CHAPTER ONE
The time seemed to go by quickly. Though he had no way of knowing for sure, he assumed it had been nearly four hours since he had landed on the cratered, rocky surface of Earth's only moon. His eyes were beginning to grow weary. All this time spent staring into his trusty micro binoculars had started to dry out his eyes. What he needed was sleep, or so his body told him. His mind and his heart however, told him otherwise.
He risked a quick moment to tug at the hood of his dark crimson colored silk robe. It seemed that no matter how hard you tried, no matter how good you got, the icy cold of space still loomed around you.
Sometimes it made him feel like a rookie again, young, naive, and scared.
But he couldn't be scared, not now. This was too important. He'd spent the last three years of his life waiting for this. All those lonely nights on the Megaship, lying awake in bed, contemplating their next move, reviewing attack strategies, fighting the space blues…
All that time away from Ashley…it was all for this moment, this night, this time.
Andros, the Red Space Power Ranger, adjusted the focus of his micro-binoculars. The eyes on the device instantly pulled back, allowing him to view the enormous canyon being dug before him in its entirety. Truly amazing the manpower that still remained in this empire after what should have been its ultimate annihilation.
But that was just it wasn't it? It had no manpower. That was what had given the Machine Empire its edge over all of its foes during its supremacy. The entire army consisted entirely of mechanical beings. Not a human brain, nor human heart among them. There was only the turning of gears, and the clankety clank of steel upon ground.
He focused his binoculars on a pair of the empire's trademark mechanical soldiers, the Cogs, working tirelessly to jackhammer further into the rock they stood upon. Their golden dome heads, and lifeless circular eyes bounced up and down as they continued to work. Dirt, dust, and grime lined their bodies, some a cold steel silver, the rest a brown brick color. They all walked in the same awkward manner, they all spoke in the same low toned, mechanical voices. Indeed, it was as if they were all one mind, as opposed to several thousand.
Though regardless of their inner workings or appearance, they did appear to be making progress. As they continued to drill away at the rocky surface of the moon, Andros noticed the scaly green skin of what lay beneath, was beginning to come forth.
This was not good at all.
Andros placed the micro-binoculars inside his robe, and looked further down into the canyon. He had to get a closer look. Reaching into the black bag strapped over his shoulder, he pulled out a shiny rectangular device, colored a bright silver. Fighting the numbness in his bare hands, he pressed the one button on the machine's upper right. Instantly, the front wall of the rectangle split open, revealing a small lens.
Andros placed the device up to his right eye, and using the device, began to record the activities within the canyon as he made his way in further.
"Hey you!" a mechanical voice suddenly called. "What do you think you're doing???"
Andros instantly dropped into a crouch position, flipping the camera into his left hand, and positioning his right hand on the Astro Blaster strapped to his belt. His eyes scanned the area, alert, and prepared for a possible attack…
"I told you! Whether damaged, half power, or full power, we put ALL of our Cogs to use on this dig! No one is to be spared!"
Andros sighed in relief as he spotted the hideous form of General Venjix, pointing and shouting in his dull mechanical voice at Gerrok, a fellow general in his own right.
Gerrok saluted Venjix. "Yes General Venjix, my apologies sir."
Venjix crossed his arms, causing a screeching sound of steel on steel. "We cannot afford any setbacks General Gerrok! We cannot forget the possibility of us being discovered here!" With that, the angry machine turned, and resumed his earlier duties.
"Hmmph," Andros heard Gerrok mutter. "Who could possibly discover us on a worthless moon such as this?"
Andros tiptoed behind a large boulder nearby, and resumed his recording, as if he hadn't seen enough of General Venjix these past three years to know what the evil robot looked like. After assisting the Galaxy Power Rangers in defeating the Psycho Rangers once and for all on Earth, Andros had taken it upon himself to seek out the final remnants of the dreaded Machine Empire. Along with his fellow Space Rangers, Andros had traveled to the planet Gerraria, a desolate, polluted world far beyond Earth's Solar System, which the Machine Empire had once called its headquarters, until the planet could no longer provide the natural resources they needed. Once there, the Rangers discovered General Venjix and his forces had regrouped on Gerraria upon hearing of their ruler King Mondo's destruction. The Rangers engaged the Machine Empire, but were no match for their combined forces. The team had been captured, and placed in a horrid, filthy, abandoned prison facility for nearly one months time, until Venjix and his forces fled the planet, leaving only Sergeant Steelon, and a squad of Cogs to guard the Rangers, and ensure of their demise.
The Space Rangers had easily been able to outsmart the mechanical minds of the Cogs, and escape from their cells. However, without their powers or weapons, they were not nearly as formidable against the Machine Empire. In addition, they had gone without suitable nutrition for an extended period of time, which made them more vulnerable than ever. Yet, even with all the odds stacked against them, the five warriors still waged on against Steelon and his forces.
Ashley had made Andros so proud that day. Even when her own body had turned against her, her cunning spirit refused to die. No one Andros had ever met could match her bravery. For this, and countless other reasons, he loved her with all his heart.
