Part 1 – Evacuation-Day
2027…
"Time to get up," the alarm clock rang, "Time to get up! Time to get up!"
Seventeen-year-old Damien Winters reached over, and slammed his fist on top of the alarm, he hated getting up that early, then again, he had to be at the stadium at 7:30.
Standing up, he felt the hard-wood floor of his bedroom floor was colder than usual, he walked over to his window, and flung the curtains open, the heat from the Mariner Bay sun shinned a bright light off the lake.
The seventeen-year-old young man was well within his prime for what he did, and what he was, was the captain of his high-school's drill team, his thinly-cut brown hair was always cut the same way to compliment his Caucasian skin, six-foot-two height, and his lean, slightly muscled build.
There was a bang on the door, "Hey sport, are you up?" A voice he recognized as his father, Captain Adam Winters said from the other side of the door.
"Yes dad," Damien said as he walked over to open his bed room door to see his father was dressed in his military uniform, "You're being called to the base?"
"Yes," Captain Winters said, "I'm afraid I might miss your drill meet."
"But dad…" Damien said.
"I'm sorry Damien," Captain Winters said, "But something urgent came up, I bet I might be able to make the last few moments."
"Ok," Damien said, "Just don't be too late if you can help it."
After his father hugged him, Damien grabbed a pair of underwear, his ROTC Uniform, and walked to the bathroom where he stepped into the shower.
As he was washing, he heard the door open, "Good morning," a voice he recognized as his mother, Maria Winters said into the room, "What do you want for breakfast?"
"It's an important day," Damien said as he washed his hair, "Surprise me."
"Ok," Maria said, "Come down stairs when you're all cleaned up."
As Damien stepped out of the shower, and dried off, he kept going over the steps his drill-team would be doing in his head.
Him and his team had been rehearsing their new moves for months that involved the techniques that Damien's sensei had taught him during his martial arts classes working with a bo-staff.
As he walked down stairs in his uniform, his twelve-year-old sister, Ellen Winters was sitting at the kitchen table, enjoying the pancakes their mother decided to make.
Ellen was a young elementary-school girl that had her mother's long black hair, and her father's Caucasian skin. The green eyes she had were very different from even her brother who had deep blue eyes.
"Hey big brother," Ellen said as Damien approached the table.
"Hey little sister," Damien said as he leaned in, and kissed her on the forehead.
"Mom made pancakes," Ellen said, "Must be an important event."
"It is," Damien said, "These are the finals of the National Drill Team Championships," he sat down as his mother placed three pancakes in front of him with peanut butter smeared on the top, it's the only way he took it, "Winners get a grant for their school, and a chance to travel to New York City to see the U.S. Army 4th Battalion & 3rd Infantry Regiment perform live at President Andrew Malone's Birthday Celebration."
On the television was a news release of the situation in Angel Grove which for some reason had almost completely dropped off the map.
"While the U.S. Army has been sent to find out the situation in Angel Grove, authorities have considered declaring Martial Law in several other towns," the news anchor said, "While most are considering it, San Diego and San Francisco have already implemented a curfew."
As he started eating Ellen raised a question, "Why would they be performing at the President's Birthday Party?"
"Because President Malone used to be a Colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps," Damien said as he swallowed a bite, "If we win, this'll be the first time my school's drill team will have one a championship in ten years."
As he finished, he heard the sound of a car horn from the outside, he looked outside, and saw his drill-team was waiting for him in his friend's mom's van.
"That's your ride," Maria said as she handed Damien his beret which he slid on his head, "Do your best."
"You know I will," Damien said as he hugged his mom, "I've got to go, see you later."
Damien ran out the front door of his house, and out to the van where upon jumping in, the van took off.
"Major," Damien's JROTC XO, Cadet-Command Sergeant Major Matt Aspenov said as Damien took his seat, and buckled in, "Good breakfast?"
Matt Aspenov was a young seventeen-year-old six-foot tall Pilipino male with a thick head of black hair that reached just above his neck-line. His father worked very closely with Damien's out at the Air Force Base which is one of the reasons they became best friends aside from so many other reasons.
"Sure, did Matt," Damien said, "How much did you guys practice the moves we went over?"
