Disclaimer: Power Rangers Time Force and all related logos are property of Disney and/or Saban Entertainment. I am using them without permission. KJ Sheldon, Lt. James Emery, Trinity Oliver, Camille Summers, Leo Claw and the "Omega Project" are property of yours truly.
A/N: This fic takes place about a week after the end of Future Shock II.
Please take a moment to review. I live for reviews!!
~~
"You wanted to see me?" Katie asked as she stuck her head in the door of Alex's office.
Alex was sitting behind his desk working on his computer, but when he heard her voice, he looked up and turned his attention to her.
"Katie, come in. Have a seat," he said.
She walked in, closing the door behind herself, then sat down in front of the desk. "So whats up?" she inquired.
"I got a report this morning from the infirmary. Dr. Young tells me that you plan on reactivating the android," he said.
"Yes sir,"
"You do understand that it came from Chryo Tech. The implications of allowing that thing to…" he was cut short.
"Permission to speak freely," she requested.
"Granted,"
"I'm tired of everyone calling KJ it or a thing. She was the reason we were able to stop the Harvengers in the first place. When the time came to follow orders, she resisted her programming and did the right thing. I think we owe her for that. Besides, when Dr. Young repaired her, he had to replace her damaged memory emgrams with all new ones. When I do reactivate her, she won't even know who she is, much less that she came from Chryo Tech," she explained.
"You feel very strongly about this, don't you?"
"Yes, I do. KJ and I were becoming friends, all of us were. Its not her fault what she is, or where she came from. Besides, as long as she stays with us, I have no doubt she'll be an excellent addition to our team," Katie said with a tone of confidence in her voice.
"And how to the others feel about this?"
"Camille seems to be just as excited about it as I am," she said.
He paused. "Kathryn, I've come to trust you a great deal over the years. Your service record has been excellent, but there have also been other colorful incidents in your career. Need I remind you about breaking into my office a few months ago and downloading classified information? Or how you organized a mutiny? Needless to say, those things don't reflect well on your record," he pulled a vanilla folder out the drawer of his desk, ripping the entire folder in half. "Which is why I'm removing them from your record,"
"You're what?"
"Time Force is changing Katie. The original counsel is gone, Logan is gone, and I'm the only active member of the new counsel. We survived yet another invasion, but it won't be the last. I need good, solid officers working for me, people who will follow orders but not blindly, and will do what it takes to get the job done. These papers don't dictate what kind of officer you are Katie, the things you do tell me the kind of officer you are," he stood up. "Which is why as of right now, I am promoting you to the rank of Lt. Commander," he told her.
"You're what?" she repeated.
"Congratulations Commander," he extended his hand to her. "And good luck reactivating your friend,"
She shook his head. "Thank you sir,"
"When she's ready, have her report to Dr. Hamilton for an evaluation. He's the foremost expect in robotics in Time Force, and you should let him make sure everything is in working order before you take her to the lab," he said.
"Yes sir. Thank you sir,"
"Now go, I'll be expecting your report at 1300 hours," Alex said.
"Count on it," she said as she walked out the door.
*
Jen paced back and forth in the science lab, trying to be as patient as possible as Camille and Trip worked. The two of them had been at it for over twenty minutes, and every few minutes, they'd mumble something to each just low enough where she couldn't hear them.
"Come on guys, tell me what I need to know," she said.
It was Camille who turned around. "You're wearing out the floor Captain, just relax,"
"I can't relax, I need to know,"
"We'll know in just a sec. We just wanna be sure before we tell you anything," Camille pointed out, turning back to her work.
Just then, the doors to the science lab opened and Lt. Emery walked over to them. "Good morning Captain," he said.
"Lieutenant," she mumbled dryly.
"How are you feeling today?" he inquired, heading over to the control panel to begin working.
"I'm fine James," she sighed.
"Glad to hear it sir," he turned around, noticing Trip and Camille working at a lab station. "What are they doing?"
"Checking on something for me," Jen said.
"Anything I can do to help?"
She shook her head. "No, you have your own duties to deal with. If we need help, you'll be the first to know," she said.
"Thank you sir," he said, turning to her work.
'I don't mean to be so hard on that guy,' she thought to herself. She'd noticed that she wasn't the only one; everyone seemed to come down on Lt. Emery. There was just something about him; something in the way he carried himself that seemed to bother people. 'He tries to hard to fit in, that's what it is,' she thought. 'Maybe if he didn't put in so much effort into trying to belong in the group, he would belong in the group,'
"Captain," Trip said, breaking her train of thought and getting her attention.
