POWER
RANGERS: SPACE PATROL DELTA
YEAR TWO
"IMPOSTER, 1"
"You're overdue, Doggie!" Isinia raised her voice, but never yelled at her husband.
"I'm fine."
"That's beside the point. Dr. Sevarus says you haven't had a physical in almost two years," Isinia said.
"That's not exactly true. Last year, I spent a bit of time in the Infirmary, more time than I'd like."
"What are you talking about?" Isinia asked.
"I got shot."
"You got shot?" Isinia said, completely in shock.
"Yes. An S.P.D. traitor named Dru Harrington infiltrated the base and he shot me," Cruger stated, in a calm tone.
"Why didn't you ever tell me about this?"
"I didn't think it really mattered. It's been almost a year. So much has happened since then," Cruger explained.
"Is that why you're apprehensive about taking the physical?" Isinia asked.
"No. I'm not apprehensive. We have a psycho on the loose trying desperately to destroy Space Patrol Delta. I don't think it's the right time to have S.P.D.'s commanding officer seeing a doctor. It sends a bad message."
"Well, if you want to avoid bad messages from me, you'll make time to see Dr. Sevarus," Isinia said, giving Doggie a look that he knew he could never overcome. "I'm sure no one wants you keeling over in the middle of a battle either."
"I don't like physicals."
"What's there not to like?" Isinia asked.
"Doctors."
Isinia couldn't help but chuckle.
"You? Afraid of doctors? What are you, a puppy? Why Anubis, this is a side of the great Shadow Ranger that I've never seen before," she said, with a smile.
"I didn't say I was afraid. I said I don't care for them," Cruger said, sternly, not wanting to lose any sense of pride in his wife's eyes.
"Well, I think Dr. Sevarus is quite nice. He's a little rough around the edges, but who wouldn't be with all the death and destruction around. It's a wonder any of us are in good spirits," Isinia said, as she gathered some housing magazines and brochures, putting them in a pile.
"What are you doing with those?"
"Throwing them out," Isinia said. "It's not like we're going anywhere."
"I know you're disappointed about that. I don't want you to just toss them away. This thing with Omallix could be over in a matter of hours. You never know," Cruger said.
"I think we both know it's going to take longer than that and even then, this city is going to take a lot of time to rebuild as it is. By the time we get around to getting our own home, these will be worthless. I can get more," Isinia said, with a smile.
"All right," Cruger agreed.
Doggie watched Isinia meticulously stack the materials on a table near the entrance to their quarters. Doggie let out a low growl. At that moment, he wasn't sure they were iall/i in good spirits.
The Red Ranger blasted another Ferick with his Delta Enforcer. But, that was just one. He turned to see six more bearing down on him. He went into stealth mode, crouching low to the ground, as the robotic beings all opened fire. He quickly tumbled to the right, firing off three shots from his weapon, before leaping into the air, where he scored a direct hit with another shot. He came to a halt behind the robots, using his Delta Enforcer to crack the skull of one, then another. The last of the six was right on top of him, but he managed to turn his weapon, firing at point-blank range. The Ferick was destroyed. It was so close the Red Ranger could feel the heat of the lasers frying its circuitry.
Sky took the opportunity to survey the area. It was rare to be able to do that, given the dangerous situation. There were tons of Fericks everywhere. But, part of his job was to observe his team. In the distance, he saw the Green Ranger blast one Ferick away, just as two more exited a high rise building behind him. Too close to blast, they grabbed him by the arms, trying to wrestle his Delta Enforcer from his hands. Sky noticed Quinn quickly respond, scoring a kick to one of the robot's chest plate. The machine went skidding down the street.
But as it slid, it opened fire with the blaster on its arm. Sky was worried for a second about his comrade, but Quinn held his own. He quickly rolled out of the way, causing the Ferick on the ground to obliterate his fellow robot, which had been on the other side of Quinn. The fireballs broke the machine into several pieces. From the ground, the Green Ranger opened fire on the fallen Ferick, destroying it. Sky nodded his head affirmatively.
He turned to glance at the Yellow Ranger, who was blasting almost ten Fericks who were surrounding her in a circle formation. He guessed there were ten, but they were falling so quickly that he barely had time to get an accurate count. Z was definitely back to being herself, Sky thought. S.W.A.T. mode was coming in handy against these creatures, especially after some extra power upgrades added by Kat a few days ago.
A Ferick came running at full speed towards the Red Ranger from his left side, he quickly raised his Delta Enforcer, frying the robot, before turning his attention to his second-in-command. The Blue Ranger kicked away one Ferick, which fell to its knees. The other three were bearing down on him. He used his Delta Enforcer as a bat, and swung the gun wildly, nailing all three. When they fell to their knees as well, he opened fire, destroying all four.
Sky next turned his attentions to the last B-Squad member. The Pink Ranger had taken cover behind a dumpster in an alleyway and blasted any Ferick that came in her direction. Sky smiled beneath his helmet. Then, he saw something that worried him. Two more Fericks came flying off the roof of the building behind her. They blasted streams of fire at her in mid-air. She rolled from behind the dumpster, tagging both with her Delta Enforcer before they could hit the ground. Two more, however, were coming up from behind. Syd didn't see them. They had their weapons trained on her.
Sky sighed, before raising his weapon and firing on the two robots. The falling machines caught the Pink Ranger's attention and she turned, seeing the singed robots on the ground. She looked to the Red Ranger and gave a quick nod.
'That's not good enough,' Sky thought to himself.
"End simulation," Sky called out from beneath his helmet.
The simulator immediately shut off, revealing a white room. It was walled with lights, special lights that helped to create holographic illusions, used to train S.P.D. cadets. The simulator was a valuable tool and it had just helped Sky make an observation he wasn't going to let slide.
"Power down," Sky shouted.
In response, all five of the Rangers demorphed. Sky stood in front of his four teammates.
"Z, good job. You didn't let them overtake you. You kept control," Sky said, as he looked to the Yellow Ranger, who nodded back, with a smile.
Sky turned to the Green Ranger. "Quinn, you didn't lose sight of your surroundings. Nice."
