POWER
RANGERS: SPACE PATROL DELTA
YEAR TWO
"OMEGA, 1"
"Jack is alive!" Z shouted, desperately.
"Z, no," Sky said. His tone was sad and sympathetic. Z wasn't receptive.
"He is. You heard what Sevarus said," Z exclaimed.
"Z, just because the ashes don't match Jack's DNA records, doesn't mean he's alive," Sky explained. "It just means that there was some kind of discrepancy."
"No," Z said, as she lowered her head, shaking it, choosing not to believe him.
The cadets were in the Rec Room, where they had been for the last hour, since hearing Dr. Sevarus announce that the ashes Z had kept in memory of her best friend, didn't belong to Jack. It had almost turned into a debate. She was sitting on the couch with Syd, who was trying to comfort her, while the guys were standing in front of them. Unfortunately, Z, was the only one who believed the impossible.
"We can't overreact here," Quinn said, calmly.
"I'm not overreacting! Those aren't Jack's ashes because Jack's not dead," Z said.
"That's not being realistic, Z," Sky said, trying not to sound too stern with her, given her fragile state over the past few days.
"I am being realistic," Z said. "It all makes sense now. It explains why I've had this horrible feeling in my gut that something isn't right with Jack. And the dreams that I've been having about him, they make sense now too. Syd, you know I've been having strange dreams?"
"Yeah," Syd said, as she looked to the other cadets. "But, Z, they seem more like nightmares. It still doesn't mean that Jack's alive."
"Oh yeah," Z said. "What about Bridge's dream? He said he dreamed about Jack too. Bridge has had premonitions come to him in dreams before."
The four cadets all look to Bridge, who appears to be a little surprised.
"Well, I don't think this is necessarily the same thing," Bridge said. "I mean, when I had those psychic dreams last year, it was about those robots that we faced later. The dream I had last night wasn't anything like that. Like I said before, it all took place last year. Gruumm was there, I was still Green Ranger, and Jack was Red. It was a dated dream, not a premonition."
"Z, you're grasping at straws here. You've gotta let it go," Sky said.
"No," Z said.
"There's no way Jack could have survived Cartiron's fire wave," Sky said, more sternly.
"You don't know that!" Z yelled, as she stood up to face Sky. "I was fine. I was doing just fine for weeks and then all of a sudden I start having dreams about Jack? That's not a coincidence. You can deny it all you want, but I know it. I feel it."
The room was silent, as Sky, Syd, Quinn and Bridge all exchanged troubled glances. None of them really knew what to do in this situation. Quinn spoke up first.
"Okay," Quinn said.
"Quinn, don't even—" Sky started, but Z cut him off.
"Let him talk, Sky," she said.
"I'm not saying that I think Jack's alive, but it can't hurt to exhaust all the possibilities," Quinn said. "I mean, I could go down to the Newtech coroner's office that handled identifying the victims and find out what might have happened."
"I'll go with you," Bridge said, somberly.
Sky gave Bridge a disapproving look.
"What? Like he said, it can't hurt," Bridge said to him.
"I just don't want to give anyone false hope," Sky said, as he looked back at Z.
"It's not false. I know it. Let me know if you guys find anything out, even though I don't think you will, because Jack didn't die in the massacre," Z said, as she exited the Rec Room.
"We better go," Bridge said, before leaving with Quinn.
Sky sighed deeply, frowning. Syd put a hand on his arm.
"This is not gonna end well," Sky said.
"At least when we know for sure, Z will have to believe it," Syd said.
"Somehow, I don't think anything can change her mind, short of seeing Jack's dead body," Sky said, sadly. "I've got work to do."
Sky walked away, pulling his arm from Syd's grip quickly as two cadets entered the Rec Room. Sky exited, as Syd gave a disappointing sigh.
Commander Cruger sat inside his office, staring at the computer monitor in front of him. He sighed, as he looked at the profile he had pulled up on the monitor. He lowered his head for a moment. Then, his door chime sounded. He looked over at the entrance.
"Come in," he called out.
The doors slid apart and Kat Manx entered. Cruger was taken aback as Kat looked a little more chipper than usual.
"What's up?" Cruger asked, looking curious.
"I may have been freaking out over nothing," Kat said, as she sat down in the chair on the opposite side of Cruger's desk. "I looked back over the research that Jintari stole from our computer systems. My worst case scenario is blown out of the water."
"How's that?"
"There's no way that Jintari can duplicate the powers. He could theoretically recreate the technology, but there's no way that the power would work, without being bonded to its original owner," Kat said. "Strangely enough, I made the connection in the Infirmary when we heard about Jack's ashes. Dr. Sevarus' DNA talk got me thinking."
"You're sure the power won't sustain itself without DNA bonding?" Cruger asked.
"I'm certain. As a matter of fact, that's the prime reason why we couldn't duplicate the powers ourselves," Kat said. "I was looking back at my research and it makes sense. It doesn't hold true for the original morphing technology that you and the Rangers use, but those powers were ahead of our time. The genetic link is absolutely necessary for that power to be activated."
"This is good news," Cruger said.
"Very," Kat said. "Did you tell the Rangers any of the details?"
"No. I didn't want to make matters worse around here," Cruger said. "They know Omallix has the prototype for artillery and technology equal to their own. I don't think they realized we meant actual Ranger powers."
"Well, now maybe we don't have to tell them the whole truth?" Kat said.
"Yes. But, we have other issues to deal with now," Cruger said, as he spun his monitor around, allowing Kat to see the profile on the screen.
"Jack," Kat said.
"This whole situation with those ashes has opened up old wounds for everyone," Cruger said. "We all know Jack was present in Luna Province the day of the massacre. His letter to Z said so, and we practically got Piggy's confirmation when we found him near the scene."
