The Deep Ocean Surveyor was a multipurpose ship designed by the Mechanic. It appeared in Up from the Depths Part 1 and Part 2. The Surveyor was owned by XN Industrial, and was built to map the Mariana Trench.
Appearances[]
Up from the Depths Part 1[]
The vehicle first appears piloted by two people on an expedition to map the Mariana Trench. Their employer is supposedly a company called XN. When they suddenly stumble across the remains of the TV-21, the first Thunderbird prototype, their submarine suffers a malfunction and shuts down. International Rescue are alerted, and Gordon and Virgil Tracy are dispatched in Thunderbird 2 and Thunderbird 4. Meanwhile, Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward and Parker are investigating a seemingly abandoned warehouse only to discover one of the Mechanic's workshops. They then send the collected data to Brains who, much to his horror, figures out that the Surveyor and XN were made by the Mechanic. Upon the realisation, the latter takes remote control of the Surveyor and ambushes Thunderbird 4 who is on the scene. Despite putting up a good fight, Gordon is forced to evacuate his submarine and Thunderbird 4 is crushed. Gordon manages to escape the ship's grip and decides to use the TV-21 to propel the Surveyor to the surface to rescue the two crew members who are running out of air. Though the plan works and the crew saved, the Surveyor suddenly turns into an aircraft and flies off with the TV-21.
Up from the Depths Part 2[]
The Surveyor is soaring through the sky over mountains with Thunderbird 1 in pursuit. Scott Tracy tries to grapple the ship but the Mechanic engages the TV-21's thrusters and breaks free, crippling Thunderbird 1 in the process. Scott barely manages to make it back to Tracy Island. In the mean time, Kayo, Parker and Lady Penelope are following another lead by pinpointing the signal the Mechanic is using to pilot the Surveyor remotely. The signal leads them to Scotland. Meanwhile, the Surveyor stops above the GDF's iridium vault and snatches the vault from the building, with Ned Tedford still inside it. After having modified Thunderbird 3, Scott and Alan Tracy manage to intercept the Mechanic, leading to a brutal clash between the two ships. While Alan keeps the Mechanic occupied, Scott works to save Ned. After a long fight, Alan succeeds in crippling the Surveyor and Scott secures the vault with Ned inside. However, the Mechanic heats up the TV-21's reactor, causing it to go into meltdown. He then rams the Surveyor into Thunderbird 3 as a last resort. Just then, the Mechanic is caught by surprise and tackled by Kayo and Parker who have made is past his defences. But the "Mechanic" who was remotely piloting the Surveyor turns out to be nothing more than an android duplicate. The real Mechanic was controlling it from an unknown location the whole time. He then activates the robot's self-destruct bomb and blows up the whole building. Kayo, Parker and Penelope barely manage to get out in time. With the Mechanic no longer in control, Thunderbird 3 successfully breaks free and reaches a safe distance just as the TV-21 explodes taking the Surveyor with it.
Capabilities[]
The Deep Ocean Surveyor is a highly diverse craft built by the Mechanic. It is capable of travelling deep below the ocean, through the sky and even in space. Despite its rather bulky size, it could travel with great speed and agility, even without the TV-21's powerful thrusters. Its hull was also incredibly durable, enduring a pitched battle with a weaponised Thunderbird 3. The formidable machine was only stopped when the Mechanic's remote control was severed. He equipped it with the following features:
- Scanners: The ship had an array of scanners and laser sensors on the front of its hull to map the ocean floor.
- Ejectable cockpit: A large cabin from which the Surveyor was piloted by two crew members. Once the Mechanic seized control of the ship, he discarded the whole pod.
- Mechanical arms: Six long robotic arms that emerge from the back of the craft. They can exert enough force to crush the highly durable hull of Thunderbird 4.
- Ray-mecha deployment: The craft can deploy Ray-mechas from pods on each side of its hull.
- Grappling cables: The entire rear of the ship could open up to reveal a compartment to store the TV-21. Cables could shoot out to grab the ship and reel it in.
- Thrusters and propellers: The Surveyor's four thrusters were situated at the front and could rotate back and forth to propel the ship forwards, backwards and even hold it stationary above the iridium vault. In its submarine configuration, it possessed a suite of propellers that could allow it to steer its way through the steep and narrow canyons of the Mariana Trench.
- Magnetic grabs: Used to snatch the vault right off the ground. They were armed with cutting lasers to facilitate the acquisition of the vault.
Gallery[]
