A Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons Story
Author’s Note
This story reflects the
current weather in England; the heat wave battering our country gave me the
idea of a Mysteron threat. This is not meant to provide insult to Portugal,
France and Spain where forest fires rage and also to Canada and parts of
Australia that have had fires of this nature. In many ways this plot is
similar to that of the movie Voyage to The Bottom of The Sea with
Walter Pidgeon. However, this story features mentions of my past
stories and also bears to them in terms of Magenta’s relationship with
Rhapsody. Watching the series and reading other fan fiction’s shows that
Rhapsody and Magenta have been paired with other people but as this doesn’t
affect the series, it doesn’t matter really. The other stories that I have
written and may need to be read before this are:
Angels of Deception,
Angel Down and
The Password Is Magenta.
I’d like to foreword this to Chris Bishop for putting this up
and providing inspiration (stories are better then mine) and also to Gary
Files who provided Magenta with a voice. And finally to Gerry Anderson for
creating this universe for us to play in.
Some technical non-Spectrum information may be off slightly,
my apologies Featuring Fireball XL5 and Zero-X
|
CAPTAIN SCARLET IN
HEAT WAVE
MATTHEW CROWTHER
Chapter 1
Symphony Angel
grasped the crystal glass clear handle of the pitcher and allowed the coolness
to flood onto her palm. “That is good,” she breathed heavily.
“Don’t sap it all
at once,” complained Captain Grey, an empty glass in hand.
Symphony picked
the pitcher up and began pouring herself a glass of cold water. “You try sitting
in a cockpit for ages with the sun beating down on you.”
“You try sitting
with Magenta for an hour listening to him sing.”
“Touché,” smiled
Symphony sipping the water and again letting the coolness flow. What a
difference a glass of water made. Outside the sky was a brilliant blue and
cloudless, the sun shining brightly.
Ochre was
watching the news screen; a reporter wearing a short-sleeved shirt and tie was
speaking.
“The heat wave
continues across many parts of Europe today, reaching a high of 102 degrees
Fahrenheit. Meteorologists report that the temperature will start declining at
the weekend.”
“Switch it off,”
growled Scarlet entering the lounge with Blue in tow.
The screen was
muted. “Any water left?” asked Scarlet walking to the
drinks table.
“Some,” Symphony said returning Blue’s smile as he arrived at the table.
“Bad news from
the techs,” Blue sighed as he poured water. “The anti-climatising
and air distribution system is off line, that’s why it is so hot.”
There were
muffled groans broken by Scarlet’s comment.
“I’d rather walk
on the flight deck without a suit,” Scarlet muttered.
“Even if it would kill you?” Blue said his eyes twinkling with humour.
Scarlet chuckled,
“Yep, although I am indestructible.”
In the Control
Room, Colonel White wiped his forehead with the right sleeve of his uniform and
sighed heavily. “Damn system, fine time to go off line I might say.”
“It is hot sir,”
agreed Lieutenant Green.
“Its alright for
you Lieutenant, you come from warmer climates, but we British are not used to
hot weather as much as say the Spanish.”
Green went back
to monitoring his screen when White said abruptly, “All right lieutenant, get
the staff together. It’s time to review the latest threat and in blue blazes,
did they choose the right moment.”
The whir of the
air conditioning fans and the overall system was quiet at best but dominated the
conference room prior to Colonel White arriving. “At ease,” he said before
anyone stood. “Don’t want anyone to get any sweatier do we now?”
He sat awkwardly
in his seat, wishing that the uniform wouldn’t stick. Also
wishing that the mechanics would hurry up and fix the anti-climatising
and air distribution system. The captains and Angels looked at him
expectantly; although judging from Grey’s posture, he looked like he wished he
were swimming.
“We are here to
review the latest Mysteron threat, some of you may find
it ironic and dryly amusing considering the current climate aboard Cloudbase.”
White nodded to Green, the lieutenant pressed the play button on the tape
machine.