It was short, but Quinn was used to that kind of response from Sky. He was starting to accept him on the team, but he could tell that the Red Ranger was still merely tolerating him. At this moment, though, Quinn was thankful for his comments.
"Bridge, unorthodox, as usual," Sky said quickly. Bridge gave him a huge smile.
Sky quickly moved onto Syd. "Syd, you need work."
"Excuse me?"
"Your performance was...uninspiring," Sky said.
"Uninspiring?" Syd repeated, looking surprised. "What do you mean? I got both those robo bozos before they even landed."
"Yes, but you missed the two that were coming up behind you, ready to blow you away."
"But, you were right there. You took them out," Syd explained.
"What if I wasn't there? Would you settle for getting blasted?"
"Of course not, Sky, but—"
"No buts. We're here to train," Sky said.
"I'm sorry. I thought we were a team. You know, you got my back, I got yours?" Syd offered.
"That's not my point."
"Well, what is your point? You create this monstrous program where we're getting bombarded daily with hordes of these crazy robots and you're upset that we need help?" Syd said, looking completely confused.
"I made this program because the Fericks are what we have to deal with out there. We have to train for the environment," Sky said.
"I know that, but a hundred? We've never encountered a hundred of anything, ever. Don't you think you're taking things a little too far?"
"No," Sky said quickly.
Syd looked upset and disappointed. She looked to her team. She could tell that neither Z nor Quinn understood her meaning. She looked to Bridge.
"She does kinda have a point, Sky," Bridge spoke.
"What?"
"This program is a bit...deadly don't you think?" Bridge said.
"So's the world these days," Z stated. "We have to be ready."
"I completely agree with that," Syd said, "but that doesn't mean that we throw out our personal code of teamwork in training. When we are out there against real Fericks, I will blast any one that I see coming at me, or any of my teammates."
"So, will I," Sky said. "But this is training. I want everyone to be at their best when the time comes for battle. Let's start again."
Syd let out a deep sigh of frustration, as Sky called for the program to start again.
"S.P.D. Emergency!"
Inside the zord repair bay, the sound of metal being pounded, twisted and welded could be heard throughout the two-story room, which resembled a large warehouse. Commander Cruger entered on the second floor balcony. He touched a comm panel on the wall near the doorway. It caused a red blinking alert to activate on the repair platform that was hovering beneath S.W.A.T. Flyer 2.
The being on the platform stopped her work. Peeking out from underneath the flyer, Kat Manx looked back at the balcony and saw her commanding officer. She offered a smile, before dropping her tools and activating the platform, which hovered over to the second floor balcony and connected to it, almost magnetically.
"Commander, what brings you down here?" Kat asked.
Cruger handed her a towel that was lying nearby. Kat used it to wipe the black fluid from her hands.
"I just wanted to see how the repairs were coming," Cruger responded.
Kat seemed a bit surprised.
"Well, the flyer took some damage from Omallix's torpedoes in the last fight, but I don't think it's anything major."
"That's good to know," Cruger said.
"Well, you can thank Bridge's flying skills," Kat said.
"And your excellent design," Cruger added.
"Oh please. If Bridge hadn't veered his flyer away, there might not be a Blue S.W.A.T. Flyer here at all right now or a Blue Ranger," Kat said, "Omallix's new weapons systems are very powerful."
"I know," Cruger said, before letting out a deep sigh. "Still, you've done a great job with the S.W.A.T. technology and we need it now more than ever."
Kat could sense something else was going on. "So, did you just come down here to stroke my ego or is there something wrong?"
"I don't know," Cruger started. "Isinia wants me to take my physical. Apparently, Dr. Sevarus thinks I'm overdue."
"Uh oh," Kat said, with a sly grin. "I bet that didn't go over too well."
"See? You understand my reluctance to all this," Cruger said.
"Yes. I get that you don't like doctors and you don't like the way it makes you look," Kat explained, "But, I'm also not your wife. She just wants to make sure you're okay."
"I'm perfectly fine."
"Of course you are. So why not let Dr. Sevarus do his exam and get it over with. You never know. It might be the perfect time to get to know our new doctor," Kat said.
"I already know Shivan. We had a lot of classes together in the Academy, back before he branched out into medicine," Cruger explained.
"So, then this isn't about him?"
"No. It's about S.P.D.'s Commander being admitted to the Infirmary," Cruger said.
"So, it's about appearing weak to everyone?" Kat surmised.
"It's about us being at war and me not having time to submit to an unnecessary physical," Cruger said, as he began to get frustrated.
"So, it's about appearing weak to everyone?" Kat repeated.
Cruger let out a growl. Kat only smiled. She activated the platform controls once again and it hovered back over to the Blue S.W.A.T. Flyer.
"I have to get back to work, sir," Kat said. Then, she sent Cruger a sly grin. "What is it you're up to right now? Seems like you have some time on your hands while the Rangers are training."
Cruger looked around and started to fume. He walked off quickly. Kat could only laugh.
"Cat got your tongue, sir?" she called out to him, but the Commander didn't turn back.
Cruger didn't say one word to anyone who passed him on his way to the Command Center. He couldn't believe Kat had the nerve to speak to him that way. He should have reprimanded her. Then, he realized that he couldn't do that. Kat was telling the truth. But, he didn't understand why they didn't feel the same way he did. This was no time for S.P.D.'s Commander to appear to be incapable of command in any way. That included submitting to some physical, especially when he was feeling perfectly normal. Then he wondered if he could possibly get Dr. Sevarus to perform the physical in the privacy of his office, or maybe his quarters. That was a thought he'd keep in mind.
Commander Cruger strolled into the Command Center, which was almost deserted. There were two officers stationed inside. Most available cadets were helping with the reconstruction efforts in the city or training. S.P.D.'s graduated officers were doing the same. The community needed them and he made sure he had squads out there showing everyone that S.P.D. could feel their pain and were willing to help. At this moment, he was wishing for someone to feel his pain. Cruger sat down at his station, but it wasn't long before he was back on his feet.
"Sir, I'm picking up something strange," Officer G'laktu spoke from an aft station to Cruger's left.
