Gaby, Gunn, Kane, Klezmi, and Silva are mine.
Rated PG-13 : sexuality; harsh language, strong violence.
Year: 2202
Jen looked around her in apprehension. After their arrest she had expected to be taken to a cell, and she had not been disappointed. They had spent an uneasy night. The Time Force Temporal Offender's Prison cells were not made for comfort. They were small and bare, furnished only with narrow cots and tiny lavatories behind screens. She knew there was no privacy even there; ceiling cameras covered that area too.
In the morning they had been wakened, ordered out of their cells, their hands cuffed behind their backs, and quickly hustled through endless corridors, then into the room they stood in now. It was the size of a large office, and bare except for a desk and chair at one end.
After several minutes of waiting, all of them turned to look at the door as it opened. A man stepped in. He was tall, strongly built, handsome in a heavy-featured way. His eyes were dark, his short hair was black. The woman who followed him in was a sharp contrast. She was small, slender, silvery blonde and blue-eyed, and her features were almost delicate.
Both paused for a moment to sweep a cold glance over the prisoners, and then walked past them to the desk. The dark man sat, the blonde woman took up an at-ease position behind and to his side.
After another long look at them, the man spoke. "I assume you know who I am."
Jen answered him. "Everyone knows who you are, Director Klezmi."
"Good. I'm sure you also know the head of Time Force Special Services."
"Commander Silva. Yes." She spoke the name unwillingly. Silva was notorious for her loyalty to Klezmi, her efficiency, and her ruthlessness.
Silva smiled slightly and glanced at the guards. "Leave us," she said in a firm voice. "Wait outside."
They were all quiet as the guards left, and for a few moments afterwards. Klezmi and Silva were smiling, expressions that sent a chill through Jen's heart.
"Why are we here?" she asked finally.
"You're all guilty of conspiring to alter the timestream," Klezmi said, in the deep voice that was so familiar from the newscasts.
"Then why are you here? You don't interview every temporal criminal yourself."
He smiled again. "Your case is more... interesting than most."
"Why were you investigating 2003?" Silva demanded sharply.
"We had friends there," Lucas said, his tone angry. "We went on a mission to that time, remember? We saved this reality."
Silva laughed softly. "Yesterday's heroes are today's criminals. Ironic."
"You went into Time Force's protected files. Got around our best security measures," Klezmi said. "You always were too smart for your own good, Trip." Trip smiled uncertainly.
"We want to know what you found out. And who you told about it." Klezmi's tone was soft, but his eyes were suddenly piercing.
Jen took a quick breath in. He knows, she thought. They both do. She was suddenly as sure as if they had said it aloud. They knew reality had been altered, and they knew how. She glanced quickly at the others, and saw the same realization on their faces.
"We saw some evidence of changes to the timestream," she said. "Probably caused by Ransik's interference. No need to tell anyone."
"You're lying."
Jen raised her chin. Klezmi and Silva stared at her for a few moments. "We can make you tell us," Silva said softly.
Jen gave them a look just as cold as the ones they were sending at her. "I won't make it easy for you."
"What's the point, Jen?" Lucas asked. "They're going to execute us no matter what." He faced Klezmi defiantly. "We know this isn't the original reality. This world should never have existed. And now we know you had something to do with it."
Very softly Klezmi asked again, "Who else knows?"
"No one. You can use the mindstrainer on us as much as you like, but that's the truth."
Klezmi and Silva exchanged a glance. "We may do that," he said.
Silva pressed a button on a device on her belt. The door opened, admitting the two guards who had escorted them in. "Take them back to their cells," she said.
Klezmi's voice came again as they were herded out. "We'll give you a day to think about it. If you cooperate, your deaths will be painless. If not..."
Jen paced, glancing out at the cells across from her. She saw Trip and Katie, Trip sitting on his cot, hands clasped between his knees, Katie also pacing. Footsteps from the cell next to hers told her Lucas was similarly restless.
Katie stopped, grasping the bars of her cell. "Jen. I'm sorry," she said.
"What for?"
"If we hadn't come to you, you wouldn't be here."
Jen smiled. "It's not your fault."
"I feel like it is."
"Don't. I guess it was worth it, anyway."
"What do you mean?"
Lucas's voice answered from next to Jen. "For a minute there, we felt like we had the chance to do something really worthwhile again. To make a difference. It was worth it."
Jen smiled. "That's right."
Trip had come to the bars of his cell, too. "I can't believe Alex turned us in."
Jen turned her face away. "Neither can I. I guess he's changed a lot more than we thought."
