Disclaimer: The usual. Don't own anything you recognize.
KINGS AND VAGABONDS
By Etcetera Kit
Chapter Thirteen: Truth and Consequences II
Syd watched as Paris slammed her fists on the table in frustration, her teeth clenched as she growled at the unrelenting message across the computer screen – access denied. Apparently one had to be a person at the proper level in order to have access. Unfortunately, an A-Level cadet who was also a B-Squad Power Ranger and an SPD patrol officer were not at the proper level. From the restrictions, it appeared that the only person with access to the files that Paris wanted was Cruger.
"This doesn't make sense," Paris said, shaking her head. "There is no reason for all the files from 2001 to be locked up like this."
"Is it everything?" Syd asked. Sometimes results of experiments or security logs that had highly personal information were restricted – it helped to protect privacy and to keep prying Troovians from getting information that might help their battle.
Her sister nodded. "All the media files, all the security logs, all the operating reports – everything." Paris let out a long breath. "And there's no reason for it."
"Does it matter?" Syd asked. "We don't have a starting point anyways."
"True." Her sister looked defeated. "I thought we had a starting point at Blue Bay Harbor, but apparently not."
Their birth certificates had been altered to show the new last names – names that had nothing to do with their birth and adopted parents – and a hospital and place of birth that coincided with the adoption. Paris had tried to get the courts to release their real birth certificates, but nothing could budge the iron lock on them. Syd let out a long breath – she didn't understand why Paris insisted on continuing this search all the time. It wasn't like she had ever found anything worthwhile. Besides, their adopted parents would welcome her back, if she would just show a little faith in them.
Perhaps Paris' faith in others had shattered – Syd felt guilty, thinking about the opulent birthday that their adopted parents had planned for her, a party that she hadn't told Paris about and that she was fairly certain her sister didn't have an idea of the extent of. Her sister was completely self-reliant – she relied on no one and tried to make sure that no one relied on her. That was where the plan failed – too many people relied on her. Syd had always gone to Paris for advice and comfort. It was hard to imagine having a falling out with her, which would end with Paris leaving SPD for good.
Maybe it was time to pose a question that she had wanted to ask for a long time. Now that Paris had graduated, there was nothing keeping her at SPD. She could join the normal police force, the GSA, NASADA – just about any other elite organization that dealt with crime, no matter how minute. Syd found she liked SPD – and the people she worked with.
"Why do you stay here?" she whispered.
Paris gave her a sharp look. "Apart from that being totally non-related to the present topic, why do you ask?"
"I'm just wondering." She paused. "You don't have to stay here."
"I do," she said softly. Then she smiled. "Someone has to make sure that you stay out of trouble."
As a ranger, Syd technically outranked her sister, graduation from the academy aside. There had to be another reason. "Is it because of Austin?"
Paris sighed. "Look, Syd, there's a lot going on here that you don't understand."
"I'm only a year younger than you, Quit acting like you're so much older."
"In a way, I am." She paused. "What do you guys have to do for punishment when you do something stupid? Clean something? Officers' pay is docked – there have been instances of officers actually owing SPD money."
"But you—"
"I hardly get paychecks – it doesn't matter if I've done everything I'm supposed to or not. It's a pittance – I can hardly buy groceries with it." Paris sighed. "I don't have the money to leave here and go somewhere else."
"But you took those leave days and went to Blue Bay Harbor!"
"Yeah – and I borrowed the money from Aunt Rose."
Aunt Rose was a distant relation of their adopted parents'. No one was quite sure how she was related, so she had been given the title 'aunt.' However, she was rich beyond belief, but didn't want to live like that. She was always willing to dole out money to whatever relative so much as asked for it. Since Rose was eccentric and didn't tend to play by the rules, she and Paris had got along well when Paris had been younger.
"I didn't know," Syd said quietly.
"No one needs to."
"They do! You spend your entire life behind a wall – not letting anyone close to you. Maybe one of us could help."
Paris gave her a level stare. "The only way for my present situation to be helped is if someone went back in time and made me stay on the ranger track." She paused, running a hand through her hair. "It's not worth talking about. There's still work to be done here."
