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| - Scanners: "Attack stations! Trigger intercepter missiles standby! Three... two... one... zero!" Commander: "Fire!" Virgil: "Thunderbird 1 and Base from Thunderbird 2: under missile attack!" Scott: "Virgil, switch on the jammer!" Virgil: "I think it's too late, Scott!" Scott: "Are you OK, Virgil? Come in, Thunderbird 2!" Virgil: "Still here, Scott. Boy, that was close. It exploded right beneath me. Feels like I've got some damage on my tail unit." Scanners: "Trigger intercepter missiles, for second attack! Five seconds!" Clayton: "Changing frequency to combat jammers." Scanners: "Four... three... two... one... zero!" Commander: "Fire!" Virgil: "Here we go again, Scott!" Scott: "Get that jammer working, Virgil. I'm catching up on you fast!" Virgil: "They've changed frequency, Scott! They're on check! They're coming straight for me!" Clayton: "Washington, sir. Emergency call." Washington: "Message to Sentinel Commander. Stop attack immediately! Unidentified aircraft is a Thunderbird machine of the International Rescue organization." Commander: "Clayton, missiles 5 and 6, destroy them!" Scott: "Thunderbird 2 from Thunderbird 1. Come in, Virgil! Will you be able to make it back to base?" Virgil: "I'm not sure, Scott. Engines are running smoothly, but the tail section is giving trouble." Scott: "It's just another ten minutes. You'll make it Virgil. I know you will." Scott: "We're nearly home, Virgil. We're nearly home." Virgil: "Undercart, down. Flaps, down. Banking for final approach..." Virgil: "Easy does it. Easy..." Scott: [Sighing] "He's down..." Jeff: "The wheels! They've collapsed!" Tin-Tin: "Oh!" Virgil: "The wheels have gone! I can't hold her! I'm - I'm gonna crash!" Jeff: "Release foam! Section B!" Jeff: "How are you, Virgil. Scott: "Welcome back to the land of the living." Virgil: "What happened to Thunderbird 2?" Jeff: "Now, quit worrying about that. She was badly damaged, but she's gonna be OK." Scott: "It's nothing a few weeks hard work won't put right." Virgil: "A few weeks! But that's terrible! Supposing she's needed on call?" Jeff: "Well, let's hope she's not. Now, you relax. You need a lot of rest." Gordon: "Hi, Virgil. Got your TV switched on?" Virgil: "No sir. I've seen enough TV to last me the rest of my life." Gordon: "Oh, but this is a special programme. They're moving the Empire State Building." Virgil: "This I must see." Ned: "You are about to witness, folks, one of the greatest pieces of engineering feats of all time." Scott: "Say, that's Ned Cook. You know, the guy I had to stop filming us at the oil well." Jeff: "Yes, Scott. He'd do anything for a story." Ned: "In a few moments, the National Television Broadcasting System will show you a construction job that leaves the building of the Pyramids in the shade. Today the Empire State Building here in New York City is going to be moved 200 yards, not piece by piece but as it stands, all 1250 ft of it. First of all, we'll explain how this tremendous task is going to be performed. Jeff: "Sure would have liked to have been there today." Scott: "Yeah, me too." Ned: "Now, after tunneling under the foundations, hydraulic jacks were placed beneath the building. Then the jacks were raised. And up she came! The next step was to lay a heavy duty track under the building and run it to the new site. Now, all that remains to be done is to move the giant building, inch by inch, to its new site. Wait for it... The signal's been given. She's moving... yes, she's moving!" Ned: "In all the years of my broadcasting, this must be the most breathtaking moment I have ever experienced! Hold everything. Somethings gone wrong! The ground is cracking under the track! It's like an earth tremor beneath my feet! There is something wrong. The atomic motors are shutting down. We have just been ordered off this site by the police. There is, I understand, a very real danger that the entire building could collapse at any moment. We'll be on the air again as soon as we have- ARRGGHH!" Reporter: "What you are seeing is the result of this terrifying tragedy. The Empire State Building has crashed into a mountain of rubble. It is no more." Ned: "Help! Can you hear me? HELP!" Scott: "That's Ned Cook's voice!" Jeff: "He's still alive!" Alan: "I dunno, but one thing's for sure: they'll never get him out." Scott: "Our equipment could do it, father. We've got to get Thunderbird 2 over there right away." Jeff: "Scott, you're forgetting: Thunderbird 2 is out of commission. There's nothing we can do." Reporter: "Ladies and gentlemen, Ned Cook is trapped under the ruins of the Empire State Building, and is in touch with us via his radio microphone. We will be using this channel in order to maintain contact with him. All right, Ned Cook, can you hear me?" Ned: "I can hear you. Just before the building crashed, the ground collapsed beneath our feet, then the building came down on top of us. Don't ask me why we weren't crushed. It was a miracle. We're now sitting in a hollow about ten feet wide. We're not hurt, but I can hear water seeping in from below." Brains: "O-of course! Th-that's the answer!" Jeff: "The answer to what, Brains?" Brains: "Well, I-I-I've been trying to figure out, why that area should suddenly collapse? U-underground rivers!" Scott: "Underground rivers?" Tin-Tin: "Yes! Brains could be right! Many cities have rivers running beneath them!" Brains: "If there was a river, running under the Empire State Building, an undetected river, th-that could have caused the trouble." Jeff: "That means water will continue to seep into the hollow that's protecting Ned Cook. He'll drown." Scott: "If only we could get along that river..." Brains: "That might be possible, with Thunderbird 4." Tin-Tin: "But we can't airlift it to New York without Thunderbird 2." Gordon: "Then I'll have to go all the way by sea." Jeff: "Look, Gordon, your suggestion is not only dangerous, it's also highly impractical. Even if you made it, you'd only be in time to attend Ned Cook's funeral. Right now, I could get the commander of Sentinel and-" Virgil: "That's it! That's it! The Sentinel, they put us out of action, they can put us back into action!" Jeff: "I get the picture, and I like it. Now here's what we do. Scott, take off for New York." Scott: "Yes, sir!" Jeff: "Gordon, launch Thunderbird 4 using emergency procedure, and then proceed to the position where the fleet exercises are going on. I'll contact Washington and arrange for them to pick you up and rush you to New York." Gordon: "Yes, sir." Virgil: "Good luck, Gordon. What can I do, father?" Jeff: "Go back to bed." Scott: "This is Thunderbird 1 of International Rescue calling New York. Come in, Empire State Site Control." Policeman: "Site control to Thunderbird 1. Boy, are we glad you guys are around." Scott: "Is there any news of the trapped men?" Policeman: "Well, we've drilled a pilot-hole to supply them with air, lighting and food. The trouble is the water level is rising." Scott: "Right. I'll be arriving in under thirty minutes. I'll need detailed plans of the underground river systems. Gordon: "Thunderbird 1 from Thunderbird 4. I have made contact with Sentinel. I'm being taken aboard." Scott: "F.A.B. What is your estimated time of arrival at danger zone?" Gordon: "Twenty-four hours, I'm afraid." Scott: "OK, Gordon. Do the best you can." Brains: "I've been studying Manhattan Island, Mr. Tracy. Its base is solid rock. Now, underground streams do exist. But they've never been considered a threat." Jeff: "What are you getting at, Brains?" Brains: "Well, no recent surveys have been carried out. It's gonna be a difficult task to locate the river." Jeff: "I see. Already, it's touch and go whether Thunderbird 4 can arrive on time. And now the rescue could be delayed even further..." Jeff: "Go ahead, Scott." Scott: "OK, father, I'm here, and I'm set up. Now here's the situation: Ned Cook and his cameraman are still alive. We can get food down to them, but the water is rising. Now, according to our calculations, they'll be under around the same time as Gordon arrives." Jeff: "Right, Scott. Here's what you do. Pass breathing apparatuses down to them and keep them alive till Thunderbird 4 gets there." Scott: "Hello, Ned. How are you feeling? Now, whatever happens, you stay with it." Ned: "That's easy to say, buddy. But it's been nine hours since you got on the scene." Scott: "I know, Ned. We're doing all we can." Ned: "Sure... I'm sorry. Guess this hanging around is getting me. We're so helpless. And the cold... the water is freezing." Scott: "Is it still rising?" Ned: "Yeah... it's coming up faster now. At this rate, we have less than ten hours. We'll be under around 10 AM." Scott: "New York to Sentinel. What is your ETA?" Gordon: "We calculate 10:05 AM, Scott." Scott: "Well that uh.... that's gonna leave things pretty tight. Can you get more speed?" Commander: "Afraid not. We're at maximum speed now." Gordon: "Answer negative, Scott. Ten hours to New York it is." Scott: "OK, Gordon. I guess there's nothing we can do about it. Say, how about that breathing gear?" Policeman: "We located some units at the Navy yard." Scott: "Well, that's something...." Ned: "Joe's in a bad way. This freezing water is getting him. We can't hold on. The water is up to our mouths. We'll have to.... blub-blub." Scott: "The MASKS! PUT THE MASKS ON! ... Ned, can you hear me? Are you ok? Ned, come in!" Ned: "It's OK, we've got the gear on. Now, we've got to sit here and wait for our air to run out." Gordon: "We're slowing down. What's wrong?" Commander: "Well, we're approaching coastal limits. The Hudson and East rivers are crammed with shipping. We can't possibly go any farther at maximum speed." Gordon: "Well, wouldn't it be quicker in Thunderbird 4? Under the shipping?" Commander: "Much quicker." Gordon: "Ok, I'll take it from here." Gordon: "Sentinel to Mobile Control. Approaching New York. I am returning to Thunderbird 4." Scott: "F.A.B. Gordon. When is your ETA now?" Gordon: "I'll be near danger zone in twenty minutes. Hope I can find that river mouth." Scott: "So do I. In twenty minutes, Ned and Joe run out of air." Gordon: "Mobile control from Thunderbird 4. Moving towards east river estuary now." Scott: "Thunderbird 4's on its way Ned. How's the air going?" Ned: "Too fast for my liking." Gordon: "I've found it Scott. I'm moving upstream. So far we're in luck. It's big enough for navigation." Second Policeman: "Sir, there's a message that's just come in from Central Control. It's pretty serious I'm afraid." Scott: "Well, things couldn't be much worse than they are now. What's their problem?" Policeman: "The land subsidence is spreading. It looks like the Fulmer Finance building is in danger now, and could go over as well." Scott: "Fulmer Finance? Thunderbird 4 from rescue control, Gordon, do you hear me?" Scott: "Gordon, now listen! You've got to locate them within the next two minutes! There's another building up here that's gonna collapse, and the impact could cave in the whole area where those guys are swimming!" Scott: "Ned, you've gotta keep going. Search for Thunderbird 4's beacon. Look out for a beacon. Ned, Joe, swim!" Gordon: "I can't see them Scott! I can't see them!" THE END
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