"Over and over again boss," Cadet-Staff Sergeant Steven Kenny Malone said, "We got this."
Steven couldn't have been more different than any other member of the squad, he didn't come from a military background or had one single family member that was involved in the military. Steven had joined the squad because he was socially awkward, and had a hard time making friends. When he joined the JROTC at Mariner Bay High School it was to make friends, and that he did, making friends with Damien and Matt almost the first second he joined the squad. He was a young five-foot-ten Latino male with short-cut thick black hair, and brown eyes.
"Have you guys seen the situation in Los Angeles?" Damien asked.
"Who hasn't," the fourth member of the squad, Lara Jones said as she leaned over the seat, "I still have family out in L.A., and I haven't heard a peep from them."
Lara was not that different from Damien, both her parents were in the military, and actually served under Damien's father, Adam. Both Damien and Lara aspired to be like their parents, and they were both good friends. Lara was a very beautiful five-foot-three Caucasian woman with long brown hair that she kept down, past her shoulder blades.
Damien could see the worry in Lara's face, he reached over, and gently grabbed her hand, "I'd be worried too," he said, "My father has direct contact with California, I'll ask him to check when I see him."
"Thanks Damien," Lara said, "By the way. Where's Jackie?"
"She's already there," Lara's mother, Meghan Jones said as she continued driving, "I called her mother to say we were on our way, and she said that she and Jackie was on their way."
"Good," Damien said, "We can't compete without our entire drill team."
"Speaking about teams," Mrs. Jones said, "Guess which famous team is going to be watching, at the stadium?"
"Famous team," Matt asked, "What kind of famous team would be in Mariner Bay to watch an JROTC Drill Team?"
"Isn't it obvious," Damien asked as he reached up to slightly adjust the lanyard Mrs. Jones had hanging from her rear-view mirror, at the very end of the lanyard was a coin with the Lightspeed Rescue insignia in the face of the coin.
"The Rangers?" Steven asked.
"Two of the original Lightspeed Rescue Rangers, Carter Grayson and Joel Rawlings will be at your competition," Mrs. Jones said, "They're here looking for one team to give the Lightspeed College Fund too, and handing out the trophy."
"That fund would pave the way to get us all through college," Damien said, "That'd be huge!"
"Not to mention we'd get to meet the Rangers." Steven said.
"You get to meet them anyways," Mrs. Jones said, "You forget that I worked at Lightspeed."
As they were pulling up to the stadium, they saw Jackie waiting for them with her mom.
Jackie Nelson was about the same age as Lara, her five-foot-four height put her just one inch above Lara's height. Her Asian skin color and black hair color made her heritage as plain as the hills. And what she had in height was matched by her talent, she could have tried her hand at anything, martial artist, professional dancer, whatever she put her mind to she could accomplish in no time at all.
"Hey," Jackie said as Damien stepped out of the van, "Everyone's inside, the Colonel is waiting for us along with two V.I.P.s."
"Let me guess," Damien said, "Two saviors of our city?"
"Yep," Jackie said, "They're sitting right next to the Colonel."
"You remember the routine?" Damien asked.
"You know I do," Jackie said as she slid on her beret, "Let's go."
As the team entered the stadium, they walked up to the counter where the contestants would sign in, and the Captain on duty looked up as the stood in formation, and saluted him. The name on his uniform read, 'Smith'.
"You're the CO," Captain Smith asked as he looked at Damien.
"Yes sir." Damien said.
"State your name, rank, and school." Captain Smith said.
"Damien Winters," Damien said, "Cadet-Captain. We are the JROTC team for Mariner Bay High School."
Captain Smith went down the list, and found them, "Right on time," he said, "Your CO's already inside," he pointed at the concession stand, "Go get your guns there."
As the team saluted him, and walked up to the stand, the Sergeant in charge pulled out five rifles, and placed them on the counter.
As Damien passed them around, he took some time to examine the rifles, basic JROTC rifles modeled after the Springfield 1903, balanced in the center, and ready for action.
"Think these'll work?" Matt asked.
"Just as well," Damien said, "You guys ready?"
"You know it boss." Steven said.
As the team proceeded onto the floor, they saw the other drill teams preparing for their routines.
