Disclaimer
: Power Rangers Dino Thunder and all related characters belong to Disney. No infringement is intended. For the purposes of this story, assume "Day of the Dino" took place in September 2004 (as the premier suggests, it takes place at the beginning of a school year, and it doesn't seem to step on Ninja Storm's toes), so this story takes place in June 2004, roughly three months earlier. © April 2004Color Scheme
The black jeep drove over the rough terrain carefully, weaving around branches torn from the surrounding trees by the strong winds. Through the windshield, the worn road stretched on into the distance, heading further and further away from civilization.
The passenger sighed grumpily, pointedly glancing at his wristwatch. "You know, for a former racer, you sure drive slow, Tommy."
Tommy smirked. "I do have some very delicate equipment in the back that works best when it's not banged around. Plus, I'd like to think I'm getting less reckless in my old age."
That comment won a snort from the teen. "Yeah, right! This coming from the Ranger who refuses to retire?"
"What can I say? Trouble has a way of finding me." He then spared his young friend a wry glance. "And who are you to talk? I can see your morpher under your sleeve, Justin."
The junior Ranger shrugged, rolling up the sleeve of his flannel jacket to reveal the small wrist unit that had been in his care for seven years. Even after all that time, a proud grin still formed whenever he reflected on the device that had reshaped his life. "It pays to be prepared… you taught me that. There's always some space-faring maniac attacking the west coast." He then smiled widely. "Besides, you never know when an elite Blue Ranger will collect all previous Blue Rangers for some super-secret mission to save the galaxy!"
Tommy's laugh filled the jeep as it pulled up in front of a secluded ranch just on the edge of the imposing forest. "Here we are."
Justin released a low whistle as he unbuckled his seatbelt and hopped out of the truck. "Jeez… since when did you hate civilization so much? You're miles away from the nearest Starbucks!"
Tommy reached into the back, pulling out a cardboard box. "I've always liked my solitude. Even before I became a Ranger I spent many of my school breaks at my uncle's cabin." He then shrugged. "Besides, if Mesogog does track me down, the last thing I want is for some innocent neighbor to get sucked into my world."
It was a sobering thought, and it made Justin's cheery grin fall. "This isn't fair, Tommy. You've done more than your share of world-saving. You've been at it for twelve years straight."
Tommy shook his head as he settled the box into Justin's arms. "Only the first few were full-time. Occasionally I go on an adventure, and I keep myself available if a new threat pops up." He reached into the car again, and retrieved another large box. "Someone has to do it. Zordon isn't around any longer to keep up the watch."
Jeez, Tommy… you sure know how to depress someone.
Justin sighed softly, and followed Tommy into the rustic house without another word on the subject.The pair ascended the stairs and entered the foyer. The house was still in disarray, moving boxes piled in the unfurnished dining room, books scattered on just about every flat surface, and unopened mail covering the kitchen counter.
The only room that had any evidence that a person actually lived there was the den, with a small television, worn couch, a mantel over the fireplace with several pictures in frames, and one large document mounted on the wall.
Justin chuckled softly. "So this is the brand-new Ph.D. Man, I knew I wouldn't believe it until I saw it. Now I see it and I still don't believe it!"
"That's what Jason said," Tommy replied with an amused grin. "And David. And my parents."
The pair passed the den and walked through the hallway, where Tommy paused in front of a model of a dinosaur skeleton. Justin smirked as a secret door pulled open, revealing a dark cave beneath the house.
"You should have a firehouse pole installed, so you can just slide down," he teased, following his former leader into the cave.
"Enough 'Batman' jokes," Tommy sighed, "Thanks to Hayley, I've heard them all."
"And how is our senior computer whiz doing on the 'project'?"
"Why don't you ask her?" Tommy answered, as they entered the subterranean laboratory. Seated at an obscenely complex console, perusing several computerized blueprints, sat the studious redhead in question.
"Hey Hayley," Justin greeted. "How're the morphers coming? Was Mrs. Rawlings any help?"
