[Scene opens in a dark ocean trench. Two green glowing beams skim the rock wall. A massive orange submarine comes into view.]
Pilot Clarke: "This is XN Industrial Deep Ocean Surveyor. We're commencing laser survey of Quadron 3-5-7."
Controller: "Receiving survey data, Q-3-5-7. How's it going down there, Clarke?"
Clarke: "How'd you think? I've been stuck in this tin can breathing recycled air for six whole months!"
Controller: "The Mariana Trench is the last unmapped ocean there is. So you two'll be down there until the job's done or the money runs out."
Pilot Sontag: "That's not likely - XN Industrial is swimming in cash. They give us all the tech we ask for and we don't know a thing about them."
Clarke: "Where research grants are concerned, you don't ask questions."
Sontag: "Huh? Object detected! Titanium alloy."
Clarke: "Down here? I'm going to try get a visual."
Clarke: "It's part of an aircraft. There's some writing on it. Enhancing."
Sontag: "TV-21. Colonel Jeff Tracy."
[The Surveyor emits a horrible static noise and the systems begin to shutdown.]
Controller: "Repeat last transmission. What's going on?"
Clarke: "The surveyor isn't responding!"
Sontag: "We've lost control."
Controller: "Deep Ocean Surveyor, come in. Clarke? Sontag? Are you there?"
[Opening credits.]
Controller: "Deep Ocean Surveyor. Two crew trapped. Last known position: 11.37 north 142.5 east."
[Tracy Island. Virgil is playing the piano.]
John Tracy: "International Rescue, we may have a situation."
Scott Tracy: "Go ahead Thunderbird 5. What have you got for us, John?"
John: "A deep ocean survey team just lost contact with their control base. I'm receiving the footage from their final transmission now. Woah!"
Scott: "What is it, John?"
John: "You're gonna want to see this."
[An image of the TV-21 appears over Jeff's desk.]
Scott: "TV-21? No, it can't be!"
Kayo: "Scott? Are you okay?"
Alan Tracy: "Yeah, you look like you've seen a ghost."
Scott: "Everyone, look at this."
[Scott moves the footage from Jeff's desk to the main holo projector above the table.]
Virgil: "Is that what I think it is?"
Scott: "It's the TV-21."
Alan: "Uh, is anyone gonna clue me in here?"
Brains: "It's the TV-21!"
Alan: "Ugh, that is not helping!"
Scott: "It's the first Thunderbird. More of a prototype, really."
Brains: "Until it crashed. Your father thought the wreckage would be lost forever. This is exciting news."
Scott: "It's really exciting! But, we also have a rescue to deal with. Thunderbirds 2 and 4, suit up. Gordon, you're going swimming."
Gordon Tracy: "FAB."
Brains: "Gordon, I've added a new package to Thunderbird 4. It may come in handy. That's fine, we'll talk about it later."
[Thunderbird 2 launches.]
Virgil: "Thunderbirds are go."
[Thunderbird 5. John floats from the distress signal at the Mariana Trench to the UK.]
John: "Hmm. Interesting. This could be exactly what we've been looking for."
[Creighton Ward Manor. Lady Penelope is sitting in a chair. Parker comes over with a teapot.]
Parker: "Tea, m'lady?"
Lady Penelope: "Thank you Parker. Haven't we forgotten someone?"
Parker: "Of course. Begging your forgiveness, your mongrelship."
Sherbet: "Yap. Yap!"
[Parker hands a sugar cube to Sherbet.]
Lady Penelope: "Hello John. Joining us for a cup?"
John: "Maybe later. Remember when you asked me to keep an electronic ear on Parkmoor Scrubs Prison? I detected a strange signal coming from the area. Only a blip and then it was gone."
Lady Penelope: "Do you think it's the Hood sending a message?"
John: "I'm certain. But, I was able to do a wide spectrum sweep and think I've found where the signal went."
