Before Kimberly's Departure
Dulcea spoke, "Be mindful, Kimberly Hart, you are about to go to Eltar, where things will be very different for you."
"Alpha told me about it already, the gravity and days will be different."
"That is not the only adjustment you will have to make."
"How so?" Kimberly asked.
"Zordon comes from a people and culture where magic and science are one, where his powers responded to his will. To find the powers of the Green Ranger, you must find it within your own will to be drawn to them."
"Say what?" Kimberly said.
"You will be following a certain path; you must feel it with your spirit, to find the Green Fire you must reach out with your spirit, with your senses to find Zordon's Sanctuary and to your ultimate goal. This I will show you how to do."
"Why do I feel like I keep getting the rug pulled out from under me? What is going on? I don't have time for spiritual quests, this isn't the Holy Grail. I need the power now."
"Kimberly Hart, you must realize that there is a difference between what you want and what is essential."
"I wish you would stop being so indirect and coy and tell me everything I need to know! I need to help my friends."
"And you will be better able to help them once you have mastered and listen to this," Dulcea pointed to Kimberly's heart, "and not desires and emotions. You understood this once. You must find a sense of yourself if you are to become a Power Ranger again. Focus on why Zordon chose you."
Kimberly looked back stunned, like the air had been drawn out of her lungs suddenly. She had never been so talked to in the abstract before. It was maddening and confusing at the same time.
Dulcea walked past her, "Prepare yourself, Kimberly Hart. Focus on what I have said. When you arrive, you must stay on the path before you. Listen and focus. That will be your only guide." Dulcea left, leaving Kimberly with so many questions.
Zordon's Sanctuary, Eltar - Now
"Follow." Zordon's whispered voice kept prompting. Kimberly ran faster and faster down a long hallway, with each step she took, circular lights turned on ahead of her. The lights were defiantly acting like direction signs as she streaked right and then left.
"There's not much time, hurry." Urged Zordon's voice.
"I am. I am." Kimberly said to herself, her legs starting to burn as she continued down another corridor. If her adrenalin was not up, Kimberly would take stock that that the lights coming on ahead of her would have creeped her out. But it was Zordon, no doubt, speaking to her in her heart and mind, calling her to him. The one question that lingered was how? "He's dead!" Kimberly thought. "How do I hear his voice?"
"You will understand and all will be made clear." Zordon answered, as if he heard her question. The lights led her to two massive doors which opened slowly into a room, filled with computers and chairs. The technology looked wondrous and fantastical to her eyes, but at the same time old, dusty and unused.
"Zordon, I'm here," she called out of breath, "where are you? Help me." Another door opened on her opposite side, it seemed to beckon her to enter. Kimberly looked around her in the room and could not help but feel like she was standing in familiar surroundings. She felt as if she were standing in the Command Center again.
Kimberly walked through the door and into a larger room that had a large glass window to her left. She looked out and saw what looked like a massive factory, with empty slots, scaffolding and platforms. It all looked unused and burned out, but the memory of a once great purpose lingered among the ruin like building materials. Kimberly turned her head from the window to look in front of her once again, and saw something, or someone standing just ten feet from her.
"Hello?" Kimberly asked tentatively.
"Greetings, Kimberly Hart!" A kind and welcoming voice said.
"You know me?" Kimberly asked.
"Affirmative, our bio scanners recognized your DNA when you fell into the lower sub level of this fortress."
"My? How? Who are you? What is all that out there? Isn't this supposed be Zordon's Sanctuary?"
"It is one and the same. Please excuse me, allow me to introduce myself, I am Beta One, the care taker of this facility and former over seer of this production area." Kimberly kicked herself for not seeing it before. The android in front of her did have a similarity to Alpha Five. The saucer head was smaller and two eyes glowed. The body of the android was stockier and more flat. A great "Z" adorned the center of his chest. The arms looked reinforced and he only had three fingers on each hand.
"Beta One? production area?"
"Yes, Kimberly Hart, what you have the privilege to see, really what no other human has had before, is to overlook the construction factory where the first generation of Zords was created by the master in his war against evil."
"You mean, my Pterodactyl Zord was built here?" Kimberly asked in amazement.
"Rather the prototypes, before the master took refuge on Earth. It was here that he began his great undertaking in building weapons for those who could not defend themselves. It was here where the foundries were lit to arm Master Zordon's friends and allies," Beta One noticed Kimberly's side arm, "Weapons such as the one you carry now."
"So it was here that Zordon first began. And when he trapped Rita, he brought everything to Earth." Kimberly said in wonder.
"The designs of the Master's current machines are unknown to me. He has not returned here for nearly a century. Some seven years ago, another servant of the master returned and updated the sanctuary's computer archives. But even that unit has not returned for some time."
"Alpha, you mean Alpha Five?"
"Affirmative, it was he who updated our bio scanners with your information, as well information concerning your compatriots."
"Then you know why I am here?"
"You are one of the master's Power Rangers. I can only deduce that you have come to collect the object that Alpha Five brought here."
"Yes exactly!" Kimberly said with some excitement and relief.
"Then please follow me, Kimberly Hart, and I will take you to that which you seek." The android turned, his feet changed shape and then he rolled out of the room. Kimberly quickly followed after him.
