Genius Force
Written by: PernDragonrider
Disclaimer: I don't own Power Rangers. I'm only claiming ownership of the plot for this story. Fictional work for entertainment, no money being made.
A/N: This storyline is the result of an evil, evil plot bunny that wouldn't go away. To fit this into the Power Ranges timeline, it is early fall in the year 2005. The time all of us were watching SPD.
Note: Normal thoughts, Evil thoughts, telepathy, emphasized words, "speech"
Chapter One"Are we ready?" Adam asked as he, Billy, and Justin climbed out of his car.
"It's exceptionally cold out here today." Billy said with a slight chatter of his teeth as he pulled his heaviest jacket tighter around him. "Perhaps we can postpone out trip out to the ruins until a warmer day? It feels like it's below freezing."
"You're still not acclimatized, Billy." Justin replied sympathetically, as he stretched his now tall and muscular frame to relieve the kinks where he'd jammed into the backseat of Adam's small compact car. "Next time we bring Mountain Blaster, so I can walk after that drive, Adam. I'm not built for these sub-compacts that you and Tanya drive anymore. Besides, Billy, you're the one that insisted Adam and I bring you out here as soon as possible."
"I would not doubt that you were imminently uncomfortable, Justin." Billy said his teeth still chattering slightly. "You are most assuredly correct in your hypothesis that I have yet to reacclimatize my body to the gravity and weather conditions of Earth. Aquitar, being totally covered in water, doesn't experience seasonal changes in temperature as Earth does."
"You're back for good, right?" Adam asked as he watched Billy slowly and carefully navigate around the small clearing where he'd parked his car. "You're not planning on running back to Aquitar after being here for only a day or two? The others would kill me for not getting in touch with them so they could see you too."
"I can never return to Aquitar on a permanent basis, Adam." Billy replied with a touch of pain and some sorrow in his voice. "We did not know, at the time, that someone from Earth would be physically incompatible with living long term on Aquitar. Once Cestro, Cestria, myself, and the other scientists discovered exactly why I wasn't healing completely after a minor accident a few months ago. Delphine and Aurico sent out emergency calls to both Trey on Triforia as well as to Andros and the Astro Rangers. Trey answered the call; however Delphine and Aurico both were shocked and worried that neither Andros nor the Megaship answered the distress call. I'm back on Earth to stay, Adam; however this pilgrimage of ours is because I need to see if any of the communications equipment survived Divatox's destruction of the Power Chamber. Aurico and Trey were most insistent that as soon as I could that I came up here accompanied by at least two other former Rangers. You and Justin were free today and here we stand, with me freezing."
"You'll be fine once we start the climb up, Billy." Justin said with a smile while he watched Adam frown slightly in Billy's direction.
"You sure you're up to this climb, Billy?" Adam asked with concern in his soft voice, as he watched Billy shivering. "It's going to take a good two hours to hike into the area where the ruins are from here and then we still have to find the right mountain to climb up."
"We would have had a much easier and comfortable trip had Tanya allowed me to work on the RadBug for a few hours." Billy said his teeth still chattering with cold. "Then there would be no reason to hike and climb. We simply land and get out. However, that is neither here nor there and we must make this pilgrimage. I am fully recovered, Adam, and there is absolutely no reason why I am not capable of making the trek to the Power Chamber's ruins." Billy's glare in Adam's direction silenced the words Adam was going to say in response and Billy simply started walking off into the sparsely wooded area that concealed Adam's car.
He's going to kill himself trying to find out why Andros didn't answer instead of Trey. Adam thought even as he sighed and started after Billy. Justin followed close behind Adam and soon the three were making good time through the sparse vegetation that was slowly giving way to more desert like surroundings.
The three men, ex-Power Rangers all, made their way to the base of the mountain range that had once held the proud, striking, and comforting presence of Zordon's base of operations for the Power Rangers on Earth. Adam and Justin had been up here many times since the destruction wrought by Divatox on the Power Chamber and neither of them had ever seen any signs of any equipment remaining behind. They'd both tried to discourage Billy from making this trek; but Billy could be as stubborn as both Jason and Tommy combined. Justin thought, secretly, that Billy just needed to see the extent of the damage for himself. Adam and Justin were both surprised when Billy unerringly proceeded up the runoff cut that would take them directly to the top of the mountain and the remains of the base they'd all come to think of as a second home.
"How did you know that this was the cut to take, Billy?" Justin asked with some surprise but mostly curiosity in his voice.
"Simple, Justin." Billy replied with a smile as he stopped to rest and accepted a bottle of water that Adam handed to him from the backpack Adam wore. "This isn't the first time nor do I feel it is the last time I will have to make this long trek to the Power Chamber's location on foot."
"You knew exactly where you were going?" Justin asked with more surprise covering the still present curiosity.
