Rachel, Gaby, and Rick are mine.
Rated PG : some language and violence.
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10:10 AM, February 14, 2004
"What the hell is going on?" Alex asked.
"Don't know..." Trip's head was bent over the scanning instruments, Rachel's next to it, the dark auburn of her hair contrasting with the bright green of his.
"Damn!" Alex took a second or two to calm himself. Shouting and cursing wouldn't help. He brought up his arm and tried again, for at least the tenth time. "Lucas! Lucas, are you there? Report!" Only silence answered, as Katie stared, wide-eyed, and Nadira rose to her feet, clasping trembling hands. "What's happened? What do you see?" he demanded again.
"We don't know, Alex! If you'd stop distracting us, maybe we could work faster!" Rachel snapped at him, startling him with the annoyance in her voice. She was frustrated, and most of all frightened, he reminded himself. Just what he was feeling now, too, but as leader he didn't have the luxury of giving in to his emotions. Alex dropped into a seat and watched them, as the two scientists of their small group adjusted instruments and exchanged murmurs. Finally, Trip looked up at them, as Rachel continued her task.
"We got a surge of temporal disruption readings, Alex," the green-haired young man said. "Off the scale. Almost like we went through a timehole. But it's gone now, doesn't seem to have done anything. I'm still getting a reading, but it's back to the level it was when we landed." He swallowed nervously. "But it's slowly starting to get stronger again, just like before."
"This must be what the Time Force monitors picked up. What's causing it?"
"Don't know. A malfunctioning timehole generator might do something like this. But there aren't any in this time. Or there shouldn't be."
"Yes. There's nothing about this in the historical record." Alex thought for a moment. "Is there any way we could have caused this?"
"I don't see how. Again, if there's a malfunctioning timehole in the area it's possible our timehole could have caused feedback. But I don't see how that could happen in this time."
"Right."
"What about Lucas?" Nadira asked in a quivering voice. "What's happened to him?"
"Don't know that either," Trip said. "That temporal surge doesn't seem to have caused any damage. But..." He exchanged a glance with Rachel. "We can't pick up the signature from his morpher now."
"We have to find him!" She started for the door, almost reaching it before Alex caught her.
"Nadira, no. You can't just run out there to look for him."
"Why not?" She turned accusing eyes up at him. "He could be hurt! We have to help him!"
"Agreed. But you're not the right person to do it."
"I want to go, Alex." She surprised him with the unexpected strength and determination in her voice.
"I know." He tried to smile reassuringly. "But the same restrictions we talked about before still apply. Someone inconspicuous has to go. And -- given the current situation, it should be a trained officer."
"I'm a Time Force officer!"
"But you've only been in the Force for a few weeks." He took her hand, squeezing it. "We all understand how you feel, and we want to find him too. But someone else has to go."
"I'll do it," Katie said from just behind him.
"No. I'll go. I let you make this trip... If something's gone wrong, it's my responsibility. Just as Lucas is my responsibility. Don't worry, Nadira, I'll find him." He sighed, and slipped on his sunglasses. "Hopefully my resemblance to Wes will be useful for once, and get me into Bio-Lab."
"Alex..." Rachel blocked his way, for a moment seeming as if she wanted to stop him. But then she gently touched his cheek with her fingertips, her face distressed. "I should never have talked you into doing this. What if-"
"It's okay. I made this decision all on my own. Don't worry, everything will be all right."
"Of course." She smiled shakily. "Just -- be careful."
"Always am." He moved quickly to kiss her, then stepped past. Outside the ship he turned back for a last look, seeing the four of them clustered in the doorway. After a quick and unsmiling wave, he started for Bio-Lab.
11:17 AM, February 14, 2004
"Look, I know something's going on in one of your laboratories. I know Wes Collins and Eric Myers are -- are injured. I need to get there. Maybe I can help." Alex was almost crawling with frustration and impatience. He had driven to Bio-Lab as fast as he could manage, considering his rather dim memories of the city streets in this time. Since then he must have wasted at least ten minutes on a series of secretaries, guards, and now these two, while Lucas might be hurt, even dying.
The two Silver Guardians blocking his way glanced at each other. One of them scowled at him. "Commander Collins isn't even here," he said. "You're lying. And you haven't explained who you are. Why you look like him."
"I'm a relative, of course. Wes's cousin. Here for the wedding." Alex smiled stiffly. It was the best story he had been able to think of. "Everyone says how much we look alike."
"Yeah." The Guardian still looked skeptical.
"And I know he's here. He left the Collins house two hours ago. He said there was something wrong here. Where is he?"
"Two hours ago?" The second man shook his head. "That's ridiculous. Commander Myers is the only one-" He stopped abruptly as his companion nudged him.
"Well -- where is Eric Myers then? He's injured, I'd like to know how badly..."
"How did you know about that?" There was even more suspicion in the first Guardian's eyes.
"Another friend of ours is here, he called me. Look, I need to find out what's happened to him..."
