Chapter 4: The Mission
As dusk shifted to dawn and the sun rose from its slumber rising over the horizon Adam's alarm clock went off. However Adam was already awake. He had spent most of the night musing over everything that had been happening with Genesis since he'd first met her. With a sigh he rolled over and tapped the off button on his alarm clock before rolling back over onto his back drawing his eyes to the ceiling of his bedroom. Genesis made a very valid point the night before, Adam couldn't change her over night but did he want to change her at all? Sure he wanted to reform her and turn her into a respectable young adult but he didn't know if he wanted to change the things that made Genesis who she was. Those particular things are the things that drew Adam to Genesis. Kind of like a moth to a flame. There was always danger however that was what excited Adam. The danger of the unknown, the danger of things he'd never experienced in his life before.
Not wanting to mull it over too much Adam sat up pushing the blankets back on his bed as he swung his legs over the edge of the bed. Letting his feet come into contact with the carpet he ran both of his hands through his hair. With a heavy sign he pushed himself up off of the bed catching a glimpse of himself in the mirror affixed to his closet door. He raised a brow as he caught his reflection. He looked the same as he always did but yet there was something different that Adam just couldn't put his finger on. He wasn't sure if it was good or bad but it was definitely different.
Pushing the thoughts aside he exited his bedroom making his way to the bathroom where he turned on the shower to bring the water up to temperature. As he waited he moved to the vanity looking into the mirror above the sink. Here he examined his face. It was the same face he saw every morning. The same eyes, the same five o'clock shadow on his chin, it was the same but as he had seen in the bedroom it was different. Was Genesis changing how he saw himself? Was he becoming less of the person that he was before he met her or perhaps becoming more of the person he was before he met her. He wasn't sure but he didn't want to think on it too much so Adam moved away from the vanity and made quick work of his sweats and boxers before stepping into the shower, pulling the glass door closed behind him.
Adam made quick work of his shower, not wanting to use up all the hot water so Genesis could have herself a shower as well. After turning off the water Adam pushed the glass door open before quickly grabbing a towel and wrapping it around his waist. He then moved back to the vanity where he gave himself a quick shave and brushed his teeth. He still wasn't used to having someone in his house with him so he wanted to be done as quickly as possible so he could make it back to his bedroom with just the towel wrapped around his waist having forgotten to bring his uniform into the bathroom with him. The last thing Adam wanted was for Genesis to catch him indecent.
Adam's efforts however were in vain for as he exited the bathroom he caught a glimpse of Genesis standing at the head of the hallway with her eyes fixated on him. Adam could not figure out how someone so frustrating could hold him so captive. "Sorry" he apologized really unsure of what else to say. What else could he say at this juncture? "I saved you some hot water" Adam stated keeping his eyes on Genesis'.
Genesis gave an almost sheepish smile as she cocked her head to the side to examine the fine specimen that was Adam in front of her, "okay…thanks" Genesis managed to say as she eyed Adam's fine physique, "I'll…get my shower now…" her words hung in the air like thick smoke, "could you muster us up something for breakfast? I'm starving" she questioned knowing Adam's skills in the kitchen weren't exactly the best, but surely he could manage some eggs or something of that nature.
"Sure thing" Adam assured Genesis as she made another step towards his open bedroom door, "enjoy your shower" he added before heading into his bedroom and closing the door behind him. The air between him and Genesis in the hallway had been so thick you could cut it with a knife. There was definitely something that was like the push and pull of magnets between them. Adam was just unsure if it was something he should be investing in. After all Genesis was only seventeen years old, technically making her a minor; so anything that he was to think or do would be under heavy scrutiny.
In his bedroom Adam removed his towel which he used to finish drying his body before grabbing his uniform from the closet and slipping it on. As he zipped up his jacket he heard a ping come from his cell phone. It was alerting him to a voicemail that he must have received while he was in the shower. Going over to his bed stand he grabbed his phone and opened the voicemail putting it on speaker phone to give it a listen. It was Captain Logan informing Adam that he and Genesis were to come to the station a little earlier than normal for some kind of special meeting. Not having any clue what it could possibly be Adam put his phone down and sat on his bed grabbing his shoes from under the corner. He slipped them on quickly before standing and grabbing his phone once more. With his phone in hand he exited his bedroom hearing the water running as he passed the bathroom.
In the bathroom Genesis had finished up with a quick shower and was not standing at the vanity wrapped in a towel as she pulled her long chestnut hair into a ponytail and put on some minimal makeup. She didn't think there would ever be a point where she could leave home without at least a little mascara. It was part of who she was. She however felt very strongly about the ponytail regulation rules. She hated having to wear her hair in a ponytail however rules were rules and she knew there would be grave consequences if she didn't follow them. After finishing at the vanity she grabbed her uniform off of the hook on the back of the bathroom door. Giving it a face she removed her towel hanging it back on the rack by the shower door before dressing in her uniform.
Exiting the bathroom Genesis made her way to the living room where she had left her boots. Genesis being Genesis didn't even bother to sit down as she put them on teetering as she tried not to fall over. But finally with her boots on she made her way into the kitchen where Adam had cooked up some scrambled eggs with some whole wheat toast. There was only enough for one person however which confused Genesis a bit "you're not eating?" she asked him, "or are you starving me?" she teased as she took a seat on one of the island stools.
Adam laughed lightly as he put a plate in front of Genesis "I'm not hungry" he told as he fetched her some silverware before grabbing his cup of coffee and coming around the island where he took a seat beside her. As always Genesis captivated Adam without saying a word. He liked the young woman she was becoming. Without all the heavy makeup and piercings she was actually attractive. Not that she wasn't attractive before she just had a more adult era to her, "we have to be at the station a little early today. I'm not sure why, but Captain Logan left me a voicemail while I was in the shower" Adam said giving a light shrug.
Of course Genesis' first thought was what she could have possibly done now. Her mind drifted wondering if someone had caught her out partying and reported it to the captain. The thought made her shudder as she picked up her fork and took a bite of her eggs. If the captain found out that she had been drinking it was only a hop, skip, and a jump away from her father finding out and she knew exactly what she'd be in for if her father found out she had been at a party after being placed in the program to help rid her of such behaviors "oh" was all Genesis could muster as she finished up the eggs and took a couple bites of the toast. Her appetite had diminished quite a bit after finding out that the captain wanted to see her and Adam early for some top secret reason. But surely if someone had reported her behavior the captain would have mentioned it or something to that nature in the voicemail. Right?
