Power Rangers-- The Secret of the Grid

[OnlyTrueFan]

I'm not a fanfic person. I don't like fanfiction at all. I'm not into stories that create their own continuity. It just drives me crazy, and it creates too many questions for me. But this is something I've always had in my head, with more versions than you can imagine. I just thought I'd share it with you.

Granted, it's not much yet. But it will turn into something-- and hopefully something great.

This chapter is short, and nothing but a set-up for all those to follow. Just bear with me, and maybe we'll get somewhere.

POWER RANGERS-- THE SECRET OF THE GRID

CHAPTER ONE

The head office of Shatner Comix rested in the top story of the Comix & Stuff Center in Los Angeles, California. It towered over much of the skyline around it, casting a great shadow over the street below. One young man stood on the sidewalk, gazing up with his dark, disheveled hair hanging in his eyes. His eyes were dismal and gloomy; his attire said much about his lack of wealth-- a ratty black sports coat, faded blue T-shirt, and torn jeans.

His name was Bralon Feltaro, and he had made his way to this base of operations in hopes that they could answer the questions he had been faced with for the last clouded year of the life he had apparently forgotten. With no memory of where he came from or who he was-- save the name by which he was known-- Bralon had come here to settle the dispute in his ever-suffering mind.

Much of the dreams he had been plagued with haunted him as he made his way to the elevator on the first floor. Several heads turned at the sight of this ragged, rebellious-looking youth. But he never met a single stare. His purpose was too great to concern himself with others.

***********************

Bralon stalked through the corridor on the top of the Shatner Center, toward the office of Neal Shatner himself, the man behind Shatner Comix and all of its branches.

He stepped through the glass walls and saw a middle-aged woman behind a desk. She looked up at him over her spectacles. “Can I help you?”

“I’m supposed to meet with Mr. Shatner,” he said in a low, chilling tone.

The secretary swallowed a lump in her throat and picked up the receiver by her side. “I’ll be with you in just one moment.” As she made the arrangements for Bralon’s appointment, he went over to a leather-bound chair and sat down wearily.

“Mr. Shatner will see you shortly,” she promised as she hung up the phone.

Bralon gave a short nod and leaned back to close his eyes. The images he had been seeing in his sleep came back to him. They were not decidedly disturbing images, but somehow, they were troubling him. He could not decide why. But it seemed clear to him that they were trying to tell him something. It just seemed uncertain that he would be able to convince anyone else of this.

“Mr. Shatner will see you now,” said the secretary, interrupting his thoughts.

Bralon jumped to his feet and practically ran to the door. He threw it open and stepped into the furnished office.

Neal Shatner was a gray-haired, mustached man with a weathered face and a welcoming smile. “Come on in, son. Have a seat.”

The first thing Bralon did was close the door. “No thanks.”

Neal pulled off his reading glasses. “You look a little frazzled, young man. How can I help you?”

“It’s about something in your franchise. It’s been bothering me for the last year.”

Neal pointed firmly to the chair on the other side of his desk. “Sit down.”

Bralon reluctantly took a seat. “Sir, I’ve been having the same kind of dreams, non-stop, for twelve months. And I don’t know how you’ll take this, but I think it’s trying to tell me something.”

“My franchise, you say? You think my comic books are speaking to you?” Neal cracked a grin at the thought.

Shaking his head slightly, Bralon answered, “Only one of them.”

“Which one is that?” Neal questioned, already knowing what the answer would be.

With a deep breath, Bralon responded, “The Power Rangers.”

Neal rubbed his jaw. “You’re having dreams about my comic?”

“I know it sounds crazy, sir, but it’s true. I’ve been having these dreams every night. Just flashes of the stories you’ve told. But…”

“But what, son? We didn’t arrange this meeting so you could get nervous.”

Bralon clenched his jaw tightly. “I’m not seeing two-dimensional pictures drawn on the page of a comic book. I’m seeing real images. Real people.”

“You mean you’re dreaming about the world that I created in these comic books?”

Bralon stood up and started pacing frantically around the office. “I don’t think that’s all there is to it. I think I’m…”

Neal rose to his feet as well. “Think you’re what?”

“I think I’m channeling this world somehow.”

“Channeling it? You mean…”

“I think somehow I’ve tapped into the reality of your imaginary universe.”

It took everything Neal had not to laugh, but he managed to sustain himself. “Son, are you trying to tell me that I’m penning another dimension into existence?”

“No.” Bralon was obviously perturbed by the lack of credibility in his story. “Sir, I just get the feeling that this world…that it’s coming to an end.”

A look of bewilderment crossed Neal’s face. “Hm.You must be one heck of a devoted fan, son, because you’ve ’channeled’ what no one else knows.”

“What?”

“It is coming to an end.” Neal tossed a manuscript across the desk. “Take a look at that.”

The cover of this unfinished rough draft was nothing out of the ordinary. It showed the current year’s Power Ranger team battling a monster on the cover. Bralon looked up slowly. “What’s this?”

“That is what’s doomed to be the last issue of the Power Rangers series.”

Bralon raised a brow. “What do you mean?”

“I’ve been cancelled. Nobody’s interested in supporting the Power Rangers anymore. No one will sponsor my work in this department. All my other comics are thriving, but the Power Rangers have been axed. I tried to coax my supervisors out of this decision, but they said despite our loyal readers, we’ve got to end it. The franchise is tired, they said. This issue was to be the beginning of a grand story arc in the Power Rangers story, if I could convince the board otherwise. But I couldn’t. So the series ends on a low note.”

Bralon picked up the issue and sighed. “Can I read it?”

“You might not want to. Because every fan in this country is going to be expressing their disappointment in the end very soon.”

Bralon shuffled through the pages of the extra-thick issue. “I’d still like to take a look at it.”

“Be my guest. But I’ll have to ask you not to leave this office with it.”

Bralon pointed to a chair in the corner of the room. “May I?”

“Go right ahead. I don’t have any more meetings for a while. I’ve just been sitting here dreading the publishing date of that comic.”

Practically ignoring Neal’s words, Bralon made himself comfortable in the corner of the room, diving into the first page of the comic book as if his life depended on it.

[jaguarranger]

This is fucking awesome! I'm definently nominating this for FFOTM when nomination time comes around! Keep this up!

[OnlyTrueFan]

This is awesome! I'm definently nominating this for FFOTM when nomination time comes around! Keep this up!

:o

[OnlyTrueFan]

Time for the next chapter. I think I should let everyone know that the following chapters are set to take place after the end of the SPD season. (This is assuming that the base will be destroyed and Kat will become a Ranger. I will make changes where necessary.)

And, no, the entire story will not take place within the pages of the comic book. I hope you enjoy it.

CHAPTER TWO

The story began in the year 2027. The Space Patrol Delta Base had been gone for exactly two years. In its place stood what Newtech City now knew as the SPD Control Center, a far more massive edifice that dwarfed everything around it.

Inside, behind the lens of a microscope, sat a beautiful, six-foot woman with her chin on her hand. The first thing one would notice about her was the pair of cat-like ears that extended from the top of her head. Her dark, shaggy hair framed her high, spotted cheekbones. She stared into the middle of the room with her pale green eyes, one of her arched brows raised slightly higher than the other.

“Am I interrupting anything important?” came a familiar voice of authority.

Dr. Katherine Manx turned quickly to see a tall, blue-skinned extraterrestrial with the stature of a man and the head of a scaly dog. His black hair hung in dreadlocks on the back of his skull, and his ears turned outward in a shape similar to the wings of a bat. “Commander,” Kat said shortly. “Sorry, I didn’t hear you come in.”

“You seem to be deep in thought,” came the response of SPD Comdr. Anubis “Doggie” Cruger, the head of all Earth-based SPD.

“I’m sorry, Doggie. I was thinking about the B-Squad.”

Cruger cocked his head. “Cadet Landors’ B-Squad?”

“Yes, sir. They’ve been on my mind a lot lately.”

The commander gave a grunt. “Isn’t that ironic.”

Kat squinted slightly. “How do you mean?”

“They’re on the monitor for you right now.”

Her eyes lit up. “They‘re…? Why didn’t you say so?”

Cruger walked over to the screen in her office; she stood up to follow him. “Well then, it wouldn’t be a surprise now, would it?” He activated the telemonitor. Five young people appeared wearing civilian clothes, in tropical surroundings.

“Kat!” they all cheered simultaneously.

Kat’s smile revealed the fangs she seldom showed. “Rangers. It’s good to hear from you again.”

Jack Landors, an African-American hotshot who had come from the city streets to lead the former B-Squad, was front and center on the screen, his hair pulled back tight in a ponytail. “Hey, Kat, wassup? How are things back in Newtech City?”

“Things are fine,” she beamed. “I hope your vacation is going well.”
Tall, dirty-dishwater blonde Sky Tate peered over Jack’s head and laughed, “The vacation’s going great. We still wish you were here with us.”

“We sure do,” agreed the Hispanic girl on his right, Elizabeth “Z” Delgado. “It’s not the same without the old gang around.”

Cruger raised a hand. “I hope you haven’t forgotten your duties at the SPD Training Facility.”

A blonde-haired starlet named Sydney Drew came closer to the screen and raised her sunglasses from her eyes. “Relax, Commander. The training program doesn’t start for another week. We’ve got plenty more time to enjoy ourselves before we have to be back whipping D-Squad into shape.”

Doggie put his hand to his chin. “I trust you can keep your deadline. Otherwise, I’ll have to suspend you when you return.”

Jack rolled his eyes. “Come on, DC. You know we’re better than that now.”

“Yeah,” chimed in Bridge Carson, a dark-haired fellow with an innocent expression and a pair of leather gloves on his hands. “We’re not as bad now as we were when we weren’t as good as we are.”

Kat lowered her head to hide a laugh, while Cruger sighed contentedly. “All the same, it’s been quiet around here for the last four months without you. We look forward to your return.”

“Believe it or not, we’re looking forward to it too,” said Z. “It’s a little strange without you guys standing over our shoulder all the time.”

Sky raised his hand. “Do me a favor and tell Boom I appreciate the e-mail! I’ll be sure and bring him back all the coconuts I can a--” The signal suddenly cut off.

“What happened?” asked Cruger.

Kat looked down at the monitor controls. “I don’t know.”

“Well, bring them back.”

“Bring them back?” Kat giggled. “I don’t even know where they went.”

“Can you fix it?”

She knelt down to look at the power cords below her console. While she was bent over, something began to appear in the fuzz of the monitor’s bad reception. Cruger tapped her on the shoulder. “Miss Manx.”

Looking up sharply, Kat saw what had stunned her commander. The image coming into focus was that of a technological lab-- much like the one they were standing in-- after something had demolished it. Wires hung out of every wall, and an occasional burst of sparks provided light to an otherwise darkened room. The console at the forefront of this picture was suddenly grasped by a human hand from below the screen.

Kat and Doggie exchanged nervous glances.

Someone slowly pulled himself into the screen’s view. His face was bloody and battered; his white leather lab coat had been ripped, and the sleeve was nearly shredded. The man’s black hair was unkempt now, despite having been slicked back on his head.

Taking a deep breath, Cruger raised his voice. “You’ve made contact with Comdr. Anubis Cruger of SPD Earth branch. State your name and position.”

The man onscreen struggled to keep from falling over. He pulled himself closer to the monitor. “This is…the end…” he choked.

“The end of what?” Kat asked.

Still fighting for breath, the stranger coughed out the words, “Time Force.”

Cruger turned to his partner. “Did he say what I think he said?”

“He did.”

“What year are you calling from?” Cruger shouted.

“The year…is 3006. My name…is Alex Drake. Time Force has fallen. And so has…all of Millennium City.”

Kat began punching in codes to record this message.

Alex gasped for air. “…tried to…make contact with the year 2007. But it was…no hope. Our technology…has been damaged…and fell short by…twenty years.”

“You’ve reached SPD in the year 2027,” Cruger announced. “What has become of Time Force?”

“The same that has become…of all the Earth. Fear has…overtaken the planet…the final destination is…2007...and now…it’s coming back…for you.” Alex collapsed from the screen, and an explosion killed the signal.

“What was that?” Cruger demanded.

Kat shook her head frantically. “I don’t know. I’m trying to regain contact with Cadet Landors.”

The two waited patiently as their old B-Squad came into focus once more. Jack was right up in front of the screen, startling both of his mentors. “Sorry,” he chuckled. “Hey, did we lose you there for a minute?”