As Damien and his team took their seats, he saw them, Lightspeed Rescue Red Ranger, Carter Grayson, and Lightspeed Rescue Green Ranger, Joel Rawlings sitting next to Damien's team's CO wearing their Lightspeed Rescue Jackets.
Damien always admired the Lightspeed Rescue Rangers, mostly because before he was born, Carter Grayson himself rescued his mother, and then when he was a baby, Carter rescued him when he was only several months old.
As he grew up, he learned more and more about Lightspeed Rescue, the Rangers, and how they saved not only him, but also Mariner Bay and the world.
"Welcome everyone to the finals of the JROTC Drill Team championships," the announcer said, "Today we celebrate the top twenty teams from across the United States. This is in remembrance of not only our brave U.S. soldiers, but of everyone soldier that has not made it home, or has yet to make it home. Let us say hello to our very talented judges," he drew the attention to the first judge, a Caucasian male in his late twenties wearing a U.S. Military uniform, "First we have CO of the U.S. Army's 4th Battalion, Major David Knight," as the audience clapped, he moved on to the second judge, a short Polynesian woman in her late thirties, "Second is Mariner Bay Councilwoman, Jessica Aldridge," he then moved to the final judge, a young African-American woman in her early twenties, "And finally, Mariner Bay Newswoman, Erica Simson."
As everyone in the crowd clapped, someone in the crowd shouted, "YEAH!"
The announcer continued, "And finally, they're not judges, but they are presenting the trophy, and they are some of Mariner Bay's greatest heroes," the announcer said as he walked up to Carter and Joel, "Ladies and Gentlemen, The Red and Green Lightspeed Rangers, Carter Grayson, and Joel Rawlings," Carter and Joel stood up, and waved, then sat down as the announcer said, "Now that the formalities are through with, let's get to the main event!"
The first eighteen teams weren't really spectacular, Damien knew they would beat them, but that smugness would be short-lived.
As the team from Silver Hills stepped down, Damien watched as they began their routine, they were a very disciplined drill team so their technique was very similar to the advanced techniques that the Marine Corps drill team would practice, at least that's how it started…
Right toward the middle of their routine, the loud speakers blared the song, Push it to the limit. Their leader then started doing a break dance spin with the assistance of his rifle while his subordinates started bouncing their rifles around him on the floor, missing him by mere inches.
The finally finished when they bounced their rifles off the ground, and caught them in the air, the audience broke out into thunderous applause, including Carter Grayson and Joel Rawlings.
"Damn," Damien cursed, "That's unbelievable."
"We can still beat them boss." Steven said.
"How?" Damien asked.
"They have the bayonets and torches outside." Steven said.
Damien looked at Steven, and pointed his finger at him, "No," he said, "No."
"Let's put it to a vote," Steven said, "All in favor."
Lara, Jackie, and Steven raised their hands while Matt and Damien kept theirs down, "Alright, fine," he said, "Majority rules."
"Yes." Steven said.
"But," Damien said as he pointed at Steven, "If this fails, or ends in disaster, it's on you."
"Done." Steven said.
After Steven ran to the DJ, and then counter, he returned with a single torch, and five bayonets, as they attached the bayonets to their rifles, the announcer called them, "Now, representing the city itself, Mariner Bay High School."
Everyone in the crowd started clapping, while Damien looked over at Carter Grayson who had a proud smile on his face.
As the team walked up to the stage, Steven planted the torch into the ground, pulled out his sparker, and ignited the torch.
Damien signaled the operator to dim the lights a little, and they all lit their bayonets on fire.
As they turned to the crowd, Damien could see the home crowd's looks went from being proud to 'what are these guys doing'.
The song that began was The Phoenix, and as they began, they started to spin the rifles around in their hands, and as they did, the fire from the bayonets created this ring of fire that looked like a spinning red, yellow, and crimson light.
The team then began spinning their rifles around themselves, then passing the rifles to their friend to their right, then resorting to spinning them around their shoulders, wrists, and then around their necks.
As they were going through their routine, Damien could see the audience was watching in shock, and some even in horror.
Finally, they started throwing their rifles around, and you could hear the shocked gasps from the crowd.
For their finally, they all tossed their blades into the air at each other, and as they came down, the team caught the blades just before they could cut into the wooden floor.
