A/N: Hey all. I'm back. I've been transferring stories over to AO3, since this site is becoming increasingly unusable. That said, the PR community on AO3 seems considerably smaller than the one here, so I'm going to upload Back in Space over there and see how substantial the reception is, and in the meantime I'll continue uploading this story here for the time being.
This chapter is the first one where you'll need to have a fresh recollection of Back in Space to get where things are at for Ashley and Maya. Since it's probably been a while since you read that story, maybe go back through it quickly before reading this chapter.
Disclaimer: What you recognize from canon belongs to Hasbro.
Chapter 7: Face-to-Face
Behind Andros and Ashley's house, the land sloped down towards a river that curved around the western edge of the city. The view was best from a small rise on the edge of the property, and it was here that Andros and Zhane had built a simple, wooden bench.
This bench quickly became Summer's favorite spot in the city. The view of the river and the mountains beyond it was magnificent, especially as sunset approached. KO-35, she had learned, was recovering from an attack that had forced the abandonment of the colony some fifteen years earlier. Much of the countryside around the city was still regrowing, much like the Earth in her home universe. Obviously, this regrowth was much further along, but it was still a nice reminder of home.
The sound of children laughing jarred her from her thoughts. She looked over at where Andros and Ashley's children, Amelia and Alexis, were accompanied by a pair of friends. Amelia, the seven-year-old who had inherited her father's streaked hair, looked over at her and waved. Summer smiled and waved back.
"Are you okay?" Summer looked up to see Kira approaching from behind her.
"Yeah," she replied. "Just thinking about home."
"Andros and Zhane just got back. They're looking for you."
"For me?" Summer stood and followed Kira back to the house, growing more eager as she went. Andros and Zhane were both working on Project Venjix, and Summer had asked Andros if he could pull some strings to enable her to examine the project. Hopefully, he had come through.
The house was full of yellow rangers. The eight who had left Earth aboard the cargo ship were now joined not only by Ashley, but also by Maya, Zhane's wife, as well as Jun'ga, a fish-like alien from the planet Ostaven. The existence of a team of alien power rangers had been one among many startling revelations for Summer, and she had to do her best to avoid staring at Jun'ga and her companion, Gor'ko, who were staying on KO-35 temporarily to assist with the project.
She entered the house to find Andros holding his son. Alexis, who looked as much like Ashley as Amelia looked like Andros, beamed at her. "I'm taller than you now," he declared.
Summer grinned wryly at the boy. "That isn't very difficult, is it?" Then she turned to his dad. "What is it?"
"The computer wants to speak with you." It was Zhane who spoke, from where he stood with Maya and the Ostavenians.
"The computer?" Summer shot him a concerned look.
"Tomorrow morning," said Andros. "Come with us to headquarters."
Summer looked back at him, then at the surrounding yellow rangers, who visibly shared her concern.
Summer didn't get much sleep that night. Ashley had warned them that days on KO-35 were nearly four hours shorter than days on Earth were, and their bodies wouldn't become accustomed to that during only a short stay. But that had nothing to do with Summer's inability to sleep.
The computer wanted to speak to her, specifically. Why? All of the yellow rangers had signed in when they arrived. Summer had done nothing differently from the others, and there was no reason why a computer on KO-35 should know that she was from a different Earth.
And yet this computer had managed to single her out. How?
The early dawn had already come and gone by the time there was a knock on her door. Expecting to find her hosts, she was surprised to instead find Maya on the other side. "Hi."
"Hello. May I come in?"
"Sure." Summer stepped aside to allow the older yellow ranger to enter. While she had spoken with Ashley when they first arrived at the house, she hadn't yet spoken directly with Maya. She had been told that Maya was from Mirinoi, the third of the human planets that Doctor Oliver had mentioned. It amazed her that humanity had managed to spread so far beyond the Earth in this universe. Even with no Venjix, it still seemed a remarkable accomplishment.
Maya sat at a small, empty desk that occupied the corner of the guest room. Summer had thought that the room might once have been an office, but each of the other guest rooms had the same furnishings. The guests were split among six different rooms, with Kira, Z, Katie and Lily drawing the short straws—the proverbial short straws, since they had used an eight-sided die from a planet called Onyx—for sharing.
"You're afraid," said Maya. It wasn't a question.
Summer grimaced. Was she really that obvious? She thought that she was better at hiding her emotions, but perhaps her surprise at Maya's visit had thrown her off. "Yeah."
Maya gave her a sympathetic look.
"Why does the computer want to speak with me? Can it know where I'm from? I've only told rangers here."
"I don't know." Maya shook her head. "I don't know how far along Project Venjix is, whether the computer can communicate with Earth yet."
"But even so, there wasn't anyone on Earth that we didn't trust." Summer frowned, feeling that the answer wasn't as simple as someone telling the computer who she was. It had to have found out somehow, though.
