Chapter twelve, and the next big scene. We'll be meeting the other five of my original characters. And the one thing I haven't done in ages is write a big zord battle, so I maxed up the quota for "Day in the Life", and here's the first of a couple of good ones. Enjoy :).


2:19 PM

Alpha and I were following leads on the theft of the summoning stone when a light began flashing urgently on the console nearest the viewing screen.

"Alpha," I said, and nodded to the light. "It seems today isn't over yet. Honestly, this is worse than the day when the colour mauve declared war on humanity. What is it?"

Alpha wandered over. "Aye-yi-yi!" he said. "That's our deep space scanners! Something large is approaching Earth! From the readings here, it's coming in fast."

"Let's investigate," I said. "Maybe it's just a freighter or tourist ship, or even refugees fleeing something worse."

With the touch of a button, Alpha had located the invader, and the viewing screen flashed to life once again. Framed against the backdrop of the Milky Way, a giant v-shaped ship was powering through the inky black of space, with three smaller vessels a short distance out in front. As we watched, the fleet reached the asteroid belt, and continued on their path towards the small blue planet in the distance.

My eyes went wide. "Alpha," I began urgently, "the Senior Team is still recovering from this morning. Call the Junior Team at once."

Alpha glanced between various computer monitors. "Tommy seems fit as well."

"Then summon him too. I daresay we'll need him."

A minute later, the Rangers materialised before me in seven flashes of light.

"Zordon, what's going on?" Peter asked.

"I'm sorry to interrupt Peter," I said, "I know you're still looking for your friend but we have something of an emergency. If you could all turn to the viewing screen?" The Rangers spun around, and gasped at the sight of the four ships heading straight for Earth.

"A few minutes ago," I began, "we detected these ships approaching. We've spent the intervening minutes trying to communicate, but something in the main ship is blocking our transmissions. We can't reach them."

"So we should assume the worst?" asked Sarah.

"Well who's in the ship?" Scott asked. "Why are they coming for Earth? What do they want? And how did they get so close without us noticing?"

He paused to catch his breath after the barrage of rapid-fire questions. Scott's drive to learn and understand everything around him is his defining feature. The younger of the two Blue Rangers, his natural curiosity is something I admire greatly about him. People often remark that Billy has all the right answers. While this is usually true, it's often Scott who has the ability to ask the right questions.

I allowed myself a slight smile. "From the style of the ship, I think I can answer your questions Scott," I said. "I believe you'll find the ship filled with robotic drones, built to fight an ancient war between two nation-states that no longer exist. The ship should've been decommissioned centuries ago. Controlled by a single computer program, a hive-mind if you will, these ships were built to get past an enemy's defensive line by long-distance jumps through hyperspace. The problem is that the jumps required a great deal of energy from unstable power sources. Records tell us that most of the ships didn't even survive the jump, which is why the technology was abandoned."

"Well that's how we stop this," Peter said. "We get onboard the main ship and do enough damage to the generator to make it overload. The explosion will destroy the ships and the pieces will burn up in the atmosphere."

Brendan couldn't resist. "All that for an army of robots? Give us five minutes and a can-opener."

The Rangers groaned. I could always count on Brendan's ability to break the tension. His wit can both make his friends laugh or drive them to distraction. But that energy is what he brings to the team. Our Aqua Ranger is the single light, burning defiantly in the face of overwhelming darkness. I know they don't see it, but they'd be lost without him.

"The one problem," I said, "is that the ship is shielded. Once you get onboard, Alpha and I aren't going to be able to guide you. You'll have to rely on each other."

"We have to stop that ship," Teresa said. "What choice do we have?"

"Then the plan is set," I said. "Peter and Sarah, once onboard the ship, you'll need to find the communications room and disable the blocking signal. Teresa, Brendan and Scott, fight your way to the engine room. Ian and Tommy, I need you both to stay back, just in case."

"Okay guys," Peter nodded, as the Rangers all reached for their back-pockets. "It's morphin' time!"

There was a surge of power as the seven Rangers morphed in flashes of light too bright to watch. Then five of them were gone.

