Celestia stood wearily on the balcony of the throne room. Where less than 4 months before, Equestria had come its closest to being doomed. The Storm King had been dead for those 4 months, they were sure of that. But this new threat that faced their nation would have more devastating consequences should it rage out of control.
The Everfree forest was on fire, it had been raging for almost 2 weeks now, its speed and intensity was unlike any wildfire in Equestrian history. All efforts to contain or slow the spread were met with little success, they had bought hours, maybe a day at most.
The heat and smoke had been too much for the firefighters and the pegasi weather teams operating the rain clouds. They simply didn’t have the means to contain the inferno.
Even now she could see it in the distance, the smoke and eerie glow of the fire cutting through the once beautiful landscape.
At the front of this disaster was the little town of Ponyville, its citizens being desperately evacuated before the inevitable. There was little they could do to save the town, and if the wind in the valley went unchecked for much longer, the smoke from the fire could blow anywhere in Equestria causing all sorts of havoc. There was also little stopping the fire from spreading to the prairies and up to the forested mountains. This meant the fire could easily spread to any part of central Equestria in a few weeks with devastating impacts.
But Celestia had a card up her sleeve, one she had not been able to play during the invasion thanks to her being encased in stone, but was more than able to now.
Only she, Luna and a handful of her closes staff knew about the second bridge, reaching to a planet across the stars: Earth. Celestia turned on her heel and walked briskly into the throne room. The guards immediately stood to attention.
“Guards, leave me. I have private business to attend to. Raven, please summon my sister. Tell her it is of the upmost importance.” She calmly requested.
The guards bowed and left while Raven nodded with a quick, “As you wish your highness” before jogging off towards Luna’s chambers. Celestia sat in her throne and rested her head in one of her hands. They were out of time and choices, they needed their help. She only hoped they could.
Minutes later, Luna appeared with Raven popping into existence via Luna’s teleportation spell.
“Sister, you summoned me, what is the matter. Besides the obvious.” Luna said as she guested to a window, an abstract stained glass from so long ago that Celestia had forgotten the reasoning behind it.
“We are fighting a losing battle in the Everfree. I’ve ordered all firefighter personnel and Weather teams to pull back when the evacuation is complete.” Celestia said with a heavy heart.
“Out of the question. The fire would destroy Ponyville and run rampant to the base of the mountain. If it can’t burn its way up, the smoke and heat would finish the civilians off.” Luna said, her voice one of protest and anger.
“Which is why we need their help.” Celestia stated. “Sister, I don’t want them to introduce themselves to this world and vice versa in this situation, but we simply have no other option. The fate of Equestria is at stake and we’ve exhausted all our other options.”
Luna’s face fell slightly as she came to this realization. She had been spearheading the effort to contain the fire. Celestia had taken on both the duties of Sun and Moon once again to give Luna more time and energy to focus on her operation. But even her magic was doing very little to curtail the fire’s spread.
With a heavy sigh she looked back at her sister. Then took a seat in her throne besides Celestia’s.
“Very well, if it gets that fire contained, that’s all I care about right now.” She said, a hint of sadness in her voice.
Celestia knew that ever since Luna’s return from her exile, she’d been trying to prove herself a lot more than she’d done a millennium before. Perhaps it was a way to make up for the crimes of Nightmare Moon, but that would have to be a discussion for another day.
“Raven, if you would be so kind to activate the bust of Commander Hurricane.”
Raven approached the bust, before pressing the nose of the bust with a finger. The eyes glowed for a second before casting a large hologram, technology wasn’t a very big thing in Equestria and their tech was not on par with this piece gifted to them by their friends. The hologram rendered a large circle with a line drawn laterally across. A female voice coming from hidden speakers spoke, the line dancing up and down with the synthetic voice.
“Please provide clearance codes” it stated flatly over the speakers.
Celestia spoke with the confidence and clarity that came with the hours and hours of practice she put into recursing her security code.
“Sierra, Uniform, November, Bravo, Uniform, Tango, Tango, Two, Zero, One, Zero.”
“Voice print and access code accepted. Welcome Princess Celestia, secondary voice print and access code required.”
Luna cleared her throat then clearly and confidently gave her access code.
“Lima, Uniform, November, Alpha, Romeo, Echo, Charlie, Lima, India, Papa, Sierra, Echo, Two, Zero, One, Niner.”
“Voice print and access code accepted. Welcome Princess Luna.”
A new menu was rendered showing a single contact: Colonel Casey.
“Contact Colonel Casey.” Celestia stated.
“Priority?” The artificial Mare asked.
“Flash” Celstia replied.
“Connecting”
The menu was now replaced with a single person, she was like the Ponies but without a tail, wings or horns and with a more flat face with ears on the sides. She wore a high ranking officers uniform. Celestia had never been used to the fact that she looked physically there, but wasn’t at the same time.
“Yes?”
