Dr. K stood, staring at the Rangers as they stood, staring at her in judgement. The few minutes that had passed seemed like days as she backed up a little. She had assembled the team personally, all except for Ziggy of course, he was an accident, and right now he seemed to be the one that was threatening to take all she had worked hard for away from her.
She shrunk a little under their gaze. She shifted nervously as she tried to muster up some strength to respond to their defiance.
"Y...you can't kick me out!" She stammered weakly. "Project Ranger's down to me, if it wasn't for me there wouldn't be a Project Ranger..."
"There wouldn't be a Project Ranger if it wasn't for us either doc." Flynn interrupted her. "Look, I didn't want it to come to ultimatums. I've been with Project Ranger since day 1. I've not always agreed with or understood what you were doing, but I've always trusted you."
He gestured to the door behind her, drawing closer to her.
"This is just something I can't support." He continued.
"The only thing we have that separates us from Venjix is our humanity." Summer explained gently. "If we don't have that, then we have nothing."
"But she's still dangerous." Dr. K protested weakly. "With her strength she could escape..."
"How would you feel if it was you?" Summer asked her.
Dr. K slumped against the wall and covered her face with her hands. She still didn't understand what their point was, but she could see everything she had worked so hard for over the last four years falling apart before her eyes. She knew logically that Project Ranger couldn't work without the Rangers. They were bonded to the technology on a genetic level, they couldn't be replaced, and Corinth needed them. Of course the Rangers had threatened her that they wouldn't work with her any further. She was about to lose Project Ranger to them. It was her whole world; she couldn't bear to let it go.
"Come in with me Ziggy." She told him, opening a panel, revealing the retinal scan. "You want this, if I help her, she'll be your responsibility."
"What about you?" He asked her.
"You've all made it quite clear you don't want me to have anything to do with her." She replied quietly, turning her face from him as she used the scan and opened the door. "After removing the implants from her spine, I'll take no further part in her care."
Ziggy and Dr. K disappeared into the lab, leaving the other Rangers outside. Dillon took Summer's hand softly and jerked his head in the direction of the stairs.
"Do you want to talk about your therapy session?" He asked her. Summer looked up to him, biting her lip nervously, and shook her head.
"I'm not quite ready for that." She replied. "I would like to talk though. Is that cool?"
"I think I can manage that." He said with a smile, leading her up the stairs to the main room. Scott looked to Flynn and gestured to the stairs.
"You can go too." He told the Blue Ranger. "I'm sure you'll probably be a little worn out after everything that happened today."
"What about you?" Flynn asked him. "Are you sure you'll be alright?"
"I told you, this thing with the flight recorder; I won't let it get in the way of my duties." He reiterated quietly. "Look, I know it's unlikely Marcus survived, I know it's just wishful thinking. The thing is...it's all I have left of him."
"I understand you wanting to keep a piece of him close by." Flynn said sympathetically, patting his arm gently. "I already promised I wouldn't say anything. Just think about how you really want to remember your brother. Do you really want the thing you use to remember him to be the recording he made when he was shot down?"
"I guess not." He muttered. "Look, I just want to make sure Dr. K's alright, I know something like this would have shaken me up. I just want to make sure she's on the same page with us."
"I understand. I'm going to bed, just...let me know if you want to talk." He replied. "I'll see you tomorrow."
Scott grabbed a stool and took a seat by the side of the door, waiting for Dr. K and Ziggy to finish with their prisoner. He wasn't used to questioning her, and he knew that Dr. K would not be used to being questioned. Even before Project Ranger, she had headed up several military research departments. She was obsessive about order and procedure, she would freak out if anything at all about her work was questioned, and her entire team had just threatened insurrection. He knew she would be far from happy, and as team leader, it was his responsibility to make sure the team as a whole functioned properly. He hated to think what would happen to them if Dr. K left, that was the last thing he wanted.
Meanwhile, inside the lab, Dr. K fired up the lights as she sealed the door behind them. Ziggy noticed Tanaya's head lifting as the lights came on. He came around in front of her, seeing the pleading, helpless look in her eyes.
"We're going to help you, I promise." He said to her in a soothing tone, looking into her eyes.
"I don't think she'll be strong enough just yet, but her results are looking good." Dr. K told him. Ziggy gave her a slightly unconvinced look, causing her to hold up her hands defensively. "I'm not trying to avoid this, I swear, I honestly worry that if we put her through too much trauma, that she won't survive."
"What would you suggest as a suitable timeframe for the second surgery?" He asked her. "When can we remove the other implants?"
"Since the implants are attached directly to the spinal cord, we have to take great care removing them. Without the regenerative serum, her spinal cord won't recover if we damage it. We'll have to take our time over it." Dr. K explained to him. "I wouldn't feel comfortable taking any less than 18 hours over the removal of each implant. Her body won't be up to taking that all at once. She'll need to recover between treatments."
