Thanks again for the comments, everyone. Unlike previous episodes, this will have four chapters because I have a lot to cover. Have a safe and fulfilling New Year!

Episode 03 – Stressed

CHAPTER 3

Despite the ruckus in the city, the SPD Academy was peaceful this morning Jack Landors had discovered. He was dressed in the same clothes from his drop-off, but had removed the ponytail his braids were bound in. Ascending the escalator, he watched the cadets on the first level move about doing their routine tasks with little commotion. Laughter caught Jack's attention next. A group of children ran down the opposite escalator, giggling with candies gathered in their small hands. Their Triforian teacher was hot on their trail with his small black tunic's cape waving behind.

Jack grinned and shook his head.

"Not much as changed..."

The former SPD officer went on his way to find--

"BOOM," Jack said standing at the doors of the stocky geek's lab.

Startled, the gadget tester turned around to see a man leaning at the doorway with folded arms. He removed the eye protection-wear from his head and greeted Jack with a handshake.

"What an unexpected surprise! Come in come in. How's it going?" Boom asked waving him over.

"Good. Thanks. Some big trouble this morning, huh?" Jack said looking over the many devices and nick-knacks laying about.

"Yeah. Tell me about it. We're on code three already."

Boom grabbed his mug and took a sip of the steaming brown liquid.

"So how's Omega Missions? I heard some big things," he asked leaning back against the counter he was working at previous to Jack's visit.

"Real good actually. We're doing some expansion in coming months ... but I don't know where I fit in to the plans exactly."

"Oh?" Boom asked curiously. "What's going on?"

"Don't get me wrong. I love what I do."

"Well yeah. ... You left SPD for it after all. I MEAN, not that that's bad or anything. I mean--"

"I know what you mean, Boom," Jack said giving him an assuring smile. "I've been thinking about this place a lot lately..."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," Jack said slipping his hands into his pockets, mentally preparing himself to mustard up his best b.s. "I loved being an SPD Cadet -- a red one at that. What times we had, right?"

"Good times! The best times!" Boom said retrieving a book from one of the two shelves against the wall. "Take a look at this."

Boom handed Jack what appeared to be a photo album. He opened it up and read aloud the title page.

"B-Squad 2025. Best Squad Ever?" Jack read, looking up at Boom.

"Yeah. I chronicled just about everything. I even added some humorous captions."

"I'm sure you did..."

Jack fingered through the pages, his eyes taking a trip back into time to revisit past days at SPD. He pointed at a particular photo and laughed.

"Syd's birthday party. April 9, 2025," Jack read quietly.

There was a photo of was Sky with an unzipped SPD jacket. Of the five B-Squad cadets, only he was in uniform. Jack remembers vividly Z telling Sky to lighten up. Boom's caption illustrated the moment perfectly.

"I hope Cruger notices I'm ready for action while Jack's just standing around whacking his pinata," Jack laughed. "That's great!"

The former SPD cadet turns the page and peruses through more photos. He comes to a picture of Z and Syd having a pillow fight in their dormitory.

"That's hot," Jack said taking note of their skimpy attire -- short shorts and belly tees. "They let you see them like that?"

Boom nodded. "I used to visit with them a lot."

"For what?"

"You know -- to talk, whatever."

The photo on the following page said much more than Boom admitted.

"Move over, sun. This full moon has a yellow you'll never shine," Jack said reading aloud the caption. He quickly turned the page away from Z's exposed backside. "Uhhh, has anyone seen these?"

"Nope. Just me and the girls," Boom smiled.

And all my friends on myspace dot com.

This raised many questions about Boom, both good and bad, but Jack pushed those aside for the moment. He flipped all the way to the back of the album. The final photo was a panoramic of the day the base was attacked -- November 14, 2025. It was taken after Gruum's containment it looked, with all the cadets standing in front of the Academy for a group shot. Standing center was the B-Squad with Command Cruger and Isinia. What a day that was, an emotional day. Something in Jack changed that Friday afternoon, even before he handed in his resignation to Commander Cruger. A chapter in his life had ended, possibly the best one yet. Friendships he made at the Academy were going to end that day, even with people he swore to himself he'd never let go -- the B-Squad. They were his brothers and sisters, but he left them behind, too, regrettably. His days as a Red Delta Officer -- the morph calls, the Megazord formations, jumping from ten story buildings -- had come to an end. It was a day for endings.