Kat turned to the commander. “Should I contact our new B-Squad?”

“No. Cadet Landors. You and your squad are being called back for active duty in the case of an emergency warning we’ve just received.”

Jack and Sky looked at one another. They then led their teammates in putting their fists to their chests and performing the SPD salute. “Yes, sir!”

***********************

A stout, blonde-haired lab assistant named Boom moved about frantically, helping Kat prepare her latest-- and most challenging-- undertaking.

Standing in uniform just a few feet away were Jack, Syd, Bridge, Z, and Sky. Doggie paced the room behind them, waiting for Kat to ready her new time device. “This is a most dangerous mission you’re being sent on. We do not ask that you remain in the future for any more than two hours. We need to know that you are safe at all times.”

Jack stood with his dreadlocks in his face, considering the risk he and his team had taken by volunteering to use Kat’s time device and travel 979 years into the future.

“Okay,” Kat breathed. “Are you all ready?”

“We’re ready, Kat,” Jack said, speaking for all of them.

Cruger walked over to where Kat was standing. “I hope you truly know what it is you’re getting yourselves into, Rangers. Because if something should go wrong in the time travel process, then we can no longer help you.”

“We’re ready for anything, sir,” Z said with a given measure of confidence.

Kat gave a long sigh. “Very well. Boom, begin the machine.”

“I would not have agreed to this venture if we had not discussed all possible options for the last three days,” Cruger reminded them. “But it seems there is little left that we can do. We cannot tell what kind of threat the future has been faced with unless we go there to see it for ourselves. Are you certain you want to do this without me?”

“We’re certain, sir,” Sky insisted. “If something should happen to you, SPD would be lost.”

Jack gave a wink. “We’ll find out what’s going on, sir. And we’ll be back in time for supper.”

Boom pulled back a lever, and a time hole opened before their eyes.

“Don’t worry,” Syd told the commander. “If Sam can do it, then we can too.”

“Let’s just hope we don’t all turn into balls of light when we come out on the other end,” Jack teased, stepping forward to make his way through the time hole. Sky and Z promptly followed, with Syd stopping briefly to give Comdr. Cruger a hopeful smile.

Kat looked at Bridge as he made his way to the time hole. “If we don’t come back,” Bridge stated. “Do me a favor and send a message to my family. Tell them I love them no matter what, and…let them know I harbor no resentment about all the times they picked on me or ridiculed me or made fun of me or stuck my face in the toilet or…” His voice trailed off, and he waved his hand. “I should probably just stop while I’m ahead.” He entered the time hole, and Boom closed it hesitantly.

“Are you sure the time hole will re-open on the other side when the Rangers are ready to return?” asked Doggie.

Kat smiled weakly. “I’m sure.”

[OnlyTrueFan]

By the way, I might also mention that my story works on the assumption that the SPD Rangers' powers are still functional by the end of the series. If the powers end up destroyed, I'll make no change. The SPD powers are man-made anyway, with a countless array of morpers, so they could easily be remade.

Another thing I'm assuming when writing this story is that Sam will return to his time when SPD ends. Only time will tell.

CHAPTER THREE

Bralon lowered the comic book in his hands. “I’m not exactly an avid follower of the Power Rangers series,” he admitted. “But I did read the SPD issues. Correct me if I’m wrong, but don’t you usually start over once the current team has defeated their nemesis?”

Neal was rocking quietly in his desk chair. “Mm-hm. Usually. I told you, this was supposed to be something different.”

Staring blankly back at the comic book mastermind, Bralon asked what he had been wondering for months now. “Mr. Shatner, where do you come up with the inspiration for these comics?”

With a shrug, Neal replied, “Different ways. Sometimes in a dream, not unlike yours, I‘m sure. Sometimes in a conversation with another writer. Sometimes it hits me like a hailstone. And sometimes I just have a feeling.”

Bralon looked down at the issue he was holding. “Do you ever feel like it’s coming to you naturally?”

Neal straightened his back. “Son, there are times when I feel like the credit for these comics should go to the man upstairs for sending them to me. Sometimes I wonder if I’ve come up with any of these stories myself, they come so easily.”

“But you’ve never considered that maybe…”

“I’m making a psychic connection with another universe?” he chortled. “No, that one never crossed my mind.”

Bralon leaned back and crossed one leg over his knee. “Just asking.” He raised the comic once again.

***********************

The black-and-white panels of Neal’s sketch proceeded to show the SPD Rangers stepping out into the year 3006.

Jack gave a long, low whistle at the sight of the once-beautiful Millennium City. All of the grand structures-- buildings, bridges, etc.-- had been ravaged. Even in this upper-story room to which they had been sent, the Rangers could see the damage around and below them for the holes blown in the walls.

“This is it?” Bridge asked slowly. “This is the future?”

“Haven’t got much to look forward to,” Syd decided.

Z stood beside Jack, staring in awe at the horrific sight. “It’s a ruin.”

“And so quiet,” Bridge noted. “Like there’s nothing left.”

Taking a short walk to the other side of the room, Sky peered out in the opposite direction. “No way,” he muttered.

“What is it?” asked Jack.

Sky’s eyes were red when he looked back. “It’s not all a ruin. Come check this out.”

The Rangers were quick to join him, and discovered that the devastation they had seen on one side was the only remainder of this global city. The rest, as Sky had found, was a barren wasteland. If anything remained of life or civilization, it would be scarce, and nearly impossible to find. The ground was littered with heaps of debris, still smoking as if the pile had been deteriorating.

“What could’ve done this?” Z wondered aloud. “The history reports always said that Time Force was part of a shining city in a peaceful future.”

Jack looked as if he were going to be sick. “I don’t know. But…whatever future there used to be is gone now.”

“Actually, that’s not true,” Bridge corrected. “Because as far as we know, there didn’t necessarily used to be any future. Because that’s like a double negative. The future Bio-Lab knew of in 2001 was the year 3000, and we’ve been contacted by the year 3006. So the future that used to be there in essence is actually still there. It’s the future that we never knew about that’s been wiped out.”

Syd looked up at Bridge with regretful eyes. “I hate to say it, but I think I actually understood that.”

“What did Kat say that Alex told her?” Sky questioned. “He said the planet had been overtaken by fear, and that…”

Jack’s eyes widened. “That it was coming back for us!”

“We have to get back to 2027 before it does!” Z gasped. The five Rangers ran for the spot in which the time hole had opened.

They could only hope that they were not too late.

*******************

Meanwhile, in 2027, Newtech City was one of a million on the face of the Earth that was now under brutal attack.

Comdr. Cruger stood in the broken corner of Kat’s lab, trying desperately to fend off a persistent mob of unusual foot soldiers. Their armor was hard to withstand, and the commander did not even have enough time to reach for his morpher.

Sparks flew on the other side of the room as Kat’s desk was overturned, and she was thrown into the rubble by a pair of the attackers.

“Kat!” Doggie screamed, thrusting one of the creatures aside. “Hang on, Kat!” He was pummeled by a pair of the thugs.

As the SPD cadets struggled to maintain the battle in the halls, and on all levels of the SPD Control Center, Boom raced into the lab, dodging every blast fired at him from the monsters’ lasers. “Kat! Commander!”

The room was dark now, as the lights had been blown. But Boom could see enough to make out three of the vicious brutes heading for the time machine. He ran without a second thought and jumped onto one of their backs, causing him to topple over onto the other two.

Kat stood up achingly, surrounded by these strange aliens. “Doggie! What are these things?”

With a roundhouse kick to his last standing opponent, Doggie stepped out in the middle of the room. “I don’t know. They remind me of characters in a Syrian myth I heard on my home planet.”

Kat kicked one of them to the side and ran over to join her friend. “They don’t look so mythical to me.”

Cruger shook his head. “They’re the Warmongers. They seem to have appeared out of thin air.”

Boom scrambled to the commander’s side as these brutes closed in on them. “I think that name fits them very well.”

“What are we going to do?” Kat whispered.

Cruger reached for his morpher. “Let’s get the job done.”

Kat nodded understandingly, and reached for the device on her own belt. But just before they could activate the morphers, a time hole opened from Kat’s device. The look of shock on their faces was evident as the glimmering white suit of the SPD Omega Ranger came leaping through into the center of the crowd of Warmongers.

“Sam!” Boom cheered.

The Omega Ranger fought the Warmongers back and took fighting stance beside his friends.

“How did you know we needed you?” Cruger asked.

Sam turned his head to look up at the Syrian commander through the visor of his helmet. “Because whatever it is causing these attacks just decimated the year 2042.”

Kat’s face fell. “Sam…I’m sorry.”

“I’ll be all right,” he promised, turning back to see the Warmongers creeping towards him. “Right now, we’ve got a planet to save.”

A massive explosion rang in the distance, and the wall behind them blew out. Cruger and Kat wheeled around to see Newtech City in flames through the gaping hole left behind.

“No!” Boom cried. “It can’t be!”

“We’re too late!” Sam warned. “Whatever it was I escaped from in 2042 has already taken ahold of your time.”

“What now?” Boom asked hopelessly, glancing back to see the Warmongers sneering cruelly at the sight of their mysterious master’s victory.

Cruger looked down at his morpher. “Didn’t Alex tell us he was trying to reach the year 2007?”

Kat nodded. “Yes, he did.”

“Then we’re going to see that they get the message. Ready?”

Kat raised her morpher. “Ready.”

“SPD, emergency!!” they called out together. Boom took a backseat to watch the three Rangers battle their way through the crowd. He thought to set the time machine for 2007, and hurried over to do so.

“Quick! Kat! Commander! The time hole is opening!”

Cruger threw a spinning heel kick that floored the last trio of Warmongers on his tail. He led Kat and Sam to where Boom was waiting for them. “Go!” Boom shouted over the sound of another explosion. “I’ll wait here for the Rangers! We’ll be right behind you!”

“Boom, no!” Kat declined. “We can’t leave you here alone.”

“I won’t abandon the Rangers!” Boom refused. “You go on ahead.”

Doggie stepped forward. “Boom, I’ll wait here. You can go with Sam and-”

“NO!! If whatever it is attacking our time is headed back for 2007, then they’re going to need the Shadow Ranger a lot more than they’ll need Boom.”

Cruger hated to accept that truth, but he knew it was fact. He put his hand on Boom’s shoulder. “You’re a brave man, Boom. Get to us in one piece.”

“I will, sir.”

Sam led the way through the time hole as Warmongers came into the room. Kat stood in her Ranger costume, hiding tears behind her helmet. “Get out of here, Boom. You can wait for the Rangers in hiding.”

“I’ll be okay,” he promised. “Now go!”

Cruger nudged Kat through, and gave one last nod to his faithful lab worker as he made his exit.

The Warmongers laughed when they saw that Boom was the only remaining person to be victimized. Boom picked up a laser rifle and aimed it straight at them. “You think I’m afraid?! Come on!!”

The room was filled with a shower of blasts in Boom’s direction, and he fell to the floor. Another blast sent his half of the lab crumbling to the ground. The time machine rocked violently; only a few feet of flooring remained between it and the jagged edge of the drop-off. The Warmongers took their anger out on the machine, beating it until it lost all power. They ran away gleefully to join the rest of their army in wiping out the planet.

***********************

Newtech now looked as bad as the Millennium City of the distant future. Kat’s time machine lay buried in the rubble, no longer working. The planet was a silent, lifeless void.

A sudden spark of energy surged through the time machine, and it opened a time hole from the year 3006. Jack, Syd, Bridge, Z, and Sky were thrown out onto the wreckage of the Control Center, not far from the precipice caused by the Warmongers’ attack.

“No!” Sky panicked. “It can’t be!”

Jack was the first to his feet. “We’re too late.”

Her eyes watering, Z spun a full circle to take in the view. “They’ve wiped it out!”

“Commander!!” Sky yelled. “Commander!!”

Jack shook his head. “We shouldn’t have left! We should’ve stayed and defended our time!”

Bridge went to the overturned console. “What do you think happened to them?”

Sky’s anger became evident. “The same thing that happened to 3006. Something…or someone is coming back through time, destroying everything in its path.”

Syd remained quiet. “Where do you think they’re going?”

“What does it matter?” Jack growled. “We’re stuck here in 2027 with no way to change the outcome. If this threat wipes out the past, we won’t even be here anymore to think about it!”

“Unless it’s a paradox,” Bridge stated.

“Well, then let’s hope it’s a paradox,” Syd grumbled.

“There has to be something we can do,” Z said. “We can’t just stand here and feel sorry for ourselves.”

