***
The mayor's spokeswoman massaged her temples, trying to keep her focus on what the mayor had said about presenting a calm, collected front to the press.
"At this time, there has been no word of any such aliens." She said smoothly, inwardly glaring at the older reporter who had as much as demanded to see proof that evil aliens were still hidden on earth. "But I trust if there ever is such an event, we will be able to count on the Power Rangers as we always have."
She looked back into the crowd of reporters, many of whom were from out of town. She nodded and pointed to a young woman toward the back. "Yes, Radio Kenya?"
The woman nodded. "Why is it that it's always been Angel Grove targeted by evil? Does your city have a curse on it?"
TJ stared in disbelief at the TV screen. "I know she didn't just ask that question."
Carlos and Zhane were seated at the table in the Megaship's small kitchen, shaking their heads in mutual disbelief as they watched the press conference on TV.
"It's almost too bad we declined to show up, I can think of a few answers I'd like to give that reporter." Zhane muttered.
"Let's not forget the man who asked if the Power Rangers would like to become secret service for the president!" Carlos exclaimed.
"The press is just crazy.. I can not wait until this all blows over and we can go outside again.." TJ said, taking a plate from the Synthetron.
"Wonder when that's gonna be." Cassie said, appearing in the doorway. "Is the press conference over yet?"
"No, it's still on." TJ sighed, pointing at the TV.
"Oh man, did you hear that?" Carlos asked. "The spokeslady cut her off and took another question! It's starting to get hostile now."
"Haha! This should be getting good soon. I'm gonna go get Ashley." Cassie squealed, running off.
Zhane looked after her, laughing.
TJ shook his head. "It's sad that the only thing keeping our competitive spirit alive is watching press conferences."
A moment later, Cassie and Ashley ran in, Cassie chattering a mile a minute. "What'd we miss???"
"That moron reporter just asked the spokeswoman if wearing our colors is a sign of support.." TJ snickered.
"Oh my god, Cassie, that reminds me!" Ashley cried. "I honestly saw someone yesterday wearing a t-shirt with our picture on it."
Cassie stared at her in disbelief. "No!!"
"What?! The spokeslady just said no one would know the difference since they're such common colors!!" Carlos cried! "Did you hear that?!"
"That's mean." Cassie said, rolling her eyes. "I think we wear them well."
"Wait, wait wait, it's that same guy from before! The secret service dude! Let's hear what he's gonna say this time!" Zhane said, shushing the others.
The man sniffled, cursing his northwestern upbringing for giving him so many allergies. He held up his notebook and asked, "What does the city plan to do with the giant space fortress?"
The spokeswoman frowned. "That.. that is a very good question. I suppose we'll leave that up to the Power Rangers. Good afternoon." She nodded and stepped down from the podium, leaving the crowd in disbelief before they could pursue her.
The voice-over of a local newsman came on, recalling the highlights of the press conference. TJ shrugged and turned the TV off. "Well, guess it's over.."
The other rangers sat in silence, looking down at the table.
Suddenly Cassie looked up. "Well... you know it's not going to be up to us."
"What isn't?" Zhane asked.
"What to do with the Dark Fortress. I'd just as soon blow it up... but Andros will ask Karone.. and you know she'll get the final word."
"I think that's fair.. I mean.. I dunno. It was hers." Carlos said, shrugging.
"It symbolizes evil, I'm sure she'll want to get rid of it." Ashley said with no doubt in her voice.
"I'm not so sure about that." Cassie said quietly.
"What do you mean??" Zhane asked.
"Have you seen her lately?" TJ asked. "I mean... she's putting on a great show, but you know she wants to know what happened. And when Andros tells her, is she gonna be that eager to put the life she's known for so long on the shelf?"
"What?? Of course she is! She's one of us now.. and if she was that hung-up on it, wouldn't she have been more adament about it? Her entire empire is gone. What could that fortress possibly represent that she'd want to remember?" Ashley asked.
"You can say that... because you've lived long enough doing what's right that you can't imagine being evil.. but she did it for so long that she couldn't have completely lost the instinct.." TJ replied.
