Ryuranger
11-18-2003, 07:54 PM
“Life has a way of throwing up unsuspected turns. Turns we never ask for. Turns that go against everything we stand for and believe in. We can either accept these changes and explore these turns,
or travel the same road. The road to nothingness. The road to death”
-- Dr. Marcus Androgans, 2101
“New Age Thinking”
---Ultimate Power Rangers
---Season 05
---Digital Task Force Astro Rangers
---Chapter Four: Finding Your Past
The Galvopsee Outpost was established on the barren world for the sole purpose of mining gases which, for a time, were integral to starships for propulsion. That time past, but the outpost remained for reasons yet unknown.
But for whatever the reason of the outpost’s continuing existence, Cy seemed surprised when he picked up a distress call from the planet. Tommy had insisted they check it out, despite Cy telling him distress signals were beneath their notice.
After entering orbit around Galvopsee, the Rangers morphed and road their Cyber Sliders to the outpost, which rested on the side of a large mountain-scape which dwarfed the largest on Earth.
The Rangers flipped off their boards and landed outside the outpost, noticing a figure hunched over a bridge, gasping for air. The back of the Galvopsian’s head was dripping with green blood.
Astro Red walked over to him and laid a hand on his shoulder. “How badly are you hurt? Who did this?”
The Galvopsian turned around and the Rangers were glad they wore helmets to hide their shock. The Galvopsian’s eyes were on opposite corners of his face, which seemed to be made of different layers of folded skin. He didn’t have a mouth but the fold in the center of his face flapped slightly as he spoke.
“You are…Rangers?” he asked. “Real Rangers?”
Astro Red nodded. “Yes. What happened.”
The flaps on the Galvopsian’s face bent upwards. “Then there is hope.”
“Sir,” Astro Pink said as she kneeled down towards him. “Can you please tell us who did this to you? Are there any others injured?”
“Not here,” the Galvopsian said as he pointed down a trial. “They moved to our sister site a few moments ago. We wouldn’t cooperate with them so…”
The Galvopsian slumped as his body went limp.
Astro Red shook his head. “Let’s get down that trail,” he said.
***
In the sister camp, Craterites tossed workers into crates of gas, cut them down with blades, and punctured flammable materials causing several explosions.
A lobster-type beast walked over to a fallen Galvopsian who was wide-eyed with fear as he stared up at the monster. The monster lifted his claw arm and prepared to strike down his victim.
“Hold it!” Astro Red shouted as he leapt through the air and flying sidekicked the monster off the man. The monster quickly recovered and fired a yellow energy blade from his claw that struck Astro Red to the ground.
Craterites surrounded the Red Ranger as he rose from the ground and flipped a soldier over his shoulder. He then turned to his left and sidekicked a soldier in the face. He snapped the same leg around to hook kick another soldier that tried to sneak up on his side.
The other Astro Rangers began fighting against the Craterites too, trying to keep them away from the Galvopsian workers.
Astro Yellow blocked a soldier’s sword and knife handed that soldier in the neck. She then turned to face a soldier coming at her directly ahead, and jump kicked that soldier in the face.
A saber streaked towards Astro Pink’s head, but she grabbed the soldier’s wrist and twisted him to the ground.
Astro Blue kneed a soldier in the gut, then elbowed it on the back. He turned and blocked a blow from another soldier, then sidekicked that Craterite in the face.
Astro Black struck a Craterite with an uppercut to its midsection. He then flipped that soldier to the ground and stepped on its throat as three other soldiers charged him. One from ahead, one from his left, the other from his right. He backfisted the soldier on his right, low blocked a soldier’s blow from in front of him and cross punched it in the face, then hook punched the soldier to his left.
The five Rangers regrouped and ran to face the lobster monster.
“Give Astronema a message for me,” Astro Red said. He downloaded his Drill Saber and ran towards the creature. “Saber Slash!”
His blade energized and slashed through the creature twice, causing him to fall back and explode.
“Just don’t make em like they used to,” Astro Blue said.
“Let’s get the injured to our sick bay,” Astro Red said. “Then let’s find out what makes this planet so important to Astronema.”
***
Tommy sat at the desk in his room reviewing a data pad as Galvopsee spun outside his window. The doors to his quarters opened and Cy burst in.
