POWER
RANGERS: SPACE PATROL DELTA
YEAR TWO
"IMPOSTER, 2"
The Red Ranger marched on.
There were ten, maybe twenty Fericks coming towards him. He shot at them using their own artillery. He struggled to get the perfect grip on the fire blasters he had ripped from two of the Fericks' fallen robot brethren. The metal was hot in his hands. Thankfully, he was still morphed, or he was sure he would be suffering some major burns.
Sky marched forward, keeping his head moving, looking in every possible direction. If a Ferick got too close, he switched firing techniques, employing the blaster's fire stream mode. He soon discovered, however, that it didn't keep the machines at bay. They didn't care about the heat. They didn't care about the fire. They were incapable of caring at all.
Two of them got too close. He fired off the weapons, but one of the Fericks swatted his arm. The steel fist hurt Sky, as it came crashing down on his wrist, knocking one of the blasters from his hand. He tried to grab for it, but the second Ferick had took hold of his other arm. The Red Ranger quickly used his free hand to land a blow to the Ferick's head. The robot stumbled, but he took Sky's other blaster with him. The second one came closer, but he scored a swift kick, knocking him away. Both Fericks stopped in their tracks a few feet away. They simply raised their weapons.
The Red Ranger was defenseless, as the robots aimed.
"This is gonna hurt," Sky said, beneath his helmet, as he waited for the impact.
Part of him almost blinked, until he saw another figure jump in front of him, shielding him from the blast.
"Syd?"
The Pink Ranger stood in front of Red, with her arms outstretched, totally blocking the incoming fireballs. But, she wasn't pink. She wasn't even morphed, Sky noticed. Her entire body sparkled, almost clear. She looked to be made of pure diamond. The fireballs all deflected off of her. Syd quickly maneuvered her arms to deflect them back at the two Fericks, destroying them.
"Syd, what are you doing?" the Red Ranger yelled.
A second later, more fireballs were headed their way. The two dived out of the street, taking cover behind a parked car. Syd transformed back to her normal state.
"Glad I wore my diamond earrings today," Syd said, with a half smile.
"Why'd you demorph?" Sky asked.
"You were in trouble. Using my genetic power was the first idea that popped in my head."
"Thanks," Sky said.
"We are a team, right?" Syd said, glaring at Sky, who instantly thought back to the last time one of them saved the other. He scolded Syd then for doing exactly what he did just now. He nodded to her affirmatively.
"Besides, we can't very well beat these things without our Red Ranger," Syd said.
"What do you mean?"
"The safety protocols aren't working," Syd said.
"I'm starting to think the Fericks are the only thing working in this simulator," Sky said, before getting back to his feet. "We have to go help the others."
"Right," Syd said, as she grabbed her morpher. "S.P.D. Emergency!"
The Red & Pink Rangers ran back out onto the battlefield, joining their comrades, who were firing at the Fericks with everything they had. But, what they had was getting tired. The Rangers had been at this for hours, in training and now in action. Their bodies couldn't take much more...and neither could their powers.
As the Yellow, Blue, Pink & Green Rangers fired their Delta Enforcers at the approaching line of Fericks, the Red Ranger had drawn his twin Delta Blasters. The smaller weapons didn't do as much damage, but it was all he had at the moment, thanks to his Delta Enforcer's collision with the head of a Ferick earlier. What the Rangers didn't realize at that moment was that a small group of Fericks was approaching from behind. Unlike B-Squad, they had no honor. The robots aimed their fire blasters at the Rangers' backs and fired.
The momentum of the blasts sent the Rangers a few feet off the ground, as their uniforms sparked with heavy damage. As they came crashing to the street below, they could feel their power dropping, until it was gone.
The five B-Squad cadets struggled to raise their heads, holding their battered bodies. They were forcefully demorphed and too tired to try again. Things had gotten worse and there was no end in sight. There weren't 100 Fericks left, but they were still outnumbered.
Outside the simulator, the swift hands of Dr. Kat Manx were hard at work, trying to end the program. The circuits had been fried very badly. She had her technicians working in another maintenance hatch nearby. She knew in her gut that the Rangers were in trouble inside. Her mind was still racing as to who could have done this damage. She was about to get her answer.
The almost seven-foot tall Kemtarian S.P.D. Officer, G'laktu came running onto the scene. He spotted Kat on her knees, working.
"Dr. Manx, we've got another problem," G'laktu said.
"What is it now?"
"It's Commander Cruger..." G'laktu started.
Kat immediately stopped what she was doing and looked up at the officer, towering above her.
"...He attacked Dr. Sevarus," G'laktu finished.
"What?"
"Commander Cruger sent me to get a data card. I found the doctor practically unconscious in his office. He was bleeding. He told me what happened. He said I needed to alert you and the Rangers."
"Commander Cruger?" Kat's mind raced even more, as she struggled to make sense of what she was hearing. Cruger was the one who sent G'laktu to his office. Cruger was the one who sent her here. Could he have trapped the Rangers and if he did, why?
"Where's he now?"
"Uh, I left him in the Command Center."
Kat was starting to get some ideas and none of them were good. It sounded like Cruger wanted to be alone in the Command Center. Kat got to her feet, with G'laktu's help. She gave the tall officer a serious glance.
"Help Hanson and the others free the Rangers. I think they're in major trouble," Kat said, as she grabbed the laser pistol from G'laktu's holster.
"Wait," G'laktu said, "Where are you going?"
"The Command Center," Kat said, as she held the weapon tight in her hand, hoping she wasn't about to use it on one of her oldest friends.
It didn't take long for Kat to get to the Command Center. As she approached the doors, she raised the S.P.D. regulation firearm. Her footsteps got slower, more calculated, as she crept closer to the doors. When she got close enough, they opened automatically.
Kat stepped inside, letting her laser pistol guide her in. Once her eyes scanned the room, she got an eerie feeling in the pit of her stomach. The Command Center was empty. Kat looked around at each of the monitors, looking confused. What was Cruger after? Why was he doing all of this?
"Something's wrong," Kat said aloud.
