Power Ranger Defender Force
Out in the Swamp
Crusher lay in his bed in his sleeping quarter. The room was poorly lit the walls were black and had a single door which let out to the ship. There was a single window right in-front of his bed. A single chair sat in-front of a computer terminal that was adjacent to his bed. He was waiting for Slasher to answer the message he sent him earlier. He was a little bit tired he had not got a lot of sleep the last couple of days due the fact that Lord Karma had him working on over time trying to figure out way to take down the red ranger. He was slowly drifting of to sleep when suddenly a small consul across the room beep and startle him awake his bed. Crusher got up with and annoy look in his face and made his way across the room and sat down in-front of the small computer console. He saw he had and incoming transmission and press a button to accept it.
The screen in-front of him became alive and image of humanoid bull appear on the screen. He had a thick gold ring pierced in his nostril his eye were solid black his skin was brown and had veins pooping out of his neck. "It been a long time cousin."
"It has." Crusher answer in a plain tone.
Slasher gave a small laugh, " You have always been so formal, so cousin what do you need."
Crusher gave a mischievous smile under his mask "What make you think I need anything I could be calling just to talk," he said in an innocent tone.
Slasher let out and amusing laugh "Don't make me laugh cousin you are not the social type you never call unless you need something or want something."
"Well, since you ask I need you to get rid of a little problem for me." Crusher said plainly.
"How little?" he said with a suspicious look on his face.
Slasher smirk evilly under his mask. "A little ranger problem, a weak one, one single red ranger." "He is young and inexperience it should be no problem for the mighty Slasher"
Slasher smirk evilly "Sound fun I always wanted to take out one of Zane rangers they have cause me a lot of trouble in the past, I will do it, I will arrive on earth in a few hours."
Even threw his mask Slasher could tell Crusher was please with his answer "Good cousin tell your mother I send my regard," and with that he ended the transmission...
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Tom and Phil materialize in a flash of red and gray light the middle of a swamp. Big trees and muddy water surrounded them.
"What just happen?" Tom said as he look in his surrounding, "Everything just change." He notice a gaiter and back of a little. The gaiter just stood in the muddy water not moving the only thing that was sticking out of the water were his eye and they were planted on Phil and Tom.
Phil grin with excitement "We were just transported hundred of miles in a matter of seconds, I can believe they were able to build a portable teleportation system in such a compact device."
"Where are we?" Tom said without taking his eye of the gaiter which still had not move.
Tom grin faded and he started looking around and scratch his head "Well...we are were we are supposed to be we are in the right coordinates." Phil said.
"Any idea of what we are supposed to do now," Tom said he still had not taken his eye of the gaiter which now had half of his head out of the water and had move a little bit closer to shore.
"No idea why would we be sent hear I think..." Phil gasp in fear as he notice the gaiter that Tom had been staring at. By now the gaiter was out of the water and standing few feet away from them not moving but just staring at them. Now that it was out of the water Tom could see the full body of the gaiter it was huge he never seen an alligator this big. When he was younger he and his family would go to Gaiter Land and he remember seeing big alligator but never this big.
"Don't talk or make any sudden move," Tom whisper to Phil. He was not sure if not moving or not talking would make the gaiter go back to the muddy water and swim away but it just seem like the right thing to do, but unfortunately it did not work. The gaiter started running toward them at top speed.
"Look out!" Tom yell at Phil as he push him out of the way. He jump out of way himself in the opposite direction that he push Phil in. The gaiter let out an angry roar and started heading to where Phil had landed. Tear of fear fill Phil eyes as he saw the huge alligator heading toward him he could not move he was to scared to even scream.
Tom saw the gaiter heading for Phil and quickly got up. "Oh no you don't," he said as he grab the monstrous tail that was attach to the gaiter. He pull as hard as he could dragging him away from Phil. The gaiter roar angrily and desperately started flapping his tail. Tom did his best to hold on but the gaiter was to strong and he was thrown hard on to the floor. Tom gasp in pain but had not time to recover as he saw the gaiter right in front of his face. The gaiter try to bite his face but Tom quickly roll out of the way. He felt the gaiter hot breath on his neck he could even smell the rancid smell coming out of his mouth. The gaiter kept on trying to bite him but he Tom kept on rolling he was running out of room a few more rolls and he was going to collide with a huge tree. Suddenly a large rock hit the gaiter in the head and the large beast stop for a second then another hit him again near his eye. He roar angrily but was hit again by another rock. By now Tom had gotten up and saw that Phil was Throwing the rocks. Behind Phil was a large tree that had a a rectangular opening it remind Tom of and elevator.
