Disclaimer: The Power Rangers are the property of Saban Entertainment and I lay no claim to them. The character of Mackenzie Dekalb is property of Karilee who can be contacted at kajwr@twcny.rr.com. The character of Cassandra Jensen(the Emerald Ranger) belongs to Helen who can be contacted at helen0724@yahoo.com. Jeffrey Kincaid, Lord Crucible, and all other characters relating to them are mine. Should anyone wish to use my characters contact me at foi72@yahoo.com.
Powers of the Mind
by John Chubb
It was quite the couple of weeks for Cassandra Jensen.
First she had gone to Ohio to visit some old friends with Adam, who was filming a movie there. And soon after that she had been a bridesmaid at Ashley Hammond's wedding to Andros.
Adam was still on Lake Erie filming, but Cassandra had to come home. Her final quarter of college was getting ready to start and she wanted to be sue she started her first day on the right foot. Especially with her graduation only ten weeks away.
She was lucky to get afternoon classes in paralegal, which was what she needed to finish out the program. She heard the professor was a tough cookie, but Cassandra was up to the challenge. Also today was the first day that she'd start her internship at the Eisen and Wood law firm which began after her first class had ended.
Boy it's a good thing I get to sleep in in mornings, my nights would be busy enough as they are., she thought. She went and put on an emerald green suit that consisted of a knee length skirt, suit jacket, and light green blouse. Her green shoes completed the ensemble.
Cassandra turned to look at herself in the mirror. Has it been so long since I'd been the tomboy at school that t-shirts and jeans were the order of the day?, she had thought. Going into law meant portraying a certain professional image, so she couldn't walk into the law firm dressed as she usually does–at least not until she and they were more comfortable with her there. She had even changed physically in the past few years as she had grown into a woman that was by definition 'very attractive'. She lost count of how many college boys had asked her out only to have her tell them that she already had a boyfriend she was engaged to and would marry before long.
With her completely ready, she grabbed the keys to her car and her emerald crystal. You never know, she thought. Then she locked the door to her's and Adam's house that they had been sharing and headed to her car.
Little did she realize that at that moment she was being watched. "TARGET ACQUIRED. MAINTAINING SURVEILLANCE."
The class had ended, and the students walked out of the auditorium where the weekly lecture that was mandatory for class credit took place. There was a series of mixed murmurs amoung the students ranging from "That was the most boring thing…" to "Hey it wasn't too bad." to one running to the bathroom becaue he thought the lecture made him sick.
Cassandra was one wh thought of the course as a challenge and even made arrangements to get together with some of the legal students to set up a study date. "That's great.", a student named Micki had said. "We have three of us in our group now. You can meet us at the commisary at noon tomorrow to discuss notes."
"I await with bated breath.", Cassandra had said. Then she walked off to make her way to her car so she could go to the law firm to begin her internship.
Cassandra was walking down the garden path towards the parking lot when she had the oddest feeling that she was being watched. She had opened up her telepathic senses to see if anything was amiss. She had found something.
She sensed a void. An area of nothing not far away from her. Something that seemed to be lacking in thought yet was capable of thought. It brought her old battle senses to full alert and she reached for the Emerald Crystal in her suit jacket pocket.
The void then revealed itself as a creature burst from the bushes and faced Cassandra. It was a cyborg that made use of human components. It had metal legs, a metal arm and hand as well as a cybernetic eye that glowed red. Half of it's face was covered with the same silvery metal that covered the rest of it's metallic body. In the place of it's right arm was a cannon that seemed to have a multitude of functions.
"What are you?", Cassandra asked.
"I AM LUCIFERIAN CYBORG UNIT COLDBLOOD 27.", the unit said. "YOU WILL SURRENDER YOURSELF NOW OR YOU WILL BE RESTRAINED."
The cyborg then brought his cannon to bear on Cassandra. Cassandra looked at the cyborg. Another Luciferian weapon. It lookes like a lot of these are sprouting up., she thought. Well I know what my answer is.
