Disclaimer: No, they're not mine. Alternate Universe fic: Billy returns to Earth instead of staying with Cestria; Rita and Zedd do not destroy the Machine Empire. Set in the end of the Zeo era; Tommy's with Kat, Adam's with Tanya. PG-13, for some violence, a gory part, and general themes.
Thanks to Dagmar Buse for her invaluable help with this fic. Much appreciated.
Fall From Grace
by Halcyon
Part One
The Price of Failure
The day had started out like basically any other for the Power Rangers.
They were perhaps a bit happier than usual, following Billy's return from Aquitar. He had recovered completely from the accelerated aging that had required treatment on the water planet, and was deemed fit to return to Earth. However, expending the power necessary for the long-distance transport had put a small strain on the Power Chamber. It was for that reason that Trey of Triforia, who had recently regained the Golden Powers from Jason, was temporarily stranded on the planet.
"So how long do you think it will be before Pyramidas is charged up well enough to leave?" Billy had returned to his job as the Power Chamber's resident technician-advisor immediately upon his arrival on Earth.
"A little more than one week. The Golden Powers were severely drained by being held by a human, and Pyramidas is basically 'running on empty,' as I believe the expression goes," Trey answered, without looking up from the console he was currently working on. "I could make it to Triforia if I found another source of power that I could transfer to Pyramidas, but there's nothing nearby."
"You know we'd give you more help if we could. Unfortunately, the Zeo Zords are incompatible with Pyramidas, and draining the Super Zeo Zords would leave the Earth defenseless," Billy sighed.
"We will feed Pyramidas as much excess power as we can provide, but at this time, we have rather little. I am sorry, Trey, but you will have to extend your stay on Earth beyond the time you had planned." The Ranger's mentor, Zordon, sounded truly sympathetic. Well, of course, Billy thought. He knows what it's like to be away from home.
"I don't really mind, Zordon," Trey replied. "It will give me a chance to explore Earth." He stepped back from the computer. "I can stay in Pyramidas. Speaking of which, I should get back. As long as I've got the time, I may as well fix a few minor things I've been meaning to attend to." Trey summoned the Golden Power Staff and used it to teleport the short distance to his Zord.
King Mondo loved his Skybase. It had been with him since the founding of his Empire. The orbiting base allowed him to watch as his forces conquered one helpless planet after another. He often thought of it as a member of his family; perhaps his son, perhaps his sibling. Perhaps his mate.
It was from this Skybase that he snarled at the Earth below him, the jewel of the Milky Way, an amazing planet. It was the only planet to have consistently mounted a successful defense.
Jelar, Nistei, Anad'lac . . . all sorts of planets, strong and weak, primitive and advanced, had fallen before him. And he had moved on almost immediately, leaving some Cogs and Quadrafighters, perhaps a trusted underling, to hold the planet in check and prevent any uprisings.
"Not this time," he said to himself, shaking his mechanical head. "Not this time. When Earth is finally mine, when I have conquered this planet, when every pathetic human is bowing to me, I will stay behind. I will not move on so quickly. I shall stay here, watching my troops overrun the world. This will be my prize. My wife and my son can handle things just fine without me for a while."
His thoughts of conquering the world and exterminating its Rangers were interrupted by the banging of metal feet against a metal floor. "Yes, Klank?" he asked of his aide before the robot had made it to the Machine King.
Klank halted a few steps behind Mondo. "Sire, Orbus and I have finished your special monsters," the Scottish-accented assistant said. "The Quadrafighters are ready to depart. All the satellites have been prepared to be deployed, and there are armies of Cogs waiting for your orders."
"What of Queen Machina and Prince Sprocket?"
"They are heading out of this system and towards your next conquest."
"Excellent!" Mondo shouted. "Excellent! How long before we can launch the attack here?"
"Give me just ten minutes to program final orders, and our victory will be at hand."
"Go, now!" Mondo ordered. As Klank rushed out of the room, Mondo turned back to the Earth. "Ten minutes, Earthlings. A mere ten minutes, and you're mine!"
Ten minutes later...
At once, all the hangars aboard the Machine Skybase opened, releasing their contents. Hundreds of satellites exited the bays, headed for the Earth. As they had been programmed to, they entered a low orbit, and held position relative to the planet.
Thousands upon thousands of Quadrafighters launched from the Skybase. Many of them were headed for the planet itself, but a smaller number stayed out of the atmosphere and started to destroy the human-built satellites. Within a minute, the majority of Earth-born electronics were gone from space.
Aboard the Skybase itself, even more Cogs were preparing to be teleported to the surface and aid in the conquering of another Machine Empire target.
And watching it all was King Mondo, laughing and laughing as he thought of all the horrible things he could do to the Earthlings once they were his captives.
Inside the Power Chamber, half the monitors died in bursts of noise.
"What the . . .?" Billy looked up from his workstation. In the wall facing him, several monitors were supposed to be feeding images and information from the rest of the world. But most of them were blank, and the others were going quickly.
"Ay-yi-yi!" Alpha cried, flipping switches almost randomly. "Zordon, we've lost satellite uplinks!"
Before the Eltarian could reply, Billy cut in. "I'm afraid it's worse than that. We've lost satellites, period. And it's the work of the Machine Empire."
"Are you sure, Billy?" Zordon asked.
Billy nodded. "The land sensors are picking up Quadrafighters entering the atmosphere, too many to count, and far too many for it to be a coincidence. Far too many to reasonably fight off, too. We've got a crisis here." He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "This is bad."
"Indeed," Zordon replied. "Billy, notify the Rangers and have them teleport here. Alpha, do the same with Trey."
"Calling them in now," the blond genius replied.
"Now what kind of man would have bats on the brain?"
On the television screen in the Oliver house, the Riddler and Two-Face celebrated the discovery of Batman's secret identity.
Seated in chairs, on couches, and just generally anywhere, the five active Power Rangers and the former Gold Ranger watched as the two criminal masterminds plotted the downfall of Gotham City's caped defender.
"Honestly, Tommy, how many times are you going to watch this movie?" Rocky asked his friend from his spot on the floor.
Before Tommy could answer, Jason did so for him. "Until they stop showing it, probably."
Mere seconds after he finished the sentence, the picture dissolved into static. Jason turned back to the screen, eyes wide in surprise. "I didn't mean right now, though."
The picture didn't come back.
"That's a nice coincidence," Tommy said, rising from his chair. "Probably a one in a million shot of calling that. Well, what else is on?"
"Try Showtime," Katherine suggested.
Tommy shrugged and changed the channel. Still no picture.
"Hmm, that's strange," Adam said. "Must have lost cable."
"I guess so," Tommy replied, turning off the television. "Oh, well. Guess a movie is out. What do you guys want to do now?"
Whatever ideas the group may have had were lost with a familiar series of six beeps. Tommy sighed, and brought his communicator bracelet to his mouth. "We read you."
"Guys," came Billy's voice, "we need you in the Power Chamber immediately."
"Okay," Tommy said. Then he cast a glance at his best friend. "Jason too?"
There was a slight pause as Billy presumably conferred with Zordon. "Yes, Jason too," Billy eventually responded.
"We're on our way." Tommy looked at his friends, all standing and prepared to teleport away. "There goes our movie break. Jase, hang on." Jason took hold of Tommy's arm. Tommy pushed the teleport control on his communicator, as did his friends. They dissolved into six streaks of bright light, promptly disappearing into the air.
"Trey." Tommy nodded to the trifold being. Then, the Red Ranger turned to Billy. "What's going on?"
Billy tapped the computer in front of him. "This isn't going to be pretty," he warned.
An image of the planet Earth flashed into existence on one of the Power Chamber's screens. As the gathered Rangers watched, parts of it began to glow. Some stayed the regular green, but most areas turned yellow. A few sections changed to red, and one small portion began to flash white.