It was then, that she approached the main control console in the middle of the room. She put her blaster down, as she noticed the graphic on the control screen counting down.
"4 minutes," Kat spoke aloud. It was then that she knew exactly what she was looking at. Her hands started gliding over the controls almost faster than they had worked on the simulator moments ago. However, she soon found she was locked out of every system that would have allowed her to stop the countdown.
...and the Delta Command Base's destruction.
Outside Headquarters, the Shadow ATV came roaring out of the base, with the fake Doggie at the controls and Isinia Cruger thrown over his lap, fighting to get free of the imposter. Soon, the ATV was out of sight, far from the destruction that he had set in motion behind him.
Aboard Omallix's floating base in orbit of Earth, the leader of the villainous group was screaming with pride.
"This is it!" he yelled, in his dark metallic tone. "I can feel the destruction of S.P.D. within my grasp."
"It will go down in history as the fault of Commander Cruger," Jintari added. "His legacy will forever be destroyed."
"I don't think I could feel any better about the whole thing, unless maybe I were getting payback on the one who imprisoned me in the first place," Omallix said, in his dark tone.
"It is a small price to pay for a stunning victory, my lord," Cartiron said happily at his side, thinking back to how he baited the real Doggie Cruger and locked him away so his imposter could take his place.
"It will be a stunning victory, indeed, Cartiron," Charlie chimed in, standing a few feet away, next to Doctor Felix, who was staring at the floor, looking completely defeated. Charlie smiled at him. "Poor Dr. Felix doesn't seem to be as happy as the rest of us," she said.
"Why should I be?" he said, somberly. "You've all gone too far."
"You went right there with us, doctor," Omallix said. "Do not forget it was your genetic research and superior skills in the laboratory that created that perfect clone of Doggie Cruger."
"I only did it because you forced me too, you monster!"
"Hold your tongue, doctor, or I'll rip it out," Charlie said, angrily, as she got in the doctor's face.
"No, no, Charlie," Omallix said. "I like anger, especially when it comes from someone so weak."
"I may be weak," Felix said, through his gritted, angry teeth. "But the Power Rangers are not. They are a team. They will survive this and when they do, you'll all be brought to justice."
"Even if the Rangers survive the simulator, Doctor, they will still go up in smoke, with the rest of their Command Base," Omallix said, finally, ending with a long, maniacal laugh that sent a shiver down Felix's spine.
Inside the simulator, the Rangers struggled to get to their feet, as a group of Fericks was bearing down on them. Sky crawled into the middle of the group, as the robots had their weapons drawn. They fired at the unmorphed cadets. Sky used his genetic ability to create a large forcefield, shielding them from the blast. The fireballs scorched the sidewalk around them, creating clouds of smoke. The five Rangers scurried away, hiding in a nearby alleyway. Sky turned to his comrades.
"All right, guys. I know we're all tired, but we have to hold on," he said.
"I wouldn't suggest remorphing," Bridge said, "It'll only do more damage to our bodies, if we're not strong enough to hold the morph."
"We need time," Z said.
"We need help," Quinn added.
"Well, until we get some, we have to help ourselves," Sky said. "Just think and defend yourselves. Use whatever's around. Use your genetic powers. They're about all we have left."
"Then, I guess I have nothing left," Quinn said, somberly.
"Quinn, just stay here, hidden out of the way," Sky said, "We'll hold them off for as long as we can. Keep trying your morpher to call for help."
Quinn nodded somberly, as his four B-Squad comrades ran back out into the fray. He leaned his back against one of the buildings and slid to the ground, as he grabbed his morpher and activated its communications mode.
"Help, Please," he spoke into the device, desperately.
A few meters away, Bridge was attempting to rip a fire blaster off the arm of a fallen Ferick.
"How did Sky do this?" he said aloud, as he couldn't seem to get the blaster detached.
At that moment, a Ferick came marching by. It spotted the Blue Ranger crouched down with his back to the machine. It aimed its weapon at his head.
"Hiya!"
Bridge turned quickly to see the arm of the Ferick swatted away from his head, by a flying kick. Then, he saw the kick had come from Z.
"Z," Bridge called out, with a smile.
Then, he saw the Ferick get kicked from another direction.
"...and Z."
Then, another one of Z's holographic forms appeared, joining the second. They double kicked the Ferick to the ground and stomped on it, breaking the robot's neck.
"...and Z," Bridge repeated.
The real Z pulled her friend to his feet. "We have to stick together," she said, as she pulled him behind her. Within seconds, she duplicated herself, creating three more. All six Z's stood in a circle, with Bridge in the middle. "Let me know what's coming, Bridge."
"How am I supposed to see over all of these...you's?"
Z grimaced. "Uh, use your psychic powers?"
"Oh, right," Bridge said, as he closed his eyes and focused. "Two more coming this way, at 2 o'clock."
"My clock or your clock?"
"Yours, the main you I mean," Bridge responded.
The metallic beings were on top of them. Z immediately responded, using her duplicates to kick the Ferick away and stomp on him, as the circle stayed in formation.
"Uh oh," Bridge said.
"What?"
"Not good. I'm sensing that there are still 42 Fericks left," Bridge said.
Another Ferick attacked in front of Z. She used her strength to twist the robot's blaster arm. With the help of her two closest duplicates, she broke the Ferick's arm, using it to fire back at the robot, destroying it. "Make that 41."
Several yards away, Sky & Syd ducked the fireballs coming their way. Six of the robots were marching right for them. Syd turned and looked behind them, seeing six more coming.
"Cover me," Syd screamed.
Sky nodded, as he erected a blue forcefield in front of them. It was big enough to shield them both from the half-dozen in front of them. Syd turned her back to Sky and grabbed a tire iron lying on the street with both hands.
"Fists of iron!"
Syd yelled, as both of her hands turned to heavy black iron. The Fericks were getting closer, using their weapons in fire stream mode. She could feel the heat getting closer. She waited until they were just in range, then pushed herself off the ground and into the air. As she launched towards them, her entire body became iron. She swung herself right through the robots, damaging all six, before she hit the ground and reverted to her normal state. Sky trotted backwards, still deflecting the Fericks in front of them. He knelt beside her.