A tear dropped into the dust of the moon. That day, Ashley had found out how a true hero was rewarded: with pain, suffering, and agony.
After that day, Andros had taken his fellow Rangers back to Earth, and fled the planet, breaking up the team, leaving Ashley, T.J., Carlos, and Cassie to live their own lives. He could not bear to stay, and see Ashley suffer the repercussions of that battle…
Wiping his eyes, he shook the thought away, reminding himself of his mission. Ashley's pain, and the pain that Venjix and his forces had caused countless others, would soon be avenged.
Brushing a strand of dark brown hair away from his face, Andros focused the lens on a group of Cogs, who were just starting to uncover what appeared to be the facial area of a large mechanical dragon. He quickly snapped a few selectively placed shots, being careful of where he was positioned, as not to draw attention to himself or what he was doing. He then placed the camera back in the pocket of his robe, and refitted the micro-binoculars to his eyes just in time to see all five generals come into view.
Of the five generals, the first that Andros recognized was General Automon, colored red, orange, and a dull silver. When Dark Specter had attacked his home planet of KO-35 almost eight years ago, the evil master had summoned Automon to command a branch of the attacking army. With the Kerovan army and Silver Ranger Zhane at his side, Andros had used his Red Ranger powers to battle the evil General, with the fate of his home hanging in the balance. Though Andros and Automon had never crossed paths in the fight, Zhane had crossed swords with the evil general, and was able to incapacitate him temporarily. Unfortunately, Automon had survived, had remained a commanding force in the Machine Empire.
Across from Automon was General Tezzla, whose white and silver armor shined in the light of the stars, had gained fame as one of only three high officials in the Machine Empire to have female programming, the first two being Queen Machina and Archerina. In some circles, she was actually called "The Robitch". It was a codename that Andros certainly wouldn't argue with. Notorious for her screeching high voice, and constant stubbornness, Tezzla had gained King Mondo's approval by coming up with new horrific ways of torturing human prisoners. Upon winning a battle, she would gather up the remains of her opposing forces and exterminate them as painfully as possible. Though the butt of many machoist jokes in space bars, Tezzla would have been sure to turn their hardy laughs into screams of agony. Andros cringed at the thought.
Venjix's second in command was General Gerrok. Green and silver, with a pair of deadly pinchers atop his head, Gerrok had a reputation of being the universe's first "two faced machine". The pincher headed robot was loathed among his peers for constantly playing underhanded political games among the ranks of the Machine Empire. Always in constant contact with King Mondo and General Venjix, Gerrok would put on a good face when in the presence of his superiors, and would always have many a flattering word. When their backs were turned however, Gerrok was a different machine entirely. Constantly boasting of his superior programming and incomparable fighting skills, he would often preach that one day he would control the Machine Empire, and correct the many mistakes made under Mondo's regime. Though as the Empire reformed following Mondo's demise, Gerrok had failed to practice his preaching. But one thing Andros could never deny was that Gerrok, though constantly venting hot air, was as dangerous as any warrior the Machine Empire had to offer.
Then there was General Steelon. Andros' teeth clenched, and his blood boiled as he looked upon the turquoise blue and silver form, of the former Sergeant, who had changed Ashley's life forever, as well as his…
Finally, Andros' fingers clenched the micro-binoculars a bit tighter as he stared down at the being responsible for all of this. The mechanical mastermind that he'd been chasing for nearly three years, the diabolical General Venjix, wore cold steel silver, lined with pitch-black armor, a large red gem in the center of his torso. Two antennas sprouted from his domed head. Andros knew his form all too well, and even after all this time, it still sent chills up his spine. One could not go far in a conversation about the Machine Empire without at least hearing a reference to the dreaded General. Throughout his many years of service, no one had the attention of King Mondo's audio receptors that Venjix did. The only exception to this was Prince Gasket, whom Mondo would eventually appoint as his second in command. Though infuriated by his master's decision, Venjix continued to serve King Mondo as his primary attack strategist. Then, years later, when Prince Gasket eloped with Archerina, daughter of Mondo's sworn enemy King Aradon, he was banished from the Empire permanently, and Venjix was given the honor of serving as Mondo's second. Not only did Venjix prove to be a better leader and advisor than Gasket, but he was also personally responsible for a number of key victories that would ultimately lead to the Machine Empire becoming the dominant force that it was. Or at least had been, prior to King Mondo's destruction.
When Venjix discovered the news of King Mondo's demise, the robot swore vengeance on all that was virtuous in the universe, and vowed that the Machine Empire would one day return to dominance. The General would take it upon himself to assume full command of the remnants of the Empire, and began to rebuild King Mondo's great dynasty of evil.
As Andros looked down upon the five Generals standing before the cockpit of the mighty battle machine, he knew that the success or failure of Venjix's quest to return the Machine Empire to its reign of supremacy, would ultimately depend on the outcome of this mission.
The very fate of the universe hung between them…
Staring through his micro-binoculars, Andros kept his focus on General Venjix. Though a fair distance away, he could just barely hear the deep motorized voice of the robot.
