The published FF.Net version.
Disclaimer: The author of this piece would like to state that 90% of the characters featured here are properties of BVS Entertainment Inc and not that of the author. 10% of the characters featured here are original creations of the author. Also, the author understands that this piece automatically negates events that occur any and all PR incarnations that occur after Power Rangers Wild Force. Just thought we should be clear on that.
-o-
Jason Lee Scott didn’t know what to expect; he had heard about his longtime friend’s secret control center, but he didn’t think it would be this well-equipped or advanced. The technology in Thomas Oliver’s lair was far superior to the old Command Center and Power Chamber that he had seen. The sight of it just makes him wonder.
Thomas sat near a round table and pressed a button on a nearby console. Out of thin air, two glasses and a bottle of blue liquid suddenly materialized on the table. “Kerovan Brandy,” Thomas identified the liquid in question, “I never touched the stuff. Brave enough, bro?”
“Sure.”
Thomas poured the beverage into both glasses and gave Jason one of them. They both stood and held glasses together for a toast.
“To Mariner Bay,” Thomas toasted, “may the city recover from its worst tragedy.”
“Amen, bro,” Jason concurred. He took a sip of the ale as Thomas did the same. Both made disheartening expressions and placed the glasses back on the table. “Bro,” Jason offered, “next time you get alcohol, it better be from Earth.” Thomas couldn’t help but laugh at his friend’s remark.
“Where did you get this set-up?” the Red Ranger asked curiously.
Thomas hesitated for a moment before he answered, “I built it.”
“Yeah right.”
“No, really,” insisted Thomas as if he was being interrogated, “Andros gave me a module that allowed me to use the Morphing Grid to create a command center and…” A slight pause, then he cracked a smile when he noticed Jason’s confused look, “… forget it. The less said, the better.”
“Right” was Jason’s only answer.
Suddenly, the mail manager made a typing sound. Thomas proceeded to the computer and accessed his inbox. He clicked on the item entitled “Lightspeed”. A message replaced the menu. Jason approached his friend as he read the message:
From : Carter Grayson, Lightspeed Rescue
To : Thomas Oliver
Subject : Lightspeed
Tom, I got word from Lightspeed Task Force’s C-N-C that there could be another Varox roaming around. I think we’re going to have to bring in the big guns to track this guy down. Let me know. Carter
“Well?” Thomas asked Jason, seeking advice.
Jason frowned, “A bounty hunter blew up and nearly leveled an entire city.”
Thomas went over to the comm system and pressed the button marked “ANDROS” on it. It took a while, but the comm system could not acquire a communications link. “I can’t get to the Megaship.” Thomas announced defeatedly.
Jason looked on as the monitor showed an ERROR – CONNECT FAILED message. “Maybe they’re out of range,” he suggested, “no matter how advanced something is, there are always limits.”
“Perhaps…”
-o-
The last thing Andros of KO-35 saw before passing out was a red torpedo rapidly approaching the Astro-Megaship Mark-II, well certain of the final killing blow.
When he woke up however, he found himself in one piece; a little battered and bruised, but in one piece nonetheless. He looked around and saw the Megaship’s bridge, or rather, what’s left of it. The various computer consoles and display screens were either destroyed completely or short-circuited. Burnt-out power cables were hanging from the ceiling. The main viewer had a hole in it, revealing a small flame on the other side. The main elevator shaft to the lower decks has completely caved in. And his two partners, TJ and Zhane were knocked out during the one-sided attack.
Regaining his composure, Andros approached what was left of the Maintenance station. He checked the console’s broken Plexiglas and saw an gray knob behind the screen. With proper care, Andros positioned his arm so that he could reach the knob. Upon making contact, he pressed the knob inward, which resulted in the emergency lights going on. Unlike most of the ship’s other systems, the lights had their own power source.
Andros noticed that Zhane and TJ had regained consciousness.
“Am I dead yet?” Zhane asked jokingly.
“No,” TJ teased, “not yet.”
Andros almost let out a smile; even in the grimmest scenario, they manage to lighten up the moment. As the Red Ranger helped his friends back to their feet, he heard creaking sounds emanating from the ground. After a while, the creaking was followed by a banging sound, although the ground doesn’t seem to be weak of extra weight.
