Re-genesis
By Kari Jones and Rob Siebert
Prologue :
From: Andros of K0-35 October 19, 2046
To: Whomever finds this box.
Dear Sir/Ma'am,
I am writing this incase something should happen to us. Those creatures outside apparently want what you have now found. My wife Ashley and I are trapped in this small storage room along side my sister Karone, and her Husband Zhane.
I am placing in this box, the key to the center of the universe. You will find in this box, five wrist morphers that we used in 1998 in the Battle of Darkness. I ask you friend(s), to take them and keep them safe, for these if these creatures are still around when this is found, you will need this power.
I must give you a fair warning, do not use these powers unless their use is necessary. Improper use may result in injury.
There is something else in this box that apply to these same rules, wait, they're picking up a weapon of some kind. I must write fast.
I have lived a long and successful life, I have done what I was opposed to do, but incase the lord takes me now, I will send this box away in a small vehicle, that will fly into space and keep these powers safe from the enemy.
Take care of this power friend(s), and you will receive the chance of a lifetime, as I have.
Karone and Ashley are up by my side now, and Zhane is barricading the door. I leave you with these words as we travel into the unknown.
LET'S ROCKET!
Remember my words,
Andros
Ashley
Karone
Zhane
April 24, 2110 AD 10:00 P.M.
Earth…it was a planet that most space colonists didn't see very much these days. A beautiful place though. The lights from the ship didn't even touch the clear night sky.
But of course there was one thing that every planet he always seemed to admire, the stars. And he'd soon be traveling among those stars.
Captain Hart was looking out his viewport window when two of his assistants came in.
"Captain," one said "All troops accounted for, Shuttle 5-13 awaits you command sir."
"Thank you," he replied. He touched a small red button on his desk, a microphone descended up from a small panel. He adjusted the frequency, and spoke.
"Attention all troops and passengers," he said into it. "This is Captain Thomas Hart. Remember to be at your appropriate stations by 9:00 sharp tomorrow. As a reminder, wait for your Class C shuttles to pick you up and take you to Terra Venture 2100. Good luck, and good evening."
Hart nodded to his assistants, and they proceeded out of the room.
He sighed deeply. He never enjoyed when new recruits were added to the stations on Terra Venture 2100. The last time they tried it, a man mistook the intercom for the fire alarm and sent the whole colony into panic.
Was it going to be that way again? With the colony loading two thousand new civilians, twenty new Alpha androids, and twenty-five new workers, something was bound to go wrong to go wrong. It always did.
But all he could do now was rest, and wait for it to happen. At least they wouldn't screw up the Castla mission. They had experienced workers on that one. It was too important of a mission for some rookie to screw it up. It could even mean a promotion for him. But he doubted it; search exhibitions didn't get you promotions very often anymore, not in this galaxy anyway.
It was probably a waste of time anyway. According to research and development, Castla's atmosphere was too harsh for any living forms to breathe.
But then again, they'd been wrong before.
An Alpha droid interrupted his train. "Captain," it said "Alpha 502 reporting sir, your tea and crumpets are awaiting you in your sleeping chamber. I have also been ordered to remind you that General Simms does not like having one of his best men asleep during duty, and that you should get some shut eye."
Best, he loved that word. Yes, at once. Thank you." The android shuffled out of the room. Captain Hart leaned up against his chair. Tomorrow it was all happening again, and God forbid that they might mess it all up."
He shook that thought off, these were new troops, and nothing would keep them from taking off as long as he was in control. Or at least that's what he'd told General Simms.
He pulled himself up, tea and crumpets awaited him.
"Come on Kaylee." Mrs. Marie called up the stairs.
Kaylee mumbled something unintelligible and rolled over to face the wall. She heard little feet running into the room and she braced herself for what was coming. Sure enough, two little bodies jumped on top of her and began squealing. Kaylee groped around for an extra pillow to hit them with.
"Come Lee! We going now."
Kaylee gave up and turned to look at her twin sisters, Emily and Anna. Anna, the smallest one, stuck her thumb in her mouth and crawled under the blankets to be with her older sister. Kaylee smiled and wrapped her arms around the 3 year old. Anna looked up at her with those baby blue eyes and took her thumb out of her mouth long enough to talk.
"We going on a big spac sip."
Kaylee heard her mom call for her again and she moved her sisters out of the room so she could get dressed. Kaylee looked around her almost empty room, uncertainly. She didn't really want to leave. She didn't believe that the earth was in any danger, but being only 17 she couldn't legally stay behind. She had no choice. She'd have to go move on Terra Venture 2100 and just live with it.
She picked up the pair of jeans and sweater off the floor and slipped them on. Then rolling her sleeping bag up, which she'd slept on after all their furniture had been moved to their new house aboard Terra Venture, she walked down stairs trying to get her blond hair out of her eyes.
Her sisters and brother were sitting at the table finishing breakfast.
"Lee! Hurry up! We gonna leave for sip with out you!" Emily squealed her mouth full of cheerios.
"Don't worry, Em. I'm all ready. I'm just going to get a piece of toast to eat. Ok?" Kaylee reassured the toddler.
Kaylee glanced at her mother standing in their empty family room staring blankly out the window. She dropped the piece of bread in her hand onto the counter and walked over to her.
Her mom turned and seeing her daughter smiled. "Are you all ready sweetie?"
"Almost. I was just going to eat breakfast. Are you ok?"
"Me? Oh, I'm fine. I was just thinking."
"About Dad?"
Tara Marie turned toward Kaylee tears brimming under her glasses.
" I wish he would come with us. I can't believe he would stay here. This will probably be the last mission they ever go on to find a new world. I wanted him to come with us."
Kaylee's dad had decided that he didn't want to go with them, but wanted to stay here on earth. They'd been fighting about it for the last 6 months and finally Kaylee's dad up and left them.
They both fought for custody of Kaylee and her siblings but her mother had won.
Kaylee walked forward and hugged her mom tightly, supporting her as she sobbed for a few moments. She passed her mom in height by far, at least by a full head. Her mom pulled back a moment later and wiped the tears away.
"Come on. We got to get going." Mrs. realized glancing at her watch.
Kaylee retreated back into the kitchen and gathered her two sisters up who were fighting about who was bigger.
