4 Hours to Live! (short story)

4 Hours to Live! was a short story printed in TV Century 21 that contained elements from the Doctor Who universe. Framed as the front page of an in-universe periodical, the titular article instead made reference to the Zero X content in the issue with a smaller piece tying-in to the Captain Scarlet comic story We Will Destroy Unity City, which was a crossover with the DWU.

Summary
Brad Newman's impostor hijacks Zero X and sets it on a crash course with lava sea of Mercury. This news is quickly flashed to the world following an emergency press conference with spokesmen for Glenn Field Spaceport. One such spokesman reveals the hijacker's intentions are "becoming increasingly clear", namely that he wishes to land the MEV in the northern sector of the planet. Meanwhile, TV 21 cannot accept the hijacker has nothing in mind but to commit suicide with the other crewmembers, believing the liquid lava to hold a mystery yet to be known by Captain Paul Travers. They reiterate that if they are wrong, then Zero X will crash and its men will die.

Elsewhere, the World President calls a top-level conference in Washington DC with dozens of officials including Spectrum's top earthbound agents following the disappearance of the organisation's headquarters, Cloudbase. The next morning, the World Government Security Press Council are apprehensive about commenting and simply state that no statement would be issued. It is clear, however, that the order has gone out to find Cloudbase.

Characters

 * Brad Newman's impostor
 * T.J. Younger
 * Spokesman
 * Paul Travers
 * Brad Newman
 * Greg Martin
 * Casey

Worldbuilding

 * Although radio contact has been lost with Zero X, a constant videoscan observation of the craft continues to inform officials about the situation.
 * With Cloudbase gone, Earth is without guard.

Story notes

 * This story is another crossover with Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons and Zero X.

Continuity

 * Cloudbase has mysteriously disappeared. (COMIC: We Will Destroy Unity City, PROSE: Mysterons Destroy Cloudbase?)
 * TV 21 previously reported Brad Newman's possible kidnapping and replacement by an impostor, though at that time the rumours were not yet confirmed. (PROSE: Captain Scarlet Our Only Hope)