System check complete. All lights show green.
5, 4,
3, 2,
1.
Thunderbird 2 is go!
Thunderbird 2 to base.
I'm cruising at 40,000 feet, en route to London.
F-A-B. Have a great trip. How's your precious cargo?
Well, Gordon, we're a bit behind schedule, so I'd have to say... pretty volatile.
- Can this thing go any faster? - Your wish is my command.
This... is... more... like it.
We got a late start, but we're nearly there, Lady Penelope.
- Making our approach into London now. - That's good to hear, Virgil.
Unfortunately, we are a bit behind schedule ourselves.
- Parker, is that really necessary? - Sorry, m'lady. London traffic.
Believe me, it took all the restraint I had to push the button for the horn,
instead of the one for the flame-throwers.
We'll meet you and Grandma Tracy at the tea room.
F-A-B.
I've got my map, compass and my guide book. I'm all set.
Why do you bother carrying that stuff?
My wrist control has got all of that on it and more.
I'm not about to change just because Brains makes some newfangled device.
Sometimes new things are better, Grandma.
You have to have more faith in technology.
- Did you forget to plug it in last night? - It's a full system shutdown.
Thunderbird 2 has lost all power.
- Look! - I don't see anything.
Exactly. It's not just Thunderbird 2. All the power in London is out.
It's completely dark down there. We're dropping fast.
I'm gonna have to put down now. Hold on for an emergency landing.
5...
4...
3...
2...
1.
Thunderbirds are go!
Hang on!
Oh, boy.
I can't believe I actually pulled that off.
- Good job. - And without a mark on Thunderbird 2.
Well, ALMOST without a mark.
Hey! Hey, get out of the street. It's not safe.
Yeah, get inside.
- Parker, what's going on? - Haven't a clue, m'lady.
But whatever it is, it has not improved the traffic situation.
It's gotta be some kind of sustained EMF.
An electromagnetic frequency knocking out all electrical power in the city.
- And over it. - You got the last part right. Look!
Help! Help!
Help!
I've got the best rescue equipment in the world with me, and I can't use any of it.
Help!
Maybe you put too much faith in technology, kid.
It's not the gear in there that rescues people. It's the Tracy.
Now get climbing.
Help!
- International Rescue calling. - International Rescue...
But why didn't you come in a Thunderbird?
It's out of juice, along with all my gear and the whole city.
But don't worry, I'm getting you out of here.
Or not. Let me guess. The door's electronically controlled?
The door shorted out when the power failed.
Virgil, hold on!
I'm... trying!
- Can you release the load? - Not without power.
It's gotta be done manually.
But that would mean climbing all the way out
and then down to the coupling that's connecting the load to the cable.
Oh... got it.
One minute. Pick you up anything while I'm out?
No power suit, no pods... I don't know if I can do this.
You can do it, kid!
Well, I guess that answers that.
Should be a snap to uncouple with my ion wrench.
If it were working.
If you've got any more words of wisdom, I could use some.
How am I supposed to open the coupling, when my tools aren't working?
I don't know. Try giving it a good old-fashioned whack.
Oh, yeah. That'll work.
Look out below!
All the stress on the crane's legs has caused them to buckle.
They're gonna snap. The crane's going to topple!
With me on it.
Virgil, you gotta get off of there.
Yeah, I think that's probably a good idea.
Help! Help!
- You OK? - Yeah, but I'm still stuck.
Hang in there. I'll find a way to get you down.
People in 2060 aren't equipped for life without electricity.
There's life support going down in hospitals,
traffic jams everywhere, food spoiling and I can't stop any of it.
OK. So, then, let's get the power back.
That's the challenge. But between comms and cameras,
I've always had access to my brothers and any expert or piece of data I needed.
I've never had to tackle something like this without any help.
No offence.
I may be a little older than your brothers, but I'm still a Tracy.
- Where do we start? - OK.
Well, first, we need to find out what did this.
I may have found a clue.
I don't believe it.
This is actually real, old-fashioned paper.
I haven't seen this stuff since my school days.
But, more to the point, is what's printed on it.
"We the Luddites demand a world without technology."
"A world without power."
"We will return to the better ways of the past."
This is better?
Look!
Those must be some of the Luddites.
Shall we?
Impressive move, Parker.
Though I don't recall learning that in my own training.
Let's just say I learnt a few tricks in my misspent youth.
Hey! What do you think you're doing?
It's this way. We've got to meet up with the others.
And we wouldn't want to be late for that.
OK, so we know these Luddites are doing this.
Now we need to find where they've stashed their EMF generator.
But without any of my gear working...
You've still got the greatest technology ever created -
your brain. Use it. Think!
Well, the source of the EMF should be near the centre of the city.
That would give it the greatest area of effect.
But finding the dead centre of London is going to be a challenge without a GPS.
Well, then, how about we try these?
That's weird. The compass isn't pointing north.
Never had any problem with it, and a compass doesn't need power,
so it can't be that OMG, can it?
EMF.
Which stands for electromagnetic frequency.
Magnets affect compasses. Which means...?
If you're waiting for me to answer, Virgil,
you're gonna be standing there grinning for a while.
It means we can follow the compass to the EMF.
Hurry! We don't have long before the security system shuts down.
I wanna be there when the vault opens,
and the dawn of our new world begins.
Did he say... vault?
I know this score. It's the old lights-out trick.
I see. Something else from your misspent youth.
If there was a high-tech lock we couldn't crack,
we'd just cut the power and shut the whole security system down.
But that begs the question: what are the Luddites trying to steal?
It's working. The compass is leading us right to...
A dead end.
On the surface maybe...
I'll bet whatever is causing the EMF is somewhere under here.