"Tom! Tom! Come on hurry I found something!" Phil yell excitedly
Tom simply nodded he look at the gaiter next to him that was recovering from the blows to the head. Before the gaiter had time to react Tom took of like a rocket heading for Phil and the opening in the tree. The gaiter took of after him. Phil saw the Gaiter coming so he step into the opening of the tree as soon as he did the door started closing. Phil start to panic and start searching for any button that would stop the door but he could not find any. The walls were made of metal and were free of any kind of button or controls.
"Phil! What are you doing!" Tom said as he ran.
Phil started try to stop the slow moving door from closing but it was no use he was not strong enough to hold the doors open. "Tom I can't control they are doing this on their own!"
"Great. Nothing is ever easy." Tom said annoy. He look back and saw that the gaiter was still on his tail and was closing in on him. "Phil Stand back!"
Phil nodded and stood back. Tom immediately jump forward aiming at the closing door. "Am not going to make it, he though to himself. As he saw the opening in the tree getting smaller, he close his eye and hope for the best. The next thing he felt was his body crashing in a very hard metal wall as the door behind him close. He heard a loud crash coming from the other side of the door and wall shook a little bit. He heard a loud roar and then it was silent.
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Lord Karma sat in his throne in the bridge of his ship. He was holding a golden glass with multicolor ruby attach to it. The cup had all kind of strange alien writing, from this cup Lord Karma sip human blood. He sat in silence lost in thought a few scabs were scatter around the bridge some of them were attending to numerous control and computer console around the room, a few other just simply stood still guarding there dark master. The main door to the bridge open and Crusher walk in. If he was not warring his black color mask Lord Karma would have notice the frown that he wore on his face.
Lord Karma saw that the door had open and seen Crusher emerge with his hand folded behind his back. "What is it crusher." Lord Karma plainly said and took another sip of warm human blood.
"Sir. My Lord. Our tracking system are not able to detect Tom or the crystal anymore." Crusher Plainly said.
Lord Karma Put his glass down and stood up and glare at Crusher, "What are you trying to tell me Crusher," he said slightly raising his voice.
Crusher felt a chill go down his back and for a second he was scared but he shook that feeling of and breath in deeply to gather all his courage, "My Lord not to long ago Tom and the crystal disappear of our sensor at first we thought it was some kind of malfunction with our systems but I check them all personally and they are all in working order which can only mean one thing."
"Which is?" Lord Karma said as he move closer to Crusher.
"It can only mean one thing..." he hesitated for a second. "He has reach the compound." Crusher immediately lower his head and waited for Lord Karma to lash out at him. To his much surprise the room became silent. He lifted up his head and saw Lord Karma sitting back on his throne drinking out his glass again. I see, was all that Lord Karma said. Crusher watch as Lord Karma continued to sip out of his glass.
"This was not unexpected, I figure he would reach the compound." Lord Karma said calmly.
"My Lord the crystal is lost how are we going to power our weapon? Years of research lost we need that crystal for our weapon to work." Crusher was shock on how Lord Karma was acting he figure this news would make him furious
"I have another card up my sleeve is not a total lost." Lord karma responded calmly. "Just maker sure Slasher get rid of the red ranger and everything will still go as plan." He look down as his glass and saw that it was empty. He signal at one of the scabs that was standing around to refill his glass, the scab obediently responded. He press a few button on one of the wall terminal that were all around the bridge and a small compartment on the wall open. Smoke flew out of the hole on the wall. The scab quickly grab a bag full of red liquid and headed for Lord Karma. He grab his cup and empty the content out of the bag into the glass. He put the glass back where he founded and bow down to Karma before returning to his post. Karma grab the now full glass and started sipping on it again.
"In a way this is a good thing this way there guard will be down once I unleash my weapon, there would be no one to stop me it will be unexpected," he smile evilly he was please with himself. The smile quickly faded as he once again glare at Crusher.
"You better make sure your cousin defeat the red ranger I don't want any screw up do you understand." He said calmly.
"Yes, My Lord I will go to Earth personally once he has arrive and will make sure of it, I will assist if it is necessary." Crusher said in a reassuring voice, he was confidence that the combine strength of him and Slasher will be more than enough to take down Tom.
"Good, now let me be I have much to do." Lord Karma said
"Yes, My Lord," Crusher said. He bow his head down to his master and started heading out the door with his arm still cross behind his back.
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Tom was siting on the floor leaning back against the metal wall of the small room they were now trap in. A few more second and I would have been gaiter food, he thought to himself.
