Diclaimer-I do not own Power Rangers or any of it's characters
Chapter 1
Dust kicked up from behind the motorcycle as it turned sharply to avoid the lasers being shot towards it. Ahead, a large dome loomed above the bike, casting a shadow on the desert around it. The shadow would have been a relief, had the driver not been running for her life. Pulling one of her hands from the handle, she grabbed a blaster off of her belt and pointed it behind her. She saw a grinder gaining from behind and fired the blaster, hitting the grinder in the chest and knocking it off the bike.
Unfortunately, four more grinders took the fallen one's place.
"Don't you ever stop?" The driver whispered as she swerved to avoid another laser blast.
As the looming city grew larger, the driver identified a small opening in the wall and smiled to herself. Putting the blaster back on her belt, she hit a button on the handles of the bike, turning on the shortwave radio she had plugged in. "My name is Rachel Grant, please, if anyone can hear me, lower the shield! I'm being chased by grinders, and I don't think I can outrun them much longer. Please, lower the shield!"
***
In the domed city of Corinth, the climate controls were set to a foggy, cool day, keeping most people, including the rangers, indoors. The five rangers were in the Garage, trying to keep themselves occupied during the gloomy day. Flynn stood in the kitchen with Ziggy, showing the green ranger how to make a fruit smoothie, while Summer watched Dillon and Scott fuss over their cars. She couldn't understand why guys needed to spend so much time fixing cars that weren't even broken. As long as her bike could be driven without throwing her off or breaking down, she was happy.
"Hey Summer, could you hand me that wrench?" Scott asked, gesturing at the tool bag sitting next to Summer. She smiled and tossed him the wrench, which he caught and disappeared under the hood again.
"What exactly are you doing to that poor car?" Summer asked, "It works just fine."
"Just fine?" Scott asked in disbelief. Behind him, Dillon smirked and began turning the dials on his radio. "This baby runs flawlessly, I'm just trying to make her run a little more perfectly."
"Shut up," Dillon said, ducking down in his car.
"Why? Jealous?" Scott asked, turning around to look at him.
"No, just…Come here and listen." Summer and Scott walked over to Dillon's car to see him fiddling with the dials. Snatches of sound were coming through which didn't sound like the signal Corinth was constantly broadcasting.
"My name…can hear me, lower the shield…Being chased by grinders…don't think I can outrun them much longer…"Static filled the car again.
"Is it just me, or did that sound like a distress signal?" Dillon asked, looking up at the other two rangers.
***
Flynn and Ziggy looked up as Dillon, Summer, and Scott ran past into Dr. K's lab. "Hey, what's the rush?" Ziggy called out. "Where're you guys going?"
When they didn't answer, Ziggy and Flynn followed the others into the lab. "Hey Doc, can you scan for life signs outside the dome?" Dillon asked, jogging up behind Dr. K to look at the computer screen.
"Why do you ask, Ranger Series Black?" Dr. K asked, not looking up from the keyboard.
"We heard a distress call on the radio in Dillon's car," Summer said, "Someone might be outside the shield, trying to get in!"
Dr. K sighed and pulled up the radar screen, "It seems there is a life sign moving towards the city."
"Well, pull down the shield!" Ziggy said, "If there's someone out there, we need to let them in!"
"I need permission from Colonel Truman," Dr. K said, looking around at the rangers. "I can't just take down the shield without his permission."
"We don't have time for that Doc," Dillon said roughly, "Whoever is out there could already be dead by the time you tell Colonel Truman!"
"I can't, there are rules and regulations. We cannot endanger the entire city for one person!"
Dillon stepped right up to Dr. K, towering over her. "Then I'll do it, and you can say I forced you." He said angrily.
"Dillon!" Scott bellowed. "Stop right now."
Summer watched as Dillon's face clouded over, making his already guarded expressions impossible to read. He backed up, keeping his eyes locked on Dr. K, who, for someone almost six inches shorter, did not seem intimidated. "Ranger Series Black, do you really think that letting down the shields to admit one person is worth the risk?" Dr. K asked, her eyes not wavering from his glare.
"Yes, isn't that what we're supposed to do?" he asked. "Defend people against Venjix?"
"Then I will lower the shield." Dr. K said, "I suggest you get to the entrance to defend against any attacks Venjix might send when the shield is lowered."
With that, she began lowering the shields as the rangers raced towards their vehicles.
***
Scott and Dillon skidded to a stop first at the entrance to the city. Right behind them were Summer and Flynn. Ziggy and Dillon climbed out of Dillon's car to look at the gate. It was opening slowly, but on the horizon, Dillon could see motorcycles speeding towards them. The one in the lead was twisting and turning to avoid the laser blasts from the other bikes. Dillon hoped it could get to the city before being destroyed by the grinders.
Scott glanced at the other rangers. "We'd better be ready for the worst." He said, pulling out his morpher. The other rangers did the same.
"RPM, get in gear!" They shouted in unison.
***
Rachel Grant sighed in relief as she saw Corinth's gate open. Using the radio had been a long shot, what with the radiation outside the dome, and the unlikelihood that anyone was even listening. Apparently good things did happen sometimes. She pulled her blaster out of her belt again and fired a couple of victory shots back at the grinders before steering through the opening.
***
Scott watched as the biker sped through the opening and relayed the information back to Dr. K. "All clear, Dr. K." He said, "You can raise the shield."
The door to the dome began lowering again, but not before the grinders chasing the motorcycle made it through. Scott and the other rangers hurdled towards them, fighting through the mob Venjix had sent.
Behind the rangers, Rachel took off her helmet and watched with mild amusement. Watching five people in brightly colored spandex fight grinders was by far one of the funniest things she had seen. Or maybe she was just delirious.
The grinders were soon destroyed; easy kills with the ranger suits on, so Scott turned his attention back to the girl on the motor bike. When she saw him looking at her, she swung her leg over the side and stood up. Her face had the dirty, sunburned look of someone who had been out in the wasteland beyond the dome for a while and her clothes were old and dirty. But what drew Scott's attention was the passenger behind her. A small girl, about ten or eleven years old sat huddled behind the motorcycle's driver, averting her eyes from the rangers and fiddling with a small pendant around her neck.
"Dr. K," Scott said into the communicator in his helmet, "How many life signs did you say there were?"
"Life sign," Dr. K emphasized, "Only one."
"Then why are there two passengers on that bike?" Scott asked himself and his team.