The group was still for several long seconds. Jack stepped forward and kicked a broken component across the room.

Bridge’s eyes stopped on the time machine. “What if we beat it there?”

“What?” Jack scoffed.

Bridge knelt down to dust off the device. “What if we beat whatever it is we’re up against to the past? What year did Kat say Time Force was trying to reach?”

“2007,” Sky answered.

“Then I say we rev this baby up and get to 2007 before it does.”

Syd looked at Jack. “That could work.”

“But this threat just traveled 979 years in no three days,” Jack pointed out. “Why should it take him so long to travel another 20?”

Bridge shrugged. “What if it’s heading for 2007? What if 2007 isn’t just another practice year to blow apart? What if it’s the target?”

Sky raised his eyebrows. “What makes you think it is?”

“Remember what the message said? The final destination is 2007. So even if this threat stops in that year, it’s probably planning on staying.”

“So we’ll have time to plan our next move,” Jack reasoned.

“Exactly.” Bridge took another look at the time machine. “I think this is still operational. Give me some time to set it for 2007.”

“Time is the one thing we’re lacking, Bridge,” Jack said sadly. “You better hurry.”

[jaguarranger]

Amazing, and awesome job with Boom. He deserves honorary Ranger status for this.

[OnlyTrueFan]

Amazing, and awesome job with Boom. He deserves honorary Ranger status for this.

Thanks, man. You've given me a major confidence boost. :)

[CyberstarAries]

WOW! I've never done FFOTM nominations but when it comes time, yours is definitely getting mine! This is amazing. Can't wait for the next one. -Omar

[OnlyTrueFan]

WOW! I've never done FFOTM nominations but when it comes time, yours is definitely getting mine! This is amazing. Can't wait for the next one. -Omar

*blushes*

Oh, gosh. Thank you. I don't know what to say, really...

[CyberstarAries]

Seriously... this style of writing... keeping the human, realistic, humorous feel while also maintaining the gravity of world-threatening situations... is so much like Cyberstars! Check it out sometime if you like - search for "Black Rose Revolution".

Keep up the awesome work.

-O

[OnlyTrueFan]

Seriously... this style of writing... keeping the human, realistic, humorous feel while also maintaining the gravity of world-threatening situations... is so much like Cyberstars! Check it out sometime if you like - search for "Black Rose Revolution".

Maybe I'll look into it. Thanks for the compliment.

Keep up the awesome work.

I plan to. I'm getting ready to post another couple of chapters. They should be up in a few minutes.

[OnlyTrueFan]

CHAPTER FOUR

Neal stood with his arms crossed staring at Bralon. “Hello. I’m talking to you.”

Bralon shook himself. “Oh. Sorry, Mr. Shatner, I was a little tied up in your story.”

“Well, at least I know it can’t hold someone’s attention. You want to come down to the cafeteria and have lunch with me?”

Bralon stood up. “Uh, sure. Would you rather I leave this here?”

“No, that’s all right. As long as you don’t spill anything on it,” Neal said with a wink.

As the two walked down the hall, Bralon looked at the cover of the comic again. “If you’re not happy with the way the story ends, why don’t you change it?”

“Haven’t got time,” he said. “The board wants it ready as soon as possible, and I’ve got three dozen other comics I have to see through. Besides all that…” He stopped walking to turn to his young companion. “Somehow I just lost it.”

“Lost what?”

Neal shrugged. “I wish I knew. Whatever it was that gave me the knack for writing these stories is gone. I can’t even come up with an ending to this story. It’s like once I hit the last page, there was nothing more I can do.”

Those words seemed to intrigue Bralon, as he looked off to the side. “Maybe there isn’t…”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, if this really is another world that you’re…”

“Channeling?”

With a shrug, Bralon continued, “What if the dreams I’m having are real? What if this world really is coming to some sort of an end, and you can’t go on because there’s nothing left to write?”

Neal scratched the back of his neck. “Son, I think maybe you’re letting these dreams get the best of you. A good meal might do you some good. Come on.” He patted Bralon on the shoulder and led him into an elevator. “Now that I think about it, I never got your name.”

“Oh, it’s Bralon. Bralon Feltaro.”

“Feltaro. Is that Italian?”

He just shook his head. “I don’t know. I…I don’t exactly remember much about where I came from.”

Neal’s expression changed. “You…you’re amnesiac?”

“Something like that. I just woke up a little over a year ago with no memory of anything.”

The two said nothing until the elevator doors opened. “Is that why this is so important to you?” Neal asked as he led Bralon into the cafeteria. “Because you have nothing else?”

“I guess. It could be,” Bralon agreed. “But you have to experience these dreams for yourself to truly understand what I’m going through.”

The two men grabbed some lunch and found a table. Neal pointed to the comic book Bralon was holding. “You be careful with that, now. Go ahead and read. I won’t bother you.”

***********************

The first picture showed Kat lying face-down in the dirt. She was unconscious.

Her eyes opened slowly. Just inches from her face was her SPD morpher. She snatched it up and rose to her knees, rather surprised to find herself alone in a polluted alley. The year was uncertain, but she was sure she had made it to 2007. “Commander,” she said into her morpher. “Can you hear me? Sam? Do you copy?” No response.

Standing slowly, Kat walked to the end of the alley and looked out at the city around her. She was apprehensive about wandering into it, for the sake of her unusual appearance. So she grabbed a rag laying nearby and wrapped it around her head like a bonnet. “A little embarrassing, maybe, but it gets the job done.”

Kat stepped out onto the sidewalk and turned left. The city was bustling regularly, but nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary. As she walked, she turned a few heads-- some for the bonnet, and some for her looks. Ignoring them, she set her sights on a water tower that was just far enough for the print to be indistinguishable.

A couple of guys in a red convertible whistled as they drove by, but Kat kept walking toward the water tower. The blurriness of the word became gradually lighter, until she thought she could make out what it said. Walking a bit further to be sure, Kat finally read the word “REEFSIDE” on the front of the tower.

“Incredible,” Kat whispered to herself. “What are the odds?” She saw an elderly lady limping towards her car with a grocery bag in her arms. She knew this could be her chance to find out what she needed to know.

“Excuse me, ma’am,” Kat said politely. “Do you need some help?”

The lady smiled sweetly. “Oh. That would be wonderful, yes.”

Kat carried the groceries in one arm, and put her other around the lady’s shoulders to help steady her. “This might sound a bit odd, but do you think you could tell me what year it is?”

Glancing up at the tall woman beside her, the old lady answered, “Why, it’s 2007. Didn’t you know that?”

“I did,” Kat smiled. “But I’m a little disoriented right now, and I wanted to be sure.” She helped the lady settle into her car with the groceries and waved goodbye. “Have a good day,” she called.

“So I’ve made it,” Kat decided. “The question is…where are the others?”

********************

Kat knew there was only one place to turn if she was to find help against the pending threat. So she took a taxi cab to the house of a semi-pro soccer player she had once known.

Knocking three times, Kat waited patiently until a tall, lanky youth came to the door. He raised his eyebrows at the sight of his visitor and raked his fingers through his short brown hair. “Can I help you?”

“Yes, you can. You are Conner McKnight, correct?”

“That’s me.”

Happy to know that she had not stumbled upon his twin brother, she went on. “My name is Katherine Manx,” she said, putting her hand out. “We met once some time ago. But you wouldn’t remember.”

Conner shook her hand. “Ooookay. Well, you’re right, I don’t remember.”

“May I come in?”

“Sure.” Conner stepped to the side and allowed her passage into his living room. “So when was this? That we met, I mean?”

Kat pulled off her bonnet and turned to face him. “About three years ago. Your time.”

Conner’s eyes grew when he saw the cat ears on her head. “Is this some kind of trick?”

“Would I know you’re the Red Dino Ranger if this were a trick?”

Conner’s jaw fell open. “Wha- what is this about? I don’t remember meeting you.”

“That’s because your memory was erased when it was over. You and your friends fought with the Rangers of 2025-- the SPD Rangers.”

“SPD?” Something registered in Conner’s memory. “Hey, that’s the name of the Rangers that Ethan and Kira saw at Hayley’s.”

Kat squinted, unsure of what he was referring to. “Okay. The point is, I’m from 2027 myself. And I’ve come to ask you for help.”

“Help against what?” he asked, still somewhat confused.

“We don’t know. But something destroyed the future, and it’s coming back for 2007.”

Conner shook his head. “Why should I believe any of this?”

Kat smiled. “Because I could tell you something about your personal life that won’t become public for another six years.”

The conversation was obviously troubling Conner. “What’s that?” he questioned, almost afraid to know the answer.

“You’re in love with Kira Ford.”

Conner stared in shock. “How did…”

“In the year 2013, you’re a rather successful soccer player. Your love life will be publicized when you start dating a high-profile pop star. There’s some information you don’t even know about yourself.”

A faint smile touched Conner’s lips. “Wait, did you say our memories got erased? Why?”

“Because we can’t take the chance that your knowledge of the future will disrupt the way it turns out in 2027.”

“Then why are you telling me all of this now?”

Kat became serious. “Because there’s no future left to harm.”

Conner started pacing. “Wow…what do want you me to do? My powers haven’t been functional in years.”

Kat smirked. “I think I can help with that.”

*****************

Hayley’s Cyberspace. A public hangout for young people that was run by a kind, brilliant woman named Hayley. Hayley had secretly conspired with Conner and his fellow Dino Rangers during the 2004-05 school season, against a prehistoric freak known as Mesogog.

Ethan James, a young African-American computer wiz, sat in front of his laptop*screen at his usual table, doing what he spent most of his time doing: gaming.

Conner walked into the cyber café with Kat, who now sported a red bandana around her head. “This thing hurts my ears,” she whispered.

“Sorry,” Conner replied. “I didn’t think of that. Most of the people I know have ears on the sides of their head.” He pointed his friend out. “There’s Ethan.”

Kat and Conner stopped beside Ethan’s table. Ethan looked up and smiled. “Hey, Conner. Who’s this? New girlfriend?”

Conner rolled his eyes. “No. This is Kat Manx.”

Ethan shook her head. “It’s nice to meet you. What brings you to the cyber café?”

“I think I’ll let Conner fill you in,” Kat said shortly.

Lowering his voice to a near-whisper, Conner said, “Ethan, Kat’s from the future.”

Ethan scowled. “She’s what? Is this some kind of joke?”

“No,” she assured him. “And if what Conner says is true, then you should remember the term SPD better than he did.”

Ethan’s eyes became wide. “How did you know about that?”

“Because I work for SPD in the year 2027.”

Closing his laptop, Ethan pointed to the other chairs around his table. “I think you better have a seat.”

“There’s no time for that,” Conner warned. “We have to find Kira. Kat says that something is moving back through time with the intentions of stopping here.”

“So?”

“It destroyed the future,” Kat stated.

Ethan stood up and put his laptop under his arm. “In that case, we better get a move on.”

“Do you know where your Dino Gem is?” Conner checked.

“Yeah, it’s at my house. Why?”

“Kat thinks she may be able to find a way to recharge them.”

Ethan shook his head. “Doubtful. If Hayley can’t do it, there’s probably no one who can.”

With another mischievous smile, Kat remarked, “You leave that to me.”

[OnlyTrueFan]

CHAPTER FIVE

“So this was your plan to save the franchise?” Bralon understood. “Another big teamup?”

Neal shoveled a spoonful of mashed potatoes into his mouth. “There’s more to it than that. You’ll have to read it to understand.”

“I never read any of the Dino Thunder series,” he said. “I don’t even know where I was when they were published.”

Neal cleared his throat. “So the only Rangers you’re familiar with are the SPD Rangers?”

Bralon nodded. “Yeah. I know them all pretty well, but I was a little confused by the teamup issue last year.”

“Well, if you’re not familiar with the previous year’s team, I guess that would be natural.” He picked up a taco on his plate and took a bite.

Bralon shuffled through the remaining pages of the comic. “This is going to be one issue?”

“Eh, no. It’s the last several issues, actually. I always write them in an extra-thick format before they get published. That way, I get a break before having to do the rest.”

“When will they be published?”

“Don’t know. There’s been a delay this year because of the success of so many other comics I’m doing.”

Bralon went back to the page he was marking with his finger. “I guess I better see what happens next.”

Neal gave a sigh. “Let me know how it all turns out.”

Ignoring his joke, Bralon turned the page to read on.