This is the voice
of the Mysterons, we know that you can hear us
Earthmen. Our vengeance for the attack on our Martian complex continues. We
shall turn up the heat in Europe. Do you hear us Earthmen? Europe will burn in
flames!
Green stopped the
tape and White began, “There you have it.”
“How can they
make the temperature worse then it is already in Europe?” asked Magenta.
“Maybe something
to do with the sun’s rays,” offered Rhapsody.
White rubbed his
chin, “Elaborate Rhapsody.”
Rhapsody took a
deep breath, “Well sir, the sun heats the Earth by sending out rays, rays hitting the surface causes it to heat and when it
reflects into the atmosphere the heat is retained in part. At least I think so,
so long since school but that is the general idea.”
White smiled
thinly, “Thank you, Rhapsody.”
Rhapsody looked
smugly at Magenta and Ochre looking at her. “Not just a pilot.”
White clasped his
hands together before him. “Rhapsody has highlighted a fact. I believe the
Mysterons will do something to the sun’s rays.”
Scarlet sat up
straighter. “The atmosphere colonel!”
In a mild tone
the colonel spoke, “Explain captain, and carefully.”
In a dialled down
but still nonetheless excited tone Scarlet pushed on, “ By
thickening the atmosphere above Europe, the heat will be contained and build to
an unbearable pressure. Fires will break out all over Europe and maybe even in
Russia.”
Destiny began
speaking, her accent highlighting every word almost musically. “France has
suffered from high temperatures and forest fires before. If the whole of Europe
goes up in flames then, I cannot bear to think.”
White looked
grim, “Don’t worry Destiny. This is just another threat against Europe, the
Mysterons will not prevail. Dismissed.”
Chapter 2
The Mysterons
deadly green circles floated in the atmosphere over Europe. This time the
Martian aliens were using their powers in a new way. Clouds near the atmosphere
were disappearing, their vapour helping to thicken the atmosphere like a layer
of soil above an ants tunnel. As the phenomenon neared
its final stage, guided by the Mysterons, an aircraft approached.
Colonel Max Broughton of the World Space Patrol
vessel, XL-12, wiped his brow with gloved hands.
“Be glad when we
land,” he commented.
His co-pilot,
Lieutenant Arnold Meyer, nodded in agreement. “Me too.”
Fireball XL-12
was on a return journey from the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. They
had entered Earth’s atmosphere over eastern Russia and had begun their descent
quickly. Without warning the vessel began to shake. “What the heck?” Meyer said
checking instruments, alarms sounding.
“Its like she’s in something solid and fighting it.”
“Inside something?” Meyer said in a disbelieving tone.
The space vessel
began to slow almost to a crawl; the pilots were shouting frantically when XL12
exploded.
The Mysterons
began to reconstruct the destroyed craft.
White was
briefing Destiny and her pilots in the Control Room when Lieutenant Green turned
anxiously away from his console. “Colonel White, vessel on collision course with
Cloudbase!”
White stood, his
hands pressing down on the console. “Collision course?”
“Confirmed, speed of object, Mach 3.”
“Action stations.” As the alarm whooped, White looked at the Angels, “Don’t just
sit there get one up!”
Within minutes
Rhapsody was skyborne, wearing a short-sleeved tunic
top. The Angel began to climb; the heat also seemed to build. “Angel One to
Cloudbase, temperature inside craft increasing. AC controls seem off.”
“Cloudbase
acknowledges, you are to proceed on course. Hold in there, Rhapsody.”
Rhapsody clicked
her teeth, “Easy for you to say.”
She could see the
craft and said excitedly, “Cloudbase! Object identified as a Fireball craft,
XL12 from its markings.”
“Rhapsody,
this is Cloudbase. Destroy craft, believed hostile.”
“SIG.”
