Chapter 21: The Morphinaut: Part I
7780 BC - Frontier Lab - Planet 0117 - Galaxy A4 - Land Without Magic
"Years ago, I met a man named Zordon of Eltar" a scientist said to a fellow scientist "since then, I've been trying to make contact with him again. However, I believe he's gone missing. He's not been spotted in two decades and the Eltarian High Council is refusing to give any answers to whether or not he is okay. The only explanation I can think of is he is stuck in the Morphing Grid itself. I've designed this suit and the Proto Arch to find him. Now, at last, after years of calculations and predictions, nights and days spent analyzing and quantifying. All leading to this. Finally, I can enter the Morphing Grid and save Zordon of Eltar"
"I?" the other scientist asked "I think you mean we"
"I'm perfectly capable of running this myself, Chendil" the first scientist said "As I've told you for the past few months"
"And I've told you just as many times that it's safer with another set of eyes" Chendil said "especially on this monstrosity of a rig of yours. We should do an overload test…"
"Engaging startup sequence" the first scientist said
"…Or not" Chendil said as the first scientist activates the Proto Arch "I… I can't believe it… it really worked. That's…"
"Yes" the scientist said "the idea that everyone said that the Morphing Grid wasn't a physical place seems amusing now that I can enter it" and he walks through the portal and enters the Morphing Grid "Chendil are you getting this?! The readings are off the char! The energy is… I can see it… the horizon of the Grid… it's right in front of me. Now to find Zordon of Eltar…"
"What is it?" Chendil asked "your vitals just spiked"
"I could have sworn I felt…" the first scientist began "by the stars"
"What?" Chendil exclaimed
"There's…" the first scientist began "there's something… someone here… and it's not Zordon. It's… no! Shut it down!"
"Even if I wanted to I can't" Chendil said "the system, it's going haywire! What's going on?!"
"I'm sorry" the first scientist said
"Sorry for what?" Chendil asked and all he heard were the beeps of the other scientist's suit in response. "Please, just come back. If the Arch closes I don't know if I can bring it online again on my own! What are you doing?"
"Stopping it" the first scientist said as he enters a command into the computer on his gauntlet
"What did you do?" Chendil asked as the Arch close
Hall of Legends
"Well that was close" Simultaneous said
"What just happened?" Zeus asked
"Dark Specter almost escaped" Simultaneous said
"What?!" Poseidon exclaimed "how do you escape a time warp?"
"Apparently, when Zordon made the Morphing Grid and made it transcend time and space, it provided a little loophole for my time warps" Simultaneous said "as it transcends time, time warps are technically connected to it. If someone in a time warp can find their way to the Morphing Grid and someone opens a portal from the Omniverse to the rest of the Morphing Grid, they may find a way out. Now thankfully, Morphing Grid energy and Dark Specter don't mix well, so he can't wreak havoc in there. We're not so lucky with Zordon though, if he figures it out, and he will, he would be able to use the Grid to return to the Omniverse. I believe I can use my time magic to close this loophole, but it will take, well, time"
"You're the one being in the Omniverse that has all the time in the world" Ninjor said "can't you just go through time, find the answer, and come back with no time having passed?"
"Normally, yes" Simultaneous said "but here were dealing with the Morphing Grid and time warps, both of which are outside of time, so unfortunately, I'll just have to work at it until I find the solution and hope no one opens a portal to the Morphing Grid again"
7760 BC - Frontier Lab - Planet 0117 - Galaxy A4 - Land Without Magic
In the lab, a teenager is listening to the recordings from the scientists two decades earlier
"Dictated by Chend… redirecting the energy through a conduit… necessary… previous attempts at discovering optimal mat… inconclusive…" the recording said
"Yes, yes, conduit" the teenager mumbled to himself "like you've said a billion times, Chendil. Now how did you keep the system from overloading"
"Ori" the teenage's communicator said as a hologram of his brother popped up "Orisonth, I know you're there… where are you? The invaders have entered are system and will be here very soon. I have orders to teleport everyone to another world and set the teleporter to self destruct to stop the invaders from following us. Do I need to come find you myself?"