"It's strange," Trip continued. "Alex was with us, in the dream. We were a team. He's so different in this reality."
"He's got a good position, now. Power. Maybe that's all he cares about."
"Maybe."
After a depressed pause, Katie spoke up again. "What do you think they'll do to us?"
"You heard Commander Silva," Lucas said. "They'll force us to tell them if we told anyone else. By the time they find out we're telling the truth at least one of us will be dead. And then they'll execute the rest of us."
"How?"
"Disintegrate us, probably. No body. Neater that way."
Trip's voice came, dreamily. "Some people think when you're disintegrated, you don't even feel it. Don't realize you're dead. They think you just wander around, as a ghost, wondering what happened..."
"You almost make it sound good," Lucas answered dryly. "I'd rather wander around alive."
Trip laughed, a little unsteadily. "So would I. Too bad they won't give us the choice."
They all looked up as they heard the locks on the door turn. It opened a moment later, and Alex stepped in, followed by two guards. He nodded to them and turned back to the guards.
"I'd like to be alone with them."
"Sorry, sir. It's against policy."
Alex nodded and turned back toward them. The two men moved to stand on either side of the door, backs to the wall. Alex walked forward, to where he could see into all of their cells. They all stared at him stonily. Jen turned her face.
"How are all of you?" Alex asked after an uncomfortable pause.
"How do you think?" Lucas answered, his voice angry and sarcastic.
"I'm sorry, but I had to do it. The timeline must be protected."
"So you betrayed your friends."
"Loyalty to friends must always take second place to loyalty to Time Force."
"Do you really believe that? You're even more brainwashed than I thought. Or more heartless," Jen cried, as angry as Lucas.
"You were conspiring to alter the timeline. You had to be stopped." Jen was silent, watching him. He had raised his hand to his face, holding a finger over his lips momentarily. "You and your mutant friends must be punished." His hand dropped to his belt. They saw a small blaster as he drew it out. "I think maybe they tricked you. If so, you'll be treated fairly." He raised the weapon to his chest, keeping it concealed from the guards. "Klezmi -- and Time Force -- always do the right thing."
He whirled, blaster out. His speed and aim were just as good as they had always been. Both guards dropped, one quick blast hitting each one, before they could react. Alex turned back to the cells. He stopped in front of Jen.
"As soon as the locks are broken, the alarms will go off. Be ready to move fast. Trip, Katie, take the guards' weapons on the way out." He pulled two more of the tiny blasters from his belt and handed them to Jen and Lucas.
"Wait. I have a better way." Katie smiled, grabbed the bars of her cell, and with a heave bent them apart. "See? No alarm." Quickly she stepped out and went to Trip's cell. In moments they were all free.
Jen stepped close to Alex and looked into his face. "Why?" she asked simply.
He smiled grimly. "You didn't really think I'd let them kill you, did you?"
"You turned us in."
"They were already suspicious of you. I made a deal with them. Told them Trip and Katie were tricking you, agreed to help them if they'd let me take care of punishing you and Lucas myself. Should have known they wouldn't keep the bargain." He turned to face Trip and Katie. "I'm sorry. There was no way to save Jen and Lucas without sacrificing you. And they would have gotten you sooner or later anyway."
"Yeah, great," Katie muttered.
"It doesn't matter now," Trip said firmly. "We're all in the same boat."
"And we've got to get out of here, fast," Alex said. He went to the door. "No matter how we go through this door, the alarms are going to go off. Get ready."
Trip and Katie bent to take the guards' blasters. They took their places around Alex. At his nod, they all fired at the door lock, bursting it in a moment. Alex started forward, shoving the door open and diving to the corridor floor. In an instant he was up, beckoning them on.
Alex headed off down the corridor as the sound of an alarm shrilled through the air. Jen and the others followed silently, running after him. After a few turns they heard voices and footsteps. Alex stopped, motioned them back, and led them down another corridor.
"Do you know where you're going?" Jen gasped, her breath short from both running and fear.
"Yes. They've cut us off. We'll have to use another exit."
They ran through what seemed like miles of identical corridors, all of them starting to pant with exertion. They rounded yet another corner and stopped. There were two people in the corridor ahead of them. Silva, a tight, cold smile on her face, and one of her Special Service guards. Both were holding blasters. Alex glanced back at Jen and the others with a slight nod. They spread out, aiming their own weapons.
"There's only two of you, and five of us, Commander," Alex said levelly. "At least three of us will get through."
"Perhaps. But more of my troops are on the way. Why not give up now? Make it easy for yourselves."