Rhapsody pulled
higher slightly, she fought for her fingers to remain on the controls; they were
so sweaty. But this was not due to a failure of systems inside the Angel
aircraft. Rhapsody was beginning to suffer from the failure of the anti-climatising system and was feverish. She wiped her brow as
XL12 loomed closer, “Twenty-five klicks,” she
whispered licking her dry and cracked lips.
Her forefinger
hovered over the red trigger, “Steady girl, steady.”
Her vision was
blurring, she widened her eyes, “Now.”
She fired and
began diving as her missiles flew home. The missiles struck XL12 just aft of the
cockpit; the explosion knocked the XL12 about but did not destroy it. Trailing
smoke, XL12 now continued onto Cloudbase.
“Rhapsody
Angel please confirm target is destroyed.”
Rhapsody was
leaning against her controls, knocked out by the immense heat. Her Interceptor spinning down in a wide circle.
“Rhapsody please
respond.”
White watched
Green’s frantic hails and faced the screen. “Show the radar screen lieutenant.”
The radar screen appeared, there were two blips. One was moving closer to
Cloudbase and the other moving further away. The one moving further away had an
altimeter above the blip and it was going down fast. The other blip also had an
altimeter and this one was the same altitude as Cloudbase, its speed above Mach
3.
“No,” White
muttered and then loudly, “All hands brace for impact.”
In the lounge,
the captains gripped bolted down tables and chairs. In the sickbay, Doctor Fawn
and his nurses braced themselves in doorframes and under beds. The Angels did
this also.
Colonel White
moved to the observation port, maybe not the best move but he wanted to see the
object that would destroy his command. XL12, trailing thick black smoke,
appeared far off and came in towards the flight deck. The roar
of its engines deafening. Then it exploded, the explosion brightening the
sky a bit more then it was already. The explosion forced itself downwards and
hitting the engines of Cloudbase. The base began shaking violently, White teetered backwards and hit his console in a
sitting position. As the base lifted up at one end, the Angels and captains were
almost lying flat on the floor having fallen out of their bracing positions.
At this time, Rhapsody had woken and regained
control. She began flying back to Cloudbase.
White struggled
upwards, “Report lieutenant!”
“Engines out colonel. We’re going down!”
They were going
down like a U-Boat evading depth charges. White began a flat run to the engine
room. He was met there by Scarlet. “I knew I can trust you to do your duty,
Scarlet.”
Scarlet looked
battered and did not reply as he opened the manual engine control hatch.
Lieutenant Turquoise was lying on the floor, dead, killed by the sudden shaking
of Cloudbase. Scarlet, sweating profusely began pounding the controls in an
effort to halt Cloudbase’s rapid descent.
The air was whistling past Cloudbase, the
Spectrum base was now horizontal and wobbling slightly. Scarlet pressed an
emergency button and with an abrupt start the engines started.
“Try and land
her, it’s too late to stop,” White said wiping sweat from his eyes.
Scarlet checked
the altimeter and speedometer; he closed his eyes as he began halting the
descent. Finally the descent was slowed and Cloudbase, by some miracle, settled
near a forest as calmly as you please.
“Damage report,”
called White to Green as the lieutenant came their way. Turning to Scarlet,
White placed a hand on the younger man’s arm. “Good job, Scarlet.”
“Thank you, sir.”
Rhapsody couldn’t
find Cloudbase. Where the base was meant to be, it simply wasn’t. The
temperature inside the cockpit was unbearable and a quick glance at the
thermometer told Rhapsody that it was 99F.
“Cloudbase, this
is Rhapsody please respond,” she croaked, she licked her lips again but they
remained dry. She looked at the sun and it seemed to feel her vision. Closing
her eyes, she nosed the fighter downwards. As with Cloudbase, the air whistled
past her fighter, the altimeter was speeding downwards flicking through the
numbers.
She opened her
eyes, blinking the sweat clear; the temperature was still high and still no sign
of Cloudbase. She banked the fighter onto its starboard side and glanced down.
