Under Artificial Skies
The sins of man have no where to hide

Note: I do not own Power Rangers: RPM, but I commend Disney for the good job so far!
Timeline: After "Handshake" and "Ranger Red"
Rating: T (Language, Violence)
Genre: Drama/Angst/General

----The Release----

Three days later, Dr. K stepped out of the lab. Exhaustion was written in her face as she headed into the kitchenette, taking advantage that the Rangers were not around. Her mind was focused on Tenaya Seven who was lying motionless on her lab table. She had shut down once more and went into standby mode for the time being. After everything she had done to her, the progress she had made had taken a toll on the robot. It was clear only small traits of humanity lingered, besides her appearance. Her mind was the most fascinating part, and was harder to understand exactly how it had become wired. But she intended to do whatever it took to find out.

She heard someone's steps coming toward and whirled around to see that it was only Ranger Series Operator Red. She sighed; she did not want another confrontation with Ranger Series Operator Black. She knew she was more trusted by Ranger Red.

"Good morning Dr. K," Scott greeted her kindly, helping himself to her pot of coffee.

"Good morning Scott," she said, softly, which made Scott smile, it warmed something within her.

"You called me Scott," he said, surprised by happy.

"Well thank your teammate Series Black. He informed me you are more than just my Ranger. You have a name."

"Yet you still call Dillon by Operator Black," Scott pointed out.

"Well, he's not on my good side."

"Is he ever?"

"No." Scott laughed and it made her smile. They heard movement around above them and watched Dillon leave from Summer's room without even so much of a glance to see if anyone was around as he went to his. "Hmmm that was…"

"Ballsy?"

"I was going to say very audacious, but yes, that term works as well." Dr. K glanced at the clock and sighed. Refilling her cup she began to walk back from her lab.

"Dr. K, how long as it been since you slept?" Scott asked as she headed for the door.

"Exactly 96.4 hours. I'm used to sleep deprivation. I can't allow myself time to sleep when I have a piece of Venjix hardware on my table. I will rest when the time is right. I assure you, so do not worry about me, just keep an eye on the lab once in a while incase something goes wrong. Not that it should, I'm fully capable of doing my job." Dr. K explained, Scott smiled.

"I know you are."

"Thank you." she said and walked in, the door closing behind her.

Flynn make his way down the stairs, yawning loudly and walking with heavy steps. He grunted a good morning, or that's what Scott hoped he said, Flynn's accent was too thick when he was tired to tell sometimes.

"Good morning to you too," Scott said into his cup of coffee, which earned another grunt from Flynn. They heard more active footsteps coming from upstairs and immediately knew without even a glance that it was Ziggy.

"Morning Guys!" Ziggy chirped happily, immediately making a grab for some cereal.

"How are ya so awake?" Flynn barely managed to form the coherent sentence.

"I'm a morning person." Ziggy informed him with a mouthful of cereal.

"Lucky bastard," Flynn said, which was the first short sentence he actually annunciated.

Summer was the next to come downstairs; she looked tired for the first time in a long time. Her eyes had dark rings under them and her whole demeanor was different. The three exchanged looks, this didn't seem good.

"Summer, what's wrong? Does this have to do with Dillon?"

"Yeah." She sighed wearily, getting some coffee and taking a drink.

"Did he touch you?"

"NO! Geeze! We were fighting about Dr. K and Tenaya for half the night."

"Then why did he leave less than 15 minutes ago?" Scott asked, Summer sighed and shrugged.

"I have no idea. I fell asleep, I thought he left until I woke up and he was still there and I kicked him out." Summer informed him. "He's really torn about this."

Scott was about to answer when he heard something. Squinting, he started to look around.

"Do you hear that?" he asked, Summer stood still and began to peer around.

"I hear whistlin'" Flynn replied softly, and Ziggy's eyes grew wide.

"It's Tenaya. But its not her hunting song, she's calling…she wants us!" with that he bolted for the lab.

"How does he know that?" Summer asked Flynn since neither one of them had the energy to run as Scott and Ziggy did.

"SUMMER! GET IN HERE NOW!" Scott yelled, with that Summer set down her cup and launched herself towards the lab. When she got into the door, nearly getting jammed in the doorway with Flynn and Dillon who finally decided to join them, she first saw the bright trail of blood on the white floor. Dr. K was laying motionless on the floor, Scott was checking her pulse and Ziggy was seeking something to find something to wake Doctor K with.