"There's no way Jack could have survived out there. Not even his genetic powers would have helped him," Kat said.
"I have a feeling tensions are going to be high for the next few days anyway. If the cadets get their hopes up that Jack survived, I'm afraid they'll be forced to say goodbye to him all over again," Cruger said.
Kat nodded, somberly. Her own hopes raised for a few moments in the Infirmary too, but when reality set in, she knew that one identification mistake didn't mean Jack was alive. She also knew Z Delgado and she was certain it wouldn't take much to get her to cling to hope that her friend was still out there, somewhere. It was a hope that could break Z's spirit if it were completely dashed.
Aboard Omallix's base, Felix delicately ran the tissue regenerator over his legs. Although, they looked to be completely healed, he was still sore. He had repeated this process three times in the last day. Omallix's brutal tactics hurt Felix even more this time. It wasn't the first assault, either. Felix cringed at the thought of that metallic creature putting his hands on him ever again.
Felix had a feeling that it wouldn't be the last time that Omallix would target him, though. After all, he was still alive. He had completed Omallix's grotesque project and he wasn't disposed of. Felix just didn't understand his captors. Then, thoughts of even more hideous tasks began to fill his head. He was becoming a tool of evil and he didn't like it, he thought to himself, as the doors to the laboratory opened and Charlie entered, carrying a tray.
"Speaking of tools," Felix muttered upon seeing her.
"What?" Charlie said, coldly.
"Nothing," Felix said. "What do you want?"
"It's time to eat," Charlie said, as she placed the tray of food on a table.
"Is that all you do around here?" Felix asked, looking confused.
"I do whatever Omallix asks. And as you can see, I don't get torn to pieces like some people. Maybe you should try it," Charlie said.
"I can't give up, Charlie," Felix said, somberly.
"Why not?" Charlie said to him. "It's so much easier."
"Life is hard," Felix said. "If you give up at the first sign of trouble, what's the sense in living?"
"At least you live," Charlie said coyly. "If you keep on this track, you're not going to have that as an option anymore."
"I'm not like you," Felix said. "I can't give up all that I've worked for."
"Neither can I," Charlie said, as she walked towards the doors. "I've worked hard to make sure Omallix has the upper hand against S.P.D. Thankfully for you, his latest plan is bound to hit the Rangers where it hurts the most and there will be no saving them."
Charlie exited. Left alone, Felix sighed.
"I have feeling there will be no way of saving any of us," Felix said to himself.
Inside the Delta Command Base, Sky sat in the S.P.D. Library, staring at a computer screen. He was in the archive section and had used his clearance to check out his father's old arrest records. Sky had found the entries for the year 2011, the year he knew Omallix had been captured. Cruger had given him the exact date. Sky had read through the records twice already. He didn't notice a person walking up behind him.
"Any luck?"
Sky turned and sighed, seeing Syd.
"No," Sky said, as he turned back to the screen. Syd leaned over his shoulder.
"That looks like the record of Omallix's original arrest," Syd said, as she looked at the screen.
"Yeah. All standard stuff. They already knew Omallix was guilty beforehand. They had footage of his reign of terror, along with eyewitnesses, victims," Sky grumbled.
"But nothing in there about how your father apprehended him?" Syd asked.
"No. It says he went on some kind of stakeout, found where Omallix was hiding and captured him. It's all generic data. I mean, it's got my father's signature on it, but it's like it could have been written by anyone," Sky said.
"How did they keep Omallix locked up back then? They didn't have containment cards. Ours barely held him," Syd wondered.
"He was held in a maximum security prison," Sky said. "A lot like the one Mirloc was in. Our current containment methods were created about five years later."
Syd sighed. "This has to be hard for you, going back through your father's records. Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Sky said sternly. "It's not like there's anything personal in here. Like I said, anyone could have written this stuff. There's no trace of my dad in these records. I'm gonna have to dig deeper, look into his private logs."
"Hey guys!"
Sky and Syd turned at the same time to see a young visitor.
"Sam," Syd called out, with a smile. "What are you doing here?"
"I was returning a book and I saw you," Sam said. The youngster walked closer to the two and Sky cut off his monitor quickly.
"What are you guys looking at?" Sam asked.
"It's classified, Sam," Sky said, seriously.
"Oh," Sam said, looking disappointed. "Well, I kinda just wanted to say hello anyway."
"Did you enjoy your book?" Syd asked.
"Yeah, it was good. I read it before, but it's one of my favorites," Sam said, as he noticed Sky's serious look. "You guys must be busy. I don't see a lot of you around."
"Well, things are complicated right now," Syd said, as she walked over, putting a hand on Sam's shoulder. She realized how much the boy had grown in the last year. "It's tough. Sorry, we haven't been very available."
"Yeah," Sam said, as he looked down at the floor. "I know about Jack. Z must be sad."
"We all are," Syd said.
"Sam, we gotta get back to work, so we'll see you around," Sky said.
"Oh, okay," Sam said sadly. "Bye."
Syd watched the boy walk away and she turned to Sky, giving him a harsh look.
"What was that about?" she asked.
"What? We're looking at sensitive documents. I needed clearance from Cruger to look at this stuff myself," Sky explained.
"It's from fifteen years ago. It's not like Sam's gonna go off telling someone about it. You didn't have to be so mean," Syd said, looking serious.
"He's a tough kid. He'll get over it," Sky said, as he turned back to the monitor, activating it. "I think we could all stand to be a little more serious around here."
Syd rolled her eyes, behind his back, feeling that his comment just might have been directed at her.
