Author's Notes: Hi, readers. Here's chapter nine of "Running From Here." Zordon and Alpha make their first appearance in this chapter. More dinosaurs will be shown in the next one along with another prehistoric creature or two. Stay tuned for chapter ten.
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Chapter 9: Informing/Searching/Found
Zedd stood on the Lunar Palace's balcony as he listened to Goldar tell him about the capture of the Jurassic Park survivors and imprisoning them on Isla Nublar ten minutes later. Tigton and Scorpina were on one side of Goldar. Squatt and Baboo were on the other side of him. Zedd chuckled once Goldar finished with his story. He raised his staff a little bit.
"You made a smart move blasting the ground with lightning to knock the Power Rangers off their feet. It enabled all of you to get away with the prisoners!" Zedd cackled.
"They put up a great fight, my liege, but it was not enough to stop us," Goldar responded while waving his hand in the air.
"The survivors put up a great fight as well. They used trashcans and trash to fight us. John was smart to use a zoo cart to move faster since he was rather slow," Scorpina pointed out.
"Even old people know when to find ways to move faster," Tigton added as he held up a finger.
"It does not matter, my fierce tiger," Zedd said, planting his staff into the floor. "What matters is you managed to score a victory for the first time since Tommy returned as the White Ranger."
"You are so right, sir!" Tigton said and gave a salute. "There is nothing better than the smell of cooked Rangers in the afternoon."
"Maybe we can add some rattlesnake stew to that," Squatt joked, a snicker coming from him.
"I would love that!" Baboo commented and made a slurping sound. "Rattlesnake stew is great for breakfast, lunch, or dinner!"
"I can't argue with that!" Squatt blurted out delightfully.
Zedd shook his head in disbelief as the dimwits high-fived each other. He went to the balcony and looked westward. He shot his visor beam at Earth. He could see John, Ian, Alan, Ellie, Lex, and Tim looking at each other. The Putties stood at various points. They garbled and gibbered to themselves. Tim started to scan his surroundings.
"Okay. I spy with my little eye something that begins with R," Tim whispered and pressed his lips together.
"Is it a raptor?" Alan asked.
"No," Tim answered in a blunt way.
"Is it a rose?" John wondered while looking toward him.
"Unh-unh," Tim responded with a shake of his head.
Ellie took a deep breath. "Is a rock?"
"Yes, it is," Tim responded and let out a relieved sigh.
"Yes!" Ellie whispered delightfully.
Ian smiled. "Ellie, you are the best I Spy player of this group."
"That's the truth," Ellie said and chuckled to herself.
Lex cleared her throat. "Just try not to get arrogant, Dr Sattler."
Zedd chuckled and switched off his visor. He turned around to face his minions, whom all were eager to hear what had to say. He walked to the edge of the first stair.
"The prisoners need some more people to play games with them, so I want all three of you to head back to Isla Nublar," Zedd said, looking toward Goldar, Scorpina, and Tigton.
"All right, my lord," Goldar said, giving a respectful bow. "Do you want any of us to let you know when the Power Rangers have arrived?"
Zedd shook his head. "That will not be necessary. I will keep an eye on the island myself. Once the Rangers land, I will encase it in the force field. It will be invisible, so they will not know they are trapped until they try to teleport out or contact Zordon."
"That is a good way of going about this plan, Lord Zedd," Scorpina commented warmly.
"You really are the greatest master ever," Goldar added.
"That's enough groveling, Goldar," Zedd growled annoyingly. "Get to Isla Nublar now."
Goldar bowed in respect again. "Of course, sir."
Goldar, Scorpina, and Tigton teleported to Earth. Zedd came down the stairs as Squatt and Baboo walked up to him. He moved his hand up his staff a little bit. He breathed deeply.
"I have to say this is the best plan we have ever carried out, Lord Zedd," Squatt said, clapping twice.
"It is all thanks to you. If you had never mentioned wanting to trap the Rangers on Isla Nublar, it would never have come to fruition," Zedd responded with a soft chuckle. "Though you and Baboo are rather brainless, you can be quite brilliant."
"Thanks, Lord Zedd!" Baboo said in great warmth.
Zedd went to his throne and seated himself. He placed his staff across his lap before curling his hands into fists. He laughed quietly as Squatt and Baboo came to his side.
"It would be such a delight if we saw Rexy go after the Power Rangers for a meal," Zedd said while laying his fists on the arms of his throne.
"I wonder where that nickname came from, my lord," Baboo commented curiously.
"It probably came from rex in the scientific name," Squatt suggested.
"The Tyrannosaurus is the largest of all the theropods. It has the strongest bite force of any land animal," Baboo pointed out truthfully.
"The claim that the Tyrannosaurus is the largest theropod may not be true. The Spinosaurus is believed to be larger than the Tyrannosaurus is," Zedd murmured as he held up his hand. "The original remains were destroyed in a bombing during World War II."