"Alex?" The voice was familiar, very familiar. And impossible.
A shock ran down Alex's spine, a tingle of almost superstitious dread, as he turned to look. Frozen, he stared unbelievingly and opened his mouth, nothing coming out until he gasped numbly, "Wes?"
"Yeah. Knew you were coming -- great to see you -- sorry, but I gotta go, catch you later..." Wes looked distracted as he smiled perfunctorily and then started on his way again.
"No! Wait!" Alex brushed by the two Guardians and started to follow, pulling away as they grabbed at him. "Wes!" he called.
Wes looked back and said, "Let him come, guys, he's a friend." He waited a second for Alex to catch up, then they both headed deeper into the building at a trot. "Eric got a call, something's wrong in one of the labs. He came in, didn't want me to come because of the wedding, but now I can't reach him..."
"Wes..." Alex caught at his arm, stopping him. "What's going on? Lucas said you were dead!"
"Lucas? I don't know what you're talking about."
"Yes, Lucas is here, he was hurt the same way as Eric -- and you..."
"I just got here. Haven't seen Lucas." He turned away again. "We don't have time for this. Come on!"
Alex ran to follow him, a jumble of questions churning in his mind. Could Lucas have been mistaken? Hallucinating? More badly injured than he had sounded? Or was this a fake Wes, somehow? An impostor? Or was the Wes who had been killed an impostor? Why had the two Silver Guardians seemed to think Eric was the only one injured? Why did this whole situation seem to be getting stranger and stranger?
And things did not improve as they dashed into a hallway ending at the doors to what appeared to be a large laboratory, equipment visible through the doors' large windows. There were more Silver Guardians, some bent over someone lying on the floor, along with a doctor. He and Wes came to a stop as a short, dark-haired man in a scorched-looking suit turned to face them, and started in their direction, stopping to cough painfully.
"Steve!" Wes exclaimed. "What happened?"
"Don't know, explosion maybe..." The man gestured towards the lab. "There's something in there..."
"Something? What do you mean?"
"I don't know! We saw lights -- it's like a lightning storm or something... Eric went in..."
"Eric -- where is he?"
Steve didn't answer, but his glance towards the person lying on the floor was answer enough. Wes crossed the room with a muffled curse and knelt next to Eric. Alex followed and watched, noticing the scorched appearance of his clothing -- yet another formal suit, for the wedding -- and a red mark on his face.
"Eric? Eric, what happened?" Wes asked.
Eric looked up at him, seeming to struggle with his answer. "Lightning..." he said finally.
"What? What do you mean?"
"It's like -- like lightning -- knocked me right out of morph -- barely got out of there..."
"Why did you go in? Is there anyone still inside?"
No answer, but Eric's eyes moved to the lab doorway. He reached up as Wes looked also. "No, Wes, you can't -- too late..."
"It's okay. Just relax, we're getting help." Wes exchanged a glance with the doctor, climbed to his feet and stepped closer to the door. "Who's in there, Steve?" he called.
"Mike Zaskin and Rick Quinn. But Eric's right, you can't reach them." There was a slight pause before he went on. "They must be dead by now, anyway."
"I have to try." He raised his arm, reaching for his morpher.
"Wes, wait!" Alex exclaimed, catching his wrist. "Don't just rush in there."
"Two of our people are in trouble. I'm not going to just leave them." He twisted his arm out of Alex's grip and stepped back, this time pressing the control on his morpher. The light of transformation sparkled around him, leaving him in the red Ranger's suit Alex himself had once worn.
"Don't..." But Wes was already through the door, moving fast, then stopping as Alex watched through the window glass. It was his first good look. Equipment tumbled on the floor... the signs of some kind of explosion... two bodies in white lab coats lying still near the far wall. But what claimed his attention was the -- thing that hovered in the air over a work bench, a ball of midnight blue sprinkled with bright points of light, arcs of bright energy bursting from it, blackening whatever they touched.
This must be what had injured Eric. And it must be what Lucas had seen. The same thing that had killed Wes... but Wes was still alive, and now edging closer, trying to get to the two people on the floor, despite the fact that they were almost certainly dead. A sudden sense of dread overcame Alex. What Lucas had seen -- Wes's death -- it was about to happen again, he was sure of it, the sudden knowledge as hard and cold as death itself.
He raised his own morpher, waiting only the second or two it took to morph, and opened the door. "Wes!" he shouted, over the crackling noise of the object. "Wes, come back! You're going to get yourself killed!"
"I'm almost there! Can't stop now!" Wes took another step, and another. Even as Alex started after him, there was a sharp crack and a burst of light as a bolt of electric energy sprang from the ball and hit the red Ranger. He stiffened, staggering back, a quick flash of light leaving him back in his wedding suit.