Inside the Infirmary, Z paced the floor. Besides herself, Piggy was the only other living creature in the room. She had been waiting for almost ten minutes.
"What's taking him so long?" Z asked aloud, as she looked over at Piggy, not expecting him to answer.
The doors to the Infirmary opened and the male she had been looking for walked in. Dr. Sevarus entered. Z was surprised to see Commander Cruger walk in right behind him.
"Commander? I'm surprised to see you. What's going on?" Z asked.
"Dr. Sevarus and I were having our weekly meeting to discuss the patients in the triage center and Piggy, of course," Cruger said.
"What about you?" Sevarus asked her. "Are you injured?"
"Oh, no," Z said, waving her hand. "I just had some questions about your tests that you ran on Jack's ashes."
"Oh," Sevarus said, quietly, as he looked to Cruger.
"Z, you have to move on," Cruger said.
"I can't, Commander. This is Jack we're talking about. For years, he was all I had. I owe it to him to get all the facts, especially if it means that he's still out there. He could be lying somewhere hurt, waiting for me to find him," Z said.
Cruger sighed, deeply, then nodded to Sevarus. The doctor walked over to a terminal and pulled up some records.
"Cadet Delgado," Dr. Sevarus spoke. "The ashes that were found had traces of DNA in them. The DNA didn't match Jack Landors, but it did match someone else. It appears that the ashes were part of the remains of Ally Samuels."
Z's face fell, as she sighed. She gave Cruger a sad look. "Ally," was all she could say.
"We contacted her family just to make sure we matched up the right records," Sevarus explained.
"Yes," Cruger said. "Now, you can see why we didn't want to tell you all of the details."
"We were trying to spare your feelings," Sevarus mentioned. "It's still tough to hear, I know."
"Yeah," Z said. "But that doesn't mean Jack's dead."
"Z," Cruger sighed. "You can't go on like this. If Jack were alive, he would have found a way to tell us."
"Jack's will is stronger than anything Omallix and his flunkies could throw at him," Z said.
"I was out there, Z," Cruger said. "I saw Cartiron's wave up close. It was devastating. Look at what happened to Piggy and he was barely on the edge of it all."
Z turned away from Cruger and stared at Piggy. She walked over to his bedside, taking his hand in hers. Cruger sighed, before leaving the Infirmary. With him gone, Dr. Sevarus walked over to Z, placing a comforting hand on her back, before leaving her to visit with Piggy.
Outside the Infirmary door, Cruger stopped for a moment to shake his head negatively. This was not the way his Rangers were supposed to live their lives, he thought. All of this death and devastation had to end. He only wished he knew how he could get it done. Cruger turned to walk away and was surprised by the arrival of S.P.D.'s smallest member. He didn't look very happy.
"Sam," Cruger called out. "What's going on? Are you hurt?"
"No, sir," Sam said. "The computer locator said Z was in the Infirmary. I just wanted to talk to her."
Cruger sighed, as he knelt down to face the child.
"Sam, Z's going through a rough time right now."
"Why?"
"Well, it's complicated," Cruger said.
"I've been hearing that a lot today," Sam said, sighing.
"I'm sorry, Sam. I just don't think she's in the mood for a visit right now," Cruger said.
"Doesn't seem like anyone is," Sam said somberly, before turning to leave.
Cruger didn't let him get far. He knew the asset that Sam would one day become and he didn't want to stifle the future Omega Ranger's spirit, if he could help it.
"Sam," Cruger called out. Sam turned back to face him. "You know, it's been a while since you and I talked. How about we go for a walk?"
"Outside?"
"Sure," Cruger said, with his doggy smile.
"Okay," Sam said, as his frown disappeared.
The two began walking down the corridor, as Sam seemed to get more excited about spending time with S.P.D.'s Commander.
"Can we ride the Shadow ATV?" he asked.
"I think it would be better if we walked," Cruger said with a chuckle, patting Sam on the head as they left.
Aboard Omallix's base, the evil villain entered the throne room, walking at a slower pace than usual. He was followed closely by Jintari, who seemed to be leading their new walking, living weapon. When all three got to the middle of the main room on the former science center, Omallix pointed to the transparent, glassed wall in front of them.
"There," Omallix said to the creature, who now stood at his side.
The being slowly walked over to the glass, where a clear view of Earth could be seen. He instinctively raised his hand, touching the glass, almost as if he could touch the blue planetary ball floating out in space. Omallix tilted his head towards Jintari.
"What do you make of this response?" Omallix asked Jintari, in a whisper.
"He is no doubt beginning to regain his senses," Jintari said. His voice was proud, as if he were a new father watching his child take his first steps. "Seeing and touching things for the first time since his transformation."
Omallix nodded as he looked back at the creature in white, staring out into space. Then, Cartiron entered the area. He stopped in his tracks to stare at the throne room's newcomer. After a moment, he walked over to face Omallix.
"Master, we have hit a stroke of luck," Cartiron stated.
"What do you mean?" Omallix asked.
"The final component to your plan. I have located it," Cartiron said.
"Excellent," Jintari spoke in a hushed, devious tone.
"This is perfect timing," Omallix said. "You will retrieve it now?"
"I was on my way," Cartiron responded.
"You do remember what you're supposed to do when you get it?" Jintari asked, in a more determined, serious tone.
"I know how to follow instructions," Cartiron said, before turning to the creature at the window. "Just make sure your new minion is ready once I've completed my end."
"He will be," Jintari spoke up.
"Go Cartiron," Omallix said. "Oh, and don't be afraid to get a little dirty. Do what you have to do, just make sure you get what we need."
"Yes, master," Cartiron spoke bluntly, before disappearing into a burst of flames.