Syd inwardly fumed. Paris never let anyone behind her mask. She knew everything about Syd and was interested in what went on in her life, but never let something from her own life slip out. This was the way things were – nothing could be done about that. She let out a long breath and glanced back to the screen. There was no point in pursuing the topic, because, as far as her sister was concerned, the conversation was over.
"Is there something else?" she whispered.
"It's too much of a coincidence that six people with powers ended up at SPD. We are the only people native to this planet with those powers. We're all related somehow – I'd just love to know how."
"So where is Syd?"
"Helping Paris go through some stuff at the archives. And then they were going to go catch a movie or something. We have the room to ourselves."
Z glanced over her shoulder at Bridge as she put the DVD in Syd's DVD player and picked up the remote. They were going to have the girls' room to themselves. Syd had taken to helping Paris with her weekend project of searching for their parents – probably more out of guilt than anything else after that birthday fiasco. That suited Z just fine. It meant that Syd was out of the room most evenings, therefore not nagging her about her chaotic side of the room and lack of cleaning skills.
This was the promised "date" with Bridge. It had taken a few days to pick a location for watching the movie – and then wait for the location to be free. The lounge was always too crowded and they didn't want to wait until all the non-ranger cadets went to bed. With their rooms, both Sky and Syd had decided to remain in residence for the past few nights, making a "date" impossible to facilitate.
Tonight, Syd had disappeared into the archives and Z had pounced on the chance.
"Where's Sky?" she asked, sitting on her bed next to Bridge and navigating through the menu on the disc.
"Asleep," Bridge answered.
Z raised her eyebrows. "What did he do to get so wiped out today?"
"He and Conner were training at the simulator." Bridge shrugged. "I guess Conner beat him up pretty good."
"You guess? I thought you could see all these things."
"I'm trying to cut back on jumping into his mind."
That should have surprised her and even disgusted her, but it didn't. The rest of the B-Squad knew more than they wanted to know about Sky, courtesy of Bridge who tended to say something without thinking it through. It hardly mattered now – sometime throughout capturing aliens who blew up prisons and throwing surprise parties the five of them had become a coherent unit, able to work together without causing a nuclear meltdown. Of course, it helped that Cruger had started letting them help with training for the C and D-Squad – both squads made them look competent and with the program.
"People think I know everything," Bridge said softly. "I don't."
Z gave him a sidelong glance. "I never said you knew everything."
"Cruger thinks I can find out anything."
Cruger thought that about all of them – Z had that thought more and more often as she learned more about the others, SPD and their supposed leader. He had overestimated their powers and their ability to hone the powers. No one else had powers like theirs so there wasn't a mentor or someone else with the power to train with. Cruger didn't understand that with most of their powers – hers, Sky's, Bridge's – that they had to concentrate mass amounts of energy in order to create bigger and better force fields, more replicates, sift through memories etc. Sky physically did not have enough energy to create big enough and strong enough force fields to please Cruger – in other words, he couldn't create a force field big enough to shield a planet. Z could not create an army – several hundred – replicates. She had enough energy to create fifty, at the most, and when she created that many she couldn't control most of them. And Bridge… he couldn't just throw his mind out and reach Gruumm – it didn't work like that. In order to read someone's mind, Bridge had to be in the room with that person.
The pressure was building here – and someone was going to crack under the strain.
"Was Cruger in the simulator with Conner and Sky?"
Bridge nodded. Z let out a long breath. That gave the real reason for Sky to be sleeping – he had used up all his energy on force fields. In a way, she envied Conner and Syd. Their powers were more an extension of their bodies. It didn't require energy for Syd to change her hand into something else or for Conner to use his super-speed. It required concentration, but nowhere near the amounts of physical strain the others felt.
But there were others with powers here – Kira Ford, one of the schoolteachers, had the same kind of powers as Conner, except hers was a super-sonic scream. It made her wonder why she was just a teacher and not an officer. Then there was Paris and her ability to phase.