"What does that mean?" Kat asked.
"The Machine Empire has launched the forces for what may be the deciding battle in this war," Billy explained. "There are countless numbers of Cogs, Quadrafighters, and monsters preparing to invade Earth. They have already eliminated most of the satellites in orbit, eliminating the possibility of a united Earth to stand against them. Cross-country communications are gone as well. The info we have here is essentially our best hypothesis of what has been occurring. We still have most of our land sensors, and some airborne satellites, which puts us in a better position than the general population. Unfortunately, we are in a much worse position than Mondo. This is a potentially catastrophic attack."
"My God," Rocky said. Next to him, Adam looked understandably shocked.
"Why is he doing this now?" Jason asked.
"Or, for that matter," Tommy added, "why hasn't he done this before, if he's capable of it?"
"An all-out siege such as this is not a terrific way to conserve resources. Mondo most likely assumed that one of his monsters would eventually come out victorious. Now, however, I would venture to say that the number of forces he has lost with singular attacks is coming close to the number of forces he thinks he would lose in an overwhelming assault. Instead of continuing with the original plan, he has probably decided to cut his losses here," Billy explained.
As the Rangers expressed their disbelief, Tanya pointed out the color-coded sections of the diagram. "What do the colors mean?"
"The green sections on the Earth are not really at risk for a direct assault. By the time the Machine Empire gets to them, they'll be the least of our worries. The yellow portions are where we know the Machine Empire has attacked. The red areas are where the greatest numbers of the machines have gathered. The blinking white represents the Power Chamber."
"The loss of Earth would be a great blow to the forces of good," Trey remarked. "And by gaining Earth, Mondo, Machina, and Sprocket would fast climb to the top of the hierarchy of evil."
"How much time do we have?" Adam asked.
"None," Billy replied. "They're here."
"Our families . . ." Kat's voice trailed off.
"All our friends," Tanya added. "The school, even the juice bar . . . our lives. What do we do?"
Adam and Jason were silent, considering Tanya's sobering truth. The thought of losing their family and friends to the alien menace was almost too much to bear.
"We have to defend them," Tommy said. "And the rest of the world. We can't let Mondo do this to us."
Rocky shook his head. "How exactly are we going to defend against this? How can we?"
"Do you have a plan, Billy?" Tommy inquired.
"I don't see --"
Zordon cut Billy off. "There is a plan, Rangers. A dangerous one, to be sure, but it's all that can be done." Ignoring Billy's questioning look, the sage continued. "You must use the Super Zeo Zords, and fend off the Machine Empire as best you can. Kat, you shall go to New York." A pink oval materialized over Manhattan. "Be careful, for our sensors are saying that the greatest concentration of Machine Empire forces is in the middle of Manhattan."
"Great," Kat muttered. "No pressure, right?"
"The concentration of forces there indicates that you will most likely need assistance, so Trey, I ask that you accompany Katherine in Pyramidas."
Trey nodded. "Whatever you think is best."
"Thank you. Tanya, you shall be stationed in Los Angeles. Due to our shielding, the Machine Empire cannot get a direct fix on the Power Chamber, but that doesn't mean they cannot seek it out on foot. As we speak, the forces there are searching for us. They are not particularly close as yet, but we must keep them away from our base."
Still staring at the globe, Tanya whispered a brief acknowledgement.
"Rocky," Zordon continued, "you must go to Tokyo, and Adam, you will defend Moscow."
"I'll take the metal freaks down," Rocky muttered through clenched teeth. Adam just nodded as his four-sided Zeo symbol covered the Russian capital.
"Tommy, you will take both Super Zeo Zord V and the Red BattleZord to Washington, D.C. There are many monsters there, and having both Zords around will be a help."
"I'll do my best, Zordon," Tommy replied.
Zordon smiled a bitter smile. "That is all I can ask of you." He turned to the unpowered members of the group, Jason and Billy. Billy had his head bent over a computer, and was already getting the plans in motion. "Billy, Jason, I must keep you here in order to prevent Mondo from capturing you. An ally of the Rangers would be quite an advantage."
Jason raised an eyebrow. "Do you really think he would go after us?"
"He might, in order to distract the others from their task. In any case, it is better to be safe than sorry. There is no point in you taking that risk by leaving."
Billy nodded in understanding. After checking the energy levels, he looked up from his console and addressed the Rangers. "Guys, we'll be devoting a lot of our power to keeping up defenses here. That means that we probably won't be able to teleport you back immediately. I've got the reserve power storage units hooked up, and we'll be doing what we can, but no promises."
Tommy nodded, moving into position. "We understand. Billy, Jase, take care of yourselves." He breathed a silent prayer to whoever was listening, then made the call. "It's morphin' time!"
The five Earth Rangers twisted their wrists, summoning their Zeonizers, as Trey called for the Golden Power Staff. Colors flashed through the air as each Ranger called out their power, drawing on the Zeo Crystal to provide them with the means of defending their planet once more. Once they were fully morphed, the six heroes teleported away to their respective destinations.
"Ay-yi-yi! Good luck, Rangers!" Alpha called after them.
"I think they'll need it," Billy muttered. "Zordon, do you really think this will work?"
Zordon shook his head. "Most likely not, Billy. The numbers are too great."
"Then why did you send them out there?"
"There is always a chance. And, if nothing else, the Power Rangers in any form are defenders of hope. Without hope, we have nothing."
* * *
"Oh, God," Kat breathed. "There's so many!"
The streets of New York City were covered with Cogs, wreaking havoc on the metropolis. The mechanical fighters were breaking windows, destroying property, maiming and killing people. She felt like she couldn't just sit and watch, but she also knew she had to concentrate instead on the Quadrafighters flying through the atmosphere. Still, every so often a movement on the surface would draw her attention, and she'd watch the foot soldiers finish another dastardly task. It took everything she had just to wrench her eyes back up to the skies while people died below her.
Another movement on the surface distracted her. This time, she watched as the Cogs, led by a small group of monsters, were able to bring down another building. In her mind, she heard the screams of those stuck inside, as the structure crumbled to the ground.
Screw it. The Zord had autopilot for a reason. She really couldn't just sit and watch.
Kat opened communications to Pyramidas. "Trey, I'm putting the Zord on automatic and going to take on the Cogs in person."
"Are you sure that's wise, Katherine?" came the reply. She didn't bother to answer, and teleported down to the street.
"Hi-yah!" Kat directed a flying kick at a nearby Cog, then ducked down and swept the legs out from another. Her fists and feet shot out at her enemies almost faster than the eye could see. She was extremely outnumbered. However, her mission was succeeding; the Cogs were ignoring the nearby buildings and focusing on her. She was taking them down quickly, but those she neutralized were quickly replaced.
Suddenly, she heard a noise. A loud, piercing cry.
Her helmeted head whipped around, even as she continued attacking and counterattacking. Her eyes searched for the origin of the sound.
There, on the corner!
A young girl had caught sight of the battle. To Kat, she seemed no older than five. Her mouth was wide open, her blue eyes showing horror. With her blonde hair, she reminded Kat of a younger version of herself. The girl's mother stood next to her, holding her hand, seemingly and understandably in shock. Neither was moving.
"Run away!" Kat yelled at them.
However, both were overcome with fear. The girl kept yelling, but neither could run away. The fear had taken them.
"RUN!" Kat yelled again. She began to head toward them, to get them out of harm's way.
However, the battle would not stop to accommodate her wishes. A hard Cog kick connected from behind, and she went down on her stomach.
Time seemed to slow down.
Kat raised her head, and looked at the corner.
The girl's screams had attracted the attention of the Cogs. As a unit, four of the metal warriors broke off their attack on the fallen Pink Ranger and focused on the innocent family.
