To The Moon And Back

Chapter Twelve

A series of muffled booms, accompanied by an ominous rumbling in the ground was Scott's first indication that something had gone horribly wrong.

The second clue was the rush of workers that streamed out into the corridors from parts unknown, racing past him towards the lower levels of the moonbase as alarms began to blast through the tannoy system.

"Hey, what gives?" he shouted to a passing miner without success. "What's happened? Someone answer me!"

Miners, along with office staff continued to race past him, ignoring him until he was forced to grab hold of the nearest person.

"Tell me what's happening!" he demanded to know as another muffled rumble shook the ground beneath their feet. "Maybe I can help?"

"Explosion..." the miner panted, wrenching his arm out of Scott's grasp, leaving Scott to jog alongside him to keep up. "Mine collapse...Sorry, I have to go!" The man ran off without a backward glance.

Scott stopped dead. "Mine?" A second later the awful truth dawned on him. "John!"

Yanking his radio out of his pocket as he ran after the rapidly retreating pack, he yelled into the receiver, "This is Scott calling John, come in John!" Static was his only answer, yet he felt compelled to try again. "Come in John!"

Alan, maybe he would know something? John was supposed to be down there, maybe Alan could track him somehow?

"Scott calling Thunderbird Five, come in Alan!" he called urgently, his breathing ragged, fear propelling him onwards.

"Hey, what's up Scott?"

"Alan, no time to waste, there's been an explosion in the mine. John was heading down there and now I can't get in contact. Can you try?"

"F.A.B.," Alan answered, not bothering with further pleasantries.

The crowd had converged near the elevator shaft that would take them down to the mine proper, but the doors were sealed tight. Loud chattering had broken out amongst the workers as they shouted back and forth, trying to work out what had happened and what to do next.

"Is there anyone down there?" Scott asked, needing to know if John had still been in the mine when it had happened. But no one heard him over the noise of a dozen different conversations all happening at once.

Scott scanned the crowd, looking for the face of someone he recognised who could give him some information. He wanted to help, disasters and rescues were his job, but more importantly, he needed to know where his brother was. He didn't see any of the supervisors he was acquainted with, but two faces stood out amongst the rest as they skirted their way around the crowd.

"Hey! You there!"

Cosmo looked up at Scott's yell, as did Atlas, who, upon spotting Scott, took off running without bothering to wait for his friend.

"Hey! Stop I say!" Scott bellowed as Cosmo sprinted after the man's rapidly retreating back.

For the first time in his life, Scott felt himself paralyzed with indecision. Did he follow those men, one of whom he now suspected was the Hood, or did he stay and try to help his brother? One instinct warred with another. He couldn't get sense out of the workers, he had no rescue equipment with him and no way of getting to mine if John was in there, yet the desire to chase after the man who was probably the cause of all their troubles was there too.

"Alan calling Scott."

The voice from the radio jolted him out of his thoughts, bringing him back to the present.