The Commander joined him there, looking at some readings.
"What is it?"
"I'm not sure," G'laktu responded, curiously. "It looks to be an alien energy signature, but that area's deserted. It's in the middle of southern Newtech City."
G'laktu looked his commanding officer in the eyes. He was as tall as Cruger, which was rare in S.P.D., but not rare for the Kemtarians, a race of tall, long-necked beings of whom G'laktu was a member. His skin was pure white. He looked almost as if he was wearing white powder. His hair was long and a pale green color. His eyes were also green, but they were darker, almost like emeralds.
"Southern Newtech?" Cruger looked confused. "That's right in the heart of where Cartiron first attacked us."
Cruger seemed to be thinking even more, as he headed for the exit.
"Sir, what should I do?" G'laktu asked.
"Keep monitoring. I'm going to check it out. If you don't hear from me within twenty minutes, alert the Rangers," Cruger said, as he exited.
"Yes, sir," G'laktu called out, as the doors were closing behind Cruger. The alien turned back to his monitor, looking curiously at the red blinking signal.
The S.P.D. Shadow ATV came roaring onto the scene, traveling the rough terrain easily. Mounds of ash still populated this area. Construction crews were slowly removing the debris from Cartiron's attack. It was a long-term effort and Cruger knew it would take them years to fully rebuild. He passed one construction site, where a partially demolished building was being torn down completely. There was no hope for that structure. Hope was something they all needed.
He arrived at the site of the disturbance, but didn't see anything. The wind blew ash and charred pieces of concrete around him. Already morphed, the Shadow Ranger used his morpher's scanning mode to locate the source of the signal. It led him to a large hill of debris, from what he assumed was a fallen building. Then, he got another signal from behind. This signal was clearly vocal.
"Shadow Ranger, we meet again."
Cruger turned quickly to see the red, chiseled and evil form of Cartiron, the Dark Hellion standing before him.
"Cartiron! What are you doing out here?"
"Just...fishing," Cartiron said, with a heavy chuckle from his gritty voice. His laugh got louder, as a group of five Fericks emerged from the wreckage behind Cruger, grabbing the Shadow Ranger. Two Fericks grabbed hold of his arms. The third grabbed his Shadow Saber from its sheath. The Fourth took hold of Cruger from behind, grabbing around his waist.
"And, it looks like I caught the biggest fish in Newtech City," Cartiron said.
"I don't think so," Shadow Ranger yelled, before swinging his arms together, causing the two Fericks on them to collide.
They fell to the ground, as Shadow Ranger kicked the third Ferick in the gut, causing his Shadow Saber to fly up into the air. He caught it with a free hand, using it to slice off the arms of the Ferick holding him by the waist. With a few quick slashes, the two fallen Fericks were without their heads. Shadow Ranger stalked towards Cartiron, when the Ferick he had kicked moments earlier started firing his arm blaster. Shadow Ranger quickly blocked the lasers with his saber, deflecting them back at the Ferick, who was quickly dismantled by his own laser blasts. Shadow Ranger focused his attention on Cartiron.
"You're going to have to do better than that, Cartiron," Shadow Ranger said.
"All right," Cartiron said, as a dozen more Fericks came out of hiding, all around Cruger.
Shadow Ranger let out a growling battle cry and ran right into the group of Fericks, with his Shadow Saber drawn and ready, slicing anything metallic that stood in his way.
Aboard Omallix's base, Dr. Felix stood looking at himself in the small wall mounted mirror. He had bandaged the area above his right eye, but it was still sore.
"Omallix packs quite a punch," Felix said to himself.
He had been by himself in that room for a long time. With the exception of Charlie's routine visits to drop off food and trade insults, he had been completely alone for weeks since he was brought there. He yearned for a glimpse of sunlight, to escape the harshness of the flourescent lights of this laboratory. Then, the door opened. He was surprised; it wasn't mealtime. Then, he got a very bad feeling. He turned to see his visitor.
"What's wrong, Felix? Did you think it was Omallix?" Charlie said with a grin.
"Oh joy. Charlie's here," Felix said, sarcastically.
"I've come to take the kitty for a little walk," Charlie said.
"It's too early in the day for derogatory remarks, Charlie," Felix said, before turning back to the mirror and adjusting his bandage.
"Then don't make me use any," Charlie stated, "Let's go."
"Where?" Felix said, as he turned away from the mirror finally and walked closer to Charlie.
"Questions, questions, questions. Don't you ever get tired of asking them?"
"Do you ever get tired of not having the answers?" Felix shot back.
"Move, Doctor. Now, or Omallix will come and get you himself."
Without another word, Felix sighed and walked through the doorway. It felt strange for his feet to touch the hallway floor. It seemed almost softer than the lab. He began walking, as Charlie kept pace, walking at his side, with her hand firmly grasping his arm.
"I hear you didn't enjoy Omallix's last visit," Charlie spoke up.
"What? Were you listening outside the door?"
Charlie chuckled, "Maybe."
"I'm not surprised. It fits your sadistic profile, taking pride in someone else's suffering," Felix said.
"Well, in my opinion, better you than me," Charlie whispered into his ear.
"Your opinion is about as important to me as the S.P.D. code of ethics is to you," Felix said, glaring at her.
Charlie faked a gasp, with her free hand clutching her heart. "Oh, you wound me, Doctor," she responded sarcastically, as she tightened her grip.
Moments later, they descended the staircase and Charlie guided Felix right into the heart of Omallix's base, his control room and home of his self-appointed throne.
"Here he is, master," Charlie said to her boss, as she placed Felix right in front of him.
"Doctor Felix," Omallix said, "You are just in time."
"For what?"
"To witness your handiwork in action," Omallix said, in his metallic tone.
Felix nodded his head. "This is all an abomination. They will never fall into your trap, whatever it is. It will never work, despite what you made me do."
"I'll keep that in mind, as I watch the Rangers' destruction," Omallix stated, "Correction. I should say as iwe/i watch the Rangers' destruction. Jintari, bring the visual link online."
The small green creature was standing nearby, at a control console. After Omallix made his order, Jintari typed in a few commands and it caused the glassed wall in front of them to transform into a viewscreen. It showed them the entrance to S.P.D. Headquarters.
