"Four Hours to Eternity" is an original short story that was published in the 1969 Thunderbirds annual. As with all stories in the publication, no writer is credited.
Plot[]
Karl and Joe, a pair of nefarious thieves, put their greatest scheme, 10 years in the making, into action: robbing the vault in the World Government's International Monetary Centre! However, a slight oversight sees the pair trapped inside the high-security vault, ready for the guards to arrest them. In another unfortunate turn for the crooks trapped inside, the guards are unable to open the vault for another 14 hours due to the vault's security measures - and the vault only has about four hours of air left inside. It's a job for International Rescue, but with the Mole unable to penetrate the vault's thick steel walls, will the famed rescue organisation be forced to concede defeat?
Characters[]
(in order of appearance)
- Karl Burke
- Joe Bailey
- Vault superintendant
- IMC security guard
- World Government security chief
- Jeff Tracy
- Virgil Tracy
- Brains Hackenbacker
- Gordon Tracy
IR Equipment Used[]
Trivia[]
2021 Audiobook
- The story contains a mixture of elements from both Vault of Death and Give or Take a Million; with an airtight vault threatening to suffocate occupants stuck inside it, and a pair of robbers eyeing off a large payday respectively.
- As part of "Thunderbirds Day" celebrations in 2021, Four Hours to Eternity was recorded as an audiobook by Nicholas Briggs, and released for free on September 30th by Anderson Entertainment. The cover design would replicate the original Century 21 Records design, with artwork by Chris Thompson.
- A year later, the audiobook was released on Anything Can Happen, a TV Century 21 branded audio story compilation released by Anderson Entertainment, alongside Aquaphobia and other non-Thunderbirds stories. Despite being published as part of a 'revived' TV Century 21 line, none of the stories featured were originally published in the magazine.