"Sorry." Without warning Alex fired, hitting her. But she moved with uncanny speed, and the shot only grazed her shoulder, making her drop her weapon. Lucas fired almost as fast, hitting her companion, but not quickly enough. The guard's blaster shot hit Trip squarely in the head, sending him collapsing to the floor.
"Trip!" Jen cried. But there was no time, Silva was diving for her blaster. Katie was closest, she leaped forward and tackled the blonde woman, both of them tumbling onto the floor.
Jen was kneeling over Trip, dividing her attention between him and the fight. Katie rolled on top of Silva, pinning her with her mutant strength. To Jen's complete astonishment, Silva pushed her off with a shout of rage, and rolled back onto her feet. Katie jumped forward to grab her wrist, and was thrown off as Silva swung her arm. Katie fell back against the wall. Silva turned back to her blaster, and Alex fired at her. She staggered and fell to her knees. It took a second shot to put her out.
"Did you see that?" Katie gasped. "How could she possibly be that strong?"
"Worry about that later," Alex said. "We have to get out of here. Katie, bring Trip."
Jen looked up at them, blinking as tears rose in her eyes. They stopped, staring.
"Trip?" Katie asked softly.
"Their blasters are set on kill," Jen said quietly. She looked down again. Trip's eyes were open, staring at nothing, his forehead and the green hair over it singed and faintly smoking from the fatal blaster burn. She squeezed his arm gently. "He's gone." Her voice shook. Trip, gentle, sweet Trip, brilliant Trip, invaluable Trip.
"No…" Katie's voice was just a whisper. She knelt and bent over him, taking one of his hands.
"We have to go. Now." Alex's voice was soft but firm. Jen looked up to see his face, rigid with control.
"No!" Katie said. "He's dead!"
"Katie…" Lucas said, his own face white, his voice quivering slightly. "Alex is right. Trip would have wanted it this way. We have to go, and we have to leave him."
Katie looked up. "Why? What's the point of escaping? They'll just track us down."
Alex answered her. "I have a timeship waiting. If we can get to it, we can go back to 2003. We can prevent this version of reality from happening, Katie, including Trip's death. That's worth any sacrifice."
Katie looked at him for a moment. Then she turned back to Trip, and gently smoothed the scorched hair back from his forehead. She stood up.
"Let's go."
They made it outside, and ran for the cover of the trees surrounding the Special Services building. Once out of sight they stopped to catch their breath. They could hear the shouting as the search began in earnest.
"We should wait until dark," Alex said. The sun was setting already, the clouds starting to turn pink and orange.
"They'll find us by then," Jen objected.
"We'll have to keep moving. Come on."
He led them through the trees, away from the buildings, and into the small park between two of the residential buildings. They found a bench hidden from the pathways by dense bushes and sat down.
"What do we do now?" Lucas asked.
"Alex," Jen said. "You said you have a timeship for us."
"Yes. Your morphers are there too. We're all going back, to prevent Wes, Eric, and Mr. Collins from being killed."
Jen stared at him. "You know, don't you," she said.
He sighed. "Yes. I've had dreams, about a mission we all went on in another reality. I investigated. This..." he swept an arm around them, "is not what was meant to be."
Lucas stood up, his face angry. "You knew, all along. You knew we have to change things back, to the way they're supposed to be. But you still turned us in."
Alex looked up at him. "Yes... I was trying to protect you and Jen. I honestly thought I was doing the right thing." He looked down at his hands, shoulders slumping. "I knew if they kept investigating you they'd find out that you remembered the other reality. I thought if I turned in Trip and Katie, and convinced Special Services you were only being used, I could get them to leave you alone. Then -- later, with my help, we could do something to change the past, and prevent this reality."
"We can't afford to wait until later." Jen stared at him coolly. "You're in a pretty good position in this world. Maybe you didn't want us changing things."
"I swear that had nothing to do with it."
Katie got up and faced them. "What's the point of arguing about who did what? It's what we do now that's important. We have to get to that timeship. It's dark enough now."
"All right," Alex said, standing. "Let's go."
Fifteen minutes later their goal was in sight. They stood under cover of the trees, looking across a yard at a small flyer hangar. They had been forced to wait, the search was still going on and they had watched several patrols of Special Services officers pass by. The darkness made it hard to spot the enemy. They would have to hope it would also serve to conceal them.
"I don't see anyone," Katie whispered.
"Neither do I," Lucas said, just as softly. He looked at Jen.
"Ready?" she asked. They all nodded. "Let's do it."