“Maybe we should get out of here,” Zhane cautioned, “before the bridge caves in.”
“Right,” TJ agreed, “We’ll take the gliders.”
-o-
The Space Rangers on their Galaxy Gliders (TJ as Red Turbo uses the Blue Glider) observed the damage done. The exterior of the Megaship is a wreck. One of the engines was vaporized by the projectile impact, there are many visible hull breaches on the ship’s aft, and what was once blue or red is now a dark brown or completely black color. Miraculously, the only part of the ship that seems to be in one piece is the front port and the main hangar nearby.
Fortunately for them, the ship that managed this damage did not see fit to destroy the ship, since it was no longer a threat. However, that meant the ship was farther away and this time, the Rangers would have no way of tracking it down.
Zhane observed another ship approaching and directed the other Rangers’ attention to it. The ship had a similar shape to a passenger airplane, although it generally is a little bigger and the wings were slightly bent upwards. Launching from behind the vessel, two smaller fighter craft popped out. Andros immediately recognized them.
“Quadrafighters!” he shouted.
The Rangers prepared for a fight, but the two fighters did not attack. In fact, one of the pilots spoke within a handheld comm. The Rangers have seen Cogs talk, but it was the message that surprised them.
“We’re here to help…”
-o-
Taylor was relieved that someone from Lightspeed had brought more soldiers to help with the salvage operation. To her surprise, the U.S. military managed to send some of their own to help out. Unfortunately, Chad Lee’s worst fear was confirmed, when soldiers found the dead bodies of the five rookie Lightspeed Rangers. Those five, along with another seven hundred fifty people, were uncovered and sent to be buried at various cemeteries.
It is no surprise that Lightspeed Rescue commander Carter Grayson’s work has been cut out for him. Writing casualty reports, obituaries, bringer of bad news to those who lost loved ones, and hosting a ceremony for the fallen. But despite this, he knows he has another problem in his mind, namely the other Varox running loose on Earth with the same capacity for destruction.
At 9 P.M., Carter was still working on the reports, as well as assisting Task Force soldiers with whatever he knows about the bounty hunter that caused the disaster. He did receive a call from Joel Rawlings, who hoped for nothing but good. Carter appreciated the call and he needed something like that to lift his spirits.
There were times when I wish I hadn’t taken this job, he thought to himself.
-o-
A military weapons depot in Stone Canyon. Home to many nuclear and hydrogen weapons that the government had kept in hiding for the past several years, a small contingent of army soldiers as well as several Lightspeed Task Force soldiers were blocking the main exit out of the complex. Aiming at a particular creature with an armored chestplate…
-o-
Cole Evans, Jason Lee Scott, and Thomas Oliver watched a B-movie production in the theatre room of Thomas’ house. The pathetic special effects, cheesy costumes, and other low-budget intricacies were the cause of much laughter from the Rangers. However, the movie was interrupted with a special news report.
“No,” Cole said amusedly, “No way I’m getting fooled twice!”
The report showed a female reporter standing in front of a raging wall of fire. Loud explosions and crumbling sounds, as well as various screams, is heard in the background.
“For those who received this report now,” she began as the Rangers watched, “there is a massive firefight in the weapons depot in Stone Canyon. Word is that the military forces stationed here are fighting some kind of monster.”
Cole’s jaw dropped at the mention of the word ‘monster’. The second Varox was engaging military forces in a nuclear weapons depot.
-o-
The Varox was held at bay by weapons fire from the soldiers. The Varox managed a couple of his own shots that knocked down or vaporized three soldiers at best, but could not get a clear shot. Then it occurred to him; there are nuclear weapons in the other room.
The head soldier appointed by Admiral Harris noticed that the bounty hunter was running into the nuclear depot. “HOLD YOUR FIRE!” he commanded, “YOU’LL HIT THE FRICKIN’ NUKES!” The others stopped shooting. The soldier, wanting this situation to be handled carefully, ordered his men to aid in the evacuation of Stone Canyon. “If the nukes go off,” he explained, “I want more people alive than dead.”
