Disclaimer: Power Rangers is not ours and we are doing this for enjoyment not profit. The Power Rangers belong to Disney.
Authors' Comments: yet? Hee hee. You will be!
Impending Past
Chapter 2: Transmission
Twin brothers Conner and Eric McKnight quietly slumped into the seats of bus to Mesogog High School system's Reefside, California division. They tried to sneak into their first period class, Identifying Fossils with their paleontologist teacher, Dr. Edward Payne. Payne brushed his hand through his dull blonde hair that he was cut neat and short in frustration as the boys walked in. He eyed them in exasperation over the top of his glasses through his piercing brown eyes.
"McKnights! Take your seats " he bellowed with a voice that seemed far too commanding for his slender frame. "Everyone take out your equipment kits. We will be traveling to Mesogog's latest excavation site today for field work." The class groaned. Conner dreaded this class for reasons just like this. What was the point of identifying dinosaurs bones? The dead thing is still dead. "Class! It doesn't matter if you don't like field work, but when the Master demands our help, we can't turn it down."
Ethan James nervously pushed his books into his backpack and adjusted his black-framed glasses; disappointment filled his face. The thought of having to physically dig into the dirt and mud instead of staying in the calm confines of the classroom. He hung his head down and took a big gulp, nervously lagging back behind the rest of the class.
"Okay, let's get going today people " The class gathered in the front of the classroom as an invisa-portal appeared. Payne ushered them all though the portal while taking a head count, Ethan being the last person before he brought up the rear. The slow rush of air and green flash that always churned Conner's stomach hit him again. He blinked and wobbled, being taken aback as the next image around him was the outskirts of Reefside at the edge of the Ranru Forest. Payne led the class along a trail that went deep into the trees. Edward winced as the figure of a woman running towards them became more visible.
"Edward Payne! You're late!" the woman sternly cried. She was an attractive woman in her mid 20s with long dark red hair. She looked worried. "Master Mesogog is infuriated at you for being late Do you know what that means? When he's angry at you, he's angry at me, and when he's angry at me, I am angry at YOU!"
"I know. I'm sorry Hayley. I was waiting on a couple of kids," Edward was exasperated. "Come along class, quickly!" Sensing the desperate tone in their instructor's voice, the class began to pick up pace as they got further into the woods until they came upon the reptilian beast himself.
Payne motioned for the children to stay back as he cautiously stepped forward, willing to take whatever punishment was meant for the class as a whole. "Lord Mesogog, I'm so sorry that we are late. I take full responsibility for... AUGH!" Mesogog's claw quickly snatched up Dr. Payne by the neck with it's vice like grip. He casually tossed Payne to the ground. He paced around Payne, like a vulture circling it's prey.
"Do I look like a creature of patience, Payne? I do NOT tolerate lateness!" Mesogog got his face next to Dr. Payne's, snorting hot, stinking breath out of his nostrils. "If you are late again, I will not be ssssso generousssss. You pathetic humansssss are not worth sssssuch benevolence!"
"Yee…yes sir " Edward stammered.
"Now, Payne," Mesogog continued while Edward slowly picked himself up and stood in front of his class, "You are your ssssstudents will ssssstart digging in the location that my assisssssstant Hayley has roped off. I expect that you have properly trained them in that ssssschool to identify dinosssssaur bones and other fosssssils. Put your pitiful human minds to ussssse and identity your findingsssss. Anything suspiciousssss getsssss reported directly to me."
"Question!" came a yell from the back of the ground. Ethan slapped his hand over his mouth when everyone turned their attention towards him. Mesogog peered at the boy. Ethan felt trapped as he powered through the rest of his thought. "Um, why are we, um…digging them up…anyway?"
The reptile moved through the crowd of students that was all to willing to part like the Red Sea as he marched up to the teenager. He lent over Ethan, his razor fangs shining so brilliantly that Ethan would have seen his own reflection in them if he could have mustered the courage to look. "Sssssince when were quessssstions about my direct ordersssss allowed, child?" Ethan gulped. Mesogog turned around, sufficiently pleased with the fear he had imposed. "The specificsssss of my planssss to resssssurrect the dinosaursssss that rightfully ssssshould rule the Earth are none of your concern. You retrieve the bonesssss, and I shall harvessssst the DNA."