"Are you OK?" Phil ask with a concern look on his face.
"Am...Fine," Tom said breathing hard on the floor. He had made no attempt to get up and was not planing on making any just yet, "thank to you man, second time you save my ass today. Am glad you came along." Tom said sincerely.
Phil cheeks turn red. No one had ever complimented him before, and coming from Tom meant a lot to him. He look up to Tom, Tom was starting to becom his personal hero and he was happy that he was able to help him. He knew he could be annoying at times he just did not know how to stop. Most people would have told him to shut up or ditch him by now, but Tom had not. It was surprising to him. Tom was becoming a friend and this exited him because he had never had any friends. He smiled happily to himself.
"Where are we anyway," Tom ask as he observe his surrounding the light above him were dim and his eyes were still trying to adjust to the lighting. The more he look around the more he was convince it was some kind of elevator but he could not see any visible buttons, switches or any sort of controls.
Phil was snap back to reality by Tom question "It look like and elevator but there is no button or any visible way to operate." Phil answer.
Tom slowly got up his breathing was started to return to normal. He started searching each wall carefully for any kind of hidden switches or panel, but with no luck. He let out a sigh of frustration but before he could say anything the elevator started moving on his own. Tom look over to Phil direction.
"Don't look at me I didn't do anything." Phil said as he held his hands up.
He was about to respond when his TM started beeping. He brought his wrist that had his TM was attach to and saw that he had and incoming transmission. Tom quickly open the his TM and accepted it. An elder man with gray hair appear on the small screen in front of him.
"Have you made it to the compound yet," was the first thing the man said to Tom.
"I believe so, there was and opening in a tree which turn out to be some weird elevator. Well, at least I think is and elevator, but there was no way of operating it and now it just started moving on his own." Tom responded.
The man happily smile and a look of relief filled his face. "Good job the next step is to get to the central core and insert the crystal," he said as he ended the transmission.
"Central core?'' "Where...how are we supposed to fine that." Phil said.
The elevator continue to move downward it made a low humming noise as the it descendent. The elevator finally stop and the door slowly open revealing a dark hallway. There was some emergency lights on but most of the main power seem to of line for some reason. Tom was the first one to step out of the elevator Phil follow as he step out the door slolwy close behind him. Phil let out a loud gasp. Tom look at him and gave him a reassuring look. They walk a few feet till they reach a wall now they had a choice between going left or right.
"Great now which way do we go now," Tom said out loud.
Phil started examine his surroundings till his eyes stop at a sign that was above them attach to the wall. To Phil surprise the sign was writing in English.
"English?" Phil said out loud.
"Huh" Tom said as he look back at his companion.
"The sign on the wall in front of us they are written in English." Phil said as he pointed at them.
Tom Look at where Phil was pointing. He saw a sign posted on the wall in-front him. The sign said BASEMENT LEVEL in bold letters. "OK so what is the big deal," he ask Phil.
"I don't know it jus seem strange to me." This place was obviously not built by any one on Earth. So English writing is kind of weird why would an aliens race use the English language to put up sign in this place? "Wont they want to use there own language?" Phil said without taking his eyes of the sign.
"Maybe they wanted people on Earth to use this place." Tom answer.
"But for what?" Phil ask. He had taken his eye of the sign and was now carefully studding somthing that look like a large picture frame that was posted on the wall directly under the sign.
"I don't know Phil but I hope we get all answer soon," Tom said as scratch the back of his head wondering how he was going to find his way around this dark place. "We need to find the core thing and I have no idea where to even begin looking."
"Is this way," Phil said excitedly as he pointed to his right.
Tom gave him a question look. "Are you sure?"
"Yep I been studding this map that I found posted on the wall and it clearly say the central core is a the end of this hall."
Tom Look at the dark hall that stood in front of him. It was spooky to say the least and it was to silent. Tom could not help feal a little bit scared and nervous as he thought of walking down the dark hall. Bit they came this far they could not stop now. He was not going to let a little darkness stand in his way.
"Let go Phil stay close," They both slowly started walking down the long corridor.
