Disclaimer: Second verse same as the first
Note: Just felt like saying hey people...what's good? So here we have a reprint of Chapter 2 of RPM (from the recently deleted, "Ranger Earth: Origins"), once again I apologize if you've read this before.
RPM Redux
Justin, Dr. K, and Adam, in Ranger guise, made their way back down a different hall. Apparently Orion Labs was hall friendly.
"So you have recruits?" the Black Ranger asked the young scientist.
"Yeah, we trained 3 people with full intent of making them into Rangers," Dr. K replied.
"But there are 5 suits," Justin pointed out.
"Yeah Series Green and Black…well we're still not sure about those. We're looking at several different options though," Dr. K said coyly, "here we go, the recruit's station. They're usually here at this time of day."
Dr. K entered a code into a keypad and the door slid open.
Inside were 3 young adults, each wearing a leather jacket with a number 1 through 3 embroidered on the back. The number corresponded to the appearance of the numbers on the chest of the Ranger uniform.
"Hey guys," Dr. K approached and greeted the 3 recruits.
"Hey Dr. K," an African American said as he nodded towards the small scientist.
"Hey Scott, I'd like to introduce you guys some people," Dr. K waved for Justin and Adam to come in, "this is Justin Stewart, former Blue Turbo Ranger."
"That awesome, they're trainin me as Blue," a young man with short brown hair spoke up, reaching out his hand, "Name's Flynn," it was obvious that he wasn't from America; he had a strong Scottish accent.
Justin reached out and shook Flynn's hand, "Pleased to meet you."
"And this is Adam Park," Dr. K motioned for the Black Ranger to enter.
All three recruits stood dumb-founded at what they saw. In front of them was a real Power Ranger, fully morphed.
"That's awesome, I didn't think there were any other Rangers out there," the female recruit said excitedly. She wore her brunette hair down over her shoulders, "Mister Park, my name is Kayla Landsdown, and it's an honor."
"You can just call me Adam," the Black Ranger laughed, "I mean I know I'm getting old, but still."
"Well recruits, I'm going to take the Ranger here back for some scans, hopefully you'll be in those suits within a couple days," Dr. K turned to leave the room. Adam and Justin followed.
The 3 recruits remained in their station.
"Those were real life Power Rangers, how cool is that?" Flynn said as he looked around the room.
"That is pretty awesome," Kayla replied, "plus that spandex is totally hot on the Black Ranger, you can tell he works out."
Scott looked at his two teammates and just shook his head, "just think we'll be right there with them before long, but until then we should probably makes our way back to the training fields."
Flynn and Kayla nodded in agreement and the three Ranger recruits left the room, still talking about what they had just seen.
Dr. K led Justin and Adam to yet another room, and once again entered a number on the keypad.
"Wouldn't keycards be a lot easier than remembering all those numbers?" Justin asked.
"Yeah but then someone else could gain access to these rooms…and well that would not be the best of news," Dr. K walked through the door, "Adam would you mind stepping on the plate in the center of the room?"
"No problem," Adam did as he was asked.
"This is where things get boring," Dr. K told Justin, "but you're more than welcome to stay."
"That's cool," Justin replied, "I used to be a fan of all this science stuff, not something you can completely give up on."
"Yeah, you did have some pretty cool devices back in high school," the younger girl smiled.
"Yeah, but not enough to graduate at 14," Justin teased.
Dr. K rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out at the former Turbo Ranger.
"Real mature," Justin laughed.
"Oh look, the scanning had begun," Dr. K turned her attention to a monitor in front of her.
The monitor flickered to life as countless read outs scrolled over the screen. A 3d image of the Black Ranger appeared as well, with multiple red dots frequently changing location and size as a further scans were completed. After about ten minutes the screen settled and a message saying, "scan complete," appeared.
"This is great!" Dr. K exclaimed as a CD ejected from a panel in front on her, "I need to get these back to my lab."
"Well I hope you got what you needed," Adam said as he stepped from the plate, "is it cool if I power down?"
"Definitely, thank you sooo much," Dr. K gave the Black Ranger a hug, "you rock."
"You're welcome," Adam laughed, "Power down." The Black Ranger uniform faded and Adam was left standing in his regular clothes, "what next?"
"Well I really don't have much right now, but if you want you can either come watch me look at computer screens, or you can go out back and watch the recruits, 'training,' which mean they are probably goofing off," Dr. K answered.
"As much fun as computer viewing sounds…I think I'll go goof off with the next generation," Adam joked.
"That's fine," the young scientist wrote a numerical code on a piece of paper and handed it to Adam, "that'll get you access to the training grounds…and the bathroom…but that's about it."