“Do come in,” Tommy said sarcastically.
“We’ve done all we can for the injured Galvopsians and they’re back on the surface. We should go,” Cy said sternly. “We’ve wasted enough time.”
“We saved lives, Cy. That’s never a waste of time,” Tommy said.
“We can’t go answering every distress call that comes around,” Cy said. “We’ll never find Zordon at this pace.”
Tommy sighed. “Look, I knew we’d have this conversation eventually, and I’ve tried to figure out a polite way to do so. I haven’t had much luck.”
“Do go on,” Cy said.
“Your job was to give this ship to me and my team. This means I’m in charge,” Tommy said.
“You don’t know the difference between an inductor coil and an impulse manifold,” Cy said.
“Now I do,” Tommy said as he held his data pad. Cy simply rolled his eyes so Tommy continued. “Listen, Cy…I’ll be the first to admit I’m in over my head in this space thing. That’s the only reason I haven’t decked you yet. Like it or not, I need you. We need to work together. But you have to understand, technical knowledge has nothing to do with leadership ability.”
“It doesn’t matter how you define leadership,” Cy said. “We still can’t go around responding to every SOS that comes up.”
“That’s where you’re wrong,” Tommy said. “We will help in whatever way we can. It’s our responsibility.”
“Our responsibility is to find Zordon,” Cy said.
“And you can be damn certain we will,” Tommy said.
The urgency in Tommy’s voice made Cy pause. Tommy traced his fingers around the medallion the Dark Man had given him. “Something tells me we’ll be doing a lot more though.”
“Where did you get that?” Cy asked with a wrinkled brow.
“Why?”
Cy pulled an identical piece from beneath his jacket and activated it. The image was different from the one on Tommy’s. “These are Holocons, unique to KO-35.”
“That’s your family?” Tommy asked.
“Yes,” Cy said. “They…”
“I’m sorry,” Tommy said. “I know what that feels like.”
“That’s you and your family?” Cy asked.
Tommy nodded.
“How is that possible?” Cy asked.
“I don’t know,” Tommy said. “I don’t know what it could mean. I recognize my mother’s face vaguely, I know for certain that’s my father and that’s me…but the girl…”
“These lockets are meant to bond members of a family together, no matter how much time or distance comes between them,” Cy said. “If that’s truly from KO-35, and I don’t see any other explanation, there will be a record of that family on KO-35.”
“Could this be a fake?” Tommy asked.
Cy shook his head and extended his own medallion towards Tommy’s. They started to shine brighter as they came closer. “That glow symbolizes the medallion’s bond to KO-35. It can not be faked.”
Tommy sighed. “This is crazy.”
“Maybe we should head to KO-35,” Cy said.
“Wouldn’t that be a waste of time?” Tommy asked.
“I don’t believe in coincidence,” Cy said. “Something tells me that your medallion will be key to finding Zordon, and ultimately, defeating Sauron.”
***
Astronema walked into a black empty room within her Dark Fortress. She kneeled and laid several multicolored stones around her. She closed her eyes as the stones started to glow and images started to shape within the room.
Suddenly, Astronema was kneeling on nothing bur air as she faced a tall rocky tower that extended up from the barren rocky ground of Eltar. A fiery eye appeared before her that sent a shiver down her spine. The sound of the rushing fire in the eye filled her brain. The sounds spoke to her.
“Yes, my lord,” she said. “The Earth Rangers are still at large. My soldiers do not have enough power to…no, my lord, I am not questioning your strength, I simply…no my lord, I have no wish to see them destroy our way of life. You have shown me the horrors that would consume the galaxy if their kind is allowed to survive…yes my lord…the Kerovian System will be their grave”
The image slowly dissipated as the room returned to normal. Astronema stood and stormed out of the room.
Eclipter was waiting for her and stepped into place behind her as they made their way down the corridor to the Gene-pool.
“I am not in a pleasant mood, Eclipter,” Astronema said.
“I am sorry, my princess,” Eclipter said.
Astronema entered the gene-pool. The half a dozen troll-like creatures that worked at various stations meshed into the wall stopped to kneel. In the center of the room was a large portal. The portal was responsible for melding genetic material and creating Astronema’s monsters.