Adam noticing Genesis' change in demeanor gave her a sympathetic smile and shook his head "don't worry about it" he tried to assure both her and himself, "I'm sure it's nothing" he added as he stood up from the stool to take his empty coffee cup to the sink. Adam wanted to believe as much as Genesis did that the captain wanted them for some benign reason. But Adam also knew that he wasn't being quite as strict and structured with Genesis as he should be. He was letting a lot of her old habits and behaviors slide out of sympathy for her.
Genesis rolled her eyes at Adam's words. He didn't sound anymore convincing than she did in her own head "yeah okay, then why does he want to see us early?" Genesis questions, "if it was nothing we would be able to go in at our regular time" she continued, "I'm screwed" she said becoming a little frantic in her tone. "Somebody saw me out and ratted me out to the captain and now I'm going to be in trouble and you're going to be in trouble and we all know what happens when I get in trouble" Genesis spat out quickly making her head spin.
"Genesis calm down okay" Adam coaxed as he cleared Genesis' dishes from the island, "I'm sure it's nothing okay. The captain probably just wants us early for an assignment or something. Maybe he's actually putting us to work for a change, rather than just having us patrolling the city for minor infractions" he said working out the logic in his head and Adam had to admit that is sounded feasible.
Genesis gave a long exhale trying to rationalize things just as Adam had done, "you're right. I didn't do anything wrong…okay nobody saw me do anything wrong. We're fine. You're totally right" she said nodding her head as she got of the bar stool, "we're probably just being put on a regular assignment for once" she continued giving a nod of affirmation.
Adam shook his head with mild amusement "well if that's what it is we need to get moving so we're not late for our assignment" Adam stated as he headed out of the kitchen with Genesis in tow. Leading her into the hallway he grabbed his service belt off of the hook and strapped it on like he did every morning. Genesis wasn't quite to the level of actually being able to carry a weapon while on patrol so she just stood at watched as Adam finished up by securing his weapon in its holster. "Let's go" he finally said as he exited the house with Genesis closing the door and securing it with lock code before leading his young cadet to his waiting patrol car in the driveway.
Once at the patrol car Adam punched the key code into the panel below the door handle then went around to the driver's side where he did the same before pulling the door open and climbing into the driver's seat. Genesis was already in the passenger seat and buckled up by the time Adam was in the vehicle. Adam thought for a moment that possibly Genesis was excited about having a real assignment, if that was truly what they were being called in early for.
Adam buckled himself in and used his fingerprint to bring the vehicle to life. He then put it into gear and backed out of the driveway and onto the street. Putting the patrol unit in drive Adam headed him and Genesis to the station where they would find out for sure exactly what they were being called in early for. Adam truly hoped that it was something minor and that Genesis wasn't in any sort of trouble as he could only protect her from Alex to a certain extent. As Adam reminded himself again she was in fact a minor and Alex was in fact her father which gave Alex the upper hand in that situation.
The drive to the Time Force Station was a quiet drive and the air was thick with tension. Much to Adam and Genesis' dismay the drive also seemed very short. Too short. They both had an impending sense of doom hanging within their chests. Neither one of them knew quite what to expect and as Adam pulled the cruiser into its designated parking spot and killed the engine the silence became deafening. Adam and Genesis both stared rather blankly ahead for what seemed to be an eternity before Adam's voice broke the silence that had been hanging between them since they left his home "well…we're here" he said simply as he unbuckled himself.
"Yeah…here we are" Genesis confirmed the obvious as she too unbuckled herself, "I guess it's time to pay the piper" she stated before opening the door and climbing out of the vehicle. Adam was quick to follow and moved quickly around the cruiser to walk beside Genesis as they made their way to what seemed like an impossibly long walkway up to the station. However they didn't make it too far up the pathway before both of their eyes landed on Alex who stood about halfway between the street and the station. His lips were pressed into a firm line and he looked angry as all get out.
Genesis and Adam cautiously made their way to where Alex was standing and stood before him wondering what he could possibly have to say. Did he know about Genesis' outing? The truth was they had no idea what was going on and Genesis for one wasn't all together sure she wanted to know. It didn't take more than a beat before Alex's harsh tone cut through the air "what did you do!" Alex demanded of Genesis taking her off guard. She was prepared for his anger but for him to ask her what she had done confused her. It made her unsure of why exactly he was angry.
"What are you talking about?" Genesis asked with great caution in her tone. However that was all it took before Alex grabbed Genesis by the upper arm jerking her closer to him, his eyes seething with anger. Genesis winced under the extreme pressure of Alex's hand on her arm and that was all it took before Adam finally had, had enough.
"Get your fucking hands off of her!" Adam exclaimed as he moved his body in such a way that he was now somewhat between Genesis and Alex. Before he knew it Adam's hands were on Alex's chest shoving him away from Genesis causing Alex to release Genesis' arm. "This has gone too far! I'm reporting this to the captain. You're never laying your hands on her ever again!" Adam shouted only to be shoved out of the way and in that moment a sudden shriek pierced the air. Adam spun around quickly to see Genesis' hand on her face where a red area was rapidly forming around her eye.
"You need to call off your fucking boyfriend you ungrateful little bitch!" Alex snapped at Genesis who was nearly in tears. Not so much because she had been hit, she was used to that, but because she was so taken back by the whole situation that had just unfolded in front of her eyes.
Adam's eyes quickly shifted to two security guards who had exited the building. Alex's eyes followed Adam's gaze. Alex squared up his shoulders turning his gaze back to Genesis and Adam. He uttered not another word before turning on his heel and walking away from the two. The two security guards near the building watched intently but Adam just simply held up his hand as if to let them know everything was okay and he had it under control. Even though things were in fact not okay and Adam had never felt more out of control in his entire life.
Adam quickly turned to Genesis who had regained her composure for the most part, though her hand was still resting on her face "are you okay?" Adam asked as he tried to assess the damage to Genesis' face. It wasn't as bad as some of the other marks he'd seen on her but then again it had just happened so the likelihood that it would turn into a black eye was pretty much inevitable.