The soldier ran after the hunter while the rest ran out. The room had various nuclear missiles and warheads stored here. The fact that one small spark can set these things off made chasing the hunter much more difficult. After a moment of searching, he found the bounty hunter standing in front of a big metal box marked “SUICIDE BOMB” in red bold letters.
The Varox, beneath his mask, smiled, “You managed to find me, human. I’m impressed.”
“Impressing you is the last thing I’m gonna do, freak!” the soldier taunted, although he was scared out of his pants.
“Yes, it IS the last thing,” the Varox said, “that you or anyone else on this planet is going to be doing soon!”
The soldier aimed his blaster at the hunter. The hunter laughed, “Are you actually dedicated to shooting me with that toy blaster?” The soldier didn’t flinch.
“Tell me something,” the Varox asked with a fiendish tone, obviously aware of the soldier’s nervousness, “do you really want to risk an entire city’s well-being for one shot at me? Don’t you know that this suicide bomb will destroy everything and be the catalyst for the master plan?”
-o-
“Master plan?” Admiral Gordon Harris heard the soldier ask through the hidden transmitter that was working perfectly, “what master plan?”
Several members of the Lightspeed core group, including Task Force Admiral Harris, Lightspeed Rescue Commander Carter Grayson, Lightspeed military General Kory Membla, Lightspeed Ranger leader Chad Lee, and other scientists were surrounding the radio receiver. They heard a muffled laugh, presumably from the Varox bounty hunter that they has spent a great deal of time searching for. Carter, not forgetting about the “other party” involved, has a live radio feed linked to Thomas Oliver’s control center, which was being heard by Oliver, Jason Lee Scott, Cole Evans, and Silver Guardians leaders Wes Collins and Eric Myers.
-o-
The soldier aimed his blaster at the hunter’s mask. This did nothing but incite a laugh from the hunter.
“Since you’re going to die anyway,” the hunter said, “it won’t matter if I tell you that we’re preparing this world for the Wraith, the ultimate weapon.”
-o-
In the city limits, the roads are filled with military trucks, common automobiles, armored tanks, and running soldiers. Because of the minor inconsistencies, vehicles were moving slowly. Various officers were directing traffic, but many people were too scared that they abandoned their vehicles on the road and simply ran. A riot was about to occur at the dawn of potential destruction.
-o-
The Varox stood proudly near the SUICIDE BOMB container. If the soldier could see his face, he probably was smiling devilishly. Suddenly, the Varox approached the soldier slowly, promptly the man to raise his weapon, aiming it at the hunter’s head. The Varox stopped when he was almost face to face with the soldier.
“I know about your hidden transmitter,” the Varox said, causing a slight sting in the soldier, “if you are listening to me, here is my demand; let me leave with this SUICIDE BOMB and I will spare the city.”
The soldier was visibly shaken, but he didn’t scream or whimper. In fact, it almost seems as if he wants to blast the Varox’s head off at point blank range. Then again, the Varox could easily dodge the bullet, hit a nuke, and blow the city up.
-o-
The officials within the room decided to go for a vote as whether to answer his demands or reject it. Decision is split fifty-fifty, save for one. All eyes now laid on Carter Grayson, the last man to make a vote. On the one hand, handing that Varox a weapon of mass destruction means committing many lives to die in the near-future. On the other hand, declining the Varox and causing a firefight will result in one of the nukes going off and wipe out the city, which is still filled with people.
With much weighing, Carter let out a defeated sigh and voted to hand the Varox hunter the weapon.
-o-
The soldier, unable to believe what he has heard, told the Varox that the weapon is his. The Varox nodded and turned. In a quick instant, the soldier felt the full brunt of a hard right fist and was knocked out. The Varox approached the suicide bomb and placed a round metal object on it. Pressing a button on his wrist device, both the Varox and the bomb disappeared.
-o-
Thomas Oliver couldn’t believe what happened. He couldn’t believe what he had just heard. Jason noticed his friend’s blank state. “Tom?” he would ask. Thomas didn’t say anything for a while until the transmission ended.
“Jason,” he said in a low, shocked tone, “That son of a bitch just handed the Varox the key to the end of the world…”
TO BE CONTINUED…