“Who created the creature that was destroyed at the Galvopsee outpost?” Astronema asked. “Speak up.”
One of the trolls stepped forward. Astronema could almost hear his legs clamp together. “I-I did, highness.”
She extended her hand and blasted the troll with a purple energy bolt. “The next abomination that steps from this gene-pool better have ten times as much power. Your latest creations have been jokes.”
She stormed out of the room with Eclipter following behind her.
***
The Astro Megaship blasted through hyper space on its way to KO-35. Only Tommy and Cy were on the bridge as the other rangers tended to duties elsewhere on the ship.
“I don’t want the others to know about this,” Tommy told Cy. Cy simply nodded.
The purpose of the Astro Ranger’s mission was two fold: Their main objective was to travel to various points in the Kerovian system and deploy a small group of probes. The probes would execute a volley of scans and gather vital information that would be transmitted to the Astro Megaship at any location via an encrypted, non-traceable signal.
While the rest of the Rangers deployed the probes, Tommy would travel to KO-35 and try to learn the secrets behind his locket.
The Megaship reverted to real-space just inside of the Kerovian System as the teens gathered some supplies from their lockers near the Morphing Tubes.
“You’ve been awfully quiet today,” Ashley said to Tommy.
“Long night,” Tommy said.
“You’re awful at hiding things, ya know,” Ashley said with a smile.
Tommy grinned as he closed his locker. “I know.”
The teens started walking towards the tubes.
“You know,” Kat said, “Don’t you think it’s a little strange we’re launching these probes from here of all places?”
“It’s an abandoned system,” Tommy said. “Cy knows it well in case we run into trouble.”
“I suppose,” Kat said, dropping the subject.
“Last one back has to mop the deck for a week,” Justin said as they stepped onto their platforms and hopped through the tubes. Their transformation was triggered as they barreled down the tubes. They shot outside the ship on their Cyber Sliders.
Five probes lined up in front of them after being dropped from the hanger. The Rangers maneuvered their Sliders above the probes and latched onto them with the bottom of their boards. The probes themselves were just a little large than the Cyber Sliders.
“Okay,” Astro Red said. “Get to your drop off points, then get back to the ship.”
The five split up and blasted through space.
***
Astro Red dropped his probe from his board at his designated location, then flew towards KO-35. He flew over the planet’s barren moon, then came to a halt when the colony world came into view. It took his breath away. This blue and white gem shined with a luster Earth hadn’t known in ages.
“Incredible,” Astro Red said as he leaned forward and headed towards the planet’s atmosphere.
***
Astro Red flipped off his Cyber Slider and landed in a deserted plaza area. The wind howled across the empty streets of ornate concrete and steel.
He started walking through a walkway lined with arches.
“That complex Cy told me about has gotta be around here somewhere…” Astro Red said as he pulled out his hand-held scanning device. It started blinking blue a few miles from his location.
“Life signs…that’s impossible,” at first Astro Red suspected a trap, but then he narrowed the search field. “They’re human…could there be survivors?”
He ran across the plaza to where he’d picked up the life sign. The signal vanished when he arrived. He shook his head and examined his surroundings. Behind him, a pool of liquid metal collected on the ground and emerged to form Eclipter.
“You!” Astro Red shouted as he assumed a fighting stance.
“Astro Red,” Eclipter said as he assumed a fighting stance. “Are you ready for a rematch?”
“I’ve been itching for one, tin head,” Astro Red said as the two circled around each other. Fighting Eclipter was quite a challenge for the Red Ranger. The android’s programming allowed him to analyze his opponent’s every move and instantly come up with a defense and counter strike. Each blow was flawless and efficient, not a single move was wasted.
Eclipter tossed off his cape and charged at Astro Red. The Red Ranger leapt through the air and aimed a flying punch towards Eclipter’s head, but the android grabbed his fist and struck the Ranger on the back. Astro Red fell to the ground and Eclipter placed his foot on the Ranger’s chest. Red Ranger instantly drew his sidearm, but Eclipter grabbed his wrist and twisted the weapon out of the Ranger’s hand.