"As if we needed anymore dinosaurs around here," Eric mumbled under his breath.
A visceral help rang through Conner and Eric's ears. They snapped their heads around to see Mesogog grabbed his arm. He cried in pain as the smoke dissipated from around the wound. "Who dares attack me? " he snarled.
"That would be me, you scaly bastard " a feminine voice sounded out confidently, revealing herself from the woods, a gun drawn and aimed at Mesogog's head. Her short brown hair was lined with blonde highlights. A black hoodie with yellow pentagram hid her form. She flicked a cigarette with her free hand, managed a grin but never lost her bead on Mesogog.
"Since I don't have a mayonnaise jar big enough to hold you... I guess I'll just have to kill you instead."
Mesogog looked more annoyed than actually frightened. "You actually plan to kill me?" Mesogog laughed. "Better people than you have tried over and over. What makesssss you think you're any different?"
"Shut your mouth you sadistic bastard " The girl walked in closer to Mesogog. She held the gun steady, still trained on his head. "You terrorize innocent people Life is not a game for you to play with as you see fit! Kylee was my best friend and you tortured her and stole her life! You and your damned White Ranger!"
"Sssssorry, I kill ssssso many humansssss. I can't remember one insignificant one from all the other meatbagsssss. But ssssspeaking off the White Ranger…" Mesogog grinned slyly. The girl's eyes bugged out, she knew it was already too late. A blinding streak of white light crashed into her back. The White Drago Ranger's sword cut into her back, sending pain coursing through ever vein. She fought to stand up but dropped to her hands and knees. The tears from her eyes and blood from her back dripped onto the ground, congealing into a pool. The White Ranger quickly snatched her up by the hair, pinned her arms back in place, and maneuvered her next to his master. Mesogog leaned in. "Little girl, did you really think, that you could get this clossssse to me without me allowing it? You will be made an example of to all thossssse who dare to crossssss me."
Eric bit his lip. He and Conner looked at the helpless girl. After taking the shot she did she was still struggling for all her worth. But what was the point? Conner was questioning the stupidity of the girl for attacking Mesogog like that in broad daylight. Conner's eyes darted to the side. There was a noise in the bushes. By the looks on everyone else's faces, their eyes still glued to the girl, they hadn't noticed. He spotted two teenagers, a girl with blonde hair and a boy with brunette hair. The boy had a camera in his hand. Conner nodded slightly in recognition. They were runaways from school who got caught last month stealing supplies from the AV room. Cassidy Cornell and Devin DeValle. Cassidy's face was etched in worriment. Conner concluded that the resistence never really had much of a chance if everyone that was part of it acted like them. They were carelessly attacking at inopportune times and the forces weren't strongenough. Why bother when you can't make so much as a dent? These two were probably following the girl, hoping to report back good news. Did they really think one attack on Mesogog by a lone girl would do the trick?
"Terrance Smith!" Mesogog snapped his jaw. Another slender man came running up. He looked to be about the same age as Dr. Payne. His good looks were concealed by his messy hair and dirt-smeared face. On top of that, Terrance had a metal arm and leg on one side of his body, possibly the result of some sort of explosion. He looked like he didn't know the meaning of the word sleep.
"Yes,… my lord?" Terrance stammered with a hasty breath.
"Take this pathetic little female to my lab. Ssssshe looks like the ideal tessssst subject for the new lassssser drill prototype." The girl's eyes widened in fear as the White Ranger forced the gun out of her hand. She screamed and yelled as the Ranger took her away.
"Right away, sir." Terrance regretted such an order as he shamefully agreed and turned around to walk with the Ranger and the overly zealous girl.
"Now, before I wasssss so rudely interrupted," Mesogog hissed as he turned to the students. "Begin your dig, humansssss. Elsssssa will be watching your every move. I expect productivity."
The woman that stepped forward was familiar to the class. She always accompanied Mesogog where ever he went. Rumors flew about that they were in some sort of disgusting romance. She looked like something straight out of gothika. A tight, black leather outfit covered most of her frame. Thick, dark markup lined her eyes and lips as her raven-colored hair was in rows and tied behind her head. The only color came from the red holster of her sword. Her hand was always on the hilt of it, ready to dole out punishment as she saw fit.
