Jason, Tommy, Adam, Katherine, Tanya, Malcolm, and Laura touched down in a large room that resembled an airport hangar. Seven Zords, all of which resembled very high-tech vehicles, were lined up in a row against the far wall. Almost immediately, Alpha materialized in front of them.
"Rangers, these are your Turbo Zords," Alpha explained. "They are automatically programmed to deliver you safely to the harbor where the Ghost Galleon is and Zordon recommends you rest during the journey so that you'll be at full strength to use the ship to get to the island of Muranthias."
Jason gazed at Malcolm worriedly, but Malcolm silently nodded, "Jason, here is a pack of medical and food supplies to divide among the seven of you as it is needed," Alpha said as a large backpack suddenly appeared in his hands and he handed it to Jason. "Tommy, Malcolm, are you sure you're both well enough to do this?"
"I'm fine," Tommy replied calmly. "My Uncle Frank helped me while I was recovering at his cabin."
Malcolm was silent for a moment and then sighed, "I'm well enough to get through this mission, Alpha," he replied in a shaky, yet very determined tone. "You said my Zord will pilot itself to the ship, right?"
"Yes, but you need to be in the driver's seat," Alpha replied. "It activates itself by motion sensors."
Nodding, Malcolm silently walked over to his Zord without looking at the others, "I don't want to end up killing anyone on this mission, yet I feel we may have to," he said in a hollow voice. "I think we just need to get to the Ghost Galleon as quickly as possible; it'll be a long and dangerous journey, but we can…"
"What's wrong?" Laura asked, suddenly feeling that Malcolm was hiding something important.
Letting out a sigh, Malcolm shook his head, "I'm just tired and overwhelmed by what happened to Rocky," he lied, knowing that their mission could be in jeopardy if he revealed the complete truth.
Before Jason could open his mouth, Malcolm silently opened the Zord door, got behind the wheel, and quickly closed the door so that he wouldn't have to talk to anyone, "Maybe we'd better keep an eye on Malcolm and make sure he gets rest and food once we're on the ship," Katherine suggested in a concerned voice as she looked at Jason worriedly. "I'm not sure he's entirely okay with doing this."
"Rangers, you all must hurry," Alpha cut in anxiously. "If Maligore is unleashed, he will conquer Earth."
As Jason, Laura, Tommy, Adam, Tanya, and Katherine all went to their Zords, Alpha stepped into the shadows and pressed a few buttons on his chest. In the Glacier Snow Hummer, Malcolm was responding to Alpha's communications and was also relaying some of the information to an outside source.
The hangar door suddenly opened and all seven Turbo Zords took off outside and into the unknown.
"Good luck, Rangers," Alpha said quietly as the hangar door closed. "I hope Billy's plan succeeds."
Okay, so the Turbo Rangers are on their way. Billy heard a gentle voice suddenly speak in his mind. Hang in there.
Letting out a sigh, Billy gazed around the cargo hold and was relieved to see that Bulk and Skull were still very much asleep in their corner.
Skull had been very tired and weak during the journey and had only woken to eat what little they were given and Bulk was just plain scared. Kimberly was also still a prisoner, but she was allowed out of the cell every now and then for 'walks' with her soon to be husband at Zedd and Rita's insistence. Divatox and her goons couldn't care less about any of them…
Billy, what's going on? Laura's voice suddenly echoed in his mind. I was thinking about you and…
Billy's eyes widened; Laura obviously had received some special abilities as a result of all her exposure to magic and her time as a Ranger. Laura, don't keep in touch with me. They'll use it against you.
Billy, something's not right. Laura's voice replied softly. Malcolm's acting strange; he knows something.
The cargo hold doors suddenly opened and a nervous looking Kimberly came into the room with Zedison holding to her arm for support as he moved forward, "I found our walk pleasurable, Kimberly," he said in a tired voice as he released her and touched the wall for support. "I must go back to my mother now."
"Zedison, why are you so intent on being evil?" Kimberly asked in a distressed voice. "Billy's exhausted from this, Skull's sick, and Bulk is frightened out of his wits. I'll stay here and you can let them all go."
Zedison frowned, "I was not aware that Skull was sick," he replied in an almost remorseful voice.