"So, Boom," Jack said closing and handing back the photo album. "I see you been working hard, new position and all."

"Yes, yes," Boom said reshelving the album. "Very busy indeed. We have some really cool things coming out, like new zords!"

"New zords?"

"Actually, they're not zords per say, but me and Kat and some other folks from Galaxy Command made a new fleet of vehicles for B-Squad -- DV2."

"DV2?" Jack asked interested.

"Delta Runners version 2.0. They're road-regulation sized Delta Runners! I was going through the archives one day and saw how effective road vehicles were for past Ranger teams, so I got the thinking. With the Delta Squad Megazord being gone, that leaves only the SWAT Megazord and the Delta Command Megazord. Plus, it's only a matter of time before C-Squad goes into active Delta status."

"Oh really..."

"Yeah. So I got together with Kat, we drew up some schematics, and eight months later -- new Delta Runners!"

"Sounds like you've had your hands full," Jack said trailing his eyes away from Boom's.

"Best year ever since ... well, last year!" Boom said gleefully.

"Yeah. Hey, Boom, I recall something else you've been working on. How's that project going?"

"Uhh... which one?" Boom asked, his face expressing a struggle to recall a list of things he's "started on" but in reality forgot after nights of playing video games and drinking energy sodas.

"You know, the O-5 one. You and Omega started it, remember?" Jack reminded the lab tech.

"OH. That? Oh gosh, we never got to finish that thing. Omega had to go back to the future, so I could never finish the morpher. Would of been nice though, to have his powers in our time instead of fifteen years down the road. Imagine what we could do with that thing!"

"Yeah, exactly. But my, err, Sky's Battlizer morpher, it, um, had some of that technology built-in, didn't it?" Jack asked continuing to press the conversation on.

"Well, yeah, kind of. The look was definitely the same. It was basically a replica of Sam's morpher with a repaint! Heh. Some of the wiring inside was duplicated from the Omega morpher to improve power flow."

"Oh. How so?"

"Response time. It's all about response time to voice commands. You know that quick half-second delay for SWAT armor? Technology from the future takes care of that," Boom answered happily before curiousity broke both his thought cycle and goofy grin. "Um... why so inquisitive, Jack?"

"Oh no reason ... except one -- maybe."

Boom's clueless expression egged Jack on to ask, but suddenly his conscious was wiggling its rat-like tail out from the dirt it was buried under. Jack went for it.

"I need that morpher, Boom."

The same lost, clueless look remained on Boom's face. Perhaps what Jack said didn't register. He asked again.

"Boom? Did you hear me? I need that morpher."

"Uhh... you need a morpher? OH. You need a morpher!"

"Exactly," Jack said slapping Boom's shoulder and feigning a laugh to help get the wheels turning.

"Did Cruger reassign you?" Boom asked slowly putting things together.

"Cruger?" Jack asked playing along. "Oh. No..."

"Soooooo?"

"Soooooo..."

Boom still didn't get it. Jack's patience was running thin.

"BOOM."

The project manager jumped, not understanding Jack's outburst. The former Delta Sergeant walked to the doorway and clicked the lock button on the adjacent panel.

"Boom, we need to talk, buddy."

Dr. Felix wrapped the final bandage around Syd's hand and glanced over the items on his clipboard. Moving away, he consulted with the computer terminal in the corner of the small infirmary. The good doctor was a quiet one, not having much to say. He was feline like Kat, but possessed more alien traits.

"You had some minor cuts and bruises, but I say your worst problem is lack of sleep," Dr. Felix said turning around from the terminal to face Syd.

Sky, sitting on the stool in the corner, got up and joined Syd by the cushioned patient table.

"How are you feeling now?" he asked.

"Same like ten minutes ago when you asked then," Syd said looking over the bandage. "Did that sound rude? I'm sorry..."

"Don't worry about it."

Dr. Felix printed two pages and retrieved them, handing one to Sky and keeping one for himself.

"Just a review of procedures taken to insure Officer Drew was taken care of," he said as Sky looked over the sheet. "I highly recommend a day off to rest to make sure you properly recover, Miss Drew."