"Good to know," Adam accepted the paper, "I'll catch up with you guys later." He bumped into Justin on the way out and whispered, "behave."
"Not joining him?" Dr. K asked the former Ranger.
"I'm all for computer viewing personally," Justin smiled.
Dr. K just smiled back, "Cool."
Dr. K and Justin continued back towards the lab where the Zeo Crystals were housed.
Adam went the opposite direction as he looked for the exit to the Ranger training grounds. Finally finding it he entered the code that Dr. K had given him and he stepped out into an open yard.
Apparently the recruits' idea of training involved Kayla and Flynn arm-wrestling at a nearby picnic table. Oddly enough Kayla seemed to be winning.
"Dude, she is destroying you. You are a disgrace to the entire male race," Scott laughed.
"How bout a little support here…" Flynn struggled against the force the much smaller female was exerting.
Kayla didn't respond, she just prepared for the inevitable victory that was within her reach.
"So this is how the next generation of Rangers train?" Adam approached the small group, catching them all off guard.
In the surprise Flynn lost what control he did have and Kayla slammed his hand to the ground, "Who are you?"
"Oh sorry guys," Adam reached out his hand, "I'm Adam."
Each recruit shook his hand.
"That's crazy earlier we met the Black Ranger and his name was Adam," Flynn said as he looked to the others for confirmation.
Scott slapped the future Blue Ranger along the back of the head, "That is the Black Ranger."
"I knew that," Flynn tried to regain his composure.
Kayla just looked the Ranger up and down. She had to admit he was even more attractive in person than he was in costume.
"So I see I interrupted a battle of the sexes," Adam laughed.
"She's on steroids, I kid you not," Flynn said.
Kayla punched the Scottish-man in the arm, "watch it Leprechaun."
"See what I mean, violent tendencies, un-holy strength, and masculine physique," Flynn rubbed his arm where she had punched him.
"You're asking for trouble Blue," Scott laughed.
Kayla realized what Flynn had said, "Wait…I don't have a masculine physique. Do I?"
"Not at all," Adam answered her.
Kayla blushed at what she took as a compliment.
"So how do you guys train? Or is it just a bunch of sitting around?" Adam asked as he settled on top of the picnic table.
"Well for awhile it was a lot of defense training, then a lot of weapons training, then a bunch of studying Machine Empire tactics, and then it just became a waiting game. Apart from morning exercise, we mostly just sit around, and we spar every once in awhile," Scott explained.
"Spar? Now you're talking my language," Adam smiled, "back in the day me, Tommy and Rocky would do all the time."
"That's cool," Flynn nodded his head.
"So any of you want to try your hands at beating an old guy?" Adam joked.
"Yeah…because age had affected you so much," Scott laughed, "but sure, I'm up for a butt kicking. Kayla, Flynn can you set out the sparring mats?"
"No prob boss," Flynn answered as he a Kayla went to grab the mats that were leaning against a nearby wall.
Both Scott and Adam kicked off their boots. Adam took off his white shirt, and Scott dropped his RPM jacket.
"No Ranger Powers alright? I know those thing sometimes give people like super powers in and out of uniform," Scott loosened his shoulder.
"That was after my time," Adam smiled as he readied himself.
Kayla and Flynn laid down the mats and backed away. The future Red Ranger and past Black Ranger began their fight.
Back inside Orion Labs Justin and Dr. K had settled in front of a computer. She inserted the CD they had retrieved earlier the monitor came to life with all the scans they taken from Adam's Morpher form.
"This is so cool," Dr. K said as the information scrolled in front of her.
"Yeah, but will it help you on the RPM suits?" Justin asked.
"That's what we're here to find out," the younger girl said.
"So what was this other project you were working on?" Justin asked as he watched the monitor himself.
"Oh…that's right," Dr. K turned her attention away from the screen, "I'm not sure if that's ready yet, but if you want we can see."
"If it can wait then we can focus on this instead," Justin replied.
"Okay, then maybe tomorrow," Dr. K went back to her computer screen, "oh my goodness, I found it!"
"What'd you find?" Justin scanned the screen seeing if he could figure out what she meant.
"A way to make this work," Dr. K smiled, and pressed a button on the side of her headset, "Alpha get in here, we have what we need."
Back outside Adam was helping Scott back to his feet, "Not bad rookie, you almost had me there."
The two had been sparring for nearly two hours, even though it didn't seem that way.
Scott chuckled, "yeah if you say so."
"Man that was brutal," Flynn said from the side.
"You think you'd do any better?" Kayla asked Flynn.
"Heck no, I can't even handle you, but the benefit of sitting on the sideline is that you can say whatever you want, and not have to actually prove your right," Flynn responded.
Kayla didn't even have a response to that, she just shook her head and laughed.