"What is this?" Felix asked aloud.
"This is the beginning of the end," Omallix stated, as he turned his attention the screen. "You see Doctor, while you were doing your part, Jintari did his. He created this video link so that we could watch my plan of action up-close."
Moments later, Cartiron teleported in.
"It is done, my lord," he said to Omallix.
"We know," Omallix said, as he pointed to the new viewscreen.
Everyone watched intently, as the viewscreen showed them a first-person view of the S.P.D. lobby, as someone entered. Passing several cadets and officers, Felix was surprised to hear what the passers by had to say.
"Hello, Commander," two cadets stated, as they walked by.
"Oh no," Felix said aloud, disappointed. It was Cruger. "It's working."
"Of course it is, Doctor," Charlie said, "You're quite talented."
Felix was angry, as he turned to Omallix. "It may work on some simple cadets, but the Rangers will never fall for it."
"We will find out soon enough," Omallix said, as he sat back on his throne.
They watched as Cruger made his way further into the Delta Command Base. He turned a corner and from their viewpoint, they could see an alien man, standing at the doorway of a room. Omallix thought to himself that the room seemed a bit familiar, as Cruger got closer to it.
A few feet away from Omallix's throne, Felix knew exactly where Cruger was. He smiled.
"Commander Cruger, you look tired," the alien spoke to Cruger at the doorway. "Maybe this would be a nice time to get your physical out of the way?"
"Physical?" Charlie looked confused.
"Yes," Felix said, smiling. "This is it. There's no way your plan is going to work, now."
The four of them watched, as Cruger entered the Infirmary with Dr. Sevarus. Omallix traded a troubling glance with Cartiron and Jintari, while Felix gave a devious smile to Charlie, who fumed.
Inside the S.P.D. Infirmary, Dr. Sevarus finished his scans on Commander Cruger, who was sitting calmly on an examination bed. Sevarus walked over to his interface terminal and began inputting the data.
"You know, Commander, I was beginning to think you weren't ever going to come down here," Sevarus stated, happily.
"Why not?" Cruger asked, blankly.
"Well, you didn't seem very receptive to my notes reminding you of your physical and frankly, your wife didn't seem to believe you'd do it either," Sevarus responded.
"I am the Commander. I have to lead by example."
"Certainly, sir," Sevarus said, as he finished typing in a few commands, pulling up Cruger's record. "It will take me a little while to finish everything, but the preliminary results look just fine."
When he didn't get any response, Sevarus turned to see that Cruger had left the examination bed and was now standing over Piggy's bed. The comatose alien's condition had not changed. Sevarus walked over, sighing deeply.
"Did you hear me sir?" Sevarus asked.
"What?"
"I was just saying that it's going to take a little while to compare your results to your last physical and have all the records updated. I'll keep you posted if there's anything out of the ordinary," Sevarus said.
Cruger simply nodded.
"Him?" Cruger spoke.
"I'm sorry, sir. I wish I had better news regarding Piggy," Sevarus explained, "he took a lot of damage. The falling debris hit him right in the chest, damaging his lungs. That's why we're using the ventilator to aid his breathing. I wasn't expecting him to fall into a coma. It's very unfortunate. I know you and B-Squad were close to him."
Cruger shrugged his shoulders and headed for the exit. Sevarus got a weird vibe from his old friend. He waved it off, as he checked the readings on Piggy, then went back to his work.
In the Rec Room, the exhausted B-Squad cadets entered. Everyone, except Sky, slumped into the couches in the area. Sky walked over to the food slot and grabbed a bottle of water. He stood, drinking it, as Syd stared at him.
"You're enjoying this way too much," she said.
"I'm drinking water!" Sky said. "What is it now?"
"Sky, look at us. We can barely move. There is such a thing as too much training," she said.
"Syd, come on," Z said, "We trained for the same amount of time we always do. It wasn't that bad."
"Yes, it was. This program is bigger and more dangerous than anything we've used in training before," Syd said.
Sky walked closer to her, so he could look Syd in the eye. His height caused him to tower over the smaller Pink Ranger.
"Look, Syd, I'm the leader of B-Squad. I think this program is the best tool we have of getting prepared for battle," Sky said.
"Or, it could be our biggest mistake. If we're too tired to fight our next real battle, I don't see much of a chance of us winning."
"I thought you had faith in me," Sky said. "I mean, it was you who helped me see that I had what it takes to lead this team. I think what we need is tougher, more specialized training so that we're ready."
"I guess I just don't see this program that way. Sky, I saw the disc. You call it "The Fight of a Hundred Fericks." This isn't some game."
"We're not treating it like a game," Sky said. "You're the one falling behind and making mistakes in there. Maybe you're not taking it seriously enough."
"Maybe you all are taking it too seriously," Syd said, as she looked to Bridge. "We've been talking and we think that you three are letting your anger over what Omallix & Cartiron did affect your judgment."
"That's a pretty big accusation," Sky said. He looked to Bridge, "Care to add something to that, Bridge?"
"Well, Syd has a point," Bridge said, a little intimidated by Sky. "I mean, you guys have been exhibiting a bit of killer instinct in there."
"We're fighting with everything we have," Quinn said. "I thought that was the point."
"It is the point," Z chimed in. "Sorry, but I'm with Sky on this."
"Of course you are," Syd said.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Z replied.
"You're angry about what happened to Jack. We all are, but I've seen you in training and you are fighting with an intensity that is screaming hatred and vengeance," Syd said, boldly. "I've seen the same thing happening with you, Quinn."
"So what?" Quinn said. "I want to defeat the enemy at all costs. So what if I want to do it more because of what Omallix did to Darren?"
"So what?" Syd repeated, "We're not them. We're not supposed to fight with vengeance and malice. We're S.P.D.. We're not some death squad. That's Omallix's game and we can't play it if we want to win this."
"I agree with Syd, guys," Bridge said. "I think maybe we should all take a step back and really think about what we're feeling and what we're doing."