The human’s voice, rich with experience and rhetoric, sounded through communication link. She blinked in surprise as she realized who had contacted her, “Princess Celestia and Princess Luna? To what do I owe the pleasure?”
“Colonel Casey, we have a situation.” Luna replied.
Scott Tracy often found himself in tight situations, both figuratively and literally, during his career of Pilot of Thunderbird 1 and second-in-command of International Rescue. This was one of those situations: a freight train had derailed on a bridge spanning the Mississippi River in central North America, the locomotive was dangling precariously over the canyon with the bridge having suffered moderate damage. Virgil, in Thunderbird 2, was still 2 minutes out and Thunderbird 2’s VTOL system was needed to keep both sides of the bridge from collapsing. Thunderbird 1's VTOL system was strong enough for the weight, but only had one cable, where 2 was needed.
Despite that fact, Scott needed to buy time. Opening the cargo bay doors on the craft, he aimed Thunderbird 1's magnetic utility gun carefully before firing it. He watched it sail true and latch into the can roof of the dangling locomotive, Scott gave it full vertical thrust. Taking the weight of the stricken engine off the damaged bridge.
“Thunderbird 1 to Thunderbird 2 there’s no way I can lift this locomotive if the freight cars go over, please tell me that you’re-“
Virgil’s voice came over the com speakers of Thunderbird 1, “Way ahead of you Thunderbird 1 attaching magnetic cables.”
Scott looked out the side view camera and saw the large green machine that was Thunderbird 2, International Rescue’s heavy rescue craft. With several modules that can be switched out in seconds to suit any emergency rescue operation. Module 2 was what Virgil had come equipped with, it had 2 customizable pods, multipurpose vehicles that can be customized for any situation, it also had two powerful electro magnetic grapples. Thunderbird 2 had latched onto the bridge, one cable on each side of the buckling point. Virgil increased the viatical thrust as he took the bridges weight off itself.
Just then, John Tracy radioed in from International Rescue’s communication space station, Thunderbird 5, from where he was monitoring the rescue.
“Thunderbird 1, I’ve just done a scan of the bridge's structural integrity and it’s not good.”
“What are we talking Thunderbird 5? I thought you said it sustained moderate damage.” Scott replied.
“Yes, but I’ve had EOS do a more detailed scan and maintenance history. This bridge was last serviced almost 5 years ago, and inspected with a well below average score 2 years ago. This bridge should have been closed.”
“That complicates things. Thunderbird 5, how long can this bridge free stand?”
“Not long, it would collapse before you’d even leave the immediate area, and that’s with no weight besides it's own. You have to get the crew out of the engine now. I’ve alerted the company and they’ve halted all traffic in the area.”
“F.A.B. Thunderbird 5, Thunderbird 2, can you hold it while I evacuate the crew?”
“Doesn’t look like I have a choice. Make it quick, the bridge framework may snap from my grapples.” Virgil replied, “I’ve slaved Thunderbird 1 to my controls, as soon as you are ready, I’ll lower a harness to take them aboard.”
Scott had now moved to the cargo bay, Thunderbird 1 was one large compartment and the bay doors were directly behind the pilot seat. He fasted on his multipurpose helmet, with the same color scene as his flight suit with an air filtration and oxygen replenishing systems built into the rear of it, allowing use both underwater and space. Scott grabbed one of the few jet packs that he had equipped on board and quickly fashioned it to his back. Linking two wireless control devices with the jet pack as he leapt out of the belly of Thunderbird 1.
Scott fired the jet pack, quickly gaining control of his decent and quickly landed on the nose of the locomotive, it was an older design, older than even his grandmother, it was a design from the 1980s but built in the 1990s. The fact it was still in service in mid 2061 didn’t even surprise Scott with the shoddy record of the company that owned it. But that was a situation for later, he crouched down and peered into the cab of the engine. Two crew members waved to him both having gripping the back of their respective seats the whole time. Neither showed any signs of injury.
Scott placed a device that their chief Engineer - Brains - had developed to communicate through glass and other materials. The specifics of which Scott couldn’t understand but it worked and that was all he cared about.
“This is International Rescue, remain calm, we have the situation under control. Are there any injuries?”
“No, we were both sitting when we jumped the tracks, just shaken up. We’re the only ones on board.” The one behind the conductor's seat said.
“Alright, there’s some good news, we have to evac you from the locomotive, I’m going to enter the cab through the front of the locomotive.”
“No good, it was smashed up during the crash, the doors jammed shut.” The one behind the Driver seat informed.
“Then I’ll have to cut through the glass, get as far back as you can, and cover your faces.”
The two crew members quickly got up and moved to the back of the cab, getting as low as they could with their backs facing the cab windows. Scott grabbed his utility gun and switched out the cable cartridge for one of his laser ones. With the aim that came with his short service in the Air Force, he quickly cut a neat and clean cut through the edges of the glass. When he completed then outline he gave it a kick, sending it crashing into the cab where it shattered on the floor.