Green countryside and hundreds of trees, finally a clearing and…
Cloudbase!
Why was it
grounded?
Rhapsody tried to
grip the controls firmly but her fingers were slipping, she pressed on and dived
downwards again. “Cloudbase this is Rhapsody please respond. Mayday, mayday.”
Lieutenant Green
was finishing the quick damage assessment at his console,
Colonel White was at his own console and sweating almost as much as Green and
the whole of Cloudbase’s personnel. The radio was
making scratching noises, no doubt due to the heat. Green, despite his
desperation in wanting to fix it, was determined to due the report first. He at
first didn’t hear the voice trying to burst through but instead was trickling
through weakly.
White looked up,
“Almost done lieutenant?”
“Sir. Colonel, may I
turn the radio up, something’s on.”
“Do it.”
Green twisted the
volume up and almost gasped in shock.
“Rhapsody to
Cloudbase, repeat, low on fuel, temperature 99 Fahrenheit plus, altitude
descending.”
“Rhapsody,
curses, I forgot about her,” White murmured, “Put me on.”
At Green’s nod
White spoke, “Rhapsody this is Cloudbase.”
“Thank… God… Colonel, can’t hold her. Making final
approach.”
White heard the
whining of a jet engine and quickly rushed to the observation port. High in the
sky, maybe 1000 feet was an Interceptor. White faced Green quickly, “Emergency
landing procedure now!”
Green pressed the
intercom button, “Attention! Attention! All available personnel report to the
flight deck ASAP to prepare deck for emergency landing of Rhapsody Angel. Move!”
Rhapsody had
loosened the collar of her uniform and was struggling to breath, she began
reaching for the eject button but once again blacked out.
Dozens of
mechanics, engineers and other personnel rushed onto the flight deck. Unlike at
45,000 feet the personnel did not require suits at zero feet. Some tripped on
cracks already forming due to the immense heat.
As Rhapsody’s
fighter came in at tree level they began to raise the netting used rarely to
halt crashing fighters or other aircraft. “She’s coming down now!”
“Better get
Doctor Fawn!”
As Rhapsody came
down, somehow, despite having blacked out, she slowed the aircraft down and
brought it down onto the flight deck. Long afterwards Rhapsody did not recall
landing the aircraft. However, at this time, it came down hard. The landing
strut forward, snapped off like a matchstick and the nose came down creating
sparks. Personnel scattered as the fighter slewed down the deck. It hit the
netting and came to a stop. Smoke rose from the fighter as it finally settled.
Doctor Fawn and an emergency team ran to the fighter. Fawn’s fingers pressed the
emergency canopy release button. The canopy lifted up, letting thick steam and
vapour escape. They then unbuckled the Angel’s seatbelt and hoisted her onto the
stretcher before taking her to sickbay.
Chapter 3
Colonel White
called an emergency conference in the hangar bay, where at the moment it was
coolest. Everyone had either short sleeves on or rolled
up their sleeves. White somehow wore his uniform as normal; in this heat,
everyone thought him crazy.
“Firstly. Damage report
Lieutenant Green.”
Green consulted
the clipboard he held in his dark hands. “The only major damage is to the
engines, they’re chock full of debris from XL12. The engineers estimate it’ll take two
days to repair, but, but we might not be able to gain altitude.
At least not over Europe.”
“Why?” asked
Harmony from her place in the circle of officers and pilots.
“The atmosphere
has thickened considerably, it appears the Mysterons have
began
to succeed in their objective,” Green answered with a sigh.
“They’re not
going to succeed. Anything else, lieutenant?”
Green nodded
slightly, “The engineers say the anti-climatising
system will take two days also, therefore we will suffer Europe’s heat-wave.”
Everyone
repressed groans. White spoke quietly, “Casualty report, doctor.”