The Command Centre fell silent. Alpha, Tommy and Ian all turned to the viewing screen, watching as the Rangers shot towards the incoming ship and materialised inside, disappearing from view. This is the part I don't like. Being unable to protect or help them. Alpha and I are here to support the Rangers in any way we can. But on some missions, like trips through time or to alternate dimensions, or even to places too far away for our scanners, I have to sit by idly. It's one of the few times I feel helpless. If anything happens to the Rangers, I won't be there to assist them. Alpha always reminds me that the Rangers never hesitate volunteering for these unassisted missions, but still. This makes me uneasy.

Particularly a mission with so many unanswered questions. The hive-mind ships had all been destroyed centuries ago. Even if this one had been dormant all this time, why had it activated today? Why had it attacked Earth, a planet that had never been a target in the original war? What was going on?

"Alpha," I began, my voice breaking the silence. Ian and Tommy jumped. "Can you scan the exterior of the ship? Look for anything out of the ordinary. Let's see what we can learn that might help the Rangers once they re-establish communication."

Alpha turned to the nearest console and began typing. But just as the scan started, he looked back to me.

"Zordon, they're aware of us! The three smaller ships…"

"I see Alpha," I said. In the viewing screen, the three escorting ships suddenly roared to life, accelerating away from the main ship. They were obviously the advance fleet, and were moving too fast for even the Command Centre's computers to track.

"Where are they heading?" asked Tommy.

"Just a minute," I said, forcing data through the computers. "From the trajectory, and the speed they're travelling, factoring in the Earth's rotation…"

"Zordon, hurry!" said Ian.

"Russia!" I shouted. "They're going to touch down outside of Moscow. They're already halfway through the stratosphere. Go!"

The viewing screen flashed away from the incoming ship to the sky high above the Russian tundra. Scorching down through the atmosphere, the three ships burned red as they fell, descending from a clear sky with frozen Russian fields and farms spread out far below. In the distance, Moscow sat unaware of the approaching danger, still buried under a blanket of snowfall from the night before. In the villages surrounding the capital, people having breakfast heard the incoming ships and were slowly drawn to their windows in mounting dread.

As the ships approached, jets began to fire, dramatically slowing their descent. Now they were only a few hundred metres above the ground, panels and plates began to break away and two legs emerged, the thrusters at their feet. Panels along the ship's sides soon folded back, revealing two arms bristling with weaponry. Finally, a head emerged from the main body, with a single eye glowing bright red. Their transformation complete, the three ships gently touched down, the snow melting beneath them. In unison, they turned to face the distant city, and as they stepped towards it, a robotic voice droned out of the lead ship.

"People of Earth," it announced, "you stand alone. And we will…"

The robot ignited, torn apart without warning in a catastrophic explosion that shook the distant city and lit up the countryside, raining debris down over the snowy fields. The other two robots froze, their programming not processing what had just happened to their leader. After a few seconds, though, they registered that the ground was still shaking beneath them, and they turned around to see the silver Iguanodon and White Tigerzord powering towards them.

"All right Ian," Tommy called into the radio, as the Tigerzord raised its golden sword, "these losers don't get past us!"

"You got it," Ian replied, and the two Rangers charged the zords forward.

Both Ian and Tommy shared origins that involved neither Alpha nor myself. Tommy was drafted into the team by a foe, while Ian was chosen by the other Rangers through necessity. Despite this, or as I've often suspected because of it, the two Rangers formed a strong bond, and compliment each other perfectly. Tommy's power and confidence is tempered well by Ian's unerring aim and down-to-Earth humility. Between them, they make a powerful team. Grey and White, my two hidden weapons. My two Sixth Rangers.

Lumbering towards the ship on the right, the White Tigerzord swung its sword in a wide arc, carving the weapon through the robot's chest in a shower of sparks and fire. Staggering backwards, the robot raised its arms to retaliate, aiming a barrage of laser fire and rockets for the Tigerzord. Tommy pushed the zord forward through the onslaught, and the Tigerzord struck the ship's arms away and slashed again for its head. The invader quickly ducked the blow and aimed a low kick. The Tigerzord blocked the move, and while its opponent was off-balance, slammed the robot back with a powerful blow to the chest. As the invader retreated back, the Tigerzord raised its blade and followed after it to continue the battle.

Across the Russian fields, the second robot had seen the silver Iguanodon charging towards it and immediately taken action, raising its arms and firing. The Iguanodon was rocked by the barrage. But staying upright, the zord spun on the spot, smashing its tail into the invader and sending the ship crashing. The invading robot fought to regain its footing, but didn't get the opportunity to attack as the Iguanodon zord thundered forward, striking away one arm, blocking the robot's other and smashing the ship back. The robot raised its arms to fire again, but the Iguanodon swung its thumb claws for the ship's arms, destroying its weapons in a shower of sparks and smoke. Before the robot could retaliate, the Iguanodon's eyes glowed red, and the robot was blasted off its feet.