Genesis moved her hand her eyes darkening as she looked at Adam "this is why I tell you not to get involved!" Genesis snapped at Adam shaking her head. Not only did she now have to face the captain for an unknown reason but she had to face the captain for an unknown reason with a black eye. "You know what? Forget it. Just forget it. Come on let's get inside I need to go into the locker room and put some makeup on this so the captain doesn't notice. That would just get me in more trouble and probably give me a matching set!" Genesis spat as she pushed passed Adam and made her way up the remainder of the walk to the building.
Inside the building Genesis quickly made her way to the locker room where she went to her assigned locker and quickly punched in her key code. She immediately opened the door once the indicator light turned green and pulled some concealer out of makeup bag she kept in her locker. Turning to the mirror on the door she gingerly tapped some of the makeup onto the darkening mark around her eye. Thankfully the makeup hid the mark making it almost undetectable. Genesis then put the concealer back in her makeup case and closed her locker door. She now had to go with Adam to meet with the captain and see why they had been called in early.
When Genesis turned away from her locker she found Adam standing in close proximity. She opened her mouth to say something but she was stopped when Adam raised his hand "I'm sorry" Adam apologized to Genesis. He knew an apology wouldn't get rid of her black eye but he was deeply sorry and he hopped Genesis could see that. "I don't know what came over me…I just snapped" he continued but he in turn was stopped by Genesis raising her hand.
"Just…don't" Genesis stated shaking her head. Her eyes had softened some and she knew she was wrong for snapping at Adam the way she did. He was just trying to protect her after all; but that wasn't something she was used to. "Come on, let's go see what we're actually in trouble for" she stated giving the smallest hint of a smile to let him know it was okay.
"Aright" Adam agreed giving a nod before turning and walking with Genesis out of the locker room. The two made their way across the station to headquarters where Captain Logan was waiting for them patiently. He didn't seem angry and this gave Genesis a little bit of hope that there was a possibility that they may not actually be in trouble. However they weren't alone. There were four other young adults in the room as well. They all seemed to be of different ages but just based off of appearance Genesis conceded that they were somewhere between her age and a little younger than Adam.
Once Adam and Genesis were inside the door was closed and Captain Logan cleared his throat to bring any idle chatter to a stop. After everyone fell silent the Captain greeted everyone "good morning everyone" he said addressing the handful of people in the room. "Today one of you will be selected for a time travel mission that is imperative to the future of Time Force" Captain Logan continued as she moved from one side of the room to the other, his hands tucked behind his back. Moving to the center of the room he continued on further, "two of you will be traveling to the year 2020 to retrieve the red and quantum ranger chrono morphers" Captain Logan informed the group of young adults.
Genesis looked at the Captain in utter disbelief hearing of the mission, not even knowing who had been selected. Why was he sending a cadet and their mentor on such an important mission when there were other, much more qualified, members of Time Force to complete the mission? Genesis glanced at Adam as she felt her stomach turn into a fight of butterflies. Was this even something she wanted to do? It was a thousand years in the past, a year she couldn't even believe still existed. Never the less Genesis turned her attention back to Captain Logan.
Continuing on with his speech Captain Logan once again address the group of cadets and their mentors, "as I'm sure you have probably already figured out this is a very serious mission and there is a lot at stake" he stated looking to Genesis and Adam, "over the last several days I've given this mission deep thought. All of you are capable young adults. However only two of you can be chosen for this mission" he stated the obvious. There was a long pause that lingered in the air before Captain Logan finally announced who would be going on the mission "the pair I've chosen to for this mission is Officer Dane and Cadet Drake".
Suddenly it was like all of the air had been sucked out of the room and it had gone deafeningly quiet. Genesis looked to Adam with sheer panic written all over her face. When she was forced into doing the Time Force program never in a million years did she think she would be doing anything of this nature; time travel was something she'd only heard of and definitely not something she thought she'd ever get to do. Genesis broke the silence with one breathy word "me?" she questioned as if she hadn't quite heard the Captain properly.
A look of amusement crossed Captain Logan's face as he gave a nod "yes, you" he assured Genesis. "You've come quite a ways since you first joined us here at Time Force and I really think this mission will be good for you" Captain Logan stated in all honesty, "out of all of the cadets that came in this season you have by far come the furthest. I am happy to bestow this honor to you" he added.
"Thank you Sir" Genesis said giving her best smile as her stomach was still in knots from the news that was just delivered to her, "I won't let you down" she added before giving her best salute to Captain Logan who saluted her in turn. Genesis was determined to make the best of this mission and prove to not only herself and Adam but to Captain Logan that she was worthy of her place at Time Force; for the first time she was actually seeing Time Force as a long term kind of thing rather than just a year of punishment.
Captain Logan turned to the rest of the group before announcing "the rest of you are dismissed" in the tone of authority he often took over any other. As soon as the other cadets and their mentors filed out of the room the Captain turned to address Genesis and Adam again. "As for the two of you; the time ship is being prepared as we speak. I apologize that I was unable to give you more of a warning about the mission than I have. However it is imperative that we get these morphers back so we can assemble a new team of rangers to protect the city against the new dangers that have risen recently" Captain Logan stated matter of fact.
"What? Now? We're going now? Like today? Like right now?" Genesis sputtered after hearing Captain Logan's words. She was all for the mission but having to do it right this very second with no time to prepare struck a fear within her. She shot her eyes quickly to Adam who looked a little surprised himself but not nearly as surprised as she was.
"Yes, now. I apologize once again that there wasn't any further warning about the mission" Captain Logan stated taking quick note of Genesis' panic. However it did not instill any doubt regarding his decision to send her and Officer Dane on the mission. Captain Logan knew that he had made the right choice and that it would be a great learning experience for the young cadet. "Now, if you'll exit and take the hall to the left Lieutenant Willis is waiting for you to board the time ship" Captain Logan further instructed before giving one final salute, to which Adam returned. Genesis however was still standing feeling completely shell shocked.
Adam touched Genesis' shoulder to bring her back to the here and now "come on, everything is going to be fine" he assured her as he headed towards the door that had been left open by the rest of the group that had exited not too long ago. Genesis took a deep breath and turned giving Adam one last look before following him through the station and down what seemed like the longest hallway in the world that led to the launch pad for the time ship.
At the door Genesis and Adam were greeted by Lieutenant Willis "Dane and Drake?" the man asked to be sure that he was addressing the correct people. Adam gave a salute and a nod to affirm that he and Genesis were in fact the pair to be traveling to retrieve the morphers. "The ship is ready" Lieutenant Willis informed the pair, "it is equipped with everything you will need for your mission" he continued. "If you'll step out onto the dock I will get you both strapped in" Lieutenant Willis stated looking from Adam to Genesis.
