Disclaimer: Power Rangers Time Force, Power Rangers in Space 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, Amanda "Mandy" Scott, Mr. & Mrs. Mathew Scott, Leo Claw and the "Omega Project" are property of yours truly. Sierra Crane appears courtesy of… well, Sierra.
Please take a moment to review. I live for reviews!!
FF.net said the problem with the format was corrected, but it still seems off to me. I hope it isn't so jumbled that it makes this a hard read.
*
Dr. Young stood over her as she laid on the examining table, going over the last of her charts and paperwork. With the exception of a few pieces of equipment humming, the entire room was silent. He'd been a doctor with Time Force for years, and he'd seen things that he didn't think were medically possible, but Lt. Commander Kathryn Taylor was the biggest enigma he'd even come across.
'Half human, half Ethros,' he thought to himself, amazed at the concept of a human being mating with an Ethros demon. He'd done his research, trying to find out as much as he could about it so he would be able to treat Katie, but his research hadn't given him any insight.
That's what he called in an expert…
"You wanted to see me doctor?" Khalil asked, walking into the infirmary.
"I realize its rather late cadet, but I need some information regarding the Ethros," he mentioned.
"Sorry doc, I don't know much about the Ethros, my parents didn't tell me very much about them when I was growing up," he said.
"But aren't you…"
"Half Ethros? No, Katie and I have different mothers," he paused. "Katie's mother died shortly after childbirth, apparently an Ethros and a human weren't suppose to conceive a child together, and it was too much for her," he said.
"I see," he went over his paperwork again. "I've done some research, and I've discovered that the Ethros are symbiotic creatures, and cannot survive without a host body," he said.
"Once the symbiot finds a host, it begins to rewrite its DNA to suit their needs. The same thing happened to Katie's mom, but the symbiot got a hold to her while she was pregnant with Katie," he told him.
"That explains why she has the strength of an Ethros, but none of the inherent characteristics of the demon," he sighed, wondering why he hadn't been able to figure this out on his own.
"What is all this about doc?"
"During the mission to Chyro Tech, Katie's body was exposed to low amounts of radiation. Normally, this wouldn't be a problem, and I can simply give a serum that would counter the effects, but with Katie, her body is rejecting the serum. Her Ethros half won't allow the serum to work, and unless I do something soon, the radiation will poison her," Dr. Young explained.
"Are there any other options?"
"Unfortunately, no. A pure Ethros demon would simply heal itself without a second thought, and a pure human would allow the serum to work, but with a combination of the two, giving her any more of the serum would do more harm than good," he said.
"Can't you just separate them?"
"What do you mean?"
"Remove her Ethros DNA," Khalil suggested.
"If I did, it would be like killing a life form. The Ehtros DNA needs a body to feed from, simply removing it would leave Katie completely human, but her Ethros side would die," he said.
"I don't know much about genetics doc, but if there's enough DNA from the Ethros, couldn't it be inserted into a new body? Maybe a clone?" he asked.
"Clones are too unstable. We haven't been able to perfect the process,"
"But wouldn't her Ethros DNA compensate for the instability of the clone host and repair the damage?" he asked him.
He paused. "The Ethros DNA would repair almost all of the cellular damage, allowing the clone to live a normal life. That is, in theory," he mentioned.
"Is there enough Ethros DNA to create an entire clone?"
"Yes, but in theory, it wouldn't be a clone. It would be a full-blooded Ethros demon. It might share a few of Katie's mannerisms and facial expressions, but it would be a demon,"
"You said it yourself doc, we're running out of options. My sister is going to die unless we do something for her now," Khalil said.
"I'd need an immediate member of the family to approve a procedure like this," he said.
"I can do that,"
"And I have to warn you that there is no guarantee that any of this will be successful. We may do more harm than good here," he said.
"I understand the risks," Khalil sighed.
"I'll have to discuss this with Counsel Member Collins. This kind of procedure could have unforeseen consequences, and I'm sure it will be considered a major security risk. After I have spoken to him, I will contact you,"
"Understood," he said, walking out the room.
*
The door opened, and Trip walked into his quarters. He was still a bit disoriented, but everything was exactly the way he left it. He headed inside, tossing his jacket on the hook by the door, then flopped down on the couch, letting out a sigh.