"H-He's recovering from cancer," Billy spoke up nervously as he looked up at Zedison. "This is…"
There was a brief silence, "Attention all passengers and prisoners, we are now approaching the passageway that will take us to the island of Muranthias," a gruff voice spoke. "Prepare for…"
Zedison scoffed as he waved his hand and a small metal box appeared on the floor, "There are things in there that will help you all survive the journey," he hissed as he reached out to Kimberly. "My dear…"
Realizing that Zedison was going to most likely present her to Rita for preparation, Kimberly silently took Zedison's hand and guided him from the murky chamber. As the doors closed, Billy scrambled over to the metal box and opened it; several small water bottles, packets of food, basic first aid supplies, several small grenade-like detonators, and a small device that looked like a mirror, but came with a small stick.
Zedison knows. He knows that something drastic will happen. Billy thought anxiously as he pocketed the detonators and the device, "Bulk, see if you can get Skull to wake up," Billy said as he grabbed some of the food and water and turned to Bulk. "I guess they don't want us dying before we get there."
"Zedison, why are we in here?" Kimberly asked as she and Zedison entered a room and she saw a tired looking Lerigot huddled in the corner and concealed by shadows. "Who's that furry little guy?"
For a moment, Zedison's face was blank as if he were confused by what Kimberly was saying, "I don't know who you are or where we are, but where's Kat?" he asked in a quiet voice. "She's my sister…"
"Kat's your sister?" Kimberly asked in a concerned voice. "Are…are you Mark Hillard by chance?"
Zedison nodded and then suddenly, he blinked, "My parents have asked you to come here to try and convince Lerigot to use his powers so we can cross through the barrier safely," he spoke in the dark, toneless voice that Zedison used. "You have a noble heart and you may be able to convince…"
The doors suddenly slid open and Rita came into the room, "Ah, Zedison, you have brought Kimberly to try and convince the furry little wizard to use his powers," she said in a pleased voice. "Excellent."
"Yes Mother," Zedison replied tonelessly as he turned towards Rita's voice. "I shall convince her."
Letting out an amused cackle, Rita left the room, "Stay here and talk to Lerigot," Zedison stated in a firm, yet unusually soft voice. "I have to speak to Billy about this; I need his help. Do you understand?"
"You're struggling, aren't you?" Kimberly asked softly. "You're struggling to survive just as we are."
Zedison said nothing, however; he merely let out a very distressed sigh and felt his way out of the room.
The door creaked open and Billy was surprised to see Zedison enter, feeling his way along the wall, "Billy, we must speak," he said, flinching at the whimpers he heard from Bulk. "Are Bulk and Skull doing all right?"
"I got Skull to eat a little bit, Mister Zedison, sir," Bulk spoke up nervously. "He fell asleep again…"
Zedison was silent and Billy edged closer to him, "Billy, we must speak," he replied softly. "Listen…"
Thunder rumbled and hard rain fell outside while Dr. Oliver eased himself into the living room recliner and immediately propped his leg up. Justin was lying on the couch with a pillow under his head and a blanket covering an old pair of oversized pajamas that used to belong to Tommy.
The TV, which was rarely used except to watch family movies, news, and cartoons, was broadcasting a news program, but Justin was ignoring it and the glass of orange juice that was on the table in front of him that Dr. Oliver had gotten for him.
There was a knock at the door and Dr. Oliver suddenly heard footsteps, "Ashley, if it's any reporters wanting information about what happened, don't open the door," he said in a very tired voice.
"It's some lady with brown hair and a huge smile," Ashley said in an anxious voice. "Should I…?"
Dr. Oliver smiled, "That would be Ms. Appleby," he replied in a pleasanter voice. "You can let her in."
The door opened quite quickly, "Hi Ashley," Ms. Appleby's voice filled the house. "Is Doctor Oliver in?"
"I'm in here," Dr. Oliver replied as he looked at Justin. "Justin, will you please drink some juice?"
Justin sighed and continued to ignore the juice just as Ms. Appleby came into the living room carrying a large grocery bag, "I went by the hospital, but Detective Stone said that you and Justin had left and that you'd both come back to visit Rocky when Justin was feeling better. Is it true that you…?"
"Took on guardianship of Justin?" Dr. Oliver finished, smiling at her. "Yes, I am his legal guardian now."
Ms. Appleby smiled at Justin just as he looked at Dr. Oliver, "Doctor Oliver, I'm tired," he replied in a sleepy voice as he looked at Dr. Oliver. "Can I just nap here for a while or do I have to go to my room?"
"No, you can sleep on the couch if you want to," Dr. Oliver replied gently as he eased his leg off of the ottoman, gripped his crutches, and slowly stood up, "Would you like a cup of tea, Ms. Appleby?"
Ms. Appleby nodded, "Doctor Oliver, can I watch TV with Justin?" Ashley asked softly. "Please?"