"Angela had some terrific designs for weapons and equipment, but when it came to the morphers themselves, Lightspeed was a dead end," the genius sighed, stretching her arms wearily. "Lightspeed designed their power source themselves, so their morphers aren't very versatile. We're trying to channel the ancient power of the Dino Gems, combining magical energies and dinosaur bio-signatures with human DNA. Finding schematics for a compatible morpher has proven to be a real pain in the rear."
Tommy's face tightened. "But we found an alternative."
The two graduates traded a meaningful glance, leaving Justin completely in the dark. "Care to clue me in, guys? I know I've been out of the loop the past few months… college does cut down my free time, you know... but I'm here now. Maybe I can lend my neurons to this brain trust?"
Tommy leaned against another console. "It turns out creating morphers is a lot harder than we anticipated. Each set of morphers had unique characteristics to channel the power source chosen for that team. I've gotten in contact with as many Ranger mentors as possible, but so far none of the schematics sent to us will work with the Dino Gems. We need to use a morpher design that actually uses crystals as the power source."
Justin narrowed his eyes, skimming through his memory of Ranger history. "Didn't the Wild Force team use crystals?"
"They did have crystals of their Wild Zords, but even if their morphers were compatible with the Dino Gems, we have no way of getting the schematics," Hayley explained. "The team disbanded immediately after the defeat of Master Org, and the Rangers no longer have access to their morphers. With their mentor in a magical hibernation, we can't get any information from her, either. We can't find out a thing about the source of their power, or how they channeled it."
"Then... what about the Zeo Crystal?"
"That's the 'alternative' we came up with," Tommy revealed, "but with Zordon gone and the Turbo Chamber wrecked by Divatox, there's no record of how the Zeonizers were originally designed. Our only option was to work backwards."
Justin frowned in puzzlement, until he turned again toward the large computer screen. Peering over Hayley's shoulder, he recognized what he saw.
"The Zeonizer schematics," he murmured. "How'd you pull that off?"
Tommy sighed. "We didn't have the designs, but we did have a working model to disassemble."
Comprehension dawned, and Justin stared incredulously at his former leader. "You… disassembled the Red Zeonizers?"
"No, I did," Hayley corrected. "Tommy's a paleontologist; he wouldn't have a clue what to do with a device as sophisticated as a morpher."
"But now you're powerless, Tommy!" Justin pointed out. "If Mesogog does track you down, you'll have no way to protect yourself!"
"That's why we need the Dino Gems. They have the power to stop Mesogog once and for all." He ran his fingers through his short hair. "Besides, the plan is to reassemble the Zeonizers once we have the Dino Morphers running."
He then leaned over Hayley's other shoulder. "How's it coming?"
"Fairly well, actually," she reported. "I think we'll be ready for the matrix design soon."
Justin grinned. "Cool, so I got here at the fun part! Time to design the costumes!"
"Let's start with color assignments," Hayley suggested. "The Dino Gems are colorless until an attribute is given to them. You have three choices."
Both looked to Tommy expectantly. After all, he was the decision-maker. He was the one who assembled this makeshift development team. He had the vision to use Dr. Mercer's extensive research for the protection of mankind, and that guided him for the past two years.
But Tommy didn't have an immediate answer.
"Let's shelf that for tonight. We can program basic costume design without choosing colors anyway."
* * *
The trio worked long into the night, laying out a preliminary design for costumes, as well as identifying individual abilities that were preserved in the gems, that reflected the three dinosaurs to which they were attuned.
They had just completed the Tyrannosaurus morpher for testing when a loud yawn escaped from their youngest member.
Justin blushed. "Sorry… jet lag, I guess. Body's still on Boston time."
Hayley smiled. "And I thought college students were up to all hours of the night partying."
The young man in blue chuckled, sitting up and rubbing some clarity back into his eyes. "Last time I checked, M.I.T. wasn't a party school."
"We should all get some sleep," Tommy decided, turning to his watch. "It's passed three, and you're still recovering from final exams."
The teen pouted. "But we're ready for testing! We can call it quits after."