Omallix couldn't help but chuckle, as he looked back at the creature staring out the glass.
"Is he ready?" Omallix asked Jintari.
"Why don't you ask him yourself?" Jintari said, happily.
"My dark warrior, are you prepared for the battle at hand?" Omallix called out.
The creature slowly removed his hand from the glass viewscreen and turned away from the view of Earth to face Omallix. He walked forward two paces and nodded his head affirmatively.
"He doesn't speak?" Omallix asked.
"It will take time for all of his cognitive abilities to return, including his speech. But, trust me, my lord, he is ready for battle," Jintari said.
"Then, he will be my greatest weapon," Omallix said aloud, as he stared at the being. "And, S.P.D. will fall, at the hands of one of their own."
Inside the S.P.D. Infirmary, Z was leaning against Piggy's bed, simply listening to the ventilator that was helping Piggy to breathe. She closed her eyes, thinking, trying hard to picture Jack, to dream of him.
The doors to the Infirmary slid open and Boom walked in. He nodded to Dr. Sevarus who was standing near the doorway at the medical terminal. Boom's eyes turned to the other side of the room, where Piggy's bed was. He saw just who he was looking for.
"Z," Boom called out.
Z opened her eyes and saw Boom walking over to her, carrying an envelope.
"What's that?" she asked.
"It came for you today," Boom said, as he handed her the letter.
"What is it with you and mail?" Z said. "You seem to always be delivering letters to me."
"I know," Boom said, looking shy. "There's this woman, Beth, that works in the postal service room. She's really nice. It kinda gives me a chance to talk to her."
"That's great, Boom," Z said, as she turned the envelope over a few times in her hand, looking confused.
"There's nothing on it except my name. That's weird," Z said.
"I figured you'd want to see it as soon as possible. I had the postal service run a scan check to make sure there wasn't anything harmful in it," Boom said.
"Thanks," Z said, with a polite smile, as she opened the envelope. Inside was a single sheet of paper, with some handwritten scribbling on it.
"This looks...strangely familiar," Z said.
"What's it say?" Boom said. Facing Z, he tried to peer over the paper, whose writing of course appeared to him upside down.
"This is stranger than I thought," Z said.
She began read the paper aloud.
"You have to help me. You're the only one who can. You have to come to me. You must find me."
Z turned the paper over, looking for more writing, but there was nothing else.
"Not one for greetings and salutations, I guess," Boom said, looking confused. "Who's it from?"
"Call me crazy, but this looks an awful lot like Jack's handwriting," Z said to him.
"You're crazy," Boom said.
Z shot him an angry look.
"I mean, that's impossible," Boom said, looking even more confused.
"Or is it?" Z said. Her tone was so low that Boom almost didn't hear it. She looked as if her thoughts were moving a mile a second. "Boom, you have to find out where this note came from?"
"That's gonna be hard. There's no postmark. It must have been hand-delivered."
"Then talk to your friend, Beth. Find out who delivered it. It's really important," Z said, as her tone was once again bordering on desperate.
Boom headed towards the door, but still looked confused.
"I still don't understand what this could have to do with Jack," Boom said. "I mean, he's gone."
"Boom, just go. Please," Z said.
"Okay. I'll let you know what I find out," Boom said, as he ran off.
Z let out a deep sigh as she read the note again. She stared across the room at Dr. Sevarus, who had been trying hard not to listen in. The Infirmary, however, wasn't that big. Z gave him a look of sad desperation he couldn't resist. He sighed.
"Give me the letter. I'll scan it for fingerprints," Sevarus said.
Z smiled and walked quickly over to his terminal, handing him the letter.
"If Commander Cruger finds out about this, I'm going to be in deep trouble," Sevarus said.
"I'll take the heat, Doc. Just give me something to go on," Z said.
Sevarus grabbed his scanner and went about scanning the paper and envelope as carefully as possible for any traces of life.
The streets on the north side of Newtech City were never really crowded. Most of the businesses on this side of town were further away from S.P.D. Headquarters. Cruger hadn't planned on going very far. The park was only a few blocks away and he couldn't think of a better setting to visit on this day. Not only would it please Sam, but it would help him clear his own head.
"I know things have been scary around here lately," Cruger said to his young traveling companion. "It's been extremely hard on everyone, including you."
"Yeah," Sam said. "I got to play with some of the kids who are staying in the shelter. They all seem nice, but they get sad a lot, thinking about their houses and their toys that they lost. I tried to help them feel better."
"Oh really?" Cruger said, sensing the pride in Sam's voice.
"Yeah. I told them about how I was living on the streets and didn't have anyone until Z and the Rangers found me. You guys made everything okay. So, I told the other kids that you would all make it okay for them too," Sam said, innocently.
"That's a very good way of looking at things, Sam," Cruger said. "I do think everything will be okay, eventually."
"I still don't understand why you don't like any of us coming out here. We've had some beautiful days lately. It's kind hard for me and the other kids being inside all the time," Sam said.
"You're not inside all of the time. You're free to walk around on the Academy grounds. We're just trying to keep everyone safe," Cruger explained.
"It looks pretty safe out here," Sam said, waving his hand at the area in front of them.
"Well, it may not always be that way," Cruger said. "We have to take precautions to make sure we're all safe, even at a moment's notice. The city was damaged pretty badly in that fire attack. A lot of people got hurt. I don't want anything like that to happen again."
"It must be tough," Sam said. "I couldn't imagine having so many people depending on me like that."
Cruger sighed. He knew that if history played out the way the future Sam had predicted, this young boy would have the weight of the world on his shoulders one day. As the Omega Ranger, he would risk everything, including his own safety to protect those around him. Cruger felt proud, as Sam was already showing leadership skills even at a young age.