"Wes!" Instinctively, Alex moved forward, but another burst came, hitting Wes, striking through him to hit Alex and drive him back, a second jolt making him gasp as he hit the floor and abruptly demorphed. Stunned, he lay there for a moment staring at his double lying unmoving on the floor, then pushed himself back. Wes was too far away, there was nothing he could do to help him now, couldn't reach him without dying himself. As he crawled backwards, hands grabbed him, hauling him through the doors, and out to safety.
11:44 AM, February 14, 2004
"Trip, I'm telling you, it's some kind of temporal anomaly. I'm looking at a wall clock right now. It's 11:44 AM. It should be two hours later!"
"Maybe the clock's wrong?"
"No, it's not wrong!" Alex shouted. "I asked a couple of the Guardians," he went on more quietly, regretting his outburst. "Their watches say the same thing. I've just experienced the same events Lucas told us about. Right down to Wes's death and Eric's injuries."
"But -- that should be impossible. Even if we traveled back two hours -- which is impossible -- then where are our previous selves? And where's Lucas?"
"According to everyone I've asked, Lucas was never here."
There was a murmur of voices, and then Rachel spoke from his morpher. "Alex, are you suggesting we're in some kind of time loop?"
"I don't know! It should be impossible, just like Trip said. But what other explanation is there?" He paused, thinking. "That phenomenon in the lab. Maybe that has something to do with it."
"Does it look like what Lucas described?"
"Exactly. Dark blue, pinpoints of light, electrical energy."
"I don't know..." Her voice trailed off.
Distracted by a sudden commotion, Alex looked up. Jen, Mr. Collins, and a woman he remembered as Gaby Butler, Eric's girlfriend, came running in. Just as Lucas had said. They stopped for a moment, before Gaby went to crouch at Eric's side, holding his hand, and Jen spotted him.
"Alex? Alex, what happened to Eric? Where's Wes?" She ran to him, her face pale and frightened, still in the wedding gown she would have no use for now, Wes's father right behind her and looking no better. "All they would tell us is that both of them were hurt..."
"I'm sorry, Jen." His throat closed, emotion taking over as her eyes widened. As he glanced through the door glass, and she followed his gaze, and he heard a soft gasp.
"Wes! No!" She started past him.
"Jen, you can't!" He grabbed her around the waist, pulling her off her feet when she didn't stop. "He's gone, Jen, nothing anyone can do. If you go in there, you'll only die yourself."
"No!" She turned a face filled with frantic rage on him, and pushed him violently away. "He's alive! I have to help him!"
"Jen, stop it..."
"I'll be okay if I morph... I'll get him out!"
"I tried, Jen. The suit won't protect you. That's how Wes died."
"No, I don't believe you!"
"Jen... Stop him!" Alex shouted and reached to grab Collins before he could get past and inside. For a moment they both fought him, the older man struggling to free himself until two Guardians appeared and took a firm grip on his arms. Then he stood passively, his face slack and shocked.
Jen almost slipped by while he was distracted. Alex grabbed her again and held her back as best he could, feeling pain only distantly as she pounded a fist on his chest. He pulled her into his arms, wrestling her away from the door. For what seemed like an eternity, they all stood, staring at the half-burned body inside.
"No, no, no," Jen whimpered. "How could this happen? It's our wedding day! How could this happen?"
"I don't know. Just don't know."
"Oh, Wes..." She turned her face into Alex's neck, her arms closing around him as he felt her shoulders heave and heard a sob.
"Alex!" It was his morpher, Rachel's voice, something like panic in it.
"What is it?"
"Trip's getting stronger readings again. If the same things are happening now as Lucas reported-"
"Damn." Rudely, he pushed Jen into the grip of another Guardian, and took another look through the door, opening it partially. "You're right. It's definitely bigger. And growing."
"You've got to get out of there, Alex. Right now."
He stole a look at Jen, seeing tears trickling down her face, unheeded. Mr. Collins, staring numbly at the body of his son. Eric, still breathing, the medical emergency team working over him, his girl clutching his hand. How was he going to help these people? What could he do?
"Alex, we're getting a surge in these readings! Get back to the ship!" He could hear the fear in Rachel's voice.
"Too late." The cool calmness he had occasionally experienced before in an emergency took over, steadying him, making his mind quick and sharp. Alex looked into the lab again as the lights suddenly flickered and dimmed to darkness, leaving the inside of the lab lit by surreal flashes of lightning. "The lights just went out. The energy ball is expanding rapidly. The rate of growth seems to be increasing, also rapidly."
"Run! Maybe you can get away!"
"No. No one else seems aware that all of this happened before, including Wes and the others who came from the Collins house. Must have affected the whole city, at least. No way to escape. But if the last two hours repeats again, maybe you'll find a way to stop this." He looked up as the lights flared, flickered, and dimmed again.
"But what about you? Alex! Alex, please come back!"
"Rachel, if there was any way I could get back to you... I wish..." A brief vision of her face. He put out a hand, as if he could touch it. But there was no more to say. He stood still, watching as the curved blue wall came at him, sweeping through the walls and the laboratory door, engulfing him in cold, and dark, and emptiness.
TBC...