"We're dealing with powerful, potentially dangerous energy here," Tommy noted. "We should take every precaution, and that includes making sure we're fully alert before we activate that morpher."
Justin blinked, trying to focus on his former leader's face. "'Precaution'? Wow, Tommy, grad-school has sure changed you."
"Among other things," Tommy murmured. He looked up, noticing his friends' curious expressions. Okay, thinking out loud… definitely time to turn in.
"Get moving, kid," Tommy instructed, "You can crash on the couch."
Justin new better than to argue with the "leader voice," and dragged himself toward the stone staircase.
"It's been fun, Tommy," Hayley spoke, pulling on her jacket. "No better way to spend a Saturday night than replicating alien engineering."
Tommy grinned, knowing full well that there wasn't any sarcasm in Hayley's comment. The techno-whiz loved information in all its forms, and being privy to alien technology was a treat she couldn't resist.
"It's really late, Hayley," Tommy noted. "Can I drive you home?"
She smirked, shaking her head. "Forever the knight in shining armor? Don't worry, I'm a big girl. And Reefside isn't exactly downtown Los Angeles. I'll be fine."
Tommy accepted her reasoning, leading her to the front door. "So we'll pick up tomorrow morning?"
"I'll be here," she replied. "But tomorrow we should definitely settle on the team's color scheme. The color scheme balances the team, and complementing colors help the team unify their strength with combination attacks."
"I'll put some thought into it," he assured her. "Good night."
Tommy waited on the porch until Hayley had settled into her car and vanished down the lonely road back toward the populated parts of Reefside. Then, he stepped back into his house, closing the door behind him.
Justin was already out like a light, sprawled out on the couch without even bothering to take off his worn sneakers. Tommy looked down, watching one of his more memorable teammates sleep soundly.
Wow, has he grown. I've seen him a few times over the past couple months, but it's really something else. He's almost as tall as I am. He's not a kid anymore.
Far from it. He was excelling at the most prestigious engineering school in the nation. He was one of the brightest minds to cross Tommy's path since the legendary Billy Cranston himself. Considering the brilliant scholars Tommy had worked with in his post-graduate studies, as well as the geniuses behind many of the more recent Ranger teams, that was quite a statement.
His help had been indispensable when Tommy began this project. No one was as familiar with the Turbo Chamber's technology as Justin Stewart, and the brilliant youth was able to replicate many of the scanning systems that were so essential in the fight against Divatox. The simple fact that he'd been willing to help out, balancing a heavy workload at school as well as an internship, gave testimony to his maturity.
Tommy laid a blanket over Justin's sleeping form, and then retreated to his bedroom.
Like most of the house, the bedroom had yet to be properly settled. Which made sense, considering Tommy's full attention had been invested into setting up his subterranean research laboratory since he signed the final papers for the property. The simplicity of the room meant the less he needed to keep track of. A bed, a dresser, and a clock. Everything he needed.
He readied himself for bed efficiently, and climbed into the cool sheets. But despite his exhaustion, he couldn't fall asleep. His mind couldn't relax so long as there was a problem to solve.
What colors should he choose?
His initial response was automatic: Green, White, and Red. They were the colors he was most familiar with, the colors that were closest to his heart. But it was outright obnoxious for him to continue his personal legacy with the entire Dino Thunder team, and even though that was never his intention, it certainly would've appeared that way to others.
Besides, that wouldn't make a balanced team. This isn't my team. This team will be the defenders of the planet.
So, he was back to square one. Almost.
Every team has a Red Ranger, and I've had the privilege of working with almost every one of them. They really embody the strength and determination of the Ranger team. Plus, there's no better color for the Tyrannosaurus.
The thought made him smile.
Now, the Triceratops.
He shook his head, realizing there was really only one option.
Blue. For Justin, and all the work he put into this project. And for Billy, the first Triceratops Ranger. Wow, this is easier than I thought it would be.
That left one more Dino Gem: the Pterodactyl.
Pink. It should be Pink.
