Emma, Gia, Cat and Eric got to the school early the next morning. Although Eric wasn't exactly thrilled about the idea of getting up to drive the girls to school for 7AM, he had agreed to do it, knowing that Emma had a lot of work ahead of her to put together the Thanksgiving float, he understood them wanting to get to school early.
As he pulled up to the lay by out the front of the school, he looked to Emma.
"I swear, I never wanted to be at school this early when I was your age." He stated as he looked to the girls. "Where are the others?"
"Troy's usually out running at this time." Emma told him. "He's probably already in the gym waiting for us."
"Well, try to have fun." Eric told them as they all started to disembark. Gia took Cat's hand as they got out, walking with her as they headed for the gym.
"I wonder how RICO's been without us." She mused. "I hope he hasn't been lonely."
"I don't think robots feel lonely." Gia assured her.
"Well, he really didn't want Emma to leave." Cat reminded her. "Maybe he's, you know, got feelings or something."
"Why would Metal Alice programme feelings into any of her robots?" Gia asked her.
"Why would she programme an attack robot with no targets?" Cat asked in response. "Maybe he can write some of his own programme, you know...like he can learn stuff?"
"Well, as long as he doesn't hurt anyone, he's getting the benefit of the doubt." Gia answered as they rounded a corner. They all paused as they saw something odd. "Um...wasn't there a flower garden here?"
"Yeah, there was." Emma answered, looking at the now-empty soil. "Someone pulled up all the flowers...the rest of the grounds look the same!"
"Why would anyone do that?" Cat asked. Just then, they heard a small cough behind them. Turning around, they found Principal Kwann standing behind them. She had her arms crossed, and was looking a little put out. Gia smiled at her.
"Principal Kwann, you're here early." She greeted her. "Did you see...?"
"I had noticed that the flower beds were missing." She told them. "Would the three of you mind coming with me?"
They followed her as she took them through to the gym. As soon as they arrived, they saw what Trini had intended to show them. The guys were all sitting on a bench silently, having been told to wait for them. The packing pallets were gone, and had been replaced by a float. It wasn't as if it was just a built up frame either, it was fully decorated as well, with flowers stuck to it all around, and the middle of it set up with a number of decorations. Cat looked to Emma and Gia.
"It's my 'Favourite Things' design." She told them. Principal Kwann just looked at them.
"So, I knew you were coming in early to work on this, so imagine my surprise when I found it built, and no sign of any of you." She responded. "Oh, and don't try and tell me the guys built it, because they arrived after me too."
"How...how early did you get here?" Emma asked.
"That's not really the point now is it?" Trini asked her. "So, for starters, I don't remember telling you that the flower beds were fair game to be harvested for this. And the rest of the decorations were 'acquired' from all around the school."
The girls just looked at each other, and realised what had happened. There really only was one explanation. If the guys hadn't done it, then the only one who was in the school who could have was RICO. He must have thought that when they commented how much work putting together the float was that they wanted him to do it. They suddenly hit on another thought. If Principal Kwann knew none of them had been in the school, did she...?
"Oh, I also wanted to ask, why exactly is there a robot in the basement?" She asked them. Emma just looked more than a little sheepish. "I did ask him, but all he'd say is that Emma told him to stay there."
Emma was now firmly on the spot. She didn't know what to say or do. While the others would back her up and support her in front of Trini, she had been named as the one responsible. She looked to Trini.
"Um...I'm sorry?" She offered weakly. "He must have misunderstood when we were talking about the float and thought we wanted him to make it. I'll...I'll find some way to replace everything that's been taken..."
"I'm not really concerned about the flowers." Trini interrupted her, folding her arms and looking to Emma sternly. "And that old copper kettle from the teachers' lounge should have been replaced years ago anyway. I'm just a little more concerned about why exactly there's an attack robot sitting in my basement refusing to leave because you told him he could stay there."
"He's one of Metal Alice's robots." Emma explained. "He was damaged in the last battle, and she left him behind."
"So of course you thought why not bring him to a school." Trini remarked. Emma just sighed, realising that it didn't sound particularly good.
"She ordered him to attack us, but he didn't." Emma explained. "Then when we tried to attack her, she threw him in the way and disappeared. She seems to think he's gone, or doesn't care about him. She doesn't seem to want him back. We thought, maybe we could learn more about her from him."
"Emma, it's commendable, it really is." Trini answered as she looked to her thoughtfully. "When I was your age...I did some pretty similar things myself, so I can't really judge you, but I have more than you and your...extracurricular..."
"I know they're the Rangers." Cat chimed in. She just looked around as the others stared at her. "What? She found RICO, it's not like we could be in any more trouble."