Genesis took in a deep breath of air and nodded watching at Lieutenant Willis opened the bay door leading out to the launch pad where the time ship was waiting. Adam gave a gentle touch to Genesis' shoulder to reassure her before following Lieutenant Willis out to the time ship with Genesis close behind; though reluctant. "The ship is already programmed for your destination" Lieutenant Willis informed Genesis and Adam as they boarded the ship and took their seats. Once Adam and Genesis were in their seats the Lieutenant was quick to strap their harnesses onto their bodies. Making sure they were secure and ready to go. "You're all set. Have a safe trip" Lieutenant Willis stated as he exited the time ship. The door gave a hiss of air as it closed behind him.
Genesis' heart began to pound so hard she could hear it in her ears as the countdown to launch began over the speaker system inside the time ship. As each number passed dropping towards one Genesis closed her eyes taking a deep breath and in that moment the number one was announced and that was the last thing Genesis remembered before the time ship was struck by the launch arm sending it hurling through the time warp towards 2020.
In what seemed like the next moment Genesis could feel someone's hands on her face giving it a gentle shake. That was when she heard Adam's voice break through what felt like the worst hangover haze she'd ever experienced in her entire life "Genesis" Adam called her name as he gently shook her to bring her to. Genesis slowly opened her eyes first laying them upon Adam before looking around to assess everything. "Come on we need to get out of here so we can hide the ship and get to work" Adam stated sounding more all business than he had in quite a while.
Genesis shook her head as she moved her hands to the buckles on her harness "that was one rollercoaster I do not want to ride again" she said as she unbuckled herself and struggled to stand, grabbing Adam's bicep to stabilize her land legs. Adam turned his eyes to Genesis at her touch. He wasn't sure why but it caught him off guard.
Giving a smile Adam broke the bad news to Genesis "I hate to tell you this, but we still have to go back. So you're going to have to ride the rollercoaster one more time" he stated with a light laugh before moving out of Genesis' grip. He moved across the time ship where he opened one of the hatches and retrieved a case that contained the things they would need to navigate through 2020.
"Great" Genesis stated with her ever present sarcasm as she walked the short distance across the time ship to where Adam stood, "so what it all of this stuff?" she asked looking at the case full of gadgets. Some of it she had seen before but some of it was foreign and of course had her curiosity piqued.
"The only thing we need is the tracker" Adam told Genesis not wanting to go over absolutely every device in the case. Not long after the words fell from his lips Adam grabbed the tracking device out of the case then turned to Genesis "are you ready for this?" Adam asked Genesis, as per usual not really knowing what she was thinking.
"As ready as I'll ever be" Genesis said taking a deep breath to calm her nerves. She had no idea why she was so nervous besides the obvious reasons. But there was something underlying that had her nerves in a tizzy. Shaking away the thoughts Genesis gave Adam her best smile before turning to the exit of the time ship, "let's do this" she stated as she stepped into the teleportation chamber that moved her down into the sand of the beach below the time ship. Adam who was right behind Genesis paused when he saw the brunette stopped in her steps looking out over the ocean. It looked to Adam as though memories were flashing behind Genesis' eyes as he watched her face, the gentle ocean breeze blowing the long locks of her ponytail around her face.
"What is it?" Adam finally asked out of curiosity when Genesis didn't snap out of her revere upon him joining her on the sand of the beach. Genesis stayed quiet for a short while longer, her eyes casting over the ebb and flow of the ocean waves.
Genesis exhaled slowly before snapping her attention back to the present. She wasn't sure why, but for some reason she felt as though she'd seen this beach before. Like she'd seen this ocean before; it all felt familiar too her and the feeling was haunting to her "nothing…" her words hung in the air, "no it's nothing. Just déjà vu" she said forcing a smile. "So how do we hide this monster? Surely if someone sees it they're going to make a call to Area 51" Genesis laughed trying to bring herself around.
"Easy" Adam said simply as he pulled a remote from his pocket that he had stuck there before Genesis joined him at the case inside the time ship, "just like this" he stated pressing a button on the remote that instantly rendered the time ship invisible. "See…or rather don't see? Nothing here for anybody to notice" he said with a confident smile while he slipped the controller back into his pocket.
"Nobody likes a smartass" Genesis quipped with a scoff rolling her eyes at Adam, "okay so this tracker? How does it work? How does it know what we're looking for?" Genesis questioned as she stood beside Adam looking at the device, a device she'd never seen before.
Adam shook his head when Genesis rolled her eyes at him "it's pre-programmed to the DNA in the morphers" he informed her trying to explain it in as simple of terms as he could so he didn't confuse her, "basically the morphers are beacons now and this device will pick up on their signal and lead us to each of their locations. I'm kind of hoping they're together but I don't think we're going to get that lucky" Adam said in all honesty.
Adam's comment prompted another question from Genesis "how do we know we have the right people? I mean we obviously can't go up to a stranger and ask for a morpher. We'll be committed" she scoffed at the thought of being trapped in this year for the rest of her life, "like do we have names or does it just lead us to the owner of the morpher and we hope for the best?" Genesis inquired.
Looking at the device Adam tapped a few of the buttons trying to find the answer to Genesis' question "so basically all I have are names. Wesley Collins and Eric Myers" Adam stated with a shrug not thinking much of the names. To him they were just people. The thought of confronting these people prompted a groan from within him though, "sorry. In spite of what you might think, I hate confrontation. I don't imagine the owners of these morphers are going to give them up to complete strangers that easily" Adam stated matter of fact.
"Okay" Genesis said after a beat letting the simple word hang in the air. She had no idea why everything seemed so familiar. She felt that there could possibly be more to it that déjà vu. Never the less Genesis pushed her pressing thoughts aside and squared off her shoulders as she'd see Adam do on so many occasions when he meant business, "lead the way" she stated motioning towards the nearby road.
"Right" Adam stated looking down at the device in his hand, "this way" he said as he began walking through the sand towards the road. This was Adam's first time travel mission too. That he knew of anyway, as memory adaptation was standard procedure after a time travel mission of any sort. It was kind of technologies way of keeping things in balance. That and he believed some things were better omitted from the memory.