"No. I bigger!" Emily demanded pulling at Anna's hair.
"Ow! Lee! Lee! Hep!" Anna squealed.
Kaylee came to the rescue and pulled Emily off of Anna.
"Bad! No go help Mommy outside." Kaylee ordered.
Emily's lower lip quivered but she did as told.
Kaylee picked up Anna and set her on her hip and then turned to her 12 year old brother, Michael.
"Come on Mike. Time to go." She said ruffling the boy's hair.
He held his hand up to silence her. "Hold Kaylee. Just let me finish this chapter. I think the grim reaper is going to kill this kid."
"Finish it in the car. We're going to miss our shuttle."
"Ok, ok." Mike stood up and placed his bookmark inside his book. He readjusted his glasses on his nose and led the way to the car.
Kaylee strapped her sisters into car seats and climbed up front with her mom.
They took one last look at their house and drove away.
"Steven, get in the car!"
Steve looked up from his laptop and pulled his head phones off.
"Did you say something, Mom?" He asked innocently.
Mrs. Cimmoreli looked ready to strangle her son.
"Ok. I'm coming." Steve promised closing down his computer and walking out of his now empty aparment and down to the car.
Steve jumped into the backseat of his car and watched as his parents looked up at their aparment window of the building.
He couldn't wait to get up to Terra Venture 2100. He hated earth and was ready for a change. His friend, Kaylee Marie didn't feel the same way. She wanted to stay on earth and not have any changes.
He sat impatiently as his parents drove away slowly leaving behind their way of life.
He looked down at his hands and found them shaking uncontrollably. Who knows. Maybe he was just excited. He ignored it and stared out the window at the passing scenery. He saw many families packing up their car and heading down to the shuttle.
They reached the gates a half hour later and piled out of the car, grabbing the rest of their belongings. Everything else was already at their new house aboard Terra Venture 2100.
People were rushing all over the place. Some people screaming that they'd lost their passport and frantically looking through their things for it. Steve's hand shot to his jean pocket where his passport was held. He felt it still tucked away and sighed with relief. He guessed he was just jumpy with all going on around him.
The gates were so busy, Steven actually held the arm of his mom like a small child so he wouldn't get lost in the crowd.
Steven heard a familiar voice behind him and he turned to find Kaylee holding her twin sister's hands, trying to get them to behave.
"Hey Kaylee! Over here!" Steven waved his arm in the air.
Kaylee looked up for the person who called her name and found Steven and his parents.
She held her sister's hands tightly and weaved through the crowd toward him.
"Hey Steve. Guess what I found out. The houses we bought are on the same street." Her eyes glowed with happiness.
Steven knew that she'd rather stay here and it would make it a lot better for her if she had some one that she knew close by.
"That's great!" Steven shared her enthusiasm.
Kaylee's mom and brother came over then and they chatted on their way to the line to get into the shuttle.
The group stopped talking when Anna let out an ear piercing scream.
Kaylee knelt down quickly in front of her horrified sister. "What's the matter Anna?" She asked anxiously.
"I dropped Mr. Bon-Bon!" she squealed, tears threatening her adorable features.
Mr. Bon-Bon was Anna's really old teddy bear. She took it every where.
"Anna we'll get you another one on Terra Venture ok?" Mrs. Marie promised.
"I no wan nother one! I wan Mr. Bon-Bon!" Tears now ran down the toddler's face.
Before they could stop her Anna turned and ran through the crowd.
Kaylee and Steve took after her yelling for her to stop.
Anna ignored them and kept running as fast as her short legs would take her.
She ducked under a railing that blocked the line off and kept running.
She ran into the path of an oncoming luggage cart and stopped frozen to the floor by fear.
"ANNA!" Kaylee screamed hoping to break the child's trance.
She jumped over the railing and kept running.
The driver of the cart tried desperately to swerve to avoid the hitting the little girl. Something must have been wrong with the breaks though and he went head on toward Anna.
Kaylee knew she would never make it in time. As she pumped her legs as fast as they could take her, a young man jumped out and grabbed Anna pulling her to safety just as the deathly fast cart whizzed by.
The man, who appeared a bit older than Kaylee, held the little girl tightly and watched as the cart took its course into a wall across the room. The driver jumped out just as it hit the wall and made a sickening crunch.
The whole gate had become deathly silent as the heroic scene rolled out. The young man made sure it was safe to cross the wide walkway and made his way over.
To Steve and Kaylee and boy looked a little odd in appearance. He had shoulder length chestnut hair, and he was wearing a pair of holey jeans and a very ratty flannel sweat shirt. But his face was kind, and his big hazel eyes stood out. Well to Kaylee at least; who couldn't seem to stop staring into them.
Her attention quickly turned back to her sister however when the boy placed her into Kaylee's arms.
"Lee!" Anna squealed happily wrapping her tiny arms around her sister's neck.
Kaylee held the little girl closely and felt tears of happiness spring forward. She would have never been able to hold her sister again if it wasn't for…
Kaylee lifted her head to thank the boy and found him gone. She spun around looking for him but didn't see him anywhere.
Steve walked up along with the rest of her family and his.
Tara Marie rushed forward and snatched Anna out of Kaylee's arms and hugged her tightly.
"Are you ok, Kaylee?" Steve asked uncertainly.
Kaylee looked at him. "Wha? Oh me? Yeah I'm fine. I wanted to thank whoever just saved my little sister's life but I can't find him."
"Don't worry about it. I'm sure he knows how grateful you are toward him." Steve assured.
Kaylee nodded.
"We are now boarding the shuttle for Terra Venture 2100. Please show your passports to the attendant at the door of the shuttle and take your seats quickly. We want to lift off as soon as possible." The voice spoke over the intercom, and it set the people into a frantic running toward the gate.
The Cimmerolis and Maries made their way slowly onto the shuttle and took their seats.
A flight attendant walked up to the group and handed little Anna Mr. Bon-Bon.
Anna squeaked and hugged him close.
"Some one found him and turned him in. After the commotion I knew it was yours." The attendant said kindly.
Mrs. Marie thanked her.
Steve wiggled around in his next to Kaylee. "Seats are a little uncomfortable." he said.
"Yeah," Kaylee replied "I read somewhere that Class C shuttle seats are the most uncomfortable of the group.