"All I'm saying is that I have more to thing about than your extra responsibilities. I have responsibilities too. I have a responsibility to the other students for their safety." Trini continued. "I'm sorry Emma, I don't doubt your motives, but RICO can't stay here. I'm sorry."
"I understand." Emma answered with a sad little nod. "Thanks."
"Just make sure you take him somewhere safe." Trini told her. "I really hope you're right about him."
As she left, Emma looked to the others. Jordan in particular didn't seem at all pleased.
"RICO meant well. He probably doesn't even realise he did anything wrong." Emma told them. "It's not like he hurt anyone."
"Emma, we know you mean well, but maybe Principal Kwann has a point." Jake suggested. "We didn't take him to the Command Centre because we were worried about him."
"Maybe it's time to face the fact that we can't change what he is." Jordan told her. "He's a weapon, he was always a weapon, and he'll always BE a weapon. What if he's designed to get us to trust him? What if he's meant to let us take him to the Command Centre and then activate?"
"He's not like that!" Emma insisted.
"Emma, it's not easy, but I trust your judgement." Troy admitted. "But that still doesn't change the fact that we need somewhere else to take him."
"Fine, I'll find somewhere else to take him." She responded. She looked to Gia. "I'll take him up to the woods. I'll find somewhere out there he can stay."
"Maybe he'll rust." Jordan snorted. Emma just glared at him, before storming off. Gia just looked to him.
"Do you have to be like that?" Gia asked him.
"I still say that we'd avoid all of this if we just destroyed him." Jordan answered. "He'd probably do the same to us if he wasn't all...busted and useless."
"Well...he is." Cat interjected. "He's actually kind of sweet. Because of him, you don't have to build this float."
Jordan and the others just looked to the float. It wasn't their first choice of designs; in fact it was the first one they rejected. Still, they didn't love the thought of having to build a new one, and it seemed pointless to take it apart now. Cat just grabbed Gia by the hand, and then took her to go with Emma to see RICO. The others just shrugged.
"I guess she has a point." Noah replied. "Besides, I guess we should know where he's going to be staying."
"Alright, whatever." Jordan answered. "But I am SO going to say I told you so when something goes wrong!"
As they got to the basement, Emma opened the door, finding RICO sitting on the bench. He looked up to her as she entered.
"Ms Kwann was unhappy RICO was here." He greeted her. "Ms Kwann unhappy when RICO tell her Emma tell him RICO can stay here. Did RICO do something bad?"
"No, you didn't do anything." Emma told him. "It was my mistake, I shouldn't have asked you to stay here."
"Did Emma see gift RICO make for Emma and her friends?" He asked.
"We found it." Emma assured him. "Thank you for doing that."
"Thank you?" RICO asked her. Emma realised he didn't understand what she meant. It was something that she had noticed about him; he seemed to have only a basic understanding of language. He was obviously only programmed to receive orders and communicate information with whoever gave him those orders, and some of his habits like constantly referring to himself and others by name instead of using pronouns like "I" or "you" showed that he wasn't really programmed to speak as others did. She had a feeling that Metal Alice would probably have little regard for social pleasantries like please and thank you.
"It's just something we say to each other when someone does something for us." Emma explained. "It's our way of saying that we're grateful...um...that someone did something good."
"RICO did a good thing?" He asked. Emma just nodded.
"You did." She told him. "And I'm going to do something good for you. I'm going to find somewhere you can stay."
"Thank you." He answered. As he got up, he followed Emma as she led him out of the school basement.
Back in the underwater base, Metal Alice turned on her surveillance, finding that now, the Rangers were heading out into the woods. As Vrak opened the communications link, she was busy tracking them.
"Have you gotten any results yet?" He asked her. Metal Alice just looked to him.
"They haven't said anything of consequence yet." She informed him. "I am certain they will allow their guard to slip soon. The Pink Ranger especially seems to have formed an emotional attachment to Robot 1 C 0."
"This is taking too long." Vrak told her. "Every day we waste brings us closer to the day Malkor hatches from that cocoon."
"I have things under control here." She assured him.
"You better. My patience is wearing thin." He responded. Metal Alice just turned back to the console as he signed off.
Out in the woods, the Rangers waited at the opening of a cave while Emma checked it out. Although they were sure that RICO didn't really need much in the way of shelter, they figured he at least needed somewhere he could remain out of sight. It wasn't like many people came hiking this far out, especially in winter, but they didn't want to take any chances. Noah, meanwhile, was taking the opportunity to run a few more tests on him with his laptop.
"Jordan, come and have a look at this." Noah told him. Jordan came over, checking the screen. "This looks kind of familiar doesn't it?"