Adam and Scott rejoined Kayla and Flynn at the picnic table. The Ranger recruits and Adam settled down and just talked for a while. The recruits were taking in all the stories that Adam was telling them, from when he got his powers, up to how he regained his powers. He also told them about the original invasion of the Machine Empire and how he and his friends had prevented that attack. Before they knew another few hours had passed.
"Kayla!!!" A new voice, female, yelled from across the training field.
"Friend of yours?" Adam asked the future Yellow Ranger.
"You could say that," Kayla said unenthusiastically, "that's my kid sister, Summer."
Summer ran across the field to the picnic table. She was a couple years younger than Summer, making her probably around 17 or 18. Apart from the blonde hair she and Kayla bared a striking resemblance to one another.
"Hey Summer, what's up?" Scott asked the approaching girl.
"Nothin much I just wanted to get outside, and since I know you guys are working sooo hard I figured I'd drop by," the blonde girl smiled, "who's this? Is he another one of the Ranger wannabes…I mean he looks a little old…"
"Sorry Adam, she sometimes speaks when she shouldn't," Kayla apologized to the Black Ranger.
"It's no problem," Adam replied, "I'm Adam, and no I'm not a Ranger wannabe, I've been in that job field for far too long as is."
"Oh…okay then…" Summer smiled, "I'm not really into the whole getting beat up to save the world thing…sorry."
"It's not for everyone," Flynn spoke, "it takes a certain awesomeness that some people just lack."
Summer punched Flynn in the same spot that Kayla had punched her earlier.
"Ow! What do you girls eat?" Flynn rubbed his arm.
"Recruits, report to the Ranger lab," Dr. K's voice sounded over an intercom.
The recruits, Adam and Summer all looked to one another.
"Wonder what's up?" Flynn asked no one in particular.
"I dunno, but I guess we should go check things out. Come on guys," Scott stood up from the table. The others followed behind him, even Summer.
It didn't take long to reach Dr. K's lab.
"What's up doc?" Flynn laughed at his own, predictable and bad joke.
"Thanks to Adam I have figured out how to sync the RPM Powers with each of you," Dr. K boasted.
"Really!?!" Kayla, Flynn and Scott all said simultaneously.
"It's so simple, I can't believe we didn't realize it sooner," Dr. K continued.
"So are you gonna fill them in, or what?" Summer jumped in.
"Who's she?" Justin asked.
"Oh that's Kayla's sister Summer," Adam answered.
"Oh, okay," Justin replied.
"All we had to do was have a way to combine your DNA with the Cell Shift Morphers, and voila Power Rangers," Dr. K explained, "and thanks to Alpha we have a means to do just that." She pulled out a small tray, "these are the Engine Cell Chips, basically a microchip that scans your DNA and programs it into the Morphers."
"Wait, you were able to come up with something that high tech in less than an hour?" Summer asked not believing what she was hearing,
"High tech? It's basically just a scanner chip, no more complicated than what they used to use in cell phones. We had plenty of these things just laying around in the back. Alpha slapped a new face on them and gave them a fancy name."
"So it was really just that simple?" Kayla asked.
"Yeah, and the greatest part is that it the Cell Shift Morphers were already designed with a port for scanner chips, which we really intended mostly just for data storage. Though with just a few slight modifications they'll be ready to go within a few days," Dr. K continued.
"How exactly did me being scanned help you figure that out?" Adam asked.
"I realized that all the Power Coins were essentially data storage that was programmed per specific individual. After I saw that, it all dawned on me," the young scientist smiled, "it was that easy. Of course I'm not complaining that I have full access to the intricacies of your morphing capability, I'm sure there are a ton of things I can learn."
"Sounds good to me," Adam said.
"So when can try it out?" Scott asked, the anticipation evident in his voice.
"Well this is the only Engine Cell Chip we've completed, but the others will be ready by tomorrow. So provided nothing crazy happens in the next 24 hours you'll have a taste of being a Ranger," Dr. K bragged.
"Awesome, I can't wait!" Summer exclaimed, "this what I've been training for. It's so close, I can taste it."
"I've contacted General Truman and he gave the go ahead for the testing," Dr. K informed the future Rangers, "so get some sleep tonight, and get ready."
The recruits were restless, they couldn't wait for tomorrow. After discussing things for a little longer the recruits decided to return to their respective dorms. Adam and Justin also decided to return to Justin's apartment, but planned on returning early the next morning.
Outside of Corinth though things weren't as cheery, a large contingent of Machine Empire forces were readying for an attack. They planned to attack the gates at noon the next day. It Quadra Fighters were landing a few miles outside the gates and various generations of Cogs were also prepping themselves for what would be a massive assault.
TBC