Kaylee looked in the other direction as Steve looked out his window. She'd known Steve for several years now, and knew just about everything about him, and it was both ways. But she couldn't figure out why he'd sat with her for this ride. It would take them about an hour for them to get to their new homes. And they really hadn't seen each other in a couple of weeks. What would she say to him? She was never comfortable in a silent area.
Suddenly, The Cargo door opened to reveal a flight attendant with a struggling Asian girl in tow.
He dropped her in the seat straight across from Kaylee.
"I wasn't doing anything!" she cried.
"You'll stay here and like it," the attendant said. "We'll be going into orbit in about two minutes and we can't have anyone on the plane without a safety restraint on. Especially not in the luggage compartment!"
"I lost my watch, okay mister?" she replied. "I need to go back and get it."
"No," he said. "I'm sorry."
"But it was a gift!"
"I'm sorry."
The attendant walked down the aisle toward the cockpit at a strangely fast pace.
"Stupid little……." the Asian girl muttered.
"There are lots of watch stores on Terra Venture I bet." Kaylee said, trying pathetically to console this girl. "Maybe you can get another one."
"Huh?" she said "Oh, the watch? That was just some story I made up at the last minute. I mean c'mon girl, is it possible to for anybody to lose their watch in a luggage compartment? No ma'am."
Kaylee looked at her, puzzled by her story. "Then what were you doing back there?"
"I'm just a little sneak." she replied "lookin' to see if anybody's got something interesting in their bags. I know what your thinking, and no, I'm not a thief. I'm just …… well ……. curious."
Kaylee smiled. "Well, you'll have to take me with you next time, I won't have anything else to do."
"Deal." the Asian girl said. "My name's Dani. As in Danielle. And you?"
"Kaylee." she said. Maybe she wouldn't be so lonely on Terra Venture 2100. It was a start at least.
"Well, Dani replied. "We got about fifty five minutes, with nothin' to do."
It was then that the intercom came on. "Uhhh, this is you Captain speaking. We've got about fifty four minutes to go, so just to show you how much we're going to care for you on Terra Venture 2100, we're treating you to an in-flight simulation. Umm, looks like Jeopardy. Enjoy."
"So anyway, after that I smacked the guy, and then I just slammed the door in his face! I felt like a big old authority figure! Man, if you'da been there, you would have done the same thing." I'll bet a million bucks!"
Kaylee yawned, Dani hadn't shut up since the simulation had stopped. She was starting to regret speaking up to her on the shuttle.
Anna tugged at her sleeve trying to tell her about Mr. Bon Bon's new home on the ship. She was ready to explode.
Through the crowd of civilians, she managed to catch a glimpse of Steve she quickly picked up her foot pace.
The Cimmorelis and the Maries met up with the teens a moment later. Kaylee was relieved to finally see someone she knew that wasn't drooling on her hand.
"Have a nice ride?" he asked. "I swear I knew every answer to every question on that simulation."
"Oh, shut up", she replied. "I wasn't even paying attention, I was talking to Dani and Anna the whole time. You were next to me remember?"
"Mr. Bon Bon's gonna get his hi own house on our stweet, with a tweve inch simwuwator!"
Steve chuckled. "Wow, doesn't that sound interesting! He'll certainly have the life! You're going to invite me and Kaylee over right?"
Anna nodded fast. Steve had always been so nice to Anna; he had a way with kids that Kaylee never seemed to have.
"Hey," he said. "Where's your friend?"
Kaylee's head spun around, Dani was gone. "Oh no!" she cried. That's the second person I've lost today!"
Steve laughed. Kaylee kept turning in every direction to see if Dani had simply run off. But she was no where in sight.
"Lee!" Kaylee heard her mother call her. "Lee! Come on! The speeder's waiting."
"I'll get my Dad." Steve said. "And then we'll go see Mr. Bon Bon's new house!"
Kaylee giggled. Steve was funny too.
"C'mon!" Anna said. "Let's go to da house."
This was it, his only chance. He'd been saving his entire life for this moment. To follow in his fathers footsteps was something he'd dreamed of since he was child, and now it was time to turn that dream into a reality.
"Okay Ryan." Colonel Nemran said. "The holo will begin in one minute. The object is for you to eliminate all five armed craderites from the room without being hit. If one beam hits you, you've failed. Any questions?"
Ryan shook his head. Colonel Nemran stepped back, and waited for the hologram to begin.
Moments later, the room darkened and became a hologram of a hall of Terra Venture 2100. It was silent for a moment; Ryan's stomach was in a million knots. It was time to make his father proud.
Suddenly, a red laser beam shot out from the corner of the room, bounced off the wall and nailed a door. Ryan dropped to the ground in a push up position, with his gun in his right hand. He crawled forward, and after a second shot he blasted his first shot at the wooden box which the Craterite seemed to be hiding behind.
Another laser blast shot at him from the side, he rolled over behind the edge of the hall and shot five beams in their direction. The response was what Ryan estimated to be twenty laser blasts. When he looked down the hall, he saw that four craderites had now surfaced.
Ryan shot back, almost hitting one Craterite in the process. He adjusted his helmet, and fired again. This time he nailed one directly in the chestarea.
As laser blasts whizzed past his head, he tried desperately to get a grip on himself. Now was not the time to flip out, not when he'd waited since childhood for this. He shot again, hitting a craderite in the head. Suddenly, Ryan fell back from shock. A blast had struck a wall panel next to his head and knocked him backward. He checked his ear for damage, but he seemed to be okay. He quickly made an evasive maneuver, shooting a laser beam upward. The beam bounced off the ceiling and floor a number of times before striking a craterite in the side. The beam ricocheted off and hit the other Craterite in the face
And then, there was nothing left to do, but shoot the other one down. Ryan looked down the hall, there were none left. Had he passed? He turned around…………….
And met a laser blast in the chest. The fifth craderite had snuck up behind him during the madness. And shot him. The craderite disappeared along with the holographic image.
"I'm sorry Ryan." he heard Colonel Nemran say. "A soldier needs to be aware of whatever situation he may be in. In all directions."
Ryan threw his gun down, and stormed out of the holo room. So much for family pride.