Lady Penelope: "And what does the GDF have to say?"
John: "Until I have more information, they're not interested. I believe "wild goose chase" were the words they used."
Lady Penelope: "Well, as it happens, Parker loves a good chase. We'll take a look."
John: "I'll send you the co-ordinates now."
Lady Penelope: "Parker, bring the car around, would you?"
Sherbet: "Yap! Yap!"
Lady Penelope: "That's right, Sherbet. On the double!"
Parker: "On the double it is. Taking orders from a mutt. Never thought I'd see the day."
[Parker brings FAB 1 out of the Garage. Penelope climbs in, holding Sherbet. FAB 1 drives away from the manor. Cut to Thunderbird 2 hovering over the ocean.]
Virgil: "Thunderbird 2, arriving on scene. Get ready, Gordon."
[Module 4 drops from Thunderbird 2 and hits the water. Thunderbird 4 slides out of the module and into the ocean depths.]
Gordon: "Thunderbird 4, is go! Proceeding to sea floor. 1000 metres and diving."
Gordon: "I'm approaching the last known coordinates of the Deep Ocean Surveyor.
[Thunderbird 4 descends into the trench. It approaches the surveyor.]
Gordon: Surveyor located. Craft appears intact. I'm moving in for a closer look."
[The Surveyor.]
Sontag: "It's International Rescue!"
Clarke: "Hey! We're in here!"
[Thunderbird 4.]
Gordon: "I've made visual contact with the crew. No apparent injuries. The ship sure is a weird looking thing, but there's no sign of external damage."
Scott: "Gordon, what about the TV-21? Have they found part of the wreck?"
Gordon: "Stand by Scott. I'll take a closer look."
[Gordon moves over to the TV-21.]
Gordon: "Just got to clear some debris."
[Thunderbird 4 pushes some rocks out of the way, revealing the rest of the ship.]
Gordon: [Gasps.] "It's not just part of the wreck - it's the whole thing!"
[Tracy Island.]
Alan: "Why is everyone making such a big deal about a wrecked plane? I don't even remember it!"
Scott: "The TV-21 was Dad's baby. The first ever super-Mach 20 ship. It was the prototype to Thunderbird 1. Dad invested everything into it. But the Hood sabotaged it in flight. Dad had to abandon the plane somewhere over the Mariana Trench, rather than let that villain get his hands on it. Ah, I remember it broke Dad's heart. We all thought it was smashed and lost to the deep."
Kayo: "And now these guys have randomly stumbled upon it?"
Scott: "I guess so. But, we can reminisce later. Right now, there are two crew trapped in that surveyor who need our help."
Gordon: "Moving into docking position. Don't worry, guys. Help is here."
[FAB 1 pulls up at an abandoned warehouse.]
Parker: "Allow me to get the door, m'lady."
[Parker kicks the door down.]
Lady Penelope: "Thank you, Parker."
Parker: "Empty."
Lady Penelope: "What a surprise."
[Sherbet barks at the back wall.]
Parker: "Quiet, you!"
Lady Penelope: "Although, I wonder. For an abandoned warehouse this building draws a lot of power."
[Lady Penelope kneels down to pet Sherbet, and then presses a button concealed on the wall. The wall opens to reveal a control console.]
Parker: "Cor!"
Lady Penelope: "I believe the word you're looking for is "bingo". Well done, Bertie."
[Brains' lab.]
Brains: "Very smart of you to track that signal, John."
John: "We got lucky."
Lady Penelope: "It seems the Hood may be up to his old tricks."
Brains: "I've seen engineering like this before. It's the work of the Mechanic, I'm sure of it."
Lady Penelope: "Then it proves without a doubt he's in league with the Hood."
Brains: "I'd better show the others immediately."
[Brains collects the schematics and makes his way to the lounge.]
Brains: "That's the entire TV-21! It hardly looks damaged at all!"
Scott: "I know. Imagine the odds."