"I know, Kartor" Orisonth said "I know. You've call me three times already! I'll be there, ok? I'm just… doing some last minute preparation"
"Do not make me explain to Mom and Dad why you're…" Kartor began
"You won't, gotta go, love these talks!" Orisonth said and he turned off the communicator "One last time, this has to work… Please work" and he activates the Proto Arch, which explodes "I don't have time to replace the couplings before we leave. Guess I'll just file it under my greatest disappointments"
Elepis - Planet 0117 - Galaxy A4 - Land Without Magic
"Vivali, if they aren't here on time I will end them" Kartor said to a woman
"They would not be the only ones, Kartor" Vivali said "Namize stopped responding to us an hour ago. We're the only planet in the system left"
"It is as I feared, then" Kartor said "whatever security footage there is will have to wait. If it is as it was on Halloch, we cannot waste… forgive me, the stress from the evacuation has made me careless"
"Waste any more time" Vivali finished "you can say it. My Shandra hoped against all odds and did what she felt was right. That was her choice. We honor my daughter's memory by ensuring we get as many as our own to safety as we can. We cannot help Namize. But we can help ourselves"
"You're right" Kartor said "It's why we've moved evacuation up. As we speak, the south quarter is assembled to teleport, ahead of schedule"
"That leaves a quarter of the city" Vivali said "I will call in whoever is left of the reserves to help prepare the west quarter. If we're careful, we can avoid starting even more of a panic"
From a rooftop, Vivali's daughter Rhian is listening
"Footage, huh?" Rhian asked herself and then noticed her friend and his giant pet were calling up to her "you keep feeding her, Phiro, and she isn't going to know what to do with herself when we're gone"
"Wendi will be just fine, thank you very much" Phiro said "Besides, Rhian, it's not like I can take five tons of feed with me. And it keeps me from doing things like, I don't know, spying on my mom?"
"Another planet just stopped responding to us, just like Halloch" Rhian said "but this time there's footage"
"Rhian…" Phiro warned
"Don't you want to actually see what happened this time, instead of taking their word for it?" Rhian asked "Don't you want to know what actually happened to her? Well, I want to know"
"How are you going to do that?" Phiro asked as Rhian ran off "Rhian? Hey, wait up!" And they go to their friend Telosi's house and toss a pebble at his bedroom window and he looks out
"Perfect" Telosi said "I need to talk to you all"
"Yeah?" Rhian asked
"Xev hasn't called" Telosi said
"Something's going on" Rhian said
"Besides this whole early evac thing?" Telosi asked "You're right. Even if Xev has already been teleported across the galaxy, he'd call. Period."
"Apparently there's more to it all" Phiro said "Rhian heard something"
"Overheard, technically" Rhian said "but something happened on Namize"
"Namize?" Telosi asked "that's where Xev is"
"We don't know, Telosi" Phiro said
"But there's a video…" Rhian began
"Please tell me you have this video" Telosi interrupted
"Well, no" Rhian said "but we know someone who can help us get it… any idea where Ori is?"
Frontier Lab
Orisonth is gathering his things to take with him when hears a voice say
"Don't forget to lock the door" a teenage girl said, walking up
"Aleia" Orisonth said "are you trying to kill me with a heart attack?!"
"You look alive to me" Aleia said "aren't you supposed to be at the teleporter already?"
"I could ask the same thing of you" Orisonth said
"Just doing a farewell tour" Aleia said "Couldn't leave without saying goodbye to our old clubhouse. Is this where you've been disappearing to for the last few weeks. You've been so secretive lately, I was scared you we're trying to plan another surprise party"
"Hey!" Orisonth exclaimed "nothing as terrifying, no"
"Something less terrifying then?" Aleia asked "that doesn't really narrow it down.
"Well…" Orisonth began
"Ori!" Rhian interrupted as she walk in with Phiro and Telosi
"Oh wow" Phiro said "I haven't seen this place in forever. Did you keep the stasis chamber we put in?"
"How'd you even know he was going to be here, Rhian?" Telosi asked
"Just had a hunch" Rhian said
"Now everyone comes to visit?!" Orisonth asked
"Wait, are you here to bully Ori into hanging out again too?" Aleia asked
"Yeah, because you've all been rushing to do just that" Orisonth muttered to himself before turning to Rhian "what do you want?"
"Rude" Rhian said "but also I need help hacking into Command's computer"
"Again?" Orisonth asked
"Wait, what did I miss?" Aleia asked
"Namize's communications are down" Rhian said
"Like Halloch did…" Orisonth pondered
"I think there's video this time" Rhian said "instead of just vague claims of an emergency. I know I can find the video if you just get me into the system, Ori"
"Last time we did this, Halloch didn't even show up on the star charts anymore" Orisonth said "are you sure about this, Rhian?"
"If what happened at Halloch has happened to Namize… please, I just need to know. Phiro needs to. Can you get me in?
"I might…" Orisonth began, but then the power went out "they're diverting power"
"It's too early for them to be activating the teleporter" Phiro said
"Either way, no power, no hacking" Orisonth said "but I think I have a solution" and he pulls out a device and connects it to the computer, powering it up. He hacks into Command's computer and lets Rhian take the keyboard to find the footage
"And that is… what exactly?" Aleia asked
"A little something I whipped up to siphon energy from Morphing Grid to power our devices. It should be more than enough to power the computer"
"Wait" Rhian said "where did you get a connection to the Morphing Grid?"
