Brains Dies in New York (short story)

Brains Dies in New York was a TV21 Stop Press short story printed in TV Century 21 in 1968. It mentioned the location of Unity City, first introduced in The Daleks comic story Duel of the Daleks.

Summary
Professor Brains Hackenbacker is found dead in the offices of New York's opticians, causing one of the biggest manhunts in the city in years to begin. The pilot from International Rescue found with Brains's body refuses to give his name or the reason for his presence but the FBI ultimately decide not to hold him, with some believing that President Younger gave the order which released the unidentified individual.

Elsewhere, Zero X blasts off at 02:00 from Glenn Field for an unknown destination. Although the press offices at both Glenn Field and Unity City offer no clues as to where exactly the spaceship is heading, TV 21 makes the "safe" assumption that Captain Paul Travers has the "impossible" task of recapturing Professor Viner, who took off from London Spaceport with two hundred emigrant-occupied spacecraft the previous day.

In Wiltshire, Spectrum's Melody Angel is slightly injured when her Jaguar P27 sports car is involved in a crash with a hovertruck in Wiltshire. She is quickly taken to Bath Hospital and later released following a series of X-rays. Meanwhile, Captain Diamond from the World Army's British section is selected to lead the team for the 2068 Olympics in Pekin. Finally, Troy Tempest is sighted near Washington harbour as WASP security police move in on his location.

Characters

 * Brains
 * Scott Tracy
 * Paul Travers
 * Melody Angel
 * Troy Tempest
 * Captain Diamond

Worldbuilding

 * Brains was believed to have connections with International Rescue but TV 21 notes any secrets he might have known went to his grave.
 * The reason for the World Government's interest in Viner's departure is a mystery.
 * Diamond is the World Small Bore Rifle Champion as well as a favourite for a gold medal in the upcoming Olympic Games.

Story notes

 * This story is another crossover with Stingray, Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons.
 * The member of International Rescue with Brains in New York is not named here but is identified as Scott is the Thunderbirds comic this story referenced, Brains is Dead.

Continuity

 * Troy Tempest is an ex-Captain and a fugitive, having escaped from a life sentence for allegedly shooting down an unarmed World Airforce bomber. (PROSE: Invasion Threat?, Rescue Search for International Rescue)