They then spun their rifles around, and put out the flame of the torch with the butt-stocks of their rifles.
As they finished, and the lights came on, the entire crowd stood up, clapping and cheering.
After the crowd had settled down, the team stood at the ready as the judges called out the winners, the announcer then took the results, and read them out, "In third place, with a score of fifteen for style, thirteen for discipline, and fourteen for originality… Las Vegas Senior High," Damien could hear the Las Vegas team give a sighed relief, "In second place, with a score of twenty for style, eighteen for discipline, and nineteen for originality… Silver Hills High," the team from Silver Hills gave an audible, 'yes' before the announcer said, "And finally, the winners of the JROTC Championships with a score of twenty for style, discipline, and originality…" the crowd held their breath before he said, "Mariner Bay High School!"
The home crowd broke into thunderous applause, and so did Carter and Joel, the team looked at each other, and began cheering, and high-fiving each other.
As they walked up onto the stage, Damien with the first to shake Carter's hand, and as soon as Carter handed him the trophy he stood at the front with his group, and took the microphone, "It isn't every day you get to meet your hero, let alone get presented with a trophy from said hero," Damien said as he looked at Carter, "Before I was born, Carter Grayson and the Lightspeed Rescue Rangers along with the Lost Galaxy Rangers rescued my mother who was held captive by Trakeena in order to restore her body to her former glory. Then a few months after I was born, Carter himself rescued me from a house fire. Knowing that he went to Mariner Bay High School gives me a profound sense of happiness," he then held up the trophy, "This may seem like a trophy to you, but to me, it's conformation, that the road I have chosen is the one for me."
The crowd then applauded as Damien turned to his team, and hugged them.
That night, at the celebration dinner, Damien couldn't stop smiling as everyone enjoyed their food.
"What's up with the Cheshire Cat smile?" Lara asked.
"Cheshire Cat smile," Damien asked, "Did you just coin that phrase?"
"I did," Lara said, "What's up with the giant smile?"
"It's just nice isn't it," Damien asked, "To just sit down with friends, and enjoy each other's company?"
"I know what you mean," Lara said, "It is nice. We won the championship, and you got to meet your hero."
Damien knew that tone in her voice, that 'trying to be sarcastically cute' voice, all he did was chuckle, and went back to eating.
Sometimes it is nice to just enjoy your friend's company, you're just sitting there, innocently enjoying life, and when you look at it, life is a gift and if you don't take a minute and look, you can miss it.
But it's usually at that moment when the most unspeakable disasters strike, and that's exactly what happened…
The next thing they knew, the front windows of the restaurant exploded, sending the team flying against the side wall, Damien flew sideways, and straight into a picture of the former restaurant owner with the entire Lightspeed Rescue Ranger Team.
Matt was tossed out of his chair, doing a backflip in the shockwave, and landed chest-first against the wall.
Steven was thrown over the table, and landed on the floor, not a foot and a half from where Matt landed.
Jackie was thrown out of her seat, and landed against the wall, and slid down so her back was against the floor, but her butt and legs were up against the wall.
Lara was launched over the table, and landed against one of the booths set up against the restaurant wall.
As the dust settled, Damien coughed as he brushed the broken glass off his uniform, and stood up to walk over to Lara, "Lara, are you ok?" He asked.
"Yea," Lara said as she stood up, with Damien's help.
"What the hell was that?" Matt asked as he helped Jackie to her feet, and then Steven.
"A huge explosion." Damien said.
It was then that the town emergency siren went off, and the team's phones started going nuts.
As Damien pulled out his phone, he saw it was his mother, as he answered her could hear her running, "Damien," she said, "Where are you?"
"I'm with the team," Damien said, "Where are you guys?"
"I've got Ellen, and we're getting in the car," Maria said as the car door opened, "You have to get everyone to the Mariner Bay Train Station."
"Mom, what's going on?" Damien asked.
"The town's under attack," Maria said, "Your father called not ten minutes ago said the military's evacuating the town, get everyone to the train Station in one hour, and don't stop for anything at all."
"Ok," Damien said, "We'll see you there."
"That was your mom?" Lara asked.
"Yes," Damien said, "She said we have to make it to Mariner Bay Train Station in one hour."