"But more remains of that dinosaur were found in its original place of discovery in Egypt," Baboo said.
"That is true, Baboo," Zedd agreed. "Some dinosaur genuses have more than one species attached. Some are unofficial. Others are doubtful."
"Now, why continue using the name of a species if it is doubtful?" Baboo wondered as he scratched his temple.
"I believe it is because scientists are hopeful that they will find more fossils to match the doubtful species," Zedd suggested. "Sometimes, the genus becomes a new one."
"It is amazing humans have come up with unique names for so many animal and non-animal species," Squatt said gleefully.
"There is no doubt they will discover more new species as the years pass," Baboo added while rubbing his hands together.
"That won't be happening at all because we will have conquered Earth after the Power Rangers are gone. I will gather my own scientists and have them dig up fossils for us to examine carefully," Zedd answered, an evil chuckle coming from him.
"Oh, I definitely like that idea better," Baboo said and clapped four times.
"Me too!" Squatt said and laughed in delight. He began to talk about the time Goldar put a frog in his bed.
00000
Tommy paced back and forth in the Command Center's main room forty-five minutes later. His heart pounded against his chest. Alpha pressed buttons on the console in front of the plasma tube. Jason, Zack, Trini, and Kim watched from nearby. Everyone had his or her helmets laying on the console to the right of the Viewing Globe. Zordon kept his eye on the entire group. Tommy stopped his pacing and looked toward Alpha.
"Have you found any trace of our new friends yet, Alpha?" Tommy asked worryingly.
"Ay-yi-yi-yi! I'm trying my best, Tommy!" Alpha cried frantically as he turned around to face his friend. "The problem is I can't seem to find them anywhere!"
"You need to calm down," Kim said gently.
"How can I calm down, Kim? Lord Zedd has an old man and two young kids in his grasp!" Tommy shouted angrily. "He could be doing something terrible to them right now! I'll hurt him if he is!"
Tommy kicked the console in frustration. This caused everyone to jump in much fright. He balled his hands into fists. He placed them on his temples. Jason approached him carefully.
"I know how you feel, man," Jason said in much sympathy. "I'm just as worried about those people, especially John, Lex, and Tim. So are the others. At the same time, we can't think about terrible things that could be happening to them, Alan, Ellie, and Ian. We won't be able to get anywhere."
"Jason is right, Tommy. We must keep positive in this unsettling situation," Zordon boomed.
"I get what you and Jason are saying, Zordon, but I find it hard not to worry about these people. We've known these people for a few hours, but it feels like we've known them our entire lives," Tommy said, looking very uncertain.
"The way you feel is understandable, Tommy," Zordon said. "Alpha and I fear for every one of you whenever you go into battle. We still try our hardest to keep positive for your sakes."
"It happens to be the best way to remain focused on the situation at hand," Billy commented, putting his hands on his sides.
"We lose focus without a positive attitude," Trini added.
"Our enemies can easily conquer us when that happens," Jason said.
Tommy sighed to himself as he lowered his fists to his sides. He wanted to be positive, but he found it difficult because of the current situation. He and his friends knew Lord Zedd could decide to turn his attention to attacking another part of Angel Grove. This would make things more uncertain due to having to decide who would go rescue John, Lex, Tim, Alan, Ellie, and Ian while the others battled his soldiers.
Tommy took deep breaths before glancing down at the floor. He closed his eyes as the tension started to fade from his body. He uncurled his fists slowly. He looked at Jason, Kim, Billy, Zack, Trini, and Zordon. Alpha came closer and placed his hands on his head. He moved it back and forth before doing the same from side to side.
"I understand what you five are saying," Tommy said in a calm way. "I'll try my hardest to be positive."
"Good for you, Tommy," Kim replied in a proud voice.
Jason exhaled. "We are in this together, no matter what."
Tommy nodded at his best friend. They and others heard beeping and turned toward the console. Alpha made his way over to it quickly. He pressed two buttons as his friends gathered around him.
"It seems the computer has located the kidnapped group, Rangers," Alpha said in excitement.
"Where are they?" Billy wondered.
Alpha looked up. "It should come up on the Viewing Globe any second now."
The computer beeped twice. Tommy, Kim, Jason, Trini, Billy, and Zack went to the Viewing Globe. They could see John, Ian, Alan, Ellie, Lex, and Tim tied to the trees and being guarded by Goldar, Scorpina, Tigton, and the Putties. Scorpina went over to Lex and ruffled her hair. Lex hissed at her defiantly as Goldar and Tigton turned around.
"Don't touch my hair, you witch," Lex snapped.
"A feisty one, aren't you?" Scorpina said with a smirk. "I love feisty girls."
"I do too," Goldar agreed.
Tigton growled. "Don't count me out on that."
"I hope the Power Rangers kick your sorry asses!" John snapped in much anger.
"Grandpa!" Tim blurted out in shock.
John swallowed hard. "I am sorry, Tim, but I am so angry at these monsters right now."