"Personally," Z said, "I'm tired of feeling. I've made my peace with what happened to Jack. But, Omallix and his goons are still gonna pay. We can't deal with them like normal criminals after what they've done."
"There's a line between wanting to capture a criminal and wanting to obliterate one," Syd said, staring at Sky, hoping that he would jump in and see her point.
"Right now, all I want is for you to hold your own out there," Sky said. "We can't afford to lose any more team members. Omallix and his crew are ruthless. Sometimes you have to think like the enemy in order to defeat them."
Syd let out a deep sigh of disappointment, as Sky walked off. Her pleas were clearly falling on deaf ears.
Isinia Cruger strolled into her quarters and saw something that truly startled her. Her husband was sitting in a large chair, thumbing through a housing magazine. She recognized it as one of the pieces of literature she stacked near the door to be thrown away. She walked closer to him.
"Doggie?"
"Yes?" Cruger said, as he looked up at her.
"Is everything all right?"
"Everything is perfectly fine," Cruger said, "I was just admiring the design of one of these houses."
"Oh really?" Isinia said, again surprised.
"It's very nice and large. We'll need something large," Cruger said.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Isinia asked, as she got closer, putting a hand on Cruger's shoulder.
"Of course, wife. Why do you ask?"
Isinia stared at him for a moment. "I don't know. You just seem...off. Did something happen while you were out?" She asked.
"There was a minor disturbance earlier. I took care of it."
"Nothing too dangerous, I hope?" Isinia wondered.
"No. I believe I handled it rather well, actually," Cruger said, as he stood up. He placed the magazine back on the stack of others.
"Where are you off to?" his wife asked.
"I'm going to go check in on the Rangers," Cruger said, before exiting.
Isinia stood there, staring at where Cruger had been sitting and then at the stack of housing literature. She took a deep breath, looking confused.
Cruger approached the Rec Room entrance, when the doors opened and the B-Squad came walking out. Sky led the others in saluting their commander.
"At ease, Rangers," Cruger responded. "Where are you all going?"
"Training, sir," Sky said. "We want to be ready for the next battle."
"Carry on," Cruger said, proudly.
Sky headed off towards the simulator, followed by Z, Quinn and Bridge. Syd didn't leave with them. She glanced at Cruger.
"Is something wrong, Cadet?" he asked.
"Actually, sir, I need to talk to you," Syd said, as she led Cruger inside the Rec Room. "Sir, Sky's training exercises have become a little...dangerous."
"Dangerous? On the simulator?"
"Well, of course, there's no real danger involved with the safety protocols activated, but Sky's developed this new program himself and it involves us fighting a hundred Fericks. It's kind of disturbing. I think the team may be going too far," Syd explained.
"Hmm," Cruger hummed. "As Commander, it's my duty to listen to everyone's concerns. Why don't I join B-Squad in its next training exercise? I can observe everyone and make some observations of my own."
"That would be really good," Syd said, with a smile. "I just think we need one of your patented DC pep talks."
Syd ran to catch up with the others, as Cruger watched her leave. He sighed.
Isinia walked down the hallway, passing a cadet. She wasn't sure of her name, but she nodded and greeted her, just like she would anyone else. Then, a familiar face turned the corner, coming in her direction.
"Dr. Sevarus," she called out, while waving.
"Isinia, it's good to see you," Sevarus responded, as he walked up to her. "You must feel better?"
"Better?" Isinia looked confused.
"Anubis, he took his physical a little while ago," Sevarus revealed.
"You're kidding?"
"Not at all. He came right into the Infirmary and we got it done in record time, I think," Sevarus said, his voice conveying a warm emotion that suited a doctor.
Isinia looked troubled.
"Is something wrong, Isinia?" Sevarus asked.
"Oh, I'm sure it's nothing. Doggie didn't mention his physical to me. It's a little strange, considering how much I've been reminding him of it lately. That's all," Isinia said.
"Well, I didn't find anything out of the ordinary. That may be why he didn't mention it," Sevarus stated, "You know, I'll have the final results finished shortly. As a matter of fact, I was just on my way to the Infirmary to check on them. Would you like me to send you a copy?"
"No need. Like you said, there was nothing out of the ordinary," Isinia said with a smile.
"Well, I better get going," Sevarus said, before leaving. "Good day."
"Good day to you too, Shivan," Isinia responded, as she watched the doctor continue on his path. Isinia looked to the floor, as her mind was racing with information that just didn't make sense to her.
Inside the S.P.D. training simulator, downtown Newtech City looked gloriously normal. There was no ash flying in the air and no rising death toll. This, however, was just a simulation, Sky thought. The morphed Red Ranger crept through the streets. Unlike earlier, he wasn't looking to fight Fericks. His target this time was a Sirian canine. He turned a corner and saw Cruger in his sights. He wasn't morphed, which was a bit surprising. Sky, however, wasn't going to let the opportunity pass him by to lead B-Squad by example...and get the slip on his commanding officer.
The Red Ranger quietly approached Commander Cruger, who was walking down the middle of the street, with his back to Sky. As he got closer, Sky kept one eye on the Shadow Saber, which was in its sheath at Cruger's side. He knew if Cruger drew his weapon, he would have detected him coming. Sky aimed his weapon squarely at Cruger's back. He'd never dishonor himself by shooting him in the back, but he knew that Cruger's fine-tuned hearing might tip him off at any second and when he turned, Sky would fire. After all, with the simulator's safety protocols online, Cruger wouldn't be hurt and Sky would be the victor.
Then, a rustling was heard to their right. Both turned in that direction. Sky could see from his distance that it was the Blue Ranger. Cruger drew his saber. This was Sky's chance. Cruger was clearly distracted, moving towards Bridge, who opened fire. The Red Ranger leaped into the air above Cruger, as he deflected the laser blasts from Bridge's Delta Enforcer, sending them back in Bridge's direction. The Blue Ranger staggered, as the blasts landed near his feet, sending him flying to the ground.
Over his head, Cruger saw the Red Ranger diving for him. He instantly swung his blade upwards, deflecting the blast from his Delta Enforcer and catching Sky in the chest. Sparks flew from his body, as he came crashing down to the street, smoking. That hurt, Sky thought. Cruger was good.