"Good job," he said.
"Thanks."
"I'm sorry about all this," Sky apologized.
"You're apologizing now?"
"Look, I don't know if were gonna get out of here in one piece, but I just wanted to say I'm sorry. This is all my fault," Sky said.
"I accept," Syd said, "Now, what are we gonna do about those six? They don't seem like they're gonna run out of ammo anytime soon."
"Hey, over here!"
Sky & Syd shared a troubled glance and looked past the approaching Fericks. Behind them, stood Quinn Gray.
"Oh no," Sky whispered, as he sighed in disappointment.
Quinn got their attention. All six of them turned to him and started marching towards him.
"Quinn, run!" Sky yelled.
At that moment, Quinn wanted to run. His feet, however, were killing him. They had been, ever since he demorphed. It was a pain he had been coping with for almost a month now. However, he couldn't just stay back and let the others fight alone. He backed up slowly, as the Fericks marched forward. He realized that their range must be quite short, since they never fired unless they were close to the Rangers. He knew if he stayed ten feet away, he should be okay.
"Quinn, go!" Syd yelled. Next to her, Z & Bridge came running, seeing what was going on. Sky's mind started racing, as he tried to come up with a way to save his comrade.
"Everyone, grab your weapons. Set them to full power. When I say fire, I want you to give it all you got," Sky said, as he started running towards Quinn.
"Sky, wait!" Syd yelled.
"Our laser pistols won't hurt the Fericks," Z yelled to him.
"Don't aim for the Fericks," Sky said, as he ran faster, with his eyes locked on Quinn.
"What's he talking about?" Bridge wondered.
Sky grabbed Quinn from behind and pulled him towards a nearby building. It was a two-level clothing store. He threw Quinn inside, as the Fericks were getting closer. Sky yelled to the rest of B-Squad before ducking inside.
"Bring it down!" Sky said.
"What?" Syd yelled. "No. You'll be killed."
"I have a plan," Sky said, as he dodged an incoming fireball. "Once the Fericks are inside, destroy the building."
The six Fericks were now joined by three more. All eight marched right into the store, behind Sky. Moments later, Syd, Bridge & Z all exchanged troubled looks. They heard the blasts inside the building. They took a deep breath together and fired on the second floor, causing the whole place to collapse.
The three B-Squad members stood in shock at the rubble. Then, a slight rumbling was heard. The three went closer to the wreckage, as a mound of debris came flying off the top of the fallen structure. The trio could make out Sky's forcefield, moving upwards. Sky was beneath it, along with Quinn, whom he had shielded. Bridge & the girls helped them climb out of the debris.
"Cruger would kill you if he saw what just happened," Z said to Sky.
"You okay?" Syd asked them. Sky & Quinn both nodded.
"What do we do now?" Quinn asked, as he bent over, holding his hurting ankles.
"There's still 20 more coming this way," Bridge surmised.
"I hate to say it, but I'm out of ideas," Sky said, as he tried to catch his breath.
"I'm not," Bridge said. "End simulation!"
He yelled, but nothing happened. They all gave him crazy looks.
"Come on guys," Bridge said, "Maybe if we yell loud enough, all together, it'll work."
"Bridge, it's a computer. You know as well as we do that it doesn't work like that," Sky explained.
"What have we got to lose?"
"Uh, we could alert the last 20 Fericks to where we are," Z said.
"Let's just do it and get it over with," Syd said.
The five stood together and gathered their strength. They all looked up and screamed.
"End simulation!"
"Please," Bridge added.
At that moment, the burned and battle-scarred streets of Newtech City flickered away, replaced with the simulator room. They all breathed sighs of relief and started cheering Bridge. Then, the room flickered and the program was back on. The remaining Fericks were now coming their way. Everyone looked to Bridge, as their smiles faded.
"Crap," Bridge said, somberly.
"I almost had it," G'laktu yelled, slamming his fist on the floor. He went back to work on the controls. Kat had done half of the work, but he was having trouble reconnecting the shutdown command subroutines.
About a mile away, the Shadow ATV was speeding down the street. The imposter Cruger stared down at Isinia, who had seemed to stop her struggle to get off.
"Don't worry, wife. Everything will be over soon...for you and S.P.D.," he said.
Then, Isinia lifted her head.
"I told you not to call me wife!" She yelled, as she opened her mouth and clenched down on his wrist.
The clone's hand tightened on the controls and the ATV began to spin out of control. Isinia went flying from the vehicle. She rolled onto the ground and came to a stop a few feet away. She looked up, just as the cloned Cruger was getting off the ride himself.
"You bit me!"
"There's more where that came from," Isinia growled.
The fake Cruger pulled the Shadow Saber from its sheath. "Then I guess it's time to put you down."
He went running towards her, slashing at her, but Isinia rolled away, causing him to hit a car, which started to spark, from the force of the Shadow Saber. He turned quickly to see her mount the Shadow ATV and start the engine.
"Hey!"
"Bye," Isinia said, as she started up the vehicle and went speeding down the street. Truth be told, she didn't know what she was doing, but she had gotten the vehicle moving and she wasn't going to stop it.
The clone, however, had the opposite in mind. He ran after the ATV, using all of the strength in his body. He set his sights on one spot, as he ran. He raised the Shadow Saber in his hand and threw it like a javelin. The sword pierced the back tire of the vehicle, sending it spinning out of control.
Isinia screamed, as she crashed. She was hurting, as she tried to pull herself up. It was then that someone else pulled her up. It was the fake Cruger. He grabbed her again by the wrist.
"Naughty little bitch," he said, as he dragged her off.
Inside the S.P.D. Command Base, Officer G'laktu worked as fast as he could, remembering every bit of training he had in repairing systems like the ones on the simulator. Little did he know that inside that simulation, the Power Rangers' lives depended on him.
The smoke and destruction was all around them. The sounds of approaching footsteps made it all worse. Knowing there were still 20 Fericks seeking to destroy them, the B-Squad stood on their feet, waiting for the inevitable. They stood side by side, ready to fight whatever came their way.