**************

The hair hung in his face as Sam regained consciousness. The black-and-white artwork of the pages Bralon held could not show the redness of Sam’s hair, but he remembered from a past issue that Sam was, indeed, a redhead.

‘Where am I?’ Sam wondered as he stood up to brush his hair from his eyes. ‘Better yet…where’s Kat and Cruger?’ The unusual surroundings he found himself in were far from what he had ever been used to. He was standing in a grassy clearing, with trees on both sides of him. Before him was a narrow pathway into the wilderness. Behind him was a gorgeous waterfall streaming down into the brook that flowed in a southeasterly direction.

Sam scratched his head. “What the heck is this?”

The sound of footsteps alerted him to trouble, so he took cover behind a large tree trunk. Three tall young people appeared, all in matching ninja suits made of black leather.

“I’m telling you, you’ve got the whole thing wrong,” said a brown-haired young man as he put his hands on his hips stubbornly.

A fair-haired beauty named Tori Hanson brushed her long blonde hair behind her ear. “Are you guys going to be arguing about this all day?”

Dustin Brooks shifted his jaw. “Maybe.”

“This is a really ridiculous thing to be arguing about,” said their dark-skinned leader, whose suit was adorned with red highlights. “Dustin, you know I’m right. So admit it.”

“There’s no right or wrong answer,” Tori cut in. “Why don’t you both stop acting like--”

Dustin turned to Shane Clarke with a look of disgust. “Just because you’re wrong doesn’t give you the right to put me down.“

Shane stepped into Dustin’s face. “Prove it.”

“All right. Stop!” Tori barked. “Now you’re arguing about arguing. This is a new low.”

Shane’s nostrils were flaring as he backed away from Dustin. “Well, if surfer-dude had a clue, he wouldn’t challenge my knowledge about music. I‘m the singer, you know.”

“Oh, yeah, brillo-head, well, I can play a saxophone, so you‘re no more of a music expert than I am.”

Shane reached up to touch his short, curly hair. “All right, don’t call me brillo-head.”

“Brillo-head.”

“That’s not funny,” Shane warned.

“Yeah, it is,” Dustin laughed.

Clenching both fists, Shane lowered his voice and said, “Listen, Waldo…”

“Oh, it’s on now!” Dustin growled.

Tori stepped between the two and pushed them apart. “Okay! Knock it off! We’ve got better things to do than argue about which one of Kira Ford’s songs is the greatest.”

“If we want to argue about that, it’s our business,” Dustin proclaimed. “But you don’t have to jump in and start arguing about…well, about us arguing.”

Rolling his eyes, Shane walked toward the brook. “You know what? Sensei’s expecting us back by noon. So I’m out of here.”

Dustin and Tori rushed to follow him; the three ninjas gave it no second thought as they walked on water to the waterfall. Sam watched eagerly as they vanished into a hidden portal.

“Amazing,” he said to himself. He looked around to be sure that he was alone and hurried over to put one foot on the water of the brook. His boot sank halfway in. “Hm. Looks like a ninja trick.” He squared his shoulders and focused on the waterfall. “Well, they’re not the only ones with tricks.” He vanished with a flash of light.

***************

As Shane, Tori, and Dustin wandered through the gates of the Wind Ninja Academy, they were unaware of the stranger creeping along behind them. As soon as Sam saw the Academy gates swing shut, he used his power of teleportation to appear on the other side, behind a large stone fountain.

“I’m going to find Sensei,” Tori grumbled. “You guys can stay here and argue if you like.”

“I’m supposed to have a date with Marah,” Dustin said as he walked away.

“Fine!” Shane hollered. “Cam’s supposed to meet me here anyway! I’ll talk to him!”

Sam peered around the fountain and finally got a good look at the “N” emblem on Shane’s chest. It was the legendary symbol of the ancient ninjas. “He’s one of them,” Sam said to himself. “He’s a Wind ninja.”

It was only a few quiet moments before Cameron Watanabe, the Asian son of the Wind Ninja Academy’s own sensei, came into view polishing his glasses on the sleeve of his robe. “Hey, Shane,” he greeted.

Shane nodded back. “Hey, Cam. What did you want to talk to me about?”

Cam put his glasses on and frowned. “There’s no easy way to say this. But I thought you should be the first to know.”

“The first to know what?”

“It’s about my father. He’s decided to retire from the Wind Ninja Academy.”

Shane was stunned. “Why? How could he do that? This academy is his life.”

Cam nodded. “Well, he’s asked that I take over the academy when he retires. That’s why I really wanted to talk to you.”

Shane did not quite understand his friend’s point. “Can you be a bit more specific?”

“I’d like it if you would help me run the school. Together, I mean.”

“You mean like partners?” Shane asked in shock. “Cam, why would you want to share this with me? This was your father’s school for years. Don’t you want to follow in his footsteps?”

“Eh, I’ll be doing that anyway. I see no reason to go it alone. You could help me, and we could turn this school into something like the world’s never known.”

Shane pondered on it for a moment. “Why didn’t you think of asking Dustin and Tori?”

“I did. But Dustin’s busy with his freestyling, and now Tori’s getting just as wrapped up in motocross as she is in surfing. You…”

“Oh, I get it. I never made anything out of my skateboarding career, so I’m free.” Shane sounded more than little disappointed.

“It’s not that, Shane. You just have the stuff that they don’t. You’re a natural leader. A Red Ranger. I think this school could use a sensei like you.”

“Wow. Thanks, man.” Shane put his hand out. “I don’t know what to say.”

Clasping his new partner’s hand with his own, Cam smiled. “Why don’t we go tell Dad the news right now?”

“Deal.” Just as the two were ready to leave, Sam appeared in front of them, out of thin air. Both ninjas took fighting positions, startled to find this uniformed outsider within the hallowed walls of the Wind Ninja Academy. “Who are you?” Shane snarled.

Sam put his hands in the air. “Relax. I’m a friend.”

“You’re no friend of mine.“

“How did you get in here?” Cam wanted to know.

Sam shook his head. “That doesn’t matter. I think you may be able to help me out.”

Shane relaxed a bit. “Help you out against what?”

“Against whatever it is that destroyed our future.”

Cam was a bit more susceptible to believing his story. “Why do you think we can help you?“

With a grin, Sam answered, “Because you’re Power Rangers. Just like me.“

*******************

“So if this threat you’re running from is headed here,” Cam said as he paced the training room where Tori and Dustin now stood with them. “Then what can we do to stop it? If Time Force couldn’t stand up to it, and SPD couldn’t stand up to it, what makes you think we can?”

Sam shrugged. “To be honest, I’m not making any claims at all. But we have to do everything in our power to stop this.”

“If you’re looking for help-- Ranger help, I mean,” Shane spoke. “I might remind you that our Power Disks are history. The Samurai Amulet holds all of our morphing energy, and it’s no longer functional.”

Sam cocked his head. “Well, let’s get down to the nitty-gritty. What would it take to get your powers up and running again?”

Dustin scoffed. “A miracle.”

“No,” Cam mumbled. “It would take something stronger than the Samurai Amulet. Combined energies, I mean. It would help, though, if there were something else we could use to balance the level of…powerlessness. If we could combine enough energies to kick-start the Disks, with a second voided power source…”

“What are you talking about?” Dustin grumbled.

“Like using a greater energy to boost the Disks and something else at the same time, so that they could both work off each other when receiving the power,” Sam said.

Cam snapped his fingers. “Exactly.”

Tori stepped forward. “Well, the first thing we’re going to need are the Power Disks. All of them.”

Shane turned to Dustin. “Why don’t you two make that happen for us? I’ll stay with Sam.”

“I think I’ve got an idea of where we can find our second source of dead energy,” Cam revealed. “I’m going to leave town for a while and see if I can get my hands on it.”

“We’ll be waiting for you,” Sam said. “Don’t let us down. The future’s depending on it.”

“And so is the present,” Shane added.

[juzblue]

wow. this is great!! so many rangers together... cool! keep up the good work!

[CyberstarAries]

Awesome. Just awesome.

[OnlyTrueFan]

Awesome. Just awesome.

wow. this is great!! so many rangers together... cool! keep up the good work!

Aw... shucks. :)

[OnlyTrueFan]

CHAPTER SIX

A sudden pain shot through Bralon’s forehead. He stopped reading long enough to reach up and apply some pressure to the offending spot.

“You all right?” Neal checked as he dipped a carrot into some ranch dip. “You look a little peaked.”

Bralon closed his eyes. “I’m feeling a little lightheaded, that’s all.”

“You need something to drink?”

With a wave of his hand, Bralon tried to overcome the dizzy spell he was suffering. “I’m fine.” His eyes could not focus on the pictures he was trying to see, so he put his elbows on the table to catch his breath for a few moments.

“You don’t look so good,” Neal told him. “Should I get you to a hospital, son?”

“No, it’s…it’s nothing. This kind of thing happens every now and then.”

“Are you diabetic or something?”

Bralon shrugged. “Don’t know. But I’ll be fine. It passes.” His vision finally returned to him, and he went back to reading the story in his hands.

*******************

The tide washed up onshore, splashing around Cruger’s hands and hair. He felt the cold water and awoke with a start.

“Oh!” he hollered as he sat up in the sand. There was nothing around but some boats tied in a port up not far away.

Doggie stood up slowly, shaking his large head of the dirt it had collected. “Hello!” he called. “Kat! Sam! Is anyone here?!” He realized the awful truth: he was alone. Whether it meant he had been left there or separated was a question he could not answer. But if he had been left, he knew that Kat and Sam would have to be in trouble not to wake him.

It was a short walk to the docks. But once there, he got the answer he was looking for-- a sign that read “Turtle Cove Shipping Docks.”

“Turtle Cove?” he said to himself. “This is most interesting. Perhaps luck is on my side after all.”

****************

The veterinary office of Cole Evans was empty at the moment. The doctor himself sat out in the waiting room, reading the daily paper. Cole was a tall, muscular man with thick, dark hair almost to his shoulders. He wore a red sweatshirt, khaki pants, and a white doctor’s coat. Nothing out of the ordinary caught his attention in the news, so he went straight for the comics section.

Doggie stepped into the waiting room, letting the door swing shut behind him. “Dr. Evans?”

“Yes, sir?” Cole asked without looking up.

“The Earth requires your assistance once again.”

Cole’s eyes moved up the large figure beside him, and he found himself staring at the canine commander. Rising to his feet, he asked, “Who are you?” with a look of amazement.

“My name is Anubis. I’m the commander of the SPD Earth branch in the year 2027. I’ve come back to stop a menace like this world has never known. But I’ll need your help to do it.”

Cole cocked his head. “I don’t understand. You’re from the future?”

“I am. I was separated from my companions when we landed. Where they are now is beyond me. But I know you were a Ranger once. And that much we have in common.”

“You’re a Power Ranger?” Cole gasped.

Doggie nodded shortly. “I am. And whatever it is that destroyed the year 3006 came back in time to destroy my time. Its target is 2007, and that is why I’ve come.”

“The year 3006 is…gone?”

“I’m afraid so.”

Cole hung his head. “I’m not a Ranger anymore, Commander. I was relieved of my duties five years ago.”

“I know. Princess Shayla took the Animarium into the sky with all of your Growl Phones and Wild Force jackets. But now is the time to relocate the Animarium and reclaim the power that is rightfully yours. The future of the Earth is depending on it.”

Cole pulled off his coat. “How are we supposed to find the Animarium?”

“We’ll deal with that later. First things first. Can you get in contact with your former Wild Force team?”

Cole took a deep breath. “Most of them.”

“Most?”

“Commander, one of the Wild Force Rangers lost contact with us. We never got in touch with him again. It’s been five years since any of us have heard from him, and I wouldn’t even know where to begin looking.”

“There’s no way to contact him?”

Cole shook his head. “Even during his days as a Ranger, he knew when he was needed without being called. He always said the wind would let him know.”

“And it always has,” Merrick said as he entered the room.

Cole and Doggie were both shocked to find the former Lunar Wolf Ranger standing in the doorway, with a backpack over one shoulder and the gray streaks of his shaggy brown hair hanging in his eyes.

“Isn’t this a coincidence?” Doggie murmured.

“Merrick,” Cole said softly. “Where have you been?”

“Fighting a personal battle,” Merrick answered honestly. “But the winds have shifted. Something is coming, and I’m here to help stop it when it arrives.”

Cruger went over to put his hand on Merrick’s shoulder. “From one lone wolf to another… it’s good to have you on our side.”

“Come on,” Cole finally said. “If this threat is coming, we want to be ready when it gets here.”

