"Enter The Machines"

Jason walked through the door and into the main open space of the glorified warehouse that the "Thunders" had used as their base of operations before making contact. Along the floor were rows of old mattresses, sheets and sleeping bags that fifteen people now called home. Jason tried to step over the beds without waking any of them, tiptoeing in and out of each crack to get to the other side. While passing over he looked down at the sleeping Diana, he wondered if she was regretting her decision to join them.

It had been nearly two months since they had left the Island and no contact had yet been made with either the outside world or Zedd. Nor had Billy and Trini had any luck in contacting Zordon by modifying their communicators. The Zords had each been returned to their hiding places, the Ninjetti ones found before they had returned to America but never activated. Jason had used his control to return the Dragonzord to the sea and had put Titanus in Zack's Zord's hangar where there was space. He knew that they needed to make sure that the military didn't get their hands on any Zords. He also knew that they had Alpha and the computer databanks and that the Zords could have been followed, luckily they didn't have the means to get to or operate the Zords. Of course they could try and blow the doors off but he hoped Alpha would do his best to make sure they didn't find out exactly where the hiding places were.

He finally navigated to his "bed" and crashed down upon it. He turned over and closed his eyes trying to let it all fade away so he could sleep. He opened his eyes again with start as he heard a voice calling him.

"Jason, hey Jace!" Zack whispered on the mattress next to him.

He turned over to face his friend "Yeah?"
"Nothin', I just haven't seen you all day" Zack replied.

"Yeah" Jason whispered back and raised his head from the pillow and into his hand "been working on that other computer Kaku left behind out back, trying to find Zordon for all the good it will do."

"Anything?"
"Not even a bleep on the radar. Wherever he is, he's either hidden or not on the planet" Jason shook his head.

"Well we gotta do something man" Zack stated "two months of doing nothing but wasting away down here in this place is not my idea of preparing for battle."
Jason nodded in agreement "at least we have all got to know each other better."
"With some of them" Zack replied "I'm not sure thats a good thing. You are Kim even talking yet?"
"The odd 'hi' here and there."
"God dam it Jace!"
"We got more important things to worry about than that stuff Zack. Like who the hell that white guy that the Thunders mentioned is" Jason almost lectured "Now. Lets get some sleep."
"That an order?" Zack grinned as Jason turned over.

"Yes" Jason shot back with a slight smile of his own.

***

Lord Zedd watched from his throne as the stars before him parted in his wake, or at least that how he felt. With over three hundred ships under his command and no way for the nobles to interfere he felt all powerful. Other than with his soon to be wife that was. He looked over with a slight grumble as she gave out orders and planned tactics to the attack.

"My dear we do not need tactics. Even with their weapons we will simply crush them with the sheer numbers" He growled over at her.
She turned with a sly smile "Thats what you said before the so called 'doomsday' attack."

He could say nothing to that and simply returned to sitting in silence and staring out at the stars ahead, the swirling colours of the faster than light drive.

Suddenly consoles around the bridge were beeping.

"My Lord multiple signals ahead" reported Mier.

"Imperial?" Zedd turned his head toward the tactical station.

Mier looked over the results in apparent surprise before looked up and responding "of a sense. Machine Empire my Lord."

"Mondo" Zedd growled as he turned back ahead "Have the fleet drop to sub light speed!"

Portals opened in space and many stretched forms became solid as if catapulted to a halt, those of the Zedorian fleet. Ahead another fleet did the same and came around gracefully so that they were parallel with Zedd's. It was only about a third of the Zedorian fleets size but reinforcements were not far away, with them being very near the border and far from the core worlds. The ships were made up of a colour scheme of bronze and silver and various mechanical design aesthetics were evident upon the hulls.

Zedd glared with rage at the very sight of the fleet, thinking back to the battle that destroyed his old flag ship and brought around his rise to power. The machine war had lasted nearly a century in Earth years. The original models and artifical intelligence were build by a biological people of course, a species they simply referred to as "the creators" and made it quiet clear that they had been wiped out by their own creations, them.

