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				GENESIS by Katie Oliver Chapter Five: International Rescue       With his large family scattered again, Jeff began to put into action a plan that had been in his mind ever since Rachel's plane crash. He realized that money and expertise was going into development of ever faster, bigger and more efficient developments without there being any research into the rescue service. A rescue service that would ignore political boundaries and rescue people in peril regardless of colour, creed, or ability to pay.       At first Jeff tried to interest the governments for the major world countries in this rescue service but he soon realized that they were not interested in international co-operation, and would only consider a service that benefited their own nationals. After much thought Jeff Tracy decided he would do it himself. He would found a rescue service based at Tracy Island that would help in the event of any emergency, be it on land, at sea, in the air, or even in space! It would be called International Rescue.       The rest, as they say is history! Jeff needed help to develop the machines he would need. His own engineering firms would help provide the parts and the many volcanic caves in the island would provide the hangers and workshops necessary. His mind went back to a young man, who could not be much older than his eldest son, whom he had seen giving a lecture the previous year. He went by the unlikely name of Hiram K. Hackenbacker, but he had the most original mind that Jeff had ever met. Jeff arranged a meeting under the cover of Tracy Engineering, and after deciding he could trust the young man, put his idea to him. Hiram, or Brains as Jeff soon began calling him, agreed to work on the project and returned to Tracy Island with Jeff.       Possibly if either Jeff or Brains knew how long it would take to get International Rescue operational they would not have continued with the project. By the time the first International Rescue craft was ready to fly, Scott was a young man of twenty-two, and he test flew Thunderbird One himself. He was at this time a pilot in the US air force, and had recently become their main test pilot. John had joined the Space Agency and was soon to sit his final exams to become an astronaut. Virgil had won a place at the prestigious Denver School of Advanced Technology. Gordon, although still at school, had competed in the Olympics becoming the youngest person ever to win the gold medal in the butterfly. He had applied to train as an aquanaut when he left school next year. Alan still had two years at school left, and he wanted to be a racing driver. A joy ride in a visitors sports car, rashly left outside school with the keys in, (for this story and others of the Tracy Boys exploits at school see the book. "School Days") had resulted in a broken arm, more trouble than he could ever remember being in before, and a desire to race at the top level. He had finally gained entry to the world schoolboy Go-Cart races, and had won every class in his age group.       All the boys watched the test flight, which was a huge success, and Jeff hoped International Rescue would be running by the end of the following year. That was not to be the case however. Thunderbird Two caused Brains many headaches before he discovered the idea of interchangeable pods to carry the equipment the rescuers would need. In all it was another four years before International Rescue was ready to become operational.       During these years the Tracy boys all excelled at their own pursuits. Scott was decorated for valour for the rescue of two fellow pilots during his career in the US Air Force. John had already had the first of what would be many books on astronomy published. Virgil had spent the last two years working full time with Brains to get International Rescue up and running. He still managed to find time to paint and play the piano. Gordon was seriously injured in a hydrofoil crash the year before the launch of International Rescue, and for two worrying weeks there was doubt whether he would ever walk again, let alone pilot the underwater craft Brains had been designing for him. Fortunately, after four months in hospital, and a further six months of physiotherapy the young man made a complete recovery. He did not return to the World Aquanaut Security Patrol, for whom he had been working before the accident, preferring to remain on the island and help Brains, Virgil and his father on International Rescue.       Alan was still at college and Jeff had worried at first if he should complete his education before joining the rest of the family, but it was all too clear that Alan's interests were not academic. He had many achievements to his name, and none of them were educational! Despite the intelligence that characterized all the Tracy brothers Alan had no interest in his college work. He spent more time at Parolla Sands than in the lecture hall, and was in fact in danger of being sent down at the end of the year. So Alan joined the rest of the family when International Rescue finally became operational in 2065.