"NO!" Kat cried.
The Cogs were not affected by her despair. Kat called on her last reserves of strength, and threw her current attackers away, then leaped up and ran toward the girl and her mother.
The Cogs reached them first.
The heartless fighters grabbed the pair. In one swift, powerful motion, one of the Cogs punched the mother in the head. As the woman went down, Kat saw that the force of the blow had literally dented her skull. There was no doubt that the woman was no longer alive.
"MOMMY!" the little girl cried.
Kat tried to run faster, but it was no use.
Another Cog grabbed the child from behind. Grabbing the girl's head, the drone quickly twisted his arms in opposite directions.
The girl's screams died abruptly, with a sickening crack. Her limp form slumped to the sidewalk.
Kat finally reached the corner.
Oblivious to the Cogs destroying this portion of the city, she knelt beside the girl's body.
"No," she whispered, tears running down her cheeks, invisible underneath her visor. She cradled the body in her arms. "Please live, please live..." But she knew, even before she scanned the girl, that no life was present. The girl was dead.
Gently letting the child down on the floor, Kat stood and confronted the Cogs.
"Come on, you heartless bastards," she growled. "Come and get me, dammit."
And with a fury she had never thought herself capable of, she launched herself at the nearest Cog.
Tanya was appalled by the sheer number of mechanized monsters in the Los Angeles area. Seated in the second Super Zeo Zord, she flew overhead, taking shots at incoming Quadrafighters and land-based droids, assisted by the autopilot.
It seemed futile to her, and she had never indulged in pessimism before. But for every Quadrafighter she vaporized, six more came into view. A dozen Cogs would pick up the slack of any one she managed to destroy.
"Why?" she asked the inside of her Zord. "Why do you want this planet so bad? Why are you doing this?"
Another pair of Quadrafighters down, but another wave incoming. Tanya strained against the controls, trying to put herself between the wave and their target, what looked to be a hospital. The wave was actually rather happy to comply, turning the full force of their fire upon the Zord. Explosions rocked the majestic machine, and roughed up its occupant.
"Fine. You want to play rough?" Tanya growled. "I'll play as rough as you can."
She unleashed all her weapons on the monsters in front of her, actually making a brief dent in their onslaught. In response, the Quadrafighter wave turned back for another run.
This time they got lucky. One blast in just the right spot, and a chain reaction of explosions was set off inside the pilot's chamber. Tanya was barely able to get her arms up to protect her head, and even that did no good. By the time the air cleared, the Yellow Ranger was sprawled across the control panel, unconscious.
Oblivious to its pilot's dilemma, Super Zeo Zord II selected targets and continued to fire away.
Rocky wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "I don't believe this."
Seconds earlier, he had teleported over to the business section of Tokyo, Japan, expecting many things. He expected the people to be panicking. He expected the people to look at him in awe. Hell, he might even have expected them to take it in stride and go about their day. He had expected anything.
Except this.
The city of Tokyo lay in ruins. It had been razed to the ground by the Machine Empire's forces. The buildings were downed, debris scattered across the city. No building was intact, and no ruin stood higher than fifteen or so feet.
But that wasn't the worst part. The worst part was the bodies.
They were everywhere. Men and women. The old and the young. The poor and the rich.
All dead.
And still that didn't sink in until he left the confines of his Zord. In the remains of Tokyo, Rocky took a few steps and heard a squishing noise. When he looked down to see what he had stepped in, he wished he hadn't. The squish had been produced by his boot in the intestines of a person. The person was nowhere to be found, but the intestines were there.
That was when he pulled off his helmet and violently threw up.
A little more than a minute later, he got up and replaced his helmet, hearing the 'click' of it locking into place. When he was satisfied that what was left in his stomach wasn't going to join the outside world, he activated his communicator. "Zeo III to Power Chamber. Billy, we've got a problem."
"Yes?"
"Tokyo's gone."
Pause. "Repeat that, please."
"Tokyo's gone, Billy. I mean completely."
"Great. Just what we needed, really. Any idea of how many people are dead? Our scanners are weaker overseas; we're not reliably picking up lifesigns in Eastern Asia right now."
Rocky took a second to check one last time, even though he already knew the answer. "As far as I can tell, everyone."
"Everyone?"
"Yeah, man. I haven't seen a living person since I arrived."
"Damn." Another pause. "Rocky, I'm sorry. I can't bring you back or send you anywhere just yet. If you want to feel useful, take the Zord out and check out the rest of the country. See how far the machines have gotten, and see what you can do to take some of them out."
"Yeah, sure," the Blue Ranger replied. Teleporting back to the cockpit of his Zord, Rocky took his best guess as to where the Machine Empire forces had gone, and headed off in that direction.
* * *
In the Power Chamber, Jason sighed. "Now I know how you feel, Billy."
Billy glanced in his friend's direction. "Pardon?"
"They're out there fighting, and we're locked up in here, safe and secure. It's killing me."
"Indeed," Billy nodded. "It took a while, but I learned to deal with it. Did you not go through a similar situation when you left the Rangers for Geneva?"
Jason shook his head. "That was different. I chose to give up my power for the Peace Conference. If there was a sixth Zeo Crystal, you'd be out there fighting now. And besides, in Geneva, I was half a world away. Now I'm right here, and I feel like I should be helping."
Another series of alarms went off. A few keypunches killed the alarms, but not the myriad situations causing them. Billy looked up at Zordon. "We need to do something, now."
"Indeed, Billy. I have been preparing for an occurence such as this, though I hoped it would never come to pass. Billy, Alpha, you both must work the computers right now. Follow my instructions precisely. Jason, please monitor the battle in their place."
As Jason stepped back to give them some room, Zordon started to dictate commands and codes to the two at the computers. They worked at a frantic pace, hitting the buttons as fast as possible. Finally, Zordon gave the last code, and followed with one final command. "Billy, execute the program now."
Billy, who hadn't understood what most of Zordon's commands were meant to do, and who hadn't encountered any of the codes before, did as he was told. Instantly, the Power Chamber was filled with blinding white light. Billy and Jason covered their faces with their arms, instinctively protecting their eyes. When the light cleared, Billy lowered his arm. What he saw astonished him.
The Power Chamber was gone. In its place was something that looked like a science-fiction warroom. It was huge, easily double the size of the Power Chamber.
Zordon's tube was set into the center of the nearest wall. Just outside of his tube, at the base, was a small, rectangular tower, totally smooth and seamless.
I wonder what that's for, Billy thought.
In front of the tower, facing it and Zordon, were two workstations. Many others were placed throughout the room in a distinct pattern. There were computers, screens, monitors, and other electrical things Billy had never even seen set into the walls. Several doors were in the walls, all leading to different areas that Billy had no clue existed, nor did he have any idea of their purpose. And on top of that, there was a rather unnerving rumbling coming from further inside the mountain they were contained in, and a smaller rumbling coming from the mountain's peak.
Jason squinted. "What is this place?"
Zordon appeared in his new tube. "Jason, Billy, Alpha, the Power Chamber is gone. Now, you stand in the Operations Center. As we speak, our technology and my magic is working on the mountain. The shell of the Command Center that used to be above us has been demolished, the rubble magically dispersed. The exits from the mountain are well-concealed, visible only when in use. There is no evidence of our presence. Below us, the mountain has been partially hollowed. Worker robots are transforming the new space into many more rooms, making this a self-contained base, with armories, hangars, and living quarters. The rumbling will subside as the bots move further down, but rest assured, they will be working as long as the areas they expand into are places where humans can comfortably exist."
"I saw plans for this before," Alpha said, "but I never expected to see the real thing. Oh, ay-yi-yi, Zordon, do you think we need it?"