"If your homework is done, then yes," Dr. Oliver replied calmly. "Nothing over a PG rating, please."
Ashley nodded and hurried over to the chair that Dr. Oliver had just been sitting in, "…We now give the City of Angel Grove an exclusive," a different voice suddenly said evilly. "We have a few of your citizens as our prisoners and the Power Rangers are currently in pursuit; would you like to meet the prisoners?"
Looking alarmed, Dr. Oliver hobbled back over to the TV just in time to see the cargo bay appear on the screen with Bulk, Skull, and Billy inside. The scene switched to another cargo bay where a shaking Kimberly was sitting on the floor in a poorly lit room next to a strangely dressed Mark Hillard.
"Oh my," Ms. Appleby said in a worried voice as she came up beside him. "Doctor Oliver, what…?"
Swallowing hard, Dr. Oliver silently collected himself, "Ms. Appleby, I have some things to do in my office for a few minutes," he said in a distressed voice. "Would you mind watching the kids?"
"Of course," Ms. Appleby replied, her eyes still glued to the TV as Rita appeared on the screen.
Dr. Oliver nodded, quickly hobbled out of the living room and didn't stop until he was inside his office with the door closed. He sat down behind his desk and quickly activated a small machine on his desk.
The Power Chamber was unusually quiet despite the fact that Alpha and David were working side by side at one of the consoles near the med-bed. Zack was still lying in the medical capsule and, although he hadn't woken, his lifesigns were steadily improving thanks to Zordon's small donations of energy.
"…The Turbo Zords are in pursuit, but once they go through the passage, we'll lose contact with them," Alpha explained as he worked on some controls. "What you heard me tell Malcolm is not to leave this room and it's Malcolm's choice alone if he chooses to tell the others of what he has learned…"
David nodded, but looked concerned, "Is there any way to avoid it?" he asked in a worried voice.
"No, I'm afraid there is not," Zordon spoke gravely as he suddenly appeared in his tube.
For a moment, David was silent and then sighed, "…Power Chamber, this is Doctor Oliver, do you copy?" a distress-filled voice suddenly echoed throughout the Chamber. "Somehow, Rita hacked the news stations and alerted Angel Grove to the current crisis; tell the Rangers that they're being watched…"
"Alpha, contact the Rangers," Zordon quickly replied. "They should be at the dock by now."
Alpha nodded, "Ai-yi-yi," he stated anxiously as he worked the controls. "Rangers, come in…"
"…Rangers, come in," Alpha's voice filtered through Jason's Turbo Zord communicator. "Rangers…"
As Jason's Turbo Zord slowed down to shift on to the road that would take him and the other Rangers to the harbor and the Ghost Galleon, he tapped the communicator console, "Jason here, Alpha," he replied in a determined voice. "We're approaching the road that will lead us to the harbor. Rangers, check in."
"Red Turbo Ranger checking in," Tommy's voice replied. "This trip's been smooth sailing so far."
"Green Turbo Ranger checking in," Adam's voice replied. "I'm getting sick of this desert view."
"Pink Turbo Ranger checking in," Katherine's voice replied. "I'm ready to rescue the innocent."
"Yellow Turbo Ranger checking in," Tanya's voice replied. "Let's get there and get this done."
"White Turbo Ranger checking in," Malcolm's voice replied. "Is anyone else's Zord acting funny?"
"Blue Turbo Ranger checking in," Laura's voice replied. "Mine says it's preparing to store up…"
Suddenly, all seven Turbo Zords came to a stop and promptly ejected all of the Rangers from the driver's seats into a standing position on a blacktop road, "Storage sequence initiated," a robotic voice said.
"Alpha, we just got ejected from our Zords!" Adam cried into his communicator. "What do we do now?"
There was a momentary pause, "Adam, the Zords will store themselves on the ship and help you and your fellow Rangers avoid detection by Divatox's submarine," Zordon's voice replied. "Take a few moments and then, when you are ready, proceed on foot to the docks; they are only a short distance…"
"Take a few minutes for what?" Tanya asked, eager to get on the ship and stop Divatox's evil plan.
A horrible retching sound quickly answered Tanya's question and she turned just in time to see Malcolm kneeling in the sand with a hand on his forehead, "It's so warm out here," Malcolm whispered.
Frowning, Jason and Tommy quickly walked over to where Malcolm was kneeling in the sand. Jason quickly dug through the emergency pack, took out a large water bottle, and quickly opened it.