"That's halfway across town," Matt said, "We'll never make it without transportation."
"Then we don't stop," Damien said, "Let's move!"
The team ran as fast as they could toward the train station, being as they had a few miles to go, they just kept running.
Right as they were running along the Bay, they stopped because they were getting their first glimpse of what was attacking their town from across the bay.
The scales and green color-scheme on the foot soldiers instantly rang 'reptilian' in Damien's mind.
Right as those serpents turned, the team was suddenly surrounded by five reptilians, the faces on the reptilians were even more complex up close as they had alligator-like eyes, the ridges on the center of their heads, absence of two lips, a nose, the forked tongue that kept flipping out at them, and two sharp exterior teeth read that they weren't mutated, but were possibly alien, demon, or even just natural.
The serpents moved in a circle around them, and moved their arms in a flat way like the serpent style of martial arts.
As the charged, Damien's came in with a flying serpent-strike, Damien moved out of the way of the strike, and threw his elbow in the serpent's face.
The creature only appeared momentarily stunned as he quickly recovered only to have Damien come in, and deliver a punch to the creature's face.
The creature recovered, and in a surprising move elbowed Damien in the chest, only to have Damien grab his elbow, kick him twice in the chest, and hip-throw him onto the ground where he simply disappeared.
Matt meanwhile had just recovered from the flying-kick the serpent he was facing got him in the chest with.
Matt hadn't taken martial-arts like Damien had, but he had taken boxing classes.
As the reptilian came in for a sweeping-strike, Matt blocked the shot, and went in low, hitting the creature low in the stomach, he then went in high, and decked the creature across the jaw.
The creature spun around to recover, only to have Matt grab him around the waist, lift him up, and slammed him as hard as he could into the ground.
As he stood up, and the creature disappeared, he heard Steven exclaim, "Matt!"
Matt turned to see that the serpent he was fighting had him on the ground, Steven, unlike Matt and Damien had absolutely zero fighting experience so he was unprepared for this.
Matt ran to help Steven, held the creature's arms behind his back, and leaned his head over the serpent's shoulder, "NUT HIM!" Matt yelled.
Steven ran up, and threw his forehead directly into the serpent's, the creature looked like Muhammad Ali had thrown him the hardest right hook of his life.
As Matt let go of the serpent which fell to his knees, Steven simply walked up to him, put the sole of his boot on the creature's chest, and shoved him backwards.
Jackie and Lara meanwhile had been working together, as the one Lara was fighting came in with a sweeping-strike, she ducked under it, and gave the serpent a high-kick to the skull.
The one Jackie was fighting came in high, and tried to deliver a cobra-strike, she moved to the side, grabbed the creature's arm, and threw it towards the one Lara was fighting.
Lara kicked the serpent against the second, and when they both recovered, Lara and Jackie came in all at once, and kicked them both to the ground.
The creatures fell against the ground, and disappeared, "Wow," Damien said as he joined his squad, "That was intense."
"How is the military losing to these things?" Lara asked.
Suddenly a large serpent that looked like a lizard's head on a cobra's neck-fan with two cobras for hands, "Becaussse of lizzzardsss like me," it said with a hiss, "Teenagersss beat my ssserpents? You would do well in our lizzzard army."
"Thanks," Damien said, "But I think we're just fine."
They charged, as Matt came in with a wild haymaker, the serpent blocked Matt's swing, and struck him across the chest. Jackie came in next, and tried to kick the serpent, only to have the creature grab Jackie around the leg, and throw her backwards. Lara attacked after Jackie, only to have the serpent strike her on the center of the chest, and send her flying backwards. As Steven went in, the serpent simply kicked Steven off his feet.
Damien then went in next, and as the serpent swung high, Damien ducked under the swing, but as he struck the serpent across the side of the head, the serpent only bent sideways, and then said, "My turn."
He pushed Damien back, crossed his hands over his mouth, and his forked tongue sprung from his mouth, struck Damien in the chest, and sent him flying backwards.
Damien landed against a brick wall near them, and flopped against the ground, right next to his team.
"This one's tough," Damien said as he knelt against the side of the wall.
"Your good young warrior," the serpent said as he approached, "It'sss a ssshame to wassste sssuch talent."