They entered an elevator and began to descend quickly. Kimberly felt her stomach try to adjust to the change in pressure.
"How big is this place?" Kimberly asked.
"This facility is built into a series of cave networks and the mountains themselves. What we stand in now is more of an oval shape. The fortress is one part foundry, one part armory, one part guard post and a home. The master was in need of much when his wars against Rita Repulsa and her allies began."
"How did he manage to build all of this?"
"At one time, there were many more like me. When the master's battles began, it began here on Eltar. I and countless others like me were put to work so that Master Zordon could defend his home and planet. For years war waged on Eltar, until the master's enemies grew tired of trying to capture it. They set their sights on other conquests. But the master knew of their evil and greed and swore others would not suffer what Eltar had endured.
"Gambling much, the master sent many of my fellow machines off world, to many places to create out posts and citadels for the master and the allies he would call to himself in his wars against his enemies. Eventually, all that remained was I. And soon, not even the master returned."
They got off the elevator and entered a new part of the facility. Lights and computers turned themselves on. The hall was adorned with brilliant art work and monitors that showed the design specifics of the war machines Zordon had in mind. Star maps also showed different planets, races and what special designs and adaptations the machines would need.
"You are now in the master's laboratory for research and design, where he designed weapons and plans for the massive juggernauts that would be built in the foundries from which we saw. It is here that the master had begun the process of developing and harnessing the power that his team of Power Rangers would need.
"This is incredible, Beta One! I can't believe this is almost all ov-" The walls around them began to shake, stopping Kimberly in mid sentence. She looked up at the ceiling rafters that were swaying back and forth. There was another shake, then another and another. Each time they grew louder and more powerful. Kimberly was reminded of waking up to earthquakes when she was a teenager.
"Beta, what is going on?" Kimberly asked.
"Heavily reinforced areas have been under attack by an unknown assailant."
"What?" Kimberly asked.
"Structural damage has been sustained. But she has not gained access."
"That sounds pretty close, Beta. It must be-" Kimberly stopped in midsentence again.
More quakes shook the rafters, but this time insulation and dust fell from the ceiling and down onto them. Kimberly retrieved her weapon and transformed it into its blaster mode. Another shriek of sounds: metal broke and twisted from far away.
"Alert: enemies have entered the Sanctuary!"
Scorpina, Kimberly said to herself while looking around her. "Is there anyone you can send for help to? Is there anything here we can use to fight her?" Kimberly asked.
"This facility has no other counter measures. Its intended purpose was camouflage, and to remain hidden from the master's enemies. It has succeeded in that purpose till now."
"God damn it! I must have led Scorpina right here." Kimberly thought to herself.
"Intruder alert! Intruder alert!" Beta One repeated. The explosions and the shaking of the fortress kept coming closer.
"Dear God, she knows where I am! Quick, Beta," Kimberly turned the robot to face her, "show me where Alpha Five took the Power Coin he brought here. It's our only hope right now."
"Affirmative, follow me." The robot and Kimberly raced down the hall while Kimberly struggled to keep up with it. They passed five additional laboratories until they reached a closed door at the end.
"This is the master's power coin foundry-"
The elevator at the other end exploded, causing a shock wave to echo down the hall and forcing Kimberly to fall down. Debris from the walls and the elevator door flew everywhere. Glass erupted and shattered to the floor. Kimberly's nose filled with smoke, which immediately caused her to cough.
Kimberly enter! She heard Zordon's voice speak with urgency.
"HART!" Scorpina's voice bellowed down the hall. "I told you I smelled you!" Kimberly recovered, and retrieved her weapon from her pocket. Scorpina calmly and confidently walked down the hallway toward them. Kimberly began to fire as many shots as she could. Scropina blocked some of the blasts with her blade and the rest with her armored arm.
Kimberly saw that using the blaster would be useless. She transformed it back into its sword blade mode and readied the force field generator. Kimberly took a step forward as Scorpina's pace began to quicken, the echo of armor scraped against marble.
As Kimberly began to move forward again, Beta One's hand shot up in front of her, preventing her from taking another step. "No, Kimberly Hart, you must enter the Power Coin Foundry. I will hold your enemy off."
"But Beta –"
The robot cut off her protest, "What is of the utmost importance now is that Master Zordon's mission goes on. That you and the other Power Rangers succeed! There is no other recourse. You can't win if you die here. If that happens, the power of the Green Ranger once again falls into evil's hands." Beta opened the door behind them.
Kimberly, come!" Zordon's voice sounded fearful and more urgent.
"Go inside, Kimberly Hart. I will buy you the time you need." Before Kimberly could say another word, Beta pushed her inside the dark room and the door slammed shut as Kimberly screamed "Wait!"
"Goodbye, Kimberly Hart, and may the power protect you!" As the door slammed shut, Kimberly's last image was of the brave robot turning toward Scorpina and two small rockets appeared on his back. The robot rocketed itself down the hallway toward a collision course with Scorpina.
The door locked and she could hear sounds of struggle echo outside the darkened room. She could hear Scorpina yell with exertion and fight, and the crashing of the robot's body. "HART!" Scorpina roared once again, "I'm coming for you! You will die!" Kimberly backed away from the door, her feet screeching against the floor as she retreated further into the dark room.
Kimberly, it is time. Then the room was no longer black, but filled with green light.