Damaged and barely standing, the two invaders backed away as the Iguanodon and Tigerzord closed in.

"Tiger bolts, fire!" Tommy cried. The Tigerzord raised its hands to its chest and unleashed a barrage of fireballs at the two robots. The entire field went up in a blaze of sparks and fire, and the Iguanodon stepped forward with its arms held wide.

"Iguanodon Essence Blast!" Ian shouted.

Clouds began swirling in the sky above. The Iguanodon's eyes glowed red, and as lightning crackled down from the heavens, the symbol on its chest suddenly blasted towards the robots, smashing into them and finishing what Tommy had started, tearing the two robots apart in a fiery explosion that sent a plume of smoke rocketing skywards.

"Awesome work man," called Tommy.

"You too," Ian replied.

Back in the Command Centre, Alpha suddenly raised his voice.

"Zordon! Our scan of the ship has identified a very specific type of radiation emanating from the ship's power source!"

I heard the word 'radiation' and immediately assumed the worst, heading straight for the data stream myself. But the sensors hadn't lied.

"That is bad news," I said, reappearing in my energy tube. "Alpha, we need to…"

With that, the viewing screen flickered away from the Russian capital. In another second, Alpha and I were soon looking at the inside of the approaching ship, with Peter and Sarah drifting into focus.

"Zordon, can you see us?" Peter was saying. "Are you there?"

"I'm happy to see you Rangers!" I replied. "I see you disabled the shielding!"

"Sort of," Peter said, and glanced to his cousin. "Sarah improvised."

I noticed for the first time the sparking ruins behind them, as Sarah rested her Power Mace on her shoulder. "You know what they say," the Purple Ranger said. "When all you have is a hammer, treat everything like a nail."

Sarah is one of the most competitive people I've ever met, which she channels into being the strongest Ranger she can be. She is fiercely loyal and a powerful fighter, with a knack for figuring out simple solutions to complex dilemmas. After all, while there are dozens of ways to open a locked door, sometimes, a good kick will work just as well in a fraction of the time.

"I'm glad to reach you," I said. "We need a new plan."

I was about to continue when the door behind them flew open and Scott, Teresa and Brendan raced into the room, a trail of smashed robotic foot-soldiers behind them.

"Zordon, we have a huge problem!" Scott shouted.

"I know," I replied. "Alpha's scan of the ship detected nuclear radiation. The ship has a nuclear fuel source."

"We came straight back when we saw it," said Teresa. "What do we do?"

"We can't risk radioactive debris raining down over Earth," Peter said.

"But we don't need to," Sarah said. "The ship travels by hyperdrive jumps, right? Let's just point it at a star and let it go. We've got a hundred billion to choose from."

"That's certainly possible," I said. "Now that we've established a link, we should easily be able to reprogram the ship's navigational system."

"And you're sure there's nobody alive on the ship but us?" Peter asked.

"Positive," I replied. "We can barely even detect the ship's hive-mind."

Peter nodded. "Then do it."

"Alpha," I began, "begin feeding in the coordinates of a star, many light years away from us, and with no orbiting planets."

In a few seconds, Alpha looked up from his computer and nodded, and I raised my voice. "Rangers, we've done it! You need to get out of there!"

"Let's go!" shouted Brendan, and the five Rangers reached for their wrists and teleported out of the ship, shooting back towards the Earth in five streaks of light. As they materialised in the Command Centre, the ship on the viewing screen shook once then vanished, disappearing into hyperspace.

"You did it!" I shouted, as the Rangers all cheered. "Our sensors indicate that the ship exited hyperspace a few kilometres out from a star on the other side of the galaxy, and was immediately destroyed. The threat is over. Excellent work."

Ian and Tommy soon joined us. But as they celebrated their victory, I glanced down to Alpha.

"You don't look relieved Zordon," Alpha said quietly.

"I'm not," I said. "While we were in contact with the ship, our computers found no evidence of the hive-mind. It's like the ship was sleep-walking. No, this whole mission was very strange. And I don't like strange, Alpha. I don't like it one bit."

To be continued.