Ryan kicked the door to his room down. He pushed his dresser over, before punching the wall.
Frustration was all he could concentrate on. He'd waited his entire life to become a soldier on Terra Venture. And when the time finally came, his dreams were destroyed by a craderite with a gun that wasn't even real! He kicked his sleep stand over.
He leaned up against the wall. It was all he had ever dreamed of doing…now he'd never do it again.
And then, with one scream, the rage, anger, pain, sadness, and fury all came out.
The door swung open, and in walked a boy that looked to be about his age, with an amazed look on his face.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
Ryan raced over to him, grabbed him by the arm and flipped him over. He gripped him by the shirt and cussed in his face.
Suddenly, the boy flipped Ryan over on to his back and found himself in the boy's former position. Ryan tried to swing a punch, but the boy's hand grasped his arm hard.
"What's the matter with you?" the boy cried.
Ryan's teeth clenched, his blood boiled. "Have you ever…" He asked through clenched teeth, "Ever failed to accomplish something that you've worked you whole worthless life for? And then… than have someone tell you your not good enough to do it?!?!"
The boy looked at him in awe. And then, with a swift move of his hand, Ryan went black.
Ryan Calloway woke up slowly, his eyes adjusting to the dim light of the room. His head felt like a train was running through his temples. As if on cue, he moaned loudly.
A shadowy figure came toward him and flicked a light on.
"You! What the heck are you doing in my room? Get out!" Ryan demanded jumping from his bed.
The sudden movement set off pain through his head and he would have fallen if not for the support of the other boy.
The boy dragged Ryan back over to his bed and shoved him back on it.
"Don't touch me! I swear as soon as they headache passes you'll regret you were born." Ryan mumbled.
"Why would that be?" The boy asked.
"Hello? Where have you been? You knocked me out! For no apparent reason too. I'm just going to give you the same gratitude you gave me." Ryan answered sarcastically.
"I was protecting myself! You ungrateful jerk! I could have just left you unconscious in the doorway but I didn't. I made sure you were ok. And then I sat here for two hours waiting for you to wake up so I could apologize! I would have never hit you in the first place if I didn't think you were a craving lunatic! You tried to kill me, or so it seemed. I just asked if you were ok. That's it."
"Who asked you? You don't know anything about me! Just get out."
"If that's what you want."
Ryan was surprised by the boy's response. He wanted the boy to be frustrated with him some more.
"Wait. Don't go." Ryan said the words before he could stop them.
The boy stopped in the doorway and turned back toward Ryan.
Ryan sighed and then spoke to him, "Don't go. I'm sorry I was being a jerk. I'm in a rotten mood right now."
The boy came back in the room slightly. "You're not going to yell or be a jerk to me anymore?" He asked uncertainly.
"No. I'll try."
The boy walked back in and plopped himself on the floor a few feet away from Ryan's bunk.
"Do you wanna tell me why you're so upset?" The boy asked.
Ryan sighed again not really wanting to talk about it to a complete stranger.
"You don't have to tell me. But I'm a good listener if you do want to talk about it." The boy told Ryan.
"Ok. I'll tell you. I don't know how you can help, but whatever. I failed my test today to become a soldier."
The boy burst out laughing.
Ryan's mouth dropped open at the site of the boy rolling around the floor laughing hysterically.
He clenched his fists ready to strike.
The boy regained his composure and looked up at Ryan. "I'm sorry. Really. I don't know why I laughed. I guess it just struck me funny." His sentence ended in childish giggles.
Ryan jumped up and hauled the boy to his feet. The boy was a good six inches shorter than Ryan; He had the advantage that way.
The boy was still laughing and Ryan jammed his fist into the shorter boy's stomach.
The boy stumbled back into the counter and smiled.
"Finally. I thought I was going to have to make you hit me." Trying to regain his normal breathing after having it punched out of him.
Ryan unclenched his fists, "What are you talking about?"
"I knew you needed to let off a little steam, so I just brought it on myself. You fell better now don't you?" The boy replied.
Ryan raised his eyebrow. "Well…yeah kinda."
"I knew it. Now stop acting like you want to kill me, and tell me what's going on."
The boy had a comforting personality that made Ryan actually want to tell him what was going on and why he wanted to be a soldier so bad.
Ryan took a breath. "Well," he hesitated, he still wasn't sure about this. The boy's laugh had made him even more uncomfortable then he already was. But he supposed it was for the best that he let off some steam.
"I guess it's mostly because of my father," he started. " My dad was a Class A soldier on the original Terra Venture. Won all sorts of awards for bravery and fitness and all that kind of crap."
"It's not crap," the boy said. "I mean, if he was a Class A soldier, you should be proud of him."
"I was," Ryan replied. "And that's the problem. I was a little too proud. I mean, just to look at him made me smile. Just to be able to say 'That's MY dad.' 'I'm HIS son'. I wanted to be just like him when I grew up. He told me that if I practiced and worked hard at it, I could do anything."
"I think I get it now." the boy replied.
Ryan ignored his comment. "One day, he came back from a place called Hercuron, saying that he'd won another award for saving about a hundred people from a detonation of something. There was a….. huge party for him. My mom was so proud." The boy looked at him, he looked to be following every word.
"And then I made a promise. I …………….. I promised my dad that no matter what happened to me in school or with friends or a job, I would grow up to be a Terra Venture Soldier. Just like him. And I made it in front of everyone, the whole party cheered, and my Dad even cried. He'd never cried in front of me before, and he cried in my shoulder as he hugged me. Now, about fourteen years later ………………. it's all gone."
The boy sighed, he seemed to feel Ryan's pain along with him. Which Ryan knew was impossible, but it sure seemed like it to him.
"I'm Cody", the boy said.
"Ryan", he replied.
"I'm …", Cody stuttered. "I'm sorry."
Baboo couldn't get his eyes open. He'd been drugged by whatever it was that captured him and was now more groggy than he'd ever been in his life.
His only eyes at this point in time were in the head of his life long Friend, Squatt. From what Squatt had told him, they were in a dungeon that appeared to be about the size of a restroom on a Space Frieghter. Baboo was laying on a small bench in the corner of the room, and Squatt was up against the wall. All this he had heard from Squatt himself, but was a little suspicious of his accuracy being that as long as he'd known Squatt, he'd had a brain the size of a peach pit.
