Many thanks to @womble1 for the kind comment on this scene today. I had to look it up to see what yo

Many thanks to @womble1 for the kind comment on this scene today. I had to look it up to see what you were referring to because my brain is an empty can. Therefore I am now throwing it at everyone, cos I’m evil like that :D ::hugs you lots:: You is wonderful.-o-o-o-Virgil clung to the yoke as the cyclone attempted to throw his ‘bird into the ocean and she fought against the howling wind. It wouldn’t have been a problem if he had been flying straight, but he had to hover and collect the module. His brother and the surviving fishermen were relying on him.A nasty downdraft slapped them again and the ocean beneath attempted to reach up and grab him from the sky.His clearance was limited by the length of his grapples and the swell was massive. He had managed the drop off easily enough, the module hitting the surface and rapidly submerging to a safe level where TB4 could disembark. The module’s inbuilt engines and pumps kept it stable in the depths awaiting Gordon’s return.The aquanaut, with some swearing over the comms, had been able to save the three fishermen before their trawler took a plunge under the next mountainous wave. They all ended up wet, Gordon ended up furious, and now they were safe in the module, awaiting pickup just below the surface.But the winds were hell, Virgil was tired, and, if he was honest, afraid. This was the one scenario with module deployment that had him scared he may not be able to do it. Mainly because if he couldn’t, his brother could be lost. It all relied on Virgil catching that module in heaving seas and howling winds.He wrenched on the yoke again and the whole right side of his ribcage twinged. Great. He did not have time for this.“Whenever you are ready, Virgil.”He grit his teeth. “Doing my best, Gordon. This is a cyclone after all.”“FAB.” At least his brother sounded suitably admonished.He shunted altitude control over to autopilot, upped sensory response to wind velocity and took aim. Three green targets almost immediately. The fourth failed and within a second or two the other three followed and he had to reset the system.Again.An exhaled breath, his chest tight.Two targets green, two red and targets lost.“Goddamnit!”He had to do this.Reset.Aim.One target green.‘C’mon.”Three.And four!He fired.They stayed green.Oh, thank god. He immediately set the pumps in the module to shedding water as the grapples started pulling her to the surface. He had to be fast because his ‘bird was now chained to the swell and she rose and dipped alarmingly as the autopilot calculated the distances.He could almost feel the pumps grinding away below sloshing water, desperately doing their best to free the module of saltwater.Of course, this was the very moment the ocean decided to throw a wall of that water at him. Suddenly his entire view was wrapped in turbulent whites and greys, TB2’s own spotlights lighting it up for all to see.Shiiiiiiiit!He yanked on the yoke and TB2 screamed at the sudden power surge. Module Four was ripped from the ocean surface still half full, and caught immediately by the gale force cross winds. He struggled to gain altitude as the autopilot failed to compensate, desperate to clear the mountain of water bearing down on them.He almost made it.Water rushed across the bow of his ‘bird, splashing the rain off his viewports. VTOL flickered, but it was the extra weight on the cables that set the dash screaming at him. There was suddenly a good twenty to thirty metres of saltwater between Thunderbird Two and her flailing module. Unbalanced, continually moving and heavy.He froze the retrieval, desperate to relieve the strain on the grapples and let the wave move past.It took forever.Red lights strobes at him. Grapple two registered a loss of grip momentarily, scaring the bejesus out of him, before locking in green again.Time hung in terror.And the swell moved on.Module Four swung once again in the gale.Virgil struggled to take a breath.The pumps churned out the remains of the saltwater as Two finally gained the necessary altitude, fighting the winds best enough to once again draw up and nest the module in her belly.Heart still pounding, Virgil kicked in the rear thrusters and pushed her towards the cloud ceiling, breaking through finally into the clear air above.The sudden absence of turbulence was startling.Once free and steady, he programmed the autopilot to send them to Broome, a matter of minutes away, and took a moment for himself.Oh god.His heart was beating against his breastbone. He felt he couldn’t breathe in enough oxygen.Alone in the cockpit, he dropped his head towards his knees, ignoring the pain in his side at the position. He took strong steadying breaths, desperate to calm himself down.“Virgil? Virgil!”Gordon rushed over, but the engineer managed to get himself upright before his brother reached him. “I’m fine. ‘S okay.”“You look like shit.”“Thanks.” The sarcasm was there, but the energy wasn’t.“Are you sure, you’re okay?” Gordon was frowning at him.A deep breath that didn’t quite feel deep enough, but it got strength back into his voice. “I’m fine. I should be asking you that question.”“Oh, that was some ride, Virg. We will need to replenish the sick bags in Four, though.”Virgil stared at his brother. Did he have any idea how close it had been?Gordon stared back. “What?”“This is Broome International Airport calling Thunderbird Two. You are clear for approach.”He blinked and turned back to his console.Dump the dumb fishermen and go home.That was all he had to do.And ignore his trembling hands.-o-o-o- -- source link

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