It was then that three laser shots hit the serpent across the chest, the team looked back to see Carter Grayson, Chad Lee, and Joel Rawlings standing there in their Lightspeed jackets with their rescue-blasters at the read.
Carter ran up to Damien, looped his arm around Damien's back, "You ok Damien?" He asked.
"Yes sir," Damien said, "This guy's tough."
"And there are others like him," Joel said, "We're losing ground fast, and the shuttles are slowly filling up."
"Shuttles?" Damien asked.
"Mariner Bay is the last city left standing in the entire United States," Chad said as he covered the serpent, "Earth's other countries are abandoning the planet as well."
"It's my lucky day," the lizard said, "I get to destroy a team of Power Rangers."
"I don't think so," Joel said as he took shots at the serpent's hood which didn't even make a mark.
"We have to get out of here." Damien said.
"Agreed," Carter said, "Let's move."
"Oh no you don't," the lizard said as he crossed his arms over his face.
"DOWN!" Damien yelled.
Everyone fell to the ground as the serpent's tongue sprung from its mouth, grabbed hold of a tree, and brought the chunk of tree it stuck to, too deliver a wallop right to his face.
As the creature fell backwards, everyone took off running up the hill, where they found the Rescue Rover waiting for them, "Get in," Carter said as he opened the door to let Damien climb in, as Chad and Joel jumped in, Matt, Steven, Jackie, and Lara jumped into the back with them.
"Here it comes," Chad said as he saw the lizard running towards them.
"V-lancer," Joel said as he held the red V in the air, and had his V-lancer materialize in his hand.
As he aimed, the shots seemed to only stun him, "Aim for the legs!" Matt suggested.
As Carter floored the Rover, Joel fired at the lizard's legs, but managed to hit its right foot, causing it to jump up and down, fanning the smoldering wound.
"You won't get away with this," the lizard said, "You haven't seen the last of Gaeko! I will have my revenge!"
"Nasty thing," Damien said as he opened his jacket, and then pulled the collar of his shirt open so he could see a large, bruise growing on his chest, "Damn."
"You hit?" Carter asked.
"Yea," Damien said, "Gaeko back there hit me in the chest with his tongue."
"That thing stuck right to that tree when he shot his tongue at us," Chad said, "How come it didn't stick to you?"
"How do you know that?" Damien asked.
"Isn't it obvious," Joel asked as he placed the end of his V-lancer on the back of the Rover, "We were watching the whole time."
"Your assistance was appreciated." Steven said.
"You seemed to have it well in hand," Chad said as he pointed at Damien, "After all, you had this one who seems to know how to use his fists."
"Thanks," Damien said as he bumped Chad's fist, "How much longer before we make it to the stadium?"
"No more than twenty minutes." Carter said.
"That's no good," Damien said as he pulled out his watch, "The shuttles take off in less than eighteen."
"Then we keep going," Carter said as he put his foot as hard down on the accelerator as he could.
As they were racing through the streets, Damien could see parts of Mariner Bay smoking, he knew this had to be tough on the Lightspeed Rangers, they had sacrificed a lot to protect this city from Queen Banshira, now here it was, being ravaged by reptilian creatures that came from God-knows-where, and they couldn't do much about it.
Damien couldn't believe his eyes when he saw what they would be leaving on, in the place of Mariner Bay's speed trains, there were the Lightspeed Ranger Rail Rescues waiting on the tracks. They had been taken out of commission during the fight between the Rangers, Olympus and Diabolico, but apparently it had been saved.
As they arrived, they saw the three other Rangers, Kelsey, Dana, and Ryan who were waiting, "Carter," Dana exclaimed as she watched Carter help Damien out of the Rescue Rover.
"What happened?" Ryan asked.
"They took on some of these Serpents," Carter said as he helped Damien up the ramp, "Their lieutenant pummeled our JROTC Winner here pretty hard."
"And put up a pretty good fight while doing it," Chad said, "How many more civilians?"
"This is everyone," Dana said, "We have to leave now if we're going to make it."
"Close the hatches," Carter said, "Let's move."
Carter and the Rangers ran to their cars while Ryan helped Damien to the make-shift med-bay that had been set up in the Blue Rail Rescue.