"What is it Trip?"
"We've examined both your morpher and the morpher Carmen left behind. Believe it or not, your morpher generates more radiation than the one from the future," he said.
"How is that possible?"
"Its reasonable to assume that Tommy wasn't the only one who ever experienced problems with the radiation from morphers, so the designers must have taken that into consideration when creating this one. From what I can tell, this is me and Trip's handy work, I recognize a lot of the configurations in here," she said.
"You're saying you and Trip design that morpher in the future?"
"You sound surprised. It was Admiral Summers who sent Carmen here in the first place, it stands to reason that Trip and I had a hand to putting it together," she said.
"So whats the verdict? Can I use the morphers?"
"Even though the morpher installed with the phased cloak and the Chrono armor emits much less radiation than your original morpher, we wouldn't recommend you using either of them in your condition. The results could be… lets just say not so pleasant," Trip said.
"But I have to be a ranger, its what I do,"
"Right now you should concentrate on being a mother. Take a leave of absence, we'll work things out without you," she said.
"But you'll be a ranger short, especially with Nadira still in the infirmary," Jen pointed out.
"Lt. Emery still has the silver Chrono morpher, we'll just take him with us on our missions until we figure something out," Camille said.
"Yeah, its about time we met the rookie clock some field time anyway," Trip added.
Lt. Emery did his best to give the appearance that he wasn't listening, but wasn't doing a very good job as he grinned from ear to ear.
"You're sure about this?" Jen asked.
"Positive. This is the best thing for the baby right now. Now go back to your quarters and get some rest. That's an order," she said.
"Who died and put you in charge?"
"I did. Now go," Camille insisted.
"Thanks guys," she sighed, walking out the lab.
*
'Tommy to Katie,' a voice said.
Katie reached for her Morpher. "Katie here, what's up Tommy?" she asked.
'Trip, Camille and I are about ready down here. Are you joining us?' he inquired.
"Oh yeah, wouldn't miss it for the world. I'll be there in five minutes," she said.
'We'll wait for you. Tommy out,'Katie turned her attention back to KJ, who was laying on the examining table. Dr. Young walked over to her.
"You sure this is what you want to do?"
"Positive," she said.
Dr. Young opened a small panel on the side of KJ's head, revealing circuitry, then flipped a switch and closed the panel. Katie watched as KJ opened her eyes slowly, sitting up.
"How are you feeling?" Katie asked.
"A self diagnostic of internal systems indicates that Model A6 is functioning within programmed parameters. However, there appear to be several memory emgrams missing," she said dryly.
"There was an accident, you were injured. The doctor had to replace the emgrams with new ones," she told her.
"Understood. How may Model A6 be of service?" she asked.
"First of all, you're not going to call yourself Model A6 all the time, are you?"
"The designation of this unit is Model A6,"
"Okay, but you need a name,"
"A name?"
"Yes, something for others to refer to you as," she said.
"Model A6,"
Katie shook her head. "Look at me, I'm a female, but no one calls me female. They call me Katie," she said.
"Female is your designation, but your name is different?"
"Correct."
"What is Model A6's name?"
"Well, before the accident, we called you KJ," she said.
"KJ will be sufficient," she paused. "How may KJ be of service?" she inquired.
"When you refer to yourself, you don't have to say your name," she paused. "I have to go, there's work to do. While I'm gone, have Dr. Young escort you to one of the labs on deck four and read some of the personnel files and logs so you can get an idea of what Time Force is about. When I come back, we'll talk more," she told her.
"This is Time Force?"
"Yes,"
"And you are employed here?"
"Yes,"
"Is KJ employed here as well?" she asked.
"No. You're a civilian, you have no job,"
"So how can KJ be of service if KJ has no function to serve?"
"It will take time, but you'll get there. In the meantime, just read up on some of the logs and personnel files. When I come back, I'll answer many questions you have," she said.
"Understood," KJ said.
"This is going to be harder than I thought," she sighed as she walked out the infirmary.
~~
Katie walked into the science lab a few minutes later, where Tommy and the others were waiting for her. "So what's on the to do list for today?" she asked them.
"Nothing too complex this time. The targeting sensors should be back on line, so we're going to give it a quick run through. Lt. Emery, I want you to stay here and assist Captain Scott with the science lab. In her condition, she won't be able to do very much, so do what you can to make things easier on her," Tommy said.