"It's a tough job sometimes, but it's rewarding too," Cruger said.
"Still, it must make you sad seeing the fire damage on the other side of the city. You couldn't protect everyone," Sam said, solemnly.
"That's true," Cruger said, as they continued walking.
"I remember I was out riding my bike the day the fire came. Boom grabbed me so fast I could barely get a good look at it. It was so high and fast," Sam said.
"It was very dangerous too," Cruger said. "Boom was trying to protect you."
"Who did that anyway?" Sam asked, as he stopped on the sidewalk and turned to face Cruger, looking curious. Cruger lowered his head to look the boy in the eye.
"Was it Omallix that made all of that fire?" Sam asked.
"No. It was me!"
The two turned quickly and saw Cartiron appear in a ball of flames. Cruger quickly went on the defensive, grabbing Sam by the arm and pulling him behind him. Cruger felt a cold shiver down his spine, as Cartiron chuckled a bit.
"Still admiring my handiwork?" Cartiron said aloud.
"Cartiron, what are you doing here?" Cruger yelled.
"Bringing destruction, as always," Cartiron spoke, in a dark, menacing tone.
"Sam, stay behind me," Cruger spoke to the boy, before turning his attention back to Cartiron. "You won't catch me off-guard like you did before. Where are the Fericks?"
"I don't need the Fericks, you fool," Cartiron yelled. "You're not half the dog you used to be, without your Shadow powers."
Cartiron let out a loud chuckle, as he extended both his hands, sending balls of fire shooting from them. The flaming projectiles landed at Doggie's feet, sending him crashing to the ground hard. Crouched behind him, on the ground, Sam looked terrified.
"Get up Commander," Sam shouted as he noticed Cartiron coming closer.
Z Delgado sprinted into her quarters inside the S.P.D. Academy. She rifled through a drawer, looking for it. She searched high and low until she tossed aside a shirt and there it was in the bottom of the drawer. Z picked up the letter Jack had sent her last month, right before the massacre. It was hand-written, just like the note she received today. She compared the two, just as the doors to her quarters opened.
"They're the same!" Z shouted to Bridge and Quinn as they entered.
"What's the same?" Bridge asked.
Z handed him the two pieces of paper. Bridge looked back and forth between the two. Quinn peeked over his shoulder, looking as well.
"Where did that come from?" he asked Z.
"Someone delivered it to the base for me," Z said. "Don't you see? It's Jack."
"Z, they don't look exactly the same," Quinn said, as he walked closer to her.
Behind him, Bridge appeared to be still looking repeatedly between the two letters, looking confused.
"They are. It's Jack's handwriting," Z said.
Quinn grabbed Z by the shoulders. "Z, there's something you should know. The coroner's office apologized for the mishap with Jack's ashes. But, they said that it's been happening a lot recently. A lot of the victims didn't have full remains to identify. Things were so hectic after the massacre that they jumbled some of the test results."
"So what? It's still not Jack's ashes," Z said.
Quinn took a deep breath, looking saddened. Bridge noticed. He walked closer to the duo.
"Z, they had unclaimed ashes at the coroner's office. They tested a few samples for us. One of them had traces of DNA that matched Jack," Bridge said, trying to sound as comforting as he could.
"No. It's another mistake," Z said, angrily, as she grabbed the letters from Bridge's hands. "I can't believe it. I don't believe it." She began waving the new letter around wildly. "This is Jack!"
On the streets of Newtech City, Commander Anubis Cruger tried hard to pull himself to his feet, which were burning hot from Cartiron's fiery attack. Cartiron, however, was right on top of him. He grabbed Cruger by the collar, pulling him to his feet, so that they were face to face.
"I told you that you were no match for me, Cruger," Cartiron said, angrily.
"Get...your...hands...off me!" Cruger growled.
He quickly swung his forearms up, breaking Cartiron's grip on him. He tried to punch at the villain, but Cartiron matched him, move for move, blocking each blow before they could connect. Cruger regretted not having his morpher with him at that moment. He couldn't use it to stop Cartiron, but he could call for help. Cruger tried hard to push his momentum forward, forcing Cartiron to back up. It put distance between the evil alien and Sam. Cruger had to protect the boy. Once their sparring got several feet away, Cruger yelled.
"Sam! Run! Now!"
The boy quickly got to his feet and started running in the opposite direction, as fast as he could, but he didn't go far. Cartiron kicked Cruger in the knee, getting him off balance momentarily. Cartiron sent a swift jab across Cruger's face, causing him to twist out of Cartiron's way. Cartiron extended his hand in Sam's direction.
"No!" Cruger yelled, as he grabbed Cartiron from behind.
Cartiron sent a fire blast from his palm into a streetlight post. It came crashing down right in front of Sam. The boy instinctively dived to the ground one step away from the crashing object. The shattering glass and steel flew everywhere. Cruger whipped Cartiron around, punching the Dark Hellion in the face. Cartiron grabbed at Cruger's arms, bracing them so that he couldn't land another hit. The Sirian used the only weapon he could think of. He head-butted Cartiron, causing the alien to stagger. Cruger used every once of strength in his body to punch Cartiron in the chest, sending him flying to the ground.
"Sam!" Cruger yelled, hoping the child would start moving off the ground. "Sam, get up!"
Cruger ran over to the boy and began helping him off the street. Sam seemed a bit disoriented, as Cruger look him in the eyes to make sure he was all right. But, they were only allowed to take a breather for a second. Sam gasped, looking behind Cruger.
"Look out!" he yelled, as another blast of fireballs came their way. Cruger grabbed Sam into his arms and rolled out of the way, using himself to shield the kid.