"Unfortunately, there is a definite chance. From now on, we can only hope for the best and plan for the worst. Billy, how are our scanners working?"
Billy checked. "Not terribly well, but we can access pretty much the entire planet. We can't do so particularly fast or particularly accurately, but we are getting at least a weak reading from pretty much every sensor. Though the feeds do tend to go in and out at times."
Zordon frowned. "If you had access to genetic code," the mentor asked, "could you find persons more reliably?"
"Yes," Billy replied, "but still somewhat slowly. In addition, Mondo would have a decent chance of tracking our actions."
After considering the options, Zordon shook his head. "We have no choice. Billy, Alpha, please access the genetic codes for the four ex-Rangers and attempt to bring them here."
The duo immediately set about their task, but it was slow going. It was a full minute and a half before Billy finally spoke up. "I've got Kimberly in Florida. Beginning teleport now." White light lit up the Operations Center, the same white light associated with teleporting an unpowered being. This, too, did not proceed quickly, but when the light finally faded, a thoroughly confused former Pink Ranger stood in the middle of the room.
"Zordon? Guys?" Kimberly asked. "What's going on? I see Cogs running wild everywhere, I'm scared out of my wits, and then all of a sudden I'm standing here. Whatever this place is. And Jason? Why are you here? When did you get back?"
"Be patient, Kimberly," Zordon said. "For now, all you need know is that the Machine Empire has launched the ultimate attack on the planet, and we are doing what we can to fight them off."
Alpha interrupted Zordon's explanation. "Zordon, I have found Aisha. Beginning teleport." Again, the difficult procedure of teleportation began, and finished with the second Yellow Ranger standing not too far from Kimberly. She asked much the same questions and received similar answers.
"Found Zack and Trini," Billy said, breaking the uneasy silence. "They're together. I'm bringing them in." But before the teleportation streams could appear in the Operations Center, a new alarm began blaring. Billy gritted his teeth. "Zordon, we've got a big problem!"
* * *
"I have discovered their efforts, my lord!" Klank addressed King Mondo. "They are rescuing the former rangers, the ones you planned on using as examples!"
"No!" King Mondo shouted. "They must not be allowed to prevent me from gaining my revenge!"
Klank shook his head, programming commands into a computer next to the metal monarch. "Sire, they will not -- cannot -- prevent you from gaining your revenge. All they can do is stall it."
"That's not an option either, Klank!" Mondo was fuming, stamping across the command segment of his Skybase. "I will have this planet, no matter what those Rangers do or say about it!"
"No doubt, sire," Klank automatically responded, although he did have some doubts. Not about Mondo's ability to conquer the planet; after all, that moment was close at hand. His doubts concerned the Machine Empire's ability to hold the planet once they had conquered it. However, they were doubts he dared not voice to the Machine King, lest he face Mondo's considerable wrath. He turned back to his computer and studied it quickly. "I have a force field in place over the last two Rangers. They have not been teleported yet, but there is a chance they may yet be."
"Unacceptable, Klank!"
"Unavoidable, sire." For once, Klank stood up to his king. There simply wasn't anything he could do that he wasn't already doing. He worked on the frequency of the force field, doing his level best to deny the Rangers access to the contents.
* * *
"There's a Machine Empire force field around Trini and Zack," Billy reported. "I'm trying my hardest, but the frequency is fluctuating. I may not be able to break them out!"
"Contact Trey immediately, Alpha." Zordon ordered. When communications opened, the sage wasted no time. "Trey, you must leave Pyramidas protecting New York and attempt to aid Trini and Zack. They are behind a force field and we cannot teleport them out yet."
"Understood, Zordon. Pyramidas is on automatic, and I await transport."
The others appeared slightly confused. "Billy, won't teleporting Trey over just weaken your hold on the others?" Aisha inquired, sounding concerned.
"Not terribly," Billy replied, distractedly. "Trey's a powered Ranger, which makes it easier to find him on sensors -- especially in his Zord -- and to fix and maintain a teleportation. If teleporting him breaks the lock on Trini and Zack, we weren't going to get them anyway. All right, I've got him, and I'm beginning the teleport now." A few tense seconds passed before Billy reported, "He's arrived safely, though he could have been closer to them. Efforts at teleporting the others have not been affected."
Trey grunted as his golden shield absorbed yet another blow. The armor was weakening; he could feel it. Never mind the fact that, after the situation the Golden Powers had recently been in, the armor wasn't really in battle-ready condition to begin with.
"All right, Cogs, this is how we play on Triforia! It's time for a Gold Rush!" Trey raised the Golden Power Staff for his signature attack, and instantly eliminated several of the surrounding Cogs. But the others kept coming, no hesitation at all present in their activities.
As Trey recovered from the Gold Rush, temporarily unable to block attacks, he received no less than three solid hits. He groaned; the armor was really getting weak. Another few minutes, and it would be down to nothing more than a fancy costume. But he pressed on, swinging the Golden Power Staff like a club, directing his attacks to take out more than one Cog at a time whenever possible.
Eventually, he was able to clear a path away from... wherever he was.
He moved along that path quickly and efficiently. He ran right past every Cog he could. Any Cog that got in his way was immediately taken out.
At one point, one of Mondo's monsters jumped into his path. Trey neither knew nor cared to know the thing's name. It was a better fighter than any of the Cogs had been. It landed punches and kicks with crushing power and deadly accuracy, both of which were made worse by the weakening of the Golden Power.
Desperate, Trey resorted to some unorthodox fighting techniques. As the monster charged at him, he jumped straight up and executed a picture-perfect flip, landing after the monster had already passed his previous position. Before the thing could turn around, Trey grabbed at several of the wires in its back.
A quick slice of the Staff, and the metal henchman was halfway to the scrap heap.
Trey calmed down a bit, knowing that his attack had significantly lowered the abilities of the monster. It was moving rather slowly now, taking a very long time to turn around. Trey took advantage of this, launching kick after kick at the helpless creation's back.
Three short seconds later, the monster was gone.
Trey smiled beneath his visor. "Now I'm getting somewhere."
* * *
Billy shook his head yet again. "Zordon, our stream is weakening, and I can detect a Machine Empire transport field emerging within the force field!"
Zordon refused to be beaten, replying only with "We must hope Trey is successful, and quickly."
"Tell me about it," the young genius muttered.
* * *
"King Mondo," Klank reported, "our transport efforts are beginning. It will be a while before I can bring the two Rangers through, but our force field is holding and they are losing power."
Mondo growled. "That blasted Gold Ranger is on his way, Klank. He better not get through the field, or my plans for those brats will be taken out on you!"
Inwardly, Klank started to panic. To Mondo, he only replied, "Such a thing will never happen. The Gold Ranger will never penetrate our field." Quickly, he began trying to think of a way to prevent the Gold Ranger from doing just that.
"See that he doesn't!"
Trey grunted as another blow made contact. His armor managed to absorb the blow, but not before a spike of pain shot through his body. He launched a fist at the offending Cog, and used the Golden Power Staff to remove its head. The Cog's body fell, landing on top of the head. The Gold Ranger had no time to celebrate the victory, as another group of Cogs quickly made their way toward him.
"Jason and Tommy swore those 'baseball' lessons would come in handy one day," Trey chuckled as he used the Staff to take a "home run swing" into the torso of the nearest robot. "I don't think they meant this way, though."
Trey had quickly given up on conventional Triforian fighting techniques, and used whatever came to mind. The things learned during the baseball lessons, some of the less honorable methods of battle he had seen while traveling, odds and ends from all kinds of sources. He had briefly tried some techniques he had acquired while watching a television program that Rocky had called "professional wrestling." Although they had temporarily given him an advantage, some of the more complex techniques proved to do more harm than good, and he had abandoned them just as quickly as he had started using them.