Ryan helped Damien lie down on a hospital cot, while the doctors went over to check on his injuries.
As the doors were closed, Dana reported to Carter, "All systems in the green." She said.
"Copy that," Carter said as he powered up the Rail Rescues, "Let's see what the old boy can do," Carter eased the accelerator forward causing the Rail Rescues to slowly start accelerating, "We're moving."
"We have a problem," Chad said, "The serpents are following."
Carter looked in the rear cameras to see that they were being followed by a giant snake that could have easily swallowed the Empire State Building, and was slowly gaining on them.
"Convert all power to thrusters," Carter said as he hit several commands on his console, "We're getting out of here."
Carter could see on his screen that the thrusters had been super-charged, as he pushed the accelerator forward, he could feel the G-force building on his body, "The Snake's still gaining on us." Joel said.
"Hold it together," Carter said, "I can see the jump just ahead. Dana, on my mark, activate the sonic pulse."
As the trains approached the jump, the giant snake slowly opened its mouth, "Carter, it's about to eat me." Dana said as she uncovered the safety cover on the sonic pulse button.
"Almost there." Carter said.
The snake kept going, "Carter!" She exclaimed.
"Almost," Carter said as the Rail Rescues slowly climbed onto the jump, when Dana's was on the ramp, he yelled, "NOW!"
Dana slammed down on the button which sent a shockwave backwards toward the Snake who was thrown backwards as the Rail Rescues rocketed off the end of the ramp, and towards space.
Dana sighed, and leaned back in her seat, "That was too close." She said.
"Stay focused," Carter said, "We've still got a bit to go," as the trains left the atmosphere, and head toward the wormhole that led to Mirinoi.
As the Rail Rescues entered the wormhole, Damien was getting diagnosed by the doctors, he had removed his shirt for the x-rays, "What's the damage?" He asked.
"It's not as bad as you think," the doctor said, "You don't have any internal damage which is good, but you do have a few broken ribs, and some serious bruising around your chest and stomach," he helped Damien sit upright, and procured a small needle, "Until we get to Mirinoi, and get you fixed up, I'm going to give you a mild pain reliever," he injected the needle into Damien's arm, and then pulled out some gauze, "Hold this to your chest," as Damien held the gauze against his collarbone, the doctor wrapped it snuggly around his chest, then clipped it off, and helped Damien lie back down, "It'll take the trains a few hours to get down to the planet so I recommend you rest now."
"Doctor," Damien said as he grabbed the doctor's sleeve, "Can you please find my mother and sister? That have to be here."
"Ok," the doctor said, "What are their names?"
"Maria and Ellen Winters." Damien said.
"Will your father be there?" The Doctor asked.
"I think so," Damien said, "His name is Captain Adam Winters."
"Ok," the doctor said as he walked to one of his nurses, "I need you to find this patient's parents, Captain Adam and Maria Winters, and see if their daughter is with them."
The Nurse walked over to one of the guards who came back in twenty minutes later as Damien was resting, and behind him was Damien's father, mother, and his sister.
Maria reached her son first, and grabbed his hand as he reached out to her, "Damien," she said, "I was so worried."
"I thought tough women like you didn't get worried." Damien said.
"You gave us a good scare," Adam said as he sat next to Damien, "So who did this to you?"
"One of the reptilians Lieutenants," Carter said as he approached the family, then saluted the Captain, "Captain."
"Ranger Grayson," Adam said, "One of their lieutenants did this?"
"Yes," Carter said, "Him and his JROTC team handled themselves well against their foot soldiers. Took down one without taking a single hit."
"He's a tough one," Adam said, "He is my son."
"At the cost of a few ribs," Damien said, "But the doctor said I'll live."
"That's a relief," Carter said, "By the way, do you mind if I have a few minutes to talk to Damien?"
"Sure," Adam said as he helped his wife stand up, and pointed at the doctor, "We'll be right over their talking to the doctor."
As they left, Carter sat next to Damien, and spoke, "You and those cadets can handle yourselves pretty well."
"Thank you," Damien said, "Means a lot coming from you."
"I mean it," Carter said, "You're good, but you could be better," Carter held out his hand to Damien who shook it, "Welcome to Lightspeed Rescue, son."
Guess what happens next…