In the Dino Bite Cafe, the lunch rush was just beginning when Erica arrived. She was clearly in a little bit of a rush, she was kind of on time, at least, she arrived right on the wire as far as her shift was concerned. She was just hanging up her jacket as she saw Allison.
"Hey, Allison, sorry about the hold up." She said apologetically. Allison checked her watch, but said nothing. TECHNICALLY Erica was on time, but it wasn't exactly ideal that she was only just arriving, knowing it would take at least a few minutes for her to get into uniform and be ready for work. "I had to talk to my professor about an assignment..."
"It's fine, really." Allison cut her off, not really wanting to hear about why she was close to being late and leaving her in the lurch. Brad was there...at least, he was in spirit. He had gone to the bathroom, but that was coming close to twenty minutes ago! "When you're ready, could you shred that lettuce and...?"
"I was just about to make myself a coffee." She told Allison. Allison was starting to get a little fed up by this. All she could think about was what Kendall had said to her. Her staff were walking all over her, taking advantage of their friendship with her to benefit themselves. Allison just looked to her. Kendall had insisted that she needed to toughen up with her staff, but she couldn't get round the fact that they were her friends, and just a week before she was doing many of the same things.
"We've got a lot of prep to do." She said, running a shift report on the till to check the morning figures. "Do you mind leaving the coffee a little?"
"Allison, I've been going all day. You know I like a coffee before..."
"If you wait a little, I'll make it myself." Allison sighed. "Please, I could really do with that stuff being finished before we run out. Lunch is already looking busy."
"Sure, fine." She said, looking a bit put out as she started to get her apron ready. She looked down at the pile of ingredients, seeing that the prep had been started, but abandoned half way through. "So, Brad was doing this?"
"He WAS." Allison muttered. "Before you ask, he's in the john...at least; I hope that's where he is."
"Then why didn't...?"
"I'll talk to Brad alright?" Allison interrupted her. "Just...could you do this please? I really could do without another day of getting yelled at."
Erica just feigned a little salute behind Allison's back as she got to work.
Back in New Zealand, Dr Runga was working on his dig site. Many of his crew had headed out for lunch, but he rarely left the dig site for anything other than press events these days. He had always been obsessive about his work, so much so that he generally stayed on site, rather than seeking a hotel room.
He was in the middle of extracting an Oviaptor, a dinosaur that somewhat resembled a Velociraptor, only that seemed to live on a diet of eggs, leading most to believe it was a nest-robber, from the dusty earth that had concealed it for millions of years.
He was somewhat excited to find it, they weren't especially uncommon, though finding largely undamaged specimens was pretty uncommon. As a result of its nest-foraging ways, together with the fact they tended not to travel in large groups meant most ended up meeting a sticky end at the teeth and claws of much larger species. This one though, as a result of a largely unblemished skeleton, with only a few minor fractures that seemed almost completely healed meaning none of them were fatal wounds, meant this one had most likely died of natural causes. He had to admire in a way its spirit of survival.
He wasn't too bothered about the fact he was here on his own, in fact he had sent his team away to be alone. He had called the press for this discovery, playing up the rarity of it as a find. It had been some time since he had been in a major publication, and with the exception of college podcasts and radio stations, he was rarely on screen or on the air waves anymore. It was something of a sore point for him. He loved his work, but the one thing that was always true was that his work didn't come cheap. Tools cost money. People expected to be paid for their time. Even volunteers had expenses that needed to be covered, people needed to eat. College and museum grants covered some of it, but even when they were given the rights to anything that was found, a lot of expenses still had to be covered, which was where private investors came in. They were always looking for something in return, and mostly what they got was publicity for funding good works. Of course, in order to GET publicity, that meant someone in the media needed to care enough to actually cover what they were doing. Of course, the fact that it meant his face had graced more than a few magazines, newspapers and books was just the icing on the cake.