"I mapped, on foot, all of the regions surrounding both the Command Center and then the Zeo Crystal rebuilt Power Chamber not long after getting my power coin, Justin." Billy said and offered a small smile of apology to both Adam and Justin. "Part of my reasons for doing that was my reasoning that California experienced earthquakes on a regular basis and I wanted to be sure that, if ever necessary, that we could reach the Command Center and Zordon without teleporting. That is also one of the reasons that I built the RadBug, well actually the RadBug was already under construction before I became a Ranger, but having it made getting up here during the time of the Evil Green Ranger much quicker and easier. Also just after Zordon first chose the five of us as his Rangers, we walked away. We made it this far before Rita's Putty Patrollers attacked us and right here is where we first morphed into the Power Rangers. All five of us made small marks on that rock." Billy stopped his narration and pointed to a large boulder that was, mostly, protected from the elements by another on that jutted out over the top of it. "I stopped for a rest and some water as well as to ascertain that our small memorial to our lost innocence was still there and didn't need to be refreshed."
Adam walked over to the rock and then whistled low when he crouched down and saw the five distinct markings that each of Billy's former teammates had made in the face of the rock. There was a Tyrannosaurus, a Mastodon, a Pterodactyl, a Saber-Tooth Tiger, and a Triceratops carved into the face of the rock. Each carving was done with precision and each had it's own special flare that proved that the same person hadn't carved each pictograph. Adam explored the rock a little more and found another spot with the pictographs and smiled when he saw one of the Dragonzord had joined the other five. He looked a little closer and his smile grew sad when he saw two simple geometric pictographs in another spot that seemed to embrace a third pictograph of what looked suspiciously like a very good portrait of Billy. "Tommy, you, and Jason added this last one during our Zeo phase; didn't you?"
"What?" Billy asked and then walked over to where Adam was positioned. Justin watched as tears sprang into Billy's eyes when he saw the carvings. "Oh my." Billy's voice was filled with emotions and tears that he wasn't prepared to have rush through him at that time. Billy walked away without saying another word and instead of turning toward the path that would lead up to where the doors of the Power Chamber had stood; Billy walked toward the way they'd just come.
Justin started to go after him, but was stopped by Adam's soft, "Give him a few minutes, Justin."
"What's wrong, Adam?" Justin asked as he came over and crouched down next to Adam.
"You've heard all of us say, at one time or another, the phrase 'once a Ranger, always a Ranger'?" Adam asked the still curious young man Justin had grown into.
"Yeah." Justin said with a smile. "It means that we're together as friends and fellow Rangers no matter whether we have powers or not, right?"
"It does." Adam said with a sad smile. "I think Billy thought we'd forgotten that fact when he stayed working in the Power Chamber after giving up his chance for a Zeo Sub-Crystal to Tanya. We didn't think to include him in a lot of our activities and he wasn't even in school with us anymore after he graduated early. These three newer carvings of Tommy's star, Jason's I-Ching, and Billy's face show that both of them never forgot and that they considered Billy to still be a part of the team."
"I have made a grave a foolish error in running away and stubbornly remaining away from Earth." Billy said with a sad voice as he rejoined Adam and Justin in time to hear Adam's explanation to Justin. "I should have returned the second I was cured, but I was hiding or running away from what I, very mistakenly is seems, perceived to be my liability to the team and to the depression I felt after failing to be able to rejoin the team as the Gold Ranger."
"You were an integral part of our team, Billy." Adam said with surprising concern and deep affection showing in his normally soft spoken and shy tones. "You should have come back; but now you know that all of us considered you to be our friend and fellow teammate with or without your powers."
"Thank you, Adam." Billy said and surprised both Justin and Adam when he gave Adam a one armed hug. "Jason and Tommy's artistic skills have not diminished it seems. I recognized Jason's drawing that Tommy used to carve my likeness into our Memory Rock here in the pass that leads to what would have been the front doors of the Command Center cum Power Chamber."
"Jason is always doodling drawings of all of us." Adam said with a sigh and then his face took on a downcast appearance. "Well he was until he just recently disappeared without a word to any of us. Tommy said the last contact he had with Jason was right after the all Red Ranger team up to take of the remnants of the Machine Empire that were attempting to resurrect Serpenterra."
"That is not like the Jason I knew. He would never forego the companionship and company of his friends and former teammates." Billy said with a sad sigh. "We should head on up to the ruins. Perchance I can detect some still serviceable or operational mechanisms that will permit us to trace Jason's whereabouts."
"We've been telling you for almost three months that Justin and I have been over that place with a fine-toothed comb, Billy. There isn't anything left that's bigger than one of our helmets." Adam said with some anger in his voice. "Why won't you believe us?"
"Did you check out the underground emergency control room?" Billy asked calmly and the small smile gracing his face and the twinkle in his eyes made both Adam and Justin start in surprise at his words.
"What underground control room?" Adam asked with shock almost covering the rising excitement in his voice.