Kayo: "Yeah, I keep trying to, but something doesn't add up."
Brains: "Wait a moment. I think I see why. Oh no!"
[The Surveyor matches the same logo found on the schematics. It begins to transform.]
Brains: "That's the Mechanic's ship! Thunderbird 4, get out of there!"
[Two massive robotic arms grab Thunderbird 4.]
Gordon: "Too late."
Scott: "Thunderbird 4, the Mechanic is piloting that ship remotely. What's your situation?"
Gordon: "I'd guess you'd call it gripping. But that's about to change. Full thrust."
[Thunderbird 4's thrusters fire.]
Gordon: "Okay, let's get creative. Firing emergency launch jets."
[Thunderbird 4's emergency jets extend from the bottom of the sub and fire.]
Gordon: "No go. I can't force myself free."
Virgil: "Well you'd better come up with something fast - Thunderbird 4's hull integrity is failing. You're getting crushed."
Gordon: "This thing's got way too many legs."
[Gordon uses the plasma cutter on Thunderbird 4's left arm to cut off the arms crushing him.]
Gordon: "The Mechanic is sending me more company. Ray-mechas."
[Thunderbird 4 fires its laser at one of the mechas, destroying it. Another mecha electrifies the arm, shocking Gordon.]
Virgil: "Gordon, what's going on?"
Gordon: "Urgh, they disabled the plasma cutter. I'm going to have to free Thunderbird 4 manually, but my dive suit won't take the pressure at this depth."
Brains: "Gordon, that's what I tried to tell you. Thunderbird 4's new package - it's a deep water exo-suit!"
Gordon: "Brains, you think of everything."
[Gordon exits the cockpit and into the hull of Thunderbird 4.]
Gordon: "Beginning suit-up protocol."
[Robotic arms extend 2 yellow knee pads onto Gordon's legs. The robotic arms crush Thunderbird 4 stronger.]
Gordon: "How long does this thing take? Uh, forget it. Switching to manual."
[Gordon puts his helmet on.]
Gordon: "Time to get my feet wet."
Virgil: "Hull integrity at 28%. Gordon, what are you doing?"
Gordon: "The airlock's jammed. I can't get the door open!"
Virgil: "Well make a new door. But do it fast, you don't have long."
[Gordon activates the laser cutter on his new exo-suit.]
Gordon: "Nice!"
Virgil: "Hull at 7%. Gordon, get out now!"
[Gordon cuts a hole out just in time. A massive explosion erupts from Thunderbird 4, throwing Gordon forward.]
Virgil: "Thunderbird 4... is offline."
Alan: "What happened?"
John: "Thunderbird 4 has been rendered... inoperative."
Grandma: "Gordon!"
Gordon: "I'm here! I'm okay, but Thunderbird 4 is a little, uh, beat up."
Grandma: "Oh boy."
[The Surveyor's ripped Thunderbird 4 in half. Gordon swims towards the Surveyor, avoids the arms but one knocks Gordon onto the seabed. The Surveyor moves over TV-21, and begins to collect it.]
Gordon: "International Rescue. The Surveyor's going for the TV-21. It's stealing Dad's ship!"
Brains: "Of course! Finding the TV-21 wasn't a coincidence. The Mechanic is finishing what the Hood started all those years ago."
Scott: "Wait, what do you mean?"
Brains: "The Hood sabotaged the TV-21, but he didn't know exactly where your father would ditch the craft. Searching the whole Mariana Trench was too big a task for the Mechanic alone, so he secretly gave this team the equipment for their mapping expedition."
Scott: "So they were looking for the TV-21 all along, they just didn't know it!"
Brains: "Precisely. And now that they've found the TV-21, the Mechanic intends to take it for himself."
Scott: "No he won't, because we're gonna stop him. But first we're gonna save that crew."