"Wait a minute.. what the hell do you two know that the rest of us don't?" Ashley asked, looking at TJ and Cassie accusingly.
"All I know is that she's mad as hell beneath that happy exterior. Andros won't tell her the truth about when she was brainwashed. She knows how long it's been." Cassie explained.
"And all I know is what I've seen." TJ said soberly.
"But... I mean.. I know she wasn't being controlled by Dark Specter, at least before... before the point where she can't remember anything.. so you think that she wasn't purified by Zordon's energy?" Zhane asked incredulously.
"I don't think she's still evil. But I do think that her good side can remember the good that she experienced while being evil." Cassie said, frowning. She started to laugh when she realized what she'd said. "I mean..."
"The good?? Like what?" Ashley asked.
"Like us." Andros replied, entering the room. The other rangers turned around to face him, TJ and Cassie looking a bit sheepish. "We took her away from the evil that ran her life. She remembers that, which is why she's staying here."
"Andros... you have to tell her." Cassie said quietly.
Andros frowned. "I.. I know.. but I don't even know where to begin."
"You don't think she's gonna be MAD at you, do you?" Ashley asked. "She won't be! She can't be! It wasn't your fault."
Andros sighed. "I don't know. When I tell her about the Psycho Rangers.. and everything, she's probably going to feel horrible."
"But it wasn't her, it was Astronema." Zhane said.
TJ and Cassie looked at each other, and Ashley sighed exasperatedly.
"Cassie, TJ, why don't you tell Andros what you just told us?" She asked angrily. "Do you really doubt Karone that much?!"
"What? It isn't a matter of doubt! It's just--" Cassie cried.
"Then TRUST her for god's sake!" Ashley screamed, getting up and leaving the room.
Andros frowned, looking after Ashley's retreating shadow. "Okay, do I want to know what that was about?"
Cassie sighed and got up from the table. "Never mind.. forget I said anything. It isn't up to us. She's your sister."
"What do you mean she's my sister? What's going on??" Andros asked.
Cassie shook her head and left.
"Will someone tell me what's going on here??" Andros exclaimed, looking across the table at his fellow male rangers.
"The city's decided to give us the honor of deciding what to do with the Dark Fortress." TJ said. "It is still operational, isn't it?"
Andros shrugged. "I-- I have no idea. Why would we want it? Let the city dispose of it and everything it repres-- OH NO."
TJ smiled and nodded. "Exactly. We all know she never went through any sort of brainwashing UNTIL she found out the truth about her identity. She became Astronema of her own free will. She took command of the Dark Fortress of her own free will."
Zhane shook his head. "Wait a minute... no brainwashing?! How.. how can that be? Didn't she know what she was doing??"
Andros sighed. "No. Ecliptor told her that the Power Rangers destroyed her planet. Jeez, Zhane, didn't I tell you all this already once?"
"I don't remember! All I remember is you going postal on me when you found out I dated your sister!"
"Oh... yeah.. don't you have any self-control?!"
"YOU GUYS!" Carlos exclaimed.
"What? Oh.. sorry..." Andros said, shaking his head.
"I think Ashley just yelled for you." Carlos said, pointing in the direction of the door. Sure enough, Ashley's clear voice once again rang through the corridors a moment later.
Andros silently got up and ran down the hall. He saw Ashley up ahead, running in the opposite direction.
"Ashley???" He called.
She turned around and stopped. "Andros! Karone isn't here!"
"What do you mean?" He asked, suddenly aware that he was standing outside Karone's quarters. The door was opened, with no sign of his sister. "Where is she? Did you check the bathroom?"
"Wide open." Ashley stated simply.
"DECA... where is my sister?" Andros inquired.
The clear, soothing voice of DECA, the ship's onboard AI, answered him politely. "Karone is not on board. She left at approximately 4 am."
Andros' eyes widened, and he looked at Ashley, who looked equally shocked.
"4 am??? Then where the hell is she now??"