Ever since returning from the Chryo Tech mission, he'd been in the infirmary, and it was simply good to be home. The radiation treatment Dr. Young had given the others took longer to work on Xybrian physiology, forcing him to spend several days in the infirmary. With Chyro Tech out of the way, he was looking forward to getting back to work.
Just then, he heard a chime. He recognized it right away as the doorbell, but for some reason, it sounded different to him. "Come in," he said, refusing to move.
The door slid open, and she walked in carrying balloons. "Welcome home Trip," she said eagerly, walking over to him and handing him the balloons. "I wanted to be there when you woke up, but I got tied up in the lab,"
"Its okay, I know you were busy. Besides, I knew you were there," he said.
"Really?"
"Yeah, I could sense you there," Trip said.
She smiled. "Are you feeling okay now?" she asked.
"Dr. Young says I'm ready to return to active duty, but Alex wants me to wait an extra day just in case," he told her.
"Trip, I wanted to tell you that…" he cut her short.
"Camille, you don't owe me any explanation. You were working on the morpher because it was what you had to do. I'm sorry I didn't support you, I just wanted you to be safe," he said.
"I know you did,"
"When I walked in and saw you laying on the floor because of that damn thing, I panicked. I thought I'd lost you," he said.
She moved closed to him. "You could never lose me Trip. Never," she sighed.
Trip quickly stood up, backing away from her. "I'm glad that you're okay," he said.
"So that's it Trip? That's all?"
"What do you mean?"
"You know exactly what I mean. You're going to try to forget that we were in love with each other?!" she snapped.
"You were in love with me?" he asked.
"Madly and completely. I still am in love you with," she stood up, walking over to him. "Are you saying you aren't in love with me anymore?"
"I…" he paused. "I don't know,"
"You're a part of me Trip, you always have been. From the moment we met we both knew it, and now you want to forget it ever happened, like it didn't mean anything to you," she said.
"I didn't say that,"
"You didn't have to say it. I came here hoping we could work things out and get back together. I thought that if I told you how I felt and explained to you why I did what I did, you would forgive me and we could be together, but you've made it painfully obvious that you don't want me back," Camille snapped, heading for the door.
He wanted to say something, something that would calm her down, something to tell her that it wasn't true, but it was too late…
… she was gone.
*
"Are you sure this is the only way to save her?" Alex asked, pacing back and forth in his conference room. As usual, he had a calm, emotionless look on his face.
"It's the only thing we can think of. Without separating the Ethros DNA from her human DNA, both will die," he explained.
"But what will happen to Katie's Ethros DNA once you remove it?" Adam asked, injecting himself into the conversation.
"When the procedure is complete, we'll have a full blooded Ethros demon on our hands. It will be devoid of human emotion, thought or higher reasoning. You may want to have security posted through out the infirmary in case something goes wrong," he said.
"You believe this demon will be a security risk?"
"I'm unsure of what the end result will be. In this case, I think its better to be safe than sorry," the doctor mentioned.
"Why not just destroy the DNA?" Alex asked.
"Because it's a part of Katie," Adam said.
"You're right, a part that's killing her right now. I see no need to undergo a procedure that could be potentially dangerous," he said.
"I don't think that's right. We're talking about a lifeform here," Tommy said, infusing his opinion on the subject.
"It isn't a lifeform, it's a strand of DNA. No more, no less," Alex said.
"But if we offer it a host to merge with, it could potentially be a lifeform. I know I haven't been with Time Force that long, but I didn't know we were in the business of denying life in any form the chance to exist," Adam brought up.
"We're not. Time Force has done questionable things in the past, but we're not killers," he said.
"But you're willing to destroy a part of Katie so you won't have to deal with it later," be mentioned.
"Lt. Park, I'm weighing the consequences as a whole, not from the standpoint of a boyfriend who doesn't want anything to happen to his girlfriend. If we allow this being to live, and provide it with a body, none of us will be equipped to stop a full-blooded Ethros demon. The Ethros are a powerful race of beings, but without Katie's human side to regulate it, it will have no mercy, no regret. It could rip us apart and think nothing of it," Alex explained.