Bridge was still frowning with worry. Z scooted closer to him. "What are you really worried about? And don't tell me it's Syd interrupting – she knows to stay away."
He tried to smile and failed – this was unusual for Bridge. He was the happy-go-lucky one that was always smiling. "I'm afraid that if Cruger starts to push us more and more, something bad will happen." He shook his head. "There's something in Sky's aura – and yours too. It's like a warning. I'm afraid if Cruger keeps pushing, someone will get hurt or—"
Die.
The word was unspoken and it hung in the air between them. Z closed the gap between and rested her head on Bridge's shoulder, her arm around his waist. He sighed and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She knew what it meant to have physical contact from Bridge. He eschewed touching people, even with his gloves on, because there was too much emotional projection and residue in the air.
"Bridge," she said softly, moving her head so she could see him. She gently rested her palm on his cheek. "No one is going to die. We all know our limits – and Cruger can't push us beyond them."
His blue eyes meet hers and he gave her a tentative smile. "Your eyes look like chocolate," he replied.
Z fought the urge to laugh. "Are you hungry?"
"Sort of," he admitted.
She did laugh and gently cupped his face between her palms. Leaning forward, she gave him a soft, innocent kiss on the lips, retreating just as quickly as she closed in. He had a look on his face that was surprise mixed with pleasure. She had never had a physical relationship that had not involved brutality – and she knew that Bridge was incapable of hurting the people that he cared about.
Bridge leaned forward, starting the next kiss. It became a little longer, a little deeper. He tasted good – there were remnants of a mint and, distantly, coffee, but something else that was uniquely Bridge. She guessed the line about her eyes being like chocolate was about the most romantic he would get.
"Are we going to watch the movie?" she asked breathlessly.
He shrugged. "We don't have to."
That was something Bridge would say. She laughed again, reveling in the soft, sweet kisses that she had never known before.
He blinked and glanced at the clock. It was just gone nine. For some reason it felt like it should be much later. Sky sat up in bed and rubbed his eyes, the headache that had been a pounding pain had diminished to a dull ache. The events of the afternoon came tumbling back to him, giving him the reason he had decided to go to bed so early and skip dinner. The simulator training had supposed to be about honing his power – he had thought that meant working on creating on-the-spot force fields that were substantial enough to shield himself and the other rangers against an explosion. No – it had meant working on creating larger and stronger force fields until he ended up with a roaring headache and a bleeding nose.
Conner had stepped in when the nosebleed started, saying that this was ridiculous and they needed to stop. Cruger hadn't looked happy, but he sent them back to their quarters. He wouldn't have thought it possible before, but he was glad that McKnight stood up for him. Kat had come in with one of the dermal regenerators and stopped the nosebleed in a few seconds – he wasn't sure how a dermal regenerator was supposed to help, but it had.
Kat didn't know about the nosebleed that had started once he got back to his room. Bridge was gone – he and Z were watching a movie or something along those lines. He had stopped the bleeding on his own and then gone to bed.
He put his hand to his nose and drew it away – it was sticky with fresh blood. Great. Sky got out of bed and went into the bathroom, leaning over the sink and grabbing a handful of tissues. He should go to the infirmary and report this – but it seemed so trivial. Turning on the facet, he got a washcloth damp and pressed it to the back of his neck. He then used his free hand to pinch the bridge of his nose. Simple but effective.
He thought to the brief phone conversation he had with his father before going to bed. He claimed that he had nosebleeds when he first discovered his powers and had been trying to use them, but those stopped once he learned how to control his powers. His father wasn't sure what the nosebleeds now meant. Sky was almost grateful that he was scheduled to have the weekend off soon – he could go home and get some answers.
The bleeding tapered off.
Sky let out a long breath. He was light-headed and hungry, not to mention the lingering effects of the headache. The first thing he needed to do was go to the lounge and get something to eat, then he needed to go back to bed. Going back into the bedroom, he searched for a pair of shoes and put them on, not caring that he wasn't in his uniform and grabbed a box of tissues.
The halls were quiet and deserted – probably because it was nearing lights-out for the lower level cadets and the higher level cadets were in their rooms working.