Genesis trekked through the sand behind Adam as they made their way to the road where she paused and looked around. They were literally in the middle of nowhere. There was nothing around where they had landed. Just mountains, beach, and ocean, "this is ridiculous. How are we supposed to get this done sometime this year? We have no idea where we are and no idea how to get where we are going" Genesis said shaking her head, "I mean aside from this device. But I mean shit we could be walking for hours" she sighed with exasperation. She did not sign up for this kind of labor.
Adam laughed lightly shaking his head at Genesis' antics, "you need to relax. The city is just around this hill and I'm sure we'll find what we're looking for rather easily from there. I mean look around Genesis. Everything is on the ground here. It's not like back home where we'd be looking at sky structures, ground structures, standard structures…you know everything is brick and mortar here" he explained as he began walking down the road hoping Genesis would fall and as he'd hoped she did.
Adam and Genesis made the walk from where they had landed their time ship at the beach to the city in just under an hour. Which was a great relief to both of them; though Adam would never admit that he was also worried that it would take them quite some time to get where they were going. After all it wasn't like they could hail a cab. They were dressed in their Time Force uniforms, Adam strapped with a futuristic weapon, and on top of it all they didn't have any money.
Once they were in the city the tracking device led them to a fairly nice suburban area. It was a sight to be seen. There were similar things like this in 3019, but not exactly like this. Things were much more progressed in 3019 but that was to be expected. It was a thousand years in the future after all. Adam and Genesis walked down the street of the suburban neighborhood that the device had led them to. "Okay so how do we know where to go from here? Does this thing take us right to the door or do we have to guess?" Genesis questioned as they stopped in the middle of the street hoping not to draw too much attention to themselves.
Adam looked down at the device in his hands then lifted his eyes and pointed forward to a rather nice house among many other nice houses "this says it's in there" he stated looking at the home. "Let's do this" Adam said closing the top to the device and slipping it into an empty space on his utility belt.
"What if I wait here and you do it?" Genesis questioned eyeing the house another wave of eerie déjà vu washing over her. What was with this damn century? Why was everything so damn familiar to her? She had never stepped one foot in this version of Silver Hills once in her entire life. So why did everything look familiar. Not just look familiar but feel familiar.
"I have a better idea. I'll wait by the curb and you go. This will be good for you. It will build character" Adam told flashing a million dollar smile at Genesis. Genesis' reaction was one for the books; her mouth settled down into a firm line, her brow raised, and her jaw set. She looked so much like her father in this moment. Well kind of, she had his facial features but they weren't spot on. They were the same but different. Adam couldn't explain it.
"Fuck you Adam" Genesis spat shaking her head in exasperation. Why on earth would Adam think that Genesis could do this? She was a cadet for crying out loud. She had no idea what she was doing and why on earth would the owner of whatever morpher they were after at this destination give it her?
Genesis didn't have time to throw another remark in Adam's direction for an all too familiar voice broke the tension between them. The voice was familiar but the name that was called out was not "Phoenix?" the voice called out sounding more confused than anything.
Genesis' head whipped around so fast her long ponytail nearly hit Adam in the face. When Genesis' eyes settled on the source of the voice her mouth dropped open and every word she had ever learned in her nearly eighteen years of life escaped her. It was Adam's voice that first broke the silence "what?" was the only word he could utter, being just as taken aback as Genesis was.
The man that Adam and Genesis faced was a nearly perfect carbon copy of Genesis' dad, Alex, but different at the same time. His hair was lighter, his face was softer, and his voice lacked that harsh lick that Alex's did. Never the less the first word to escape Genesis' mouth was a simple one, "dad…." The word was neither a question or a statement. It was just a word. A simple word that held so much meaning but in this moment maybe nothing at all. Genesis was so confused her head was spinning.
"Phoenix what are you wearing and who is this?" the man asked taking a step out of the doorway he stood in towards where Adam and Genesis stood. This person obviously had their wires crossed. He looked at her as though he knew her and her the same but they were both in fact not looking at whom they thought they were.
From behind the man a voice that mirrored Genesis' chimed in though Genesis could not see the face. The simply asked "dad what are you doing?" To Genesis it was like hearing a recording of her own voice. The tone was different but the voice was in every way the same.
The man turned around quickly then back to Genesis a look of shock and confusion crossing his aging face "stay inside" he instructed the girl who had come just enough into view for Genesis to see. It was her. Genesis was seeing herself. Or a mirror image of herself…a mirror of her father and a mirror of herself. The man took on a defensive stance this time asking who she was and what she wanted, acting as though Adam wasn't even standing in the same proximity, let alone the same city.
"Genesis" she stated her name cautiously in utter shock at what she was seeing. The man's features softened and his brow creased as he looked to Genesis. He moved a few steps closer to her as if testing the safety of the situation. The girl was a carbon copy of his daughter. There was only one other person he knew of that it could be. But how could that be? She was gone. She had been gone a very long time.
"Genesis Collins?" the man questioned softening his stance as he watched on waiting for Genesis to respond. Adam stood just behind Genesis watching the whole thing unraveling like a bad nightmare. He had no idea what was going on. There was no mention of any living ancestors to the Drake family in 2020 but here they were.
"Drake" Genesis corrected looking at the man then behind him to the girl, "Genesis Drake" she stated watching as the girl behind the man stepped out of the house in spite of who she assumed to be the girl's father's orders. "I…who…" Genesis' still failed to find the right words but she was intrigued enough to step closer to the man and girl. "Who are you?" She managed to get out.
"Drake?" the man questioned, he said the name like he knew it and knew it well, "as in Alex Drake?" he pressed further as he raised his hand to stop the girl behind him from advancing any further not fully understanding what was going on. But he was beginning to get the idea and it turned his stomach inside out.
"Yes…that's my dad…who are you?" Genesis asked leaving Adam now about a foot behind her as she approached the man and the girl. Examining them carefully, she should have been scared but something within her told her she was safe. Safer than she'd been for the first time in the last four years, she was on pins and needles waiting for the man to identify himself.
The man who had come to a damning realization finally spoke his name "Wes Collins" he said eyeing Genesis as though he'd just seen a ghost. Maybe he was seeing a ghost. The ghost of someone he hadn't seen for nearly eighteen years and didn't think he'd ever see again, "is your mother Jen Scotts?" he questioned the girl who mirrored the one behind him. A doppelganger? No. A twin.