The Australian
Chief Medical Officer of Spectrum and Cloudbase also sighed but pressed on, “Two
fatalities caused by the sudden descent. I have six members of Cloudbase in
sickbay, all from sudden dehydration and heat exhaustion. I’ve seen this back
home but not like this, the heat is intolerable. It is intolerable mainly due to
the system failure but the heat-wave on the ground might begin affecting us.”
“What are their
chances?” White asked taking in the other news with a nod.
“They’ll all make
it, I have placed them in the morgue, don’t worry they can survive but for now
the morgue is cooler then sickbay.”
White nodded, “We
must hurry in stopping the Mysterons. The news is reporting unrest in many
European cities, from London to Moscow. Forest fires have worsened in Spain and
Portugal, trees are blazing in England, I will stop
there. In this heat tempers will get frayed, please try and keep your head. Also
make sure you have your canteens with you. The last check was that the
temperature was at 103 and look set to peak at 109 before night time and maybe
even then it will come down to 40. Dismissed.”
The officers and
pilots separated. Scarlet and Blue headed off down towards the lounge, “Any
ideas, Paul?”
“None. But we need to
do something.”
Cloudbase had in
fact come down near Paris, France. The large base had been sighted from far up
and its landing beyond a nearby forest. Smoke was
rising from the centre of the forest and looked set to shortly build into a
full-blown fire. From a tall apartment building in Paris, lifeless eyes watched
the forest and the control tower of Cloudbase just visible over the tree line.
Captain Black,
this is the Mysterons, you must now begin your work. Europe is burning yet our
mission is not yet complete. You must do your part for this to succeed.
Captain Black
turned from the window and opened his closet; he took out his Spectrum uniform.
“We shall be avenged.”
Black left the
apartment into the dazzling heat; he did not feel the heat not even wearing the
black uniform. The uniform may in other times have drawn attention to Black but
despite the unusual temperature, Parisians went about their daily lives. The
Tour de France annually highlighted Parisians but you didn’t need an annual
cycling race to know that. Black’s complexion had darkened a little, just enough
so he didn’t look too dead. He paused before a restaurant and bar with a
sign proudly proclaiming: Jean-Marie’s Restaurant. Black stepped inside,
six large fans created a pleasant atmosphere. He walked to the bar, “Oui, Monsieur?” asked a tall man,
dark hair, young man of maybe twenty-five.
“Jean-Marie,”
Black intoned.
The man smiled
his eyes sparkling, “This is me, can I help you?”
“I am Captain
Black.”
Something in
Jean-Marie changed, his sparkling blue eyes became dead, unseeing and his smile
disappeared. Black continued, “The work of the Mysterons must be carried out, we
need assistance in burning Europe.”
“Yes.”
“You know what
you must do.”
Black turned
away; he walked back to his apartment.
Doctor Fawn
checked Rhapsody’s chart and let it drop silently, “You have a visitor.”
Magenta appeared
by her bedside, Fawn went to check on his other patients. Magenta took her right
hand, opened it and placed in her palm a pretty flower. She closed it and
brought it slowly to her nose.
“It is beautiful,
how?”
Magenta looked
sheepish, “I jumped off the side and got it.”
“Patrick!”
exclaimed Rhapsody.
“I know, still a
bad boy,” smiled Magenta. “I have to go.” He leant down and kissed her on her
cheek, “Take care Raps.”
“You too Captain
Pink.”
He tipped his cap
and left sickbay. Magenta walked onto the flight deck to continue assisting the
engine repair crews when he paused. He ignored the sudden feeling of heat on his
trousers and tunic, staring into the horizon. Flames were rising in the forest only a half-mile from Cloudbase. As he
watched, the flames sped along the width of the forest that lay between
Cloudbase and Paris. The Mysterons looked like they were winning.
The French police
wearing heavy riot gear and looking like they were melting continued their
retreat down the Champs Elysees towards the Eiffel Tower. Advancing on them was
almost one hundred rioters and at their front was Jean-Marie wielding a flaming
torch. In their wake was a path of death and destruction, buildings all had
smashed windows. Black scorch marks on the pavement outside and around some
windows marked where torches had been thrown or makeshift Molotov Cocktails.