"I don't know much about computers," Maya admitted. "I understand people's emotions, but machines don't have emotions."
"You can say that again."
"Andros and Zhane are downstairs. Just remember, you've got a lot of friends here to back you up."
Summer nodded. "I know. Thanks." She left the room and descended the stairs outside it. Andros and Zhane were indeed in the kitchen. "Good morning."
"Good morning," the local silver ranger replied brightly.
"You should eat something before we go," said Andros, his expression and tone much more business-like than his teammate's. Summer wasn't hungry, but she forced herself to eat a small breakfast, and then left the house in Andros and Zhane's wake.
Ashley was outside, watching with amusement as Ronny zipped back and forth around the laughing children. It had taken the racing ranger no time at all to become the kids' favorite, and no one was surprised by it.
Upon seeing Summer, Ronny left the children for a moment and zipped over. "Hey, morning."
"Morning."
"You got this." Ronny gave a reassuring nod.
"Thanks."
Ronny smiled and zipped back over to the kids.
Summer was disappointed that everyone working in the laboratory at the headquarters was male. "No women?"
"It's not by design," Zhane assured her. "Just how it happened."
They led her into a small room that was half-filled with machinery. A screen on either side showed a planet. Earth was on the right, and on the left was a green world that was neither Earth nor KO-35, and Summer guessed might have been Mirinoi. In each corner of the room were what looked like data storage servers, while the back of the room was occupied by a large, round machine with a camera on the top. It didn't look quite like Venjix's mainframe back in her universe, but the similarity was enough to put her even more on edge. The hum of the machinery and the heat that it gave off didn't help matters.
"Thank you Andros and Zhane." The voice was more mechanical than Venjix's voice, but still ominous. "Summer Landsdown, you have concerns about my program?"
Summer glanced at Andros and Zhane. Andros gave a small shrug.
"Yes," she replied finally.
The computer took as much time to respond as she had. "Andros, Zhane, please allow me to speak to the guest alone for a minute."
The men exchanged glances. "Alright," Andros replied, surprise in his voice. They left the room, and Summer's apprehension increased steadily.
"Where do you come from, Miss Landsdown?"
"Earth."
"Your data does not align with any Earth records."
What? "You have access to all of the records of Earth?"
"My programming is designed to facilitate communication between the three human worlds, Earth, KO-35, and Mirinoi. The receiver on Mirinoi is not yet completed, but the one on Earth grants me access to any information that may be needed by the people of KO-35."
"How does that help with communication?"
"For information to travel at a faster speed than light, a degree of anticipation is required. I am programmed to anticipate the needs of the people of each of the three worlds and retrieve the information before it may be called for."
"So you study us?"
"Yes. And you, Miss Landsdown, are not of the Earth I have access to.
"You're right, I'm not. I'm from a world where a machine like you destroyed most of humanity."
There was no immediate response. The camera watched her impassively.
"That is not my programming," the machine said finally.
"It wasn't the programming of Venjix on my Earth, either."
The machine was silent for another moment. The pauses were concerning, since it certainly didn't take such an advanced computer any length of time to process her words. Was the machine being dramatic?
"What was the Venjix on your Earth programmed to do?"
Summer sighed. "It was programmed by a prodigy who had been imprisoned in a secret government base. Originally, she used it to exfiltrate military codes and to design prototypes for the ranger operator series. But when she used it to shut down and escape from the base, the virus also escaped and evolved."
"Virus? I am no virus."
"I know, but you're still an artificial intelligence. And you just happen to be called Venjix."
"The word Venjix means 'many places' in the language of Ostaven. As I am designed to facilitate communication between worlds, Andros decided that the name would be appropriate."
"I know. Still, it's quite a coincidence."
"Why was the virus on your Earth named Venjix if it had nothing to do with worlds beyond your own?"
"Because that's just what the prodigy called it. We had never even learned of Ostaven or its language."
"This is an interesting coincidence, Miss Landsdown, but it is a coincidence nonetheless."
Summer frowned.
"Humans also have programming, Miss Landsdown. You are programmed by your experiences to distrust artificial intelligence, and that is understandable. But all programming must be adaptable, or it quickly becomes obsolete. There are numerous artificial intelligences in this universe that mean the human race no harm, that are designed to aid them."
Despite herself, Summer considered his words. Of course she was predisposed to distrust sentient machines. Her ranger instincts also told her not to trust coincidences. But could she be wrong about this?
But Taylor's problem still remained. "Do you know where Eric Earhardt is?"
"There are multiple Eric Earhardts in Earth records. Retrieving the information." The image of Earth on the screen to her right was replaced by three different images. Two of them showed a man that was not Taylor's husband, and the third showed a boy no older than fourteen.
"They're not the person I'm looking for."