“Virgil, send down the harnesses.”
“F.A.B. lowering rescue harnesses.”
Scott looked up and saw the two harnesses lowering out of the bottom front of Thunderbird 2. By then the two crew members had made their way to the front of the cab and Scott reached out a hand helping both up one at a time.
“Ok Virgil will winch you both into Thunderbird 2, I’ll fly up with you to ensure nothing goes wrong!” Scott instructed, “all you have to do is stay calm.”
It only took a couple seconds to get the harnesses fastened onto the crew. But it turned out to be time that they didn’t have. With the center of balance and mass being shifted to the front as the 3 of them stood on the nose of the engine, the locomotive lurched down, and the structure groaned in protest.
“The bridge is failing, increasing vertical thrust.” Virgil radioed.
“I’m starting the winch,” Scott radioed as he pressed some buttons on his wrist controller, the two crew being pulled skyward. “Just keep the bridge up for a few mo-“
“Scott it’s too late! The bridge is collapsing!” John radioed from Thunderbird 5.
Scott whirled around in time to see the sections that Thunderbird 2’s cables break away from the rest of the bridge. Scott barely had time to register this before the bridge began to collapse. The locomotive’s coupler finally snapped and the engine, with Scott on the cab roof, plummeted to the river below.
Inside Thunderbird 2, Virgil quickly opened the canopy of Thunderbird 1, while detaching it's cable to not drag the craft with the locomotive. All he could do now was watch the holo-display of his brother falling.
Jumping away from the doomed locomotive, Scott fired his jetpack, but a piece of bridge slammed into his back as he tumbled through the air. His jetpack took the blow, saving Scott from injury, but was destroyed. Thinking quickly, Scott grabbed his utility gun from his side, ejecting the spent laser cartridge and slamming a grapple one home. Taking quick aim he fired at cockpit of Thunderbird 1, which was located in the bottom of the nose, the magnetic grapple soared true and latched itself onto the interior metal skin of the rescue vehicle it quickly slowed and stopped his fall thanks to the engineering of the system inside the grapple.
Scott retracted the line, quickly pulling himself up to the craft, his seat rotating down on a robotic arm. Once he was seated he looked down at the locomotive and bridge below, water quickly filling the compartments of the locomotive, as it began to sink. It was unfortunate they were unable to save it, but human lives came first. It would be one hell of a mess to clean up, something the local Authorities would take charge of.
"Thunderbird 1 to Thunderbird 2 and 5, I'm aboard, no further casualties to report. I'd say this rescue is complete." Scott radioed.
"F.A.B. Scott, I'll drop these 2 off and brief the local authorities on the state of the scene then I'll see you back on Tracy Island." radioed Virgil.
"F.A.B. Thunderbird 1 is leaving the Danger Zone." Scott said, his seat now firmly in his cockpit and the reinforced glass canopy closing below him. He checked his compass headings as he throttled up and began to gain altitude. Once he reached the altitude he was authorized to fly hypersonic at he switched on the scramjets and watched the Machs climb slowly to Mach 14.
"Thunderbird 1 to Tracy Island, hope you got dinner on the grill Dad, I'll be home in 15. Thunderbird 1 out." He radioed.
Miles above Earth, in Geosynchronous orbit above Tracy Island, International Rescue's space station, known as Thunderbird 5 receives all distress calls from anywhere in the world, and sometimes beyond. John Tracy was the middle of the 5 Tracy brothers, choosing to study electronics and communications, it was a no-brainer that he'd be the one to live almost 24/7 on the space station. John wasn't unfamiliar with odd calls, in both emergency and regular calls. But the one that Colonel Casey had sent him, in text was... unexpected to say the least.
"EOS, can you verify the origin of this message?" John asked after reading it for the 3rd time.
EOS was the brains behind Thunderbird 5, making it literal as she was the computer system, she may be Artificial Intelligence made by a fluke of his own programming that tried to kill Brains, Scott, Alan, and him over the course of a week but bygones be bygones. But that was last year, now she was a valued member of International Rescue.
Her mobile camera's ring lights pulsed for a second, before she responded the same ring lights blinking to indicate her talking, "I've run every path I could, every route shows this is from the Colonel, which means..."
John looked down, being in the gravity ring simulated Earth's gravity using centripetal acceleration, by rotating the ring this allowed the gravity to be generated by the occupants being accelerated to stay in the circle instead of a straight line, after all what is Gravity but a constant acceleration. John shook the thought from his brain, physics may have been his minor in college but he felt like he applied it more to everyday life, than his major at electronic communications.
He watched Earth as it passed below him, the view that would never grow old. John sighed and opened a priority com channel to the rest of International Rescue. It looked like it was going to be another one of those days... again.
"International Rescue, we have a situation."