Then, he was faced with two more Rangers, as Yellow & Pink both came running into the area, from opposite directions. Their Delta Enforcers were drawn. Z got their first. Her lasers were cast aside by the Shadow Saber, but as she got close enough, she kicked him in the chest, as Syd approached from behind. From the ground, Sky held his chest, as he glanced up at the action in front of him. Then, he was actually shocked. Z swung her Enforcer at Cruger's head, but he grabbed it, placing it under his arm. As the Pink Ranger approached behind him, he grabbed Z's hand on the trigger and pulled it. The blast of lasers from the Delta Enforcer went flying behind him, nailing the Pink Ranger. The force of the blast caused her entire body to shake, as it sparked with damage.
The Pink Ranger collapsed to the ground, dropping her Enforcer. Cruger kicked the Yellow Ranger back a few paces, then slashed her across the chest with the Shadow Saber, sending her flying to the ground as well. Cruger's keen sense of hearing came in handy, as he heard another weapon charge up. He turned to see the Green Ranger hiding behind the bench at a transport stop nearby. He fired on Cruger, who swiftly used his Shadow Saber to deflect the blasts, sending them flying at the building behind Quinn. The debris fell, crushing him.
Sky watched in shock. Cruger had single-handedly destroyed B-Squad, without even morphing. Sky groaned to himself, as he struggled to his feet. "End simulation," he called out. Instantly, downtown Newtech City was replaced by the simulator room. They all demorphed, almost forcefully, as the others got to their feet. B-Squad managed to line up together, holding various parts of their body that had been hit hard during the session. In front of them, Cruger stood silent, as he returned his weapon to its sheath.
"Good job, sir," Bridge was the first to speak, through clenched teeth.
"I have to say, Rangers. It doesn't look to me like you've been training all that much," Cruger said.
"Sir, we're still working on our timing and our strategy. We will get better," Sky offered.
"I would hope so, because it doesn't look to me like you'd be ready for another attack by Omallix or Cartiron and who knows what else they have planned for you," Cruger said.
"Don't you mean us, sir?" Syd asked. She was fishing for that pep talk that they had discussed earlier.
"From the looks of what I just witnessed, I'm not the one who needs more training time," Cruger said, sternly, surprising her.
"Yes, sir," Sky said, "I agree, sir."
"Good. Now, I want you all to keep training. Add another session or two. Syd mentioned a program that you created using the Fericks," Cruger said, again surprising Syd. "I suggest you make good use of it. This cannot happen again."
Cruger began walking towards the exit doors. Syd looked very confused.
"Sir?" Syd said, aloud, but Sky put a hand on her shoulder. She stayed quiet, as Cruger exited. She turned back to the others. "Does anyone else think that was weird?"
"Cruger didn't morph. I thought that was a tiny bit weird," Bridge chimed in.
"He didn't have to. You saw what happened. He owned us out there," Z said.
"Yeah, and I've got the marks to prove it," Quinn said, as he rubbed a hand on his lower back. "Ouch. Is he always that rough?"
"No," Syd said quickly.
"I think it's obvious," Sky said, "Cruger was trying to send us a message. You heard him. We need more training."
Sky looked directly at Syd, focusing his next remarks squarely at her.
"But then, I already knew that."
"Shouldn't we take a break first?" Bridge asked.
"No. We should do it now, while we've got our adrenaline pumping," Sky said, as he activated "The Fight of a Hundred Fericks" program. They were once again in downtown Newtech City, but this time, a hundred robotic soldiers were heading their way. Syd grimaced, as they all reached for their morphers.
Outside the simulator, Cruger was listening, as his finger had been pressed firmly on the comm panel for the room. He nodded his head, as he began hearing laser fire coming from inside. At that moment, he opened a maintenance panel near the floor. He reached inside, carefully pulling at certain circuits. He ripped them out with his bare hands. A computerized voice came from the comm panel.
"Warning. Safety Protocols have been deactivated. Simulator experiencing major malfunction."
Cruger stood back up and focused on the comm panel. He drew his Shadow Saber and stabbed at the panel, destroying it as well. He then put his Saber back in its sheath and began walking away.
The walk to his office didn't take long. Cruger appeared to be smiling, as he sat down at his desk and activated his terminal. He pressed in a few commands and soon the blank monitor was filled with the form of the evil lord Omallix. Cruger nodded.
"Lord Omallix, I am pleased to report that phase one of your plan is complete. The Rangers have been incapacitated," Cruger said, proudly.
"Yes, we bore witness to your actions," Omallix said, with a chuckle.
"Let's just say, the Rangers will be kept busy for some time," Cruger said.
"Hopefully," Omallix stated, "it won't take that long for the Fericks to completely destroy them. Everything is going according to plan...except for your biggest mistake."
"My mistake?" Cruger sounded confused.
"How could you submit to an examination? Don't you understand we can't have any slip-ups?"
"I didn't want to look suspicious. What's the harm?" Cruger asked.
"The harm is that someone might find out the truth and that could ruin everything," Omallix yelled.
"Sir, that is impossible. The Rangers are out of the picture. There's no one left here who can stop me," Cruger explained.
Then, the chime from his office door sounded.
"Someone is here," Cruger said. "I have to go."
"Be careful," Omallix fired back. "And don't let anything stop you from completing the next phase of my plan."
"Understood, my lord," Cruger responded, before deactivating the terminal. He turned his attentions to his visitor and activated the door control on his desk, unlocking it.
The doors slid open to reveal Dr. Shivan Sevarus. Cruger tilted his head a bit, as the doctor walked in, carrying a small LCD data pad.
"Doctor, is there something I can do for you? I was just on my way out," Cruger said, as he stood up.
"Actually, I need to talk to you, Anubis. It's very important," Sevarus responded.
"Anubis? Don't you mean, Commander?"
"I'm sorry, Commander. I figured since we were in your office, it would be all right to address you informally. I know it's been years since we last socialized," Sevarus explained, looking confused.
"Yes, you're right. It's fine, Doctor. What can I do for you?"