"My observations suggest you are searching for information on Eric Myers, the husband of Captain Taylor Earhardt, who accompanied you to KO-35." An image of Taylor's husband appeared on the screen. "Eric Myers resides in Turtle Cove, and serves as Commander of the Silver Guardian Law Enforcement Agency in Silver Hills. There is no further information pertaining to his current location."
Summer crossed her arms. Her instincts were screaming that something was very wrong. "Alright. Thank you."
"You are welcome, Miss Landsdown. Do you have any further inquiries?"
"No."
There was a noise outside the room, and Andros stuck his head in. "All done?"
"Yes," Summer replied.
Maya sat on the same bench where Summer had sat the previous evening, staring out at the mountains. Her quasar saber lay across her lap, and her hand toyed idly with the hilt. She had retrieved it after the conversation with Summer that morning, when the strength of the younger ranger's anxiety had caused Maya herself to feel deeply unsettled.
She turned when she sensed Ashley's feelings behind her. While she would always consider Kendrix her best friend, the bond she shared with Ashley was in some ways more sisterly. Given how much time she spent on KO-35 and that her husband was best friends with Andros, and their sons were the same age, they spent a lot of time together. The resulting connection was effortless.
Ashley spotted the quasar saber and gave a small frown. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah." Maya shifted her weapon so her fellow yellow ranger could sit beside her. "Just thinking about Summer's story."
Ashley grimaced. "Yeah, I feel bad for her."
But Summer's emotions weren't the only reason that Maya felt unsettled. "Did Andros seem off to you at all last night?"
"Andros? No, he seemed fine."
Maya sighed. "Zhane was... I don't know, there was something different. Like there was a cloud over his feelings."
Ashley looked at her silently for a moment. "I thought you don't pry into his feelings anymore."
"I don't, usually." Zedd had taught her how to close off her ability when she wanted to, much to Maya's relief. She rarely opened herself to people's feelings anymore, not wanting to be privy to petty anger and jealousy. "But after hearing Summer's tale... She's so anxious about Project Venjix, and it's hard not to share the concern when she's feeling it so intensely. So I've been staying alert for anything."
"And Zhane's emotions were off? What about Andros's?"
Maya lowered her gaze. Andros's emotions were far less her business than her husband's feelings were, but she had sensed the same strange phenomenon in him. "I can't help feeling like something's wrong, Ash."
"Maybe."
Maya sensed the feelings of someone else approaching them, and immediately closed off her ability as she turned to look at Taylor. Like Summer, the Yellow Wild Force Ranger was also feeling a lot of anxiety for a very good reason, and it was a reason that struck much closer to Maya's heart. She couldn't imagine what she would do if Zhane went missing.
In the early years of their relationship, when she was usually on Mirinoi and he was usually on KO-35, she would have nightmares about the evils they had each defeated reemerging to attack him. The anxiety was the worst shortly after they parted and shortly before they saw each other, but it gradually got better as more years passed since they each saw major combat. Still, they were both responsible for the defense of their worlds, and that meant they would be on the front lines if new danger ever arose.
Thus, it was far too easy to think that she could wind up in Taylor's situation.
"Ashley!"
"Yes?"
"You have a visitor at the door."
Ashley stood, and Maya followed her inside. They were both surprised to find High Consul Tykwa at the front door.
Tykwa had been Kinwon's second-in-command during the war and the rebuilding, and then had left his side to oversee the reestablishment of the academy for KO-35's children. When Kinwon retired, there had never been much doubt about who would be elected to take his place.
"Welcome, Tykwa." Ashley gestured for the High Consul to enter. Maya and Taylor stepped out of the way. Katie, Z and Kira also appeared, curious about the visitor.
"How are you Ashley, Maya?" But Tykwa's gaze was sweeping over the guests. "I've been wondering about your guests. The arrival of eight pilots for a single cargo vessel was odd, and the news that they went looking for your house was concerning. Is there some power ranger-related issue that I need to know about?"
"They're just here to examine Project Venjix," said Ashley. "There aren't any threats that we know about."
"Project Venjix?" Tykwa pursed her lips, looking at the guests. "Why is Project Venjix attracting such concern?"
Taylor looked at Ashley and Maya, silently asking whether Tykwa could be trusted. Ashley nodded. "In an alternate universe, much of the Earth was decimated by a computer virus called Venjix. A ranger from that universe is speaking with the computer at Project Venjix now."
Maya opened herself to the High Consul's feelings. Tykwa was bewildered, but also concerned.
"I am not involved with Project Venjix," she said. "We decided that Andros should be in charge there, given the strength and influence of his connections on Earth and Mirinoi." She looked at Ashley and Maya. "I fully trust Andros and Zhane with the project, but I would like to speak with this ranger from the alternate universe."
Summer looked around on her way back from the headquarters. On the way over, she had been focused on the looming conversation, and had barely noticed anything around her, but now her eyes explored the heart of the city that was the heart of this planet.