"Yes sir," he said eagerly.
"Trip and Camille will be coming with us," he said.
"Where is Adam?"
"He won't be joining us for this mission, its just the four of us," Tommy said.
"Once you make it to the other side, I'll send you any information I have on that world. Remember, the targeting sensors may still have a few glitches in them, so it may take me a while to compile the information," Lt. Emery reminded them.
"Understood,"
James walked over to the control panel, activating the slipstream. The blue, swirling vortex began to form, and Tommy was the first to step through. Camille and Trip grabbed one another's hand, stepping through at the same time. Katie was the last, stopping a few inches away from the slipstream of turning to Lt. Emery.
"We're counting on you James," she said to encourage him.
"I won't let you down sir," he said proudly.
With a smile, Katie stepped through the vortex, disappearing…
*
The four of them stepped through the portal, only to find themselves in a barren wasteland. There was no grass, no trees, no buildings… nothing. There was a thick fog that seemed to surround them, and an unusual humming sound.
"Everyone okay?" Tommy inquired, turning to the group.
"We're okay, but where are we?" Camille replied, speaking for the group.
"There are no signs of technology of any kind. No buildings, no people. Either this world hasn't acquired technology let, or this is the aftermath of a serious battle," Trip mentioned.
"I don't see any signs of a battle, so we can rule out a war of any kind. The first thing we should do is find shelter of some kind, then worry about finding out more about this world," Tommy suggested.
They began to walk, but Katie stopped dead in her tracks. "Guys, am I the only one who smells that?" she asked.
"What?"
"The air… there's something in the air… I think it's…" before she could finish her sentence, she collapsed, falling to the ground.
"Katie," Tommy rushed over to her, trying to help her up. "Wait, I smell it too. There's something in the air, something toxic. We need to get out of this fog now," he snapped.
They did their best to hold their breath as Trip and Tommy carried Katie. The fog was so thick, it was difficult to see through, but Camille managed to find a building of some kind. They made it to the entrance, and Tommy kicked it in, helping Katie inside. Camille quickly shut the door behind them, finally let out a sigh of relief.
"The air seems better in here, but not by much," she said.
"What the hell is in the air?"
"I don't think there's anything in the air, I think the atmosphere has been depleted on this world," Trip mentioned.
"What do you mean depleted? What could have happened to all the oxygen?"
"There are a number of things that could cause an entire planet to lose its atmosphere; there could have been a war here years ago, and the planet hasn't recovered yet. Maybe the O-Zone layer was so badly damaged that harmful rays from space contaminated the air. It could be almost anything," he explained.
"So you're saying the atmosphere gave out all of a sudden, and the entire population died?" Tommy asked.
"This much damage couldn't have happened all at once. It would take months, even years before the atmosphere got this contaminated," Camille brought up.
"So if the people on this world had a heads up on what was happening, they had a chance to prevent it. Where are they?" he asked.
'Commander Oliver, this is Lt. Emery. Do you read me?' a voice said.
Tommy reached for his morpher. "I hear you James, what can you tell us?" he inquired.
'The year is 2017. Two years prior to that, there was a huge battle of some kind between humans and mutants. The mutants lost, but they used a bio-chemical weapon against the humans. Their plan was to wipe out the human population with one stroke, but they didn't anticipate that the weapon would affect them as well. Countless billions died in what they're history calls the Chemical Wars, and the after effect was the complete destruction of Earth's atmosphere. No shuttles of any kind could be constructed quickly enough to make an escape, so the survivors fled underground,' Lt. Emery told them.
"That explains why we can't find anyone. They're all underground," Camille said.
'Some of the survivors were able to adapt to the lack of atmosphere, and their bodies adjusted to their new surroundings. The result was the evolution of an entirely new species. The humans and mutant who didn't adapt now work together to fight off their new species,' he said.
"Why are they fighting?"
'This new species constantly attack the underground bases, killing off the survivors one by one,' he said.
"So the question is how do we get to one of these underground bases without running into this new species ourselves?" Trip asked.
'According to the maps I have for that time frame, the building you're in is about 1.6 miles away from a cave. Head east, and that cave will lead you into one of the underground camps,'
"Excellent work James. We'll be in touch. Tommy out," he said.
"So now we know what happened here, but why did the atmosphere effect Katie quicker than the rest of us?" Camille asked.