Brains: "Looking at these plans, it seems the Deep Ocean Surveyor has a centralised power system. Gordon, if you can cut the part I've highlighted, you'll stop that ship in its tracks."
Gordon: "FAB."
[After a bit of struggle with one of the claw arms, Gordon manages to cut the part with his suit's laser.]
Gordon: "Yes!
[The surveyor collapses onto the seabed.]
Gordon: Uh, now what? The life support systems are powered off. They're running out of air."
Scott: "We've got to get that crew out of there."
Virgil: "It'll take a couple of minutes, but maybe I could configure a pod to come get you."
Gordon: "Not possible. Only Thunderbird 4 could survive the pressure this deep, and it's seriously out of operation. We're out of options, and almost out of time. We need to come up with something extraordinary, and fast."
[Tracy Island.]
Alan: "Extraordinary and fast? Sounds like a job for you, Brains."
Brains: "Hmm. We can use the TV-21! Gordon could restart it, and then use the thrusters to power both vehicles to the surface."
Scott: "It's been sitting on the bottom of the ocean for years. You think it'll still work?"
Brains: "Absolutely! I built things to last."
Scott: "Gordon, we need you to get on the TV-21."
Gordon: "I always wanted to fly Dad's plane!
[Gordon opens the airlock on the bottom of the TV-21.]
Gordon: Opening the airlock. See you guys on the other side."
Sontag: "Stay with me, Clarke."
[Gordon enters the TV-21. Cue modern rendition of classic theme. Gordon almost sits on a classic style hat.]
Gordon: "Oh! Huh! Man, I can't believe we used to wear these things."
Virgil: "Sorry to spoil the moment, Gordon, but hurry?"
Gordon: "Here goes nothing. Phew."
[Gordon pushes a big red button, starting the TV-21.]
Scott: "Good work."
Alan: "Nice!"
Brains: "Started first time."
[Everything powers off in the TV-21.]
Gordon: "Stopped first time, too. Any other ideas?"
Scott: "You could try the Jeff Tracy fix. After all, it is Dad's plane."
Gordon: "FAB."
[Gordon dons the hat, and whacks the console as hard as he can. It starts again.]
Gordon: "Huh! Thanks Dad."
[Gordon pushes the main thruster handles forward. The TV-21's bottom thrusters fire.]
Gordon: "This is TV-21, we have liftoff."
[The surveyor rises towards the surface.]
Gordon: "300 metres from surface. 200. 1."
[Thunderbird 2 launches grapples at the Surveyor and hauls it out the water. Gordon exits the TV-21 and rushes to the Surveyor's airlock, opening it.]
Gordon: "It's okay. You're safe now."
Sontag: "Thank you, International Rescue."
Virgil: "So tell me, what was it like flying Dad's plane?"
Gordon: "It was awesome!"
[The Mechanic's warehouse.]
Lady Penelope: "If we can get into the system, maybe we'll learn more of what the Hood and the Mechanic are up to."
[Lady Penelope opens the Mechanic's system. It's intercepting a transmission.]
Scott: "...you can leave the pod to collect Thunderbird 4, uh, but first bring the TV-21 back where it belongs - in the hangar on Tracy Island."
Virgil and Gordon: "FAB."
Lady Penelope: "Oh! Scott, stop transmission. The Mechanic has been listening to everything we've been saying."
Kayo: "He's hacked into our communications system! This was slick, we never would have known. I'm re-encrypting."
Scott: "No, wait. He needs to hear this first. To the Mechanic: let me tell you who you're dealing with. We're International Rescue, you can't push us around, you can't tell us what to do, and you absolutely positively can't take our stuff!"
The Mechanic: "No, let me tell you who you're dealing with. I'm the Mechanic; I take what I want, from who I want, whenever I want it."
[The Mechanic powers up the surveyor again, and it transforms for flight. It flies off, ripping the cables connecting it to Thunderbird 2.]
Virgil: "International Rescue, we have a situation."
To be continued...