"Drink some of this," Jason said in a gentle voice as he knelt next to Malcolm. "It'll help."
Malcolm shook his head, "I'll drop that, my hands are shaking so bad," he replied anxiously.
"Jason, Tommy, help Malcolm drink the water and get him to the ship," Zordon's voice replied.
Jason nodded and put the water bottle to Malcolm's lips, "Open your mouth and tilt your head back just a little bit," he replied calmly, wincing as Malcolm struggled to drink and swallow any of the water.
As Jason put the water away, a wave of cold air suddenly washed over the Rangers and fog quickly enveloped them and also covered the desert that they had just travelled across. Only a very narrow, blacktop road ahead of them was visible. Laura winced and suddenly doubled over in obvious pain.
"Laura, what's wrong?" Katherine asked in an alarmed voice. "Zordon, something's wrong with…"
There was a loud hissing noise and then silence, "We lost contact," Tommy cut in worriedly.
"Rocky's not doing so well," Laura replied softly as she slowly straightened up with a hand on her forehead. "I don't know how, but I'm seeing his hospital room in my mind and he's doing bad."
Adam frowned, "We never visited him before we left," he replied in a somber voice. "What if he…?"
"Adam, I know how we can help Rocky even from here," Malcolm suddenly spoke in a more steady voice than he had used just a few minutes before as he slowly got to his feet. "I'll give him some power."
Katherine looked alarmed at Malcolm's suggestion, "You're not strong enough to do that," she replied in a worried voice as she walked over to her boyfriend and placed a hand on his arm. "It could kill you."
"Before he graduated, Billy taught me how to use technology to create a holographic image of myself and transfer power to another if it was ever needed," Malcolm replied as he grabbed the pack out of Jason's hands and rifled through it. "Laura, did Billy give you any details about the Turbo technology?"
Suddenly looking frightened, Laura shook her head, "Zordon said the powers were a great treasure," she replied anxiously, not wanting the others to know about her sudden telepathic abilities. "I don't…"
"Malcolm, this could kill you," Tanya replied in a worried voice. "How can you contact Rocky alone?"
Swallowing hard, Laura immediately looked at Malcolm, "Because he won't be alone, he'll be able to," she replied in a calmer voice. "I have telepathic abilities and we can get into Rocky's mind that way."
"How do you have telepathic abilities?" Tommy asked in a confused voice. "From the seizure?"
Laura shrugged, "Or maybe it was from the cave-in at the Power Chamber," she replied softly.
"All right, we'll try it once," Jason spoke up in a determined voice. "Then we have to get going."
"Rocky?"
Rocky suddenly felt afraid; he knew that he had been badly hurt by the attack at the shelter and that he was now either in a coma or dead. His eyes refused to open and his body was in a state of numbness.
"Rocky, relax," a gentle voice suddenly echoed into his mind. "Just relax so we can help you."
There was silence and then Rocky suddenly found himself standing in front of a hospital bed where he was lying unconscious, hooked to several machines, and secured in a neck collar. He was surprised to see ghost-like versions of Malcolm and Laura standing in front of him looking tired but determined.
"Rocky, you're not dead," Malcolm spoke calmly. "You're in bad shape, though, and you need power."
Rocky nodded and swallowed hard, "I'm not a Ranger anymore, though," he replied. "How can I…?"
The ghost-like Laura smiled and took Rocky's hands in her own, "By my power, you will live and be able to resume life," she replied in a tired voice as Rocky suddenly felt power surge through his tired body.
"Am I paralyzed?" Rocky asked, taking notice of the neck collar. "How can I live a life paralyzed?"
Malcolm smiled, "My mother was blind and she lived well," he replied softly. "So can you, if you wish to."
Suddenly, the two ghost-like figures faded and Rocky found himself alone once more and staring at the helpless figure in the hospital bed; could he really do something productive in life being paralyzed?
For a moment, Rocky was silent and then it hit him; just because he wasn't a Ranger anymore didn't mean that he didn't still have power. He could make a difference even if it was from a wheelchair.
Letting out a sigh, Rocky held out his hands and smiled as he felt energy surge into his weakened body.
The room was silent for a several minutes and then Rocky slowly opened his eyes. He gazed around the hospital room for several minutes before a nurse came into the room and gasped at seeing him awake.
Loud ringing filled Justin's ears, but he ignored it and stayed asleep; he had stayed awake for a few moments before asking Ashley to turn down the TV so he could sleep. Ashley had told him to rest and had turned the TV off, choosing to go to her room and read so that he could rest in total quiet.