*********************

The Norquist Air Force Base was roaring with the noise of jet engines as Lt. Taylor Earhardt walked out in full gear that evening. She let her blonde hair down from the ponytail she had been wearing, and climbed into the small yellow sports car she had left parked not far away.

As she drove out the gate, she looked down briefly to turn on her car radio. When her eyes moved back to the road, she saw three figures blocking her path. She hit the brakes and stopped cold. She recognized two of these jaywalkers. But the third was like no one she had ever known.

Stepping out of the car, Taylor could not help but smile to see Cole and Merrick heading her way. But Cruger was enough to give her chills. “What’s going on?” she asked shortly.

“This is Anubis,” Cole said shortly. “He needs our help.”

Still baffled, Taylor asked, “Our help with what?”

Cruger stood with his hands behind his back. “Something is moving back through time, with the intentions of stopping in 2007. Every year he has passed through so far has been eliminated.”

Taylor did not quite understand, but knew that it must be serious. “Cole?“

“His heart is true,” Cole guaranteed.

That was all the reassurance Taylor needed. “What do you need me to do?”

“We need you to find the Animarium,” Cole replied. “You’re the only one who can.”

***************

Not much later, Taylor’s jet was streaking across the sky, in the same direction she had always taken her practice flights. Whenever she came out this way, she met up with a very old friend of hers whom only she could track down.

“Come on,” Taylor whispered. “Where are you at?”

Several long minutes passed. Taylor kept checking her watch to see how long she had been out. Cruger had made it undeniably clear to her that there would be very little time to prepare for the arrival of this unidentified danger. But the only way to find the Animarium was through…

“Yes!” Taylor cheered as the Yellow Eagle Wildzord soared into view, screeching at the sight of its former master. With a big smile, Taylor trailed the zord through a cloud so thick she could barely see. Just as they came out into a clearing, another jet-- making wild twists and turns in the air-- whizzed by, missing her wing by a very short distance.

“What is that nut doing?!” Taylor screamed as the second jet disappeared from sight. She tried to ignore it and went on flying to relocate the zord. Once it was in her sights again, she followed it through another cloud, and then another, and then another. Just when she was beginning to think that they were playing tag, a great green mass appeared in the distance.

“Finally,” she breathed.

The floating island of Animarium was just as glorious today as it had ever been. Shaped like a turtle, covered in nothing but nature’s beauty, it stayed hidden here from nearly all mankind. As her jet came in for a landing, Taylor could see the majestic Red Lion Wildzord standing on a ledge, letting out a roar of welcome.

Once she had climbed out of the jet, Taylor began her long walk toward the remains of the Animarian temple where she had once lived with Cole and three other chosen young people.

Just as Taylor walked into the precious courtyard, and saw the sleeping form of Princess Shayla on her stone bed, the fountain of Sacred Water that had once alerted the Animarium of orgs began to bubble.

The eyes of the brown-haired Princess Shayla opened.

Taylor lit up. “Princess…”

Sitting up slowly, Shayla reached out to take Taylor by the hand. “Taylor. What's happened?”

Taylor turned to the small pond of water that had just begun stirring. “Something’s wrong. I didn’t realize just how wrong until I heard that thing start brewing.”

“Orgs?” Shayla wondered. “But that can’t be.”

Taylor became serious. “Princess, someone is here from the year 2027. He says the earth is in great danger, and that something has destroyed the future. Now it’s coming back for us.”

“And you’re here for the Growl Phones?”

Taylor nodded. “I know they’re meant to fight the orgs, but…”

“It seems to me that whatever it is you’re up against may be an org after all.”

“So can we have the Growl Phones?”

Princess Shayla stood up for the first time in five years. “I’ll send them back with you.”

“Thank you,” Taylor smiled. “We’ll take care of this org. Just like old times.”

[OnlyTrueFan]

CHAPTER SEVEN

Wiping his mouth with a napkin, Neal stood up and stretched his arms. “Well, are you ready to head back to the office?”

Bralon would not pull his eyes from the comic as he stood up and nodded.

“You might want to watch where you’re going when we start walking,” Neal warned.

With an exasperated sigh, Bralon lowered the comic and followed Neal to the elevator.

“So you haven’t told me yet just what you think of it,” Neal reminded him. “The story, I mean. Any comments?”

With a lazy shrug, Bralon said, “I’m not that knowledgeable about the past, so I guess I can’t say much about these characters I don’t know.”

“They were all Rangers at one time. Just like the SPD gang.” Neal stepped into the elevator, with Bralon at his side.

“How many teams have there been?”

“Enough,” chuckled the writer. “And at least when this issue gets published, most of them will get some kind of a sign-off.”

“Most?”

Neal took a deep breath. “You’ll have to read the rest for yourself to know just what I mean.”

As soon as the two walked into Neal’s office, Bralon went back to his seat in the corner. Neal was still awestruck at just how passionate Bralon was about all of this. What is it that made him think this world he had created was so important?

But the bigger question was where did this young man come from? And who was he?

*******************

‘How did I end up here?’ Sky wondered as he climbed the rocky precipice before him. With one hand on his laser, he looked around inquisitively at the beach he was stranded in. “Terrific,” he mumbled. “How in the world did I end up here? I don’t even know where here is.” Realizing that the time hole must have opened in separate regions, he raised his SPD morpher and tried to contact his friends.

“Jack. Jack, can you hear me? Bridge? Syd? Z? Anybody? Commander?” With that, he gave a shrug and returned it to his belt. “Looks like I’m alone.” He watched the waves crash on the shore and turned to head in the other direction.

“If I’m stuck in the middle of nowhere… I guess I better start looking for somewhere.” Not far from where he had landed, Sky located a highway that he decided to follow eastward. He thought he could make out a city skyline in the distance, and decided to make that his destination.

******************

It was close to an hour later when Sky came into the streets of a city called Silver Hills. He knew the name well; he had read about it in history books. It was in Silver Hills that the inspiration for SPD’s prototype had been forged. The Red Ranger costume worn by Sky’s own father had been designed with Silver Hills in mind.

Shaking off his childhood memories, Sky found the building where the city’s Power Ranger legacy all began in 2001: Bio-Lab.

Walking boldly through the door and up to the front desk, Sky asked the secretary if he could speak with Wesley Collins.

Standing a few feet away signing something on the counter was a black-haired man of Filipino descent, in the traditional uniform of the military police known as the Silver Guardians. He looked up with his dark eyes when he heard Sky’s request, and looked over the unusual SPD uniform. “Excuse me,” he piped, stepping over to where Sky was waiting. “Can I help you with something?”

Sky turned to the stranger and squared his shoulders when he saw the man’s stern, stubborn expression. “I’m here to see Wesley Collins.”

“Well, Wes is busy at the moment,” the man answered. “I’m his partner, Comdr. Myers; could I help you with something?”

Sky’s eyebrows arched. “I’m afraid I have to see Wesley about this; it’s an emergency.”

“Well, like I said, Wesley’s busy in a board meeting.”

“Can you get him for me?”

“Not until it’s over.”

“Then I’ll have to go in myself.” Sky tried to walk around Comdr. Myers, but he quickly put a hand to Sky’s chest.

“I don’t think so. You’ll have to wait like everybody else.”

Sky stared down into the man’s eyes. “This can’t wait. Now you can either get out of the way, or get Wesley yourself… unless you’re planning on trying to stop me.”

Comdr. Myers saw the laser Sky was gripping at his side, and reached up to put a hand over his own. “You better watch yourself. Who do you think you are coming in here with that thing strapped to your side?”

“I’m SPD,” Sky revealed, showing the officer his badge. “Do you still you want to stand in my way?”

Pulling off his cap, Comdr. Myers replied with, “Anytime you think you’re ready to come through me, buddy, just try it.”

“Don’t tempt me.”

The two stepped up toward each other, glaring into one another’s eyes. Just when their fists were clenched and their teeth were ground tighter than they thought they could withstand, another Silver Guardian stepped between them, wearing a red beret that covered his dark blonde crewcut.

“All right, all right,” the handsome commander said. “Eric, back off.”

Eric Myers did just that, returning his cap to his head.

“You better ease off with the law enforcement, pal,” the second man warned Sky. “We’re not too fond of that in here. I got a call from the front desk saying you needed to speak with me.”

“They interrupted your meeting?” Eric asked in shock.

With Sky still staring in frustration, Wesley Collins answered, “Yeah. Me and my dad set a rule a couple weeks ago to interrupt anything and everything if it looked like you were getting hot under the collar.”

Eric faked a smile. “That’s very funny.”

Wes laughed. “Now what do you need…Officer?”

Sky raised his badge. “I’m SPD. You haven’t heard of me, but I’ve heard of Time Force. Did you say this guy’s name was Eric?”

Wes pointed a thumb at his partner. “Yeah, Eric Myers.”

“The Quantum Ranger?”

Eric folded his arms. “Ah, you’ve heard of me.”

“Don’t encourage his ego,” Wes said firmly. “Are you going to tell me what you need or not?”

Shaking his head in aggravation, Sky answered, “I’ll save the details. All you need to concern yourself with is this: some kind of evil is heading our way, and we’re the only ones who have a chance of stopping it.”

Eric scoffed. “You come prancing in here with your phony badge and--”

“Eric,” Wes barked. “Let him talk. You say you saved the details?”

Sky nodded. “I guess if anyone would be open-minded to the theory of time travel, however, it would be you.”

“Time travel?” Eric snorted.

“What about time travel?” asked Wes, his tone dropping.

“The enemy we chased here has been moving back through time. We received a message in our time-- 2027-- that the year 3006 was gone.”

The expression changed on both the men’s faces. “Who was the message from?” Wes wanted to know.

“It was from Alex Drake,” Sky said solemnly.

Eric saw the shock on his partner’s face. “Isn’t that--”

“Yeah.”

“I’m sorry to bring you this news,” Sky promised. “But we’re running out of time. 2027 is gone now too, and the message said that 2007 was the target.”

“The target of what?” Wes wondered out loud.

Sky shrugged. “I wish I knew.”

Eric put his hand on Wesley’s shoulder. “I think it’s time we got the others.”

“Right.”

****************

Soon, the Silver Guardian Committee was meeting in the board room regarding Sky’s news. There was no proof yet of its authenticity, but they were willing to take the precautions necessary.

The Committee consisted of a curly-haired, African-American girl named Katie Walker; a race car-driving, Asian-American hotshot named Lucas Kendall; a green-haired Zybrian named Trip Regis; and a tall, gorgeous brunette named Jennifer Scotts, who also happened to be Wesley’s fiancée.

As the four seated themselves at the round conference table with Eric and Wes, Sky took center stage to explain the dilemma. “I’m from Newtech City. It won’t be founded until 2010, but it’s the greatest city I’ve ever known. In that same year, research from this facility will go into effect to create an organization that can protect this planet and its surrounding neighbors from alien threats. Bio-Lab sponsored this operation, together with two other branches of command. The first was a military unit from the planet Syria, known as Space Patrol Delta, or SPD. The second is an association I’m sure you’re all familiar with by name: the Galactic Space Alliance, better known as the GSA.

“To make a long story short, my friends and I were in our last week of a well-deserved vacation when Comdr. Cruger, the leader of the SPD Earth branch, contacted us with the news of a message they received from 3006.”

Jennifer suddenly became more alert.

“It was from Time Force.”

Jen’s eyes moved to Wes, who gave a nod to tell her that he already knew.

“The message was sent by a man named Alex Drake,” Sky went on. “Our commander watched him fall… and the year 3006 vanished before his eyes.”

Katie, Trip, and Lucas could not help but turn their attention to Jen, whose eyes had suddenly become red.

“I’m sorry if this comes as a shock to any of you, but I have to be frank. There’s no time to pity ourselves. Whatever it is that wiped out the future is heading back through time, destroying everything in its path…and in Alex’s past.”

“No time to pity?” Katie repeated. “We just found out that our home is gone. Our families. Our… our entire world.” Her voice cracked, and she had to lower her head.

Sky choked back tears. “Unfortunately, I know what you’re going through. The year 2027 has been destroyed as well. And Alex’s message said that the target year was 2007.”

“If he moved back through 979 years so quickly,” Trip said, trying to re-gather his thoughts. “Then why is it taking him so long to cover another twenty? You said that 2027 was gone, right? Shouldn’t he be here by now? Whoever he is.”

“I don’t know,” Sky answered. “But my guess is that he-- if it is a he-- has something big planned. And he’s taking his time to get here.”

