Chapter One
Days later.
As the sun sets.
Jason is in his mansion of a house.
More specifically in his kitchen fighting with his parents.
They love him.
Mother:"No, you cannot, we are at war for god's sake, I will not let my son go off to die!"
Jason:"This country needs me, now more than ever, your right, we are at war, and it may very well be the last war this planet ever witnesses. I'm going to enlist, you cannot stop me."
Father:"You will die. Don't lie to yourself. What are you dreaming of being a war hero? Well I got some news for you my son, there are no heros anymore!"
Jason:"I don't have to listen to this. My nation has asked for my help, I'm going to give it."
Father:"Goodbye my son."
Mother:"I love you Jason."
Jason:"I'm sorry."
Jason leaves his home with a duffle-bag in hand.
This is not the last time he will see his parents.
In a dirty basement a political activist group assembles.
This is their base of operations, a dirty basement owned by a man that has been combating the government and their wars for many decades.
Recently, during the beginnings of the current war he has recruited many of Angel Grove's youth.
Trini is one of the most loyal of these recruits.
What she lacks in experience she makes up for in rage.
She grew up to fast.
Trini:"The second batch is just about done, start loading them onto the truck."
Activist:"alright."
Leader of Group:"Gather here before we leave I would like to say a few words. Please. (the busy revolutionaries halt in their tasks to listen intently) Not all of you will come to understand what it is that we are doing here tonight. Nevertheless you will appreciate it greatly. Whatever your motives may be, they are irrelevant at the moment. What we all undoubtedly share though, is the value of human life, and because our great American leaders do not share in this belief, it is our obligation, as written in the constitution, to overthrow it! So we shall!"
The crowd goes wild.
Trini and the other revolutionaries continue to load crates of explosives into a truck.
Hours later the news will report that a government building has been bombed.
In a cheap apartment overdue on rent for months a mother pleas for child support for her two children.
This cannot be heard by Billy, he has learned to shut it out.
He is reading a book.
As he turns the page he vanishes into thin air.
Meanwhile Jason is attempting to explain to his girlfriend Kimberly that him becoming a solider is a necessary course of action.
He isn't having the greatest luck.
Unfortunately or fortunately depending on how it's looked at, the lack of luck doesn't matter.
In the middle of the argument they are both transported far away from the place they are standing.
Trini has seconds to clear the blast zone before the trigger is hit.
As the bombs explode all around her, she escapes certain death.
Saved by the hand of Zordon.
Only to be confronted with the greatest challenge of her life.
Zack.
An 18 year old wakes up in what seems to be a cell, but there are no bars.
No windows.
No doors.
No light.
Where he is can only be described as a pitch black cube.
Zack, barely conscious, attempts to recall his last waking moments.
Middle America.
Boot camp.
It was a routine drill, more like a contest than a drill.
Capture the flag.
Zack was squad leader of the green team and he was behind enemy lines.
Using his natural athletic talents and his superior military tactics he was able to capture his opponents' flag.
Green team was winning.
He reassembled his team.
Nine other young, would-be soldiers, all under his command.
Together they made for a second capture.
As the team courageously ran in, Zack was knocked unconscious.
He awoke here; in this cube.
The most logical explanation would be that Zack and his team were ambushed by the opposing team and defeated.
As punishment, sent into solitary confinement for the night.
He's supposed to be learning a lesson in battle tactics.
But something felt strange about this place.
Something felt unnatural.
With no other apparent options Zack waits patiently, going over in his head all the possible things he could have done better as a leader.
He feels the pain of defeat.
Minutes pass.
It feels like more to Zack, his mind is lost in "what if" thoughts.
The deafening silence is finally broken by the buzz of a monitor.
Zack opens his eyes.
He stares at infinite brightness.
The wall opposite him becomes a display terminal.
Then comes the voice.
The most powerful voice imaginable.
And Zordon begins to recruit his rangers.