From an observation ledge on the great Eiffel
Tower, Captain Black lowered his binoculars. The heat had made the tower’s skin
quite dangerous but the power of the Mysterons protected him. He watched the
protesters; led by the Mysteron agent, advance further. Jean-Marie had rallied
the protesters to protest against the World Government for not acting soon
enough against the heat wave. It was a general excuse for the Mysteron to start
burning Paris as per the Mysterons’ instructions. Smoke was rising from a few
buildings now. According to agents all over Europe, many cities were facing
similar threats and attacks from citizens. Of course, Mysteron agents had
sparked the majority of these riots in other countries. Some of these had
mutated into smaller riots in smaller towns besides the capitals of Europe.
Black lifted his binoculars again and cast them towards their next target.
Cloudbase.
Chapter 4
“The situation in
Paris has worsened,” White said to his officers in another meeting, the day was
cooling down. The temperature now far below 100.
The officers were meeting once again in the hangar bay. White looked at Destiny,
the Frenchwoman seemed downbeat, and it was her home city that was burning and a
pit of seething violence. White’s own London was facing the same trouble. Before
nightfall, rioters had set fire to parts of Hyde Park. “We believe, or rather I
believe, that the Mysterons now have agents controlling these riots and getting
them to further the fires started or start new fires. No doubt this is why it
started in Paris and spread throughout Europe.”
White’s voice
became almost like granite as he carried on, “Spectrum was created before the
Mysteron threat but now the Mysterons are our primary enemy.
Our primary target. Our primary objective. We
must do our duty and prove to the world that we can do as well as people think
we can.” White took a deep breath taking in all his officers one by one.
“Spectrum must strike back and fast or Europe will burn forever.”
He dipped his
head and walked off, hands clasped behind his back. Scarlet faced his friends,
“Ideas by dawn tomorrow.”
Then he too left,
the others split up heading for their respective destinations.
Scarlet caught up
with White, “We’re working on ideas, sir. Might have something
by dawn.”
White stopped and
looked back down the hangar, “I know captain. I have faith in you all.”
“Something wrong sir?” Scarlet said frowning.
White looked up
at Scarlet having dipped his head briefly, “In the event of something happening
to me I want you to take command.”
“I’m honoured,
sir,” Scarlet said. “Colonel Scarlet, doesn’t sound too
bad.”
“Don’t push your
luck, captain.”
“Sorry sir.”
Jean-Marie led
his rioters through the forest now entirely encompassed in flames. The rioters
had made it to the Eiffel Tower and under new orders from Captain Black; they
turned back to the forest. In the forest, the Mysterons protected Jean-Marie
whereas his followers were killed. They were all resurrected as Mysteron agents
and as deeply loyal to Jean-Marie as they were before their deaths. Now they
were all protected by the incredible powers of their masters. Jean-Marie halted
them, the wood of the trees crackling around them and walked up a small slope to
where Captain Black stood. The Mysteron agent had a thumb hooked into his gun
belt. “Well done, the Mysterons shall be pleased.”
“I work only for
the Mysterons not these pathetic Earthmen.”
Captain Black
raised his left arm and pointed it towards the horizon. “That is your target.”
Jean-Marie
followed the gesture and nodded. “Cloudbase shall be destroyed.”
Jean-Marie
wordlessly ordered his followers into a blind charge towards the dimly lit
Spectrum base. As they broke into a flat out run, Black joined the rear of the
followers, a grim expression across his face.
Destiny leant against the railing lining the
promenade’s edge and idly stirred her glass of sparkling water with her right
forefinger. The flames from the forest reflected the harsher lines of the
Angel’s face, a forest so tranquil before hand now becoming blackened ashes.
“Penny for your
thoughts?” said Symphony walking up to Destiny.
“Why do you ask
that?”