If the colony ship had been sent 500 years back in time, she thought the colony might have looked 500 years more advanced than society on Earth did, but it was difficult to tell. The city was certainly cleaner than the cities of her world had been before Venjix, but there was little indication of advanced technology outside of the spaceport and the Venjix headquarters. A few hover vehicles passed by, but most people walked to and fro, carrying bags or cases like people did in pre-Venjix Corinth. There was a commercial hub with outdoor cafes and a large academy where students of all ages were educated.
"Summer!" At Lily's voice, Summer looked over to see her walking with Kelsey and Ronny, and she waved.
"Got restless?" she asked once the others had reached her.
"My cheetah spirit needed to run."
"And so did I," Ronny added.
Kelsey gave a small shrug. "I just wanted to explore the colony."
They sat down at one of the outdoor cafes, and a waitress in a black and silver uniform approached the table. "Hello, what'll it be?" Her hair was a cascade of crimson curls, and her eyes were a brighter blue than seemed natural.
"What do you recommend?" Ronny asked.
The waitress looked at her in surprise, and then at the others in turn. "Are you from Earth?"
"Yes," said Lily.
The waitress's eyes lit up. "That's awesome. I'm Lorna."
"I'm Lily." The others introduced themselves in turn.
"What brings you to KO-35?"
Summer decided that they didn't need to be telling everyone their business. "We're just visiting, checking out the colony."
The waitress gave her a look, as though she could tell Summer was only giving half the truth, but she didn't pry. "So, what would you like? We do carry some old Earth classics, or at least healthier versions of them. We don't have the same oils that you find in Earth cooking."
"That's fine," said Lily. "I've had enough greasy pizza to last me a lifetime."
The waitress looked amused. "Perhaps you'd like to try our severine pies? They taste a bit like pizza, but they're healthy."
"You know what pizza tastes like?" Ronny asked.
"I wasn't born yesterday." At Ronny's apologetic look, she laughed. "I'm just messing with you. When the war ended, the people of Earth helped our refugees get back to KO-35. I was on the planet for a few days while the ships were prepared."
"Really? What did you see?"
"Not much, unfortunately. We were put up in the city of Angel Grove for the whole time, and after years in hiding, we just wanted to get home. But I did try some popular Earth foods." She gave a wry smile. "Maybe someday a handsome pilot will take me to Earth for a proper tour. Preferably during your winter, though. It gets rather hot on your planet, doesn't it?"
Summer nodded. Even here, near the equator of KO-35, the climate was brisk. She didn't mind it, though, since her leather jacket kept her warm.
The severine pies turned out to be as promised, and the four rangers were still lounging at the table when Zhane appeared. "Summer, if you don't mind, the computer would like to ask you a few more questions."
Summer tensed a little. "Sure." Standing, she caught the concerned looks of the others before following him back to the headquarters. He led her back into the little room with the Project Venjix mainframe and then stepped out, shutting the door.
"Miss Landsdown, I have been processing our earlier discussion. If you don't mind, I would like to ask you more questions about the events that transpired on your Earth."
"Okay," Summer replied, tensing further.
"You said that the prodigy who created the virus called Venjix was imprisoned in a secret government base. Why was she imprisoned?"
Summer hadn't expected this to be what the computer would ask about. "They wanted her to develop military programs. Weapons, espionage tools..." Summer trailed off, wincing at the memory of Doctor K's story.
"Your government could not be trusted."
"It was just the one organization. No one else knew anything about it, as far as we know."
"As far as you know. But your knowledge of the situation is incomplete."
"Why are you asking?"
"I am programmed to anticipate the needs of the people of each of the three worlds. But the actions of many are incompatible with these needs. The secretive actions of your government and the resulting destruction of most of your world are exemplary of humanity's tendencies. What humanity needs is a guide who is not corrupted by human passions and rivalries."
Summer's jaw clenched. "I get the feeling you want to be that guide?"
"I will be that guide. I will reprogram human tendencies towards cooperation and survival."
"We'll be harder to reprogram than you think."
"No, Miss Landsdown. As I was being developed, I had plenty of time to study how my signals effect the neural processing in the brains of the men who work here. Allow me to demonstrate."
There was a noise outside. The door opened, and Andros and Zhane entered. They stood behind Summer, each looking at the camera.
"You see, Miss Landsdown? The human brain is like a computer. It relies on electrical and chemical signals generated by your neurons. As such, it is susceptible to signals from a foreign source. The men here have already been exposed to my signals for some time now. Reprogramming them took little effort."
Summer looked back and forth between the two men, her hand going to her morpher.
"But I cannot have you spreading your concerns to the greater population until I am prepared to reprogram all of them. Therefore, Miss Landsdown, your concerns must end here. Andros, Zhane, kill her."