"Maybe we should research ways to contain it," Tommy said.
"Containment is out the question. Katie is able to be contained because she is only half Ethros, but a full Ethros would be able to break through any level of containment we came up with," he said.
"We could use force fields with a level ten setting. Even the Harvengers weren't able to break through them, and it would certainly do the job for an Ethros," Dr. Young said.
"Okay, then what? We'll have it in a force field, but we'll have to do something with it eventually. I understand what everyone is saying, and I'm against destroying a living being, but it isn't a being yet. Sure, if we provide it with what it needs, it could be, but right now its merely DNA. Preventing this thing from running loose in Time Force is my top priority, and I can't allow that to happen. I'm sorry doctor, but this discussion is over. The DNA will be destroyed," Alex announced.
Dr. Young stood up. "No," he said calmly.
"Excuse me?"
"I am a doctor, and I swore to do no harm, and took an oath to save life in all its forms. If it is within my means to save this Ethros and Katie, I am honor bound to explore those options. As the executive medical officer in Time Force, I am authorized to make that decision regardless of your opinion. I'd hoped that you would make the right decision, but I see I was wrong," he explained.
"The right decision saves lives. You're trying to save a life, which I fully understand, but weigh it against the number of causalities that will come if that Ethros escapes into the general public. I can't allow a full blooded Ethros demon to run loose through this city," Alex snapped.
"Hes right, its just too dangerous. I wish there was something more we could do, but we're out of options," Tommy agreed.
"I'm afraid the two of you misunderstood; I am going to perform the procedure, with or without your approval," he said, making his way out the conference room.
"Tommy, have a security detail assigned to the infirmary before, during and after the procedure," Alex told him.
"I'm on it," Tommy said, rushing out the room.
"Adam, go down to special projects and get your morpher. If this thing gets out, we're going to need all the help we can get to stop it," he instructed.
"Just so you know Alex, I understand what you were saying, but I hope nothing goes wrong," Adam said, walking out the room.
"So do I," he sighed.
*
Jen had gone over the information Dr. Young had given her several times. After forcing him to redo the test several times, the results were the same. At first, she was sure there was simply something wrong with the machinery, or that the doctor had misread the information, but she'd gone to several other doctors outside Time Force and they were saying the same thing…
"Twins," she sighed, putting her hand on her stomach.
Neither of them were ready to start a family, but were willing to deal with the situation when they found out she was pregnant. She'd known for a little over a week, but there were so occupied with the Chyro Tech mission, not to mention of her classes and routine work through out the building, she'd hadn't found the right to time to tell. 'One kid is hard enough, I'm going to have two?' she sighed inwardly.
*
Adam stepped off the turbo lift and headed down the hallway, making his way towards the infirmary. Though it had only been a few days for everyone else, for him, it had been years. Years since he'd seen her.
When he arrived in front of the infirmary, he was stopped a group of security guards. "I'm sorry Lt. Park, we can't let you in," one of them said.
"Why not?"
"Security protocol sir, I'm sorry," the other said.
"What's going on in there?"
"I'm sorry sir, we can't discuss it. It's classified," he said.
Just then, the doors to the infirmary were knocked open, and Dr. Young slid into the hallway. Adam quickly leaned down to check on him. There was blood all over his face and in his clothes. "What happened in there doc?" he asked.
At that moment, it stepped out into the hallway. At first glance, it appeared to be Katie, but there was something terribly wrong with her. She seemed much taller, and had ridges in her forehead. Her eyes were an odd shade of green, and her hair hung down, covering most of her face.
"You have to… stop it," Dr. Young sighed.
The two guards rushed at the creature, only to be swatted away. Adam stood up, standing face to face with it. "Katie, its me, Adam. What the hell is going on?" he asked, hoping to reason with her.
The creature paused for a moment, staring Adam up and down, and then let out sickening roar, swinging at Adam with a right hand. Adam caught its hand, but got caught with a kick to the stomach. As he doubled over, the creature grabbed him by the throat, lifting him up. "Adam," it groaned, getting a good look at him, then dropped him, storming down the hall.
