illumination and then, as he realised what he had just done, frowned and looked more closely at the sky around him. The white cloud formation that he had just flown into had darkened perceptibly in just a few seconds and now the clouds around them were dark and threatening. A jostle of turbulence startled him and drew his attention back to the controls.

"Hey Virgil, what are you doing?" John's voice held both surprise and irritation as it came over the comms system. "I nearly got a handful of boiling water back there. Be careful will ya" There was a startled oath from John and the sound of clattering crockery as a sudden, powerful wind change took the large ship by surprise and flung one wing high above the other, causing the machine to tip precipitously to one side. Cursing silently Virgil wrestled with the ship, throwing his weight onto the control column. The front screen was covered with horizontal lines of rain beyond which were dark roiling clouds. Visibility was non-existent.

"John, get strapped in!" Virgil called "Things are going to get rough."

"What's going on Virgil?" questioned his brother "Why . . . . ."

"Now, John! Just do it!" His chest heaving with exertion Virgil brought the control column back to the usual position for normal flying and then reached over to re-open the communications channel.

"Thunderbird Two to Thunderbird One. Scott, we've got a sudden change in weather up here. I think Brains' little project is starting to work."

"F.A.B. Virgil. Are you alright?"

"Sure. It'll just take a bit longer to get to you - things are developing more quickly than expected. I'll take some readings while I'm up here."

"F.A.B. Keep in touch."

As Virgil flicked on a recording device and then turned to give his attention back to flying his vehicle he was aware of the door to the rear quarters opening and closing behind him.

"John?"

"Yeah."

"I thought I told you to strap in?"

"You didn't say where. I prefer the view from up here. Any objections?"

Virgil smiled mirthlessly "No, glad for the company. Just sit down before . ."

He didn't manage to finish the sentence before another wave of turbulence hit the craft, sending John crashing into the back of Virgil's seat where he held on with his fingers curled tightly around the edge of the upright, waiting for the plane to right itself before venturing further.

"Sorry." called Virgil, without turning his head, "You okay?" There was no reply "John?"

John was concentrating on balancing himself then, with the agility of a cat, he launched himself across the cabin to the passenger seat, hauled himself down onto it and fastened the seat restraints in record time. Taking a deep breath and running a hand through his hair he gave a puff of relief and grinned shakily as he looked across to where Virgil was peering through the darkness ahead.

"Well, that was fun. I must tell Brains . . ."

His comment was cut off as the sky turned from black to blinding white and then back to black in the fraction of a second while a deafening gunshot of thunder reverberated around them. The darkness outside the windscreen turned to grey and then almost to white as the metal shell of the aircraft was peppered by hailstones so thick that it looked as if the machine had been immersed in an enormous freezer full of them. The vibrations of the impacts filled the cabin, making talking impossible. John sat still and watched in a dreadful fascination as his brother gave all his attention to flying the large rescue ship through the tempestous weather outside and down into clearer and safer climes.

As the altitude dropped the hail turned to heavy, unceasing rain all around them and the visibility hardly improved. Flashes of lightning continued, followed by cracks of thunder and the dark, heavy cloud cover remained, accompanying them down almost to ground level. When the landing place came in sight, complete with a drenched Thunderbird One, John released the breath he didn't realise he had been holding and loosened the death grip that his fingers had been keeping on the sides of his seat.

"Thunderbird One calling Thunderbird Two. Don't bother landing guys, we're moving on again."

"Moving on?" Virgil's voice was puzzled "Why? Where to? We've no more seeding crystals for another run."

"Not that it needs it." chipped in John "It looks like it's gonna rain for a month!"

"Home." Scott's voice was crisp and businesslike. "Now that Brains' formula's worked and the monsoon's back on schedule Dad wants us back at base in case another call comes in. Orders are to leave immediately."

The two younger brothers looked at each other and shrugged.

"F.A.B. See you back at base."

Within seconds Thunderbird Two had changed direction and was heading home.

It was less than forty minutes later that the emergency signal was received in Thunderbird Five. Less than five minutes after that Thunderbirds Two and One, who had been flying together on their way home, were returning to Ethiopia at top speed. As usual, Thunderbird One was first on the scene.

"Dear God no!"

The settlement that had been Gode only a few hours before came into sight as Thunderbird One crested the mountains behind it. For centuries the settlement had sat on the plain, exposed and windswept but close enough to the peaks of the highlands to profit from the monsoon rains that fell in the mountains and made their way down the Shabele river on their journey to the sea. For the last sixty years it had gone through years of near annihilation as the globe warmed and the rains increasingly failed. Through all the hard times the settlement had clung on. On the banks of one river and close to the joining place of another, smaller river, the settlement had been well enough sited to get what little water was available in the dry years and to have room to raise cattle and crops in wet ones.

