Chapter 3: MTS System
A.N.: From here on, dialogue in italics is Zordon's, while italics and bold is Clairie's.
"Ai yi yi! Zordon! You're not going to believe this!"
"What is it, Alpha?"
"I had to run the brain activity scan twice. These activity readings not what we expected at all."
"What do you mean?"
"According to the scans, Clairie is not suffering from catatonia at all. In fact, she hears and is processing everything normally."
Billy's voice, sounding a little relieved, came over the intercom. "Then that means...Alpha, did the general scan detect paralysis?"
"Yes, it did. Over 90% of her body is unable to move on its own."
"An illness that mimics a catatonic state well enough to fool the doctors while it kills the patient...this is sounding less like a disease and more like a monster attack."
"I'd better start the IV right away."
Alarms suddenly went off in the medical bay.
"Ai, yi, yi, yi yi! Clairie's heartbeat, respiration and blood pressure are raising, and so is the brain activity. The levels are-"
"It's a panic attack," Billy said. There was the sound of something dropping to the floor, then fast footsteps. A couple of seconds later, he ran into the medical bay, stopping right beside Kat.
"Clairie!" he called out as he took her hand in his own, "It's me, Billy." He leaned over so that he was certain that his little sister could see him. As he did so, he saw that the automaton had the IV tube and needle in one hand.
"Alpha, put that down for now and get a topical anesthetic. I need to calm her down first."
"Zordon?"
"Do what he says. It seems that she has a stronger terror of needles than I thought."
He capped the exposed needle and put the tube on the console. As he went to get the item requested, Billy quietly talked to her. Kat watched, amazed, as the attack slowly subsided and the alarms ceased.
"You've done this a lot," she merely said.
"Yeah. She's had a lot of blood tests and other such examinations done on her after o...after this happened to her." He sighed, then said, "She'll need...that...but we'll need to find a way to communicate with her, so that I can keep her calmer while it's going on. With her body paralyzed, it won't be easy."
Right then, Alpha came back and heard the statement. "There is a way it could be done."
"What do you mean?"
"How about using the MTS?"
He blinked for a moment, then his face brightened. "Of course! I'm a bit ashamed, I should have thought of that."
"What's an MTS?" Kat asked.
"It stands for Mind-to-Speech telecommunications system," Billy explained.
The Pink Ranger looked puzzled.
"Zordon uses that very system to speak with me and you Rangers from the energy tube, with his body being in the time warp," Alpha explained, "It basically takes brain activity associated with conscious thoughts, then changes it to actual spoken words."
"That is an excellent idea," Zordon said, "But in order for both her and I to use the system, a separate profile will need to be set up for your sister, Billy. Work with Alpha and use my profile as a template."
"Right away," Billy said, let go of his sister's hand, then whispered, "I'll be right back," before walking over to Alpha and the console.
0000000000
Tommy picked up the blue diary that Billy had dropped when he went in to calm down his sister and started looking through the pages.
"Billy, the day of the first incident...that was August 30th, right?"
"Yes," was the reply.
"I think I found it."
"The entry about the first 'outbreak'?"
"Yeah, that's the one." He paused for a moment, then said, "I'll read out loud only the entries that may have anything to do with this situation. I don't feel too comfortable reading someone's diaries, either."
"Yeah, I think she'd appreciate that."
August 30, 1993
My name is Clara Marie Cranston. At the time that I'm writing this, I turned 7 last weekend. If someone other than me is reading this diary, it means that the worst has happened, and I'm dying or dead. If that's the case, please get this to the Power Rangers.
I was at Angel Grove park earlier today with my class and two others for the yearly picnic. I was playing hide-n-seek with my friends, but I had to be the seeker...again. You see, I'm too good at hiding, so they won't play with me unless I'm a seeker. I had found everyone and we were going to go eat when it happened.
The nice breeze went away, and after that, there was a big, loud BOOM! We got knocked off our feet, but at the same time, my whole right arm started to burn, and then really hurt. It hurt so bad that I wanted to just scream. That's when Mrs. Hart asked me if I was okay and I realized I'd never be okay again.
My voice is all gone. I can't speak anymore, but that's not the end of it. Within moments, I started hearing a voice in my head, a very nasty one. It wanted me to do something called sur-render. I knew my friends were in as bad or worse shape than me, so that's when I started fighting it. The nasty voice said that I'd die no matter what, so I could make it easy or hard. You can guess what I picked.
Who knows? Maybe if I fight hard enough and long enough, the voice'll get bored and go away...or someone can help save me.
I don't wanna die. Someone, help me.
"Now I'm certain that this is no disease we're dealing with," Billy said, anger underscoring his tone.
"Yeah, but now we know why your sister's still alive," Rocky added, "She's been fighting all this time. That's one tough kid."
Zordon said, "The question is, why is it we never detected these attacks, much less the monster?"
Right then, Billy was standing in the doorway.
"It's happened before, Zordon. Remember that Genie that didn't show up until after it was out of the lamp?"
"That is very true."
"The profiling for Clairie is completed. All that's left is to confirm the specifications in comparison to Zordon's, then activate it."
"Uh, in English, please?" Adam asked.
"In other words, make sure there are no mistakes, then start it up," Tommy quickly translated.
"Affirmative."
Man, he's got to be really upset to start talking like that again.
"Let's take a look," he suggested and got up, holding the diary, then went into the medical bay, with the others right behind him.
Billy gestured to the console where he and Alpha had been working.