Using blinding speed only the holder of the Golden Powers could possess, Trey swung the Golden Power Staff at the head of a Cog, then quickly swung down at the legs. The Cog fell backward, its metal cranium cracking itself open on the concrete floor of the street.
Shortly thereafter, he heard the distinct hum of a force field in the distance. Doubling his efforts (something he would have thought impossible just a few short minutes ago), Trey headed in that direction. The Machine Empire forces he encountered on the way were lucky, in a way; instead of eliminating them, he was satisfied with a few quick blows before moving on, often leaving the Cog or monster in a minor state of disrepair. Still, they knew better than to pursue such an opponent, and instead concentrated on the much less threatening buildings and civilians in the area.
Trey was slightly confused. While he suspected he wouldn't be able to see the actual force field from far off, he was near enough to where the sensors claimed it was to have noticed something. In particular, the force field should have contained two teenagers. If Billy's transport efforts were succeeding, the teens would be immobile due to the attempted transport. If the efforts were failing, they would be mobile but contained, unable to leave the immediate area due to the field. Either way, he should see the two.
Trey's confusion was cut short when he ran into the force field in question. It noticeably lacked two ex-rangers.
He put in the call to the Rangers' base. "I'm at the force field, but it's empty!"
* * *
Not two seconds later, Billy let out a rare expletive. "Zordon, there's more than one force field. Trey found the wrong one."
"Please wait a moment, Trey," Zordon said. "We will attempt to point you in the right direction shortly."
Billy moved down a station in order to get the readout needed to help Trey. "All right, Trey, you're going to need --"
He was cut off by a blast from somewhere inside their mountain. The Operations Center shook briefly, which was no problem. Some of the computers, however, blinked off and on in response. That most assuredly was a problem.
"No!" Billy cried. He frantically hit his controls, trying for one last grasp, but failed. Head hanging, voice choked, he managed to get out the words. "I've lost them."
The gasps and cries from the rest of the room were drowned out by Trey's oblivious call. "Zordon, Billy, are you still there? This force field has disappeared."
* * *
"Their teleport lock has failed!" Klank reported, overjoyed. For once, his plan had worked. "I have the two humans, and... there! They have been teleported to the base. There's no way they can escape."
"Superb work, Klank!" Mondo praised. "And what of the others?"
"I am sorry, my lord, but the Rangers were able to rescue them before we realized what was happening." Klank deliberately avoided his monarch's eyes as he reported the information.
Mondo paused, then, amazingly, shrugged it off. "They got two. So what? These two are mine. Klank, I trust you can handle things here for a while. I'm going to go meet our guests."
The sinister tone in the King's voice almost made Klank shudder as he watched Mondo leave the room.
* * *
In the Operations Center, there was little time to dwell on the loss. While Jason, Kimberly, and Aisha grieved the capture of their friends, Zordon, Billy, and Alpha continued working frantically.
"I'm getting worried about Tanya," Billy said. "Her vital signs are not in the regular range, and the Zord's been running on automatic for a while. No pilot input."
"Tanya, this is Zordon. Please respond," Zordon called. No response. "Tanya, if you hear this, reply."
Nothing. Silence.
"Billy, can you teleport her away?" Zordon asked, his voice disturbingly calm.
Billy shook his head. "Not right now. Trying to get Trini and Zack," his voice broke a little, "drained us. I need some time."
"Contact Tommy. He may be able to assist her."
With a nod, Billy sent the message. "Tommy, we have a situation here. Any chance you could get to L.A., on your own power, and help Tanya? She's totally out of it."
"Yeah. I'll leave the Battlezord here and fly over in my Super Zeo Zord. Does that sound good?"
"Yeah, fine," Billy replied. He switched back to Tanya. "Tanya, it's Billy. If you can hear me, Tommy's on his way, he's going to help you out, and we're going to get you out of there as soon as possible, all right?" She didn't respond, but Billy kept it up, hoping that it would eventually have an effect. "We'll get you out of there, but you're going to have to help us." He hit a few buttons. "Just call for a teleport back, and it might give us the signal we need. Tanya, if you're hearing me at all, please say something." Still nothing. Frustrated, he keyed to Tommy. "Tommy, it's no good here. She's not saying a thing now, and we can't get her back yet."
"Believe me, Billy, I'm going as fast as I can with no teleportation." It wasn't an exaggeration; at the rate Tommy was moving over the States, Billy was sure he was pushing the Zord's engine much harder than he should be. But it was still time-consuming to go cross-continent.
Billy glanced at the readout for Tanya's Zord. It didn't look promising; against this many enemies, automatic was no substitute for a Power-wielding pilot, and the Zord was taking a major beating. With no other ideas, he opened Tanya's frequency again and began talking to her, as much for his benefit as for hers.
* * *
"I see her!" The fifth Super Zeo Zord had finally arrived, and its yellow counterpart was in visual range. Tommy fired at several of the Quadrafighters swarming the Zord, destroying them, but there were many more. And as he got closer, he could see that the Zord wasn't holding up well at all.
"Billy, you have to get her out of there now! The Zord is almost useless!"
"I'm trying! We've got the power now, but she's totally surrounded. The Quadrafighters are interfering with the scans; I just can't get a solid lock!"
Tommy slammed his fists down in exasperation, and tried to draw the fighters' attention to himself. It didn't work. He managed to take out several, but the rest refused to attack him. They knew Tanya's Zord was weak, they tasted blood, and they wanted the kill.
"Damn you all," he swore. "Fight me!"
He glanced at his sensors briefly and swore again. Four more waves, headed directly for them. Mondo must have picked up the scent of wounded Ranger.
A series of tight maneuvers brought him closer to Tanya, but that did not accomplish much of anything. Most of the fighters were still ignoring him, and he could pick off only so many without risking hitting the besieged Zord.
The new waves arrived. He expected them to go after the Yellow Zord as well, and was surprised when all four waves opened fire on him instead. Caught unprepared, the Zord tumbled, and Tommy fought to right it.
"That attack knocked me for a loop, but I'm compensating," he said, for Billy's benefit. A few more seconds, and Tanya was back in his view.
And the Quadrafighters got lucky again.
As Tommy watched, the four waves that had sent him to the mat went after Tanya, firing their weapons in a pinpoint attack. He was helpless as a huge explosion lit the sky.
The leader of the Rangers screamed inside his Zord, as the burning, twisted remnants of the second Super Zeo Zord fell to the ground.
"What?! Tommy, what is it?" Billy's voice.
"She's gone," he replied simply. "The Zord just blew up. It's down."
* * *
Another set of anguished cries erupted in the Power Chamber. Billy looked at his consoles in an attempt to distract himself.
"I have a reading, Zordon. I'm picking up the Yellow Ranger's energy signature. I think I can bring it in," he said, hoping against hope that Tanya was still alive.
"Do it," Zordon said. After a few seconds, a yellow flash signalled the arrival.
Billy turned from the computer and ran to Tanya's side. Carefully removing the helmet, he reached for her neck to feel for a pulse as the others gathered around. There was nothing. Alpha brought him a medical scanner, and Billy checked the readings. Nothing could be done.
Tanya Sloan was dead.
Rather than give voice to this awful truth, Billy dropped the scanner, and placed her helmet beside her. Doing his level best to ignore the other three, lest his emotions take control as well, he arranged Tanya's body in a more respectful manner, dropped his head for a silent moment of remembrance, then looked up at their mentor.
"What do we do now, Zordon?" Billy asked.
Zordon's tone was low. "There is but one thing we can do. Please open the communications link to all the Rangers, and put me through."
"Just a second," Billy said, walking back to his console. He pushed a couple of buttons before looking back up at Zordon. "Done."