Eclipter then lifted Astro Red up and ran through the archway while bashing him against each of the stone arches. When they reached the end of the archway, Eclipter tossed Astro Red into a shallow pool of water cut out from the concrete ground. Eclipter stalked towards him.
“Drill saber!” Astro Red shouted as he stood and rushed towards his opponent. He skipped towards Eclipter while bringing his blade down diagonally, then dashed forward with a horizontal strike. Astro Red turned and struck again with an ‘x’ pattern. He went for a vertical strike to the head, but Eclipter high blocked the blow and kicked the ranger in the gut.
Astro Red was forced a few steps back as he assumed a defensive stance. Eclipter walked towards him again, but this time he rammed his Drill Saber to the ground and energized it, causing a shockwave that ripped towards Eclipter’s feet. The android lost his balance as Astro Red leapt through the air.
“Screw Drill saber!” He spun as his weapon struck Eclipter in the chest and knocked him to his knees.
“Cyber Slider!” Astro Red called. He turned to Eclipter before hopping on his board. “We’ll finish this later.”
“Count on it.”
Astro Red hopped on his Cyber Slider and road off deeper into the colony’s city.
***
Cy’s fingers danced across the controls at his station as he manned the bridge alone. “DECA, what happened?”
“A jamming field is covering the planet’s surface,” DECA reported.
“Astronema?” Cy asked.
“Unknown,” DECA reported.
“That might as well be a yes,” Cy said. How did she find us here?
The bridge doors opened and the rangers walked in.
“Where’s Tommy?” Kat asked.
“He’s on KO-35,” Cy said.
“Why?” Justin asked.
“He was checking something out,” Cy said. “We just lost contact with him a minute ago. Some kind of jamming field.”
Ashley shook her head as she walked to her station. “What has he gotten himself into this time…”
“Do you think you can break through the jamming?” Justin asked.
“Only one way to find out,” Ashley said as she began manipulating her controls.
“I’ll try to narrow down the source,” Chris said from his station.
“We should polarize the hull plating in case we get any surprises or anything,” Justin said.
Cy nodded. “DECA, polarize the hull plating.”
“Got it,” Chris said. “There’s some kind of a communications outpost on the second moon. It’s spreading the jamming field across the planet.”
“Let’s get back on our Cyber Sliders and get over there,” Justin said.
***
or travel the same road. The road to nothingness. The road to death”
-- Dr. Marcus Androgans, 2101
“New Age Thinking”
---Ultimate Power Rangers
---Season 05
---Digital Task Force Astro Rangers
---Chapter Four: Finding Your Past
The Galvopsee Outpost was established on the barren world for the sole purpose of mining gases which, for a time, were integral to starships for propulsion. That time past, but the outpost remained for reasons yet unknown.
But for whatever the reason of the outpost’s continuing existence, Cy seemed surprised when he picked up a distress call from the planet. Tommy had insisted they check it out, despite Cy telling him distress signals were beneath their notice.
After entering orbit around Galvopsee, the Rangers morphed and road their Cyber Sliders to the outpost, which rested on the side of a large mountain-scape which dwarfed the largest on Earth.
The Rangers flipped off their boards and landed outside the outpost, noticing a figure hunched over a bridge, gasping for air. The back of the Galvopsian’s head was dripping with green blood.
Astro Red walked over to him and laid a hand on his shoulder. “How badly are you hurt? Who did this?”
The Galvopsian turned around and the Rangers were glad they wore helmets to hide their shock. The Galvopsian’s eyes were on opposite corners of his face, which seemed to be made of different layers of folded skin. He didn’t have a mouth but the fold in the center of his face flapped slightly as he spoke.
“You are…Rangers?” he asked. “Real Rangers?”
Astro Red nodded. “Yes. What happened.”
The flaps on the Galvopsian’s face bent upwards. “Then there is hope.”
“Sir,” Astro Pink said as she kneeled down towards him. “Can you please tell us who did this to you? Are there any others injured?”
“Not here,” the Galvopsian said as he pointed down a trial. “They moved to our sister site a few moments ago. We wouldn’t cooperate with them so…”
The Galvopsian slumped as his body went limp.
Astro Red shook his head. “Let’s get down that trail,” he said.
***
In the sister camp, Craterites tossed workers into crates of gas, cut them down with blades, and punctured flammable materials causing several explosions.