Ah, without a laser bore or particle excavator,
it's gonna take a while to dig our way underground.
Virgil?
- Or we could just use the Underground. - That's using your head.
Voila. Thunderbirds are glow.
- How did you do that? - I just changed go to glow and...
No, not that. That.
I thought the EKG was shutting off all the power.
EMF - and it's shutting down all electrical power.
The light sticks on my tool belt work on a chemical reaction.
- Like the one going on in my stomach. - I think I brought one of my cookies!
Oh, no, er... that's OK. I'm... not, you know, actually hungry.
Will you look at this place?! It's like we've gone back in time.
- You know, to the Dark Ages. Right? - If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
This happens to be the oldest operating subway system in the world.
It says so right here on my map.
We'd be sunk if you hadn't brought all this old stuff.
Just because something's old doesn't mean it can't be useful.
That compass is just about as old as I am.
- It belonged to your grandpa. - Really?
His compass was often the most high-tech piece of equipment he had.
Grandpa Tracy always got the job done,
not because his gear was the newest,
but because of old-fashioned things like heroism, determination
and knowing the right thing to do.
I was gonna give it to your father, but I never got the...
Those must be Luddites, which means we're on the right path.
What was that?
Probably just a rat. Come on.
(OK. Let's go.)
That's gotta be the EMF generator.
Now all we have to do is offline its amp impedance output,
and we should be home free.
I have no idea on earth - or under it - what you just said.
But I think I see a problem with your plan.
- What? - Them.
What is this place?
My father brought me here once. I know where we are.
- I'm glad one of us does, m'lady. - This is the Codex Vault.
Behind that thick metal door and those concrete walls
lies one of the most powerful objects in the world.
- Some kind of weapon? - In the wrong hands, yes.
This is where they keep the Universal Grid Codex.
It's a code that gives you complete control over the global power grid.
So if this lot gets it, they'll do to the world what they did to London.
They want this blackout to be worldwide.
We can't let that happen, Parker.
Backup batteries must be keeping the door locked.
The thick walls would have shielded them
from whatever is knocking out power to the rest of the city.
Those batteries won't last forever.
All the Luddites have to do is wait for the door to open for them.
Parker, we have to act now, while we've got the element of surprise.
My thoughts exactly, m'lady.
Let's dispense with the formalities, shall we?
Parker, if I'm not mistaken, that's The Hood.
Well done, friends.
And now, I believe it is time to reap the fruits of our partnership.
We've done it.
Yes!
Now we can start a whole new world. A world without technology.
A world without power.
Now why would I want to live in a world like that?
I fully intend to keep the lights on...
- For a very steep price. - But... we had a deal.
Your cause may be a joke, but you've been very useful.
- You ready? - No.
- Come on, what are you worried about? - All those Luddites, for one thing.
Well, I'm worried about all the people up there in trouble.
They don't have time for us to just sit here twiddling our thumbs.
- So, you ready? - Yeah.
Then as you boys like to say, Thunderbirds are go.
- Oi! Who's there? - Hello!
Can anyone point me to Piccadilly Circus?
- I'd like to see the elephants. - It's not that kind of circus, is it?
Of course not. She's no sightseer.
Hey! Stay where you are. Don't let her get away!
After her!
Who are you? What are you doing here?
I'm here because Virgil insisted someone had to draw you away, so no-one got hurt.
Virgil? Who's Virgil?
He's the one bringing the ceiling down on your machine right now.
One good old-fashioned whack should do it.
Hm, maybe two.
- You said you were one of us. - I say a lot of things.
I don't always mean them.
- The power's back. - The door - it's closing!
Goodbye.
He's gone.
Help! The door's still jammed!
Look, there's still time.
Aaargh! It's falling!
That's The Hood's ship.
- Virgil, are you there? - Lady Penelope.
- Are you all right? - Just listen to me.
The Hood is getting away with the Universal Grid Codex.
No time to explain what that means, but it's bad. Very, very bad.
For the whole world. You've got to stop him.
Help!
Save one life...
Then save the world.
All day I've been worried how I could solve problems without the help of my gear,
but this is one problem I don't need any help figuring out the answer to.
Don't worry, Lady Penelope.
Whatever The Hood tries, we'll find a way to deal with it then.
But there's someone right here who needs rescuing right now.
No way I'm walking away from that.
That's my boy.
Help!
Get back!
Yes, if you could just quickly pop the doors open, that would be smashing.
Thank you, Prime Minister.
The Hood goes through all that trouble to open this vault,
and all you have to do is make a phone call.
- Parker! - Oh, hello, m'lady.
I was just telling this lot
that if they want to work without technology,
they're gonna love prison.
I am so relieved you're all right.
- But The Hood got away with the Codex. - Not so, m'lady.
The Hood may know the old lights-out trick, but thanks to his little light show,
he never saw the old switcheroo coming.
- Another trick... - From your misspent youth.
I've never heard of anyone having done quite as much youthful misspending as you.
But I'm very glad you did.
- Home, m'lady? - Home, Parker.
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!
NO!
- Now, this is a cookie! - I think you'll find it's a biscuit.
Keep your paws off!
So it seems that London has quite a bit to thank you for.
I was just along for the ride. It's Virgil you should be thanking.
I've never been prouder of one of my boys.
You showed a lot of your grandfather's old-fashioned heroism today.
That's why I want you to have this.
The next time you face a hard choice, all you'll have to do is look at it,
and it will remind you which way to go.
I... I don't know what to say.
Then why don't you wait until your mouth isn't full?
We're at tea with a lady.
Didn't I teach you anything? Here I was saying how proud I was,
and you spit cookie crumbs all over the couch.
Ah, that's my boy.
Tea, m'lady?