"So am I," Alan said through clenched teeth.
"Me too," Ellie added.
"Me three," Ian chimed and flared his nostrils.
Tigton laughed tauntingly. "Oh, we are so scared!"
Goldar, Scorpina, and Tigton turned to look at the Utahraptor still feasting on the carcass. The Power Rangers gasped shockingly. Zordon and Alpha appeared to be very calm.
"Zordon, are our eyes deceiving us, or is that a dinosaur?" Billy yelled.
"It is, Billy. It is the Utahraptor," Zordon responded.
"But I thought dinosaurs were extinct," Trini said as she and the others went to their mentor.
"That was no ordinary dinosaur you saw. That Utahraptor is actually a clone. That rainforest is part of an island called Isla Nublar. It is located one hundred twenty miles off the coast of Costa Rica. It was the sight of a failed amusement park called Jurassic Park. It housed dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures brought to life through cloning," Zordon pointed out.
"Why have we never heard of Jurassic Park?" Jason wondered.
"About a month before Rita escaped her dumpster, Zordon and I decided to spend a day viewing Earth through the Viewing Globe," Alpha said while lowering his arms. "We caught sight of Isla Nublar. We were shocked to see dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures were living on it. Then we realized they lived in Jurassic Park. It was owned by John Hammond. He is the CEO of InGen, a bioengineering company. He had a dream of showing prehistoric creatures to the world."
"You mean that elderly man was involved in cloning?" Trini whispered in surprise.
"He had a team of scientists extract DNA from fossilized mosquitos encased in amber in order to create his prehistoric creatures. They used frog DNA to fill in the gaps. The critters were bred to be female to avoid population increase. After a series of dangerous incidents, John invited Alan Grant, Ellie Sattler, Ian Malcom, and Donald Genarro to inspect his park. Lex and Tim Murphy joined them soon after. Everything was going well until Dennis Nedry unleashed a virus that crippled the computer system controlling the park. The animals broke out, including a Tyrannosaurus named Rexy. Rexy killed Donald and badly injured Ian when he and Alan tried to rescue Lex and Tim from their overturned car," Alpha commented seriously.
"Alpha and I rested for the night. We found that Ian had been rescued by Robert Muldoon and Ellie the next morning. They had barely escaped Rexy. Ray Arnold disappeared while trying to return power to the park after he shut it down. Robert covered for Ellie as she went to turn the power back on. She succeeded while he was killed by the Velociraptors. She discovered Ray was dead when his severed arm landed on her. She and Alan reunited and rescued Lex and Tim from two Velociraptors that were hunting them for a meal. Lex rebooted the system while Alan and Ellie kept one of the creatures at bay. Alan called John to get him to phone the mainland for a helicopter. He, Ellie, Lex, and Tim were cornered by the Velociraptors, but Rexy killed both of them. She saved their lives. They were able to escape to the helicopter along with John and Ian. The group swore never to speak of the incident," Zordon finished.
"Since then, the prehistoric creatures have lived in a very stable ecosystem. They were able to change sex due to the frog DNA in their blood. That enabled them to breed. Several species have increased their numbers," Alpha added.
Tommy, Kim, Jason, Trini, Billy, and Zack breathed hard. They saw the story they had just heard to be the most unbelievable one ever. They never thought anyone could bring prehistoric creatures back to life. They had desired to see them in person. At the same time, they thought it was rather dangerous. They heard Zordon clear his throat.
"You cannot waste time, Rangers. You must go to Isla Nublar and rescue the survivors," Zordon said urgently.
"It will be very risky," Alpha said, coming to the front of the team. "Ay-yi-yi. Prehistoric animals have never played around when it came to finding food and defending themselves."
Jason glanced at him along with the others. "But our weapons should be able to fend them off if they attack us."
"That may not be enough, Jason," Zordon said with a shake of his head. "However, there is something that may help you in your quest to rescue those people."
"What?" Zack wondered.
"Your Power Coins have the spirit of the animal you represent. They enable you to communicate with them through telepathy," Zordon explained.
Billy felt his jaw drop. "You mean we would actually be able to talk to animals, even if they are clones?"
Zordon nodded. "Yes, Billy."
"Wow!" Billy said in amazement.
Alpha raised his arms somewhat. "You must go now, Rangers. Be careful. You could be walking into a trap."
"We'll take that chance, Alpha," Tommy said in determination. He and his teammates went to grab their helmets. They returned to the robot. "Back to action!"
The Power Rangers teleported out of the Command Center. Alpha turned toward Zordon, who blinked twice.
"Ay-yi-yi. I hope the Rangers can make it to the Jurassic Park survivors, Zordon!" Alpha cried.
"Try not to worry, Alpha. The Rangers are clever and resourceful. They will survive the island," Zordon assured gently.
"Okay. I will work on this console for now," Alpha said and went to the console before the tube. He proceeded to press buttons.
