Written by DTM666
Disclaimer: The author of this piece would like to state that 90% of the
characters featured here are properties of BVS Entertainment Inc and not that of
the author. 10% of the characters featured here are original creations of the
author.
Also, the author understands that this piece automatically negates
events that occur any and all PR incarnations that occur after Power Rangers
Wild Force; hence no Dino Thunder or Ninja Storm is featured here and hence
Tommy is not a doctor of anything. This is an AU, so to speak. Just thought we should be clear on that.
Note: What? No new reviews? So sad, but here's another chapter. Unless I get reviews, it'll be another week before the next chapter comes up.
---
The cage seems familiar. So did the backdrop. A perfect recreation of Rita Repulsa's dark dimension that was often used as a prison or secret hideaway. Thomas Oliver would usually be impressed with such things, such as the recreation of his most bitter enemy, Lord Zedd. He would be impressed with the skill this opponent would produce as he launched every single attack in Zedd's book and the ability to block Thomas' own attacks.
But when your life is on the line, he thought, you can't take your mind of things.
After a short round of hand-to-hand combat, Zedd summon his familiar Z-staff. Thomas, anticipating this action, pulled out his own weapon, a finely-crafted double-edged sword modeled somewhat after a medieval form. Zedd jumped at Thomas with great speed and rage, but Thomas managed to leap out of the way. Both weapons struck each other, with both opponents successfully managing to block the other's various strikes. It took a mistake from Zedd to give Thomas an opening; a somewhat cumbersome overhead staff thrust that the former Green Ranger managed to sidestep. Before a reaction from Zedd could happen, Thomas leaped above his adversary and left out a quick slash across Zedd's neck. Thomas landed and turned quickly to see a fairly thin line of light between the fleshman's head and neck. But just as the head was about to tip over, the fallen warlord disappeared and the arena soon converts back to a green cubed-shape room with a faint yellow light on each corner. Thomas wiped the sweat off his head and checked the nearby monitor with "1:12" blinking on the nearby monitor display.
"Quick," he told to no one in particular, "but too easy."
Climbing from his control center to a round room made completely of marble, Thomas walked towards an empty display case and placed the sword on its stand. The sword, miraculously, didn't get damaged at all; the training room was designed to be as realistic as possible, thus adding the threat of property damage, injury, and even death. Not exactly an appetizing session for a regular student, but for Thomas Oliver, it's as close to the real Ranger deal as he can get these days.
Entering the living room, which resembles the typical household living room, he noticed someone standing in the front door. He managed to put on a clean T-shirt and walked towards the door to open. It was Jason, his longtime friend.
"Did you kill anyone?" the Red Ranger asked, noticing Thomas' sweaty appearance.
Thomas simply shrugged his shoulders, "Holograms don't count, bro. Let's go under."
Jason shook his head in disappointment, letting himself in. Thomas simply rolled his eyes around and let out a sigh as he shut the door behind him and followed his long-time partner.
"Did you hear about what happened in Mariner, bro?" Jason asked, despite knowing the answer.
Thomas swallowed hard before answering. "I've seen the whole thing, Jay. It's not pretty."
Thomas led Jason down the steps and opened the door to his lair, which overwhelmed Jason the moment he had a glance at the room. While he had visited his friend's home many times, this is the first time Jason has actually seen this place. He didn't think it would be as advanced, if not moreso, than the old Command Centers he had been used to. The sight of it just makes him wonder.
Thomas sat near a round table and pressed a button on a nearby console. Out of thin air, two glasses and a bottle of blue liquid suddenly materialized on the table. "Kerovan Brandy," Thomas identified the liquid in question, "I never touched the stuff. Brave enough, bro?"
"Sure," Jason answered with a smile, "although the last time I checked, that stuff's illegal in the states."
Thomas merely shrugged as he poured the beverage into both glasses and gave Jason one of them. They both stood and held glasses together for a toast.
"To Mariner Bay," Thomas toasted, "may the city recover from its worst tragedy."
"Amen, bro," Jason concurred. He took a sip of the ale as Thomas did the same. Both made disheartening expressions and placed the glasses back on the table.
"Bro," Jason offered, "next time you get alcohol, it better be from Earth."
Thomas laughed. "Yeah, Jay. Next time, it'll be something legal."
Jason also gave a light-hearted laugh, then his tone grew more wondrous. "Where did you get this set-up?"
Thomas hesitated for a moment before he answered, "I built it."
Jason scoffed, "Yeah right."
"No, really," insisted Thomas, "Andros gave me a module that allowed me to use the Morphing Grid to create a command center and..." A slight pause, then he cracked a smile when he noticed Jason's confused and disbelieving look. "Forget it. The less said, the better."
"Right" was Jason's only answer.
Suddenly, the mail manager made a typing sound. Thomas proceeded to the computer and accessed his inbox. He clicked on the item entitled "Lightspeed". A message replaced the menu. Jason approached his friend as he read the message:
From : Carter Grayson, Lightspeed
Rescue
To : Thomas Oliver
Subject :
Lightspeed
Good news: I've gotten word that Lightspeed Task Force is sending several troops to help us out with the rescue operation. Suddenly, things aren't quite as bad as they usually are.