"Her half demon side must not be able to deal with the atmosphere. We should get her to the base, maybe someone there can help her," he said.
"But taking her back out there is only going to make things worse. Two of us should go and someone should stay here with Katie to keep her safe. If the people in the caves can help, you'll have to bring one of them back here with a treatment," Trip said.
"You stay here. Camille and I will see what we can find out. If we morph, it should allow us to breath for a limited time before the fog gets to us," he said.
"If something goes wrong, call me,"
"Count on it," he turned to Camille. "Okay Cam, lets get going,"
~~
The two of them walked as quickly as they could, but with no real sense of direction, and not being able to see through the fog, they had no idea how close they were to the cave. In the distance, they heard a thump.
"You hear that?"
"Yeah, but what was it?"
"I'm not sure, but stick close just in case," Tommy said.
They continued to walk, and through the fog, Camille was able to find what looked like a cave. "I think I found it, over here," she said.
The two of them made their way towards the cave, but were cut off when someone attacked them. Neither of them could see very well, but what Tommy did see, it was a humanoid creature, but with gray-ish skin and a yellow eyes.
"Something tells me these guys aren't here to lead the way," he said.
"Kick ass now, ask questions later,"
"Good plan," Tommy said.
They called for their Chrono sabers, charging at anything in the fog that moved. One of the creatures jumped on Camille's back, but Tommy swung, slicing the creature enough to make it let go. As it fell to the ground, two more creatures grabbed Tommy, tackling him to the ground. Camille tried to help, swinging her saber, but accidentally slicing Tommy across the stomach.
"Oh my God, Tommy," she screamed.
Something hit Camille from behind, and as she fell to the ground, she was forced to power down. Without her ranger uniform to protect her from the fog, she quickly passed out.
~~
Camille opened her eyes, leaping forward in a cold sweat as she glanced around. From the looks of it, there was no fog, and she was inside one of the caves.
"Relax, you were wounded and we brought you here," a voice said.
Someone approached her, and she was able to get a good look at them. At first glance, he was human, maybe in his mid thirties, but with a huge scar on his face.
"Who are you?"
"My name is Daniel. My people found you being attacked by the Cromags and fought them out, then brought you here," he said.
"Cromags? Is that what you call them?"
"Yes. I am curious though, how have you survived on the surface after the Chemical War?" he asked her.
"I'm not from around here," she paused. "My friend, where is he? He was hurt, and I…" she was cut short.
"I'm afraid the Cromags got to him before we could. I'm sorry, there was nothing more we could do," he sighed.
"Oh God, Tommy," she sighed, falling to her knees.
"You said you aren't from around here. Where are you from exactly?" he asked.
"Its hard to explain. Right now, I have another friend in a building we found about a mile from here. She was exposed to the fog and passed out, is there anything you can do for her?" she replied.
"Once someone is exposed to the fog, they begin to change. There is nothing we can do to prevent the change, the only noble thing to do is to kill your friend now before she completely turns into a Cromag," Daniel told her.
"You aren't very helpful," she paused. "I'm sorry, you did save me, but I have to get back to my friends,"
"I'm afraid I cannot let you leave this cavern. You see, allowing you to leave with knowledge of the location would put our resistance in jeopardy. If you were to tell the Cromags where we are, it would…" he was cut short.
"I have no intention of telling anyone where you are. I just want to get back to my friends,"
"Again, I'm afraid I cannot allow that," he repeated, this time pointing a weapon at her.
"I don't want to hurt you Daniel," she warned.
"Do you honestly think you could hurt me?"
"You'd be surprised," she got into position. "TIME FOR, TIME FORCE," she called out, attempting to transform into the blue ranger, but was unsuccessful. "What the hell?"
"These caves are lined with a special metal. It prevents the fog from getting in and infecting us, and it also emits low levels of Thorolon radiation, which will prevent your device from working," he told her.
"Thorolon radiation? Do you have any idea what that is?"
"Yes. It has kept us safe for over 18 months now," he told her.
She shook her head. "No, it doesn't. Thorlon radiation is lethal if you're exposed too long, it'll begin to mutate your DNA, changing you into…" she paused. "Cromags," she sighed.
"You have no idea what you're talking about, these caves have been a safe haven to us for months now," he insisted.
"The Chemical War wasn't the only cause of the mutations, it was coming to these caves. The fog was only part of a binary compound. After the war, you came here because you had no choice, but the caves began to affect the fog, mutating you into Cromags," she explained.