They ran forward, slipping through the trees and out into the open. Almost at once there were shouts. They had been spotted. Small lights flashed across the lawn and targeted them, flashlights held by a squad of Special Services officers. They ran faster, heading for the building.
Only a few yards away from the door, Jen heard a burst of blaster fire, and a cry behind her. She turned, seeing Katie stagger, her face filled with surprise and shock, her hands clutching at her chest. Slowly she twisted around, and Jen could see a round, dark burn mark on her back. It was smoking. Katie collapsed, thudding to the ground.
"Katie! Nooo!" Jen screamed, hearing Lucas cry out at the same time. He stopped and ran back to bend over Katie's body.
"Lucas! Come on!" Alex shouted.
Lucas looked at them and jumped to his feet, but it was too late. Two officers opened fire on him at close range; sending smoke bursting from his body. He took another two halting steps, his eyes fixed on Jen and Alex, fell to his knees, and tumbled onto his face to lie still.
Jen screamed again, wordlessly, closing her eyes, for a moment unable to face the sight she had just seen. She felt a hand grab her arm, and Alex was pulling her, dragging her along, through the door, into the dark inside. Dimly she saw him slam and lock the door.
"That won't hold them for long," he said grimly. "Come on."
"Alex, they're dead! All of them! Trip, Katie, Lucas..."
He grabbed her arms tightly and shook her. "Jen! Get control of yourself! You're a Time Force officer, damn it! Now calm down and do your job!"
She nodded and took a deep breath. "I'll try, Alex."
"Don't try. Do it." He took her hand and quickly led her deeper into the building. They heard blaster fire on the other side of the door. In moments they were looking at a small timeship. Alex pulled Jen to a cabinet against the wall nearby and opened it. Inside she saw five morphers, resting on a shelf. Her morpher, and Alex's. And Trip's, Lucas's, and Katie's. Alex grabbed the pink morpher and thrust it at her.
"Put it on." She strapped it on her wrist and watched him do the same with the black morpher. As they did, they saw and heard the sound of a heavy-duty blast cannon being used on the door of the building. Jen saw it shudder and start to bend.
"Come on." He ran to the door of the timeship, with Jen behind him. "Take the ship. It's already programmed for 2003. Save Wes and Eric. Save all of us." He turned away, toward the door.
"Alex! Where are you going?"
"I'm going to hold them off. They could damage the ship with that blaster cannon."
"No! You'll be killed!"
"Maybe. But you'll have the chance to set things right."
"But... I can't do it alone!"
"You can do it. You're a qualified pilot. And you're a fine officer. You'll have Wes and Eric to help you." He looked into her face for a few heartbeats. Then he moved forward, grasping her head and kissing her, hard.
When he stepped back and let her go, he was smiling, just like the old Alex. Wordlessly, she watched him turn and run toward the door as a section of it collapsed and a swarm of Special Service officers burst in. On the way, he raised his arm and tapped his morpher, transforming in a flash of light into the Black Time Force Power Ranger, his blaster almost instantly appearing in his hand.
Jen bolted into the ship, closed the door, threw herself into the pilot's seat and powered up as quickly as she could. As the ship's lights came on, she could see clearly out through the front viewport. Helpless, she watched as Alex charged toward the enemy, picking off several of the officers, dodging their blasts, driving them away from the cannon.
As she started the takeoff sequence, she saw him hit by the first blast. It only slowed him down, but that was enough. More of the officers in black and silver poured in, more began to fire at him. He bent under the stream of energy, fell to his hands and knees. With a warping sparkle he demorphed, his protective Ranger suit disappearing, leaving him exposed and vulnerable.
They stopped firing, the uniformed officers stepping aside as Klezmi and Silva walked though them. They halted, looking down at Alex. He lifted his head, gave them only a glance, and then turned to look at the ship, at her. He raised his hand in a brief salute, again smiling, his eyes finding hers through the viewport. Silva, with her own icy smile, raised the blaster she was holding, and shot him, her movements almost casual. Smoke curled from his head as he slumped to the floor.
Jen snarled though her tears, and hit the firing controls. The ship's blasters sent a beam of energy through the roof, bursting it into fragments. Flaming debris rained down on the black and silver troops and on Klezmi and Silva. Savagely, Jen hoped they were dying painfully as the ship rose through the hole and into the dark sky.
It only took a moment after that to send a time beam upward, opening a timehole. Without a look back, Jen sent the ship toward the whirlpool of black and violet, the sparking lights inside glimmering in the sky. She plunged in, leaving her world behind.