It was then that the Fericks came into sight, out of the smoke and shadows. It looked like all twenty. Sky knew it was. He had set the program to send the Fericks in waves of twenty. He took a deep breath as he glanced to his left. Z and Quinn were staring straight ahead at what was coming their way. He looked to his right and saw Syd and Bridge doing the same. He was truly sorry. He knew the downfall of B-Squad was about to come and it was all thanks to him. He turned to face the approaching Fericks, with his team by his side.
Quinn subconsciously counted their steps, knowing that when they came within ten feet, they were going to fire. The pain in his feet had almost subsided, as had the wound on his back. He figured he must be too worried about the pain that was about to be inflicted on him to think about those things.
The Fericks reached that last step and then the program went dead. The Rangers all looked around at the white wall of the simulator room. They stayed in their places for several seconds, wondering if the program was only flickering like before, but nothing happened. It was over.
"Thank god," Syd said.
"I'm happy to say, this training session is over," Sky said.
"Yeah. Let's get outta here," Quinn chimed.
Bridge ran for the door and slammed right into it, falling to the floor. His comrades helped him get back up to his feet.
"Ow" was all Bridge could say.
"The door's jammed or something," Z said.
Then, they heard a tapping sound.
"What is that?" Syd asked.
"Shh," Quinn put his ear to the door and listened close to the tapping.
"I think it's Morse code," Quinn said. "They're saying they can't get the door controls to work. They're asking if the program was shut down."
Quinn grabbed his laser pistol and used it to start tapping a response.
"How did you know how to do that?" Z asked.
"Languages are kinda my thing. Morse code is basically a language transmitted numerically," Quinn said, with a smile. "Anyway, I told them the program stopped, but we can't access the doors from our side either."
"Not totally true," Sky said, with a sigh, before grabbing his laser pistol. "Tell them to stand back from the door, Quinn."
Quinn tapped the message on the door, as his comrades all stood clear. He joined them, as Sky took aim at the doors, blasting them with his laser pistol. The pistol's highest level blast was just enough to blow a hole in the middle of the doors. After the smoke cleared, they each climbed out. G'laktu, Hanson and the repair crew were waiting on the other side.
"Any idea how this happened?" G'laktu asked.
"We were training with Commander Cruger and he left. Then, we couldn't get out," Sky explained.
"Commander Cruger seems to be responsible for a lot going on around here," G'laktu explained.
"What do you mean?"
"I'll explain on the way. Kat went after him in the Command Center," G'laktu explained, as they all ran off in that direction, together.
The doors to the Command Center opened. Kat took a moment to look up and see the pleasant arrivals. She smiled.
"Rangers, I'm glad you made it out the simulator," Kat said, as she immediately turned her attentions back to the control console. Officer G'laktu went to his aft station and took his post.
"Barely in one piece," Sky said. "My Delta Enforcer's gonna need some work."
"That's easily replaceable," Kat said, "unlike the Delta Command Base."
B-Squad gathered around her, peeking at what she was doing.
"Autodestruct?" Z said aloud.
"Apparently Commander Cruger set it," Kat revealed.
"What has gotten into him?" Syd asked.
"I don't know, but he's clearly out to get rid of you and apparently S.P.D. Headquarters," Kat said.
"Can you deactivate the autodestruct, Kat?" Bridge asked.
"I think so. It's just a matter of rerouting the communications subroutines of the system and resetting the access codes to wipe out Commander Cruger's clearance and allow me to get inside the system," Kat said, as her fingers continued to move swiftly over the controls.
"Sounds complicated," Syd said, "even for you."
"Well, it might not be so bad, if I wasn't trying to beat the clock," Kat said, as she looked at the ticking clock. There were only 2 minutes and 42 seconds left.
"Where's Cruger?" Sky said, furiously. "He's got some explaining to do?"
"I have no idea," Kat said, "When I got here, he was gone."
"Let's find him," Sky said to B-Squad, as they headed for the doors. "Quinn, you stay here, just in case Cruger comes back."
"Right," Quinn responded, staying behind.
"Wait!" Kat yelled. "You guys are hurt. You should go to the Infirmary."
"We'll deal," Sky said, as they all went trotting out.
It didn't take long for Z & Bridge to arrive at Cruger's office. They walked inside to find a horrifying sight. Purple blood was smeared on the wall and floor. Z took a closer look, as Bridge walked behind Cruger's desk and picked up the remains of Dr. Sevarus' LCD data pad.
"This is from the Infirmary," Bridge said.
"G'laktu was right. Cruger attacked Dr. Sevarus," Z said. "I don't understand."
The living quarters that were assigned to Commander Cruger and his wife were also empty. Syd & Sky looked around, but didn't see much out of place. Sky grabbed his morpher, as he wandered into Cruger's bedroom.
"Bridge, you find anything?"
"Only the remnants of Cruger's attack on Dr. Sevarus," Bridge's voice came through over the morpher.
Sky winced. He didn't understand what was going on. Why would Cruger turn against them?
"We haven't found anything here either," Sky said. "We should keep looking. Check in with Quinn; see how Kat's doing on the autodestruct situation. We may have to evacuate everyone really quick if she can't stop it."
"Will do," Bridge said, before signing off.
"Sky, check this out," Syd's voice called out to him.
Sky walked back to the main area of the quarters, where Syd was standing near the door, holding a housing brochure. He walked over to her, looking confused.
"What?"
"Look at this," Syd said, as she held up the brochure. There was a message scribbled on it, in red ink.
"HE'S NOT DOGGIE"
Syd & Sky exchanged troubled glances and went running out of the room.
Isinia's groans of pain were the only thing heard inside the warehouse. Cruger's clone dragged her inside. She grabbed at his hand, trying to wrestle her arm from his grip. The clone threw her against a wall, letting go.
"You're a monster," Isinia said. "Why don't you just show me your true form? We both know you are not Anubis Cruger."
"This is my true form," the clone spoke. "Or maybe it's another form you'd prefer to see, my dear."
The fake Cruger pulled out the Shadow morpher.
"S.P.D. Emergency!"
