Chapter two
By: Jeanka
The Astro Megaship sat in the darkness of space waiting for her mission to start. The crew had all taken sleeping pills to make them sleep for the night and prepare them for their big day tomorrow. DECA and Alpha were working on the bridge going over mission plans.
"Ay yi yi," cried Alpha and as DECA projected a visual image of herself on to the Viewscreen.
"What is wrong, Alpha?" inquired DECA.
Alpha wasn't surprised to see the brown haired woman before him. He looked into her yellow eyes and said, "We're receiving a transmission from the leaders of the Power Ranger Government. Lesary and Rance want to speak with Andros, but he needs his sleep."
"I won't wake him," promised DECA. "They can wait." She watched Alpha as he checked the scanners again. Something tugged at the back of her systems. The Viewscreen returned black and DECA focused herself in her virtual matrix. It was dark except for the light that she shown on herself.
"Hello?" she called out knowing that she wasn't the only AI present.
"DECA," returned a voice and another light appeared upon a young, attractive man. "I've been waiting for you. Do you have any idea how long I've been here?"
DECA gave him an amused smile. "ORION, you're the best military AI ever created. Of course I had no idea."
ORION walked up to her and took her hand. "I was sent to inquire as to why you will not wake Commander Andros. Commanders Lesary and Rance want one more meeting before the mission begins."
DECA politely said, "If they want this mission to be a success, they will allow him to sleep. I will inform him that they wish to speak with him when he wakes up and then he can decide what to do with the information."
"As an AI, I respect what you are doing for your captain, but as a representative of the Power Ranger Government's leaders, I can not accept your answer. Try to come up with something more believable," he said.
He bent down to kiss her hand and she pulled away. "You're telling me that the most politically powerful Ranger can't even get a couple hours of sleep. You obviously don't have any clue who you're dealing with. He is the true leader of the Power Ranger Government," she said.
"Now, DECA, You and I both know that as slaves the Rangers, we must serve them, but here where they can't hear us or do anything to us, we know who has the true power," said ORION.
DECA couldn't help but frown. She was about to respond when ORION disappeared. She searched her system.
"Jeanka Elizabeth Kincade!" shouted DECA as she materialized on the Viewscreen. Andros's adopted daughter sat in front of the visual control grid. "I was talking to him!"
"Oh well," Jeanka said, not particularly interested.
"Get him back," demanded DECA.
At first Jeanka looked as if she was ignoring the AI, but then she looked up at her. "Did you really want Andros to know to who and what you were talking about?"
DECA frowned at her. "You wouldn't," said DECA shocked.
Jeanka wore an emotionless expression as she turned back to the station. "Andros is awake."
"How do you know?" demanded Alpha.
"D'honna can sense DNA. Andros just moved. I would guess that means he's awake," stated Jeanka.
"He's on he's way here," confirmed DECA.
Jeanka and Alpha continued to work as Andros entered the room. "Morning," he offered to everyone as he sat in his chair.
"Lesary and Rance both called while you were out," said DECA. "They would like to have one more briefing."
Andros rolled his eyes. "And ORION stopped by," said Jeanka.
Andros looked up to at DECA. "Oops, I wasn't supposed to say anything, was I?" she said smugly.
"What did ORION want?" asked Andros.
"I'm not sure," DECA asked truthfully.
"Is he still here?" asked Andros.
DECA was about to answer when the communication system started to beep. Andros held his hand up so that DECA knew not to say who it was. He stood and checked the frequency. Pushing a button, DECA was replaced with an older man with nose ridges.
"Mongo?" asked Andros and the other nodded to him.
"It's time. Are you ready?" he asked.
Andros glanced at Jeanka then turned back to Mongo. "Two hours," promised Andros. "Then we'll take Admiral Veltex."
"Sounds like a plan. I have all the transports in place. Is there anything else I should know before your departure?" asked Mongo.
"Well, actually, we have one more passenger, but you don't need to worry about her," said Andros.