He pulled out a claw, and documented it in his notes, before starting to dust it down. He let out a sigh as a shadow cast over him, blocking his light.
"This isn't a good time." He stated gruffly, without even looking up at whoever had interrupted his train of thought. He was horrified as he heard a loud crash, seeing the skull of the precious dinosaur shattering against a rock right next to him. He turned towards whoever had destroyed such a valuable artefact, only to find himself staring straight up at a monster. He fell to his backside, starting to try and scramble away, finding himself cornered against the side of the trench.
"Is NOW a better time?" Fury asked him, leaping down into the trench, right by Dr Runga. He grabbed the terrified man, hauling him to his feet. He showed him some magazine articles related to his finds. "I hear you're the man to talk to about dinosaurs around here."
"You want dinosaurs?" Dr Runga managed to stammer out in a panic. He pointed to some crates that were packed up, ready for shipping. "There are several right there, ready to go..."
"BONES?" Fury yelled, throwing Dr Runga to the ground harshly. "I don't want BONES! I want a REAL one!"
"You...you want a real, live dinosaur?" Dr Runga asked. "I'm afraid you're about sixty million years too late. With the exception of Alligators and Crocodiles there haven't been any species one could call a dinosaur in millions of years!"
"But there IS a real dinosaur out there." Fury responded, grabbing Dr Runga's sleeve and yanking it up, showing his tattoo. "I believe there are already people out there looking for it."
"The Tanifa hunters?" He asked. "They're just chasing fairy tales! That Albert Smith that's guiding them couldn't find his arse with a good Sherpa and both hands tied behind his back."
"But they HAVE found it, and they found it with your help." Fury told him. Dr Runga could hardly believe what he was hearing. He wanted to deny it, but...Fury himself seemed to be an impossible thing. Was it possible he had written off these kids too easily? Had he let the greatest find, not just in palaeontology, but in any field of science of all time slip through his fingers?
"They...they found it?" He asked, a thought crossing his mind. "Wait, if it exists...this would be the greatest find of all time! Never mind magazines, this could mean television, documentaries...I could be the first Palaeontologist in history to win a Nobel Prize!"
"Yes, you find that dinosaur, and I can destroy it!" Fury growled. Dr Runga just looked to him, completely horrified to hear him say this.
"NO! You can't destroy it!" Dr Runga protested passionately. In all of his life, like all in his field, since he was young, his fondest dream was that somehow, some way, he could actually meet a real dinosaur! Even more than how much it would do for his career to actually bring a real dinosaur into an enclosure for the world to see, his heart raced to imagine having an actual dinosaur that he could see and touch. To be able to study its actual habits as opposed to just make educated guesses as to its life would be every dream come true. This creature though seemed to want to slaughter it, like a poacher desperate for some ivory or a rare pelt. "It's the only one of its kind in existence...you just can't!"
Fury grabbed him, and lifted Dr Runga off the ground with one hand.
"Then perhaps I will destroy YOU!" He suggested. Dr Runga was terrified. He could already feel his resolve being tested, staring at the evil looking sword in Fury's other hand, but the part of him that was desperate to do anything to protect even the possibility that one of his beloved Plesiosaurs could still exist just wouldn't allow him to do anything that would put it at risk.
"Do what you will to me!" Dr Runga told him defiantly. "I will have no part in the destruction of a species."
"Then perhaps my friend here can destroy all your work." Fury suggested, directing Dr Runga's attention to Meteor. The monster threw one of his meteorite attacks at a tent full of tools, obliterating it in a firestorm of destruction. Fury dumped Dr Runga on the ground. "Do we understand each other now?"
"I...I..." Dr Runga stammered, trying to think of something. "You say those Tanifa hunters found it..."
"The Rangers have indeed found it." Fury told him. Dr Runga looked to him a little curiously.
"Rangers?" He asked. Fury just sneered in response.