Cartiron once again picked Cruger up off the ground. This time swinging him into another streetlight post across the street. The post bent upon impact with the Sirian, who fell to the ground, landing hard.
"Commander!" Sam yelled to Cruger, before turning to Cartiron, looking angered. "What do you want with him?"
"Who said I wanted him?" Cartiron said, locking eyes with Sam, whose anger turned to fear in a matter of seconds.
"You guys don't understand," Z said sternly, as she stormed through the corridors of S.P.D. Headquarters.
"You're right about that," Bridge said. "Where are you going?"
"I'm going to find Jack. He's out there. This letter proves that he needs my help," Z said.
"But, you don't even know where to look. We should take the letter to Kat, so she can analyze it. Maybe it'll give you some kind of clue," Quinn said.
"No!" Z yelled, as she stopped in her tracks, turning to face her teammates. "Sevarus already checked the note out. It didn't have any prints on it at all, except for mine and Boom's and his."
"And you're just gonna rush off to find someone that you don't even know is really out there?" Bridge asked. "That sounds really dangerous and really stupid. You don't know who sent that to you. It could be a trap."
"It's not a trap," Z said, with a tear in her eye. "It's Jack. He needs me."
"Cadet Delgado."
Z turned quickly. The trio caught a glimpse of Dr. Sevarus trotting down the hallway. He was carrying another envelope.
"Cadet Boom came looking for you in the Infirmary. He said this was delivered shortly before he arrived back at the postal service. He's questioning the officer who received it. It's addressed to you," Sevarus explained.
Z ripped the letter open and read it aloud.
"Please help me. I can't find my way. You have to come and save me. Z, please."
"That's it!" Z said. "I'm going."
"Z, wait!" Bridge yelled, as Z began trotting down the corridor.
"It's Jack's handwriting. I have to check it out," Z said.
"You don't know that for sure," Sevarus called out. "Let me check it for prints."
"You don't know where to look," Quinn yelled.
Z stopped momentarily, turning to face them.
"I'm going to the place I lost Jack. I'm going to find him," Z said, as she rushed off.
Quinn wanted to run after her but Bridge grabbed his shoulder.
"We know where she's going. Let's get Sky & Syd," Bridge said.
He and Quinn went running quickly. Dr. Sevarus watched them go, breathing a heavy sigh.
Blocks away from S.P.D. Headquarters, Cartiron grabbed Sam by the arm, pulling him off the ground.
"Ouch," Sam grunted. "Commander, help me!"
"Unhand him," Cruger yelled, as he staggered, struggling to get to his feet.
He took off running towards the two, when Cartiron fired another blast from his palm. Cruger wailed in pain, as he went flying to the ground in a flurry of fire and smoke.
"Stop it!" Sam yelled, as Cartiron hoisted the boy over his shoulder.
"It's time to say a final goodbye to Doggie Cruger," Cartiron said, in his dark voice, tinged with happiness at the destruction he brought forth.
"No!" Sam yelled.
Cartiron raised his palm, as Cruger lay in the streets, smoking from Cartiron's fiery attacks. The large fireball escaped from Cartiron's hand, just as Sam twisted in Cartiron's arms, extending his own hand towards Cruger. Cartiron's blast seemed to move in slow motion, as Sam extended his hand. Sam concentrated, mustering every bit of his genetic power that he could. In a rippling effect, Cruger disappeared. Cartiron's fireball went crashing through a building window, causing a fire to break out. Cartiron grunted in anger, momentarily, before disappearing with Sam.
Inside the S.P.D. Academy Library, Sky & Syd were still hunched over a computer terminal in the archives. Both looked troubled, as they scanned Nathan Tate's personal log entries.
"This makes no sense," Syd said.
"I don't understand it either," Sky said, as he shook his confused head. "There's a couple entries missing from my dad's files."
"How can that be?" Syd said. "Wasn't he the only one who had access to them?"
"Yeah, until he died. At that point, the only person who would have had clearance to delete files from here would have been his highest ranking officer at the time," Sky said.
"Commander Cruger?" Syd gave him a quizzical look. "Why would he delete some of your father's log entries?"
"I don't know, but it looks like a lot of the missing ones came from around the time that Omallix was captured," Sky said.
"Strange," Syd said.
"Young men, this is a library!"
The two turned as they heard the head librarian speaking louder than she normally did. They saw Quinn and Bridge both running towards them.
"Something's wrong," Syd said quietly, as they approached.
Sky deactivated his terminal and stood up, joining her, as Bridge and Quinn got closer.
"Guys, we've got a major problem," Quinn said.
"Z's going after Jack," Bridge said.
"What?" Sky said, looking surprised. "What are you talking about?"
"She got some notes that looked like Jack's handwriting. She's convinced that he's out there and calling out for her help," Bridge said.
"But, that can't be," Syd said.
"But, she's gone...to Luna Province," Quinn said, desperately.
"Oh no," Sky sighed. "Let's go."
The four cadets ran out of the Library as fast as they could, followed by an older woman, calling for them to stop running. But, within seconds, they were gone.
Inside the S.P.D. Command Center, Kat Manx was monitoring things in the base, as she did often, when she wasn't running tests or solving problems. A beeping alert sounded. She checked it out, seeing that it was coming from the parking deck. She pulled up a security camera feed and saw Bridge's patrol cycle come roaring out of the parking deck, followed by a Patrol Jeep, with sirens blaring. She could see Sky behind the wheel. Syd and Quinn were inside with him. Kat looked troubled.
"What is going on with them?"
She was about to call them over their morphers when the doors to the Command Center opened and Boom came rushing in.