"Go rust yourself bolt brain. I'm not surrendering.", she said.
"THEN PREPARE TO BE SUBDUED.", Coldblood 27 said.
Cassandra brought the Emerald Crystal before her and said "EMERALD RANGER…"
"JADE.", Coldblood said as a green beam of energy shot out of his cannon and struck Cassandra before she could get off the word 'power'.
Where a human being called Cassandra Jensen once stood was a Jade statue cast in her image. No movement came from the statue. Not a ruffle in her skirt. Not a whisp of hair. Not a movement in her eyes. Cassandra had been turned into the jade statue. The Emerald Crystal held out in front of her.
Coldblood then brought his hand toward the Emerald Crystal and removed it from the statue's hands that held it out in front of her. A compartment in his chest casiing opened and he put the crystal there for safekeeping.
Coldblood then changed the setting on the cannon and said "MINITURIZE.", and the arm cannon fired again at Cassandra, this time causing her to shrink down to a six inch size no bigger than a third place trophy.
Coldblood then picked up the small Cassandra statue and placed it in the compartment as well. Then Coldblood gave a command into a headset communicator. "READY FOR TRANSPORT." Then the cyborg teleported away.
Even though Cassandra's body couldn't respond to her commands, and the transformation into a statue left her with being unable to see because her eyes were the same as the rest of her body, she was far from helpless. Her telekinetic and telepathic abilities were still working, and all of her seeing was being done through her mind's eye. Even though she couldn't see anything now since she was six inches tall and riding in a storage compartment, all her mental senses were aware.
She was momentarilly afraid being unable to move or see, and being taken to someone she did not know whose agenda they were following. But one of the things she had learned about being a ranger and a Nightfighter was to never say die.
So she decided to try a litle experiment. Let's see if I can find out a little about my enemy from the inside., she thought. She concentrated and soon Cassandra found herself flying all through Coldblood 27's frame. She had taken in every circuit junction, every componet, all that made Coldblood work she had taken mental note of.
Soon Cassandra focused her mind's eye on Coldblood's optical sensor. She used the sensor to look around and saw that she was in some sore of labratory. Scattered equipment lay everywhere and there were also lots of animals there making all sorts of screeching noises. Cassandra was able to pick up thoughts from the animals, thoughts that demanded to be free of their transformations. So they must be in the same boat I'm in. Just a different boat.
Cassandra also noticed through her mind's eye a short scientist with white hair on the sides and a bald spot on top, plus glasses on, that made his way to the cyborg. This must be Coldblood's creator., she thought. Sheesh what a dork.
"Hand me my prizes.", the mad scientist ordered his creation. Coldblood obeyed and produced both the emerald crystal and the jade statue of Cassandra Jensen.
Cassandra felt her mind move forward as the cyborg pulled out her statuesque form and the emerald crystal. After momentarilly eying the crystal greedily and putting it in his pocket the scientist took the statue, and eyed the statue with a look that made Cassandra want to cringe, if she physically could.
"At last a new pretty for my gallery.", the scientist said. Not only is he a dork, but a letch too.", Cassandra thought. The scientist then set the statue down on the floor and said. "Reinitialize her size."
"YES DOCTOR EPYON", Coldblood said. And he brought his cannon on the Cassandra statue again and fired. The Cassandra statue was back to her normal size. Well I've solved half my problem., she thought. She then focused on how to solve the other half. She also made a mental note to remember the doctor's name–Epyon.
"Prepare to put her with the others.", he ordered. "But first.." He took something from his table that looked like the emerald crystal and placed it in the statue's hands.
"I know you have mental powers my pretty. I can't take the chance of you using those powers to try to free yourself, so I've put a mental blocker in your hands. As soon as I activate it your telekinesis will be blocked as long as you hold the blocker."
Oh no., Cassandra thought. She had to work fast so she focused her telekinetic energy on the blocker and shot it forward across the room. It hit Epyon in the face and he fell down trying to nurse where the blocker hit him.