He'd also said that their captors were ten green soldiers with long claws, and green skin. They had also been as slimey and ugly as ever. Baboo could already tell they were slimy. He'd gotten some kind of substance on his hand when they were grabbed, gagged and drugged.
But Baboo knew ugly all too well, for he had to be one of the ugliest creatures within two or three light-years. He was ugly enough during his youth, but as an old geezer, he was absolutely grotesque.
He grasped his head. The drug that he'd been given had made him a bit woozy and he guessed that was the reason he couldn't open his eyes. He'd suffered loss of sight before. In the Dumpster with Rita Repulsa, Squatt, and the others so long ago. Only back then he had hibernation sickness. He could still remember the day he was released from that dumpster. And how happy Rita was.
"Here your evilness let me help you. Walk with me, talk with me……….."
"Arrghh, you made me step in a puddle you nitwit!"
Infact, that was what he was doing on Eltar. He and Squatt, being the only living servants of Rita Repulsa, were there to discuss with the Eltar historian about Rita Repulsa and Lord Zedd. And they'd been captured the moment they left the central building.
Suddenly, he heard his cell door swing open and was grabbed by two sets of arms. He was pulled out of the room, and walked blindly for a moment, being without site, walking was a more difficult task than usual.
They walked for a moment, he tried yelling to Squatt, but was slapped when he did so. They were dragged for what Baboo estimated to be five minutes before they entered a room that smelled vaguely familiar, as if he'd smell it over a thousand years ago, and it had just resurfaced.
Both Squatt and Baboo were pushed down to their knees. Baboo could hear his friend whimpering beside him.
Baboo spoke up. "Oh, c'mon Squatt, they haven't done anything yet."
All of a sudden, Baboo felt a strange feeling come over him , as if he was given a healing medicine that had the ability to cure death. Suddenly, his eyesight returned.
And that was when he saw it.
Standing over him was a being that had to be at least 7'3. He was as green as the stem of a flower, yet slimey as melting ice. Green goo dripped from the five dreadlocks that hung from the back of his head. His pitch black suit covered what had to be an either hideous or refined physique.
And the tip of his brown spear, was pointed directly at Baboo's neck.
Baboo gulped. "Forgive me," he said. "I was, uh, blind."
He pulled back the weapon. "Pathetic creature."
Baboo was a bit more relaxed, now that the spear was away from his neck. But the threat was still present.
"Who ………………. who are you?" Baboo asked.
The being grimaced. "I am Sinister Sludge, your new master, and future ruler of the universe. You will bow down and kiss my feet this instant, inferior peons!"
The two friends bent as fast as their old bones could, and rubbed their lips on the creatures boots. Whoever this Sinister Sludge was, he was as evil as ever.
"Stop." he ordered. Squatt and Baboo did as they were told.
Sinister Sludge turned, twirling his spear as he did so. "Your loyalness is flattering, yet you feebleness is pitiful, and your mind power is staggering. You will do nothing to assist me in my future takeover of this pathetic universe."
Sludge grabbed Squatt by the chin, "You listen to me little one," he said. "You are weak and feeble, yet I will spare your pathetic lives in order to have two experienced servants polishing my boots. But make no mistake about it, one mistake…………"
Baboo cringed. "One mistake, and I will not only throw you back into the swamps you both crawled out of, but I will obliterate you bodies, chop up your internal organs, rip out your hearts, AND FEED THEM TO THE VULTURES!"
Squatt and Baboo screamed, and jumped back as Sinister Sludge's eyes glowed in a hideous green color.
"I am Sinister Sludge." he said. "You have been blessed by being allowed into my Dark Alliance. You are forever grateful to me, you will now and forever do as I say, and how I say to do it. But for now, your pathetic souls will rot in prison until your service is wished. Notice I say wish, not required. Now both of you out of my site, as the future ruler of the universe I have no time to stare at you weak pathetic bodies. Miriors, away with them!"
The last thing Baboo thought of as he was dragged away was his wife and children, and if on Eltar, he'd seen them for the last time.
Kaylee grabbed her little sister's hands and walked forward with her family still trying to concentrate on what Steve was going on about.
"Lee! Lee wisten to me!" Anna begged.
Kaylee leaned over and picked her little sister up placing her protectively on her hip. Before she could ask what Anna wanted, Emily insisted that she be picked up too.
Kaylee sighed with exasperation and looked at Anna and then to Emily.
"Emily, I don't think I can hold both of you. You're going to have to wait ok? I'll pick you up in little bit." Kaylee pleaded hoping that Emily wouldn't have a temper tantrum right here in front of all these people.
"Lee! That's no fair! If Anna gets to then I get to, too!" Emily stamped her little foot for emphasize and glared up at Kaylee.
"Whoa! Hold on Emily. How about a piggy back ride?" Steve kneeled down in front of Emily.
A bright smile filled Emily's face and she clapped her hands.
"Yay!" She exclaimed.
Steve laughed and Kaylee sighed with relief as Steve picked up Emily and sat her securely on top of his shoulders.
"Now Anna. What did you want?" Kaylee asked her sister.
Anna shrugged. "I don't know."
Kaylee scowled. Figures.
They walked the rest of the way to their van car and piled in. Steve put Emily into her car-seat before telling Kaylee he'd talk to her later.
Kaylee nodded and climbed into the van next to her brother who had already got his book and began reading.
Kaylee smiled at him and waited patiently as her mom talked with Mrs. Cimmorelis. She jumped when someone pounded on the window next to her.
She turned and found Dani. There she was. Kaylee wondered where she'd disappeared to at the gates.
She unbuckled her seatbelt and opened the door hopping out.
"Hey Dani. Where did you disappear to at the gates?" Kaylee asked.
"Oh, I went off to get with my family. So we're you living?"
"Um…I'm not quite sure. It's about ten miles from here though. Some small development."
"Cool. I'm moving into an apartment house by the TV 093 high school. Were are you going to school?"
"I'm going there too! So is Steve. He's moving in down the street from me."
"So it looks like we'll be seeing a lot of each other, huh?"
"Yeah I guess so." Kaylee didn't quite share Dani's enthusiasm.