"Kat, have you seen the Rangers?"
"Yes, actually. They just left out of here on what I assume is an emergency. I was just about to call them to find out what's going on," Kat said.
"I need to find Z," Boom said.
"Z?" Kat said, as she thought. "She wasn't with them. What's going on, Boom?"
"Well, these two notes came for Z today. I was talking with Beth at the postal service after we found the officer who took the letters when they arrived. The messenger was an old man who said he found the notes after he saw this flash of light in an alley. He had misplaced the second one, but thought he'd bring them here so we could find the owner. He had no idea Z was a cadet here," Boom explained.
"That's odd," Kat said. "A flashing light?"
"It's like they appeared out of nowhere," Boom said. "I didn't think anything like that was possible."
A split second later, the form of Commander Cruger appeared out of nowhere, arriving, via Sam's teleportation power, on the floor of the Command Center. Cruger let out a loud grunt. Kat and Boom looked shocked. Kat ran to Cruger's side.
"Okay, I guess anything's possible," Boom said, as he joined her.
"Commander, what happened?" Kat asked.
"Cartiron," Cruger grunted through the pain. "Sam...he got Sam." Cruger's head fell back to the floor, scaring Kat.
"What?" Boom said, looking shocked.
"He's been burned badly. Get him to the Infirmary," Kat yelled, worried for his health.
She got to her feet and walked back over to the main console in the center of the room. Several officers working in the Command Center began helping Boom move Cruger. Boom still looked confused.
"But Kat—"
"Get him to the Infirmary, Boom, now!" Kat yelled.
Without another word, Boom left with the other officers, carrying Cruger's body as fast as they could. Kat's hands worked the console quickly. She had to contact the Rangers.
The desolation of Luna Province could be seen from airplanes and shuttles taking off from Newtech City. It was a sad sight. The once lush and flowery pastures were now replaced with darkened ash and soot, signs of a deadly fire. It went on for miles. In the middle of it all, stood a fighter, a danger to anyone who stood in his way.
The alien who approached him however didn't seem to fear him. The child in his arms might have feared the creature, if he wasn't shocked by his appearance.
"What? How?" Sam said, as he struggled to break free of Cartiron's grasp.
Cartiron pulled him closer to the being and Sam still looked shocked.
"Omega Ranger!" Sam shouted. "Help me! You're me! I know you are!"
Cartiron laughed loudly.
"No, child. But, he's about to become a lot more like you," Cartiron said.
He grabbed hold of Sam's wrist. Using the sharp edge of his spiked glove, he cut Sam's hand, causing him to bleed.
"Ouch," Sam yelled. "Stop! What are you doing?"
"It's time for a little power boost to our friend here," Cartiron said, as he looked to the Omega Ranger. "Your hand!"
The Omega Ranger lifted his wrist, revealing the Omega morpher on it. Cartiron forced Sam's hand over the open power cell of the device. Cartiron applied pressure, squeezing Sam's hand, until drops of blood fell into the morpher. Despite Sam's cries of pain, Cartiron continued to squeeze, until he saw the morpher's throttle begin to light up. Cartiron chuckled.
"Just as Jintari said it would," Cartiron said, with pride. "It's time to power up."
He pulled Sam away from the Omega Ranger. Sam watched, as the being pulled the Omega morpher close to his helmet's visor. He grabbed the throttle and turned it, activating all of the Omega Ranger power, which surged through his body, making him feel even more alive.
"Who are you?" Sam called out, in fear.
"There will be time for that later," Cartiron said. "For now, it's time to strike down the enemies of Omallix, your enemies."
The sounds of roaring engines were heard coming their way. As he heard them getting closer, Cartiron pulled young Sam close to him.
"Help!" Sam yelled in the direction of the approaching sirens. With his arms restrained by Cartiron, he couldn't use his genetic powers to escape.
Cartiron stifled him, covering his mouth. The two disappeared in a flash. The Omega Ranger turned, looking off into the distance, as the sun was setting. His hearing had come back completely. He heard the sirens getting closer.
Z's patrol jeep came to a halt. She jumped out and looked behind her. She could hear sirens coming in her direction. She knew it was her friends. She didn't want to be near them right now. Her best friend was out here. She could feel it in the pit of her stomach.
"Jack!" Z began yelling repeatedly.
She looked out over the vast space that was once the lush Luna Province. It was desolate. Mounds of gathered debris and dirt and ash were the only things littering the ground in her line of sight. The sirens got louder behind her.
Another patrol jeep sped onto the scene, right behind the white patrol cycle. Bridge dismounted, taking off his helmet. He ran over to Z, grabbing her by the arms.
"Z, come on," Bridge said. "You can't stay out here. Jack's not here."
"He is, Bridge! He has to be," Z yelled to him.
A few feet away, Sky, Quinn and Syd were exiting the second patrol jeep when Sky's morpher sounded. As the three approached Bridge and Z, Sky answered.
"This is Tate. Go," Sky spoke into the opened device.
"Sky, we've got trouble. What are you doing out there?" Kat asked.
"We had to check something out," Sky said, trying to cover for Z. "What's wrong?"
"Commander Cruger was attacked by Cartiron," Kat revealed.
"Is he all right?" Syd called out, looking worried.
Inside the Command Center, Kat sighed. The doors to the room opened and Boom entered. He joined Kat at her side.
"Hold on. Boom, how is he?" Kat asked.
"Dr. Sevarus thinks he's gonna pull through. He's really banged up. All he kept muttering on the way to the Infirmary was that he had to help Sam," Boom said.
"Why would Cartiron kidnap Sam?" Kat wondered aloud.