"What happened?" Summer asked, immediately shifting into paramedic mode. To her surprise, from across the room, Tenaya responded.

"Dr. K collapsed into unconsciousness and as she fell, she hit her head on the table. Since I couldn't get up, I called Green. I knew he'd come." Tenaya informed them.

"Do you know why she collapsed?" Summer asked.

"Exhaustion." The robot answered simply. "I think there are other underlying symptoms but she's not slept in going on 4 days and hasn't been nourishing her body either. I'm surprised not once not one of bothered to check on her, I thought you Rangers were very concerned, honorable people." Tenaya said, her voice shifted into a mocking tone.

"She locked us out, Tenaya," Scott growled, as he helped Summer hold Dr. K into a sitting position as Summer began to wave smelling salts under Dr. K's nose. Her eyes fluttered and she groaned.

"Owwwww, my head."

"It should hurt, Dr. K, you hit it really hard. I'm going to have to stitch your head…" Summer informed her.

"That's fine…" Dr. K grumbled, as they attempted to help her stand, she immediately began to sink back down. Scott grabbed her by her waist and hauled her back up.

"Ok, you can't even stand up…this is not good. I shouldn't have let you go back in here without getting a nap first," Scott said, frowning.

"It's not your fault. I insisted. I still insist. Summer, please can you get on with this so I can go back to examining Tenaya." Dr. K said, as she still clutched her bleeding head. Scott looked to Dillon and gestured to him. Dillon finally caught on and cleaned off one of the tables so Scott could sit her down. Summer hurried out of the lab to get her supply kit and Flynn was trying to find a mop.

Ziggy was standing near Tenaya, who was watching them all curiously. She whistled lowly at him and he looked down at her.

"What?"

"I think it would be advisable to tell you that she is in no state to continue experimenting on me. But it is interesting to see how all of you work as a team when your true leader falls. Unsure of what to do but all stepping in to do something…but you. Why not?"

"Oh. Well Dr. K hates me, I think she would rather I not."

"She doesn't hate you. She just doesn't deem you fit for Ranger Duty and perceives you as a child, which is…what do you say…amusing since she is so young."

"How young?" Ziggy suddenly wondered how much Tenaya knew about Dr. K.

"She is nearly out of her teenage years."

"So…18? 19?" Tenaya shrugged. "That was helpful," Ziggy grumbled, Tenaya shrugged again.

"It is not my job to know the specific ages of humans, just that no matter what age, you are targets."

"Even infants and children?!" Ziggy asked, horrified, Tenaya went quiet for a moment and watched as Scott held on to Dr. K as Summer began to poke the needle through Dr. K's skin. The Doctor didn't flinch, didn't make a sound, she just sat quietly.

"They seem to have a very deep trust for one another."

"She's always seemed to favor him since he's the Red Ranger."

"They seem to give and take. Freely dominating one another depending on the situation but the power play isn't about control, it isn't about who is stronger. It seems to be about trust. He obeys her orders and she lets him do as he wishes. He sometimes disobeys and she gives orders that she knows will kill him to follow but he will because she asked of him."

"That is a very interesting observation." He told her softly, now seeing Scott and Dr. K in a new light as his one hand stayed on her waste, the other clasped to her shoulder. He had thought it was to keep her from moving as Summer continued to thread the stitches through the young Doctors head.

"All done, Dr. K, now if you like it or not, you're laying down." The Yellow Ranger ordered softly, the raven haired Doctor sighed heavily.

"Unfortunately Ranger Yellow, I am in no state to argue…" she said, as she trailed off, her eyes fluttering closed nearly immediately.

"Does she have a bedroom?" Scott asked as he gathered her into his arms as she sank helplessly into sleep.

"First time I asked, she ignored me, the second time I asked, she threw a stapler at me. She does have one but we'll never know where it is." Ziggy said, with a tight smile.

"Just get some pillows and blankets and put her on the couch," Flynn suggested, Summer dashed up to her room and began to gather extra blankets and pillows.

Ziggy came out of the lab to watch the team settle Dr. K down then realized Tenaya was standing next to him. He shrieked, which caused everyone to look at him, then her.