Coldblood then rushed to attend to his master. I've probably only got a second to pull this off., she thought. Cassandra then turned her mind to a power she hadn't used in a while, while Coldblood and Epyon weren't looking both the Cassandra statue and the Emerald crystal glowed green for three seconds. After that Dr. Epyon put the blocker back into the statue's hands and activated it.
"Don't feel too bad.", Epyon said. "You'll live forever and be admired for your beauty for all time in my gallery. Take her there.", he ordered Coldblood.
Epyon then turned his attention back to his lab and took out the emerald crystal. "Now let's see what secrets you have."
Outside the door to Epyon's lab an emerald shimmer of energy appeared and materialized into the form of a young human woman. A form that wore a green suit, and long brown hair that came to her shoulders and showed off her green eyes. Cassandra Jensen had materialized into a new physical form.
Oy, it's been a long time since I tried this trick., she thought making reference to her out of body travel power. The power allowed her to travel outside her physical body like a ghost and also allow her physicality for one hour. With out of body physicality came the ability to teleport anywhere she wanted as well. The only drawback to the physicality aspect was that she had to return to her body in that hour or her life force would disperse effectivly killing her.
But while Cassandra was out of her body she had no limitations. She looked down at her suit and thought, Can't go around sneaking like this., and she twirled around, her clothes changing into a green body suit that allowed more manuverability. She then clicked her heels together and her shoes had turned into boots.
Cassandra then turned her mind towards where the gallery might be. She then saw an ornate room full of statues in it. And with a focus of her mind she shimmered her body and teleported inside the gallery.
The energy form of Cassandra shimmered inside the gallery, and when she had solidified she took a look around. She saw statues and statues of women in different poses. Some submissive, some agressive, some just stationary. All were made of different materials. Gold, silver, platnum, one was even made of glass.
Cassandra felt the statues broadcasting mental energy like crazy. All of them screaming, Free me, Free me.
Cassandra then mentally broadcast to all the statues in the room. Do not fear. You will be free soon. I'll see to that. Cassandra then heard the door open and with that shimmered herself into disapearing.
Coldblood walked into the room with the Cassandra statue. After spotting an empty podium set the statue down. The podium read EMERALD JADE with Cassandra stuck in her morphing pose. When Coldblood turned back to leave Cassandra's energy form rematerialized physically behind him. "Hey buddy looking for me?"
Coldblood turned and saw Cassandra standing before him. "QUERY? PHYSICAL FORM CONVERTED TO JADE ELEMENT. HOW CAN PHYSICAL FORM BE PRESENT?"
"Just lucky I guess.", Cassandra said then she mentally turned her thoughts inside Coldblood's inner workings and found the spinal connector. With a thought, Cassandra severed the connection and Coldblood fell down paralyzed before he could even react.
Cassandra then worked to remove the cannon from Coldblood's arm as well as the power pack it was connected to. She then found the setting to change herself back and aimed the gun at the jade statue of herself. "Sorry girls for being selfish, but I can't do this trick forever.", she said.
Cassandra fired the gun and her human body fell limp to the floor like a puttet with the strings cut as it was changed back to it's natural state. Cassandra then put the cannon down and focused her mind towards reconnecting with her body and as she shimmered away her human eyes opened back up.
"If I wanted to be a piece of artwork I'd have a sculpture made of me.", Cassandra said. She then picked up the cannon and fired at the other women turned into statues in the room. All of them confused as to what had happened, and where they were.
""No time to explain.", Cassandra said as she went to Coldblood. "Where's the nearest shuttle?", she asked.
"QUERY REJECTED.", Coldblood had said.
"I was hoping you'd say that.", Cassandra said,as she had crossed two wires on his headset. Coldblood lurched for a few minutes and then came to a rest. Cassandra asked the question again.
"LEVEL 4. HANGER DECK 2.". Cassandra then asked if any of the women could fly a ship. Five raised an affirmative.