"Send a signal to the lead ship" Zedd ordered Thrace "demand to know why they are in our space and in our path."
He stepped down the metal steps that lead onto the lower level of the Command Deck and looked out at the hovering forms of the Machine fleet ahead.

"A Prince Kaiser Buldont responding and requesting visual communication" Thrace reported after a moment to work and take the message.

Zedd grumbled "put him up all Command Deck Screens."

Zedd looked up at one of the many monitors placed around the deck as the image of a mechanical humanoid appeared. He was made up of various coloured metals, with attachments, including a crown, that certainly made him look like royalty.

"Emperor Zedd, my farther thought you might be commanding the fleet yourself" Buldont spoke candidly.

"I prefer to be called Lord Zedd" Zedd walked up closer to the monitor.

"As my farther prefers King" he appeared to form a smile "I will get to the point Lord Zedd. We detected your fleet and quite frankly we are curious as to why your fleet is so large, what could possibly be worthy of such an armada?"
"That is our Empires business and non of yours or your 'fathers'" Zedd replied sternly.

"I see" Buldont was silent for a moment "it wouldn't be to do with the artifacts you found on Eltar?"
Bandora widened her eyes and walked with speed up behind Zedd.

"How do they know about that?" She hissed quietly.

Zedd raised his hand to cut her off and replied "it would appear your intelligence has served your 'family' well."

"I do not like you tone when you speak of my family or my farther" Buldont's eyes seemed to narrow before quickly moving back on to the issue at hand "Zedd when you spend over half your lifetime searching for such things and then direct all your efforts to one location through a worm hole it is not exactly hard news to come by."
"Have your 'farther' contact the noble council and make what ever deal he feels is fair but I have an invasion to take care of."
"Yes I know. The blue planet in the 'milky way' galaxy as they call it."

"Now you listen to me and listen well 'Prince.' You have violated our borders and for that I should destroy you and your fleet as a message to the rest of your talking buckets!" Zedd barked and then was once again calm "but I won't. I let you return home to Mondo. But you will reverse course and get back inside your space at once. You will then return to Mondo and tell him if he even tries to interfere in my affairs again I will send a fleet twice this size to the metal ball you call your home planet and wipe out every bucket on it! Do we understand each other?"

"It would seem so" Buldont replied, his calm voice clearly now aggravated "but know this meat bags. We are going to get those coins, one way or the other."

The screen then went blank, Zedd turned and looked on as the fleet swerved back around and headed back into their territory.

"He didn't dare attack a fleet this size" Bandora smiled.

"No" Zedd agreed as he walked back up the steps, onto the platform and sat on his throne "but they will be back and next time it will be all of their own resources. Look at it this way Rita; At least your farther no longer needs to worry about a mechanical invasion."

Bandora swallowed as went back about her tactical planning.

"Resume course to the worm hole" Zedd ordered.

This was going to complicate things. They were now facing a war on two fronts.

***

"I got something!" Billy cried out from his computer, waking the others in the early hours.

"What?" Jason yawned as he rose from his pillow.

"Finally" Diana said as she stretched.

"Your found Zordon?" Jason snapped awake and ran over toward Billy.

"No" Billy replied "but I was using those upgrades I made, the ones so I could hook this computer up to the orbital satellites and basically make a far more efficient planetary scanner, and......they found Alpha's transponder signal."
"Where?" Jason was now fully awake.

Billy typed in a few commands and watched as the screen zoomed in on the North American continent and into an open stretch of desert.

"I don't believe it" Trini shook her head.

"What?" Joey frowned in her direction.

"Area 51" Jason breathed out.

"You mean that shit is real!" Zack exclaimed.

"Maybe not as legends would have it but its certainly a military base" Billy looked around at him.

"How does that help us?" Diana cut in.

"Alpha knows where 'Site B' is" Jason responded.

"Where Zordon is" Rocky nodded.