On the other end of the communication, Sky, Quinn & Syd all exchanged shocked glances.
"Sam's been kidnapped?" Sky repeated.
At that moment, Z's head turned towards him. She looked scared.
"Oh no," she said.
None of them noticed the look of utter shock on Bridge's face, as he stared off at something else in the distance. Z walked over to the trio.
"This is not good," Syd said.
"Uh, guys," Bridge said. All four of the cadets turned to him, seeing that he was looking off in another direction. He pointed. "Sam can't be kidnapped. He's right there."
The other four cadets all traced Bridge's line of sight until their eyes all rested on the standing figure from their past's future.
"Omega Ranger," Sky muttered.
"Sam?" Z said aloud.
Standing about 10 yards away, the Omega Ranger took a few steps forward, before twisting the throttle on his morpher. In an instant, his fist began to glow. He sent it crashing down to the ground, causing a stream of energy sparks to ignite a path from him straight to the four unmorphed cadets, sending them into the air in a barrage of sparks and smoke.
"What the hell?" Sky muttered, through gritted teeth, as he tried to pull himself off the ground.
"He attacked us," Quinn grumbled.
"Why?" Syd added. "I don't understand."
"That can't be Sam," Bridge said.
Z simply stared off in the distance, as the Omega Ranger seemed to be getting closer. She knew because she could see him beginning to pass through smoke, the smoke that was coming from their injured bodies.
"We've got to get up," Sky said.
Inside the Command Center, Kat and Boom were watching the battle unfold, thanks to the surveillance cameras onboard the patrol vehicles.
"This is not good," Boom said. "I don't understand. How can Sam sustain the Omega Ranger powers at his age?"
"It's impossible," Kat said, as her mind was racing. "Unless, that's not Sam."
Kat and Boom shared a troubling glance that had them both thinking of an even worse possibility.
Aboard Omallix's base, the evil villain smashed his metallic hand against the side of his self-made throne. He took to his feet, as his eyes were intent on the viewscreen in front of him. He watched Omega Ranger make the first strike against the S.P.D. Rangers. Charlie and Jintari watched the action unfold with him.
"Yes," Omallix cheered. "This is going better than I expected."
"They haven't even morphed yet," Charlie said. "I wouldn't be surprised if he finished them off before they had the chance."
"His cognitive abilities and sense of awareness seem to be gaining strength. They still don't know the full story," Jintari revealed, from his station, where he was monitoring Omega Ranger. "Things are about to get interesting."
"Sam, what's going on?" Sky yelled out, as he got to his feet. "What's happened to you?"
He walked closer to the Omega Ranger, with his hands raised, non-threateningly. Z wasn't far behind him. The other three cadets helped each other to their feet, behind them. As Sky and Z got closer, the Omega Ranger tilted his head slightly, appearing to show his confusion at the questions.
"Sam, just calm down. Listen," Z said. "We're not the enemy."
That word seemed to trigger something inside of him. He swiped his wrist at Z's face, sending her falling to the ground, near his feet. Sky tried to grab his morpher arm, but the Omega Ranger used his free hand to grab Sky's wrist, twisting it. The Omega Ranger's strength was too much. He broke Sky's grip on his arm and sent him flying backwards with a side kick to the stomach. The others ran to him, helping him up, as the Omega Ranger grabbed Z by the collar with his left hand, pulling her up to his face.
"Sam, why are you doing this?" Z asked, as his grip tightened on her.
"I'm...not...Sam," the Ranger spoke for the first time since he had been revived.
Z's eyes grew larger, as she instantly recognized the voice. Using his right hand, the Omega Ranger drove his fist into Z's abdomen, punching her away. She landed several feet away. The other four cadets joined her, trying to help her. Z struggled to catch her breath, as she held her stomach, which had her doubled over in pain. Now, she was the one having troubled breathing.
Z mustered. "It's...Jack!"
The four cadets instantly turned their heads towards the Omega Ranger, who had his hand on his morpher's throttle once again. The Rangers were unprepared for the next words from his mouth.
"Omega morpher, blast mode!" Jack spoke in a low, dark tone.
He twisted the throttle once more and repeated the same attack as before. His glove glowed and he struck the ground, causing a barrage of energy charges to strike the Rangers, sending them flying into the air and then driving them to the ground once again. Their uniforms were smoking, sizzling from the attack. They moaned from the pain and coughed from the smoke that entered their lungs. Z opened her eyes and he was bearing down on them, coming at them.
"No, Jack," Z managed to speak.
Onboard Omallix's base, the evil villain was now standing directly in front of the viewscreen, watching the action play out. Jintari remained at his station.
"I guess the truth's out," Jintari spoke, with a chuckle.
"This is it. I can feel the Rangers destruction is imminent," Omallix yelled out in victory.
Upstairs, on the second floor of the base, the doors to Felix's laboratory opened. He turned to see Charlie enter, carrying a large flatscreen. She set it up on a table and activated it. Felix came closer and didn't like what he saw on the screen.
"Oh no," Felix said.
"I thought you might like to see S.P.D.'s final battle play out live," Charlie said, with a smile, as she crossed her arms, turning her attention to the screen.
Down on Earth, Cartiron watched from a distance, still clutching young Sam in his arms. One of his large hands was big enough to hold both of Sam's arms behind his back, at the wrists. Cartiron used his other hand to keep Sam silent. The boy continued to fight his grip, as his eyes were transfixed on what was happening about a mile away.
The Rangers were struggling to get to their feet, as the Omega Ranger stopped in his tracks, only two feet away from them.
"You can't do this," Sky said.
"Yes, I can," Jack replied, beneath his helmet. "Prepare to be destroyed."
TO BE CONTINUED