"On the right side of the screen is Zordon's profile, and on the left is Clairie's."
Tommy started reading the information on the screen.
Profile: Zordon
Name: Zordon fa Andel la Zeo
Age: (unavailable)
Species: Eltarei
Homeword: Eltar
Physical circumstances: Body locked in a time warp. Communications from Energy Tube.
Profile: Clairie
Name: Clara Marie Cranston
Age: 10
Species: Human
Homeworld: Earth
Physical circumstances: Mute and paralyzed due to monster attack. Communications from Medical Bed 2.
"I made sure to transfer the examination records to her profile, at Alpha's suggestion. Now all that's left is to run an accuracy comparison test, and if all goes well, we can activate it."
"Start the test," Zordon commanded.
"How come Zordon's age was listed as unavailable?" Kat asked.
"His age is on record, but it's under a privacy lock. If you've lived as long as he has, wouldn't you be a bit self-conscious about disclosing it?" Billy replied.
"Yeah, good point," Tommy agreed.
There was silence for a long moment, then Alpha said, "Test is completed. Accuracy comparison between Zordon and Clairie's profiles is 100%."
Billy let out a breath of relief, then said, "Ok, here goes. Activate it."
The sentient robot then pressed a couple of buttons.
"How long will it take to start translating to speech?" Rocky asked.
"Hmm, what am I gonna say when it starts? How about, 'Is this thing on?'"
Billy turned around sharply when he heard a familiar little girl's voice over the speaker.
"Clairie?" he asked, barely breathing.
"Uh-huh. It's me, big brother."
"It works," Katherine said with a little smile, "Now Alpha can see about the I-"
"No! I heard that! I hate needles!"
"I know," Billy replied, "And I hate to even put you through that, but you can't even eat or drink right now."
"It's not for putting in more ink and getting blood?"
"No. It's only so that you won't get thirsty or starve."
There was a little whimper, then a low, "They always hurt."
Alpha spoke up at that, "We'll just have to make sure this one doesn't hurt. Right, Billy?"
"Right! Alpha, use that anesthetic I mentioned, then wait for a few minutes before you insert it."
"I know just the one to use! I'll put this one back and then go and get it."
"Thanks," he answered with a grateful nod. Within moments, Alpha returned with a second item and used a pad to apply it to the inside of her elbow.
"You know what's really nice?"
"What's that?"
"My favorite big brother's working with the Power Rangers!"
Billy blinked and as Kat laughed.
"Clairie," Zordon cut in, "You've seen some of us, and as I explained to the Rangers, revealing ourselves is unavoidable."
"Don't worry, I won't tell. Billy knows I'm a real good secret-keeper! If you want me to swear to it, I will. Oh and look at the front of the blue diary."
Tommy put a piece of paper at the entry he had stopped on, then looked at the cover. He shook his head and smiled, then showed the others.
On the front was a couple of stickers...and both were of the Blue Ranger.
Adam chuckled and said, "Pretty smart for a 10 year old."
"Of course. She is my sister, after all," Billy answered with pride in his voice and a little smile as he took the diary from Tommy.
"Indeed," Zordon agreed, "Clairie, repeat after me: I swear upon the forces of goodness..."
"I swear upon the forces of goodness..."
"To maintain this secret..."
"To maintain this secret..."
"Of the true identities of the Power Rangers."
"Of the true identities of the Power Rangers."
"Thank you, Clairie."
"No problem."
With that, the Rangers de-morphed, relieved looks on their faces.
"Clairie, I'm going to check to see if the anesthetic's taken effect, okay?"
"Okay, big brother."
He then walked over to her and pinched the inside of her elbow, where Alpha had applied the medicine.
"Feel anything?"
"No."
He gave a harder pinch.
"How about that?"
"No, nothing."
"It looks like it worked better than I had expected. Excellent choice, Alpha." He silently nodded so that she wouldn't panic. The automaton picked up the IV, uncapped it, then inserted it.
"Just tell me when you're gonna do it, ok?"
"It's already done, Clairie."
"Really? I didn't feel a thing! Hey, any chance you got lots of that stuff?"
"I can't let any of this out of the Power Chamber. Sorry," Alpha replied with some regret.
"Aww!"
Billy shook his head and chuckled. "This is going to wreak havoc on my schoolwork."
"No it won't," Tommy replied, "Your dad made arrangements with the school and us. 1 hour after school ends, one of us will pick up the homework and bring it here."
"Thanks, I appreciate that."
"In a couple of hours, it's gonna be dinner time," Tommy said, "Today's Friday, so we won't have to worry about school tomorrow. Kat, you and I'll go get food for everyone, then be back here. Better get your orders ready."
Katherine nodded. "While we're out, I'll make the usual calls."
"Guacamole cheeseburgers. That or anchovy spaghetti."
"Huh?" Kat asked. There's no way she'd be trying to get food for herself...
"Billy's favorites. He eats the second one when he's really upset. I think Ernie's makes that stuff."
That caught him off guard. "C-Clairie! You didn't need to tell them that!"
"Aww, little sister lookin' out for big brother?" Rocky teased.
"S-shut up," he replied, blushing, although the comment was without any real heat.
Tommy shook his head and smiled as the others immediately gave their food orders as well as money to get them with. He noticed that Billy didn't answer or move from his spot.
Starts out like an ordinary day, end with a mission. Status quo for us Power Rangers, he thought, but this time, we're fighting to save Billy's little sister.