Zordon closed his eyes for just a second. When he spoke, there was sadness in his voice. "Rangers, this is Zordon. Abort mission and return to the Operations Center. The mission has failed. Please return to the Operations Center."
Billy cut the link before any of the Rangers' reactions could get through. "Now, let me see where I can get the power to get them back."
Although the assault the Quadrafighters were launching on the shields protecting the Operations Center was not noticeable to those inside, it was having its effect on the power reserves. It was several seconds before Billy could bring back the first Ranger -- Trey.
As the Gold Ranger materialized inside the Operations Center, and Pyramidas inside the Zord Holding Bay, Billy devoted his attention to the console and began to type again. Trey, sensing the urgency of the situation, refrained from comment.
The next Ranger to be returned was Kat. She removed her helmet almost before she was completely formed. "What's going on? Billy, what happened?" Billy angrily waved her off. Kat stepped back, and was about to repeat her question when she saw Tanya's prone body, and Jason, Kim, and Aisha's somber looks. "Tanya!" With a gasp, she hurried over. Billy's discarded medical scanner only told her what she already feared, and she slipped to her knees, crying. Jason stood by her side, ready to grab her if necessary.
Each sucessive teleport took more power, more time, and more of Billy's strength away. He brought Adam in next, knowing what a failed teleport would do to him if he was dropped over the Pacific Ocean. The first thing Adam saw was Kat crying at the side of his girlfriend, and he instantly knew what was wrong. "Please, no . . ." He rushed to Tanya's side and grabbed her hand between both of his, head hanging, his tears hidden behind his black visor.
Rocky was the next arrival. He took in the situation quickly. Catching Jason's gaze, Rocky glanced at Tanya, then back, the question evident on his face. Jason gave a slow nod.
The last ranger to be brought in, Tommy tore his helmet off, placing it on the nearest console. His eyes were empty, betraying no emotion. He saw Tanya's body and the gathering around her, and drifted in that direction. Kat looked up at his approach, and stood up, practically falling into his embrace. He gently rocked her as her tears flowed.
Billy tapped a couple of buttons and nodded at Zordon's tube. Zordon turned his attention to Alpha. "Alpha, please open a communications link to all sovereign planets aligned with the side of good. Send them this message: The Rangers of Earth have been defeated by the Machine Empire. The Earth has been lost."
"This is truly horrible news, Zordon of Eltar."
The voice came through the Operations Center like a knife. The face belonging to the voice's owner was present on a video screen across from Zordon's tube. The message was addressed to Zordon, but it fell upon the ears of the grieving mass present in the Operations Center.
"Indeed, Councillor Elrath," Zordon replied.
"You are aware of what this entails?"
"I am."
Billy looked to Zordon. "What what entails?" There was no direct answer.
"Very well. Zordon of Eltar, you have lost the planet entrusted to you, and you have lost one of your Rangers. You are hereby relieved of duty. You are no longer advisor to the Rangers of Earth, and your position on the Council of the Worlds is forfeit. You will be returned to Eltar, where you will remain until the Earth becomes free or conditions require you to leave. Any other actions will be considered a violation of accepted regulations, and you will be tried accordingly."
"You're leaving us, Zordon?" Rocky asked.
Zordon sighed. "Believe me, children, this decision is not in my hands. Due to my confinement in this warp tube, I am in no position to defy the Council and their decisions."
"That is exactly true. Now, there are other matters to be dealt with."
"'Other matters?'" Tommy asked. "What 'other matters' could there be? Our planet is no longer ours. We're stuck inside this chamber, our friends and families are slaves of the damned Machine Empire, you've just taken our mentor away from us, and you tell us there are 'other matters?'"
"Tommy, calm down," Kim and Jason said at the same time.
"Ah, the insolence of youth. You make me seem like a common criminal."
"With all due respect, Councillor Elrath, that's what you seem like to us," Tommy spat.
"I would advise you to hold your tongue, young one. Where I come from, such insults are not quickly forgiven. Before the interruption, I was attempting to explain the other matters the Red Zeo Ranger has taken such exception to. Rangers of Earth, you have failed in your duty to your planet. As a result of this, you have forfeited your claim to the powers of the Zeo Crystal, and also your claim to the title Ranger. Therefore, you will no longer be treated as Power Rangers of any discipline. As civilians, you are not permitted to hold Ranger powers. When Zordon returns to Eltar, the Zeo Crystal will follow shortly thereafter."
"This is bull, Councillor!" Rocky exploded. "We earned the Zeo Crystal. We sacrificed a lot of our lives to gain the crystal and be able to defend Earth. And now you're saying we're not good enough for it?"
"Watch your tone, boy. And in regards to your comment, no, you are not 'good enough for it.' By accepting the Zeo Power, you accepted all responsibility for your planet's well-being in regard to extraterrestrial invasion. Once you lost the planet, you lost the protection of the Power. The Crystal must be returned to the council, from whence it shall be given to another deserving team of Rangers."
Rocky would have responded unkindly to that, but Billy's hand on his shoulder was enough to prevent him from engaging the councillor in an argument.
"Prince Trey of Triforia, holder of the Royal Golden Powers. The Machine Empire's blockade prevents you from piloting Pyramidas away from Earth, thereby stranding you upon the planet. When the Zeo Crystal is brought back, the Golden Power Staff will be right beside it, will it not?"
Trey made no comment, nor gestured in any way.
"I assume that your silence implies your consent. And finally, we come to the Alpha Five unit. Alpha Five, since you are no longer in the presence of Rangers, but of citizens, you are hereby ordered to run your deactivation program.
"Zordon, Prince Trey, Alpha Five, former Rangers of Earth, you have ten minutes to comply."
And with that, the communications link was cut.
Tommy turned toward Zordon. "You don't really expect us to listen to him, do you? I don't care who he is, he doesn't have the right to make those decisions for us."
"Unfortunately, Tommy, he technically does have that right," Zordon replied. "However, you're correct. I don't expect you to listen to him."
"What are you saying?" Billy asked, puzzled.
"We must act fast, Rangers. Quickly, summon your Zeonizers. Alpha, please demorph Tanya and summon hers." They immediately did so. "Now, follow my instructions precisely. Remove the Zeonizers and hand them to Alpha."
One by one, the teenagers gave Alpha their Zeonizers.
"Trey, the Golden Power Staff, please."
Trey smiled, handing over the staff. "I knew you'd have a plan."
"Indeed. Now, Alpha, remove the Zeo Crystals from the Zeonizers."
"Now, wait a minute," Rocky said. "Didn't you just tell Tommy we weren't going to listen to Elrath?"
"Yes, I did. Have no fear, Rocky. Alpha, place the Zeo Crystals and the Golden Power Staff into their slots in this tower. Place one pair of Zeonizers inside the compartment."
The mysterious tower Billy had noticed when the Operations Center was first formed was the object of conversation. Wordlessly, Alpha walked up to it, Zeo Crystals and Power Staff in hand. As each crystal approached the tower, a slot opened to receive them. The staff fit into the largest slot, directly in the center of the tower. Alpha quickly returned to the pile of Zeonizers, grabbed a matching pair, and placed them in the compartment Zordon had indicated.
"Thank you, Alpha. I will do the rest."
Alpha stepped away, and watched as Zordon focused his attentions on the tower.
Zordon spoke no word, nor gestured in anyway. However, a beam of pure white light projected itself from his tube, focused on the tower. The Rangers had to look away.
"It is done," Zordon finally said. "Rangers, I have siphoned off as much energy as possible from the Zeo Crystals, and focused it into the Zeonizer. That Zeonizer holds the last Ranger power on the planet. This power will not be assigned to any one of you; rather, you may each use it as necessary. It is no longer bound to one owner. The Zeo Rangers are gone. In their place is, simply, the Ranger. Tommy, please take the Zeonizer from its compartment."