"Yes" Genesis confirmed swallowing the lump that was forming in her throat. She knew she was either about to lose any of the words that had finally came to her or throw up and she wasn't entirely sure which one it would be, "I…you…" Genesis cocked her head to the side drawing her bottom lip in between her teeth as tears threatened to flood her eyes. She didn't now this man but her heart did. She could feel it with every fiber of her being, her heart knew this man. This…Wes….and it was clear as the sky that he knew her.
From behind Wes the girl, his daughter's voice, spoke confused and scared "dad what's going on?" the girl who was obviously the Phoenix that Wes thought Genesis was questioned. She drew closer to Genesis not heeding her father's warning. Phoenix was just as intrigued by Genesis as Genesis was by Phoenix.
"Genesis" Wes said her name in a breath, a sad, slow breath, "what are you doing here?" he asked of her the damning realization of what had happened to Jen and his other daughter coming to light. Jen had returned to the year 3000 with one of their two daughters and married someone she had sworn to hate forever. She gave Genesis a new life. A life far away from everything she was born to now. But how could Wes even begin to explain that to Genesis and what proof did she have that he was telling her the truth?
"I…I…I can't do this" Genesis said spinning around quickly as her eyes filled with tears and she moved the few feet back to Adam where she had left him. Adam looked at Genesis in utter shock and disbelief. He didn't know what was going on but he wanted to know. However at this moment his attention shifted to Genesis who stood before him a state that he'd never seen before. She looked her age; she looks young, innocent, and vulnerable. His heart ached for her, he wanted to give her the answers she was seeking but didn't have them.
"Genesis…" Adam said her name quietly. He couldn't even begin to imagine what this experience had turned into for her but they had a mission to complete one way or another, "just wait here" he said quietly to Genesis as he moved away from her slowly. "I'll get the morpher" Adam assured Genesis as he moved up the walk to where Wes stood. Squaring off his shoulders Adam looked at Wes still not completely believing what he was seeing. "We came for the red chrono morpher" Adam said simply.
Wes still as shocked as everyone else shook his head "and what you think I'm just going to hand it over to you?" Wes scoffed in disbelief, "how do I now you are even legit? What proof do you have?" Wes continued his eyes making more contact with the back of Genesis' head that was behind Adam than with Adam, "for all I know you could be a mutant out to get the morpher for evil purposes" Wes rebuffed.
Genesis wiped her eyes on her hands and turned around upon hearing the words coming from Wes' mouth. She made her way up to Adam's side where she crossed her arms over her chest and stared directly into Wes' eyes "is that what you think of me? That I'm some sort of mutant? You and I both know that we're the real deal. Don't let the power trip go to your head. Captain Logan is assembling a new team of Time Force Rangers and he sent us to retrieve yours and the quantum morphers. It's simple as that" Genesis quipped as she reached into her pocket and pulled out her holographic ID card and handed it to Wes who took it reluctantly.
When Wes took the card a holographic image of Genesis in uniform popped up just as it had with Lucas what seemed like ages ago. The image began to spin and Genesis' voice started to play from the card "my name is Genesis Drake, I'm 17 years old, and am currently a cadet at the Time Force academe" with that the image disappeared leaving Wes staring at the piece of plastic in his hand. He wanted to believe it but there was so much baggage that would come with believing what he was seeing.
Handing the card back to Genesis, Wes watched as she pocketed it, "I have to talk to Jen before I give you anything" Wes said simply. But would that even be enough? Sure he wanted to help but there were so many questions that needed answers. Both regarding passing down his powers and regarding the brunette girl in the Time Force uniform that was standing on his sidewalk.
Adam was about to protest when Genesis chimed in "you can't!" she was quick on the draw. Genesis was smart enough to put two and two together. If Wes was to call Jen and her father happened to be with her it would mean the beating from hell for her mother for sure. "You can't okay…it's complicated…my dad he…he's got a temper and if you call my mom and he's there he's going to start putting together the same puzzle we are and it just won't be good okay" Genesis tried her hardest to convince Wes to let the whole situation go and just hand over the morpher.
Wes furrowed his brow "what do you mean your dad has a temper?" he questioned. Wes knew Alex was stern and sure might have had a temper but the way Genesis was talking about Alex made Wes question exactly what having a temper meant. Genesis seemed protective, worried even, about him contacting her mother.
Inhaling deeply Genesis moved her fingers to the zipper on her white Time Force uniform and with deft fingers moved it down slowly "he…" she couldn't say it out loud. Genesis had to let the bruises speak for her. With her jacket undone she lifted up her black top far enough that the fading purple bruise on her ribs could be seen.
The moment Wes saw it his eyes turned from curiosity to shock and concern. He couldn't believe what he was seeing "he hits you?" Wes stuttered, "no…that's not….why would he?" Wes stammered as he looked at the fading bruise on Genesis' rib cage. "He would really hurt Jen if he found out I contacted her?" he questioned as Genesis lowered her shirt and zipped her jacket back up.
"Yes" Genesis told Wes point blank, "this is nothing compared to some of the bumps and bruises he's left on me and my mom" she told him shaking her head. "Listen, you can contact Captain Logan. He will tell you everything you need to know and then Adam and I can go home and we can just forget this whole thing ever happened" Genesis stated matter of fact even though part of her wanted to know more about Wes. However she knew what would happen if she probed into the issues once she was home. Alex might give Genesis and her mom more than a beating. He might actually kill them this time.
"Okay…wait here" Wes stated as he turned to where Phoenix stood behind him, "come on let's go inside" he told his daughter glancing back at Genesis before walking into his house leaving the door open. Phoenix went reluctantly as she was just as curious about Genesis and the whole situation as everyone else was. But this was no time for curiosity. This was a time for business.
Once Wes was inside him home he directed his daughter Phoenix to go to her room before he went to his den where he pulled out his telecommunication device which he set up on his desk. Once the device was set up Wes tapped upon the keypad until a holographic image of Captain Logan appeared between the two posts coming from the base of the device.
Captain Logan seemed a little surprised to see Wes' face as the two didn't really speak often. There wasn't a reason for them to speak to be honest. Things were quiet for the most part in 2020 so Wes had no reason to contact the future. Not to mention it was an emergency only kind of thing because Wes contacting the future could easily warp the line of time and change the future so Wes was only technically supposed to contact anyone in the future under dire circumstances. To Wes this definitely qualified as one of those circumstances. Captain Logan was the first to speak upon connection of the call "is everything okay Wes?" he questioned the soon to be former red Time Force ranger.
