Race to Destiny
Chapter 8
Dead Stop
Tenaya worked in the engine room repairing a few relays that had malfunction while everyone else was in the common room. After the debacle on the planet and nearly losing her brother, she wasn't in the mood to be merry. Oddly enough there and been enough minor system malfunctions to keep her busy when everyone was trying to get together. Once she brought the relays back online she was greeted from a beeping on the status console. "I swear, if it'd not one thing it's another lately", she grumbled as she pulled up the alert. "Great the cargo hold", she said as she gathered her tools and went on her way to fix the newest in the never ending stream of problems.
Summer sat down next to Dillon and picked up her fork, "I can't wait to get some real food", she said as she cut into the gelatinous blue meal on her plate.
"Well maybe if the food processors were working", Scott added in while looking at Cam who shrugged his shoulders.
"Make the best of it", Trent added, "At least we're still moving."
As if on queue the ship stopped cold throwing everyone to the deck and covering them with their food rations.
"You just had to say it", Summer said with irritation evident in her voice as she sat up wiping the blue goo off of her face.
"I'll go down to the engine room and see what happened", Cam said as he hit the door control switch. The switch made a low beep, but the door did not open. He hit it again, but got the same result. "The door's stuck", he said as he started pulling the control switch apart, "We're not going anywhere until we get outta this room."
Tenaya picked herself up off the floor tossing aside the various pieces of cargo that had landed on her, "What now?" She asked herself frustratingly. She made her way through the now messy room to the door which did not open when she pressed the control. "Great", she said before hitting the intercom, "I'm stuck in the cargo hold", she said, but got only silence in response, "Hello", she said trying again, but like last time was only answered by silence. Suddenly the lights turned off and she found herself in total darkness, "Great... Does anything on this stupid ship work?"
"Who turned out the lights?" Scott asked as he felt his way around the darkened room.
"Looks like another system malfunction", Cam said from his place at the sealed door.
"So now not only are we dead in space and trapped in the common room, but now we have darkness too... Just great", Dillon said. He carefully made his way to the door and began trying to force it open. "It won't budge", he said, "We need something to pry it open with."
They heard a scraping noise come from the other side of the door, followed by a loud clang. A few moments later a crack formed as the door slowly began to slide open. Once a large enough gap appeared Dillon, Cam, and Scott dug their fingers in to help pry the door open. After a few seconds they had the door pried open.
"Justin", Scott said, "Thanks for the help."
"No problem", Justin said with a heavy breath, "I was finishing a scan on the bridge and about to head down here when everything went dark."
"Looks like all primary systems are failing", Cam said.
"But why didn't the backup systems kick in?" Summer asked as she looked around the darkened corridor.
"I don't know", Cam said, "But we should head to the engine room and find out."
Tenaya grunted as she tried and failed to force the door open. She sat down and leaned back against the door when she heard a faint laugh. "Who's there?" she asked, but was only greeted again with the laugh. "Show yourself!" she shouted at the darkness. Her blood ran cold when he heard an all familiar robotic voice, "Ah Tenaya. You can never escape me. You will always be my servant." She pressed against the wall shivering from terror, "I will never work for you again!" She felt a tingling sensation in her head which turned into a searing pain causing her to grab her temples and scream.
The others were wandering through the corridor huddled together so they could see using the singular flashlight that Justin had brought when they heard a terrified scream.
"Tenaya!" Scott yelled as he took off down the corridor. Everyone else followed until they came to the cargo hold. Justin forced his crowbar into it and began trying to force the door open. Once they got into the hold they saw a screaming Tenaya in morph swinging her arms wildly in the air.
"Stay away from me you monster!" she screamed as she took another wild swing. Dillon ran in and tackled his sister to the ground while Scott worked the control to remove her helmet. Once it dissolved they saw her eyes wide and darting around frantically. "No!" she screamed, "He'll kill me!"
"Tenaya, nothing's there", Scott said as he helped Dillon pick her up off the floor.