Tommy retrieved the new Zeonizer. Zordon continued, "This power must be activated when the Crystals are warped away, or else the power will go with them. No declaration is required to activate the power. Simply bring the two pieces together, Tommy, and you will morph."
With a nod, Tommy strapped the Zeonizers to his arms, then activated them. A quick white flash, and Tommy became the Ranger.
The uniform was in the Zeo style, white, with a perfectly circular visor. Tommy made a few experimental moves.
"How does it feel?" Billy asked.
"Strong. Definitely strong," Tommy replied. "Quick, too."
"This will be the strongest Ranger power any of you have possessed," Zordon said. "However, this increase in strength is more than balanced by the fact that there is only one Ranger. You have lost the numbers advantage, and your tactics must change accordingly." Tommy nodded, as did the other Rangers.
A beep from the console drew Billy's attention. He checked the readouts and sighed. "Game over. Mondo has officially announced his possession of Earth, and has thrown a secure shield around it. I don't know where he's getting the power for that kind of thing, but it's strong."
Zordon went on. "We have some matters to clear up before I am forced to leave. First, all nine of you can live here quite comfortably for the rest of your lives. We have our own shield, and Mondo cannot penetrate it. In addition, many years ago, I, with the help of some other wizards, cast a defensive spell on this mountain. It will be quite secure indefinitely. You do not need to worry about the Machine Empire breaking into the Operations Center or the living quarters below. Even a full-scale siege would do little but shake the area up, as you have witnessed today. To anyone inside, it would merely seem to be a mild earthquake at worst, and nothing would be damaged. You do not have to worry about teleporting; the Operations Center is properly configured to teleport through this shield. Nothing else will pass.
"The worker droids will expand the areas below us as much as physically possible, until they simply can go no further. The shield and spell will help, but the crust of the planet is not as big as one might think, and we cannot expand all the way to the edge of the mantle, either. However, there will be room for many thousands of people, each with their own living quarters.
"The living quarters themselves can be equipped with everything one might need. To start with, there is a bed, suitably sized to fit two if necessary. Individual bathing facilities in everybody's quarters. A computer console, of course. In addition, each room is equipped with a synthetron. This device can synthesize anything you require, be it food, clothing, or any small supplies, and can also be used to clean or mend your clothing."
"It slices, it dices, it makes Julienne fries," Rocky quipped, though his heart wasn't in it. "Ow!" he followed up, as Kimberly smacked him in the back of the head.
"This isn't a time for jokes, DeSantos," she hissed.
"What else am I supposed to do?" he snapped back.
Zordon chose to ignore the comments. "Anything further you need can be synthesized at one of the industrial synthetrons, and teleported to your quarters. Tables, chairs, whatever you might find necessary. The synthetrons create these items by breaking down any raw material, such as the earth that the worker droids are building through, to their component subatomic particles, and reassembling them to specifications. With the amount of material available for consumption, it will be many centuries before one might have to worry about the synthetrons running out of power.
"Each living floor is equipped with lounges for group gathering, and with several simudecks. These simulation devices serve as gymnasiums, dojos, or whatever other environment you care to create. It works on much the same technology as the synthetrons, but consumes less material; anything created in the simudeck and left when the program ends will be recycled into the material supply, ready to reuse."
Zordon paused before continuing. "Your planet may be reclaimed, Rangers, but you cannot do it alone. You will receive help, even though it may only be help you recruit yourself. Mondo's shield is indeed strong, but it is not perfect. I am familiar with this mechanism; there is only one type of device in the known universe that can be used to shield an entire planet, and it is not immune to power drain. You will find that holes will appear. When they do, any humans in such a hole can be freed. If you choose to do this, be careful. You may teleport Machine Empire forces in as well, and you must be prepared to neutralize them if it happens."
Another pause. "As for Tanya," Zordon hesitantly added, "her sacrifice certainly shall not be forgotten. There are burial chambers in the Operations Center, sufficiently sized to fit many more than I hope will ever be necessary.
"Our time grows short, Rangers. There is much I have not told you, but that you will figure out for yourselves soon enough. We must make preparations. Billy, please remove the Zeo Crystals and the Golden Power Staff from the tower, and place them on the floor. When you are 'stripped' of your powers, the Council of the Worlds will warp the artifacts away."
Kat spoke for the first time since she arrived. "Won't the Council notice that we have taken some power from the crystals?"
Zordon shook his head. "Most likely not. There is no standard power to measure against, and besides those gathered here, there are no surviving beings who have used the Zeo Crystal to power themselves as Rangers. If you were to assume the power again, you would notice the weakened strength, but nobody else has a frame of reference by which to realize the weakened powers."
"I'm not sure I like that," Tommy said. "I mean, what happens to the next team of Zeo Rangers? What if they lose a battle or a war they could have won with fully powered crystals?"
Zordon actually smiled. "Do not worry. Intergalactic politics often work the same way they do on Earth. You earned the right to the Zeo Crystal by retrieving it, and the crystal rewarded you with its power. Now that there is no clear ownership, it will be quite a long time before the Council decides which team of Rangers is truly deserving of the Zeo Crystal.
"Unfortunately, our time is nearly up. I have given up control of the Operations Center, and can no longer access command functions from inside my time warp. I will soon be taken back by the Council. Before that happens, know this, Rangers. Though I must now leave you, I will never abandon you. I swear by the Morphing Grid that someday I will find a way to return to you. Until that time, be safe.
"Alpha, I am afraid you must deactivate yourself, or the Council will forcibly do it."
"Oh, ay-yi-yi, Rangers. I'm going to miss you all!" Alpha said as he walked toward the east wall. A previously invisible panel opened, and Alpha entered a small space. He turned to face the Rangers. "Goodbye, Rangers, and good luck!" With one last beep, his head fell forward, and his upper body went limp. The panel closed again, sealing Alpha into his new chamber.
Another beep. "That is it, Rangers. I can feel the Council preparing to bring me back. Farewell, be strong, and may the Power protect you forever."
Just like that, the image in his tube fizzled. Before the Rangers could reply, Zordon was gone.
* * *
The former Rangers stared at each other, wondering what to say, what to do, as the realization that they were truly alone began to sink in.
"Billy," Adam spoke up from his place beside Tanya, his voice breaking. "Can you...?" On the verge of tears, he dropped his head and gestured at Tanya's prone body.
Billy nodded, his face flushed. With the shock of Zordon's speech and departure, he'd almost forgotten about her. "Oh. . . yes, Adam. I apologize." He moved to a nearby console, studying it quickly, then tapped a few buttons. Tanya's body disappeared in the white light of teleportation. "I teleported her into stasis. We'll bury her properly soon enough, when we get some of this situation figured out."
"This is just all so unbelievable," Kimberly said. "The Power Rangers are supposed to be forever. We're not supposed to lose. I don't . . . I mean, giving up the power is one thing, because I knew the power would still endure. But this? It's just . . . I can't even say it."
Jason nodded. "I think we know what you mean."
Aisha opened her mouth to agree, but the beeping sound of the communications system resonated through the room.
"Oh, Rangers!" It was King Mondo's arrogant voice. "Rangers, I know you're there, because you can't be anywhere else! Your world is mine, and you're essentially my prisoners. But since I do have some sense of honor, I decided I'd return a couple things of yours. Though I can't imagine it'll be nice having them back!"
Another alarm, one that those in the Operations Center had not previously heard. Billy turned back to his console, Jason looking over his shoulder. Tommy, at another console, shook his head. "Billy, I don't know these computers. What's this mean?"
"I'm trying to find out," Billy replied. "It looks like it's some kind of proximity alarm. I'm checking the sensors." A pause. "Yes, it's a proximity alarm. Somebody -- Mondo, I'd assume -- just dropped something onto our shield. It's sitting there right now, not moving. Scans say it's organic. No mechanical signs, purely biological."