"I was poking around here a couple of months ago and found a secret room" Orisonth said as he pulled out a box "all that was in it was this box" and he opens the box and they see six crystals in it each a different color and with a different animal on it, a red dragon, a green lion, a blue unicorn, a yellow griffin, a pink firebird, and a black hippogriff
"This seems like a lot just for a computer's backup power" Telosi said
"I'm guessing that wasn't the original plan" Rhian said
"The Proto Arch" Orisonth said "the Morphinaut's last discovery before he disappeared. I was trying to get it to work. I though, maybe if I could get it powered up? I could enter the Morphing Grid and find answers to whatever happened to the Morphinaut"
"Did it work?" Telosi asked
"No" Orisonth said "not really. I briefly got it to start its power cycle a few weeks ago. But I never got it to fully connect. Maybe, maybe if I had a little more time I could have gotten it working. But we'll never know now"
"That's pretty amazing" Phiro said "why didn't you tell us sooner?"
"I didn't think any of you would…" Orisonth began
"I'm in" Rhian said
"That… that can't be Namize" Telosi said as they looked at the footage of Namize being attacked by an unknown force
"They were attacked?!" Phiro exclaimed "why didn't anyone tell us?"
"So was Halloch" Rhian said "but they never said by what"
"What is that?" Phiro asked
"Why does it keep switching feeds?" Telosi asked as the footage keeps skipping
"That data's scrambled" Orisonth said "I'm shocked they got this much"
"Wait" Phiro said "does anyone else hear that?"
"It's feedback" Aleia said
"No, no, it isn't" Orisonth said "can you clean it up Rhian?" and Rhian manages to clean up the footage, revealing monsters attacking
"By the stars, what is that thing?" Phiro asked
"I… I can't look" Aleia said as they watch people rush towards a teleporter
"They… they aren't going to make it" Rhian said as she notices the teleporter beginning to self destruct
"They didn't have a chance" Orisonth said
"What are those things?" Phiro asked "Someone? Anyone?"
"There were people there" Telosi shouted "How could the government just remotely self-destruct the teleporter like that?"
"Telosi…" Rhian began
"They left half of everyone" Telosi interrupted
"They were being attacked, Telosi, they…" Rhian began again
"I don't care about the reason" Telosi cut her off again "Xev was there and he still hasn't called"
"Maybe they felt they had to do it…" Rhian said "… to save everyone else. From whatever that is"
"Like what happened to your sister?" Telosi asked "was her life worth everyone else's?"
"Telosi, c'mon" Rhian said, wiping a tear
"Hey, you all…" Orisonth said from outside the Lab "I think you all need to see this" and they looked up into the sky and saw a familiar sight
"Isn't that what attacked Namize?" Phiro asked
"That teleporter… they've turned it on!" Orisonth said "the evacuation's started!"
"We have to get to the teleporter, now!" Rhian exclaimed
Elepis
Rhian, Telosi, Orisonth, Phiro, and Aleia arrive at the teleporter
"Ori, you really do wait until the last minute" Kartor said
"Those things!" Orisonth said, pointing at the sky "what are they?"
"I'll explain later" Kartor said "we need to get through"
"Are you going to destroy it like you all did at Namize?" Telosi asked
"Is this what happened on Halloch?" Rhian added
"How do you know… never mind" Kartor said "we'll talk about this later. Now, you all need to get in the teleporter before…" and Orisonth's wrist computer beeps
"The Proto Arch… it's powering up…" Orisonth said "something came through… no… someone… they need my help
"Wait" Phiro said "you can't go alone, we're coming too"
"Ori, no!" Kartor said "Please, don't make me explain this to Mom and Dad. We need to go, we can't leave the teleporter active for much longer. Not without risking everything, everyone"
"Kartor" Orisonth said "I think I know who came out of there. If they're who I think they are, they could help us fight back this threat. Besides I couldn't live with myself knowing I left someone behind"
"Go then" Kartor said "I'll keep the teleporter online for as long as I can. But hurry, okay? We need you. I need you"
"If you say so" Orisonth said as he rushes towards the Lab, with Rhian, Telosi, Phiro, and Aleia following behind him
Frontier Lab
Rhian, Telosi, Orisonth, Phiro, and Aleia arrive to see a being in a glowing white suit passed out on the ground
"Are they… alive?" Aleia asked
"I swear this suit seems familiar" Telosi said
"Remember that old photo we keep… somewhere around here" Orisonth said "there!" And he points to a photo "that's him. The Morphinaut"
"But why is he glowing?" Rhian asked "is it safe?"
"I'm sure it's fine" Phiro said "can't seem to find a pulse though"
"He's… coming!" the Morphinaut said as he regained consciousness and then began to thrash around in pain
"What's happening?" Aleia asked
"What is that energy?" Rhian asked
"He came from the Proto Arch" Orisonth said "which was used in hope of being able to enter the Morphing Grid… that energy is Grid energy. I think those monsters weren't just destroying things for destruction's sake, they were looking for something… for a way to enter the Morphing Grid… the Proto Arch"
To be continued…