"What's the big emergency?" Kira asked, heading down to the lab. She was a lot less worried about Dr O now. He'd fought as well as usual in the battle earlier and he'd given her back her morpher. She hadn't seen him for the rest of the day at school, but she'd assumed Jason would finish their conversation. He would have called them if he suspected something.
Instead, they'd been called by Dr O.
Now, all the Rangers were gathered in the lab, along with Hayley and the two Jasons. Dr O stood in front of the computer and took a deep breath before addressing them.
"We need to open the portal again," Dr O said.
"But I told you," Hayley said, "I don't have most of the parts for the machine. There's not a chance."
"Then we need to find another way."
"Why?" asked Connor. He did sound suspicious. Kira's suspicions were back now too. She'd never seen Dr O look quite as nervous as this man did. He turned away from them, rubbing a hand over his face. Then he looked back at them.
"Because Andros has the wrong man," he said.
The true meaning of those words was obvious to all them. She'd been right to be worried. This man wasn't Dr O. This was the man who'd tortured her. This was the man who'd turned her morpher into a source of agony. This was the man who'd brought a whole galaxy to its knees under his tyranny.
Kira ran across the lab and punched him in the stomach.
One of the Jasons grabbed her and pushed her back.
"Hey! Stop! If you kill him, he can't help us get your Tommy back."
"Why would he help us?" demanded Ethan. He looked ready to fight. So the did others, particularly Hayley.
"When I took the Dino Gem," the evil Dr O said, "it's power changed me. It drove out the magic that Dark Spectre had put inside me. It got rid of the evil."
"Then why did you pretend to be Dr O?" asked Connor.
"I wanted a fresh start. I wanted to begin again somewhere that no one would know the evil I've done. I wanted a chance to be happy somewhere peaceful with Jason. But I can't do that if it's all built on a lie. I can't just pretend to be your Tommy Oliver. If I get a second chance, it's going to be because I earned it, not because I stole it."
He actually sounded sincere, but Kira wasn't sure she believed it. Yes, he'd given her back her powers, but he'd been the one who'd stolen them in the first place. He'd tortured her, groped her and threatened her and now she was just supposed to trust him. She wanted to just hit him again and again. But Dr O was in danger and saving people always came at the top of the priorities list.
"Hayley," said this world's Jason, "does your communications system have enough power to reach Aquitar?"
"I don't know," she answered, "I've never tried."
"Well, try now. We need Billy for this. Oh, and while you're at it, try and get in touch with Maranoi. The Quasar Sabres were able to open a portal between galaxies to get help when Maranoi was attacked, they might have powers that can help us. And we should call Justin. That kid was annoying, but he was smart. And we should get Trini too; she has a good mind and works well with Billy. And Kimberly and Zack would never forgive me if we leave them out."
"I can't call them all at once!" Hayley interrupted sharply.
"Sorry," Jason said.
Hayley was typing frantically. Symbols and diagrams were appearing in the various sections of the computer screen. Kira realised she was holding her breath and let it out slowly. She was just nervous. This wasn't a monster that could easily be defeated. They were fighting against the laws of physics, and that was a battle she wasn't prepared for.
"OK, the signal's sent," Hayley said. "Now we just have to wait and see if anyone responds."
A few seconds later, a face appeared on the screen. It was strange and bulgy and most definitely alien, but the sight of it had Jason grinning.
"Hi, I'm Jason, a former Red Ranger. I need to speak to Billy."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Do you think it's really true?" Hunter asked. Someone had wheeled a TV out into the street and it was playing Andros' message on a loop. They'd passed several celebratory parties since they'd emerged in Reefside forest and headed into town. Clearly other people thought it was true.
"I don't think the prince would be letting this chaos happen if it weren't," said Hayley, ducking what appeared to be someone's shirt being flung aside. They passed a group in various stages of undress who didn't seem to care much about public decency.
"What are you staring at?" Hunter asked, putting a hand over Blake's eyes.
"I'm not a kid," Blake said, pushing the hand away, "and they don't seem too bothered."
"Teenagers," muttered Elsa.
"No," said Hayley, "males." She took the handles of Zack's wheelchair and pushed him firmly away from the display.
"Can we be sure that Andros has got the right person?" Cam asked.
Hunter had been wondering the same thing. Andros and the rebels knew so little about the other world, if they knew at all. They couldn't possibly realise that another version of the prince had come through the portal.
"The only way we can find out is by going back," Hunter said.
"Back?" asked Hayley, "Are you crazy? We were lucky to get out of there alive."
"He may be right," Cam said, "If we can get to the world-crossing machine, we can find out if the other one got back to his world."
"And if Andros did get the wrong one?" asked Zack, "That means the prince could be hiding on that base waiting for someone stupid enough to go back."
"I never said you should come," Hunter said, "but I think someone should."
"It should be me," said Cam. "I can work the machine."
"No. It could be dangerous; I've had ninja training. I should go." Hunter said.
"I grew up at a ninja school," Cam said.
"You're not the only ninjas here," said Blake.
"Is it really conducive to our endeavours to be discussing this in such an exposed location?" asked Billy.
"No one's listening, Billy," said Zack.
There was a flash of white light and a tingling sensation through Hunter's body. Then he wasn't standing in the middle of Reefside anymore.
"On the contrary," came an amused woman's voice.
"Trini!" said Billy, clearly recognising her.
Hunter looked round the room, which was some sort of lab, but more glittery than anything in Mercer's base. On the subject of Mercer, he was standing over the other side of the room, Trent beside him, looking as healthy as ever. Hunter was surprised how relieved he was to see Trent alive.
"With the technology we have here," said the woman, Trini, "you don't have to face the danger of going to the base."
"You can teleport the machine here," said Billy.
"Exactly."