Lucas scooted to the front of his chair. “So what are we supposed to do?”

Wes took the opportunity to speak up. “We’re supposed to stop him before he can get here.”

[jaguarranger]

Keep it up, this continues to be awesome!

[Angelfox]

this is a good fic...cant wait to see where it goes....bravo zulu dude

[Nemesis]

Whenever I usually read RB fics, I loose interest, but this is one of the rare few that has kept me gripped.

Great work.

[juzblue]

sign off? they're not gonna die, are they?? *puppy dogs eyes* anyway, great chapter!!

[OnlyTrueFan]

CHAPTER EIGHT

Shaking Bralon by the shoulders, Neal said, “Hey, wake up. Don’t you think it’s time you got home, son?”

Bralon rubbed his eyes and saw that the comic had been taken from his lap. “Where’s the book?”

“I put it back in my desk. We’ve got to head home, it’s getting late.”

“I can’t. I have to finish that story. I have to know what happens.”

Neal sighed deeply. “Bralon, I can’t stay any longer. I’d send the comic book home with you if I had another copy, but I don’t.”

“Can’t you make one? Please?”

Shaking his head tiredly, Neal declined. “Son, I haven’t got time to put each page through a copier. We have to get out of here, and I can’t leave you here by yourself.”

Bralon was obviously distressed. “Mr. Shatner, I’m sleeping under a bridge anyway. So there’s not much waiting for me at home. You have to let me finish that book.”

“You’re sleeping under a bridge?” Neal repeated, running his hand through his hair. “Son, I’ll tell you what. There’s a hotel across the street from my apartment. I’ll drive you there and give you enough to stay for the night. How’s that?”

“And what about the comic?”

“You can finish it in the car. And what you aren’t able to finish in the car, you can finish at my place before you get a room. Fair enough?”

Bralon smiled, for the first time since Neal had met him. “Fair enough.”

********************

On the trip home, Bralon was able to read the next portion of the book. It showed Z coming out of a dark alley, obviously lost.

“Great,” she said to herself. “I just traveled twenty years back in time, and I’ve lost my company.” She went to a phone booth where a goateed teenager was making a call. “Excuse me?”

He gave Z an ill-mannered frown and ignored her.

“Excuse me,” she persisted. “Can you tell me what year this is?”

“It’s 2007, lady,” he snapped, using one hand to cover the mouthpiece. “Now leave me alone.” Returning to his phone call, he did not see Z mock him as she started to leave.

Stopping shortly, Z turned back and called, “What’s the name of this city?”

He glanced back at her with an irritated expression, taking a second look at her uniform. “It’s Mariner Bay.”

********************

The Lightspeed Tower had been standing near the center of Mariner Bay since early 2001, when construction had been completed. Now, it stood as a beacon of hope to not only the citizens of this faithful community, but to Z as well.

‘There it is,’ she thought. ‘Just as I’d hoped.’

Making her way toward the base, Z caught sight of the security surrounding the entrance of the building. ‘Uh-oh. This doesn’t look good. SPD doesn’t even exist yet. How will I get through?’

“Hold it, ma’am,” the guard ordered from behind his stationed booth at the front gate. “You can’t get through without written permission. What’s your name?”

Hoping for the best, Z took a chance and said, “My name is Elizabeth Delgado. I’m with SPD. You won’t find me on your list, but it’s of utmost urgency that I get in to speak with your leader.”

“Sorry,” the guard apologized. “Unless your name is on the list, we can’t let you through.”

“Can you just call up and let them know there’s an SPD officer here to see them?”

“What’s SPD stand for, ma’am?”

Z held her head high and said, “Space Patrol Delta.”

With an unconvinced smirk, the guard pulled out his walkie-talkie and called the high office. “If you weren’t in… ‘uniform,’ I wouldn’t be doing this for you.”

“Believe me, it’s authentic,” she swore. “I’m just not from around here.”

No longer paying much attention to her, the guard began talking quietly under his breath to whoever he had reached on the other line. At the close of the conversation, he hung his walkie back on his belt and shrugged. “Sorry, but they won’t agree to it.”

Z’s heart sank. “What? They have to! Tell them it’s an emergency! Tell them the fate of the world depends on it! Tell them--”

“Thank you for understanding. Good afternoon, ma’am,” he interrupted, hoping she would take the hint.

She stood for a moment, considering her options. “Okay,” she accepted. “Fine. I’ll just have to let my twin sister convince you.”

An exact duplicate of Z leaned into the guard’s booth from the other side of the fence. The guard was stunned. “What the-?”

“Now can I get in?” they both asked together.

A second guard walked over to his comrade’s station. “Where the heck did this one come from?”

A third Z came up behind the second man, to tap him on the shoulder. “Hello.”

The second man shrieked. “There’s another one!”

“Can we get in now?“ one Z began. “Can we, can we, can we?“

“It’s really important we get in,“ the second one agreed. “If we don’t, there’s no hope for the world.“

As both of the carbon copies distracted the guards, a fourth Z strolled toward the door. She could hear her trio of duplicates running their mouths as she made her way inside.

*******************

The Lightspeed officials paid no mind to Z as she walked freely through the halls of the Tower. They knew she would never have gotten through security unless she belonged inside.

Z located the lab of Lightspeed’s head science official, Miss Angela Rawlings. She could see Miss Rawlings standing inside the glass walls with goggles on to protect her eyes from the bright sparks that flew around her.

As soon as the noise died, Z rapped on the door. She watched the attractive, dark-haired woman speak to her coworkers before coming to answer. “Can I help you?” she asked when she opened the door.

Fighting back her nervousness, Z got to the point. “I need to see Cap. Grayson. It’s an emergency.”

Miss Rawlings squinted as she replaced her goggles with a pair of delicate glasses. “What kind of an emergency?”

“The kind that can’t wait,” she said simply. “The fate of the world is on the line. Can you take me to him?”

Her expression changed gradually. “What’s your name?”

“My name is Elizabeth Delgado. I’m with a military unit called SPD. You haven’t heard of us yet, but you will. We know Lightspeed, though, and I’m going to need your help.”

The alarms began to blare just then; flashing red lights filled the hall. “Intruder alert! Intruder alert!” came the warning. “Security is to restrain an Hispanic female named Elizabeth Delgado! She is somewhere in the Lightspeed Tower, wearing a gray and yellow uniform!”

Z gave the scientist a sheepish smile. “Did I say Delgado? I meant…Perkins?”

*******************

Soon, Miss Rawlings was leading a pair of security guards to the main office. Z’s hands were behind her back, cuffed, and her SPD badge had been confiscated.

The doors slid open, and they walked into Rescue Ops, where at least a dozen men and women were moving about their business. “Captain,” Miss Rawlings spoke. “We’ve found the intruder.”

Standing with his back to the group was an incredibly tall man with bushy, sandy-colored hair and a black captain’s uniform. As he turned to face them, he placed a leather-brimmed military cap on his head. “Good work,” he said with a nod.

Turning to Z, Miss Rawlings informed her, “This is Captain Carter Grayson. You said you wanted to meet him. Well, here’s your chance.”

“Why have you taken a chance of sneaking onto Lightspeed property?” Carter asked directly.

Z looked rather intimidated now, surrounded by Lightspeed officials. “Sir, I had to. It was the only way I could get to you, and we’re running out of time.”

“Get to the point, ma’am.”

“Something is coming from the future. And it’s coming with the intentions of destroying 2007.”

Carter made eye contact with Miss Rawlings. “You say it’s coming from the future?”

“Yes, sir,” she answered honestly. “And so have I. I’m a member of Space Patrol Delta, but it won’t exist for several more years. Miss Rawlings has my badge.”

Carter put his hand out, and the badge was placed in his palm. “Looks real enough. Can you give me some kind of proof that this story is true?”

Z thought for a moment. “If your guards will release me for a moment, I think I can offer you some pretty solid proof.”

He motioned for the guards to do so. Once her hands were free, Z pulled something off the back of her belt. “Here,” she said. “It’s an SPD morpher. In the year 2027, I’m the Yellow Ranger.”

That was enough to catch Miss Rawlings’ attention.

“Can you find out if she’s telling the truth?” Carter asked her.

“I can do my best,” she promised, taking the morpher and walking out.

“I’m entrusting it to you because I know you’ll treat it well,” Z said to him. “Do you really think I would’ve given her my name if I thought I would be called an intruder?”

Carter pulled his hat off. “Can you tell me when this threat will arrive?”

Z shook her head. “No, sir.”

“Then we better prepare for the worst.”

[OnlyTrueFan]

CHAPTER NINE

Tapping his fingers impatiently against the top of his station wagon, Neal said firmly, “Get out of the car, son, we’re here.”

Bralon looked up as if he had not heard a word. “What?”

“We’re here. Get out. You can come in and meet my wife.”

“Oh, okay.” Bralon jumped out and followed Neal into the apartment building. “Can I ask you a personal question?”

“I suppose,” Neal decided.

“Why do you guys live in an apartment building with all your money?”

Neal shrugged. “It’s our home. We’ve lived here for years, and we’ve got a lot of friends, here. Why should we leave just because we’re rich, as you might call it?“

Bralon cracked a faint smile at the man’s down-to-earth outlook.

“Besides that, we own a summer house in Malibu.”

When the two had boarded the elevator, Neal was hardly surprised to see Bralon start reading once again.

*********************

A baseball game was in effect at the Stone Canyon City Park. The batter hit a home run and made his laps around the field.

Bridge wandered up the hill to where the bleachers were filled with parents and friends. He looked around for any sign of his misplaced friends. “So either we were separated in the time travel process, or…they got left behind. But then, that’s impossible, since I was the last one to go through. Unless I went through last and came out first, like when you dump out a bucket. And maybe the others haven’t gotten here yet. But then, that wouldn’t make any sense because if the time hole had dumped us back out, we’d still be in the year 2027. Unless the year 2027 doesn’t exist anymore…in which case we wouldn’t.”

“Who are you talking to?” asked a little girl with a hot dog in her hand.

Bridge looked down to see her standing beside him. “Oh, I’m just talking to myself. Is this Stone Canyon?”

“Yep.”

“And the year is 2007?”

“Yep. I know that because I was born in 2000. And I’m seven years old.”

“That’s good,” he said shortly, turning away. “So if it’s 2007, and I’m in Stone Canyon…then it must be close to the space mission that Stone Canyon controlled for NASADA. Which means that… excuse me, little girl, do you know what the date is?”

“It’s August twenty-eighth.”

Bridge’s eyes widened. “August twenty-eighth! Then that means that…”

“I know that because my birthday was a week ago yesterday, and--”

“I gotta run!” Bridge turned to scurry out of the park.

The little girl watched him leave. “Jerk!”

********************

As he came into the territory of the Stone Canyon Space Camp, Bridge could see a pair of heliships landing in the lot. Heliships were convenient forms of space travel, due to their lack of requirement for a launch pad.

“This is it,” Bridge said excitedly as he started in the direction of the heliships. “It is today.”

Some NASADA officials came out to meet the passengers of the heliship. Because of the encouragement given to tourists by this space camp, Bridge was allowed to enter freely.

The ramp was lowered from both heliships, and members of the GSA stepped out. Following from one of the heliships were two men dressed in officer’s uniforms, both with dark hair and a muscular build.

As the people of NASADA tried to speak with them, Bridge pushed past to stop in front of the universally renowned Corbett brothers-- former Power Rangers who had defended the space colony Terra Venture on its long journey to the planet Mirinoi.

“Excuse me,” he said abruptly, focusing his attention on the older, sharper-looking brother, Mike Corbett. “But I think I should talk to you about--”

“Sir, can you please step aside? Tours begin later,” one of the security guards warned. “You’ll have to come back then.”

Bridge shook his head. “There’s no time for that. Something’s coming back through time to destroy the Earth in the year 2007.”

Mike looked into the pale blue eyes of his square-jawed younger brother, Leo.

“Come on, son,” another guard said as they each took Bridge’s arms and started to drag him out.

“Uh, excuse me,” Bridge pleaded, holding his hand in the air. “Mr. Corbett, can I get a little assistance here? This is about the fate of the world.”

“Hold it, officers,” Mike cut in. “Let’s hear what he has to say.”

Once he was unconstrained, Bridge straightened his SPD jacket and stuck his nose into the air out of spite. “Mr. Corbett, we received a message from the year 3006. Now, I know that might sound crazy, but there is an organization formed in the distant future known as Time Force.”