Symphony
shrugged, “Your country is ablaze, beyond those trees
is your home city. I would
be upset if my home was on fire.”
Destiny took a
sip of the water and smiled thoughtfully, “Your comments are much appreciated.”
Symphony took
Destiny’s glass placing it on a nearby table, “Lets
pay Rhapsody a visit.”
“Bon.”
Suddenly
Lieutenant Green’s voice boomed throughout the base, “Attention all Spectrum
personnel! Hostile persons approaching Cloudbase! Report to
the flight deck immediately!”
The two Angel’s
looked at each other and ran off the promenade. They emerged shortly onto the
flight deck; it was odd standing on the deck without a suit. The other captains
and Angels bar Rhapsody was on the deck, mechanics and other personnel from the
aircraft bays were being handed guns by Captain Ochre.
“The Mysterons
are using their agents now to attack. We have to repel them whilst we hurry
repairs on our engines,” Colonel White was saying to the other officers.
Lieutenant Green joined them his cap askew but quickly straightened it. Colonel
White dismissed them, as Scarlet led the gathered personnel off the flight deck;
Grey paused before Destiny and Symphony.
“Pardon me,
ladies, have you got firearms?”
Destiny and
Symphony synchronously drew their guns. “Oui
Captain.”
Grey smiled.
“Great.”
Magenta fell to
the grass from one of Cloudbase’s engines heavily but
on his feet, he wiped his brow and hurried into the semi-darkness. He could see
the rioters ahead; the hundred Mysterons were fanning out. Already a couple were in hand to hand combat with some of the
Spectrum personnel. Magenta drew his gun with its coloured stripe and white
handle as he ran. He fired at a Mysteron, the impostor doubling up and over.
Magenta stopped in the middle of the rioters, some hit him others just carried
onto Cloudbase. More gunfire now, glancing back, Magenta saw White fire into the
bustling rioters. Looking back, Magenta saw Captain Black. Magenta swore, not
forgetting what Black had done to him in London when Magenta was protecting
Rhapsody. Black saw Magenta at the same time and their eyes locked. One alert and vibrant the other dead, unseeing. Magenta
holstered his gun and charged Black. Black had crossed them enough times since
becoming the Mysterons top agent, not anymore. Magenta slammed into Black in a
football tackle his coach in New York would’ve been proud of. Black went down
without a sound, but his hands immediately clasped around Magenta’s throat.
Magenta gasped as he felt his air go quickly. Magenta was atop Black, so he
rolled over so the roles were reversed and smashed both his hands clasped
together in a fist into Black’s face. He grinned broadly as he saw the look of
pain on his former friend’s face. As Black fell back Magenta
kicked him with his boots. Black began rolling backwards down the hill
head over feet repeatedly. Magenta drew his gun, running down the hill and
firing. Black steadily rose to his feet at the foot of the hill and this time as
Magenta launched himself, met the captain’s attack sturdily. Black spoke, his
voice rumbling, “We shall be avenged.”
“Say that to my
backside,” Magenta said as the two continued their fight.
White retreated
to the Control Room where Doctor Fawn was wrapping a bandage around Harmony’s
ankle.
“What happened?”
“She tried karate
kicking a Mysteron but didn’t count on him wielding a weapon.”
Harmony shrugged
apologetically, “I want to get back out there.”
White smiled,
“Don’t worry, it’s almost done.”
The overhead
speaker sounded, “Captain Grey to Colonel White.”
White spoke into
his cap mike, “Yes, captain.”
“I am near the
hill, I can see Captain Magenta in a fight with Captain Black. Shall I
assist?”
So, Captain Black
was here. White thought of Conrad Turner before becoming a Mysteron, a trusted
friend, and an ally in bad times. “Get there, captain, grab anyone you can.”
“But the defence of Cloudbase sir?”
White nodded,
“We’re sorting that out, you have your orders.”
“SIG,”
Grey replied.