"Exactly" Jason turned to him, he then straightened and began laying out a plan "me and Rocky will go in alone."

"No! I will not remain here while you risk your lives" Diana spoke proudly.

"Yeah to hell with that Jace, we are coming with you" Zack agreed.

"We can't just barge in there full force. We will risk casualties and being followed back here. Then what?" Jason looked at each of them "no this needs to stay a stealth mission. We get in, get Alpha and get out."

"Then at least take me" Grayson spoke up "I am the most experienced at such tactics. I was trained to be an infiltrator should we ever need one. All my coins holders were."

"Alright" Jason reluctantly agreed "but no one else. Three is already too many in my opinion."

"When do we leave?" Rocky asked.

"Now" Jason replied quickly.

"Now?" Rocky seemed surprised.

"I dunno about you but I have sat on my ass for the last couple of months knowing that Zedd will be back any day. I don't intent to wait around any longer" Jason said in response to their surprise.

"He's right" Diana nodded "success to you all."

"Yeah, good luck" Zack added.

"Thanks" Jason smiled at them "alright lets move out!"

"The Falcon!"

"Red Dragon!"

"Tyrannosaurus!"

***

Zack walked past the others as they lay in wait, each wising to be out there with Jason, Rocky and Grayson. He reached Billy who was stayed glued to his screen, waiting for any news.

"Anything?" Zack asked.

"Nope" Billy responded, still staring at the screen.

Over on the "bedding" area the others sat, some in conversation, others in silence.

"I wonder what my parents are thinking about all this, I guess it all depends on if they have told them I'm one of you" Katherine spoke softly "my mum must be having a breakdown."
"At least you have family to worry for you" Kimberly replied.

"Sorry I didn't mean too..."Kat said.

"No you didn't mean anything by it" Kim sighed.

"I can't imagine what it must of been like. To lose your family and your love in one day."
"Was he my love? I spent one night with him...wish I had made him know sooner, when I had the chance."
"Well from the way you talk about him, the way the others say you reacted. You must of loved him."
"Yeah" Kim nodded "I guess so."

"Sorry I didn't mean to bring it up or anything" Katherine looked at her with sympathetic eyes.

"I don't need your sympathy or your pity!" Kim suddenly snapped at her and returned to looking at her feet "just to be left alone."
"I see...well if thats what you want" Kat replied timidly and stood, walking away from Kimberly.

"Pretty messed up chick, she has good days and bad" Joey said to her as she stopped and sat on her own mattress next to his.

"Don't we all" Katherine replied.

"Well I was hoping I could make your day better" Joey leaned over a smiled at her.

"Wow still trying your 'charm' huh?" She laughed to herself.

"Hey! Come on. We get along don't we? You do like me don't you?"
"Sometimes" She shot back.

"Good enough. Seriously come on, all we got now is each other. I just want to make the best of it."
"So your not just after a quick fuck?" She looked over at him.

"Hey I learnt my lesson with angry girl over there" he gestured in Kim's direction.

She was about to reply when Zack handed them both a plastic cup of something.

"Whats this?" Joey asked as he took it.

"Something we found out back. Spirits that Kaku must of kept. I thought we could all use some sprit nowadays. Besides we should be celebrating" Zack told them.

"Celebrating what?" Joey said as he looked into the cup.

"Today is the day we would of graduated high school" Zack raised his own cup of the alcohol "to the class of 2009."

"Aren't we a bit young to be drinking?" Katherine asked as he drank.

"Katherine, we are fugitives that will be shot at on sight by our own nation because we fight and kill alien invaders. I think underage drinking is the least of our worries" Zack smiled as he swallowed the liquid "besides the age is 18 in Europe. Lets just consider ourselves no longer citizens of the US."

He chuckled and walked back off toward Billy to give him a cup and called to everyone "plenty more were that came from!"

"He's got a point" Joey smiled at her and raised his own cup.

"I never really saw myself as the alcohol type but...what the hell. He does have a point" she knocked her cup against his and took a mouthful of it.