"Actually, you can come with me back down to the Infirmary. When I compared the results of your physical today with the results from the last one you took, I found some discrepancies in the readings. I just want to make sure that everything is fine," Sevarus said.
"Discrepancies?" Cruger wondered, as he walked around his desk and walked closer to Sevarus, who started looking at the LCD pad he brought with him. Cruger walked behind him and glanced over his shoulder.
"Well, I found a small difference in your—"
Sevarus was cut off, as Cruger pounded him from behind. Sevarus was knocked forward, colliding, stomach-first, with Cruger's desk. Cruger grabbed the doctor by his white lab coat and swung him around, causing his head to collide with the wall. Dr. Sevarus slowly slid to the floor, completely unconscious.
"Sorry, doctor," Cruger said, as he picked up the pad and threw it at the wall behind his desk, causing it to break into pieces. "There's no time for that."
"No!" Felix shouted from Omallix's base, as they all watched Cruger's actions intently.
"Well, Doctor Felix, it doesn't appear your colleague will tell anyone about his little discovery," Charlie said.
"Yes, Our Sirian friend is quite ruthless," Omallix said aloud, as he looked to Cartiron. "You took care of that other piece of business, didn't you?"
"Yes, master. Destruction is imminent," Cartiron said, proudly.
"For them all, Cartiron. For them all," Omallix added, as they all looked back at the viewscreen. The video feed seemed to be speeding up, but Omallix soon realized it was Cruger moving faster than ever before.
Inside the simulator, laser blasts were sent from the Rangers' weapons and they collided with the approaching fireball projectiles shot from the Fericks. The Fericks were all marching in straight lines of ten, towards the five Rangers. Decked out in S.W.A.T. mode, they stood in a straight line of their own, firing their Delta Enforcers. It didn't take long before they had completely destroyed the first line of ten Fericks. There were, however, nine more lines of ten getting closer.
When they were too close, the Red Ranger yelled to his comrades.
"Split up," he yelled, "Eighteen a piece."
Beneath her helmet, the Pink Ranger at his side, grimaced. No real fight could be this coordinated, she thought. She didn't realize they were counting how many each was to destroy. The Rangers all scattered in different directions, taking defensive stances. Everyone except for the Green Ranger. Quinn took the offensive route.
The approaching army of Fericks began to fan out and target the Rangers. Quinn, however, went running right into the middle of the group, blasting away with his Delta Enforcer. In a matter of moments, the Green Ranger's body came flying back out of the crowd, crashing to the ground.
"Ow, that really hurt," Quinn yelled. He didn't have time to deal with the pain in his back, as four Fericks were coming for him. He pointed his weapon at them and began firing.
Nearby, the Yellow Ranger was running around a building, hoping to launch an attack from behind the army. Six Fericks, however, had sensed her movement and were now coming at her from that direction.
"Oops," Z said. "Looks like time for Plan B!"
She turned to go back the way she came, but there were six more Fericks coming at her in that direction. They backed her into a corner, as she began firing wildly at the group of robots, destroying several of them. But, they just kept coming, firing at her, using their blasters' alternate mode, which caused streams of fire to be shot towards her.
A few blocks away, the Blue & Pink Rangers met up. "How bout we take them together?" Syd said.
"Back to back?" Bridge wondered.
"Yep," Syd said.
The Blue & Pink Rangers stood back to back, as a horde of Fericks marched into their area. The two of them began firing at anything moving in their direction, taking out almost a dozen. There were two dozen more, waiting for their turn.
The Red Ranger found himself once again at the center of a Ferick onslaught. He blasted two of them, but four more were too close. They started to grab for his Delta Enforcer, as two more replaced their fallen soldiers. The six gathered around him, causing him to crouch down to the ground. They were strong and Sky was tired, but he'd never admit to it. He used all of his strength to push upward, pushing four of them away. He cracked his Delta Enforcer on the skull of the remaining two. He fired his weapon at the other four, but only two blasts came out, before the weapon died. He looked closer and saw that he had actually cracked the power module.
"Time to take a page out of Bridge's book," Sky said, as he began swinging the broken Delta Enforcer at the approaching Fericks.
He saw that more were coming after him on the horizon. He looked around for his comrades. The ones he could see were clearly in as much trouble as he was. Sky took a deep breath and then gave up.
"End simulation!" he screamed.
Nothing happened. The Fericks kept coming.
"End simulation!" he screamed.
Something was wrong.
Cruger stormed down the hallways, walking at a fast pace. He was almost finished with his mission. He had only one more thing to accomplish. He turned a few more corners and reached his destination. He entered the Command Center, and was instantly unsettled. There were two officers stationed there. They didn't bother him as much as the female standing at the control console in the middle of the room. She looked up and saw his surprised demeanor.
"I know. I know," Kat said, "Surprised to see me? I'm happy to report the repairs on S.W.A.T. Flyer 2 are complete. It's ready for action."
"Yes," Cruger said, caught off-guard. "Good."
His brain was working overtime, as he walked closer to Dr. Kat Manx. He glanced at the other two officers also in the room, G'laktu and Hanson. He then turned back to Kat.
"Uh, Kat, I think something may be wrong," Cruger said.
Kat's smile faded, replaced by a frown. "What's up, sir?"
"The Rangers. They've been training for a very long time in the simulator. I haven't been able to contact them," Cruger explained.
"What is he doing?" Jintari asked out of shock.
"He's going to expose us," Charlie yelled to Omallix.
"Wait! Just wait," Omallix said, as they all turned their attentions back to the viewscreen.
'Come on, Kat,' Felix thought to himself. 'You know something's wrong with him. You have to.'
From her station, Kat activated a few controls and then she looked even more troubled. "I think you're right. I'm not getting any response from the Rangers, but the sensors show they are inside the simulator."
"Maybe you should get a crew and head down there," Cruger ordered. "I'll be here for a while."
"Yes, sir. I'm on my way, now," Kat said as she headed for the door. She glanced at the two officers working inside. "Hanson, I could use your help."
The female officer, Hanson, joined Kat and they rushed out of the Command Center. Cruger let out a low growl, as he saw the tall alien G'laktu still present. He was going to need to be alone to pull this off. He walked up behind G'laktu slowly.