"I'm not all together sure to be honest Captain" Wes stated matter of fact as he ran a hand through his hair, "there is a young girl here named Genesis Drake…" he paused still not believing that Genesis was actually there, "she's accompanied by an unidentified male. They say they are here for the red chrono morpher" Wes continued on watching Captain Logan's expression carefully. To Wes it appeared as though Captain Logan was having some internal conflict. Maybe he hadn't thought about Genesis seeing Wes when Genesis and Adam went to retrieve the red and quantum ranger morphers.
"Yes that is true. We are experiencing a spike in mutant activity here in 3019 and are in need of assembling a new team of rangers" Captain Logan explained, "therefore I have sent on officer with his in training cadet to retrieve the two morphers from yourself and Eric" Captain Logan continued. "I hope this does not cause any inconvenience for you and Eric. However based on what we can see from our end things will remain relatively calm for you where things are not so much so here" he stated.
"So I just give the morpher to them?" Wes questioned even though Captain Logan had basically just told him that was exactly what he needed to do. With a nod from Captain Logan, Wes sighed and gave a nod, "alright I will give Eric a call and let him know that he will be expecting a visit from these two and I will give them the morpher. Will I need to send any of my other equipment back with them as well?" Wes questioned.
Captain Logan gave his head a shake "no" he said simply, "you can keep the rest of the equipment you have on the off chance there is an emergency and you need the services of Time Force. While we don't foresee that happening there is always a chance. After all when you became the red Time Force ranger we weren't expecting those series of events to occur but they did" Captain Logan explained.
"Okay, that's all I guess" Wes said looking at Captain Logan's holographic image, "it was nice working under you Sir. I will hand over the morpher to your officers. Take it easy" and with that Wes ended the call. With the call ended Wes opened a drawer in his desk from which he pulled a futuristic looking box. The box contained the red chrono morpher that he was about to hand over to Adam and Genesis. Standing up Wes grabbed the box and made his way through his home and back out the front door where Adam and Genesis were patiently waiting.
"Now do you believe us?" Genesis questioned seeing the box in Wes' hand only assuming that Wes had, had a productive conversation with Captain Logan. Genesis knew assumptions were always a bad thing but based off what she could see it looked like Wes was going to hand over the morpher without any further questions.
"Yes" Wes said quietly as he stretched out his arm handing the box over to Genesis who took it gently, "take care of your mom" he told her his tone still soft. He wanted so much to tell Genesis of so many things but as Captain Logan aforementioned anything he did or said to Adam and Genesis could alter the future in ways he couldn't comprehend so Wes kept his mouth tight lipped on the situation. As much as he wanted to give Genesis the answers to the unspoken questions she had he knew he couldn't.
"Thank you" Genesis said giving a little smile, "I'll try…it's all I can do is try" she told Wes in regards to taking care of her mother. She had been trying to do her best at that very task for the last four years and obviously was failing. Not only was Jen getting hurt but Genesis herself was getting hurt as well. She didn't know what happened to her father but she would give anything for it to go back to the way it was before Alex had changed. Even though that wasn't the best either.
"I'll give Eric, the owner of the quantum morpher, a call and let him know you're coming. You shouldn't have any trouble getting the morpher from him" Wes told Adam and Genesis. "Take care of yourself Genesis" Wes said wanting nothing more than to wrap the young brunette in his arms and give her the warm comforting hug that she looked like she so desperately needed.
"I will…" Genesis assured him even though she wasn't sure if it were possible or not. Surely by now Alex had gotten wind of the fact that Genesis and Adam had been sent on the morpher retrieval mission. Things were surely going to hit the fan when Genesis and Adam returned to the future, "thanks again" she stated before turning away from Wes. "Come on Adam let's go" Genesis almost ordered as she went back into business mode.
Adam pulled the tracking device from his utility belt with a nod "let's get this over with. Maybe we can get both morphers today and get back home in time for dinner" he stated trying to lighten the mood a little between he and Genesis after what had just transpired with Wes.
"Food is the last thing on my mind right now Adam" Genesis said, her tone all business and no pleasure. Not the playful Genesis that Adam knew, "just lead me to this Eric guy so we can get the quantum morpher and get the hell out of this century" Genesis snapped as she walked slightly ahead of Adam even though she had no idea where she was going.
"Slow up Genesis" Adam instructed as he jogged to catch up with her, "come on try to look at this objectively. At least you'll have a good conversation starter next time you see your mom" he said trying to make light of the situation which only seemed to make Genesis angrier. "Okay Gen, why are you so upset about this? What has gotten so far under your skin that you are this upset?" Adam demanded to know as they continued walking.
Genesis stopped dead in her tracks and looked at Adam square in the face "I remember him Adam…my mind maybe not so much but my heart remembers Wes. I think….I think Wes is my father" she said leaving Adam with his mouth slightly agape. "I remember this place; I remember the beach, I remember the house, I remember things that I shouldn't remember because by all rights I shouldn't because I've never been here before and don't say it's déjà vu because nobody has déjà vu for hours on end" Genesis spat out in a ramble.
"You think Wes is your father?" was all Adam could manage to muster up after Genesis let out her mini rant. Genesis did make some valid points. Déjà vu was a thing but if she was remembering more than one thing surely there had to be more to it. But why wouldn't Genesis' mother tell her that Wes was her real father? Why would she keep that a secret?
"Yes I do. I think he's my father with every fiber of my soul Adam. And I think that girl, Phoenix is my sister…my twin sister" Genesis told Adam matter of fact. She had never been so convicted in her thoughts before but these were things Genesis was sure of and she couldn't wait to get back home so she could ask her mother about it. She only hoped she would have time alone with her mother so she could ask about without Alex overhearing them. That would be the end of them for sure if he heard all of the questions Genesis had.
"Okay…okay" Adam said trying to take it all in, "listen we're almost to the location of the quantum morpher. Let's get it and get back home and then we can try to figure out everything that just happened. Okay?" Adam said trying to be the voice of ration and reason.
"You're right" Genesis agreed, "let's get this mission done and over with and I can deal with whatever the hell just happened when I get home" she said nodding her head as she and Adam began walking again. At least it was a nice day, Genesis had to give the trip at least that much. If it was cold it would have been a much more unpleasant trip. Not that anything could erase what had already happened.