It was a fitting tribute to two of the dearest women in his life. Both were willing, able, compassionate Rangers. Both dedicated years of service that deserved to be remembered.
Both eventually left him, in pursuit of their own happiness. Kimberly left to Florida, and soon after had severed their relationship through a letter. Explanations had been given and apologies had been offered, but the distance between them could never be completely bridged.
And then Katherine had left for an even further destination, with no promise to return.
He sighed in the darkness, sitting up on his bed and rubbing the bridge of his nose. "You know Oliver, for a man with a terrible memory, you're really good at picking at old wounds."
He tried to force his mind off the subject, but his consciousness was nowhere near cooperative. When he closed his eyes, he could see her smiling at him, soft blue eyes framed by glasses and locks of silver hair, their brilliance not dimmed in the least by her age. That vision of the future, carved indelibly into his heart.
"And to think, this whole Dino Thunder project, the Red Ranger mission, even restoring the Zeonizers… it all started with that dream."
It was nearly eight years ago, right after he and the other Zeo Rangers had celebrated the various December holidays. He'd recounted the misadventure with a young child, who turned out to be his grandson. He'd been old and happy, married to Katherine, and living the twilight of his life in peace.
At first, the dream had scared him. He'd only officially been dating Katherine for a few weeks… far too soon to be thinking about marriage! And he couldn't just shrug it off as an overactive imagination. It felt so real, and his last vivid dream helped him find David, the brother he never knew he had.
But as the months passed, he began to take solace in the dream. If it was more than some unconscious wish, then it was almost a guarantee. He'd marry Katherine, and together they'd live happily ever after. He'd grown to love his beautiful, caring teammate, and the promise of a family was heartwarming. They'd live at least long enough to see their grandsons grow to maturity. He would be a proud, healthy, content patriarch.
What more could any man want?
Only, the more Tommy thought about it, the more he realized that it was almost perfect. One tiny element, almost insignificant in the dream, began to concern him.
His grandson would be a Power Ranger.
The first emotion that evoked was pride, knowing that his legacy would be carried on by his bloodline. But what kind of legacy was it truly? Was it something he wanted his family to carry generation after generation?
The most memorable years of his youth had been spent living a double life, balancing mundane teenage responsibilities with the weight of the entire world. Thanks to the Green Coin, he'd met his first love and his best friend, and he'd learned how much difference one man could make. With the White Coin, he discovered his true strength, the weight of leadership, and that the mistakes of his past didn't have to scar him for life. The Red Zeonizers brought new challenges, new responsibilities, a better understanding of his past, and the true power of teamwork. And finally, his experiences with the Red Turbo Morpher taught flexibility, maturity, and the satisfaction of being a mentor.
But the dangers couldn't be glossed over. He'd almost died on numerous occasions. He'd almost killed Jason in Rita's Dark Dimension, and later Katherine in Prince Gasket's stadium. He watched Kimberly wither away as Lord Zedd drained her powers. He bid Billy farewell as the original Blue Ranger left Earth for treatment to save his life, after absorbing the negative protons that hastened the aging process exponentially. And that didn't even take into account all the times someone close to the Rangers had been put in danger. The original teams' parents, held hostage by Rita. Kimberly's cousin Kelly and uncle Steve. Trini's cousin Silvia, uncle Howard, and neighbor Haley. Rocky's uncle Joe. Tommy's own brother.
He'd come so close to failure on so many occasions. Only a hair's breadth separated victory and defeat time and again. If even one of those battles had gone the slightest bit differently, mankind could've been enslaved, or even wiped out of existence.
Was that the kind of burden he wanted his grandson to bear? Could he possibly spare the next generation?
He found his answer on the day of the Countdown, when the blue skies of Angel Grove were darkened with countless Velocifighters and the shadow of Astronema's Dark Fortress.
It's not that he didn't have faith in the existing Ranger team. He knew they were capable fighters; he'd even chosen T.J. personally. But he recognized a role he could play. He saw that the Rangers could use help. And even though evil had been beaten for the time being, he knew better than to assume the battle was over for good.