"Alive?" Adam asked.
"No. No sign of life. I can just tell it's organic."
"What would Mondo have that's organic?" Kat asked through her tears.
Jason stood straight up. "Oh, God. Billy . . ."
Billy realized the same thing half a second later, and Trey, Kimberly, and Aisha right after.
"Trini and Zack," Aisha whispered.
The other Rangers were puzzled. "What?" Rocky asked.
"When we brought Kim and Aisha in," Billy explained, "Mondo must have caught on. He interfered with our attempts to bring Trini and Zack back as well. We were able to hold them in a lock until a blast here knocked the computers out briefly. Mondo got them."
Tommy closed his eyes and cursed under his breath. "Teleport them in, Billy. Put up a force field in case it's a trap."
"Yeah, I thought the same thing," Billy acknowledged, "but, guys, do you really want to be here for this?"
"Just get them in," Tommy said, his tone of voice indicating that it was not quite a request, not quite an order.
With a deep breath, Billy engaged both the teleport and the force field, keeping a hand near both controls just in case.
A white flash of teleportation was followed by the buzz and glimmer of a force field, and a horrified gasp from those present.
It was indeed Trini and Zack. They were seated, tied together, and quite dead. But beyond that, they had been mutilated. Both were missing their eyes, and had deep cuts and burns all over their bodies. Their clothes were shredded, threads barely keeping them together. Trini's left arm was gone below the elbow -- not a clean cut either; it appeared to have been torn off -- but Mondo had been thoughtful enough to include it in the teleport. It rolled off her lap to the floor, coming to a rest against the shimmering force field. The worst part of the matter was that, from the quantities of blood staining the bodies, all this had quite obviously happened before they died.
Kimberly screamed, and Jason choked, turning away from the sight. "Billy!" Tommy yelled, trying to hold himself together.
Billy was already on it; he instantly keyed a teleport to stasis and activated it. The defiled bodies vanished, but all the Rangers had seen, and knew what had become of their friends.
He slammed his hand into the console, then dropped down to sit in front of it, joining the others in their mourning.
"This isn't right," Jason said. His voice was low, and it was a strain to keep it under control. "It's not supposed to be this way. Our families, our friends. . ."
"I can't believe it's over like this. And they're gone. They're really --" Aisha got no farther, as her words turned into tears.
For several minutes, nobody spoke. The only noises in the Operations Center were the humming of the computers and the sobs of the Rangers.
Finally, Rocky cleared his throat. "Guys, we have to do something."
"Like what?" Adam snapped.
"I don't know. But something. I don't know about you, but I'm certainly not content to sit around while Mondo rules the world."
Jason and Tommy glanced at each other. "He's right," Jason said. "The Zeo Rangers are gone, but we're still here. We do have the power. We can't launch a full-scale assault, of course. But guerilla tactics to take down Machine Empire projects? Freeing as many people as we can from the hellish slavery they're being subjected to as we speak? I don't know about you, but as far as I see it, we have to do this."
"We can't do anything about the outside world right now," Trey threw in. "First, we have to figure out what we're doing with our world in here."
Billy nodded in agreement with Trey's remark and got to his feet. "Yes, Trey, that's what we need to do. But now doesn't seem like the best time. Let's figure out basic living arrangements, but nothing else. We need some time." His enunciation was careful, as if he was trying hard to control it. He worked his console and brought up a floor plan, detailing the living areas beneath the Operations Center. Each floor was separated into six groups of rooms; each group separated into two rows of three rooms, facing each other. Another sequence of button presses brought up a set of numbers. "Well, we can change the rooms later if somebody really wants to do so, but for now, let's just take it. Tommy, you're in room 1. Rocky, take 2, and Adam in 3. Now, in the row across from that, Kat is in room 4, Aisha's 5, Kimberly, 6. On the bottom, Jase in 7, I'll be in 8, and Trey, you can take 9. Any problems?" Nobody spoke; some shook their heads. "Good." He checked his watch. "Everybody, head to your rooms. Clean up, do whatever you like, but be back in seventy-five minutes, please."
His no-nonsense tone surprised some of the others. The group looked to Tommy, who just nodded. "You heard the man. Let's go."
* * *
Billy's work in the Operations Center was interrupted by a door opening. He glanced at his watch, seeing that it had been seventy-one surprisingly quick minutes. Looking up, he spotted Trey approaching and nodded in acknowledgement.
"Billy, didn't you go to your quarters?" the Triforian asked.
Billy shook his head. "I can see my quarters later. I had some things I needed to figure out. We need to know who's doing what when, and plan accordingly."
"True enough." Trey walked to the console to Billy's left and glanced it over; nothing looked too difficult to comprehend. The next computer over seemed fine as well. The two stood in silence as, over the next four minutes or so, the other seven wandered in.
Once they had all gathered, Billy pulled up a diagram on one of the viewscreens. "As far as I can tell, this place can be run fairly easily, but it still needs people at the controls. Now, there's only nine of us, so I went to figure out what was absolutely necessary. Luckily for us, not much. All we need at any given moment is someone in this main area, keeping an eye on the sensors and such, and someone in the infirmary in case of emergency."
"Well, where's the infirmary?" Jason asked.
Billy shifted the diagram to show the top floor of the complex. "Right here with us. Out the north door, turn left, head down the corridor, and turn right. Maybe a fifteen- or twenty-second run in an emergency. Now, the big question. Who, besides me, wants to spend duty shifts in here, and who wants to spend them in the infirmary?"
"My place is here," Tommy said, not unexpectedly.
"As is mine, Bro," Jason replied. The two leaders nodded.
"I'll take the infirmary," Katherine said. "I've had some first aid training. Not that that's too likely to mean much, but it's at least something."
"I shall join you there," Trey added. Off Billy's questioning look, he explained, "I performed excellently in all my required medical courses. I believe I will be of more use there than in here."
The next voice was Kimberly's. "I want to be here." Her tone dared the others to provide a reason she shouldn't; though Trey raised an eyebrow and Aisha blinked in surprise, none of them took the challenge.
Aisha claimed an infirmary spot, noting, "Billy, this computer stuff is your realm. Give me human interaction any day." She gave a half-smile. "Besides," she added, "if I can treat animals in the wild, treating humans with alien technology can't be too much harder."
"Yeah, well, medicine's not my thing," Adam said. "I'll take my shifts here."
"Me, too," Rocky, the last, declared.
Billy nodded. "That's six for the command area, or the bridge, or the main deck, or whatever the hell we're going to call it, and three for the infirmary. How does four-hour shifts sound? It would let us keep a twenty-four hour day, with one shift a day for command, two for medical."
Nobody voiced an objection.
"Very well. In that case, let's just do this in the order we signed up. In the command area, I have Shift A, midnight to four. Tommy, Shift B, four to eight; Jason, C, eight to twelve. Shift D is Kim, noon to four, E is Adam, four to eight, and F is Rocky, eight to twelve. In the infirmary, Kat takes A and D, Trey B and E, and Aisha C and F. Anybody want to make a change? No? Good. Anything else? Any suggestions?"
"I have a suggestion," Rocky said. "How about dinner?"
Billy sighed, Aisha rolled her eyes, and Kimberly raised her hand as if to hit him again, but Tommy actually smiled briefly. "For once, I agree," he said. "We need to eat, and now is as good a time as any. Lead the way, Rocky."
As they filed out for the meal, Billy hung back to secure the systems. Tommy stopped at the door, and Jason, behind him, stopped as well.
"We can do this, guys," Tommy said, addressing his two closest friends. "We can get through it. We can win."
Billy met his gaze. "We have to."
And with that, they left the room and let the door close behind them.
End Part One