Within seconds, Isinia was once again shocked. Standing before her was a creature that looked exactly like S.P.D.'s Shadow Ranger.
"How?" Isinia asked.
"I'm a lot more like Doggie Cruger than you think," the fake Shadow Ranger said, laughing loudly.
Inside the Command Center, Kat's fingers worked furiously, as the countdown reached 21 seconds. Nearby Quinn Gray leaned against a wall, as he took a deep breath.
"You'd think you were the one fighting the clock," Kat said to him, as she fingers worked swiftly.
"Should you be talking while you're holding all of our lives in your hands?"
"I shouldn't, but then I wouldn't be known as much of a genius if I couldn't multitask," Kat said, as she smiled and took a deep breath.
"Autodestruct Sequence Aborted," the computer's female voice announced loudly.
"Way to go, Kat," Quinn said, giving her a high five.
"Thank you. Now what's ailing you?"
"Take your pick," Quinn said as he turned around, revealing the tear in his uniform and a deep scratch.
"Ouch," Kat said aloud. "There's more?"
"My feet are killing me, but what's new?"
"Still?"
"Yeah, and there's still no clue about what's causing it," Quinn said.
Kat looked troubled, as she glanced down at Quinn's feet. Her mind raced, wondering if there was something she needed to say to him.
"Quinn," Kat started. "There's something I think you need to know."
Quinn looked curious to hear what Kat had to say, just as B-Squad came running in.
"We heard the autodestruct go down," Z announced.
"Yeah, just in time. There were only seconds left," Kat said, turning her focus away from Quinn. "Any luck locating Cruger?"
"No," Bridge said. "We've looked all over."
"But, Sky & I may have found something," Syd said, as she showed Kat the brochure.
"This is Isinia's handwriting," Kat said.
"There's no sign of her either," Sky stated.
"You don't think he kidnapped his own wife, do you?" Quinn wondered.
"I don't think anything that DC has done in the last few hours makes any sense," Z stated.
"Maybe that's because he's not Doggie Cruger."
Everyone turned to see Dr. Shivan Sevarus walking in. His head was bandaged.
"Dr. Sevarus, are you all right?" Kat asked.
"I'll be fine. That dog packs quite a lot of power, though," Sevarus revealed.
"But, you just said it's not Cruger?" Syd spoke.
"It isn't. It's a clone."
"A clone?" Z repeated.
"Yes and a very good one at that," Sevarus said, as he walked over to the main console and input some data, which brought up two holographic projections showing the body of Doggie Cruger. "He's identical to Cruger in almost every way. It wasn't until I compared his physical to the last exam he had in the Infirmary, that I noticed the difference. There's a slight variance in his blood chemistry. Typically, when cloning occurs, doctors are unable to completely duplicate a being's DNA. There's just not enough there to replicate, so they have to fill in the gaps. It's clear that the clone's body chemistry is a little off."
"Wow," Bridge said. "A clone of Commander Cruger. That explains why he didn't morph earlier. But wait. If he's a clone, where's the real Doggie?"
"He's not in the base," Sevarus said. "I ran a bioscan of the entire Academy. He's not here and neither is his clone."
"We already figured that out," Sky said, as he thought. "Is there some way you can expand the bioscan and find the clone in the city?"
"I think so," Kat said, as her hands started dancing across the controls once again. "With Dr. Sevarus' help, we should be able to locate..."
Kat's voice trailed off as she found something else in her preliminary scan. "Wait a minute. I'm picking up Doggie's morpher. It's been activated. He's in a warehouse a few miles away."
"The clone must have gotten to him while he was morphed," Z said.
"No," Sevarus said, as he looked at the readings. "It's not Anubis. It's the clone."
"What?" Syd said, shocked. "The clone can morph?"
"If his body chemistry is close enough to Commander Cruger's, he could," Kat revealed, as she took a closer look at the bioscans. "There's someone else there with him. It's another Sirian. It's female."
"Isinia," Z said, worried. "Guys, she's in trouble. We have to help her."
"I think enough time has passed since the last morph," Syd said.
"I'm game," Quinn said.
The five B-Squad Rangers joined side by side, with Sky standing in the middle. "Ready?"
"Ready!"
"S.P.D. Emergency!"
Aboard Omallix's base, all eyes were still on the viewscreen, which showed them nothing but a warehouse and Isinia Cruger. Omallix let out a low moan of anger.
"Sir," Jintari spoke from his station, knowing he was about to anger his leader. "The Delta Command Base is still standing."
"What?"
"The autodestruct didn't complete. Somehow it was deactivated. It's the only way," Jintari explained.
Omallix slammed his fists together out of anger, as he jumped out of his seat and joined Jintari.
"How can this be?"
"Kat Manx," Charlie said out loud. Omallix turned back to her. "It's the only thing that makes sense. She's the only who would have been able to thwart the clone's attempt."
"Good for her," Felix said, under his breath. Charlie, however, still heard him. She glared at him.
"Don't be so congratulatory, doctor. Our cloned Cruger still trapped your Rangers. They're probably drowning in their destruction as we speak," Charlie said to him.
Behind them, Omallix stormed back over to his chair.
"What is the next move now, my lord?" Cartiron asked.
"The next move is to bring S.P.D. to its knees, as always," Omallix said. "Jintari, patch me through to our Cruger."
Jintari obeyed, punching in a few controls.
"Yes, master?" the fake Shadow Ranger spoke into a small communications device tucked in his hand.
"You have failed to destroy Space Patrol Delta Headquarters," Omallix spoke. "It still stands."
"I'm sorry. I will return and see to its destruction personally," the cloned Shadow Ranger spoke.
"No," Omallix spoke. "That opportunity has passed. You've already revealed too much to them. However, you are in possession of a very valuable item to S.P.D. and I intend to make sure that they do not ever get it back."
Beneath his helmet, the cloned Cruger looked over at Isinia Cruger, trapped in his clutches inside the warehouse.
"You heard him," he said to her and once again gave her an evil laugh. "It looks like your time's up."
"We'll see about that," a booming voice came through behind the clone.