"Head on down to the shuttle then, I'll catch up.", then Cassandra picked up Coldblood's cannon and made her way back to Epyon's lab.
As Dr. Epyon studied the Emerald Crystal he noticed it shimmer for a few seconds. "Hmmm. I wonder what caused that?", he thought. He looked with admiration at the emerald crystal before him. He had heard such stories about it and the power it obtained. He knew at one time that it was used for evil but that a spell was used to prevent evil from ever using it again.
"Magic spells.", he scoffed. Epyon wasn't one who believed in magic. He had believed that magic was merely a form of technology that had yet to find an explanation. Spells and incantations were merely codes to be broken for him, and magical energy was energy that had yet to be identified.
Epyon was a man of science so even though he had joined the Luciferian empire he had never bought into the magical aspects that were promoted, especially the dark spirits that were worshipped. He preferred to see them as people who had evolved into a new form of life as all do when their human bodies die. Epyon also knew that there were those who were afraid to pass into the next stage which led him to create the Coldblood program.
When Epyon started the program, he went through a lot of trial and error with the prototypes. Coldbloods 1-26 were what he considered to be prototype models. Each had a fault that Epyon had to remedy, whether it was with the cybernetics or the human components. It wasn't until Coldblood 10 that Epyon realized that it would have been a good idea to wipe the memories clean of the subjects. In essence, to keep them alive he had to kill them.
Coldblood 27 was his final success. He had intended to construct more but the fall of the empire prevented that from occuring. Like all the other survivors, he had been trying to find a way to revive the empire. Epyon had heard of Robert Harper's attempt on Mirinoi that ended in failure, I knew that fool had no chance of winning., he thought. But he had the right idea for having a new source of power which is why I ordered the emerald crystal appropriated. And I also have a new beauty to admire.
Another thing about Epyon that was known was his erratic behavior towards the women of the empire. He seemed to have unusual desires for them as he called on many to help him with his experiments. What the experiments were they didn't know until it was too late.
Many of them involved elemental transmutation. He did dabble a little in matter transmutation as he changed a few of his subjects into different animals. The dog in his living quarters was once a supermodel from KO-35.
Through all his experiments he had also acquired an array of magical talismans that he had yet to crack. The emerald crystal was the latest in his collection.
As he put the emerald crystal through his elemental analyzer he found most of it to be unidentifiable, but his mainframe was vast as it was connected to the network of the Luciferian empire. Even though the empire was no more Epyon still kept the network running for his research.
He had heard the door to his lab open, but Epyon was still focused on his work. "Has my latest pretty been properly secured?", he asked.
An explosion over his head was his answer as he turned and saw Cassandra standing with Coldblood's cannon. "No, and two other things. One, your 'pretty' isn't yours. And two you have something that's mine." With that the emerald crystal flew through the air and landed in her hand.
"Oh and one more thing.", she said. Cassandra then turned the cannon to the caged animals and fired after switching the weapon to the proper setting. Soon all of Epyon's 'test subjects' were back to their normal forms, including his 'dog'.
"There's a ship waiting on level two. Get down there.", she ordered. The women obeyed quickly. Then Cassandra turned her focus to Dr. Epyon.
"Now what to do with you I wonder? How would you like a taste of your own medicine?", she said.
"How would you like a taste of my latest creation?", Epyon said. "COLDBLOOD 28!!!" Soon a newer version of the coldblood cyborg walked in.
"Subdue her.", he ordered. "Change her into a rodent if you have to, but GET HER!!!". Coldblood started firing and Cassandra dodged the blasts as she ducked for cover. As she stood behind a cabinet she brought out her crystal and called, "EMERALD RANGER POWER!!!", and she morphed into her Emerald Ranger uniform.
Cassandra stood outside and looked at the cyborg. Looks like I'll need some more power, she thought. "EMERALD CRYSTAL POWER UP!!!". With that her uniform glowed green with a gold light at the center, and she transformed into her combat mode.