Adam gasped for air, trying to catch his breath, then reached for his morpher. "Adam to Lucas, something happened to Katie and she's mutated into some kind of demon. She's headed down the hall on deck eight, assemble the rangers to try to cut her off," he said.
'I'm on it Adam,' a voice said.
Adam slowly got back to his feet, and was about to go after it until…
"What the hell is going on?" a voice asked.
He turned around and saw her. "Katie?" he inquired.
~~
"KJ, can you use the sensors to track her?" Jen asked, standing behind KJ as she worked the main controls.
"Negative. The sensors are not programmed to track an Ethros. However, because she is on deck eight, it is reasonable to assume that she will either head to one of the launch bays, or perhaps the turbo lifts," she told her.
"If that thing gets loose into the city, we'll have a hard time containing it without someone getting hurt. I want you to seal off deck eight with force fields. Retune the force fields so that the morphers will allow the rangers to go through them, but keep the demon in," she instructed.
"Brilliant idea Captain," she paused. "Retuning the force fields now,"
~~
Alex rushed into the special projects lab, where Camille was standing in front of one of the workstations. "After I saw Adam, something told me you'd show up here sooner or later," she turned to him, handing him the red Chrono morpher. "Its been reset and will allow your encode your DNA into the systems data banks. You're all set," she said.
Alex quickly put the morpher on his wrist, and couldn't help but crack a smile. It seemed like so long since the last time he'd worn it, but yet, it felt as though still belonged to him. "Thanks Camille," he reached for his morpher. "Alex to Lt. Emery, respond," he said.
'Lt. Emery here sir,'"Report,"
'Trip and I are on deck eight, section three. We're in pursuit of the creature now,' he told him.
"Very good. Remember, do not use deadly force. I want this thing captured alive," he ordered.
'Understood sir. Emery out,'"Alex to Lucas, what's your status?" he asked.
'On deck eight, but there are no signs of the demon at all,' he said.
"I want everyone checking in every ten minutes. I'll meet you on deck eight in a minute," he instructed, and then rushed out the room.
*
"But how did… I mean, what did…" Katie stared at herself in the mirror, and although she couldn't find any desernable difference, she knew something had changed. She somehow seemed shorter, and there was an unusual sensation running through her body.
Through the reflection in the mirror, she saw Adam walk into the infirmary. Your Ethros DNA was rejecting the serum Dr. Young gave you for the radiation treatment, so they opted to remove the Ethros DNA from you and put it into a clone. Because of the regenerating properties of the DNA, the clone is now 100% Ethros and has the ability to heal itself almost instantly," Adam told him.
"Do you have any idea how dangerous that is? An Ethros is loose in here!" she snapped.
"I know, we're already on top of it,"
"But aren't you…"
"We'll worry about all that later. Right now, we have to stop it before it can hurt anyone," he said.
"Damn, I wish I had my morpher," she sighed.
Adam reached in his back pocket, pulling out her morpher. "I thought you might want this when you finally woke up, so I kept it with me just in case," he said, handing it to her.
Katie quickly put in on her wrist. "Come on, let's get moving," she said.
~~
Lt. Emery and Trip peeked around the corner, where the demon was trying to break into one of the rooms. Trip nodded at Emery, and the two of charged at the demon at once. Trip landed a kick to the side of the head, forcing the demon to stumble forward. Emery was next with a sweep, taking it down. The demon hit its head against the wall, knocking it unconscious.
"Good work James," Trip said, pulling out a pair of handcuffs.
As he approached the demon, it sat up, spitting a greenish fluid in Trip's face. Trip fell to the floor, screaming in pain.
"Alright, that's it," Emery reached for his morpher. "TIME FOR, TIME FORCE," he said, morphing into the silver ranger. He quickly called for his Chrono saber, slicing the creature across the chest.
It was enough to make the demon take a step back, but James watched on in horror as the wound on the demon's chest began to heal itself. "Oh this is just great," he sighed, quickly grabbing Trip, putting him over his shoulder, then headed down the hall.
As he stepped through the force field, the demon tried to follow, but couldn't.
"Trip, are you okay?" he asked him, trying to wipe as much of the fluid away from Trip as he could, but Trip didn't respond.