***
The mayor's spokeswoman massaged her temples, trying to keep her focus on what the mayor had said about presenting a calm, collected front to the press.
"At this time, there has been no word of any such aliens." She said smoothly, inwardly glaring at the older reporter who had as much as demanded to see proof that evil aliens were still hidden on earth. "But I trust if there ever is such an event, we will be able to count on the Power Rangers as we always have."
She looked back into the crowd of reporters, many of whom were from out of town. She nodded and pointed to a young woman toward the back. "Yes, Radio Kenya?"
The woman nodded. "Why is it that it's always been Angel Grove targeted by evil? Does your city have a curse on it?"
TJ stared in disbelief at the TV screen. "I know she didn't just ask that question."
Carlos and Zhane were seated at the table in the Megaship's small kitchen, shaking their heads in mutual disbelief as they watched the press conference on TV.
"It's almost too bad we declined to show up, I can think of a few answers I'd like to give that reporter." Zhane muttered.
"Let's not forget the man who asked if the Power Rangers would like to become secret service for the president!" Carlos exclaimed.
"The press is just crazy.. I can not wait until this all blows over and we can go outside again.." TJ said, taking a plate from the Synthetron.
"Wonder when that's gonna be." Cassie said, appearing in the doorway. "Is the press conference over yet?"
"No, it's still on." TJ sighed, pointing at the TV.
"Oh man, did you hear that?" Carlos asked. "The spokeslady cut her off and took another question! It's starting to get hostile now."
"Haha! This should be getting good soon. I'm gonna go get Ashley." Cassie squealed, running off.
Zhane looked after her, laughing.
TJ shook his head. "It's sad that the only thing keeping our competitive spirit alive is watching press conferences."
A moment later, Cassie and Ashley ran in, Cassie chattering a mile a minute. "What'd we miss???"
"That moron reporter just asked the spokeswoman if wearing our colors is a sign of support.." TJ snickered.
"Oh my god, Cassie, that reminds me!" Ashley cried. "I honestly saw someone yesterday wearing a t-shirt with our picture on it."
Cassie stared at her in disbelief. "No!!"
"What?! The spokeslady just said no one would know the difference since they're such common colors!!" Carlos cried! "Did you hear that?!"
"That's mean." Cassie said, rolling her eyes. "I think we wear them well."
"Wait, wait wait, it's that same guy from before! The secret service dude! Let's hear what he's gonna say this time!" Zhane said, shushing the others.
The man sniffled, cursing his northwestern upbringing for giving him so many allergies. He held up his notebook and asked, "What does the city plan to do with the giant space fortress?"
The spokeswoman frowned. "That.. that is a very good question. I suppose we'll leave that up to the Power Rangers. Good afternoon." She nodded and stepped down from the podium, leaving the crowd in disbelief before they could pursue her.
The voice-over of a local newsman came on, recalling the highlights of the press conference. TJ shrugged and turned the TV off. "Well, guess it's over.."
The other rangers sat in silence, looking down at the table.
Suddenly Cassie looked up. "Well... you know it's not going to be up to us."
"What isn't?" Zhane asked.
"What to do with the Dark Fortress. I'd just as soon blow it up... but Andros will ask Karone.. and you know she'll get the final word."
"I think that's fair.. I mean.. I dunno. It was hers." Carlos said, shrugging.
"It symbolizes evil, I'm sure she'll want to get rid of it." Ashley said with no doubt in her voice.
"I'm not so sure about that." Cassie said quietly.
"What do you mean??" Zhane asked.
"Have you seen her lately?" TJ asked. "I mean... she's putting on a great show, but you know she wants to know what happened. And when Andros tells her, is she gonna be that eager to put the life she's known for so long on the shelf?"
"What?? Of course she is! She's one of us now.. and if she was that hung-up on it, wouldn't she have been more adament about it? Her entire empire is gone. What could that fortress possibly represent that she'd want to remember?" Ashley asked.
"You can say that... because you've lived long enough doing what's right that you can't imagine being evil.. but she did it for so long that she couldn't have completely lost the instinct.." TJ replied.