He turned to see the arrival of the five morphed Power Rangers. The voice belonged to the Red one in the middle. He had his dual Delta Blasters drawn, while his comrades had their Deltamax Strikers ready to pounce.
"It looks like your time is up, you fake," Isinia called out to the cloned Shadow Ranger, who stood between her and salvation.
"You heard the lady," Sky said, as he moved forward, with his weapons focused on the Doggie clone. "You're under arrest."
"I'm under arrest?" he responded. "I'm the Commander here, or have you forgotten that, cadet?"
"You're not Commander Cruger," the Red Ranger spoke. "We know the truth. We know you're a clone."
Aboard Omallix's base, there were moans of anger from four of the viewers. The fifth was wearing a big smile.
"I told you the Rangers would not fall," Felix said, proudly.
"That is more than I can say for you, Doctor," Omallix yelled. "One more word and you will meet your demise here and now!"
"This is not the time to panic," Cartiron said. "The clone has the same skills as the real Cruger. We saw him destroy the Rangers before. He will do it again."
"Yes," Omallix said, angrily. "But, if he doesn't, I will make sure he regrets the day he was created."
"I know I do," Felix said, under his breath.
Down on Earth, the Rangers made their first strike. The Green & Blue Rangers launched into the air, blasting at the Shadow clone with their Deltamax Strikers. The sparks hit near his feet, causing him to stagger.
They landed, just as the Pink & Yellow Rangers came flying off their shoulders, with their Strikers drawn, firing at his chest. The Shadow clone staggered. Red Ranger came flying over all four of his B-Squad comrades, firing repeated laser blasts from his Delta Blasters.
The Shadow clone tried to block the shots with the Shadow Saber, but only deflected one, before being struck squarely in the chest by a volley of lasers. The Shadow clone fell to the ground, but quickly rolled onto his knees and got back to his feet. The Red Ranger was right there. He went for a kick, but the Shadow clone blocked it away, quickly slashing at his chest with the Shadow Saber. Sky went flying.
Right behind him, with their Deltamax Striker swords drawn, the Yellow & Pink Rangers swiped at the cloned Cruger, doing little damage. A few sparks came from him, but he stepped right back in, slashing both females with his Saber, sending sparks through their bodies and sending them flying to the ground.
The Blue Ranger was next in line. He came running towards the Shadow clone, firing his Deltamax Striker, but this time he was ready. The Shadow clone used the Saber perfectly, deflecting each blast. The Blue Ranger launched into the air to fire again at close range, but the Shadow clone caught him in midair with a kick to the midsection, sending Bridge flying backwards and crashing into a wall of stacked boxes in the back of the warehouse.
The Shadow clone set his sights on Isinia once again and she cowered a bit, as he came towards her. From behind, the Green Ranger fired his Deltamax Striker. The Shadow clone turned, as more shots were fired. He hopped above the blasts and flipped into the air, landing behind the Green Ranger. Quinn turned around, just as the Shadow Saber was coming down for a major strike. The Green Ranger went flying to the ground, smoking. Joined by his fellow Rangers, Quinn was helped to his feet.
"I think it's time to turn it up a notch," Sky said, beneath his helmet.
The other Rangers nodded, pulling their morphers from behind them.
"S.P.D. S.W.A.T. mode!"
Within seconds, their normal suits were outfitted with S.W.A.T. technology. With their Delta Enforcers in hand, the Rangers stood side by side, aiming for the Shadow clone.
"Fire!"
Five blasts landed in various positions on the Shadow clone's body, sending him flying into the air and crashing to the floor in a mesh of smoke and sparks. The Shadow clone staggered to his knees.
"It's all over clone," the Red Ranger spoke.
Aboard Omallix's base, the deadly villain was fuming.
"No!" he screamed, before turning to Jintari. "Send in the Fericks!"
"Yes, Omallix," Jintari obeyed.
"It's time for the Rangers to face the real thing," Omallix said, watching the viewscreen intently.
Inside the warehouse, the Rangers were walking towards the Shadow clone, which was still on the ground. Then, a volley of fireball projectiles landed at their feet. The five Rangers went flying backwards. As they got to their feet they saw where the blasts came from.
"I'm getting a strange sense of deja vu," Bridge said, beneath his Blue helmet.
"No kidding," Z chimed in.
"Come on, guys," Sky spoke up. "This is what we trained for. We can do it."
"As long as we work together," Syd added.
"Let's do this," Quinn spoke, as they all sprinted into action, with weapons drawn.
Monitoring the battle from the S.P.D. Command Center, Kat & Sevarus watched, as G'laktu worked at his station nearby.
"Looks like the Rangers could use some assistance," Kat said. "Dealing with the clone and the Fericks may be too much after the simulator."
"Well, I think I may have an answer to that," Sevarus answered, as he was looking at some readings on the main system console. "I've picked up another Sirian reading in my bioscans."
"Doggie?" Kat wondered.
"I think so," Sevarus said, as Kat looked closely at the readings.
"This says he's on the south side," Kat said, looking confused. "That makes no sense."
"Actually," G'laktu spoke up from his station. "Commander Cruger responded to an energy signature there earlier today."
"I think that's when his change in behavior started," Sevarus said. "I saw him in the Infirmary when he returned. That must be where the switch happened."
"Then I say it's time to switch them back," Kat said, as she headed for the exit. "G'laktu, you're with me. Doctor, if the Rangers call in, tell them backup's on the way."
On the south side of Newtech City, the abandoned construction site wasn't so abandoned. In the basement of a partially destroyed building, Anubis "Doggie" Cruger laid on the cold concrete floor. His eyes fluttered open for the first time since his battle with the Fericks. Cruger's mind raced, as he took in his surroundings, wondering where he was. He tried to pull himself up, as he realized his hands were tied behind his back. This was going to be a difficult escape.
Outside, a small army of Fericks patrolled the condemned building that was set to come down in a matter of days. The machines didn't know what was inside, but they didn't care. They were programmed to make sure no one got inside and that is what they intended to do.