"How long are we talking about?" Ziggy asked her; still uncertain as to how honest she was being about this. Dr. K seemed to be examining a few monitors.
"I think she'll be strong enough for the second surgery in another 24 hours." Dr. K said quietly. "By then she should be strong enough from the surgery to remove her heart implant. By removing the implant from her upper spine, I should be able to restore the function to her upper body. After that though, it'll be a while before I'd be comfortable to risk a third surgery."
"How long?" Ziggy asked her.
"I won't know until we see how she recovers, but I'd estimate at least a fortnight to recover." Dr. K suggested. "Until that time, she'll still be paraplegic, presuming nothing goes wrong with the second surgery."
He ran a hand through his hair as he considered the options. He got a glimpse of her eyes, and saw the slightly hopeful look in her eyes.
"How do I take this off?" He asked, beginning to inspect the muzzle. Dr. K let out a sigh and came over behind her, disengaging the locking mechanism securing it in place. Ziggy carefully removed it, placing it down on a nearby work bench. He pulled out a handkerchief, gently wiping her face.
"Do you understand everything?" Ziggy asked her.
"You wish to remove the restraining implants." She replied.
"How are you feeling?" He asked her.
"I'm feeling a little weak, and...strange." She replied. "I can't concentrate properly, I'm dizzy..."
"Are those side effects from the anaesthetic?" Ziggy asked Dr. K. She nodded to confirm his suspicions.
"I don't want to risk putting her under again until I'm sure the anaesthetic's out of her system." She informed him, continuing to check things on the nearby console. "She should be ready by tomorrow."
"Do you understand what's happening?" Ziggy asked the captive. Tanaya looked into his eyes and nodded.
"You'll remove one of the implants." She responded. "I'll only be disabled below the waist if it works."
"There's nothing I can do for her tonight." Dr. K stated, making her way to the door. "I've set the retinal scan to allow you into the lab. I'll be back tomorrow at midday to begin the procedure."
She left the lab, sealing the door behind her. Ziggy turned back to Tanaya, stroking some hair out of her face.
"Why are you doing this?" Tanaya asked him. "We're enemies..."
"We don't have to be." He answered her softly. "There's good in you, I could see that."
"Venjix's programming has affected me for so long." She murmured. "I've had one or two flashbacks. I know I was human, I had a life before all of this happened. I just don't remember it. The implants and the programming in my brain affected my thoughts..."
"It's alright, I understand." He informed her. "Dillon's my friend, he has implants like yours too, and he doesn't remember anything about his life before either."
"I don't know if I can be a good person." She said sadly. "Maybe your boss is right, maybe it would be safest if I'm left like this. Maybe it would be best if I'm destroyed."
"People might have said the same about Dillon, and look how much good he's done." Ziggy responded as he poured her a cup of water and came back to her, gently helping her drink some. "There are so many people that he's saved that wouldn't have lived if we hadn't given him a chance."
"But all the things I've done..."
"It's like Summer said to Dillon. It doesn't matter where you've been. All that matters is where you're going." He interrupted her, stroking her cheek gently. "That orphanage means everything to me; the matron's been like a mother to me almost all my life. I would never have let you have the opportunity to attack it if I thought you would harm them."
"But I was under Venjix's control, I had no choice..."
"You did, and you made it." Ziggy reminded her. "Not many would have chosen to die rather than harm others. That's why I'm confident you're a good person at heart."
"It would still be safer not to help me." She reminded him. "Venjix may try to reclaim me."
"Being unable to harm people doesn't make you good." He stated with authority. "Having the choice and still doing what's right is what makes a human a good person."
He picked up the muzzle, inspecting it for a second, causing Tanaya to panic slightly. He looked at her, seeing the look in her eyes, and cast his gaze back to the muzzle. He could see how much the thought of going back into that terrified her. He dropped it into the trash.
"I know you don't need this." He told her, touching her hand softly. Tanaya managed a small smile at the gesture. She wished she could feel it; the Green Ranger's kindness had been the only thing that gave her any hope of having anything other than a life of slavery. "I'm going to get a sleeping bag, I'll be back soon."
"You're going to sleep here?" Tanaya asked him. Ziggy nodded.
"I wouldn't want anyone to be alone at a time like this." He answered her. "It wouldn't be right."
Meanwhile, Dr. K was sitting alone on the roof of the Garage, staring out over the city. Tears were running down her face as she considered everything that had happened over the day. More than that, the events of the last day made her consider everything that had happened over her life. Scott had been in the hall outside the lab when she left, but she wasn't able to face any of the Rangers. She pushed past him and ran to the roof for some privacy. It was bad enough that her team didn't want her; the last thing she wanted was for any of them to see her in her despair. That was why she was careful to ensure Ziggy didn't see her face as she checked Tanaya's vitals to determine when she would be fit to undergo the next surgery.