The settlement had clung on but its strength had dwindled. It had mourned its young when they died of malnutriton; its old when they died of disease. It had acted as a humanitarian centre for the dispossessed and desperate in times of war and famine. Today was meant to be different. Today was meant to be the day when the genius and resources of International Rescue ensured that the rains fell to replenish the Wabe, one of the main tributaries of the Shabele river; it was meant to be a day that would bring life and hope back to many thousands in the Ethiopian highlands and to millions around the world by showing it was possible to make the monsoon come on time; a day that would make starvation through drought a thing of the past. Instead there was only disaster and death.

Scott's head reeled as he looked out through the deluge at the destruction below him. In place of low built huts, a school and even a hospital, there was now a raging flood. A torrent of angry, swirling water carrying all before it. The buildings where Scott had stood only hours before, talking with scientists and local government officials to arrange the timing of the cloud seeding was all but submerged; only the rough, tin roof being visible above the swirling waters.

"Virgil! Where are you?" Scott's voice was sharp and filled with tension as he looked out on the landscape of raging water beneath him.

"I'm about three minutes behind you Scott. How does it look?"

"Bad. Just get here. I'm going to look for survivors."

Dropping Thunderbird One down to low level he skimmed the surface of the waters, peering into the downpour to see what he could. The swirling, turbulent waters were a murky orange, discoloured by the soil and sediment carried within them. Every so often a lone tree broke the surface, its higher branches bearing only a few of the withered leaves that had clung to them through the dry season. Shaking his head in disbelief at the destruction that had descended on this region so suddenly he activated the infra-red scanner and set the range for as wide a spread as possible. His heart leapt as a small blurred blob appeared on the screen and he tapped the co-ordinates into his on-board computer.

The tree top came into sight just as Virgil's voice came through the speakers.

"Scott, I've arrived at Danger Zone. What's the plan?"

"Virgil, lock onto my position. I think I've got something."

Coming to a hover above and to the side of the tree Scott looked down into the branches. There was a flash of colour and he could just make out the cowering form of a human, huddled into a fork of the branches. As he watched, the figure lifted its head to reveal the frightened face of a young woman and the dark head of a child cradled against her chest. After a quick look the woman dropped her head again, bending protectively over her precious bundle and drawing in the shawl around her shoulders as a roaring of engines filled the air, presaging the arrival of Thunderbird Two. Virgil had already assessed the situation and the access hatch for the rescue cage was open. As Scott watched, the cage was deftly lowered until it was level with the figures in the tree and then it slowly approached as Virgil manoeuvred the huge rescue craft into place. John, secured by a safety harness, leaned out and grabbed a hold of the nearest branch, using it to draw the rescue cage near enough for him to touch the young woman's shoulder. There was a perceptible jump as she felt his hand and Scott's heart sank as he watched her shake her head vigorously and cower further into the branches as John extended his arms in the unmistakable request to help her into the cage. It took several seconds of persuasion on John's part to get her to change her mind and rise cautiously to her feet, hugging the small form close to her as she allowed John to guide her across the gap and into the cage.

"Well done John, good work." his praise was heartfelt in the knowledge that at least two lives had been saved out of this catastrophe. "Let's go look for the others."

The following hours were spent scanning the floods for survivors. Every so often they found a man, or a woman, or occasionally a child clinging to a tree, a bush or the remains of some structure and they were able to send down the rescue cage to pick them up. The deluge continued unabated for some six hours – longer than Scott considered possible bearing in mind the sheer volume of water already released from the cloudburst. They went backwards and forwards across the plain, gradually covering the entire area that had been cloud-seeded with Brains' new formula so many hours before.

More often than the survivors they saw the bodies. Men, women, children and animals, floating along as debris, caught against trees or discarded on the edges of the flood margin. Broken, distorted and lifeless representations of what had been, that seemed to scream accusations at the three brothers as they flew by in their quest to save the living. Just as the light was fading they came across a large group of survivors that had taken refuge in the foothills of the mountains to the south of the settlement of Kelafo. They were further down the river here, in a place where the Shabele valley broadened out and the waters of the flood had diminished in force and depth as they occupied the wider plain. Up in the foothills the refugees were safely above the level of the water that covered the plain below.

With a cargo of thirty or so survivors, the two rescue machines put down in an open, relatively flat area, as close as they could safely get to the refugees. As Scott descended from Thunderbird One he took in the scenes nearby. Every stand of grass and vegetation sheltered small groups of women, many with small children, who sat in silence clutching blankets and pieces of material around them in a vain attempt to keep out the rain that still fell. Shackled behind outcrops of rock and boulders were small numbers of skinny goats and the occasional cow while standing or sitting around in groups in the open were the men, old and young alike. As Scott stood looked he could see that their eyes were trained on him. Although some turned away when he made eye contact, many did not and more than a few had an air of open hostility.