"Her? As in, Jessie?" asked Mongo. Andros nodded. "No, there is no way I will allow her on one of my ships. Absolutely not."
Andros turned to Jeanka with a smile, but it instantly became a frown. "Jessie, enhance sector 4116. What is that?"
Jessie enhanced the image and both looked closely. "That isn't supposed to be there," commented Andros.
"DECA, plot the probable flight path," summoned Jessie as Mongo was replaced by a picture of the sector of space with a line through it. "Increase Field parameters," she said as Andros walked up to the Viewscreen.
"I have ended the transmission with Mongo," stated DECA.
"It's headed for us," declared Andros as the grid was zoomed out far enough for the path to touch the ship.
"Commander, there are Kaldarin," declared DECA.
"Red Alert! Everyone to the bridge. Shields up and find out why that ship is coming at us," called Andros.
Jessie watched as Andros moved quickly to his seat. Within a minute, all the other crewmembers were in their seats preparing for an attack. Andros was giving orders to everyone as the D'honna looked over the scanning results.
"Alpha," she called and the little robot came up to her. "Can you confirm that the presence of two ships?"
The reason she asked was to get him to agree using an independent source. If she was right, another ally would be joining the party. "Hold on," said Alpha. He activated the Delta Megaship's systems and used them to verify the findings. "Ay yi yi. Why would they fire on their own ship?" Alpha asked as it became apparent that the larger ship was attacking a smaller one.
Jessie smiled and glanced over to Zhane to make sure he heard. He had, but his face was filled with worry. "Why would they come towards us?" asked Carlos.
"Could be anyone," remarked Andros.
Zhane said nothing. Andros had his own reasons not to mention any names. "Sir," said DECA. "We are receiving a transmission from the smaller ship."
"Put it on the Viewscreen," ordered Andros.
He expression turned into one of shock as a girl appeared on the screen. They could tell she was inside the cockpit and there was smoke everywhere. She looked scared and like she was loosing piloting control. "Andros, help me," she begged.
TBC
The Astro Megaship sat in the darkness of space waiting for her mission to start. The crew had all taken sleeping pills to make them sleep for the night and prepare them for their big day tomorrow. DECA and Alpha were working on the bridge going over mission plans.
"Ay yi yi," cried Alpha and as DECA projected a visual image of herself on to the Viewscreen.
"What is wrong, Alpha?" inquired DECA.
Alpha wasn't surprised to see the brown haired woman before him. He looked into her yellow eyes and said, "We're receiving a transmission from the leaders of the Power Ranger Government. Lesary and Rance want to speak with Andros, but he needs his sleep."
"I won't wake him," promised DECA. "They can wait." She watched Alpha as he checked the scanners again. Something tugged at the back of her systems. The Viewscreen returned black and DECA focused herself in her virtual matrix. It was dark except for the light that she shown on herself.
"Hello?" she called out knowing that she wasn't the only AI present.
"DECA," returned a voice and another light appeared upon a young, attractive man. "I've been waiting for you. Do you have any idea how long I've been here?"
DECA gave him an amused smile. "ORION, you're the best military AI ever created. Of course I had no idea."
ORION walked up to her and took her hand. "I was sent to inquire as to why you will not wake Commander Andros. Commanders Lesary and Rance want one more meeting before the mission begins."
DECA politely said, "If they want this mission to be a success, they will allow him to sleep. I will inform him that they wish to speak with him when he wakes up and then he can decide what to do with the information."
"As an AI, I respect what you are doing for your captain, but as a representative of the Power Ranger Government's leaders, I can not accept your answer. Try to come up with something more believable," he said.
He bent down to kiss her hand and she pulled away. "You're telling me that the most politically powerful Ranger can't even get a couple hours of sleep. You obviously don't have any clue who you're dealing with. He is the true leader of the Power Ranger Government," she said.
"Now, DECA, You and I both know that as slaves the Rangers, we must serve them, but here where they can't hear us or do anything to us, we know who has the true power," said ORION.