Scott opened the roof access door, finding her sitting on the edge of the roof, looking out over the night. She glanced backward, seeing him before turning back out over the city.
"I've already agreed to help her." She stated, wiping away a tear. "You don't have to say anything; I know you don't want me."
"Dr. K, I already told you, we didn't want things to go down like that." He reminded her, making his way towards her and placing a hand on her shoulder gently. "We want you on the team. None of this would have been possible without you."
"Please, you chose Ranger Green over me." She muttered. "You all stood against me, you don't respect me."
"We respect you, we just didn't feel right about the way you were treating Tanaya." He reiterated. "None of us wanted to do it that way, we all kind of hoped we could get you to change your mind without going that far, but you were cutting us out. It seemed like the only way we could make you see what you were doing."
"I know you all think I'm a heartless monster." She sniffed, wiping her eyes with her sleeve. It was only then that Scott noticed the quiver in her voice and realised she was crying. "I don't mean to be, I've just always had a problem with other people. I've never been able to identify with others properly."
She wrapped her arms around herself to protect herself from the worst of the early evening cold.
"Science, medicine, engineering, electronics, computer programming, all those kinds of things have always come easily to me." She told him, thinking back over her life. "I graduated High School when I was 7. When most kids were worrying about what shoes to wear so their friends wouldn't make fun of them, I was picking university courses."
"You're young, you developed early, I get that." Scott told her.
"I'm 18 years old and I already have six doctorates." She informed him. "I was picked up by the government after earning my High School diploma. The CIA brought me in because of my science project."
"The CIA was interested in a 7 year old?" He asked her. She nodded.
"I designed a nuclear reactor." She explained, recalling the incident with a small laugh. It all seemed so ridiculous at the time. "They saw my home computer downloading all these details of nuclear fuels and schematics and launched an investigation. They thought one of my parents might have been a terrorist. It was only when they inspected things more closely they realised it was me and that the whole thing was innocent."
"You know if anyone else told me that, I'd have doubted them." Scott sniggered, trying to imagine a 7 year old Dr. K explaining the intricacies of a nuclear reactor to the CIA.
"I was taken into the government think tank after that." She explained. "I was hot-housed and run through courses until I was up to speed. I was first brought into a meeting when I was 13. I was terrified to look around at all those people; I had read most of their books and papers. They were legends, idols to me and here I was, a kid introduced to them as an equal."
She breathed a sigh and composed herself to continue. Scott took a seat nearby.
"A few of them laughed at me, some of them to my face, some of them behind my back. Most of them just ignored me." She explained. "What could a kid like me know that could help them?"
"I guess that explains the whole computer screen thing." Scott replied. "I guess we were all a little surprised by the fact you were so young."
"I've just never been able to identify with people." She continued. "I have Asperger Syndrome. It's a kind of mild Autism."
"Really?" He asked her.
"I just occasionally have problems with other people's feelings." She explained. "Circuit boards and cybernetics, those are easy, but other people? That's what really baffles me."
"It's tough to think of you being confused." Scott replied sympathetically, taking off his jacket and putting it around her. "You looked cold."
"Thank you." She whispered gently, pulling it around herself. "You don't need to worry; I'll respect your decision. Once I've removed the implants, I'll go. I know that the success of Project Ranger relies more on you than it does on me. If you can't work with me, I'll leave."
"I said it before; we don't want you to leave." Scott told her, sitting down with her and putting an arm around her. "You're as much a part of the team as we are."
"Somehow I don't think I'd suit the Ranger exoskeletons." She said with a weak laugh, turning a little smile at the thought.
"Well you don't need the suit. You do enough for us." Scott assured her. "Just, try not to forget that you aren't the only one on the team. Sometimes it's worth listening to the others and making a decision as a group."
He got up and started to head towards the door, before stopping and turning back.
"I have one more suggestion. You might want to try using our names." He suggested. "Ranger Red's cool and everything, but I prefer Scott."
"I'll bear that in mind." She replied. "Thanks Scott."
He left her alone on the roof to her thoughts. She still felt isolated and alone as a result of the threatened insurrection, but Scott had gone some way towards accepting her back into the group. She knew things would never be the same in the group. They now no longer accepted all of her directions without question; she wasn't in complete control as she had been. It scared her a little to consider how things had changed, change always scared her. She had a somewhat obsessive need for order in her life and her surroundings, any change was hard for her to accept, but she had worked too hard on Project Ranger to walk away. It was her life. As much as it scared her, she would have to embrace change.
As she got up, something fell out of the pocket. She bent down and picked it up, seeing it was a disk. Inspecting it more closely, she realised that it was from a flight recorder.
"Why would Scott have a flight recording?" She asked herself.