At that moment, the approach of sirens could be heard. The Fericks marched away from the building, their robotic feet grinding into the ashy roads as they walked. The ash was in the air, but it didn't affect the robots...or the massive vehicle roaring towards them.
The S.W.A.T. Command Truck rolled into the area at a high speed. The group of seven Fericks was crushed, as the truck rolled right over them, twisting and grinding their robotic bodies into the ground below. The sirens stopped, along with the truck. The hatch of the vehicle opened and out stepped Kat Manx.
Clad in her black active suit, Kat emerged and was immediately scanning the area. She found the signal she was after. She peeked back inside the S.W.A.T. truck, where Officer G'laktu was seated at the controls.
"Keep the engine running," Kat said.
She didn't pick up any Ferick power signatures inside, but she still had a laser pistol drawn, as she ran into the building. The structure wasn't very sound, she knew, but she also knew she couldn't fail in her mission. Kat made her way to the back of the first floor and found the stairwell. Following her scans, she descended the staircase and finally locked eyes with her target.
"Commander Cruger," Kat said, finally.
"Kat," Doggie spoke up. "I'm tied. Fericks were attacking when Cartiron jumped me from behind. That's the last thing I remember, before I woke up here. What took you so long to find me?"
"Well, sir," Kat said, as she went about untying him. "We weren't looking for you."
"Excuse me?"
"Between the Rangers getting trapped on the simulator, Headquarters set to autodestruct and Dr. Sevarus being attacked, we had our hands full," Kat said, as she freed Cruger, helping him to his feet.
"How did all that happen?"
"You can ask yourself, when you seem him," Kat said.
"What?" Cruger asked, looking completely confused.
"Omallix sent a clone of you to the base. Let's just say, he caused some major trouble and sir, he has Isinia," Kat revealed.
"Let's go," Cruger said, as he ran up the stairs as fast as he could, with Kat close behind him.
Inside the warehouse, the Rangers fired their Delta Enforcers at the Fericks. The Red Ranger was glad to have a working weapon, since his last had been broken in the simulator. He destroyed two of the machines as they came marching towards him.
Nearby, the Blue Ranger was firing with his own Delta Enforcer when the Pink Ranger joined him. Side by side, they fired, sending two Fericks flying into the back wall of the warehouse. They crashed down into the boxes that Bridge had gotten personal with earlier.
The Green & Yellow Rangers were also holding their own, not losing any ground against the machines. The Yellow Ranger dived away from a stream of fire from one Ferick. She rolled to her knees and fired, destroying it. The Green Ranger was thrown to the floor by two Fericks who attacked him from behind, knocking his Enforcer to the ground. They tossed him to the floor, but he quickly rolled right over to the weapon, firing, destroying both machines, before they could aim for him.
Nearby, Isinia was watching, pleased that the Rangers were getting the upper hand. But her hand was once again hurting. Out of nowhere, she was grabbed by the Shadow clone, which held tight to her.
"You didn't think you'd be saved that easily did you?"
"You have a real problem with force. You should really learn to talk about your issues," Isinia said, through her teeth, clenched in pain.
"I don't care for talking," the fake Shadow Ranger said.
"Neither do I."
They both turned to the doorway to see Doggie Cruger enter the warehouse, followed by Kat.
"Doggie!" Isinia screamed.
"Unhand my wife," Doggie ordered, pointing to the Shadow clone.
"Whoa," the Blue Ranger spoke.
"It's Cruger," the Pink Ranger yelled, pointing to Doggie.
"He's back," the Green Ranger said.
"Yes," the Yellow Ranger chimed in.
"Welcome back, Commander," the Red Ranger yelled to Doggie.
Doggie went sprinting off towards the Shadow clone. The clone tossed Isinia to the ground and drew the Shadow Saber. Kat ran to her side, checking to make sure she was okay.
He launched towards Doggie. Both Sirians growled fiercely, having the other in their sights. The Shadow clone jumped into the air, aiming at Doggie with the saber, holding it with both hands. As he came down for the strike, Doggie ducked away. The Shadow Saber's tip struck the concrete floor. The Shadow clone took a few extra seconds to land, allowing Doggie to score a punch to the clone's exposed stomach. The Shadow clone staggered, taking his hands off the Saber. Swiftly grabbing his weapon, Doggie slashed the sword upward in one motion, swiping the Shadow clone across the chest, sending him to the ground in a flash of sparks.
Aboard Omallix's base, all eyes were still on the viewscreen, so no one could see the fuming metallic face of Omallix on his throne. He wasn't sitting for long, however. He jumped from his seat and stormed over to Cartiron.
"You failed, Cartiron," Omallix sneered at his right hand monster.
"I didn't believe they would find him, my lord," Cartiron.
In her mind, Charlie grinned. Seeing Cartiron chastised by Omallix gave her pleasure. Seeing anyone at the mercy of Omallix made her happy, as long as it wasn't her.
Omallix next looked to Jintari. "And your Fericks didn't last very long, either."
"It appears that locking the Rangers inside the simulator may not have been the best course of action. They were very much prepared for the Fericks' assault," Jintari explained.
His explanation did not make Omallix happy. Their leader stood in the middle of the room, where Felix locked eyes with him, giving him a blank stare. "It appears that I will have to make sure this isn't a total loss...myself."
Down below, Doggie held his blade close to the neck of the Shadow clone.
"What are you going to do?" the clone asked. "Destroy me?"
"Sir, it's judgment time," Sky yelled to Doggie, as he had his morpher drawn.
Doggie nodded, as the Red Ranger activated his morpher. It didn't take but a few seconds for the morpher to pronounce the clone guilty.
"Ready Rangers?" Doggie yelled.
"Ready!" the Rangers responded, holding their Delta Enforcers at attention.
"Fire!" Doggie yelled.
Doggie jumped away, as the Rangers fired at the Shadow clone with the full force of their Delta Enforcers. The resulting explosion lit up the warehouse around them all. Doggie, Kat & Isinia averted their eyes. When it was all said and done, there was nothing left but a containment card, with a familiar morphed face inside. Doggie walked over, picking up the card. Kat & Isinia joined him at his side. Kat glanced at the card.