"That isn't true,"
"How many people escaped into these caves with you at the end of the Chemical War?" she asked.
"A little more than 300 hundred,"
"And over the last 18 months, how many of them have you lost?"
"A little more than 100,"
"And how many Cromags are there?"
"No one knows for sure. None of us are sure how they even adapted to the fog. Somehow, they find their way into our caves and attack us, killing our people. They dispose of the bodies and continue on their killing spree without mercy," he explained.
"No, they don't. After being exposed to the fog, they came down here and your people slowly turn into Cromags. That's why when someone disappears; a Cromag somehow discovers where you are. Think about it Daniel, put it all together,"
"If what you say is true, why aren't all of us turning into Cromags?"
"If I'm right, some of you are mutants. My friend back in the building is half mutant, which means the fog won't effect her as quickly. And since she wasn't exposed to both compounds radiation, she probably won't be affected at all. In your case, humans are probably changed quicker than mutants, which explains why not everyone has turned into a Cromag," Camille explained.
"The building you speak of, it was constructed from materials found here in the cave. There are no doubt small traces of Thorolon radiation in the building. If your theory is correct, your friend will in fact be changed, though it may take longer," he said.
"There is a cure for Thorolon radiation exposure. If I can treat all your people, it will prevent any of you from turning into Cromags. Eventually, the fog on the surface will lift, and your people will be able to return to the surface," she said.
"You have a cure?"
"Not here, not with me. Help me get to my friends, and I promise I will help you and your people. If we get to them in enough time, I may even be able to treat some of the Cromags that have already been changed," she said.
"I don't believe you," he said dryly, pointing the weapon at her firmly.
Before he could pull the trigger, it was Tommy who hit him from behind with a rock, knocking him out cold. As he fell to the ground, Tommy stumbled over, holding his stomach in pain.
"So, who's your new friend?" he groaned.
"Oh God, are you alright?"
"I'll live,"
"I know what's happening to these people, and I know how to help them. We need to get back to the building and get to Katie," she said.
"You'll have to go on without me. I don't think I'll make it," he sighed.
"You will, you have to," she said as she draped his arm over her shoulder, helping him out the cave.
~~
Trip held Katie in his arms, rocking back and forth as he waited for the others to return. Katie hadn't moved an inch since they left, and now, her skin was beginning to change color. She was covered in a cold sweat, and she was shaking slightly.
"Come on Katie, you'll snap out of this. I know you will. I need you to snap out of this. Camille and Tommy will be back any minute now, and they'll be able to help us," he sighed.
At that moment, a group of Cromags stormed the building, surrounding Trip. He carefully put Katie on the floor, and then stood up.
"TIME FOR, TIME FORCE," he called out, transforming into the green ranger.
He was prepared for them, but none of them seemed to be making a move. One of the Cromags approached him slowly, holding its arms in the air. Trip watched cautiously as two more of the Cromags walked over to Katie.
"Stay away from her," he snapped.
"No… harm," a voice said.
Trip was barely able to make out the sound, but realized what he was trying to say. "No harm?" he inquired.
"We mean you… no… harm," another voice said.
"Who are you?" he asked.
One of the Cromags walked over to him, extending a hand to him. "I am… Ma'Jin. I was… human. But I was… changed. We mean you… no harm. We only… wish… to… help you," it said.
"How can you help?"
One of the Cromags lifted Katie up slightly, pouring a liquid into her mouth. Katie coughed, but a few moments later, opened her eyes.
"What's going on?" she groaned.
"It will stop… the change. She… is safe… now," Ma'Jin told him.
"Thank you,"
"We tried to… help the others… like you. They were… attacked by… the humans," he said.
"Near the caves?"
"Yes,"
"We have to find them," Trip said.
"That won't be necessary," Camille said as she stumbled into the building, still holding Tommy up. Trip rushed over to her, laying Tommy down on the floor.
"What happened?"
"A person in the cave tried to kill me. If it hadn't been for Tommy," she paused. "Wait a sec, we're in trouble, aren't we?" she asked, realizing the Cromags surrounded her.
"No, the Cromags aren't violent. They helped Katie," he said.
"No… harm," one of them said.
"I believe I know how to cure you, all of you, but I don't have to equipment I need here to cure the Thorolon radiation you've been exposed to," Camille said.
"We… have… cure here," Ma'Jin said.
"If you do, why don't you give it to the humans?" Katie asked.