"The one that we appeared in after going through the Vortex, Adam." Billy said with a smile. "There's another reason that we chose that rock to become our Memory Rock. It conceals another entrance into the interior of the Command Center or Power Chamber, as Justin would know it. Follow me."
Billy lead the way and both Adam and Justin were amazed when he walked thru what appeared to be the solid face of rock that was behind the boulder. "Apparently the generators that powers the holographic screen to this little used entrance are still functional." Billy's voice could be heard echoing slightly. "Come along and don't dawdle you two. There is still quite a bit of walking to accomplish before reaching our goal."
Justin shrugged and smiled at the look of complete and total shock mixed with surprise that covered Adam's normally calm and placid face. "Come on Adam." Justin said with his tone happy and light. "Let's get in there and see what more surprises Billy has in store for us."
Adam allowed Justin to drag him through the concealing hologram and he was shocked to discover that the very obviously man-made tunnel they were standing in was brightly lit. He could see Billy standing near what appeared to be a closed door or panel about fifty or sixty feet down the tunnel from where he stood.
Billy, Adam, nor Justin was prepared for the shock that they would be receiving when they finally reached the old underground emergency control room of the Command Center. It took the three men almost four hours to reach the door that would lead to the room Billy had spoken of earlier. They were tired, dirty, and disheveled; however they were determined to get past the last of the security measures Zordon and Billy had installed and make it into their destination.
"Why did you make those security measure so damned hard to get through?" Adam demanded as they all slumped against a nearby wall to rest. "I thought we were going to get fried getting through the first one. It's taken a heck of a lot longer than I told Tanya we'd be gone. Why didn't we just go into the ruins and access this emergency bunker from there?"
"Because the entrance we used is the only physically accessible entrance to the control room, Adam." Billy sighed as they passed around the last bottle of water they'd brought with them. "I never even dreamed that there would be a time that this place would be needed to be accessed by anyone that didn't have an active power. That is why it has taken us so long to get passed the security measures. Some of them I put in place to augment the ones Zordon already had in place; especially after the altercation where the Evil Green Ranger almost destroyed the Command Center, Alpha, and Zordon permanently. My teammates and I did not want a repetition of that awful time ever occurring again. This door is the last of the security measures that I remember being in place. It should lead directly into the emergency control room."
"I'm just glad that any Ranger power deactivated those security measures." Justin said with a sigh as he removed his helmet and rested with Adam and Billy. "Never thought I'd have to morph to get through some of those traps you set, Billy. Thank goodness I can still access my Turbo Powers through Desert Thunder or we'd have been thwarted after the first stumbling block we encountered over four hours ago."
"I do not believe that we wouldn't have found a way around those security measures." Billy said with a wry tone and a small smile on his face. "After all most of the ones we've had the most problem with are the ones that I installed. I believe I could have found a way around them without having to morph."
"Is everyone rested?" Adam asked as he stood and took the now empty bottle of water from Justin. "Let's get passed this door and see what's waiting inside. Justin, power down. You've been morphed for almost four hours now. Rest your powers."
Justin powered down and then the three men walked toward the last door that kept them from the emergency control room. Their faces shared the same expression of complete and total surprise when the door opened before Billy could touch the pad and enter his code to open the door. All three looked at one another with equal expressions of wonder and concern and then Billy shrugged and stepped into the bright light that was spilling from the room like a beacon in the night. Adam and Justin followed and the three were absolutely stunned into frozen shock combined with a healthy dose of terror to discover that they now stood inside what appeared to be a completely restored and rebuilt Power Chamber.
"Welcome to the Command Center Mark 2." A female voice issued from the speakers that had, at one time, conveyed Zordon's and Demitria's words to the Rangers they mentored. All three men looked toward the green tinged tube that had once held only the head of Zordon of Eltar and when their eyes landed on the visage that could be clearly seen, without the greenish cast Zordon's face had cast, Billy and Adam fainted while Justin was too stunned to even be able to move; much less faint.
"Oh my." The female said with a sad smile. "Alpha! Alpha come quickly, they fainted!"
"Ai-yi-yi-yi-yi-yi, I'll be right there!" Alpha's familiar high pitched and excited voice was lost on the three men. Justin remained rooted to the spot staring up into the face of a woman he'd never met; however he did remember attending her funeral services and seeing a photograph of her at that service.
Alpha shuffled quickly into the room, from another concealed doorway and he went to work quickly to revive the two unconscious men and the one unresponsive one that was still standing and staring at the woman in the tube. He broke a capsule of smelling salts and waved it under Billy and Adam's noses. Once they started coming around, he then waved the same capsule under Justin's nose.
Billy and Adam again looked into the compassionate and caring expression of a former friend and colleague that had been dead for almost four years now, she'd been killed in a tragic car accident on September 3, 2001. Justin, Adam, and Billy's faces were covered in tears as Billy softly and reverently spoke the woman's name, "Trini."
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Author's note: Please read and review. The nextchapter will backtrackfew years. I hope you liked it.
PernDragonrider. May the Power Protect You!