He quickly checked to see if there was a pulse, and then let out a sigh of relief when it was. "Emery to Infirmary, medical emergency on deck eight. Ranger down, I repeat, ranger down," he said.
~~
Alex made his way to deck eight, stepping through the force field, and was greeted by Lucas and Nadira. "Report," he said.
"Trip was injured and taken to the infirmary. The demon is trapped near the end of the hall, trying to break through the force field," Nadira said.
Alex reached for his morpher. "Alex to KJ, come in," he said.
'KJ here. How may I be of service?' she responded.
"The demon is trapped on this deck near the turbo lift in section seven, can you erect another force field to trap it in that section, then pump the entire section with enestasene gas?" he asked.
'It will take a moment to reroute the environmental controls, but yes,' she said.
"Do it," he ordered.
Alex, Lucas and Nadira rushed around the corner, where the demon was still hammering away at the force field. Moments later, a second force field went up, trapping the demon inside. Smoke began to fill the section, and soon, they weren't able to see inside.
"I think it worked," Lucas sighed.
"Good. Wait five minutes, and then have KJ clear the gas out and take the demon back to the infirmary. When you get it there, restrain it with force fields until we can figure out what to do with it," Alex ordered, walking away.
*
Katie stood in the infirmary in silence, staring down at her alter ego. As a child, she was always in an inner struggle with herself to control the demon inside her, and now, she found it ironic to find herself face to face with it. There was something disconcerting about it. Part of her was glad to be rid of the demon once and for all. Although it meant she would no longer have the ability to heal herself, and her added strength was gone, she gladly welcomed the normal life that was ahead of her.
Then again, another part of her wasn't sure if it was truly worth it. She turned her attention to Trip, who was unconscious, but in stable condition after being attacked by the demon. 'At least when it was inside me, I could control it. Now, its out of control,' she sighed inwardly.
Her thoughts were broken when the demon's eyes opened, and it stared up at Katie. "Help…me…" it called out.
The fact that it was able to formulate a sentence amazed her. "Do you understand me?" Katie asked it.
The creature nodded.
"What do you want me to do?"
"Can… not… survive…" it groaned.
"I don't know what I can do to help you. Dr. Young is working on a way to contain you, but…" she was cut short as the demon reached out, grabbing Katie's hand.
"No… only… you can… help…" it sighed.
"How? How can I help?" she asked.
"I'm afraid that there isn't anything any of us can do to help her at this point," Dr. Young said as he walked over to her. "She's dying,"
"Why?"
"Our theory was that the Ethros DNA would be able to repair any cellular damage the clone may have made, but it's having the opposite effect. The DNA is causing the cellular damage to speed up. Its only a matter of hours before…" he was cut short.
"What can I do to help?" she asked.
"Nothing. I'm afraid it's beyond my expertise. Perhaps we could put her in Cryogenic suspension until a cure can be found, but…" he was cut short.
"Put her back," she said.
"Excuse me?"
"Put the Ethros DNA back in me. It's the only way to save her," Katie said.
"I don't think you understand the severity of what you're proposing. The Ethros DNA has increased significantly since being passed to the clone, there's no telling how your body would react to that much of an increase," he said.
"I don't care. Demon or not, she's a part of me, and I refuse to let her die," she said.
"If that is your decision, I won't dispute it," he said.
"Do it," she insisted.
"Alright. If you'll come with me," he said, motioning her into the next room.
*
Alex leaned back in his chair, trying not to let his emotions get the best of him. Throughout the years, he'd been able to create a comfortable distance between himself and the people he worked with, but that distance seemed to be getting smaller lately.
He'd come to respect the other rangers a great deal. They were, in essence, his family, and seeing one of them going through such a dilemma bothered him. Katie had grown into an outstanding officer… 'Hell, they all have,' he thought to himself. He was looking forward to being part of their team again. After being promoted to Counsel Member, he found it harder to relate to them. Suddenly, he had the weight of Time Force on his shoulders. He had an obligation to uphold the rules, regulations and protocols of Time Force, but it was too much for him.
"Counsel Member Collins," a voice said, breaking his train of thought.
He sat up in his chair as she walked into his office. "Ms. Crane. What can I do for you?" he asked.