"Kaylee! Come on. I want to get settled into our new house. I'll talk to you at dinner Dianne." Kaylee's mom called.
"Talk to you later, Dani." Kaylee said getting back into the car.
"I'll talk to you at school tomorrow and we can find out our addresses."
Dani turned and ran to wherever her family was located. Wonder where they were when Dani was snooping around the baggage department.
Kaylee shook her head thoughtfully and laughed. Maybe Dani wasn't as bad as she thought. She at least had to give Dani a chance.
Anna and Emily talked unmercifully the whole car ride to the new house. Kaylee jumped out of the van as soon as it had stopped. She knew she deserved some nice time alone. And boy was she looking forward to it.
She walked around to her mom's door and asked for the keys. Her mom smiled and handed them over.
"We'll be right in." She told her daughter.
Kaylee looked up at the house uncertainly. It was a bit bigger than her old house, a pale blue color. It was a really nice house.
Unprepared with what she'd find inside she held her breath as she slowly stuck the key in the lock and turned. The door opened with a soft brushing sound and she stepped inside.
The entryway was wide and spacious with a homely smell in the air. She ignored the rest of the house and retreated up the stairs. She found her room with most of her clothes sitting in boxes on the floor and her furniture neatly placed in the large bedroom. She found a window seat over looking the street below. She turned back to face the room. It was her room now. No way to get back home. This was home. Nothing she could do to change that. Kaylee sighed inwardly and went back downstairs to help her mom with her little sisters.
"I am way tired." Cody mumbled stretching his arms above his head.
The two boys had sat talking for the past two hours about…well…everything I guess. Family life, friends, their thoughts on this journey, everything worthwhile to talk about.
"Not to mention I still have a headache." Ryan replied.
Cody's face held no sympathy, only mischief. "Your own fault." He said simply, unfolding his legs from the Indian style and leaning back to lie on the floor.
"Wanna know how it feels?" Ryan asked.
Cody glanced up at him. "I'll pass. What time is it?"
Ryan glanced down at his watch. "Uh…11:30."
Cody jumped up from his laying position on the floor. " You're kidding! My mom is going to kill me!"
"I thought you lived here with the soldiers."
"Un-uh. I live with my mom in apartment building close to here. I was up here talking to my uncle. He's a soldier."
"Well….I guess you'd better go then."
Ryan seemed a little disappointed.
Cody frowned. "What school are you attending?"
"Um….TV 093. I start tomorrow."
"Hey! I go there too. With this whole huge colony and tons of schools and we end up going to the same one. Why don't I meet you at the front entrance at 8:30 before school starts?" Cody asked.
"Yeah that sounds cool…oh, and um…thanks for listening to me."
Ryan looked embarrassed by the comment's he'd made and lowered his head.
Cody smiled. "No problem. I'm a good listener, take after my great-grandmother. At least that's what every one tells me. Good talker too."
Ryan rose his eyebrow. "Who's your grandmother?"
Cody grinned again. "I'll tell you later. Right now I have to get home or I'll be grounded until I'm 30. My mother is very protective, I can blame that on my great-grandma too."
Ryan looked even more confused.
Cody laughed. "I'll tell you tomorrow, promise."
Ryan shrugged and followed Cody to the door.
"You don't live here do you?" Cody asked as he exited the room.
"No. I live with my cousin. I was just staying here for the night. I live a few blocks away from school."
"Ok. I'll talk to you tomorrow."
Cody walked slowly down the dark streets just thinking. Sometimes it embarrassed him about his great-grandma. So she was a Power Ranger. Big deal. Only the most irresponsible ranger there ever was.
Stupid conscious. Cody knew what his head was telling him was true, but he didn't like to think about it. She tried to commit suicide! Cody shook the thoughts out of his head and continued toward his house. He was walking very slowly hoping his mom was already asleep and she wouldn't have to worry about her tonight. He knew he was supposed to be home at ten. Maybe his mom wouldn't care. Fat chance.
Cody sighed loudly as he passed a nice house with a large bay window in the front. Inside, Cody could see a boy his age talking to his parents.
Wish I had two parents. His father had died in plane crash four years ago. He missed him something terrible. And with the fact that he was related to a power ranger, his life plain sucked.
I want a normal life. A mom, a dad. A little white house and picket fence. Cody laughed at the thought. He just couldn't see them living like that. One happy family. Their generation had collapsed when his great-grandmother was born.
If only he wasn't related to a power ranger. Everything would be fine. His mom kept telling him to be proud of his heritage. But he couldn't be. He just couldn't. He wanted a normal life. People who knew never treated him the same. It was weird. Like they thought he was stuck on himself cause he was related to super hero. It's not like he was trying to imitate Superman or anything.
Maybe being friends with Ryan would change that. Cody smiled at that thought and realized that he was standing in front of his house. Taking a deep breath he walked up the sidewalk preparing himself for what was coming.
"Where are my shoes?" Kaylee screamed running through the house with one sneaker on.
Her mom was in the kitchen trying to get Anna to eat something and Mike was on the couch still in his pajamas reading. She stopped staring at him.
"Mike! What the heck? Our bus is coming in ten minutes! Go get dressed!" Kaylee ordered, pulling the book out of his hands.
"Hey! It was a really good part!" Kaylee's brother whined.
"You can read it on the bus, now hurry up!"
Mike sulked up the stairs and Kaylee ran into the kitchen finding her other sneaker in Emily's hand.
"My sneaker!" Kaylee exclaimed.
She grabbed the sneaker and dropped it immediately.
"Ohmigosh. What is in my sneaker?" Kaylee asked, glancing down at crawly things in her shoe.
"Ants." Emily said proudly.
"Ants? Em! Why did you put ants in my sneaker?" Kaylee asked exasperated.
"They needed a home." Emily answered.
"Well go let them outside, right now!" Kaylee shoved her little sister toward the door.
"No! They need a home!" Emily insisted.
"Mom!" Kaylee cried.
Tara Marie turned toward her oldest daughter and then looked at Emily. "Go put the ants outside Emily."
Emily scowled and shook her head.
"Emily Renee` Marie put those ants outside right now or you can spend the morning in your room!"
Kaylee looked at her mother oddly. She rarely lost her temper. Especially with the twins.