"Day off? Yes!" Syd squealed, then digressed when she jerked her arm from her excited response. "Ow."

"Careful now," Sky said helping her down from the table. "Thank you, Dr. Felix."

"Anytime, Officer Tate."

Sky and Syd left the infirmary. Barely out the room, Sky stopped her.

"What is it?" Syd asked.

"Syd, you can't go."

"What do you mean? I have a get-out-of-work free card. Says so right here. See?" Syd said taking the paper from Sky and holding it up to his face.

"I know, but -- nevermind. Forget it. You go."

"Well -- wait. What is it?"

"It's hard enough only having four of us now, but if you leave then we're really at a huge disadvantage."

"Sky," Syd said smiling at the "compliment" as she had interpreted his response as. "It's only for a day. Besides, if something does happen, you always have Shadow for back up. No biggie."

"You don't understand."

"Then make me understand, Sky."

"I -- I want to, but I can't."

"Ugh. You're impossible. Follow me," Syd said proceeding down the corridor, Sky trailing behind.

Syd led her commanding officer to the dining hall. The place was mostly vacant, with the lull after breakfast being used to prepare for lunch later. Syd sat at the furthest booth in the corner. Sky took the opposite-facing bench.

"Thought it'd be more private to talk here," Syd explained, to which Sky agreed with a slight nod. "So spill."

Sky hesitated for another moment, but Syd's impatient look beckoned him to break his silence.

"I don't want Commander to think I can't do the job," Sky said finally.

"What do you mean? Sydney asked.

"We were a team of five last year. Everything was fine then. Now that Jack's gone, we're getting our butts kicked."

"Are you serious? Oh my gawd. Sky, chill. We had like one fight with these creeps and a run-in with those goons from the lagoon."

"But look what happened," Sky said pointing to her bandage.

"That was my fault. Not yours."

"But I'm responsible for you guys," Sky shot back. "It reflects on me if my officers are injured in the line of duty."

"We got our butts kicked plenty last year. Commander never reprimanded Jack for it. Why would he do so for you? Remember when Icthyor showed up? Me, you, Commander, Bridge, and Omega ended up in the infirmary. But Jack came through for us. He took charge and he and Z fought when we couldn't. ... Sky, no one's judging you but you," Syd said reaching across the table and

taking his hand. "Don't do this for yourself. Don't beat yourself up."

Sky couldn't answer to that. Syd made her point.

"Was that all, Sky?"

As easy it was to dismiss this conversation with a 'no', there was more, like the subject of his nightmares. He didn't want to go through them now. Plus, he wanted Syd to rest.

"No. That's all," Sky said.

"Good. I'm going to call mother and let her know I'm on my way," Syd said scooting out her seat.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"You think I'm going to stay here?" Syd scoffed. "Oh noooo. I got things to do."

"But you're suppose to rest, not go gallivanting around," Sky said getting up next.

"I will be resting. I'll be going home, going to the spa, seeing my horses, stopping by the studio, etcetera."

Sky, already feeling bad enough, conceded in the pointless and fruitless argument.

"Okay. ... Have fun, Syd."

"I will. And don't spend today moping around. I'll have Z make sure of that," Syd grinned giving Sky a half-hug with her good arm, Sky returning the gentle embrace. "Take care of yourself."

"Same to you."

Syd took her and her "get-out-of-work-free" slip and left the dining hall. Sky watched her depart and thought over her words some more.

"I have to do better. ... I can do better."

Three men vacated an all-black Jeep Commander. The California sun was nowhere to be found in this deserted desert highway. With shifting wind, the sky began to fill quickly with dark clouds as the hour progressed into early afternoon. Sand blew across the highway and pass their all-black boots, the tails of their tan trench coats wailing behind them in the harsh chilling breeze. A metal railing stood between them and the rocky quarry ahead. Climbing and standing atop the railing, the three looked down at the miles-deep valley and then at each other with their cold unnatural eyes.

"Energy cloak enabled," one man spoke, the one standing left.

"Then let's go," the one standing middle responded.

Without hesitation, the three men free-fell from the protective railing. Amazingly, their shades did not come off, much less move. Their coat tails waved like torn parachutes that would not open as they were now half way to what seemed like an immanent and bloody death. Consumed suddenly with a bright, flame-like orange energy field, the trio flew over the chasm like birds swooping down for prey, gliding above the hard rocky floor of this mini-Grand Canyon.