"How did you get out?" He asked, Tenaya just smiled, then he realized that she had no hands, now he really wanted to know how she got out.

"Why aren't you attacking?" Summer asked, after a moment.

"Your good Doctor has been inside my brain. She's done something to me, I am unable to run a system check on what but she has reprogrammed some of my functions. I cannot navigate from here back to Venjix and she has disabled my hands. But I also cannot go back to my Master because I was captured and didn't kill any of you." Tenaya answered simply.

"Good for her!" Flynn said with admiration.

"If you think that is a good goal to accomplish." Tenaya said, blinking.

"It was…for what was done to you…" Dr. K replied sleepily from the couch.

"What do you mean Doc?" Dillon asked.

"She's all robotic…minus two vital organs…the heart and brain but the brain has implants within…I was able to pull memories…about that night. How they did it…I…it's my fault…"

"What? How can it be your fault?"

"I had theorized the very… procedure that created…" Scott tackled Dillon to the floor to keep him from shaking Dr. K awake, since she had fallen asleep again.

"Let her sleep Dillon! She's exhausted enough!" Scott hissed at him, managing to get the half robot into a headlock and dragging him away from their sleeping mentor.

"Are things always this…"

"Lively?" Ziggy suggested.

"Lively, around here?" Tenaya asked, staring at the stumps where her hands used to be.

"Sometimes." Summer said and gestured for the others to move away from the kitchenette and shut off the lights to that half of the garage.

"So what do we do now? Just sit here with robo-girl?" Flynn asked.

"We're going to have to." Scott said shortly.

"Can't I just stay with him? The rest of you are not as fun as he is." Tenaya asked, pointing her arm at Ziggy.

"Works for me." Scott said with a shrug, since the others didn't object. "Ziggy, you've got custody of Tenaya since that will keep her quiet." Ziggy looked to Tenaya who had a gleeful look in her eye.

"Uh-oh."

---The Acceptance---

Ziggy shifted in his seat as Tenaya's eyes never left him, she was studying every twitch and moment he made.

"Tenaya, are you going to do anything else besides stare at Ziggy?" Flynn asked, watching her, watching Ziggy.

"I am. As of 20 minutes ago, you Rangers with the exception of Red hadn't noticed that Dr. K has woken moments ago and is back in her lab. Red Ranger notice and she noticed he knew and told him to let her be."

"Scott!" Summer said, with a scandalized tone.

"What? She has work to do." He replied as he stood and then realized Dillon was half way across the room, storming into the lab. The others sprinted after, dragging Tenaya with them.

"Doc! I want to know right now what in the hell you were talking about earlier! HOW are you responsible what happened to us? HOW did they do it?" Dillon demanded, swooping down on the short girl.

"Ranger Black, if you get out of my face, with Tenaya's compliance I can show you."

"Compliance how? Need us to hold her down?" Dillon asked, Dr. K shot him a dirty look.

"No Ranger Black, I need to connect her into her mind." Dr. K turned to the robotic woman. "Tenaya Seven, please, take a seat and prepare for connection to my terminal."

"Yes, Doctor K," Tenaya said, unable to deny what the Doctor asked, but her voice revealed her anger as she hissed the words out.

"How did you make her do that?" Flynn asked, Dr. K watched and waited as Tenaya sat down and reached to the back of her head and then pulled a long cord out. Tenaya connected it into the computer and Dr. K grabbed one of the remotes and turned on the screen that formally stood for her.

"I made simple adjustments to her controls. Venjix's voice is no longer the primary Master in the settings, mine is. She cannot refuse direct orders from me. Now before I show all of you this, I want to prepare you. This is footage of how Ranger Black gained his implants, this is uncensored and a very graphic surgery. As you see right now, Tenaya Seven is empty once she connects into a computer. Because of Venjix's codes I cannot allow her to see what we see, he did this, to keep her from remember her human ties once he destroyed every trace of humanity in her. I am also decoding her files as she is playing this memory. All that we have now is the procedure. Anyone who is faint of heart and easily sickened at the sight of the internal human form, I advise you not to watch. Also, Ranger Black, I do wish you wouldn't force my hand to show this, even for me, this is not something that is easy to view."