Bad news: I've also got word from Lightspeed Task Force's C-N-C that there could be another Varox roaming around. I think we're going to have to bring in the big guns to track this guy down. Let me know. Carter.
"Well?" Thomas asked Jason, seeking advice.
Jason frowned, "A Varox bounty hunter blew up and nearly leveled an entire city. We'll need a plan."
Thomas went over to the comm system and pressed the button marked "ANDROS" on it. It took a while, but the comm system could not acquire a communications link. "I can't get to the Megaship."
Jason looked on as the monitor showed an ERROR - CONNECT FAILED message. "Maybe they're out of range," he suggested, "no matter how advanced something is, there are always limits."
"Perhaps..."
---
The last thing Andros of KO-35 saw before passing out was a red torpedo rapidly approaching the Astro-Megaship Mark-II, well certain of the final killing blow.
When he woke up however, he found himself in one piece; a little battered and bruised, but in one piece nonetheless. He looked around and saw the Megaship's bridge, or rather, what's left of it. The various computer consoles and display screens were either destroyed completely or short-circuited. Burnt-out power cables were hanging from the ceiling. The main viewer had a hole in it, revealing a small flame on the other side. The main elevator shaft to the lower decks has completely caved in. And his two partners, TJ and Zhane were knocked out during the one-sided attack.
Regaining his composure, Andros approached what was left of the Maintenance station. He checked the console's broken Plexiglas and saw an gray knob behind the screen. With proper care, Andros positioned his arm so that he could reach the knob. Upon making contact, he pressed the knob inward, which resulted in the emergency lights going on. Unlike most of the ship's other systems, the lights had their own power source.
Andros noticed that Zhane and TJ had regained consciousness.
"Am I dead yet?" Zhane asked jokingly.
"No," TJ teased, "not yet."
Andros almost let out a smile; even in the grimmest scenario, they manage to lighten up the moment. As the Red Ranger helped his friends back to their feet, he heard creaking sounds emanating from the ground. After a while, the creaking was followed by a banging sound, although the ground doesn't seem to be weak of extra weight.
"Maybe we should get out of here," Zhane cautioned, "before the bridge caves in."
"Right," TJ agreed, "We'll take the gliders."
---
The Space Rangers on their Galaxy Gliders (TJ as Red Turbo uses the Blue Glider) observed the damage done. The exterior of the Megaship is a wreck. One of the engines was vaporized by the projectile impact, there are many visible hull breaches on the ship's aft, and what was once blue or red is now a dark brown or completely black color. Miraculously, the only part of the ship that seems to be in one piece is the front port and the main hangar nearby.
Fortunately for them, the ship that managed this damage did not see fit to destroy the ship, since it was no longer a threat. However, that meant the ship was farther away and this time, the Rangers would have no way of tracking it down.
Zhane observed another ship approaching and directed the other Rangers' attention to it. The ship had a similar shape to a passenger airplane, although it generally is a little bigger and the wings were slightly bent upwards. Launching from behind the vessel, two smaller fighter craft popped out. Andros immediately recognized them.
"Quadrafighters!" he shouted.
The Rangers prepared for a fight, but the two fighters did not attack. In fact, one of the pilots spoke within a handheld comm. The Rangers have seen Cogs talk, but it was the message that surprised them.
"We've noticed your battered vessel on our long-range sensors," the Cog said in an almost human voice without vocal impediments. "Do you require assistance?"
---
Taylor Earheart was relieved that someone from Lightspeed had brought more soldiers to help with the salvage operation. To her surprise, the U.S. military managed to send some of their own to help out. Unfortunately, Chad Lee's worst fear was confirmed, when soldiers found the dead bodies of the five rookie Lightspeed Rangers. Those five, along with another seven hundred fifty people, were uncovered and sent to be buried at various cemeteries.
With Chad in the hands of Mariner Bay's top emergency crews lead by Dr. Dana Mitchell, another former Lightspeed Ranger, Taylor walked back to her fighter jet and took off. She soon gave the order to her other wingmen to return to base, but did one more pass of the city to many emergency teams and soldiers go along with their rescue plan, before rejoining formation.
---
It is no surprise that Lightspeed Rescue commander Carter Grayson's work has been cut out for him. Writing casualty reports, obituaries, bringer of bad news to those who lost loved ones, and hosting a ceremony for the fallen; even with the work divided with Dr. Dana, this was still overwhelming work. But despite this, he knows he has another problem in his mind, namely the other Varox running loose on Earth with the same potential capacity for destruction.
At 9 P.M., Carter was still working on the reports, as well as assisting Task Force soldiers with whatever he knows about the bounty hunter that caused the disaster. He did receive a call from Joel Rawlings, who hoped for nothing but good. Carter appreciated the call and he needed something like that to lift his spirits.
There were times when I wish I hadn't taken this job, he thought to himself.
---
A military weapons depot in Stone Canyon. Home to many nuclear and hydrogen weapons that the government had kept in hiding for the past several years, a small contingent of army soldiers as well as several Lightspeed Task Force soldiers were blocking the main exit out of the complex. Aiming at a particular creature with an armored chestplate, armed with a weapon of his own...
TO BE CONTINUED...