"The Power Rangers." He responded. Dr Runga looked a little aghast. He had heard of Power Rangers. While the television show didn't air in New Zealand, as a result of the invasions, everyone in the world had seen and heard enough news stories to know exactly what Power Rangers were. He was a little surprised to hear that the Rangers were here, and that they were looking for the Plesiosaur, but a thought occurred to him as he heard this.
"If they've found it...if I find out where they found it, perhaps I can figure out where it goes!" Dr Runga suggested. Fury looked a little interested to hear this. "No one knows more about the Plesiosaurus' habits than I do. By finding out where it's been confirmed to be seen, I could figure out how it travels, where it's likely to nest..."
"You better hope you can!" Fury told him, hauling the terrified Dr Runga to his feet and dusting him off. "Now, go, find them and find the information you need. Once you have, report to me."
He tossed Dr Runga a communicator and shoved him roughly away. Dr Runga headed off, hoping that his local knowledge would bear fruit. He had heard that the Rangers had found it nearby, so he was sure they wouldn't stray too far. As he put the communicator away, he was already forming an idea.
In another part of the city, the Rangers were sitting at a picnic table by a snack van, decompressing over their search. They had found the Plesio Zord; they were within reaching distance of it. Unfortunately, just before they could reunite it with its Energem, Fury and Meteor had attacked. They weren't surprised about that, what DID surprise them however was the viciousness of the attack, and that it was targeted against the Plesio Zord itself.
As they had some lunch, they were on the communicator to Kendall back in the states. She was watching the footage Shelby had taken on her phone, taking note on the condition of the Zord. She seemed to be just as concerned as the others about this turn of events.
"Last time Fury found a Zord before us, he turned it against us." Tyler reminded them. "But the way he attacked it, the way that Meteor guy bombarded it, it's like he was trying to destroy it."
"When he used the Ptera Zord, he didn't have the Gold Energem." Ivan reminded them. "Of course, we didn't either. He knows that we have the Purple Energem now."
"Yeah, maybe he knows that with the Purple Energem we could turn the Plesio Zord to our side if he tried to use it." Riley suggested it. "I don't think he's taking any chances here. Maybe he just wants to make sure we don't get to use it."
"As much as I hate to say it, it's a pretty solid plan." Shelby responded, taking a sip of her drink. "Now I just hope we can find it before they do."
"The sound it made, it sounded like it was in pain, or sick or something." Chase responded. Albert just nodded in agreement.
"I felt it, thanks to this." Albert told them, showing them the Purple Energem. "It was calling out to me, calling out for this."
"The Plesio Zord's been separated from its Energem too long." Kendall interjected. "It's not Albert's fault, he didn't know any better, but all of you, when you got your Energems, you were close to your Zords, and you stayed close."
"I didn't know I had to find my Zord." Albert told them honestly. "I kept getting the visions, but I didn't know what they meant."
"It's alright Albert, you didn't know any better." Tyler assured him. "No one blames you for that."
"The problem is, without the power of the Energem to power it; the Zord's not able to heal as it should." Kendall told them. "The Plesio Zord needs to be reunited with its Energem, the longer they're apart, the more vulnerable it is."
"It doesn't look like Fury's going to let up any time soon." Chase stated.
"Dr Runga's advice helped the last time..."
"Shelby, will you get over Dr Runga?" Chase grumbled. "Saying 'it's in a lake or something' isn't really that helpful."
"He may as well have said 'it's somewhere in New Zealand'." Riley added. Shelby just looked defensive.
"Look, I know he was a bit of a jerk, but...he's the leading expert on the Plesiosaur!"
"Well, it wouldn't be the first time he was only out for himself." Kendall snorted. They all looked to the communicator, a little shocked. Ms Morgan was in no danger of being a diplomat, and certainly didn't mince words when she was unhappy with someone, but that sounded almost personal.
"WHOA!" Chase stated. "Where did THAT come from?"
"He's...he's got a bit of a reputation." Kendall replied. "Anyway, I'll see what I can find out from here, but you need to find that Zord."