A lobster-type beast walked over to a fallen Galvopsian who was wide-eyed with fear as he stared up at the monster. The monster lifted his claw arm and prepared to strike down his victim.
“Hold it!” Astro Red shouted as he leapt through the air and flying sidekicked the monster off the man. The monster quickly recovered and fired a yellow energy blade from his claw that struck Astro Red to the ground.
Craterites surrounded the Red Ranger as he rose from the ground and flipped a soldier over his shoulder. He then turned to his left and sidekicked a soldier in the face. He snapped the same leg around to hook kick another soldier that tried to sneak up on his side.
The other Astro Rangers began fighting against the Craterites too, trying to keep them away from the Galvopsian workers.
Astro Yellow blocked a soldier’s sword and knife handed that soldier in the neck. She then turned to face a soldier coming at her directly ahead, and jump kicked that soldier in the face.
A saber streaked towards Astro Pink’s head, but she grabbed the soldier’s wrist and twisted him to the ground.
Astro Blue kneed a soldier in the gut, then elbowed it on the back. He turned and blocked a blow from another soldier, then sidekicked that Craterite in the face.
Astro Black struck a Craterite with an uppercut to its midsection. He then flipped that soldier to the ground and stepped on its throat as three other soldiers charged him. One from ahead, one from his left, the other from his right. He backfisted the soldier on his right, low blocked a soldier’s blow from in front of him and cross punched it in the face, then hook punched the soldier to his left.
The five Rangers regrouped and ran to face the lobster monster.
“Give Astronema a message for me,” Astro Red said. He downloaded his Drill Saber and ran towards the creature. “Saber Slash!”
His blade energized and slashed through the creature twice, causing him to fall back and explode.
“Just don’t make em like they used to,” Astro Blue said.
“Let’s get the injured to our sick bay,” Astro Red said. “Then let’s find out what makes this planet so important to Astronema.”
***
Tommy sat at the desk in his room reviewing a data pad as Galvopsee spun outside his window. The doors to his quarters opened and Cy burst in.
“Do come in,” Tommy said sarcastically.
“We’ve done all we can for the injured Galvopsians and they’re back on the surface. We should go,” Cy said sternly. “We’ve wasted enough time.”
“We saved lives, Cy. That’s never a waste of time,” Tommy said.
“We can’t go answering every distress call that comes around,” Cy said. “We’ll never find Zordon at this pace.”
Tommy sighed. “Look, I knew we’d have this conversation eventually, and I’ve tried to figure out a polite way to do so. I haven’t had much luck.”
“Do go on,” Cy said.
“Your job was to give this ship to me and my team. This means I’m in charge,” Tommy said.
“You don’t know the difference between an inductor coil and an impulse manifold,” Cy said.
“Now I do,” Tommy said as he held his data pad. Cy simply rolled his eyes so Tommy continued. “Listen, Cy…I’ll be the first to admit I’m in over my head in this space thing. That’s the only reason I haven’t decked you yet. Like it or not, I need you. We need to work together. But you have to understand, technical knowledge has nothing to do with leadership ability.”
“It doesn’t matter how you define leadership,” Cy said. “We still can’t go around responding to every SOS that comes up.”
“That’s where you’re wrong,” Tommy said. “We will help in whatever way we can. It’s our responsibility.”
“Our responsibility is to find Zordon,” Cy said.
“And you can be damn certain we will,” Tommy said.
The urgency in Tommy’s voice made Cy pause. Tommy traced his fingers around the medallion the Dark Man had given him. “Something tells me we’ll be doing a lot more though.”
“Where did you get that?” Cy asked with a wrinkled brow.
“Why?”
Cy pulled an identical piece from beneath his jacket and activated it. The image was different from the one on Tommy’s. “These are Holocons, unique to KO-35.”
“That’s your family?” Tommy asked.
“Yes,” Cy said. “They…”
“I’m sorry,” Tommy said. “I know what that feels like.”
“That’s you and your family?” Cy asked.
Tommy nodded.
“How is that possible?” Cy asked.