"My bet is that they try, but whenever they get into one of the caves, they're cut off and killed by the humans. They aren't even giving the Cromags a chance to tell them why they came," she said.
Ma'Jin nodded. "Yes. Only wish… to help,"
"How much of the cure do you have?"
"Plenty,"
"It isn't the fog that causes the change, it's the Thorolon radiation in the cave reacting to the fog. If we can neutralize the radiation in the cave, it will stop your people from changing," Camille said.
"If you're right, neutralizing the cave will take millions of gallons of the cure, and I doubt they have that much. The only way to stop them from changing is to destroy the caves and force the humans out of it. Without the radiation to infect them, they'll adapt to the fog," Trip said.
"But how would we destroy the cave?"
"Thorolon radiation is highly flammable. If we fire our phasers in concentrated bursts, it should be enough to destroy the caves," he said.
"Sounds like a plan. Katie, are you able to walk?" Camille asked.
"A little groggy, but I'll manage,"
"Good. We need you to stay here with Tommy, he's hurt pretty bad," she said.
"Wait a second, I'm the Commander here. I give the orders," Tommy said.
"You're right, I'm sorry,"
"I'll stay here with Tommy, he's hurt pretty bad," she said.
Camille couldn't help but giggle. "Trip and I will morph and use our phasers to get rid of the caves, that should solve their problems on this world,"
"Get on it,"
"Yes sir," she said as she and Trip headed out, followed by the Cromags.
~~
The Cromags led them through the fog and back to the caves, where a group of humans were waiting for them, each of them with weapons in hand.
"I should have known you were here to help the Cromags!" Daniel screamed.
"We're here to help all of you. We have a cure to the Thorolon radiation, it will prevent anyone from changing," Trip said.
"We don't believe you. The Cromags are mutations, creatures to be exterminated, and you're helping them," he said.
"Fine, have it your way," Camille said, aiming her phaser at the cave.
"What are you doing?"
Without a word, she fired her phaser, holding the beam in one spot. Trip grabbed her phaser, shooting the exact same spot and holding the beam in place.
"Yes… yes… yesssss," Ma'Jin hissed as he watched on.
That's when it hit her. 'The phaser to will enough stop the radiation poisoning, but it will destroy these people's home as well. The Cromags aren't interested in curing them, they want to turn all the survivors into Cromags,'
Camille dropped her phaser, turning to the Cromags. "Its over. We won't help you," she said.
Trip quickly followed suit, dropping his phaser. "You know what you're doing, right?"
"Don't I always?"
"We mean… no harm," Ma'Jin said.
"Yeah yeah, cry me a river. You don't want to help these people; you want to turn them into Cromags. Our phasers have already neutralized the Thorolon in the caves to the point that no one else we be changed. Soon, those people will be able to leave the caves and come back to the surface, and when they do, you'll find yourselves sorely outnumbered," she told them.
"You will… not… help?"
"No, we won't," she said firmly.
"Then you… will… die," he said.
He raised his arm to attack them, but it was Daniel who fired his weapon, taking Ma'Jin down with one shot. The remaining humans aimed their weapons at the Cromags.
"Leave this cave and never return," Daniel announced.
The Cromags, realizing it was a losing battle, disappeared into the fog. Once they were gone, Daniel walked over to Camille. "I apologize for how I behaved earlier, I didn't know what you were trying to do," he said.
"I understand. Sorry my friend hit you in the back of the head with a big ass rock," she sighed.
"All is forgiven. Here," he handed her a small potion. "Your friend was badly injured, this should sustain his condition until you can get him medical treatment," he said.
"Thank you,"
"May peace be with you," Daniel said as he watched Camille and Trip disappear into the fog.
~~
The two of them returned to the building, where Katie was tending to Tommy.
"How did it go?" she asked.
"We worked it out. Here, give him this," Camille said, handing Katie the small flask.
Katie quickly lifted Tommy up, pouring the liquid into his mouth. They all remained silent and watched on as Tommy opened his eyes.
"Hey guys. What did I miss?"
"Nothing, lets get the hell out of here," Trip reached for his Morpher. "Trip to Lt. Emery, come in," he said.
For a moment, there was silence.
'Trip, this is Jen. What's up?' a voice asked."We're ready to get outta here. Can you help us out?"
'Sure. Standby,' she said.
A few moments later, the vortex appeared.
~~
Preview: TraditionsNext time on Parallels II: Trip's family insists that he return home as part of an Xybrian tradition.
~~