Emily's bottom lip quivered and she ran with the sneaker in hand out the back door.
Kaylee's mom sighed. "I shouldn't have yelled at her. I'm just so worried about my new job. I hope it workout. I feel so bad for leaving the twins at a day care but I can't do anything with them right now. I'll have to find a sitter but right now we need to use our money more wisely. A sitter can wait for now."
Emily came back in then wiping her tears away with a chubby hand.
"Here Lee. Sowwy." She apologized.
Kaylee smiled in spite herself. "That's ok. Em. I'll pick you up at 3:00 o'clock this afternoon, ok?"
"Ok!" The three-year-old squealed.
She heard the bus horn outside.
"Oh no! Come on Mike!" Kaylee called up the stairs. She grabbed her backpack and pulled her sneaker on.
Mike came running down the stair still pulling his T-shirt on. Kaylee caught him as he slipped on the last few stairs and ran out the door.
They climbed on the bus and sat across from each other toward the back. She dropped her bag on the space next to her to save it for Steve and settled back into the seat looking out the window.
They picked up kids here and there and eventually Steve who plopped down next to her and yawned. "Too early." He mumbled and pulled his baseball cap over his eyes and slipped his head forward. Kaylee snickered slightly and turned back toward the window. A few blocks from the school he caught site of a young man walking up the side walk. She strained her eyes to get a better look at him and realized it was the boy that had saved Anna yesterday! Before she could do anything about it the bus picked up speed and she lost site of him.
Sinister Sludge stood, a warrior of evil, watching his pitiful new servants wash the floor. They were going so slow. Their lack of speed annoyed him far more than he should have been allowed.
But he gave them what little sympathy his black heart possessed. He knew who they were, and what they had done. That was why he'd spared their useless souls in the first place. Baboo had become a scientist after the Battle of Darkness had come and gone, and would serve him well in polluting environments he didn't like. And of course, Baboo would never work without Squatt along side him. For any other reason than that he would have killed him at first sight.
The Dark Lord sighed, the Battle of Darkness. It had changed the universe, all evil had been whiped from sight. With the exception of those who were too far away. Himself included. In a way, he regretted not being there, to die honorably along side his mentor, Master Vile. Vile had plans to over throw Dark Spector from his throne as King of Evil, and have him and his son Rito as his main generals.
But fate struck a fatal blow to that plan.
"All finished." Baboo said, interrupting his train of thought. "Will there be anything else?"
Sludge chuckled. Although they were loyal, they here also moronic. "No." he replied. "Get out of my sight, both of you. You're scaring the space rats."
Nodding, they trotted out of the room.
Sinister Sludge plopped down on to his throne. Everything was going his way until the forces of goodness had stuck their nose in his way. Virtue had smashed his goals and shattered his dreams. "Soon," he said to himself. "Soon the entire universe will feel my pain."
The Terra Venture strike force had become a digging crew. All of their hard work and training had stuck them digging up something that might not even be there.
And at the center of the operation, was Captain Hart. He himself had seen the solid detectors go off when they passed KO-35, and now it was time to see what it was.
It was things like this that turned the boys into men. The bad ones into the good ones. And the Captains from the Colonels.
He stepped down from the rock he'd been standing on. The Rock Quarry the detectors had found it in was not a typical place for anything to be buried. Even the strongest of their tools had trouble cracking the stone. Which in turn, made it only more interesting to find out what it was under all of this. Was it an old Space weapon used in the war? Or a small spoon that malfunctioned sensors had detected to be too big?
"Sir," a man called. "You might want to come and see this, it's very interesting."
Perhaps he'd find out at this very moment.
The man had discovered a small stone that would not budge if pulled out ward, however when it was pushed in, it forced two other stones to move. Two that it was two small to touch. Neither of them were able to move either.
A crew of ten soldiers and five Alpha androids were sent to search around to find any hidden trap doors that the man may have triggered by touching the stone. None were found. But as the team moved in closer, they observed that almost none of the rocks on that side of the quarry could move at all. Tools were useless, no matter what they did, the rocks moved little or not at all.
"Blast it," commanded Hart. "There is definitely something in there." The only question was, what? What could hold up all those stones and rocks. Most of the others he could snap in half with one mallet strike, two at the most. And now they were using explosives.
The blast exploded, leaving at train of dust particles in the air. But to everyone's shock, not one stone was out of place. Nothing had moved at all.
Hart swore under his breath. So much for his promotion.
"Hold it!" a trooper called. "Sir, look at this!"
Captain Hart rushed over to the man who had called to him.
"Check it out." he said. As it turned out, the blast was not a total waste. There between the gap of a broken rock, was what appeared to be a large scrap of Blue Metal. But it wasn't a single scrap. It didn't come up from the ground. It was under the rocks. Whatever it was, it was bigger than this.
Great, he thought to himself, now this guy's gonna get all the credit for my blast.
And that was when he noticed it. There, in the lower right hand corner of the piece, in barley readable, yet large print, was the name N.A.S.A.D.A..
Lunch time at last. What had only been 4 periods had seemed like 4 years.
He had three more to fight through before the day was done, and he needed energy. Sugar in particular. He was beat.
Not only beat, but frustrated. A girl in his history class had made a fool out of him in front of the whole class.
'Ryan, name the nine branches of M51's Government.'
'Uh, Executive, Political, um, Physical……."
That was when the whole class burst out in laughter. And she opened her big mouth.
'Physical? Man, what's next? The Inarticulate Branch?' Which made the class laugh even more. One kid even fell of his comforter.
And what was worst, this girl was standing ion front of him. Time for a few inquiries. "Hey you."
She looked back, and grimaced. "Yeah?"
"Just like to say thanks for what you did to me in history."
"Hey man," she said. "It ain't my fault you didn't study over the summer."
"I did for your information, but I didn't spend every free moment doing it. Like some people."
"Listen punk," she snapped. "I didn't even have to study, everybody know that stuff."
"Only the brainiacs." Ryan said.
"I think you got it wrong," she said. "It's only the idiots who don't know it."
"Don't get personal with me here." Ryan growled. "Your lucky I'm a gentleman, or I'd…………."
"What?"
"Just don't do it to me again," he said. "I'm saying it nicely."