"Let's get her to the medical bay", Summer suggested, "Maybe we can find out what's wrong with her."
Abbadon sat in his command chair as his ship approached a stellar nursery. Slowly he twisted his long white hair around his grey clawed fingers when Phenex's appeared on the communication screen.
"Report", Abbadon ordered in a low gravely voice.
"Sire", Phenex said, "The ranger's ship has gone dark. My plan was a success."
"When it comes to the rangers never assume", he told his subordinate, "That is how some of the greatest beings in the universe were defeated by them."
"They will not be able to catch you", Phenex said, "That's what's important. You have a straight course to the star."
Abbadon nodded, "Set course for Earth. I'll rendezvous with you there once I have taken the star."
Phenex nodded, "Yes sire. I will be awaiting for your arrival."
"Finally", Abbadon said to himself, "My goals are within my grasp, and the entire universe will quiver in fear as I lay waste to it."
Scott and Dillon sat Tenaya down on a bed in the medical bay as Summer scanned her using one of the portable scanners.
"I'm detecting high levels of Atropine in her system", Summer said, "The reaction is causing her to hallucinate."
"What's Atropine?" Trent asked.
"It's a drug", Summer said as she pulled up the information on the scanner, "A deliriant that causes strong hallucinations."
"Why would we have something like that on the ship?" Justin asked wondering how something so dangerous was on board.
"According to the medical database on the scanner it's used to correct low heart rate", Summer said, "The container must have broken and Tenaya was contaminated."
"So why weren't we?" Scott asked, "We went in the room too."
"We are", said Summer as she ran the scanner around each of them, "Just not to this extent. It'll be a little while before we suffer any effects." She gave Tenaya a tranquilizer and looked at the others, "That should keep her out until the effects wear off", she said, "But we have to get this ship working again."
"Engine room", Cam said, "That's the first place we need to get to."
"I'll stay with Tenaya and make sure she's OK", Summer said, "Remember that when it hits your system you'll be susceptible to some form of effect."
"Right", Justin said, "Keep your heads on, and let someone know if you have any problems."
"Right", everyone said as they left for the engine room.
"Sire", Abbadon's helmsman said, "We've reached the cooridinates."
"Prepare to enter", Abbadon said gruffly, "Set course for the Frozen Star."
"Yes Sire", the helmsman responded as he began moving the massive vessel, "Estimated time of arrival 2.5 hours."
"Excellent", Abbadon said, "Take us in."
Justin, Cam, and Dillon tried to force the door to the engine room open, but it was proving to be more difficult than the other doors they had tried.
"I don't get it", Justin said with a heavy breath, "What's so different about this door?"
"The magnetic locks must be engaged", Cam said, "Otherwise we would have had it open."
"So what do we do?" Trent asked.
"Well we don't have a demagnetizer", Cam said thoughtfully, "But we do have a plasma torch."
"Where is it", Dillon asked.
Cam looked grim, "It's in the cargo hold", he said.
"So whoever goes to get it will have further exposure to the compound that's hanging in the air", Scott said as Cam nodded.
"I'll go", Dillon said.
"Morphing might help filter the contamination, but I can't say for sure", Cam added.
"Right", Dillon said as he pulled out his morpher and slid the engine cell into it, "RPM GET IN GEAR!" he said, and in a flash of red light stood there morphed, "I'll be back as soon as I can."
"Great", Scott said as he lightly kicked the door, "Just what I wanted to do... wait."
Cruger walked through the warehouse that had been given to him and looked at the people that had volunteered to join the new Earth branch of S.P.D. Most of them were young, and like always he hated himself for taking these people who were barely more than children and training them to be put in harms way, but with the looming threat it truly was the best option.
"Recruits", he said firmly, "You are here because you have volunteered to help defend your planet. This is commendable, but bravery alone will not be enough to secure the safety of your world. You will have to train with you body, heart, and soul. I expect the best that each of you are able to give me, and I will do the same for you."