"Get to work!" she spit out. The students jumped and quickly spread out over the marked area and began to dig away at the rock with their standard issue dig kits and shovels that were given to them by tyrannodrones who surrounded the area. Hours wore by as Dr. Payne and his class continued the tedious work, only stopped to examine any possible finds. After three hours Elsa examined her watch and nodded to Payne.
"Okay guys," Edward clapped his hands, getting everyone's attention. "We've got a thirty minute break. Don't leave the designated area."
Conner wiped his brow as he slumped under a nearby shade tree next to his brother who collapsed on his back.
"MAN!" Eric said. "Why do we have to do this?"
"Because Mesogog commands it and I don't want to cause trouble. You saw what happened to that girl," Conner snapped in a hushed voice.
"That was a rhetorical question Conner. Geez, why are you acting like such a pansy?"
Ethan was looking around at all the students who had grouped off into their own little cliques. Alone, he casually took a seat a few feet away from the twins who seemed to be the least opposing and began to instant message some of his online friends.
Eric sighed, looking for anything to take his frustration out on. "And what are you up to, nerd?" Ethan peered up at Eric who was standing over Ethan's shoulder. He quickly darted his attention back to the monitor, hoping he would go away. Conner shook his head. He didn't understand why his brother was so confrontational. Ethan wasn't exactly Conner's best friend but he didn't deserve to be treated like that just because Eric was mad. But there was something different about Ethan. Why did this one kid seem so important?
"Back to work " a high-pitched, shrill scream rang through the kids' ears. Elsa sneered as groans filled the site. Conner pulled Eric away from Ethan back to the site. Ethan quickly packed up his computer and followed a safe distance behind them. Dr. Payne motioned for the three boys to hurry up.
"McKnights, James!" he sternly stated while peering over his glasses, "Since you three don't understand the value of being prompt, you have all volunteered for a special dig on the far side of the quarry. I expect you back her on schedule or you will be left behind."
"What?" Eric protested. "Come on Dr. Payne. We don't need that geek hanging around us. He'll just slow us down."
"Eric!" Conner let out a muffled yell while elbowing him in the side.
"Both of you stop it!" Payne snapped. "Next time you'll learn how to be prompt. I don't want to hear any complaining out of you. If you draw attention to us Elsa will not be as forgiving as I would. You saw what happened to that girl. This isn't a game. Do I make myself clear?" Both brothers nodded. Ethan just starred at the ground. "Good! Now get to work. No more fighting."
The three boys picked up their tools and followed the trail to the other edge of the dig site. There weren't any tyrannodrones guarding it and Elsa was nowhere to be seen. "Great." Eric dragged his shovel behind him. "Thanks a lot Ethan. This is just what I needed."
"Shut up, Eric!" Conner snapped. "This was your fault. You didn't have to pick on him and make us late. I don't like this either but don't take it out on other people."
"Sorry…" Ethan murmured. "People just…don't like me."
Eric shook his head and let out a frustrated sign as he slammed the end of his shovel into the ground of the new dig area. A loud clang reverberated threw the handle and shook Eric's hands.
"I hit something guys."
"Careful!" Ethan cried out. "It could be a fossil!"
"I don't think so..." Eric trailed off as he began to dig around the area with his bare hands. "It felt like metal. Help me."
Conner and Ethan dropped to there knees and began to carefully dig around the object. As the dirt was moved away they slowly revealed a small, circular black dome with a silver border around it and engravings all around the outer edge. It wasn't in English or at least any variation that they knew about. Next to device, which Eric could only describe as a black snow globe, was a small rectangular device. A small monitor flipped open to reveal a cascade of buttons. Ethan likened it to a miniature laptop but the design and layout was foreign to him.
"What is that?" Eric asked. "Hey, Ethan. You're the computer expert. Any idea what is could be?"
Ethan snatched the two objects from Eric's hands. "I really am not sure. I've never seen these designs before in any of my hardware catalogs." As he was fidgeting with the black domed it popped open.
"Did you break it?" Conner was in a fever but he calmed down as the machine turned on by itself and a projection of a girl with long brown hair and a white jumpsuit appeared.