She rolled her eyes and turned around. Ryan looked down at her Science Data Pad, the name read: Dani Jackson. He'd remember that name, most likely, for the rest of the year.
Ryan paid the credits he owed and sat down next to Cody, who seemed unusually, perky.
"What's wrong with you?" Cody asked.
"Is it that obvious?" Ryan asked.
"Yeah, sorry."
"Don't be, it's partially my fault."
"Why? What'd you do?" he asked.
Ryan pointed his finger. "You see that Asian girl over there? Next to that cute girl and that black boy?"
"Yeah. What happened?" he asked.
"She only humiliated me in front of the whole class today, man, she's such a jerk you wouldn't even believe."
Cody smiled. Ryan however, didn't see what was so funny. "What?"
"Nothing." he replied "But hey, you mentioned that cute girl next to her? I met her today in Home Economics. Her name is Kaylee Marie. She's really nice." Cody grinned. "So nice you wouldn't believe!"
"Don't' mock me." Ryan said. "I'm seriously embarrassed because of her, she may have ruined my whole reputation. Maybe you shouldn't even sit next to me, I'll be dork of the month by tomorrow."
"I'll take my chances." Cody said. "Have you tried talking to her?"
Ryan nodded. "She's a real………….. well you know."
"Yeah," Cody said "I'll introduce you to Kaylee though, you'd really like her."
"I don't know." Ryan said. "I've never been a real ladies man."
"You don' have to be a ladies man." he replied, "She's so nice, if you spill Melonade on her she'd laugh at it."
Ryan chuckled. This girl was either insane or too nice to bare. "I think I'll pass."
"Why?"
"I just don't feel like it okay?" Ryan felt his head throb, he was getting a headache.
"Okay, calm down. You don't have to meet her, but I think you should. You might get another chance to make up with Dani."
Ryan's head popped up. Dani? Anything to get back at her. "Okay, I'll do it."
"Great." Cody said. "I'll have her come and sit with us tomorrow, I know you'll like her, and even if you don't at least you tried."
"Right." Ryan said. But he didn't need to try for Kaylee, Dani hadn't seen the last of him yet. He was going to talk some sense into her no matter what the consequences.
But then again, what would he say to Kaylee then?
Twenty-five of Terra Venture 2100's council members were seated at long Ten-foot table and long with their research and development team. The matter of the N.AS.A.D.A. shuttle that had been found only two days ago had shocked the entire colony, and sent a wave of rumors through it.
But now, with the Mayor of Terra Venture 2100 seated at the head of the desk, the truth would have to surface.
The Council Head pressed a button which sent a harsh sound into the air, indicating the need for silence.
"Attention," she said. "Silence please." The council was silent.
"Thank you," she said. "Fellow council members, the recent discovery of a N.A.S.A.D.A. air ship has sent in a number of questions from the colony. Being as this is fresh blood here on Terra Venture 2100, council needs to be informed of exactly what went on when Captain Hart and his team were searching on KO-35. Captain, I understand you have a prepared statement for us?"
Hart stood up, taking a deep breath as he did so. "Fellow members of the official Council of Terra Venture 2100, about 48 hours ago my team traveled to KO-35 to check out a scan of unusually rusted steel. The steel turned out to be buried under a rock quarry. And after several blasted we uncovered one fourth of what looked to be an old N.A.S.A.D.A. shuttle that was covered with a blue plastic wrapping. We ran short of instruments, therefore we were forced to return to base and file a report to General Simms."
Simms stood up. "Ah yes, his report was unlike any I'd seen before in the way of the story it told. For all I knew the entire N.A.S.A.D.A. company had been abolished after the destruction of the original Terra Venture."
The room went silent, Simms suddenly felt as sheepish as a high rank military officer could. The destruction of the original Terra Venture had touched the amilies of a great deal of people on council.
A humanoid coughed. "What of the rumors of the possibilities of a space Megaship being somewhere in that area?"
Hart made a face. "It's……….. entirely possible. Though unlikely. And even if there was, it's abilities to us would be extremely limited. It's been over 50 years since one of those has been constructed, and the process of installing today's modern power systems would be much too complex. And it's condition would be much too poor for military use."
"You are aware Captain," said a Triforian council member. "That our repair systems are among the best in at least four sectors of the galaxy?"
"Yes, Colonel I am," Hart replied. He felt a knot in his stomach, he wasn't trying to pick a fight with his superior officers. "However, our repair team ismostly men and women in their twenties and early thirties, I doubt they would know very much about Megaships."
"They did go to a history class to learn about these things." the Triforian countered.
"Yes sir," Hart replied. "But I don't believe they learned about how to identify them, not to repair them. The odds are our mechanics would only make the problems worse." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the Captain give him a complimentary nod.
The Triforian leaned back in his seat accepting his loss. Although
Captain Hart had to admit, the repair team had learned a lot in their college years. Perhaps they could repair a Megaship.
"One thing puzzles me." an Aquitain said. "If there truly is a N.A.S.A.D.A. shuttle buried in that quarry, then what is it doing there? And why on KO-35? Aside from a decent supply of water, oxygen and a decent army, KO-35 is pretty much as useless as a dead asteroid."
A man with highlights in his hair stood up. "That's my home planet you're talking about! And it ain't useless buddy. KO-35'S rock samples have proved that they're strong enough to last thousands of years without breaking."
"Probably why whoever put that there chose that particular spot." The Mayor said. "If the rocks on that planet are as strong as he says, then a rock quarry would no doubt be the best place to hide something as large as a space shuttle."
"Agreed, " the Aquitian said. "But why would anyone want to hide a shuttle under rock?"
"That thought has accured to me." General Simms commented. "It makes no sense, it's perfectly open to our scanners, so finding it would be easier than turning on a data pad. And you'd figure the local civilians would dig it up when the owner left, I don't understand it, it's too easy to locate."
"Maybe that's it," a humanoid said. "Perhaps no local civilians would even think to look there because it would be too obvious."
"Still," Simms replied. "You'd figure someone would at least look there. I'm sure they would have thought of that too, and Ko-35's weaponry has increased incredibly since the Battle of Darkness. They must have been able too pick it up."
"But what of their scanners?" the chief said. "KO-35 has never been famous for it's ability to pick up life forms or Technology."
"