The ringing suddenly stopped, "Hello, Oliver residence," Justin suddenly heard Dr. Oliver say in a concerned voice. "Yes, this is Doctor Oliver; if you're a reporter, please don't call here again…"
There was silence for several minutes, "…Really?" Dr. Oliver's voice replied in a surprised voice. "That's wonderful news, Mrs. DeSantos, but I'm afraid that Justin's not coming until he's over his cold…"
"Rocky?" Justin asked in a groggy voice as he opened his eyes and looked up at Dr. Oliver tiredly.
Dr. Oliver placed a finger to his lips, "…Yes, Mrs. DeSantos, I promise that when Justin's better, I'll bring him by the hospital for a long visit with Rocky," he said in a gentle voice. "…All right, then; good bye."
"Is Rocky awake?" Justin asked anxiously, wincing as he suddenly broke into a coughing fit. "Ow…"
Dr. Oliver nodded, "That was Mrs. DeSantos on the phone and Rocky woke up just fifteen minutes ago," he replied in a gentle voice. "Rocky asked about you, apparently, but you're still sick and I'm not about to let you go running around Angel Grove even if it is to visit a friend. Is your throat still bothering you?"
"Yeah, a little," Justin replied in a distressed voice. "I've had sore throats before, but they went away."
Dr. Oliver sighed, "I'll make you some lemon tea," he replied gently. "If your throat's not better by tomorrow, Justin, I'm taking you to the doctor while Ashley's at school. Your health's important."
"What about your work?" Justin asked, wincing at his sore throat. "Won't you get in trouble for skipping school?"
Dr. Oliver chuckled, "No," he replied in an amused voice. "Just rest your throat for now, all right?"
Justin nodded and sighed as Dr. Oliver hobbled into the kitchen, "After you have some tea, it might be a good idea for you to have a little soup and then go to bed," he heard Dr. Oliver say in a concerned voice.
"Do I have to eat?" Justin asked, wincing as he struggled to talk. "I could barely drink that juice."
There was silence and then Dr. Oliver hobbled back into the living room holding a flashlight and an ear thermometer along with his crutches, "Why didn't you mention how bad your throat was at the hospital?" he asked in a worried voice as he sat on a stool in front of the couch and set his crutches against the end table. "The hospital wouldn't have sent you home if you had more than a cold."
"I didn't want to be any more trouble," Justin replied softly. "I already feel so bad about what happened to Malcolm and Rocky. Now, Malcolm's off on a scary mission and Rocky's hurt and in the hospital."
Dr. Oliver looked concerned, "What happened to Malcolm and Rocky isn't your fault, Justin," he replied softly, suddenly realizing that Justin was blaming himself for Rocky being in the hospital. "Now, if your throat's really bothering you, I should take you to the hospital tonight instead of waiting. They'll probably want to run some more tests."
"What if they make me stay?" Justin asked, wincing as he talked. "I don't wanna be there alone."
Letting out a sigh, Dr. Oliver set the flashlight and thermometer on the end table and grabbed his crutches, "Who said you would be alone?" he asked gently as he stood up. "Ashley, come into the living please."
"Yes sir?" Ashley replied, quickly hurrying into the living room. "I was just about to get some dinner."
Dr. Oliver sighed, "I have to take Justin back to the hospital so he can have his throat looked at," he replied in a distressed voice. "Do you mind coming with us and hanging out til we know what's happening? I'm sorry that dinner will have to wait, but Justin's throat can't wait until morning."
"No, I don't mind," Ashley replied, gazing worriedly at Justin. "Are you going to be okay, Justin?"
Justin shrugged, "David left his truck and keys here, so I'll drive," Dr. Oliver said in a concerned voice. "Justin, rest your voice."
Nodding, Justin slowly got off the couch, "Should I get some outside clothes on?" he asked groggily. "I don't know if I can."
"Just put a jacket on over those pajamas." Dr. Oliver replied gently as he hobbled to the kitchen to get David's keys.
Justin sighed, grabbed the blanket from the couch, and wrapped himself up in it, "That works too," Dr. Oliver replied as he hobbled back into the room with David's keys and his wallet in hand and saw Justin huddled in his blanket. "Let's go."
Fighting the urge to cough, Justin followed Dr. Oliver out of the house and over to David's truck that was parked in the driveway. As Justin and Dr. Oliver got into the truck, Ashley locked the house and hurried to join them.
A moment later, after everyone was in the truck and buckled in, Dr. Oliver pulled the truck out of the driveway and drove towards the hospital.