The flame quickly disbursed into three smaller flames, each one returning their human form. There they stood, dead center of the plain, the wind blowing eerily across the vast valley ground. The sky darkened into a hazy magenta as thunder started to drum sporadically.

"He's coming," the middle one spoke.

Smiles smeared across their pale white faces as the weather phenomenon intensified into lightning -- not from the sky but on the ground. The glowing purple strands of electricity appeared from nothing and wove a brilliant web-like tapestry before the men that anticipated his arrival.

"Come to us," the man on the left said, his hand shifting into a red, lobster-shaped claw.

The tapestry mushroomed off the cold cracked ground, more bolts of power connecting themselves together, weaving into a grand portal. The hazy magenta background was near pitch black with fat darkened clouds. Specks of snow started their slow dissension from the sky when a blurred image of a figure stepped through the portal way.

"Master," the three said kneeling immediately in reverence.

The cloaked figure stepped out of the electrified portal field and onto the quarry's desert valley. His presence was chilling as the inclimate weather around them. The silence ensued for a moment longer before his bony finger beckoned his underlings to rise.

"Commander Nero, we welcome you," the man standing middle said, his eyes lowered despite the cloak's dark crimson hood covering his master's face.

From the abyss within the hood that hid Nero's face, twin red pools shone brightly with pure evil.

"I see you've found vessels," Nero spoke, his distorted voice like steel dragging across pavement at 80 miles an hour. "But no need to use them in my presence."

Before they could voluntarily shift into their true forms, Nero raised his arm and opened his closed hand. Red lightning poured out from his fanned withered fingers and zapped the three men.

There stood Sukira, Gainmede, and Uniga, their human clothes now shed and smoking on the canyon ground.

"Thank you, Commander..." Uniga said bowing her head.

"You know I am not one for patience," Nero said moving a step closer. "Without my proton accelerator, I cannot bring the rest of my army here. I have used the majority of transportation capabilities on you three, to give the Neo Troobian Empire another chance of claiming this world ... by going into an alternate time line's past and destroying theirs."

"Yes, my lord," Sukira said also bowing. "We shall not fail you."

"My lord?" Gainmede asked, his head bowed as well. "If I may ask a question..."

Uniga and Sukira looked at each other from the corner of their eyes. Speaking without being addressed first was practically asking to be punished. Nero came and stood before Gainmede, the underling now on his knees to further demonstrate his submission to the cloaked ruler.

"Yes?" Nero asked, his eyes pulsating once more.

"SPD, though here in the past, are proving to be a formidable challenge. Will you have enough to send the reinforcements you have promised us?"

Just as quick as Gainmede finished his sentence, Nero stretched out his arm and lifted the quivering general off the ground.

"If my powers were at full, I wouldn't hesitate for even a second to vaporize you for your insolence," Nero hissed.

He tossed Gainmede backwards skidding across the gravel. Sukira and Uniga kept their eyes down as Nero composed himself.

"The production of my Troobian Centurions are well underway. You think soldiers that powerful become an army by sunrise? ... Time, Gainmede! It's what we don't have but what's necessary to rule this galaxy! ... Something Gruum could never do. ... If it's reinforcements you're looking for, take the money I've given you and find some help. You won't be getting it from me anytime soon."

Nero about-faced and returned to the cackling portal way. He looked over his shoulder at the three whom he assigned this grand task. Inside, Nero knew these three would fail him again, hence the need for reinforcements, but for now they would have to do. Walking forward, Nero stepped into the portal way and disappeared. The purple strands of power unlassoed their intricate web and vanished. The three found themselves alone again in the windy quarry.

A single beep caught Uniga's attention, a beep from the energy cloak device that prevents SPD from picking up on their whereabouts.

"Oh no," Uniga said reaching behind her utility belt.

"What is it?" Sukira asked coming to his feet.

"When Nero left, that blasted portal of his set our cloaking device to off!" Uniga said retrieving the tiny device. "SPD will surely track us here within moments."

"Then we must go," Gainmede said stumbling over to his comrades.

Sukira nodded and led them away to where their human disguises lay.