"Officer?"
"Sir?" G'laktu shouted, as he turned, startled to see Cruger so close.
"I left an important data card in my office. I need it for something I'm working on. Will you retrieve it for me?" Cruger asked.
"Of course, sir," G'laktu. "Although, I probably shouldn't leave the Command Center empty, sir."
"It's not empty, Officer. I'm not going anywhere. Now move," Cruger said, sternly.
G'laktu didn't hesitate. He went walking out of the Command Center, at a brisk pace.
"Again, I ask, what is he doing?" Jintari spoke from his control station. "He's going to ruin everything."
"None of that matters now, Jintari," Omallix spoke from his throne. "Once the next phase is complete, it won't matter who knows the truth. They will all be destroyed."
Inside the simulator, Sky began to panic. He didn't want it to show, as he kicked away another Ferick and called out. "End simulation!"
He was soon joined by the Blue & Pink Rangers.
"What's going on?" Syd asked.
"Why won't it stop?" Bridge wondered.
"I don't know. Call for help," Sky said to Syd, as she handed him her Delta Enforcer. He & Bridge fired on the Fericks approaching the trio. Behind them, the Pink Ranger crouched low to the ground to avoid the sounds of lasers colliding with fire, grabbing her morpher.
"Commander Cruger!" she yelled. "Can you hear me? We need assistance."
There was no response. Syd activated her morpher's communication once again.
"Kat, it's Syd. We've got trouble inside the simulator. Kat? Kat!"
Still getting nothing, she returned her morpher to its holster behind her and stood back up.
"Something is wrong. I'm not getting through to anyone outside the simulator," she said.
"So, what do we do?" Bridge asked, looking at Sky.
Beneath his helmet, Sky took a deep breath, as he passed Syd her Delta Enforcer. He walked over to a fallen Ferick. He clamped his boot down on the shoulder of the robot and ripped its arm-mounted fire blaster off. He did it again to another and started firing with the blasters. They had enough fire power to destroy their own robots. He looked back at his comrades.
"We fight," Sky yelled. "Get to the others and tell them what's going on. I'll think of some way to get us out of here."
He ran off towards another group of Fericks, as Syd & Bridge shared a troubled glance, before running off in the direction of the Yellow and Green Rangers. Bridge spotted Z and shot his Enforcer, nailing a Ferick whom Z didn't see behind her.
"Thanks," she yelled. "We're getting pounded."
"I know. There's a problem. Sky can't end the program and we can't call for help," Bridge explained.
"That's bad," Z said, as she continued to fire on the Fericks approaching them.
Nearby, the Pink Ranger came to the aide of her green teammate. "Quinn, we've got trouble. We're locked in and no one's answering outside."
"Uh oh," was all Quinn could say, as they took cover from the flying fireballs coming at them. Small fires had popped up all over the areas, thanks to the blasts.
As Syd crouched down, behind a metal dumpster next to Quinn, she noticed something else that worried her. She glanced at Quinn's back and noticed a snag in his uniform.
"Quinn," she called out. "You're bleeding."
"What?" Quinn looked surprised, as Syd touched the wound on his back, which caused him to wince. "Ow."
"This is not good," Syd said.
"I thought the simulator's safety protocols didn't allow bloodshed?"
"They don't. This means they're not working either," Syd said, as she peeked over the dumpster, scanning the battlefield looking for their leader. She had to tell Sky about the safety protocols, before he got himself killed.
Outside the simulator, Kat Manx came storming into the area, flanked by a group of technicians and officers. They stopped in front of the doorway, which didn't open when Kat stepped closer to it. Kat looked at the comm panel and noticed the damage.
"Oh no," she said.
She knelt down, with Hanson, who opened the maintenance hatch near the floor. Kat glanced inside and was shocked at what she saw.
"What in the world?" Kat said, completely blown away by the damage she saw. "Who could have done this?"
Officer G'laktu walked quickly and it didn't take long for him to reach Commander Cruger's office. He activated the doors to gain entrance and was almost surprised they weren't locked. He was even more surprised by what he walked in on. G'laktu rushed to Dr. Sevarus' side. The doctor was bleeding from the head. The purple fluids oozed from the wound. G'laktu knelt beside him.
"Doctor, what happened?"
Sevarus was groggy and could barely speak through the pain. "Cruger...trouble...wrong...Cruger...tell Kat...alert...Rangers," Sevarus grunted out. "Go." G'laktu ran from the office, knowing exactly where to find Kat and the Rangers.
Inside the Command Center, it didn't take long for Cruger to put his plan into action. He furiously typed in the needed commands and access codes. His voice was all the authorization the computer needed to confirm the orders.
"Delta Command Base Autodestruct Sequence...Activated," the computer voice spoke.
"Silent countdown," Cruger ordered. He had already rigged the systems not to trigger the alarms or an evacuation message. Cruger stood in triumph at the main control console in the middle of the Command Center. He let out a howl, taking great pride in his victory.
However, at that moment, he was no longer alone.
"What are you doing?"
Cruger looked up to see that the one who had entered was Isinia.
"Well, hello, wife."
"Don't call me that!" Isinia shouted.
Cruger tilted his head slightly, looking confused, as he walked slowly closer to her. "What's wrong?"
"What's wrong? What's wrong is that I've finally figured it all out. You can't call me wife because you're not my husband!" she yelled.
He got close enough to grab her wrist in his tight grasp. She let out a low moan of pain, as he pulled her closer to his face.
"You're right about that," Cruger said, in a low dark tone.
In southern Newtech City, the ash was still blowing in the wind and a construction crew was off for the day. Their project was the demolition of a falling, condemned building. Deep inside that building, in the basement, in the darkness a Sirian Commander laid on a cold, concrete floor. His head pressed against the concrete and his hands locked behind his back. On the level above him, the sun could be seen reflecting through the broken pieces of glass outside the wrecked structure. Over a dozen Fericks marched in a perimeter around the area. Their blasters were drawn and they were programmed to make sure that no one got inside, until this building was completely destroyed, along with everything inside.
TO BE CONTINUED...