"We already know that Metal Alice based RICO on the Robo Knight." Jordan responded.
"It's more than that." Noah told him. "RICO's systems aren't a copy...the technology is virtually identical."
"RICO like Jordan?" RICO asked. Jordan just held up a finger.
"You're nothing like me." Jordan responded.
"In one way he is." Noah told him. "I'm no expert, but I'd say most of his tech is identical to the Robo Knight armour. If I was to hazard a guess...I'd say his blueprint is Eltarian in origin."
"No doubt another little trinket Vrak picked up from Lord Zedd's stash." Jordan grumbled. Just then, Emma came out of the cave.
"Alright, nothing's hibernating in there." Emma announced as she came out. "I guess a lot of the bears and stuff moved on because of the attacks. You should be safe here RICO."
"RICO safe?" He asked her. "Thank you."
"It's alright RICO; it was the least I could do." She told him.
"RICO thought the least one can do is nothing?" RICO stated. Emma didn't bother to tell him what she meant. It was obvious he just missed the fact it was just a saying.
"Well, we'll be back later for you. To see how you're doing." Emma told him, before fetching out her camera. RICO looked at it.
"What is that?" He asked her. Emma just looked to him.
"It's a camera. One of the things I enjoy is taking pictures of things I like." She told him. She flicked through a couple of pictures she had saved on it to show him. "I take a lot of pictures of my friends."
"Why?" He asked in response.
"Well..." She had to think of a way to explain it. "Human memories aren't like robot memories. Our memories fade over time, so we take pictures to help us remember places we've been and things we've seen. I like to have pictures of my friends so I remember the times I've spent with them."
"Emma wants to take RICO picture?" He asked. Emma just nodded.
"Oh for God's sake." Jordan grumbled. "Emma, he's not a friend, he's a MACHINE!"
"Well, maybe if we show him some kindness, he'll be a friend." Emma told him. "Friends share things right?"
"Emma, he does whatever you say. If you want to know what Metal Alice..."
"Metal Alice is not RICO's friend." RICO declared. "Metal Alice was not nice to RICO like Emma is."
"You see?" Emma asked him. "We can ask him whatever we like, that doesn't mean to say we can't be nice to him about it."
"Whatever." Jordan sneered. "Maybe I'll ask my toaster if it wants to go on a date when I get home."
"I'll set it up on a timer. That way we can all be in the picture." She told RICO, ignoring Jordan's remark. "See, so we're all friends."
"We're not seriously doing this right?" Jordan asked. "You want me to get in a picture with THAT?"
"Jordan not like RICO because RICO is robot." RICO stated. "Jordan is not friend?"
"Wow, you're smart. You managed to figure that out." Jordan said sarcastically.
"Jordan, there's no reason to be like that." Cat reprimanded him. "RICO's done nothing to you. He's been nothing but nice."
"Jordan is Emma's friend. RICO wants to be friends with all Emma's friends." RICO told him. "RICO wants to be Jordan's friend."
"Yeah, don't hold your breath for that." Jordan responded.
"RICO does not breathe." RICO answered.
"Some people take longer to be friends than others." Emma assured RICO. "Now Jordan, you're my friend and I want you in this picture."
Jordan just threw his hands up and lined up with the others as Emma set up her camera.
Back in the underwater base, Metal Alice was watching the footage. She started stroking the side of her head.
"Such endless inane prattle, it's worse than one of those humans' reality shows." She complained.
Back in the woods, Emma had set up her camera, and after a little convincing, had finally gotten the others to take a few pictures with RICO. She knew that strictly speaking he couldn't actually "enjoy" anything, but she could swear that the way he was acting, it was almost like he loved being a part of group. He had even asked them to take a few more pictures just to make sure he had pictures with all of them.
As they were packing up to go back to school though, Noah saw something that troubled him. The plate on RICO's chest had a light on it that started blinking.
"What is that?" Noah asked.
"What's what?" Emma asked, before seeing the light. She looked to RICO with concern, touching the light with her fingers. "RICO, do you know what this is?"
"RICO doesn't know." He replied. "Is this bad?"
"We need to find out." Emma told him. She pulled out her morpher.
"Emma, what are you doing?" Troy asked her.
"RICO could be in trouble, we need to know for sure!" She told him.
"But Emma..."
"I'll take the blame!" She told him. Before anyone could stop her, she grabbed RICO and teleported. The rest of them teleported after her, realising she was taking RICO to the Command Centre. Cat just looked around at the bags left lying around.
"I guess I'm taking everyone's stuff back to school." She sighed as she started gathering their stuff together. "At least I don't have classes to worry about."