"TARGET ACQUIRED. READY TO FIRE.", Coldblood said. "RAT", then he fired his weapon. Cassandra brought her arms forward and a force field appeared in front of her as the blast was deflected to hit Epyon.
"NOOO!", he screamed as the transformation wave struck him.
"Nice shot. My turn.", Cassandra said as she brought out her emerald bow and fired an arrow straight down the barrel of Coldblood 28's cannon. The cannon exploded shortly after that taking off Coldblood's arm.
While Coldblood was disadvantaged Cassandra took advantage. She brought out her two swords and gave three quick strikes to throw it off balance, then made ready to give the final blow.
"Next time you want to make someone a work of art, ask permission.", and she made the final strike sending Coldblood 28 down with an explosion. And since it was in a closed room the lab caught fire.
"BLIZZARD CROSSWIND FREEZEWAVE!!", Cassandra ordered as a burst of intence cold struck the equipment and the fire putting the fire out and covering Epyon's equipment with layers of ice.
Cassandra looked around for the rat that Epyon was but she noticed him slip out a crack in the wall. I'll get you for this Emerald Ranger, he swore with his mind. I'll be waiting, she swore back. And if you try this stunt again I'll think of something worse to make you than a rat.
Cassandra didn't notice the componets of Coldblood 28 start to stir a little. A small voice from the ruined cyborg said "REFORMATTING." And soon the cyborg was reassembled, back on line, and grown to giant size.
"I need Emerald Tigerzord power now.", Cassandra called and the Emerald Tiger appeared and Cassandra jumped on board.
"Warrior mode.", she ordered as she transformed the Tigerzord into it's robot mode. The zord and the cyborg exchanged punches and kicks but even though the Emerald Tiger had more power, it was bulky compared to the giant Coldblood 28.
"I'm not going to get it this way.", she said. "Transform tiger mode.", and the zord transformed back into tiger mode.
Cassandra then brought the zord to a running start and then turned around and charged Coldblood. When Coldblood was in range she first called out "With the element of FIRE!", and a burst of flame shot out from the tiger and Coldblood was consumed with flames again.
"And now with the element of ICE!", and the tigerzord fired an ice blast immobilizing the cyborg. "And for the finishing touch. With the element of EARTH!", and with that command the ground beneath the cyborg opened up and the cyborg fell into the crevace below. And just as soon as it had opened, it had closed just as quickly.
And with all said and done Cassandra departed from her zord turned around and headed for the shuttle bay. The Emerald Tiger returned to it's resting place.
The shuttle flew away from the planet Epyon's lab was on. Cassandra discovered that it was on the unruined side of Lucifer 6.
On the shuttle the former captives were distributing their confiscated talismans to their previous owners. Epyon kept them on hand to see if he could unlock their secrets much like he tried to do with the emerald crystal. They soon found a GSA patrol ship nearby and Cassandra told them of what had happened.
Cassandra then gave the co-ordinates to the lab and the GSA team moved in to take possesion. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm late for my internship."
The Epyon rat moved through the maze of cracks and came across a chamber with an open glowing door. A voice came from the other side and said, "ENTER."
The rat did.
"So how did the internship go?", Adam asked over the phone.
"Well the boss was understanding when I said something happened that I had no control over. He's giving me another chance tomorrow.", Cassandra replied.
"I'm glad.", Adam said. "I miss you. I wish you were here."
"I miss you too Adam.", Cassandra said. "I wish I was there too." Then Cassandra had an idea. "Adam, I'm coming over I'll see you soon."
"Huh? Coming Over? What do you mean?", Adam asked but his only response was a click on the phone.
"Hello Cassandra are you there?", Adam was so focused on the pay phone that he didn't notice the green shimmer behind him solidify into Cassandra.
"Hello, big boy.", she said tapping his shoulder. Adam turned around and saw Cassandra in the most radient dress he had ever seen her in. Adam wasted no time embracing and kissing her.
"I'd forgotten you had the physical projection power.", Adam said. "Too bad we only have an hour."
"Well let's make the most of it.", Cassandra said.