"Yes," he said. "We've finally found it. Cogs! Keep digging! Zedd was a fool to leave this buried here! But his loss will be our gain…"
At Venjix's words, Andros saw that the Cogs began to dig at a much more rapid pace. He placed his binoculars down. Overall, the situation was far worse than he'd foreseen. The Machine Empire would have their doomsday device dug up in a matter of hours. There wasn't much time.
Andros placed the binoculars back into his bag, and turned to leave. He had one chance. If he could somehow sneak inside the cockpit, perhaps dressed in a Cog's uniform, and find a way to disable the-
Even as he stumbled over the rocks at his feet, and the stones began to tumble down the rockslide, he cursed himself for being so foolish.
"What's that?" he heard Gerrok shout. But Andros was already moving, his robe flapping with the increased velocity. "Steelon, lets go!"
Andros sucked in the icy cold atmosphere as he rushed to get away. The surface around him exploded and erupted as laser blasts destroyed the moon's rocky ground. He'd been so stupid, making a rookie mistake at such a crucial point in the mission, and now he'd be lucky to get out of here alive, much less get out of firing range to attempt to disable the weapon.
The sound of hoofs brushing and scraping against rock prompted Andros to go against his better judgment, and look back. Horses draped in the insignia of the Machine Empire carried Gerrok and Steelon behind him at an alarming pace. Laser blasts nipped at his heels as Steelon repeatedly shot at him.
There was no way, he knew, that he could outrun horses. And it would only be a matter of time before Venjix sent the Cogs. Andros had no desire to face the wrath of an entire army of mechanical misfits. That, accompanied by haunting memories of interrogation chambers, told him it was time to abort mission, and resort to the contingency plan.
Nearly tripping and falling as one of Steelon's laser blasts pierced his hair, Andros brought his Astro Morpher up to his lips. "Galaxy Glider! Hang ten!" Seconds later, a thin surfboard powered by a small jet thruster whizzed through the air, coming around for a pass in front of Andros.
Undoing his robe, and letting it slip off of him, all the while trying not to let fatigue slow him down, Andros reached for the keypad on his morpher. Daring to take his eyes off the path in front of him, he punched in 3-3-5. His body instantly became engulfed in a bright red light, electricity surging through his body. A split second later, the body of Andros was gone, replaced by a being clad in a bright red suit, with a red helmet masking his face. Through a black visor, he saw his Galaxy Glider soar through the air to intercept him.
Andros morphed into the Red Space Ranger.
The Red Ranger dove into the air, doing a forward somersault that he prayed was timed correctly. He heard Gerrok cry out in fury as his white boots landed on the board, and the thrusters kicked in, sending the Power Ranger flying out into space. In a fit of rage, Gerrok and Steelon continued firing as the form of the intruder continued to get smaller, but to no avail.
As he left the moon behind, the Red Ranger looked back, taking one last glimpse at the Machine Empire, and the shredded moon surface. Under his helmet, Andros breathed a sigh of relief. So much for staying elusive…
As his Galaxy Glider made its way toward the opposite side of the moon, where he'd left his ship, Andros' mind raced. He'd been foolish to think that he could stop the Machine Empire by himself, but was this contingency plan just as foolish? Did he have any chance of actually pulling it off? And even if he did, would it even be able to stop the sheer doom that the Machine Empire had planned for the universe?
As he rocketed into Earth's atmosphere, the Red Ranger knew there was only one way to find out.
It was time to make the call.
There were times when he simply loved to listen.
He would close his eyes, and let the endless array of stimuli carry his mind to wherever it would go. It relaxed him, it calmed his mind, and eased his senses. The world was a beautiful place, he of all people knew that. And what better way to enjoy the life he now lived, then to simply get lost in the endless wonders of God's world.
Today, here, now, at Bulkmeyers, he could hear the sound of children laughing and playing as they frolicked through the pool. Children always made him smile, so sweet, so innocent, and so pure. He had always hoped that what he'd done had inspired at least one child to do something good, and decent with his or her life. It had been one thing to protect the present, but he knew the future was out of his hands. And he was okay with that. He did not fear what he couldn't control.
He opened his eyes, and sat up in his beach chair. He loved these people, he trusted these people. And he knew that these people had trusted him. He would always be proud of the fact that through adversity, he had never let them down. The only concern he did have, was that he could have done more…
He smiled to himself. His thoughts would sometimes wander into the past, back to the days when he and the others would come to blows with monsters, pilot MegaZords, and still make it back in time to finish off that Anatomy project. He'd sometimes look back and think that those were the best days of his life. But no, he knew better. He knew that at his age, his best days were yet to come.
Yet even so, he wouldn't have traded it for anything. Being a Power Ranger, whether Green, White, or Red, had taught him more about life, love, friendship, and overcoming the obstacles than anything else in the world ever could have. And he would always look back upon those days with pride, and a smile on his face.
He slipped on his sunglasses, picked up that day's Angel Grove Courier, and as he brushed his hand through his spiked raven hair, sat back in his beach chair. But those days were over, and he had to remember that.
"Excuse me sir," he recognized the voice of Farcus Bulkmeyer, owner of Bulkmeyers. "You have a phone call."