"It's all right, sir," Kat said. "We'll be able to extract your powers from the card, just like we did with A-Squad after they were captured."
"I don't think so."
A voice was heard at the doorway of the warehouse. Everyone was caught off-guard by the sight of Omallix. He dropped the fried body of Officer G'laktu on the floor in front of him, which caused gasps to come from them all.
Without another word, Omallix raised his palm, firing at Doggie, Kat & Isinia. Quick to react, Doggie dove towards them both, pushing them to the ground to avoid the red lightning bolt. On the ground, they looked up, only to realize that Omallix hadn't aimed at them at all. His red lightning blast hit the containment card, reducing it to ash, along with the morphed clone inside.
"I guess there's no more Shadow Ranger after all," Omallix yelled loudly.
"Rangers," Sky yelled, as they took formation with their Delta Enforcers drawn. "Fire!"
The blasts from the Delta Enforcers did no damage, as Omallix disappeared as quick as he had arrived. The Rangers ran over to the fallen Officer G'laktu, but they knew even before they arrived that he was dead. The Rangers looked up to see Doggie helping Kat & Isinia to their feet. The three walked over to the small mound of ash that was once the containment card. Doggie stared at his destroyed clone...and powers.
Inside the S.P.D. Command Center, Commander Anubis "Doggie" Cruger stood near his station. He glanced at the aft station that had been previously occupied by Officer G'laktu. He was a good officer, Cruger thought, and now he was another casualty for S.P.D., thanks to Omallix.
Cruger turned his gaze to those gathered inside the Command Center. He walked over and looked to each of them as he spoke.
"My Rangers," Cruger said, speaking to Sky, Z, Syd, Bridge & Quinn. "You were dealt a major blow by that imposter and you came through with flying colors. You held strong and stood your ground. It may not have been your intended battle, but you fought it valiantly."
Cruger stepped further down the line to see Dr. Sevarus. "Doctor, you were vigilant and observant. You didn't let my clone get away with his ruse. I thank you."
Cruger moved on to Kat, who stood next. "Kat, in my absence you took command of the situation. You saved the base and me. Today, you were S.P.D.'s savior." Kat smiled, nodding in gratitude.
Cruger walked a few steps further down the line and locked eyes with his wife. "Isinia, you didn't need a medical test to tell you that the imposter wasn't me. We are connected more than anyone can know. You were brave against the clone. I also understand you damaged my ATV in the process. We'll talk about repairs later."
Everyone smiled hearing that.
Aboard Omallix's base, the monster was incapable of smiling. He was, however, celebrating.
"You were excellent out there, sir," Cartiron complimented him.
"Yes," Omallix agreed. "I was."
"We can finally say good bye to Shadow Ranger," Jintari said.
"S.P.D. was dealt a heavy blow on this day," Cartiron chimed in.
Omallix looked to Felix, who simply stared out the glass wall in front of them all.
"I believe the good doctor has had enough excitement for one day, Charlie. Why don't you escort him back to his laboratory? There's still much work to be done. S.P.D. is not destroyed yet," Omallix stated.
Charlie grabbed Felix by the arm, as he looked to Omallix. "What are you talking about? I did what you asked. I cloned Cruger. You don't need me anymore," Felix yelled.
"You have no idea what the future holds, Doctor," Omallix said. "But I do and you will play an integral role in it all."
Charlie dragged Felix out of the throne room and back upstairs. Before long, they were once again inside the laboratory. Charlie threw him against the far wall and headed for the exit.
"It's been fun, Doctor," Charlie said, grinning at him.
"How can you do this to them?"
"What?" Charlie looked confused, as she turned back to him. "I didn't hear you."
"I understand your hatred for Cruger, even B-Squad, but you saw what that clone did to Dr. Sevarus and what Omallix did to G'laktu. They weren't your enemies," Felix yelled.
"All of S.P.D. is my enemy," Charlie said, as her smile faded.
"Why? You betrayed them, not the other way around. No one forced you to turn on S.P.D. and join Gruumm," Felix said.
"Cruger forced me! What did he need B-Squad Rangers for? A-Squad was the best. I made them the best and what did he do? He spit in my face by giving those second-rate Rangers better powers," Charlie fumed, yelling back at Felix. "So don't presume you know what drives me, Doctor."
"You're doing all of this out of jealousy?"
"No. Like you said, I'm doing it out of hatred, pure unadulterated hatred and the scary thing is, so is Omallix," Charlie said.
"In my experience hatred can be a dangerous weapon. I'm just not sure you'll be able to live with yourself once all the bodies have hit the floor," Felix said, somberly.
"Cruger will regret the day he turned his back on me. It will be the day that the petty B-Squad is destroyed forever," Charlie said finally, as she exited the lab and locked it behind her.
Inside the Command Center, Cruger walked behind the main console, staring at them all. They were his friends, his family. "I would like to take this chance to apologize to you all."
"Sir?" Sky looked confused. "None of this was your fault. The clone wasn't you."
"Yes, but I was stubborn. I was looking for a way to escape the inevitable and I went out there alone and I didn't call for backup. Today, I learned that you are all my backup and I need you. I'm just sorry that Officer G'laktu had to pay the ultimate price," Cruger explained. "Doctor Sevarus, I'll be reporting for that physical whenever you're ready."
"Well," Sevarus said, "B-Squad has a few cuts and bruises that need to be attended to first."
"You got that right," Quinn said, as the other chuckled, as he rubbed his back.
"Well, while you're waiting your turn," Kat said, as she stepped forward, revealing a box she had been holding behind her back. "You can try this out."
She handed Cruger the box, which he opened, revealing his Shadow morpher.
"Hot off the assembly line," Kat said with a smile. "Omallix can't defeat Shadow Ranger that easily."
Cruger picked up the morpher, holding it tight in his hand, as he nodded to her.
"Thank you, Kat."
"Well," Syd said, with a smile. "Don't keep us in suspense. Try it out."
Cruger nodded.
"S.P.D. Emergency!"
Nothing happened. Everyone exchanged confused looks, including Cruger & Kat. The new Shadow morpher didn't work.