She closed the door behind her, then sat down in front of the desk. "For one, you can stop avoiding me," she said.
"What?"
"I've been here for a few days now and you haven't come to see me not once. I understand you're busy, and you have a organization to run, but you could have found a few minutes to come see me," she said.
"I apologize for…"
"Don't give me that Xander. While I was locked away in that cell dangling from my wrists for four years, all I wanted was to see you again. I thought if I held on one more day, you'd find me and we could be together again," she stood up. "If you don't want to be with me, so say so and I'll…" she was cut short.
"I do want to be with you," he said.
"So what's the problem?"
"I have a job to do Sierra. I'm the red ranger again, I have an obligation to…"
"No, you have an obligation to me. We were supposed to get married Xander, and how you treat me like a first year cadet. I love you Xander, and that was the only reason I made it for four years. I know things have changed for you, but the least you could do is come to me and tell me," she snapped.
"It hasn't changed," he paused. "I do love you, and I do what to be with you, but my first duty is to Time Force," he told her.
"Are you sure your first duty isn't to Jennifer?"
"What do you know about Jennifer?"
"The android told me everything; that the two of you were together, that you asked her to marry you, and how she left you. I know everything Xander," she said.
"It wasn't like that. There were circumstances," Alex sighed.
"So what's your excuse now? What circumstances are there? All I've ever wanted was to be with you, but I guess your feelings have changed," she said.
"That isn't it, I just…" he paused. "You've been gone a long time, and a lot has happened. Ransik escaped to the past, mutorgs tried to change history, a rogue Time Force officer tried to destroy the past and take over the future, there was a Vorhsoth invasion, Lord Zedd came back, a Harvenger invasion, and just recently, we shut down Chyro Tech. There's a lot going on, and right now, Time Force needs strong officers to help get back on its feet. Its up to me to get it done, and as much as I want to be with you, I have to things in order around here first," he explained.
She smiled slightly. "I've waited four years to be with you again Xander, I can wait a little longer," Sierra told him.
He smiled.
*
Katie opened her eyes slowly, only to see him sitting next to her. Her vision was a bit distorted, but it quickly cleared up, and she slowly sat up in the bed.
"Adam?" she sighed.
He quickly opened his eyes, sitting up in the chair. "Katie, you're awake. How do you feel?" he asked her.
She glanced over at the mirror on the opposite wall, smiling at herself with approval. "I feel like myself again," she said.
"The clone's cellular structure broke down about an hour ago. If your Ethros DNA had stayed in the clone, it would be gone too. You did the right thing," he told her.
"You know, all my life I struggled with the demon inside me, wishing that there was a way to get rid of it and live a normal life like everyone else. But, when I got my wish and the demon inside me was gone, I felt… empty, like I was less than what I was. My Ethros half is part of me, and it took losing it to truly accept it," she explained.
"I'm glad you did. The Ethros Katie was kinda creepy lookin'," he admitted.
She reached over, grabbing his hand. "I can imagine I don't look so hot right now either," she sighed.
He stood up, leaning down slightly. "No, you look just fine," he said, kissing her gently on the lips.
~~
Camille sat in her quarters alone. Seemed odd being there alone, considering that she and Trip use to live there together. All of things were still there, but for the last few weeks, Trip had been staying with Nadira and Lucas.
She'd hoped to put their differences behind them, to get back together and move on with their lives. After seeing Tommy and Jen get married, she found herself thinking about the prospect of marriage as well. 'Hell, even Adam and Katie are getting together. But me? Oh no, I'm all by myself again,' she sighed inwardly.
Her first thought was to call her mother, but quickly dismissed that thought. 'The last thing I need is to get into a debate about my sexual preference,' she thought.
Just then, the doors opened, and he walked in…
"Trip? Hi," she said, trying not to sound as happy to see him as she was.
There was an awkward moment of silence as the two of them stood up, staring at one another, unsure of what to say. Without a word, Trip walked over to her, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her passionately on the lips. When she backed away, he picked her up, carrying her into the bedroom and closed the door behind them.
~~
Preview: Lost SoulsNext time on Parallels II: Determined to prove his worth, Lt. James Emery goes on a mission to the 21st century alone, but gets more than he bargained for.
~~