"Wow! A hologram!" exclaimed Ethan.
"Wow! ...she hot," cooed Eric.
Before Eric could go on and Conner had a chance to yell at him again, the woman began to speak. "If you are viewing this, then something has gone wrong with history. It is up to you and the Infinital Sequencer to use this record of the history of the Power Ranger to restore order."
"I like her. The strict ones always make for the most fun. You know that Elsa..."
"Shut up!" Ethan and Conner both yelled. Ethan looked back at the message, his mind was racing. "Something's wrong with history..."
"Power Rangers," Eric scoffed. "Every Power Ranger that I know of is a bastard. All the good ones died after the Lightspeed team fell to Emperor Zordon. Who cares about their history?"
"Eric! Did you not pay attention?" Conner snapped. "She said history is wrong. We have no idea what the real Power Rangers are supposed to be like."
"Sorry Conner, why don't you go tell that to the girl the White Ranger slashed in the back. I'm sure she'll be very understan–"
"My name Jen Scotts," the transmission continued, "I am the Pink Ranger and leader of the Time Force Rangers. This is coming to you from the year 3003. This is a record of the proper time stream that has led to my present day. From the year 1993 with the original Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers to the DinoThunder Rangers of 2004. We believe that somewhere between these years a break in time has occurred. The exact source of it is unknown. I leave it in your hands to get the Infinital Sequencer to the Power Rangers or your time so that they can set the timeline straight."
"Thank God she's pretty," Eric sneered, "Because she sure can talk."
The others weren't listening to him. "Ethan," Conner questioned, "Can you show us the current year? I want to see what it says about Mesogog."
"Yeah, I think so. This dial looks like I can set the year. He turned it to 2004. The hologram immediately clicked into play mode again.
"In the year 2004 a new team of Power Rangers was formed. Under the guidance of a veteran ranger..."
Ethan snapped the dome shut, closing the holographic program.
"Hey!" the twins protested. "What did you do that for?"
"I just realized, if anyone sees this here, they're going to confiscate it from us and we won't be able to do anything," Ethan warned. Eric and Conner nodded in agreement.
"But what can we do with it?" Eric asked. "Like I said, the only Power Rangers that are still around are part of Zordon's empire. Why would they want to change history? There's no way we would get the devices back from them."
"Right," Conner agreed. "Ethan, can we meet you somewhere after class?"
"Why not our house?" suggested Eric. "Mom and dad won't be home tonight."
Conner wrote down their home address on a slip of paper and handed it to Ethan.
"And, Ethan," Eric stammered. "Sorry about calling you a geek early."
Ethan smiled as he put the two objects into his pockets and the three went back to work for the rest of the class period.
---
That evening there was a sharp knock at the door of the McKnights. Conner opened it quickly, having been pacing around for hours.
"Sorry I'm late guys. My mom wouldn't let me leave. I told her I'd be back by curfew." He pulled the devices out of his backpack and opened the holographic dome. The file began to play from where it have last left off.
"Under the guidance of a veteran ranger, a new five-person team was formed," Jen's voice began the monologue.
"Five? " they all cried out simultaneously. "There's supposed to be a full team?" Eric groaned.
"But," Conner questioned while glaring at the image of the five rangers in the hologram. "If there are supposed to be five DinoThunders, then does this mean that our timeline is wrong like this Jen woman suggested?"
"I don't know," Ethan said. "But if it says that the White Ranger was the first one on this team then our timeline could still be the correct one."
"Then let's keep going."
The video file cut to footage of a man dressed in black running through a forest while a group of tyrannodrones chased him. Jen's voice talked as the video played.
"The villainous Mesogog had plans to revert the Earth to it's prehistoric past. To do so, he first tried to acquire three powerful Dino Gems. Fortunately for the people of Earth, a paleontologist and former Power Ranger, Dr. Tommy Oliver already has possession of the gems. He barely managed to escape Mesogog's initial attack."
The scene cut to Reefside High School. The three boys didn't say a word. They all were thinking that to this point, the history seemed to line up fine.