White walked
briskly onto the observation ledge, the rioters were now down to a dozen. The
bodies of those killed marring the hillside and immediate area between the hill
and Cloudbase. White smiled again but thinly, the battle was almost over but
they hadn’t won the war. White walked back into the Control Room. “Harmony, get
me Space City.”
“Yes sir.”
Magenta knocked
down Black, “My friends are coming. We’ll sort you out.”
“Pathetic
Earthman,” Black said.
Magenta frowned.
“How can you have changed so much? You can still be rescued. I mean, what
happened to the Black I knew?”
“He is gone.”
Grey shouted to
Magenta from far off but Magenta was suddenly conscious of Black disappearing.
He dived where Black had been and pounded the grass in frustration.
“He’s gone
again?” Grey said stopping to catch his breath.
Magenta stood
collecting his cap. “Yeah.”
Chapter 5
Six Fireball
craft sped above the northern hemisphere, having been ordered into space on
short notice. They spread across the heavens to allow a larger spacecraft to
come between them. This was Zero-X the mighty spacecraft that has been to Mars
and whose MEV Black captained when he discovered the Mysterons. Steve Zodiac of
the famous Fireball XL5 studied the fine lines of the Zero-X.
“Heck of a ship,”
he muttered toggling the radio. “Zero-X this is Fireball XL5, are you ready?”
“Ready and
willing,” responded the Zero-X commander.
“All other craft
this is XL5 sign in.”
“XL4 ready…
XL6 let’s do this… XL9 we’re doing this for the guys on XL12… XL10 and XL11
green.”
Zodiac nosed XL5
into the atmosphere over Europe; straightaway the craft began to shake.
“Ten seconds to
bomb release,” Robert the XL5 robot co-pilot intoned electronically.
Doctor Venus and
professor Matt Matix, from
the XL5 crew, watched from behind the two pilot seats. The outer edges of the
spacecraft began to glow red.
“Bomb release.”
“Lets hope this works.”
Zodiac released
his bomb, as did the other Fireballs and Zero-X. In fact Zero-X released six
bombs. The Fireballs carried modified nuclear bombs that instead of exploding
atomic energy, exploded water with the force of an atomic explosion. Zero-X’s
bombs were incendiaries thus creating secondary explosions. Zodiac fought to
hold XL5 steady in the shockwaves but they soon subsided. “XL5 to all craft lets
go home.”
On the flight
deck of Cloudbase, Colonel White was thanking the officers and other personnel
that had stopped the Mysterons. As he finished, wet drops began landing on them.
At first no one noticed but then it began raining steadily. The officers began
laughing and pushing each other over, Symphony and Blue began dancing laughing.
Even White permitted himself a smile but didn’t join in. The water bombs must
have broken the thickened atmosphere and allowed it to rain at last. He walked
off and stopped to allow Magenta help Rhapsody onto the deck. “Colonel,” Magenta
said saluting.
“Captain, as you
were.”
“Yes, colonel.” Magenta turned still holding Rhapsody in his
arms, “Oh sir. The system is getting back on its feet.”
White nodded and
walked into the lift he turned to face the deck watching the officers continue
to enjoy the rain and Magenta kiss Rhapsody. As the doors closed he murmured,
“You’ve earned it.”
Epilogue
Cloudbase at 45,000 feet.
“It might be
raining, but lets get moving! This isn’t time for a
stroll around the deck!”
“SIG colonel,”
Destiny said accelerating her fighter off the floating base.
Symphony and
Rhapsody were next to leave, water spilling off as their landing struts raced
across the deck.
Cloudbase had
returned to normal. All systems repaired, yet standing by the window Magenta,
looking at the slickly wet flight deck, wished it was hot again.
But the fight
against the Mysterons was more important and carried on as always.
THE END
BACK TO “FAN FICTION ARCHIVES” PAGE
OTHER CAPTAIN SCARLET STORIES BY MATT CROWTHER
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