Genesis and Adam's walk to Eric's residence was only a short ways away from where Wes lived. They more or less basically lived in the same neighborhood; or the same general vicinity anyway. Eric's house was nearly just as nice as Wes' house but perhaps a little more simple. It was pretty clear Wes either had money or came from money just based on the exterior differences between he and Eric's homes. Genesis was first to break the silence that had hung between she and Adam during their walk "okay I did the last one. It's your turn" Genesis told Adam, "I got enough of a surprise from the last stop to last me for a lifetime" she laughed lightly finally being able to make a little light of the situation.
"I think that's more than fair" Adam agreed as he left Genesis by the curb and walked up the sidewalk leading to Eric's front door. At the door Adam pressed the button for the doorbell to which the door was almost immediately answered by Eric. Adam had to admit he was a little intimidated by Eric. He didn't seem as soft as Wes had. Shaking his head Adam just let it go before asking "are you Eric? Myself and Cadet Drake" Adam stated motioning towards Genesis who was waiting by the curb, "have come for the quantum morpher…Wes told us that you wouldn't have any trouble surrendering it" he said with great hope in his voice. Adam didn't want to have to put up a fight to get the second morpher.
Eric cleared his throat before giving a nod "yes I spoke with Wes" he confirmed to Adam who look a big apprehensive, "he said he spoke with Captain Logan and that you and Cadet Drake are ligament" Eric continued before reaching around the corner just inside the door to retrieve the box that contained the quantum morpher that was sitting on a little side table beside the door where Eric had put it after getting off of the phone with Wes. Eric paused ever so briefly before handing the box over to Adam. Genesis, not wanting any more issues, had her back to the home so Eric couldn't see her face. Genesis couldn't image the questions Eric would have for and she didn't have the answers anyway so Genesis figured she'd just cut the chances of being asked anything by keeping her back to the house.
Adam took the box from Eric giving a nod "thank you" Adam said simply as he tucked his tracking device into his utility belt so he had at least one hand free. "I'm sure whoever Captain Logan chooses to fill your shoes will do you proud" he added not having any clue who the Captain even had in mind for the next set of Time Force rangers. It wasn't something that had been mentioned at all until this particular day when Adam and Genesis were sent on their mission.
Eric simply nodded, "let Captain Logan know it's been good working under him and it was an honor to be one of his rangers" Eric told Adam, "have a safe trip back" he stated not having the slightest idea what time travel was like. He could only imagine.
"Will do; thank you again" Adam said watching as Eric nodded and closed the door. Adam turned and walked down the sidewalk to where Genesis was standing waiting for him. "Well that was easier than the first time" Adam told Genesis matter of fact, "aren't you glad we don't have to retrieve all six of them?" he said with a light laugh as he and Genesis began walking back toward towards the beach where the time ship was waiting for them.
"If it were all six I would have told Captain Logan exactly where he could have stuck this mission. I'm already traumatized just by having to get two of them" Genesis quipped as she and Adam made the relatively easy and short walk back to the beach where the time ship was waiting for them, still cloaked.
When they arrived at the beach Adam handed the two boxes containing the red and quantum morphers to Genesis so he could retrieve the remote to the time ship from his utility belt. With the remote in hand he pressed a single button bringing the time ship back to visibility. "What do you say we get out of here?" Adam said with a smile as he and Genesis moved up to the ship each being teleported up one at a time from the sand into the ship.
"Sounds like a plan" Genesis confirmed once they were back into the ship. Genesis went directly over to her seat where she began to strap herself in for the hellacious ride that was to come. Adam on the other hand was over at one of the open cases returning the tracking device to its rightful place and securing the morphers in a cupboard before going to his own seat and strapping himself into the harness.
Once Adam had himself strapped in he looked to Genesis to make sure she was strapped in securely they began the initiation sequence on the keypad in front of them that fired up the engines of the time ship. With the time ship engines fired Adam keyed in their destination and hit the button to launch the ship and send them home.
The time ship lifted into the air slowly and in the blink of and eye disappeared into a time warp that had opened up in the sky. No sooner had the ship gone through the warp did the warp disappear so as not to draw any unwanted attention. The ride back to 3019 was just as it had been to 2020. As Genesis liked to describe it, it was like a rollercoaster, and indeed it was.
In what seemed like the blink of an eye or a simple breath the time ship docked on the launch pad of the Time Force station. Adam opened his eyes slowly as the dizzy from the trip wore off then looked to Genesis who was already alert and unhooking herself from her harness. "So what do we do now? Just turn the morphers over to Captain Logan?" Genesis asked as she clamored to her feet.
Adam who was right behind Genesis in getting to his feet nodded as he went to the hatch that held the morphers and retrieved them "pretty much. This was our mission, we completed it. We're done" he said simply as he headed towards the exit of the time ship which was already opened by a crew member on the launch pad. Genesis followed Adam out of the time ship and through the long hallway that led back to Time Force headquarters where Captain Logan was already waiting for them.
Upon entering headquarters Genesis and Adam were greeted by Captain Logan "was your mission successful?" he questioned the officer and his cadet. Adam gave a nod as he couldn't salute due to having the boxes containing the morphers in his hands. Adam handed the morphers over to Captain Logan who gave a nod in return, "good. I gather you ran into a little trouble retrieving the red chrono morpher" Captain Logan questioned in regards to Wes having called him regarding the situation.
"A bit Sir" Adam confirmed, "but I mean we were strangers so why would Wes just hand the morpher over to us without any question" he said making perfect sense and Captain Logan agreed as he handed the moprhers over to someone Adam had never seen before. The person did not acknowledge he or Genesis. He just simply took the morphers and left headquarters. "Will that be all Sir?" Adam asked tucking his hands together behind his back out of respect.
"Yes, for now" Captain Logan confirmed, "yourself and Cadet Drake are to return to headquarters tomorrow morning. You are dismissed from duty for the remainder of the day" Captain Logan informed Adam. This confused Adam a bit. Why would he and Genesis have to return to headquarters the next day? They finished their mission after all. Didn't they?
Adam didn't question the Captain's orders he simply just released his hands from behind his back and gave a salute. Genesis who had been quietly standing beside Adam gave her best salute to Captain Logan as well who in turn returned her salute "you are dismissed" Captain Logan stated.
To Be Continued…