"Easier said than done." Tyler replied. "You can count on us."
As they signed off, Koda reached for his drink to wash down his latest bite, only to hear the distinctive slurping of an empty cup. The others all noticed the same thing, only to turn and look at Shelby. She looked a little sheepish.
"Really?" Chase asked. "Again?"
Shelby just got up, getting her wallet out, realising she had done it again.
"I'll go get you some more." She responded, heading for the snack truck. Chase just threw his cup into a nearby trash can.
"I have no idea where she puts it all." He said to Tyler. "That girl must have the bladder of a camel."
As she got to the snack cart, the guy behind the counter noticed her waving him over.
"Could I get another seven lemonades please?" She asked. However, a hand reached across, handing over some dollars.
"Make that eight." Dr Runga told him, paying for the drinks. As the man went to prepare the drinks, Shelby just looked to him.
"Dr Runga!" She said, a little surprised to see him. "What are you doing here?"
"I was looking for a little lunch, and when I saw you, I was hoping to make some amends." He told her, indicating to her to put her wallet away. "Please, I insist."
"Dr Runga, you don't need to..."
"I'm afraid you didn't really catch me at my best." Dr Runga told her as he took a deep breath. "I was hoping for a lot more coverage from the press. Funding for my research is a little scarce at the moment."
"It is?" She asked. He just nodded.
"Something you will learn about this field is that academic grants only go so far." Dr Runga told her. "As much as I'd love to spend all day digging, it doesn't come cheap. The press is a tiresome, but necessary evil."
"I...I didn't think of that." Shelby responded. "I'm sorry..."
"You have nothing to apologise for, some of us just aren't lucky enough to have Anton Mercer's bottomless pockets behind us." Dr Runga told her. "I was disappointed I wasn't getting the coverage I was looking for and so I lashed out. That was unfair, and I'm sorry about that."
"It's really alright. We know you were busy." Shelby told him, remembering what Tyler had said. She was disappointed meeting her idol, but hearing what she had now, she remembered Tyler suggesting that perhaps they'd just caught him at a bad time. If he was having issues funding his dig, then she could understand him not having much patience for people looking for a quick chat about hypothetical dinosaur locations. She'd seen some of the balance sheets Kendall had to deal with on some of their digs, and she knew that there was a hell of a lot more to it than the cost of a pick and a shovel!
"I'm just sorry I treated a fan so poorly. I'm all about encouraging those seeking to break into the field." He told her. "I have to say, that book you had, I haven't seen one in years! It's been out of print for..."
"It's an original print!" Shelby rushed out. "Dad found it at a yard sale, I was SOOOOO excited..."
"Well, how about I sign it for you?" He asked her. Shelby just squealed in delight, dumping her phone and wallet on the counter.
"I'll just get it!" She rushed out, running back to the picnic table. Dr Runga checked to make sure she was gone, and the cashier was busy making the lemonade, and picked up Shelby's phone, accessing it. He checked recent activity and found a video she had made. He could hardly believe his eyes as he saw the Plesiosaur bursting through the waves. Fury was telling the truth, there really was a real live Plesiosaur!
He checked once more to make sure no one was watching, before sending the video to himself. This would make his career! Just to be on the safe side, he deleted the video from Shelby's phone. Even if the Rangers did drive Fury off, the last thing he needed was for them to expose the existence of a real dinosaur before he could. He knew that Fury was out to destroy it, but knowing who this group of kids were, he could only think of the glory to come. He could almost see the press clamouring around him right now. As he finished, placing the phone back down, Shelby arrived with the book, beaming brightly.
"You have NO idea how long I've been waiting for this!" She gushed. Dr Runga pulled out a pen, and opened the cover, signing just inside it.
"Anything for a fan." He responded as he handed it back to her with a bright smile. If he was lucky, Fury and the Rangers would take care of each other; leaving him on his one-way ticket to fame he could only dream of!