“I don’t know,” Tommy said. “I don’t know what it could mean. I recognize my mother’s face vaguely, I know for certain that’s my father and that’s me…but the girl…”
“These lockets are meant to bond members of a family together, no matter how much time or distance comes between them,” Cy said. “If that’s truly from KO-35, and I don’t see any other explanation, there will be a record of that family on KO-35.”
“Could this be a fake?” Tommy asked.
Cy shook his head and extended his own medallion towards Tommy’s. They started to shine brighter as they came closer. “That glow symbolizes the medallion’s bond to KO-35. It can not be faked.”
Tommy sighed. “This is crazy.”
“Maybe we should head to KO-35,” Cy said.
“Wouldn’t that be a waste of time?” Tommy asked.
“I don’t believe in coincidence,” Cy said. “Something tells me that your medallion will be key to finding Zordon, and ultimately, defeating Sauron.”
***
Astronema walked into a black empty room within her Dark Fortress. She kneeled and laid several multicolored stones around her. She closed her eyes as the stones started to glow and images started to shape within the room.
Suddenly, Astronema was kneeling on nothing bur air as she faced a tall rocky tower that extended up from the barren rocky ground of Eltar. A fiery eye appeared before her that sent a shiver down her spine. The sound of the rushing fire in the eye filled her brain. The sounds spoke to her.
“Yes, my lord,” she said. “The Earth Rangers are still at large. My soldiers do not have enough power to…no, my lord, I am not questioning your strength, I simply…no my lord, I have no wish to see them destroy our way of life. You have shown me the horrors that would consume the galaxy if their kind is allowed to survive…yes my lord…the Kerovian System will be their grave”
The image slowly dissipated as the room returned to normal. Astronema stood and stormed out of the room.
Eclipter was waiting for her and stepped into place behind her as they made their way down the corridor to the Gene-pool.
“I am not in a pleasant mood, Eclipter,” Astronema said.
“I am sorry, my princess,” Eclipter said.
Astronema entered the gene-pool. The half a dozen troll-like creatures that worked at various stations meshed into the wall stopped to kneel. In the center of the room was a large portal. The portal was responsible for melding genetic material and creating Astronema’s monsters.
“Who created the creature that was destroyed at the Galvopsee outpost?” Astronema asked. “Speak up.”
One of the trolls stepped forward. Astronema could almost hear his legs clamp together. “I-I did, highness.”
She extended her hand and blasted the troll with a purple energy bolt. “The next abomination that steps from this gene-pool better have ten times as much power. Your latest creations have been jokes.”
She stormed out of the room with Eclipter following behind her.
***
The Astro Megaship blasted through hyper space on its way to KO-35. Only Tommy and Cy were on the bridge as the other rangers tended to duties elsewhere on the ship.
“I don’t want the others to know about this,” Tommy told Cy. Cy simply nodded.
The purpose of the Astro Ranger’s mission was two fold: Their main objective was to travel to various points in the Kerovian system and deploy a small group of probes. The probes would execute a volley of scans and gather vital information that would be transmitted to the Astro Megaship at any location via an encrypted, non-traceable signal.
While the rest of the Rangers deployed the probes, Tommy would travel to KO-35 and try to learn the secrets behind his locket.
The Megaship reverted to real-space just inside of the Kerovian System as the teens gathered some supplies from their lockers near the Morphing Tubes.
“You’ve been awfully quiet today,” Ashley said to Tommy.
“Long night,” Tommy said.
“You’re awful at hiding things, ya know,” Ashley said with a smile.
Tommy grinned as he closed his locker. “I know.”
The teens started walking towards the tubes.
“You know,” Kat said, “Don’t you think it’s a little strange we’re launching these probes from here of all places?”
“It’s an abandoned system,” Tommy said. “Cy knows it well in case we run into trouble.”
“I suppose,” Kat said, dropping the subject.
“Last one back has to mop the deck for a week,” Justin said as they stepped onto their platforms and hopped through the tubes. Their transformation was triggered as they barreled down the tubes. They shot outside the ship on their Cyber Sliders.
Five probes lined up in front of them after being dropped from the hanger. The Rangers maneuvered their Sliders above the probes and latched onto them with the bottom of their boards. The probes themselves were just a little large than the Cyber Sliders.
“Okay,” Astro Red said. “Get to your drop off points, then get back to the ship.”