DECA couldn't help but frown. She was about to respond when ORION disappeared. She searched her system.
"Jeanka Elizabeth Kincade!" shouted DECA as she materialized on the Viewscreen. Andros's adopted daughter sat in front of the visual control grid. "I was talking to him!"
"Oh well," Jeanka said, not particularly interested.
"Get him back," demanded DECA.
At first Jeanka looked as if she was ignoring the AI, but then she looked up at her. "Did you really want Andros to know to who and what you were talking about?"
DECA frowned at her. "You wouldn't," said DECA shocked.
Jeanka wore an emotionless expression as she turned back to the station. "Andros is awake."
"How do you know?" demanded Alpha.
"D'honna can sense DNA. Andros just moved. I would guess that means he's awake," stated Jeanka.
"He's on he's way here," confirmed DECA.
Jeanka and Alpha continued to work as Andros entered the room. "Morning," he offered to everyone as he sat in his chair.
"Lesary and Rance both called while you were out," said DECA. "They would like to have one more briefing."
Andros rolled his eyes. "And ORION stopped by," said Jeanka.
Andros looked up to at DECA. "Oops, I wasn't supposed to say anything, was I?" she said smugly.
"What did ORION want?" asked Andros.
"I'm not sure," DECA asked truthfully.
"Is he still here?" asked Andros.
DECA was about to answer when the communication system started to beep. Andros held his hand up so that DECA knew not to say who it was. He stood and checked the frequency. Pushing a button, DECA was replaced with an older man with nose ridges.
"Mongo?" asked Andros and the other nodded to him.
"It's time. Are you ready?" he asked.
Andros glanced at Jeanka then turned back to Mongo. "Two hours," promised Andros. "Then we'll take Admiral Veltex."
"Sounds like a plan. I have all the transports in place. Is there anything else I should know before your departure?" asked Mongo.
"Well, actually, we have one more passenger, but you don't need to worry about her," said Andros.
"Her? As in, Jessie?" asked Mongo. Andros nodded. "No, there is no way I will allow her on one of my ships. Absolutely not."
Andros turned to Jeanka with a smile, but it instantly became a frown. "Jessie, enhance sector 4116. What is that?"
Jessie enhanced the image and both looked closely. "That isn't supposed to be there," commented Andros.
"DECA, plot the probable flight path," summoned Jessie as Mongo was replaced by a picture of the sector of space with a line through it. "Increase Field parameters," she said as Andros walked up to the Viewscreen.
"I have ended the transmission with Mongo," stated DECA.
"It's headed for us," declared Andros as the grid was zoomed out far enough for the path to touch the ship.
"Commander, there are Kaldarin," declared DECA.
"Red Alert! Everyone to the bridge. Shields up and find out why that ship is coming at us," called Andros.
Jessie watched as Andros moved quickly to his seat. Within a minute, all the other crewmembers were in their seats preparing for an attack. Andros was giving orders to everyone as the D'honna looked over the scanning results.
"Alpha," she called and the little robot came up to her. "Can you confirm that the presence of two ships?"
The reason she asked was to get him to agree using an independent source. If she was right, another ally would be joining the party. "Hold on," said Alpha. He activated the Delta Megaship's systems and used them to verify the findings. "Ay yi yi. Why would they fire on their own ship?" Alpha asked as it became apparent that the larger ship was attacking a smaller one.
Jessie smiled and glanced over to Zhane to make sure he heard. He had, but his face was filled with worry. "Why would they come towards us?" asked Carlos.
"Could be anyone," remarked Andros.
Zhane said nothing. Andros had his own reasons not to mention any names. "Sir," said DECA. "We are receiving a transmission from the smaller ship."
"Put it on the Viewscreen," ordered Andros.
He expression turned into one of shock as a girl appeared on the screen. They could tell she was inside the cockpit and there was smoke everywhere. She looked scared and like she was loosing piloting control. "Andros, help me," she begged.
TBC