"I don't care Doc, I just want to know what was done to me." Dillon replied, and looked down to Summer who was beginning to pale already.

"Fine. I warned all of you," Doctor K sighed and pressed play.

The screen kicked to life and they saw Dillon dressed in a white shirt and pants, being lead to a table. He was struggling but couldn't break the grip of his captors. They strapped him down and Venjix's voice boomed out.

"Is he secure?"

"Yes sire,"

"Vitals?"

"The heart race and blood pressure are high but it is to be expected."

"I will allow this. Let it begin," he instructed and they watched as a mechanical arm dropped down from the ceiling above Dillon. A scalpel began to cut deep into his arm and he started to scream and tried to struggle away. The exposed tissue was then pulled apart so that the bone was visible.

"Sire, the human is becoming more frantic."

"I do not care we must press on," Venjix said, and they watched in horror as a blood curdling scream as another arm reach down and began to rip the bone to quickly fuse a metal replacement into his arm. Dillon shook and his eyes rolled into the back of his head, as the pain consumed him and he passed out.

Summer immediately threw herself into Dillon's arms, and he felt her shaking. For the first time since he could remember, he felt ill. He didn't remember any of that and was honestly glad he didn't.

"Now that I see most of you are ready to vomit, I should inform you that the reason why we saw what we did and how is that Tenaya witnessed all of it before she too, had the procedure. From what I can tell is that something went wrong shortly after they removed everything from the head of the humerus down to the radius. They couldn't finish on Ranger Black and what they learned from that, they used it to perfect Tenaya. Tenaya, you may disconnect now." They watched as Tenaya's blank eyes raised as she disconnected the cable and it ricocheted back into her skull. Her eyes lit again and looked at Dillon and the others.

"To correct your statement Doctor K, I do know what went wrong." Tenaya spoke as her gaze locked on the young woman.

"What is that, Tenaya Seven?"

"The human known as Dillon died. They were half way through removing his manubrium when his heart gave out and he expired."

"What else have you found?" Summer's voice was trembling as she released Dillon and look to the girl who used to be his flesh and blood Sister.

"They chose two siblings because of the similar DNA patterns. Once the human had expired, I was able to get to him as they reformulated their plans. I loaded him into a cart…" Tenaya's brows knitted together in confusion, it was clear in her voice she was confused remembered these moments. "I found a shaft that dumped out into the desert. I didn't want to take the chance…they may have wanted to destroy the body or experiment further. I couldn't let it happen, not after…he went first…to save me. After he fell, I heard him gasp from the desert below. I knew he would live, I knew he would get out. And then they took me and began to remove my bones, my blood, my organs, everything. And then, I woke up."

"I was right, I was right to call you my Sister." Dillon said, Tenaya nodded.

"You were. We are siblings still. The DNA bond isn't necessarily broken because blood no longer flows through my veins but through the implants we both share." She said, standing as she crossed to him. Dillon reached into his pocket and pulled out the pocket watch. He flicked it open and the melody began. They watched as Tenaya tilted her head, an unsettling grin crossed her lips.

"What is this?" he asked, Tenaya took the watch and stared, her gaze transfixed as the hands ticked down.

"Our lullaby, big Brother…" She snapped the watch close and gave it back to him and stared.

"Rangers, you may go. Tenaya, please sit on the table, I almost have your chip ready." Doctor K commanded and everyone obeyed her words, too stunned to fight.

"Chip? What kind of a chip?" Dillon asked before the lab closed.

"You'll find out soon enough," Doctor K responded as they closed.

"Why does she have to be so damn vague with that holier than thou attitude all the damn time?" Dillon growled, stomping over to the fridge. Then he jumped away as the cannon appeared.

"I heard that." Her voice rang out from the speakers on the computer near by.

"Oh no," Dillon said, mockery in his voice. "You hear and know all!"

"That's besides the point, Ranger Black. I do realize you are upset to learn what happened to you and to your sibling but I was not the one who ripped the bones from neither your skeleton nor hers. Your misplaced anger will not be tolerated, especially when I am trying to fix Tenaya Seven."

"…er…sorry Doc," Dillon managed to mutter.

"Thank you for that sincere apology Ranger Black." Doctor K replied sarcastically and disconnected from the computer, leaving them in silence.