The five split up and blasted through space.
***
Astro Red dropped his probe from his board at his designated location, then flew towards KO-35. He flew over the planet’s barren moon, then came to a halt when the colony world came into view. It took his breath away. This blue and white gem shined with a luster Earth hadn’t known in ages.
“Incredible,” Astro Red said as he leaned forward and headed towards the planet’s atmosphere.
***
Astro Red flipped off his Cyber Slider and landed in a deserted plaza area. The wind howled across the empty streets of ornate concrete and steel.
He started walking through a walkway lined with arches.
“That complex Cy told me about has gotta be around here somewhere…” Astro Red said as he pulled out his hand-held scanning device. It started blinking blue a few miles from his location.
“Life signs…that’s impossible,” at first Astro Red suspected a trap, but then he narrowed the search field. “They’re human…could there be survivors?”
He ran across the plaza to where he’d picked up the life sign. The signal vanished when he arrived. He shook his head and examined his surroundings. Behind him, a pool of liquid metal collected on the ground and emerged to form Eclipter.
“You!” Astro Red shouted as he assumed a fighting stance.
“Astro Red,” Eclipter said as he assumed a fighting stance. “Are you ready for a rematch?”
“I’ve been itching for one, tin head,” Astro Red said as the two circled around each other. Fighting Eclipter was quite a challenge for the Red Ranger. The android’s programming allowed him to analyze his opponent’s every move and instantly come up with a defense and counter strike. Each blow was flawless and efficient, not a single move was wasted.
Eclipter tossed off his cape and charged at Astro Red. The Red Ranger leapt through the air and aimed a flying punch towards Eclipter’s head, but the android grabbed his fist and struck the Ranger on the back. Astro Red fell to the ground and Eclipter placed his foot on the Ranger’s chest. Red Ranger instantly drew his sidearm, but Eclipter grabbed his wrist and twisted the weapon out of the Ranger’s hand.
Eclipter then lifted Astro Red up and ran through the archway while bashing him against each of the stone arches. When they reached the end of the archway, Eclipter tossed Astro Red into a shallow pool of water cut out from the concrete ground. Eclipter stalked towards him.
“Drill saber!” Astro Red shouted as he stood and rushed towards his opponent. He skipped towards Eclipter while bringing his blade down diagonally, then dashed forward with a horizontal strike. Astro Red turned and struck again with an ‘x’ pattern. He went for a vertical strike to the head, but Eclipter high blocked the blow and kicked the ranger in the gut.
Astro Red was forced a few steps back as he assumed a defensive stance. Eclipter walked towards him again, but this time he rammed his Drill Saber to the ground and energized it, causing a shockwave that ripped towards Eclipter’s feet. The android lost his balance as Astro Red leapt through the air.
“Screw Drill saber!” He spun as his weapon struck Eclipter in the chest and knocked him to his knees.
“Cyber Slider!” Astro Red called. He turned to Eclipter before hopping on his board. “We’ll finish this later.”
“Count on it.”
Astro Red hopped on his Cyber Slider and road off deeper into the colony’s city.
***
Cy’s fingers danced across the controls at his station as he manned the bridge alone. “DECA, what happened?”
“A jamming field is covering the planet’s surface,” DECA reported.
“Astronema?” Cy asked.
“Unknown,” DECA reported.
“That might as well be a yes,” Cy said. How did she find us here?
The bridge doors opened and the rangers walked in.
“Where’s Tommy?” Kat asked.
“He’s on KO-35,” Cy said.
“Why?” Justin asked.
“He was checking something out,” Cy said. “We just lost contact with him a minute ago. Some kind of jamming field.”
Ashley shook her head as she walked to her station. “What has he gotten himself into this time…”
“Do you think you can break through the jamming?” Justin asked.
“Only one way to find out,” Ashley said as she began manipulating her controls.
“I’ll try to narrow down the source,” Chris said from his station.
“We should polarize the hull plating in case we get any surprises or anything,” Justin said.
Cy nodded. “DECA, polarize the hull plating.”
“Got it,” Chris said. “There’s some kind of a communications outpost on the second moon. It’s spreading the jamming field across the planet.”
“Let’s get back on our Cyber Sliders and get over there,” Justin said.
***