"Sky!"
He frowned and turned at the sound of Syd's voice. She was just coming out of the archives room. She glanced down at what he was wearing. "Nice variation on the uniform," she said, a note of joviality behind her words.
He frowned again and looked down at his clothes. He was dressed, just not in something that was coordinated. Was there something wrong with blue plaid pajama pants and a blue long-sleeved shirt? It was what he normally slept in.
"Thanks," he replied dryly.
"What's with the tissues?"
"Long story."
"Okay," Syd said. "I can see this is going to get a little one-sided. Where are you heading to?"
"The lounge – I'm going to get something to eat."
"Cool! I'll join you."
"Whatever."
"Whatever," Syd mimicked, falling into step with him. Sky gave her a sidelong glare, not in the mood for this. Ever since that incident with the diamonds, he had felt connected to her in some way – and then all the stuff with the birthday and that damn poem. He was still beating his head against the wall to get a coherent poem in that meter. It was almost done – and he wanted the satisfaction of the shocked look on Paris' face. That woman didn't shock easily and he wanted to be the one that did it, especially if the stories the others officers told was anything to go by.
The lounge was empty. It didn't surprise him. Someone had left their cards scattered over the low table and parts to a video game were still out. If his head felt better, he would have fumed about it, but he didn't have the energy.
He went over to the food replicator and punched a few buttons.
"You're eating a sandwich with rabbit food in it?" Syd was standing on her tiptoes, looking over his shoulder in disgust at the sandwich.
He shrugged. "Got to keep in shape."
She rolled her eyes. "Can't even splurge on a midnight snack?"
"It's not midnight yet," he pointed out, taking a seat at one of the tables that were pushed in one corner café-style.
Syd waved the comment away, sitting across from him. "Mere triviality." She reached over the table and examined the contents of the sandwich. "You and your rabbit food," she muttered. "Doesn't your dad send you care packages with sweets?"
"That's mostly for Bridge."
The look on Syd's face clearly said, 'and he's got an answer for everything.' He took a bite of the sandwich, just wanting sustenance at this point in his life. He also wanted to eat as quickly as possible and get back to bed before he got another nosebleed.
"Did you guys find anything in the archives?"
"No," Syd said sullenly. She was playing with a lock of her hair, twirling it around her finger. "Did you know that officers' pay is docked when they mess something up?"
"Yeah. It's supposed to be incentive not to screw up when it can be avoided." He paused, chewing his food and swallowing. "I don't think it's fair, but I can't change it."
"I wish I could."
Sky had a feeling that Paris had most to all of her pay docked on a regular basis. It was a toss-up whether or not she earned it or if Cruger was just doing it to make sure she stayed at SPD. It was probably the latter.
"If it makes you feel any better, I'm almost done with the poem."
Syd's jaw dropped open. "You didn't actually take that seriously, did you?"
He shrugged again.
"Is it about chickens and robots having a party and eating pickles and dancing?"
It was Sky's turn to gape. "No," he replied shortly, refraining from rolling his eyes. "Since it'll be done it a few days, I was wondering if you wanted to do something on Friday."
"Like what?"
"I don't know."
Syd looked torn between being amused and horrified. He knew it wasn't romantic or well-thought out, but it wasn't like he had time for a girlfriend or dates earlier. Syd wasn't as superficial as she seemed – and he fervently hoped that she wouldn't run screaming at the vague date proposal.
"There's a couple of movies I'd like to see," she finally replied. "Plus there's a really good ice cream place near the theater." She paused and gave him an appraising look. "If you think you can pollute your body with sugar."
"You'd be surprised what you can live through."
Syd stared at him, before breaking off in hysterical laughter.To Be Continued...
Author's Note: Hey guys! Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last two chapters - we're heading back into the realm of the SPD characters once more. Thanks for sticking with me! Kaidence Ledger beta read this chapter and the last one, so I'm back to having a beta reader, however temporary. Jepoliant will be back after the end of camp. Thanks to both of them for putting up with me. With that, everyone have a great week!