"Dr. Oliver, believing Mesogog to be lost in an island explosion tried to settle down as a high school science teacher in Reefside, California. It is here where the Dino Gems were born and Dr. Oliver wanted to maintain surveillance. Three teenagers, on an excursion with Dr. Oliver, found the gems. The gems bonded to them, empowering them with both civilian powers, and those of a Power Ranger." The screen flashed images of Kira, Conner and Ethan.
"That's us " Ethan yelled, slapping Conner on the shoulder who was in wide-eyed disbelief.
"Guys," Eric was pointing to the screen, "That girl... she's the one the White Ranger attacked today, only with longer hair. It has to be her."
The transmission continued as their reactions had no bearing to its programming. "Thanks to Dr. Oliver's technology fused with the Dino Gem's abilities, the three teenagers were able to morph into the DinoThunder Rangers. Conner McKnight: the Red Tyranno Ranger, Ethan James: the Blue Tricera Ranger and Kira Ford: the Yellow Ptera Ranger."
"Whoa " Ethan said as he paused the video file. "That's not possible! How can that be the right timeline?"
"Ethan!" Conner was jumping up and down in excitement. "We are the Power Rangers! We're supposed to fight against Mesogog!"
"The more important fact is that this means for sure that our time isn't the correct one," Ethan paced around the room. "This Dr. Oliver is the key. I've never even heard of him."
"Dr. Oliver, after later bonding with a forth Dino Gem, become the Black Brachio Ranger. Together, the four rangers fought against Mesogog and his forces. Mesogog's human form was that of Dr. Oliver's former partner, Anton Mercer. Chief among his army were Elsa, a woman whose secret identity served as principal of Reefside High School and Zeltrax, who used to be known as the human Terrance Smith."
"Wait, Zeltrax is Terrance Smith? Isn't he that guy that Mesogog had taken Kira away today?" Ethan inquired.
"Don't worry about it for now, let's keep going," implored Conner.
"Trent Fernandez, the adopted child of Anton Mercer happened upon a fifth Dino Gem that, when bonded to him against his will, gave him the powers of the White Drago Ranger. The gem's inherent evil nature controlled Trent, making him an enemy to the other rangers."
"Wait " Eric yelled. "Trent Fernandez is the White Ranger? He's in our class. Come to think of it, I never saw him in class but he was at the dig site."
"Guys, let's be fair," reasoned Conner. "How do we know that Trent is the White Ranger in THIS timeline?"
"It's possible that it's not him," Ethan said. "But the girl did say that the gems choose the owner. I'm thinking that they would still choose the same people, regardless of the timeline."
"Do you think that Mesogog is still trying to find then in our time?" Conner asked.
"He might. Let's finish the file."
"Thanks to Anton Mercer, the White Ranger was freed from the gem's control. Trent joined the other DinoThunder Rangers, helping them to defeat Mesogog. End transmission."
"Mesogog gets defeated in that timeline!" Eric sang happily.
"But to do that we need to first find this Dr. Oliver," Conner said, cutting down the jubilation. "Ethan, is there anything online about him?"
Ethan took his computer and started typing, shaking his head in frustration with every new dead lead.. "I can't find anything on him. No files on him at Reefside or anywhere. It's like he doesn't even exist."
"Then we need to figure this out on our own," Conner said. "We looked so much happier in that timeline."
"Where was I though?" Eric asked. "It didn't show me."
"I don't think that it would," Ethan said. "This is only information on the rangers."
"Let's go back to the dig site." The other two boys reluctantly nodded at Conner. "At this point, it's the only real lead we have. There shouldn't be too many guards at night."
---
From a distance the three boys could see spotlights peppering the dull, dark sky like fireflies. Conner motioned for the others to stay back and remain along the edge of the woods to safely see what was going on without being seen themselves. In front of them stood the regular line of command with Mesogog at the front and Elsa by his side. Terrance Smith was off to one area making tallies on a clipboard while tyrannodrones dug away at rock. One of the tyrannodrones began to groan as he picked something off the ground and rushed it over to Mesogog's outstretched claw. A beautiful tingling noise echoed. Three distinct lights were shining as one.
"Excellent! The lassssst one!"
Conner, Eric and Ethan glanced to one another. There was no mistaking the red, blue, and yellow hues that permeated the surrounding area. Mesogog had found the Dino Gems.
To be continued...