With a sigh Scott turned to Thunderbird Two. The door of the pod was standing open and Virgil and John, together with the people they had rescued so far, were coming down the sloping ramp and Scott had just taken a step forward to join them when he became aware of raised voices behind him. Pausing he turned back to the nearest group of men that he had noticed earlier. One of the old, bearded men, leaning on a stick for support, looked as if he was trying to go somewhere but one of the other men was holding onto his arms. At that moment the man shook himself free of the restraining hands and hobbled towards Scott, leaning on his stick as he approached with a curious lopsided gait, shouting and gesticulating with his free hand as he came. Seeing his intention Scott turned fully towards him, his eyes full of compassion and understanding. The man came to a stop some three feet in front of him, his voice raised, his eyes wild and his arm extended in sharp, jabbing gestures, pointing with his stick from Scott to the Thunderbird machines, to the sky and then to the groups of refugees around them. His meaning was unmistakeable.

"Mister, I understand, and I'm sorry. We..."

That was as far as Scott got. He felt rather than saw the staff punch into his abdomen and then land on the back of his neck as he bent double with the pain of the initial blow. As he collapsed to his hand and knees he was aware of scuffling feet, shouts and the raised voices of his brothers calling his name. Struggling for breath but aware of the need to defend himself Scott gulped in mouthfuls of air in an attempt to control the pain before trying to push himself up onto his knees. There was a blur of blue as a figure passed him and stationed itself between Scott and his attacker at the same time that a pair of friendly hands locked under his arms and started to raise him to his feet.

"Scott, are you okay?" asked John, steadying his brother as he gained his footing. "Are you hurt?"

Scott raised a hand and rubbed the back of his neck tenderly, "Yeah, I guess I'm okay. Just a little bruised."

The two brothers turned to where Virgil was standing protectively in front of them, his arms crossed over his chest and his face set and stern. Three men were now remonstrating with the man who had attacked Scott but the old man was arguing fiercely, gesturing back at the brothers and around at the remainder of the refugees. His focus was suddenly caught by a small boy, about a year old, who was standing unsteadily, balancing himself with a hand on his mothers shoulder where she sat by his side in one of the groups. The boy was looking around the camp with large, brown eyes, two fingers of his free hand stuck in his mouth. The man froze, his words dying on his lips as his eyes filled with tears and, suddenly, the anger was gone, replaced by a deep grief that flowed out from his soul. The tears brimmed over and spilled down his cheeks as his shoulders slumped in despair. Silently two of the men put an arm through each of his arms and led him back to a group of women who were watching nearby. The remaining stranger watched them go and then took a step towards Virgil. He stopped short as Virgil's stance tightened, anticipating more trouble.

"I am sorry. Please, forgive." The man's English was broken and halting but there was sincerity in his eyes. "The old man," he gestured backwards over his shoulder "his grandchildren . . . they are lost . . . gone."

Virgil swallowed hard, and nodded his head, at a loss for words as Scott and John moved up to stand beside him.

"We understand." said Scott. He glanced around at the groups and then up at the sky which was rapidly darkening. "We need to get everyone on board Thunderbird Two then we can take you all to safety."

"No" The man shook his head. "No, we stay."

The brothers looked at each other in confusion before turning back to the man.

"You don't understand." said Scott patiently "Even if the waters don't rise any further you are not safe here. The night is coming, it's getting cold. You've got no supplies. We're really sorry for what's happened but we can't leave you here."

Again the man shook his head, his eyes hardening a little in irritation. "No, you not understand." He paused and looked around as he sought for words. "This land," he expanded his arm to take in the lower land below them as well as the foothills in which they were standing. "this land our home. You International Rescue," his voice slowed as he pronounced the long words. "You come to help but now . ." he gestured towards the plain below "much water, people lost. Now you say we go." He shook his head emphatically "No, we not leave."

"But . . " began Virgil

"We not leave." said the man emphatically. "The water, she go down, we go home."

"Okay," said Scott slowly, seeking a way around the situation "that's how you feel, but what about the others? What about the women? The children? Do you speak for them?"

The man glared at them for a moment and then turned and took a few paces towards the refugees before lifting his voice and addressing the group of men and women that were watching the interchange curiously. The man spoke a few sentences, indicating the men from International Rescue and their machines and then gesturing to the sky. When he stopped speaking there was a silence for a few seconds and then, a few at a time, the watching adults began shaking their heads and gesturing towards the ground. The decision appeared to be unanimous. The young man turned back to the watching Tracy brothers and waited. Scott turned to his brothers, the rise of his eyebrows asking the silent question. Virgil shrugged. John cleared his throat before speaking.