“We all know about Time Force,” Mike reminded him. “Bio-Lab made sure the world knew everything there was to know about Time Force. You say you received a message from them? And you said we. Who’s we?”

“Well, we and my friends. I mean, me and my friends. We is my friends. We is me and my friends. We is all of us. My friends and I are--”

“Stop!” Leo barked, stepping between Mike and Bridge. “What did the message say?”

Trying to regather his thoughts, Bridge replied, “It said that the year 3006 was history. Only, not ancient history, because it’s in the future. So that would make it future history. Which technically means it can’t be history at all, because history is the telling of events that took place in the past, and if the year 3006 was history…well, then it couldn’t be. Unless it was history to the year 3106, because then it is ancient, and--”

“Shut up!” Leo said again. “Who sent the message?”

“Alex Drake,” came his short, to-the-point answer. “He’s the head of Time Force. He… he lost his life before the message ended.”

“And what did the message say about this… this danger?” Leo pressed on.

Bridge raised his brows. “Well, it said that it was moving back through time, destroying everything in its path…which it did. And it said that the target was 2007...which it is.”

“What do you mean it destroyed everything in its path?” Mike wanted to know, as the GSA and NASADA officials began to lose their patience.

“I’m from the year 2027,” Bridge revealed. “And it was wiped out just before my friends and I came back in time to the present day. Well, the present day to you… and everyone else in this time. It’s the past to me.”

Leo and Mike seemed concerned, but Leo summed it all up in a few words, “Mike, he’s got to be telling the truth. He’s too stupid to be making this up.”

“I want you to make contact with Mirinoi at once,” Mike told one of his privates. “Get Stanton on the line and tell him we may be delayed.” Turning to the CEO of the Stone Canyon Space Camp, he concluded with, “I’m afraid that goes for this project as well.”

“You’re going to believe him?” scoffed one of the men from NASADA.

Leo gave him an icy glare. “If I hadn’t believed a young girl on the moon once, their world and our space colony would have died. I’m putting the same faith in this young man.”

“I’m SPD,” Bridge said, as if it meant something. “It hasn’t been created yet, but in the near future, it’ll be one of the GSA’s subdivisional creations.”

“Try not to talk and come with me,” Leo demanded as he walked with his brother into the Space Camp Center.

“I’ll be as quiet as a mouse,” Bridge promised. “You’ll never know I’m here. Well, you’ll know I’m here, but not because I’m talking. I mean, you know I’m here because I’m talking right now, but that’s because I haven’t stopped yet. When I do stop, though, you’ll hear less from me than if I weren’t--”

“QUIET!!” the Corbett brothers shouted at once.

Bridge put his hands behind his back and held his mouth shut tightly.

********************

On the planet Mirinoi far out in space, a Japanese-American with unkempt hair came to a beeping monitor in the GSA Headquarters of Venture City.

“This is Chen,” he answered. “Go ahead.”

Mike appeared in the holographic image that followed. “Kai, it’s me. We’ve got an emergency. You better round up the others.”

Kai Chen was worried by his friend’s words. “What kind of an emergency?”

“The kind that could involve Ranger work. A fellow named Bridge Carson has come to meet me and Leo. He says he’s from the year 2027, and the future’s been eliminated by an unknown force.”

“Do you believe him?” Kai checked.

With an unsure shrug, Mike said, “It sounds weird, but I think I do. Leo agrees with me. We’re going to try and get a little more information first, but I’ll get back with you.”

“Okay. Should I let Comdr. Stanton know?”

“He already knows. We alerted him at High Command. I just thought if there was going to be any swordplay involved, if you know what I mean, I would let you be the first to know about it.”

“Thanks. I’ll call Kendrix and Damon.”

“What about the others?”

“They’re on a hike, but I think I can get in touch with them.”

“Don’t do anything rash until I contact you again,” Mike said. “Comdr. Stanton knows what’s going on, and he’s ready to make preparations in the GSA if we have to take emergency action down here.”

Kai nodded understandingly. “I’ll talk to you soon.”

“Corbett out.”

[izout]

This is great OnlyTrueFan, you even got Bridge down right in character. Keep up the good work. :023:

[OnlyTrueFan]

Thanks for all the kind words from everybody. I'm astounded by your reactions to this. I'll keep it coming for all of you.

[jaguarranger]

Two more awesome chapters, and Bridge is portrayed perfectly!

A couple of minor problems:

Chapter Eight seemed a little rushed.


CHAPTER NINE
Some NASADA officials came out to meet the passengers of the heliship. Because of the encouragement given to tourists by this space camp gave to tourists, Bridge was allowed to enter freely.

You need to cut out either "given to tourists by this space camp" or "gave to tourists." They both mean the same thing, having both clutters the sentence and makes it confusing.

But don't let this stop you, this is great!

[OnlyTrueFan]

Two more awesome chapters, and Bridge is portrayed perfectly!

A couple of minor problems:

Chapter Eight seemed a little rushed.

I'll work on it.

You need to cut out either "given to tourists by this space camp" or "gave to tourists." They both mean the same thing, having both clutters the sentence and makes it confusing.

But don't let this stop you, this is great!

Uh...heh heh. That was just a typo, buddy, but thanks for pointing it out. And thanks for what you said about Bridge. I take that as a big compliment. :)

[CyberstarAries]

Hey, regarding Chapter Eight, don't you mean Mrs. Rawlings? Miss Rawlings would be only if Angela's maiden name was Rawlings. If she's married to Joel, then it's Mrs.

Minor correction.

Didn't seem too rushed to me, though. Good work!

[OnlyTrueFan]

Hey, regarding Chapter Eight, don't you mean Mrs. Rawlings? Miss Rawlings would be only if Angela's maiden name was Rawlings. If she's married to Joel, then it's Mrs.

Minor correction.

Didn't seem too rushed to me, though. Good work!

:005: :005: :005:

Okay, that was bad. Thanks for pointing that out.

There's some things I might add to Chapter Eight so that it flows just a wee bit better, in terms of feeling rushed. I'll let everyone know when it's been changed in case they want to see it for themselves.

Thanks again though, for the encouragement! :023:

[OnlyTrueFan]

CHAPTER TEN

Neal was practically leading Bralon by the hand, as he held his arm and pulled him through his apartment door. Bralon’s eyes remained glued to the story, even when Neal said, “Amanda, this is Bralon Feltaro. Bralon, this is my wife, Amanda.”

Bralon raised a hand to wave, but never looked up or responded.

“Don’t ask, it’s a long story,” Neal informed her. “He’s a little tied up with my story right now, and he’s going to have dinner with us.”

The woman stood bewilderedly, brushing back a loose strand of her graying blonde hair. “All right. Bralon, what would you like to drink?”

“That’s fine, thanks,” he mumbled.

With a shrug, Neal suggested, “Give him water. You can’t go wrong there.” He nudged Bralon over to the couch and pushed him back onto it. The young man’s expression never changed as he turned the page.

*********************

Another page, another Ranger. Syd had landed within the fenced-in boundaries of the NASADA Space Corps in Angel Grove City. She, unlike her friends, had no need to ask where she had ended up, because NASADA was a world-renowned company. Their reputation had become legend when the Power Rangers themselves once formed an unlikely alliance with NASADA upon the apparent destruction of their powers.

“Wow,” Syd said quietly as she walked toward the hangar. “I never thought I’d see this place in person. It looks so different twenty years from now.”

The launch pad could be seen from where Syd was standing, and she could not help but stare at it as she walked forward. ‘Maybe NASADA can point me in the right direction. If I’m here looking for help, I guess this is as good a place as any to start…they’ve got a good track record.”

The hangar door was open when she got to it. As she tried to walk in, a white-blonde man came out in a gray T-shirt, drying his hands of oil, and ran right into her.

“Ow!!” Syd squealed. “Watch where you’re going!”

“Sorry,” he apologized.

Syd stepped back to get a better look at him. “Hey…are you…”

He flashed a charming smile. “Yeah, that’s me.”

“Wow. Brad Pitt. You look so much younger than I’m used to seeing you.”

His face fell. “I think you’ve got me confused with someone else. The name’s Zhane.” He put his hand out.

“Oh. Sorry.” She shook his hand cluelessly. “I’m Sydney Drew. Do you know where I can get in touch with the general?”

Zhane could not help but laugh. “Hi, nice to meet you, where’s the general? What kind of a greeting is that?”

“It’s sort of important.”

“I’m a personal friend of the general’s. What is it that you need to see him about?”

Syd brushed her hair from her face. “Do you think he could help me get in touch with the Power Rangers?”

With a look of amusement, Zhane reached into his pocket and pulled out what Syd thought to be a cell phone. He opened it up and revealed the foreign interior. “This is a DigiMorpher.”

Her eyes nearly came out of their sockets. “Zhane… Zhane! You’re the Silver Ranger!”

“I am?” he teased.

“Then you can help me!”

“Why don’t you come inside? There’s someone I’d like you to meet.” Zhane let her walk through the door first, and she found herself in the mostly dark hangar, lit by several beams on one side to make visible the massive form of the Astro Megaship Mark II.

“Wow,” she said. “There it is…”

Zhane crossed his arms. “Why, you say that like you’ve heard of it.”

“Who hasn’t?” she giggled. “I never thought I’d see it for myself.”

“Where you from anyway?”

“2027,” she spoke without thinking.

Zhane narrowed his eyes. “Hey, Andros, we’ve got a visitor!”

“Andros,” she gasped.

A second man came out of the back, wearing a gray leather flight suit over a red turtleneck. His long brown hair was lined with blonde streaks; his wrist was sporting what was undoubtedly a morpher. “Hey. Who’s this?”

“This is Sydney Drew. She says she needs to get in touch with us.”

“You’re the Red Ranger!” Sydney stated, shaking his hand violently. “It is so good to meet you.”

“Thanks,” Andros laughed. “Your…uniform? I’ve never seen one like it.”

“I’m with SPD.”

Andros looked behind Syd to see Zhane shrugging as if he found the situation funny. “She says she’s from 2027,” he added. “But she didn’t tell me what that means.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” she apologized. “I’m from the future. And I’m here to find some help before whatever it is that destroyed the future destroys the world here as well.”

Suddenly becoming serious, Andros asked, “What was that?”

“Something is coming from the future with its sights set on 2007. Me and four other SPD officers from 2027 came back in time to stop it, but we were separated. I thought maybe you could help me.”

Zhane walked over to where Andros was standing. “Why didn’t you tell me all of this sooner?”

She just shrugged. “You didn’t ask.”

Andros looked uncertain. “You’re not pulling my leg, are you?”

“No, not at all.”

Rubbing his chin, Zhane asked, “What do you think?”

“How do we know you’re telling the truth?” Andros inquired.

“How do you know I’m not?”

*******************

As the three walked into the bridge of the Megaship, a short, flatheaded robot came around the corner to follow them.

“Who’s this?” Syd wanted to know.

“Sydney Drew, this is Alpha 7,” Andros introduced them.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Alpha 7 said in a high-pitched voice.

“Thanks,” she smiled. “You too.”

Andros sat down at the captain’s seat and set up a link between his ship and NASADA’s main station. “Gen. Norquist, this is Andros.”

“What is it, Andros?”

“We’ve got something that requires our attention. Do you think you can postpone all of our appointments Zhane and I make some arrangements?”

“Of course. Whatever you need. Is it anything urgent?”

“We’re not sure. We’ll probably stop by the lie detector on our way out.”

Syd looked up at Zhane. “Who’s taking a lie detector’s test?”

Zhane humored her with a shrug. “I guess we'll just have to wait and see.”

*******************

Once she was seated comfortably, Syd felt a wired helmet lower itself onto her head. Andros was controlling the advanced lie detector manually, while Zhane watched the monitor. “Let me know what it shows,” Andros told him.

“Is this going to hurt?” Syd worried.

“Not a bit. Now can you tell me if you’ve come from the year 2027 to stop an unidentified force from destroying the world?”

Her hands shaking nervously, Syd replied, “Yes, I have.”

Zhane gave Andros a thumbs-up.

“Okay, that’s a wrap,” Andros announced.

“What? It’s over? That was it?”

Andros helped Syd out of the chair as the helmet raised itself back into place automatically. “That was it.”

“Wow. And it said that I was telling the truth?”

Zhane nodded. “Why? Does that surprise you?”

“She passed the test, Zhane,” Andros reminded him. “Don’t torture her.”

“What do we do now?” Syd asked.