***

The Zedorian fleet slowed to sub light speed as it reached the entry point into the singularity that Bandora's ship had discovered before coming across Earth. They had however spent over an Earth year in that part of space before discovering the "privative" planet.

"Instruct all ships to prepare for entry" Zedd commanded as his officers rushed around him.
"Sir" Mier called out "I am picking up a fleet of Machine ships heading for our position."
"Mondo didn't wait long" Bandora said, walking over and reading the console herself "looks like the Mecha One is commanding the fleet."
"Mondo's flagship" Zedd growled "he wants those coins for himself."
"What do we do?" Bandora asked.

"We continue forward. They want to start a war they can do it on the humans doorstep" Zedd stated.

***

Kimberly took another drink and stumbled into Adam who caught her and helped her get upright.

"You alright?" He asked.

"Fine" she smiled and began stumbling away.

Most of them had drank heavily, looking for a good time in a mist of such doom and gloom. Some of them had taken their time, after all, someone had to help the others back to their mattress.

Joey and Katherine were now leaning on each other looking quite out of it themselves.

"I'll be back in a second" Joey slurred, inched out from under her and stood.

As he began walking he bumped into Diana who was staring ever so lovingly at the floor.

"You ok over there?" He asked her, trying to sound sober himself.

"Huh? Oh yes Pegasus Ranger. I am just not used to what that drink has done to my body. I feel...strange" she replied.
"Never drank before huh?" He smiled as he went over and began walking her back to the others "no grapes our nothin' on your Island?"
"No" She shook her head "a warrior should never let their guard down like this. We could be needed at any moment."
"Yeah....well a bit of fun make the battles more worth it. Makes us have something to come back for" he looked down at her.

"You speak wisely Pegasus Ranger" She nodded.

"Call me Joey" he smiled at her.

"I have seen images of you in battle since we came here. You are a most impressive warrior" She stopped walking and straightened to look face to face with him.

"How much have you had?" He frowned.

He lowered her onto what he hoped was her bedding, not that it mattered and lowered her down "I think this can be your stop for the night."
"Yes...I will rest here" she agreed as she already began to drift off.

He straightened with a sigh and realised what he had got up for in the first place, as he walked back the way he came he laughed to himself.

"Dam lightweights."

***

Things were scattered around the sub terrain base, each of them asleep somewhere as daylight rose above. Billy and Trini had decided to get some privacy and as result were asleep, naked, in a small back room. Joey too had not ended up alone, under his coverings with him was Katherine. Her bare body rested on top of his, her arm over him as his was her.

Zack was face down on his bed in a deep sleep, that was until the door began to budge. He opened his eyes slowly hearing male voices and the heavy door sounding like someone was trying to open it, the bottom scrapping forward slightly on the plainly covered floor. Finally as Zack sat up with a shot Jason, Rocky and Grayson got the door open. They all, now also awake, let out a collective sigh, each fearing that they had been found.

Jason looked around as them in confusion and saw the empty cups and bottles everywhere.

"Well...looks like you have all been busy" he commented.

He then threw something onto Billy's desk. Billy and Trini were now dressed and walking back into the main room with everyone else, having heard the commotion. The object was translucent yellow with what looked like computer chips in it.

"Whats this?" Billy walked over and picked it up.

"Alpha" Jason replied "or whats left of him. They stripped him for information. With their technology they couldn't get anything substantial from what their computers said. But with ours, I think we have a chance."
"Wheres his body?" Trini asked.

"We couldn't find it. Thats all we found. But from what we can tell its his hard drive. If we can get him to Zordon maybe he can build him a new one" Jason told her.

"Some don't have that luxury" Rocky said as he looked at Jason in evident anger.

"Rocky?" Adam asked.

"When we went through their files Rocky found a report that said that Master Kaku..." Jason looked over at Rocky who glared back at him "is dead."

END

Next Time: Tensions mount as the Rangers find Zordon in "Site B"