"Well, we can't exactly force them if they don't want to go Scott. We've caused enough trouble as it is so . . "

Scott glared at his brother "I know that John!" he replied "Don't you think I know that?" John's head came up at the sharp tone and his eyes flashed with growing anger "but we can't just leave them here to freeze tonight. They've got no water, no food. Do you want to tell Dad why we abandoned men, women and children on an exposed hillside for the night with no guarantee they'd ever be found?"

The two brothers faced off , each glowering at the other, determined not to stand down first. Virgil looked from one to the other before clearing his throat.

"Guys"

There was no effect on his two brothers.

"Guys, we can help here"

"They don't want help Virgil, weren't you listening?" asked John bitterly. "They've had about all the help they want from International Rescue right now. They just want us to leave them alone and fly boy here wants to walk all over their free-will and make them be rescued like good little refugees."

"John" Scott's voice was dark with threat.

Before John could respond Virgil tried again. "Listen to me guys. We can give them shelter. The pod's empty remember? We took everything we could out of it to get as much as Brains' formula in as we needed. They can shelter in that for the night."

The heads of his brothers turned to face him, their shared expression of incredulity testament to their close blood relationship.

"Leave the pod behind?" Scott's voice was shocked "Are you insane?"

"What do you think they are going to do with it Scott?" Virgils voice held a definite tinge of sarcasm "Conjure up cameras out of thin air? Or maybe you think they're going to load it on their backs, carry it down the mountain, through the floods and off to the nearest army base to hand it in to the Ethiopian government? Or maybe," Virgil's voice rose in irritation "maybe you think they're not refugees at all. Maybe you think they're scientists and they deliberately got themselves stranded up here just so we would leave the pod here for the night to give them a chance to get their equipment out of a lab hidden in this hillside and analyse it to get all our secrets before we come back in the morning?"

Scott just glared in silence at his younger brother while John's face split wide in a grin as he looked at his chestnut haired brother in admiration.

"Now that's what I call a bright idea Virgil!" he crowed. "Scott," Disagreement forgotten he turned back to the oldest Tracy sibling "that would work. These people can't find out anything from an empty pod. We've got some food and water and even some blankets in TB2 we can leave for them to use tonight. We can tell the authorities where they are, and then come back tomorrow to drop tents and enough food and water supplies to see them through until the floods go down and they can go home. We can collect the pod at the same time." As Scott hesitated, obviously turning the idea over in his head John pushed in again. "Scott! We can't leave them here. We caused this problem and now we have to help them. Dad will agree you'll see."

After another moment's thought Scott nodded. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

He turned back to where the young man was waiting nearby.

"We, uh, we're going to leave the pod for you." As a look of puzzlement crossed the man's face Scott gestured to where the pod sat open behind them. "That, the pod. We can leave it behind for you to use. Then you'll have some shelter tonight. We've got some food, water and blankets as well that we'll leave. We'll tell the authorities where you are so they can help you when the water goes down and tomorrow we can come back with enough food, water and tents for you until you are able to go home."

The man's face reflected disbelief and then amazement followed by relief. Tears suddenly filled his eyes and he folded his hands in front of his chest before bowing wordlessly to the three brothers.

An hour later the refugees were inside the pod together with a meagre collection of blankets and rations and a few torches that the Tracy brothers had managed to find for them. The main frame of Thunderbird Two sat over the brow of a small rise, on another flat piece of ground large enough to take its frame. The three brothers stood in the now, near darkness at the base of the ramp of the pod to bid farewell to the group.

"Is there anything else we can do for you?" asked Scott of the young man, who seemed to have been given the position as spokesman for the group.

The young man shook his head sadly. "No. It is enough. We thank you."

Once more, his hands folded in front of him, he bowed to the brothers. This time his salute was returned by the young men. Then, with a nod to the rest of the refugees inside the pod, the brothers turned away and walked back to their waiting machines. Within minutes they were airborne.

Virgil sat in silence at the controls but his attention did not seem to be focussed on his Thunderbird as it travelled west towards their home. John looked at him curiously, noting the distraction in his features.

"Virgil"

There was no answer.

"Virgil"

Silence.

"Virgil!"

His brother jumped slightly and turned his head.

"Yeah John?"

"You were a million miles away there. What are you thinking?"

There was a silence for a moment as Virgil thought out his reply then his voice came sadly to his brother.

"What are we going to tell Brains?"