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A small one man craft race threw space quickly heading for earth. The body of the ship resemble and egg. The color of the body was silver with no kind of marking on it. There a glass window in top of the of the egg shape ship and behind that window was the cockpit. The man inside piloting the ship had white hair and wore a worry expression on his face. This man name was Zane. A couple of hours ago he had decided to leave the protection of the space ship he built many year ago and leave his people and head for Earth. He knew this mean he could never go back but he knew Earth was where he was needed. He knew the head elder was having him watch he pretended not to know waiting for the chance to escape and when the chance came he did not hesitated. It would take them some time to figure out he was no longer aboard the ship because in his place he left an interactive hologram of himself. No one would suspect a thing till some try to touch or bump into the hologram giving it away, but hopefully by then he would be safe on Earth in the safety of the Defender Force Compound. He still had a good distance to Cover before he reach the Milky Way galaxy and it even grater distance before he reach Earth and the DF compound. He had just had ended a transmission with Tom and was please to learn that he had made it. He knew Phil was with him but he decided not to mention anything about it just yet. He reach into control in-front of him and in put a sequence of button making the ships thruster go into full power making the ship go even faster that it was going before.
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Tom and Phil slowly walk down the dark hallway. Tom had his guard up, he was not 100 sure that this place was free of hostile enemy. He was a little scared every time they turn a dark corner his heart beat a little faster. He half wish that someone or something would jump out of the shadow and attack him so he had something physical to fear, something physical to fight. This fear of the unknown was really starting to annoy him.
Phil fallow Tom closely he was also scared but that did not stop him from observing his soundings. Even in the darkness he could tell the walls had a white strip ran along the middle, above the white stripe the wall was painted a bright blue and under the white strip the wall was painted a very dark black. The floor was carpetd wiht a navy blue carpeted. He notice that every few yard there was a small computer terminal atach to the wall. They wre dusty meaning that no one had been hear in a long time at the moment they seem to be of line with no power. This whole place seem to be running on back or auxiliary power only necessary system seem to be working, Phil though to himself. They continue walking down the long corridor passing many rooms most of them were close by an automatic door but a few were open. Inside this room were many strange equipment and computer that Phil had never seen before. If he wasn't so scared he would be running from room to room studding each machine and learning what each of them did.
"This place is huge," Tom suddenly said. "Anyway, dude, how did you find the entrance to this place." Tom said as he they turn down another dark hallway this hallway seem darker than the last. It seem every time they turn down another hallway there were less emergency lights working.
"Well,...when you rescue from that alligator I started looking for a place to hide." That when I stumble into the opening, it took me a minute to realize the whole tree was a fake but it look and felt real. "I figure this got to why you were sent hear." Phil answer.
"Well, good work," Tom said as he continue walking he still had his guard up and half expected the alligator would appear and chase them again. He felt a chill go down his back as he though of that gaiter that attack him earlier. Then he realize, he could have die, why on Earth did he just wrestle with an alligator. At the time he did not think about it he just reacted. It just seem like the right thing to do. Suddenly Tom stop making Phil bump into him.
"Ouch," he cried in pain, "why did you stop?" Phil ask.
They came to the end of the hallway infront of them was a huge electronic gray door above the door there was a big sign whit bold letter that said CENTRAL CORE.
"Now what," "it seem like the door is electric, it need power to work and this place seem to be lacking that ." Phil said as he stare at the door with a hopeless look on his face.
Tom did not answer just walk up to door his plan was to examine to see if he could find a way in. He would force his way in if he had to, but before he was able to put that plan to effect the door in-front of him slowly started to open whit a loud rumbling. Phil took a few step back, Tom stood still and got in fighting stance just in case something emerge from the door. The door open completely and Tom stood in fighting stance for a few more second before he relax realizing if someone or something was going to attack it would had done it by now or at leas the hope.
The room that stood in front of him was pitch black nothing in that room seem to be operational even the emergency lights were not working. Phil reach into his bag and pull out 2 flashlight. He threw one at Tom, he catch in his hand and turn it one Phil did the same they look at each other and nodded before they both walk in the darkness of the Central Core.
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Crusher lay in his bed staring at the ceiling still pondering Lord Karma strange behavior. He had something up his sleeve but what? He thought to himself. He did not like being left out in the dark Lord Karma might be the Leader, the one in charge, his master but he was still second in command and he deserve to know what Lord Karma was planing. If he had found and AlterNet power source powerful enough to power up the weapon that he and the scientist he kidnap years earlier, been working on for so long he deserve to know, he thougth to himself. He stood up and let out and angry sight and punch his bed. I need to find out what going on, he though to himself, and he know exactly how. He still had a few Earth hours before he had to go to Earth and assise crusher in destroy the Red Ranger so he could go see them.
"Earth..." he said out loud. It been a long time since he been on Earth. He had not step foot in that rock since...he did not finish that thought that was a long time ago. He was a different being, he serve Lord Karma now. He and he alone was the only being he answer to and he swore his loyalty to him a long time. He was no longer human...he smile evilly under his mask and headed for the door...