So he found Andros, and the pair of hardened warriors formed an alliance. The next time evil would strike Earth, they'd be ready for it.
That decision had molded the rest of Tommy's life. He wouldn't rest until the Earth was truly free from alien threats. He wanted to leave his children and grandchildren a world in which they could live normal, peaceful lives, without the threat of annihilation hovering over their heads.
Unfortunately, Kat couldn't see his point of view.
"Tommy, can't you see? There will always be evil in this universe. Even Zordon couldn't stop it all, and he sacrificed every ounce of his power and even his life! How much are you going to sacrifice?"
He'd anticipated her support. Just like when she fought beside him as the Pink Ranger, her absolute faith and trust augmenting his own strength and determination. He expected her to be his foundation, a steady pillar to lean on in his struggles. He expected her to wait for him.
"I can't do this anymore. I can't keep watching you disappear on some mission, staring at the phone and dreading what message might come. Do you have any idea what I went through after that island exploded, and you barely got away? Or when you fought Serpentera and the Machines on the moon? Jason has settled down, T.J. has settled down… even Andros has retired! But you will never leave the Morpher behind. Never."
He'd denied her accusation, of course, but it was hard to back up his promises. Actions spoke louder than words, after all.
"I'm not trying to force more promises out of you. I just can't stand by and watch you risk your life constantly. I… have to go back to Australia for a while. I don't know when I'll be back, so I'm not asking you to wait for me."
And that had been that. Not quite a breakup, but at the very least an indefinite pause in their relationship. She'd been out of his life for over half a year.
Not like he'd tried to change her mind. Instead, he'd buried himself deeper into his work, striving tirelessly to harness the power of the Dino Gems, and create a fighting force capable of protecting the planet. Busy minds had little time to feel loneliness or loss, but idle minds could drown in their sorrow.
Enough of this. I have a big day ahead of me.
Resolved not to wallow in self-pity all night long, Dr. Oliver climbed out of bed, grabbed a bottle of medication from his dresser drawer, and swallowed two blue pills.
Twenty minutes later he slept, but even his dreams were haunted by those blue eyes.
* * *
Four hours later, Tommy stood in his subterranean laboratory, one hand holding a steaming mug of sludge-like coffee, the other rubbing the back of his neck. His eyes were bloodshot with dark circles, but nonetheless they were fully alert.
The sadness was gone. The loneliness was gone. All that was left was the determined scientist, the man who carried the world on his shoulders.
"We're ready for the colors," Hayley reported, typing a series of code into the computer. "Have you decided, Tommy?"
He nodded. "First, the Tyrannosaurus. It'll be Red."
"Red it is," Hayley responded, entering the command.
"The Triceratops," he glanced to Justin, who watched him with awe in his eyes. "Blue."
The Blue Turbo Ranger gave his former leader, trusted friend, personal hero, honorary big brother, and mentor a thrilled smile, which Tommy immediately returned.
"That leaves one more," Hayley spoke, "The Pterodactyl."
It should be Pink… but what would it feel like working with another Pink Ranger? It's not the same uniform, not even close… but even still, I'll think of her every time I see that costume…
His voice carried no hint of his indecision. He spoke clearly, his choice absolute. "Yellow."
Hayley keyed in the command, heedless to the weight of that decision. But it didn't get past Justin. The young man's smile quickly fell, and his questioning gaze sought Tommy's.
Tommy refused to give anything away.
After another half-hour of programming, Hayley tapped the final Enter key with a flourish. "All done!"
A hologram coalesced a few feet away, drawing everyone's attention. Three forms materialized, each one standing tall and proud, ready to carry on the legacy.
"Presenting, the Dino Thunder Power Rangers."
Tommy looked at each costume in turn, and nodded his final approval.
The End
End Note: I wrote this to address some of the questions that popped into my head when watching Dino Thunder, so it's pretty much complete. I'm considering writing a follow-up story that shows the Kat/Tommy argument, and what spurred Kat's decision, so if you're interested in that story let me know.