"Wait a minute.. what the hell do you two know that the rest of us don't?" Ashley asked, looking at TJ and Cassie accusingly.
"All I know is that she's mad as hell beneath that happy exterior. Andros won't tell her the truth about when she was brainwashed. She knows how long it's been." Cassie explained.
"And all I know is what I've seen." TJ said soberly.
"But... I mean.. I know she wasn't being controlled by Dark Specter, at least before... before the point where she can't remember anything.. so you think that she wasn't purified by Zordon's energy?" Zhane asked incredulously.
"I don't think she's still evil. But I do think that her good side can remember the good that she experienced while being evil." Cassie said, frowning. She started to laugh when she realized what she'd said. "I mean..."
"The good?? Like what?" Ashley asked.
"Like us." Andros replied, entering the room. The other rangers turned around to face him, TJ and Cassie looking a bit sheepish. "We took her away from the evil that ran her life. She remembers that, which is why she's staying here."
"Andros... you have to tell her." Cassie said quietly.
Andros frowned. "I.. I know.. but I don't even know where to begin."
"You don't think she's gonna be MAD at you, do you?" Ashley asked. "She won't be! She can't be! It wasn't your fault."
Andros sighed. "I don't know. When I tell her about the Psycho Rangers.. and everything, she's probably going to feel horrible."
"But it wasn't her, it was Astronema." Zhane said.
TJ and Cassie looked at each other, and Ashley sighed exasperatedly.
"Cassie, TJ, why don't you tell Andros what you just told us?" She asked angrily. "Do you really doubt Karone that much?!"
"What? It isn't a matter of doubt! It's just--" Cassie cried.
"Then TRUST her for god's sake!" Ashley screamed, getting up and leaving the room.
Andros frowned, looking after Ashley's retreating shadow. "Okay, do I want to know what that was about?"
Cassie sighed and got up from the table. "Never mind.. forget I said anything. It isn't up to us. She's your sister."
"What do you mean she's my sister? What's going on??" Andros asked.
Cassie shook her head and left.
"Will someone tell me what's going on here??" Andros exclaimed, looking across the table at his fellow male rangers.
"The city's decided to give us the honor of deciding what to do with the Dark Fortress." TJ said. "It is still operational, isn't it?"
Andros shrugged. "I-- I have no idea. Why would we want it? Let the city dispose of it and everything it repres-- OH NO."
TJ smiled and nodded. "Exactly. We all know she never went through any sort of brainwashing UNTIL she found out the truth about her identity. She became Astronema of her own free will. She took command of the Dark Fortress of her own free will."
Zhane shook his head. "Wait a minute... no brainwashing?! How.. how can that be? Didn't she know what she was doing??"
Andros sighed. "No. Ecliptor told her that the Power Rangers destroyed her planet. Jeez, Zhane, didn't I tell you all this already once?"
"I don't remember! All I remember is you going postal on me when you found out I dated your sister!"
"Oh... yeah.. don't you have any self-control?!"
"YOU GUYS!" Carlos exclaimed.
"What? Oh.. sorry..." Andros said, shaking his head.
"I think Ashley just yelled for you." Carlos said, pointing in the direction of the door. Sure enough, Ashley's clear voice once again rang through the corridors a moment later.
Andros silently got up and ran down the hall. He saw Ashley up ahead, running in the opposite direction.
"Ashley???" He called.
She turned around and stopped. "Andros! Karone isn't here!"
"What do you mean?" He asked, suddenly aware that he was standing outside Karone's quarters. The door was opened, with no sign of his sister. "Where is she? Did you check the bathroom?"
"Wide open." Ashley stated simply.
"DECA... where is my sister?" Andros inquired.
The clear, soothing voice of DECA, the ship's onboard AI, answered him politely. "Karone is not on board. She left at approximately 4 am."
Andros' eyes widened, and he looked at Ashley, who looked equally shocked.
"4 am??? Then where the hell is she now??"
***