“We find a way to locate this evil. And stop it before it can do any harm.”

Frowning, she replied, “It wiped SPD and Time Force off the map. How do you know we can beat it?”

“Because the Power Rangers don’t give up,” Andros said. “And we’ve beaten impossible odds before.”

Zhane smiled. “Besides…we’re too stubborn to let anything take us down.”

Hoping their confidence would prove useful, Syd forced a smile. “There’s still something bothering me though.”

“What’s that?” Andros checked.

“What happened to my friends when we came through the time hole?”

“Time holes can be tricky,” Andros informed her. “And if the circumstances were as you say they are, then the space/time continuum was probably unstable enough to open in several places at once. I’d say your friends are just as well off right now as you are.”

“But where are they?”

Zhane spoke up. “We could put out an alert. Maybe someone could contact us if there’s been any sign of them. How many did you say there were again?”

“Four. Their names are Sky Tate, Elizabeth Delgado, Bridge Carson, and Jack Landors.”

Andros cocked his head. “I’m not very good with names, I’m afraid. Come with me to the Megaship. We’ll get something set up for you there.”

“You have no way of contacting them?” Zhane checked.

“Well, we usually communicate through our morphers, but they’re not working right now.”

Andros’ face changed. “Did you say morphers?”

“Yeah. Didn’t I mention that I was a Power Ranger?”

[OnlyTrueFan]

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Amanda Shatner looked at her husband unsurely as Bralon took a drink of his water without even looking away from the comic book.

“Bralon, can’t you put the book down long enough to finish dinner?” Neal requested.

It was as if the words had not been said to Bralon. He raised his fork with one hand and held the comic in the other; he raised his glass with one hand and held the comic in the other; he scratched his head with one hand and held the comic in the other. He never put it down.

“You must have written a good one, Neal,” his wife said.

“I must have.” He stared at Bralon as he lowered his fork to turn the page. “At any rate, it’s got him hooked…”

***********************

A taxi cab pulled up alongside the Surf Spot in Angel Grove. Jack stepped out of the back seat, thanking the driver briefly as he went on his way.

“Terrific,” Jack grumbled, realizing that the last few dollars he had to offer the driver had gotten him only as far as a teen hangout. ‘Angel Grove is a great place to look for help, but I doubt I’m going to find any in here. Still…maybe I can get some directions.’

So Jack went inside, where the local teenagers were sitting around laughing and eating together. He passed a surfboard hanging on the wall, shrugging lazily on his way to the juice bar.

“How can I help you?” asked the brown-haired young man on the other side, standing with his back to the buyers.

“Actually, I just need some directions.”

Turning to face him, the owner of the Surf Spot saw his uniform and chuckled. “Did I miss Halloween?”

“Naw, it’s just a… never mind. The name’s Jack Landors.”

The owner put down the glass in his hand and reached across to shake his customer’s. “Justin Stewart. What can I do for you?”

“Can you tell me how to get to the NASADA Space Corps, please?”

Justin handed a tropical fruit drink to the shaven-headed black man on Jack’s right. “NASADA, huh? What kind of business do you have at NASADA?”

“I think they may be able to help me out with something.”

“What’s that?”

Jack shook his head. “Nothing, it’s hard to explain. I just hear that they’re willing to help when they can, and help is what I need right now.”

“What kind of help are you looking for?”

“Look, can you just tell me how to get to the space station?” Jack snapped. “I haven’t got time to chat!”

The other customer looked at Jack with a smile. “Easy, partner. There’s no reason to get uptight.”

“Is anybody talking to you?” Jack asked rudely.

Justin held a hand up. “It’s okay, Teej. I’ve got this one. NASADA’s going to be in the northwest corner of Angel Grove. Just outside the city limits.”

Jack nodded. “Okay. Thank you.” He turned to leave, and suddenly remembered he was broke. “Listen, I know this sounds awful, but could I get a few dollars to catch a cab out that way?”

Justin’s friend stood up to reveal to Jack his greater height. “Now you’re asking for our help after you’ve been rude to us?” he chortled.

Jack eased off. “I’m sorry. But I’m in a hurry, and this is an emergency situation.”

“That’s more like it. I’m TJ.”

“TJ…okay.”

“Why don’t I take you up to NASADA myself? For free?” TJ offered.

Jack looked grateful. “Thanks, I’d appreciate it.”

“There’s only condition, though.”

Jack looked a little agitated. “What is it?”

“You have to tell me where you got this uniform. I’ve never seen anything--”

“I don’t have time to talk about fashion! I have to--”

“I’m not interested in fashion,” TJ stopped him. “I want to know what this uniform is supposed to represent.”

“Look, it’s supposed to represent SPD. There, ya happy? Now you probably won’t take me just because you think I’m crazy.”

Justin came around the counter and walked up behind Jack. “What’s this thing clipped to the back of your belt?” he asked, taking the liberty of pulling it off.

“Hey, give me that!” Jack snapped, yanking it from Justin’s hand. “Who do you think you are, anyway?”

TJ and Justin exchanged glances, both fighting back a smile. “Is that a morpher?” Justin asked outright.

The change of countenace was evident on Jack’s face. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. What’s a morpher?”

With a smile, TJ reached into his pocket and pulled out what appeared to be a golden pocketknife. He and Justin both held up their left hands and twisted their wrists. A device appeared on each of them. “This,” TJ answered. “Is a morpher.”

“And this,” Justin added, pulling out his own apparent pocketknife and popping it open in sync with TJ. “Is a Turbo key.”

*********************

“Why didn’t you just tell me from the get-go that you were Power Rangers?” Jack grumbled from the passenger’s seat of TJ's red sports car.

TJ drove along smiling. “Because that’s not something you just go around announcing. And if you didn’t know by my name and face anyhow, why would you have believed me?”

Justin leaned up from the back seat. “It’s not like we knew you were a Ranger at first either. We just thought you were nuts.”

“Very funny,” Jack said. “Hey, didn’t you say the space station was in the other direction when we left?”

With a nod, TJ answered, “We’re not heading to the space station.”

Jack looked back at Justin, who flashed him a smile and said, “Trust me, we know what we’re doing.”

“I hope so. Where are you taking me anyway?”

“We’re taking you to a friend of ours,” TJ promised. “He’s been known to overcome time before; we think he could probably help with your dilemma.”

Jack shrugged. “Okay. What’s his name?”

“Uhh… I’ll let him answer that question.”

*****************

TJ’s car-- the vehicle known as Lightning Cruiser-- drove up a desert mountain on the side that was the easiest to scale on wheels.

“This is a pretty steep hill for a little car,” Jack complained as they bounced along.

“This is no ordinary little car,” TJ said with a grin. “Besides, you ought to try driving up the other side.”

When Lightning Cruiser came to the top, Jack saw an indistinguishable ruin just ahead of them. TJ stopped the car and climbed out. Jack and Justin quickly followed.

“This is it?” Jack questioned. “It’s a mess.”

“Come on,” TJ directed. “Follow me.” He and Justin led the way into the wreckage of what was once the great Power Chamber. “It’s been ten years now since this place went up in smoke. Of course, my friends and I always assumed it was dust. But… the two of us came back sometime later and found something we would never have imagined.”

“What’s that?”

Justin slapped Jack on the back and motioned for him to follow. They all trekked into the debris, and TJ led them to a slab of cement propped up on two broken blocks. Without a second thought, he ducked under it and climbed into the ground.

“Where is he going?” Jack asked.

“Go ahead and see for yourself.”

“There’s not going to be an army of Krybots on the other side, is there?”

Justin shook his head. “I promise, we’re being straight with you. Go on.” As soon as Jack had entered in, Justin stood for a moment and asked himself, “What are Krybots?”

Soon, the three found themselves traveling through a dark tunnel, in which they were half-walking, half-crawling toward a destination that none of them could make out. “How much longer?” Jack groaned. “I’m getting a little claustrophobic.” He tried to put his hands out to steady himself, but found there was less than a foot of breathing room on either side. “Okay, now I’m getting a lot claustrophobic.”

“Don’t worry,” TJ hollered back. “We’ll be there pretty soon.”

“Be where?” he complained as they went further along the downward slope. “I don’t think I can handle this much more.”

“I see a light ahead,” TJ informed.

Justin breathed a sigh of relief himself. “Thank goodness. I’m starting to feel claustrophobic myself.”

“I think I see it too,” Jack said excitedly. “Tell me I’ll be able to stand up straight.”

“You will.” TJ climbed out of the hole at last; Jack and Justin followed suit. They found themselves standing in a streamlined, dimly lit elevator, which had obviously been stripped of its door.

Jack shrugged. “Now what?”

TJ pressed an arrow pointing down, and they began to move. “What you’re standing in is the only remaining portion of the original Command Center.”

“Command Center?”

Justin spoke up. “The base of operations for the first team of Power Rangers.”

His eyebrows raised, Jack finally appreciated his surroundings. “Wow. That’s pretty big.”

“And what you’re about to see is the biggest secret these grounds have ever contained,” TJ warned.

Jack cocked his head. “Okay.”

“You can’t take this information outside of these walls,” Justin pointed out. “Together with me and TJ, you’ll be the third person on the planet to know about this.”

The elevator stopped moving as TJ said, “We’re about to introduce you to someone who may or may not have the intellectual resources to help you. You’re being entrusted with the confidentiality of his privacy. Can you meet those terms?”

“Gosh, I feel like I’m being interviewed… yeah, I’ll keep it a secret.”

The doors opened, and the two former Turbo Rangers walked into a room made visible only by the faint light from the elevator. TJ went to the left wall, out of sight, and apparently flipped a switch. The room was suddenly illuminated, revealing its near emptiness and the one object that stood across from them.

It was a bed, bolted to the floor and connected to a medical monitor of intergalactic Karovian technology. Lying in this bed, clad in shining black armor with the wires running into his arms, legs, and helmet was the one and only Phantom Ranger.

[juzblue]

wow cool! i love the part where syd and bridge met the rangers. so ... in character and funny. lol. keep up the good work! (and phantom! yes!)

anyway, so you're going to use the second turbo team. then what about the space rangers? just asking.

[OnlyTrueFan]

CHAPTER TWELVE

Bralon finally turned from the comic book. “Who’s the Phantom Ranger?”

Amanda was slightly startled to hear him speak. But Neal gave him an honest answer. “When you get to the end of that issue, you’ll know as much as I do.”

Thinking that perhaps her husband should not have done anymore to encourage Bralon, Amanda watched as her strange housequest dove back into the story, ready to know what happened next. She looked up at the clock to see that it was after eleven. It was starting to look as if Neal would be staying up late for their visitor.

*****************

Motocross legend Blake Bradley pulled off his helmet as he came back from the dirt track. The short, Hispanic sports star gave a squinty-eyed grin when he saw Tori standing on the sidelines, no longer wearing her ninja suit.

“Hey, what brings you out here?” he laughed as he gave her a hug.

Brushing her hair from her face, Tori answered, “There’s something we need to talk to you about, actually.”

“We who?”

“Me and the guys. It’s about the Power Disks.”

Blake became serious. “What about them? They’re dead metal.”

“We’re going to try and juice ‘em up.”

“What? Why?”

Fidgeting nervously, she only said, “I think it’s better that Cam and Sam explain all of this to you.”

“Cam and Sam? Hey, you’re not telling me that Cam had a twin brother who got separated from him like Sensei did, are you? Is this one an evil space ninja too?“

“No, it’s nothing like that,” she giggled. “Sam’s just a visitor. A very…interesting visitor. With a very interesting story.”

Blake nodded slowly. “I’ll call my brother.”

*****************

A huge computer had been activated in the main office of Bio-Lab. Sky and the Silver Guardians were there to watch Bio-Lab chemist Dr. Zaskin running tests.

“Have you found anything yet?” Jen asked impatiently as Trip took a seat beside her.

“Nothing,” Dr. Zaskin answered, almost absent-mindedly. “According to my radar, nothing has broken through the space/time continuum in the last 48 hours.”

Eric looked at Wes with a doubtful frown. “I knew it was all a hoax.”

“Just cool off,” Sky warned. “It isn’t over yet.”

“With this device,” Dr. Zaskin announced. “We can build an invisible barrier in time that would theoretically stop any time-traveling agent.”

“Stop them how?” Wes wanted to know.

With a shrug, Dr. Zaskin made a guess. “Well, I’ve never traveled through time like some of us in this room, but it could either leave the agent of time travel stranded in a vortex until we take down that barrier…“

“At which time we’d be better prepared for