He smiled inwardly as the cadets straightened up in a clear show of respect for their new commander. "Until the Delta Command Module arrives this will be our base", he said, "Until Further notice you will call this HQ and treat it accordingly. Dismissed."
The cadets fell into step and marched out of the warehouse for the testing the Kat Manx had setup to see where each of their strengths lie.
Summer was sitting in the darkened medical bay watching over the fitfully sleeping Tenaya when she heard a shuffling coming from behind the equipment tray. Slowly she made her way over to the area where the noise came from to find it empty. "Must be the drug beginning to affect me", she said to herself as she turned around only to come face to face with a large humanoid shape in the darkness. She let out a startled scream as the creature pushed her down and dove straight into the ventilation system.
"Guys", she said into her communicator, "Something was just in the medical bay."
"Areyousure?", came Scott's reply, "Nochanceitwasjustthedrugsbeginningtoaffectyou?"
"The cut on my forehead and the bruise forming on my shoulder feel pretty real to me", she replied.
A sigh came through the communicator, "Alright", Scott said, "We'llkeepaneyeoutforit."
"Be careful", Summer said, "Whatever it is, it's big."
"Wewill", Scott said before closing the channel.
Summer pulled herself up from the ground and went back to sitting by Tenaya's side. "Here's hoping", she said to the sleeping brunette.
"So we've got another problem", Trent said as he leaned against the wall.
"Looks like", Scott responded.
Dillon staggered up with the plasma torch swinging wildly at the air. He dropped the torch at Cams feet before demorphing. Still swatting at the air he looked up, "Morphing didn't help", he said as he shielded his eyes from Cams activating of the plasma torch.
A few minutes later Cam had managed to cut through the door and they were all standing in the dark and silent engine room. Dillon was shaking slightly and sweating from trying to control the hallucinations that were swimming around in front of his eyes.
Justin shined his flashlight at the access panel Cam was examining, "Someone slashed this wiring", he said, "Looks like out mysterious visitor is a saboteur."
"Can you fix it?" Justin asked.
"Sure can", Cam replied before being knocked down by Trent who was frantically trying to get away from something.
"You can't be here", he said with terror evident in his trembling voice, "We destroyed you! I won't let you take me like you did my father!"
Still trembling Dillon grabbed him, "We'll be in the medical bay", he said shakily as he hauled a screaming Trent out of the room."
"Quite the will on that one", Justin said.
"You have no idea", Scott replied.
"And let there be light", Cam said as he twisted a couple wires together causing the lights around the ship to start blinking on. "Alright", he said, "Now that we can see, let's get some work done." He went over to the engine, but was sent flying backwards as an arm with a mounted blade swung out at him.
"ZEO RANGER FIVE RED!" Scott yelled as he morphed and ran towards the creature. Grabbing it's arm he yanked it out of it's hiding spot.
"It's one of those Daeva things!" Justin shouted as he morphed as well.
"Get this ship moving", Scott said to cam, "We'll take care of Ugly here."
"ZEO laser blade", Scott said as he pulled out a sword.
"Turbo sword", Justin said following suit.
They both ran up swinging their blades only to have them blocked by the creature who grabbed them and threw them out the door. Standing up they prepared for another encounter which came in the form of a flying kick aimed right at Scott.
"I have an idea", Justin said as he took off running, "Follow me."
The Daeva followed them down the corridor, but stopped in confusion as it ran into a small room. Scott and Justin dropped out of their hiding spots and swung out of the room hitting a switch on the wall causing the door to seal the creature inside.
"Should have attacked us before we restored the power", Justin said as he pressed another control causing the wall of the room to open. The creature struggled as it was pulled towards the blackness of space, but it proved useless as he slid through the gap. Quickly Justin closed the airlock and demorphed.
"Let's get moving", he said getting a nod from Scott.
A/N: Sorry about the update time... I won't lie, I had writers block. Abbadon is making his final run to the Frozen Star, but will the rangers be able to stop him? Please read and review.