Transdimensional Archives

 

And So Life Goes On, Part 3
By ZeoViolet

The torpedo slammed into the center ship of the enemy formation. It was not enough to make the ship explode, but the outside structural damage was not important as the ship began to act like an electrical conductor. Sparks and bolts of electricity radiated from the ship, to other ships in the formation, getting to most of them as the virus began to shut down their systems.

"Nice shot, Cassie!" crowed TJ from across the room. "You hit 'em right where it hurts!"

Her enthusiasm slowed as she read the readouts on the screen in front of her. "Maybe so, TJ, but the virus did not get to all their ships. A few are still fully functional–and I have no doubt they are extremely mad."

"We took out most of them, right? Be glad for that. Now, let's finish them off!"

"Not so fast, rangers," said Trey over the open comm link. "The main purpose of the virus was to disable them enough so that we could have a good chance of fighting them and winning. What is left, and even the disabled ships themselves, are still a force to be reckoned with."

"What do you suggest we do? What about that zord transformation?" asked Cassie.

"I was just getting to that," he said, a hint of amusement in his tone. "Listen carefully, and look carefully at the readouts I am transmitting to you. I believe our systems are compatible enough to form the Astro-Zeo Ultrazord. There are defense systems in your zord that my zord does not possess, and likewise with the Pyrmaidas. Together, we should have more than enough power and variety to pound our opponents to dust."

"Wow…" whistled TJ as the diagram came up onto his monitor. "Sounds complex. But sure, Trey, if you think it will work, let's give it a shot–and finish these creeps!"

"Agreed." Trey's tone turned amused again. "Do humans normally whistle when they are in awe of something?"

TJ laughed outright. "Activating the Astro-Zeo Ultrazord, now!"

In deep space, the zord fomation began to change. As in times of Zeo, the back of the Pyramidas began to open, and upon it docked the fully-formed Astro Megazord. As their systems connected, the power surge went off their charts.

"Astro-Zeo Ultrazord, battle ready!" announced TJ.

"And so are you," chuckled Cassie, next to him in the Megazord cockpit. She was cut off from saying anything further, however, when the console in front of her beeped, and DECA announced, "Incoming transmission."

Cassie looked at the channel ID screen, and felt her face flood with color, and she was sincerely glad TJ could not see her face just then.

It was from the Phantom Ranger.


"Remind me again why we are doing this," muttered Ashley as they tailed the quantron ship to the Dark Fortress, careful to hide in it's trail so they would not be spotted.

"We have got to stop Astronema from using that device before she unleases it on your planet," answerd Andros, as dourly as ever. "It would make your people much easier to conquer if they were a bunch of emotional cripples."

"No doubt," she answered, just as cooly. *Like you act sometimes, a total pushover*, she added silently. *Why did I ever have to fall for someone like you?* she berated herself for the thousandth time.

"Maybe you should both cool it," announced Carlos from behind them. "We have a job to complete, without a conversation taking on the tone of one of your arguments."

Andros simply shrugged and refocused his attention to the back of the quantron fighter. He was determined to direct this mission, for inexperienced rangers like those two could get hurt easily–especially Ashley.

*Oh, no, not again," he thought, feeling his heart begin to race. *Ashley….*

What was she *doing* to him? The one ranger who could really irritate him with her naieve attitude, constantly getting herself into the worst scrapes, and forcing him to continually come to her rescue–so it seemed. Actually, she was perfectly capeable of taking care of herself, but he still found himself helping to defend her at every opprotuity–

*And why do I even bother?* he asked. *Why is it always *her* I end up with so much since we met? Every time she manages to get herself into trouble, I feel like wrangling her neck–and sighing with relief to know she is safe, like the rest of them,* he assured himself quickly. *Maybe it is not so bad, really–her eyes are really pretty, after all, and so deep–*

Irritated, he shook his head and frowned. No, he would not let himself start thinking about her like that again. He must focus on his mission, and not let himself get distracted like she had done to him the day before. They already knew too much about him, his sister, his past–they did not need to know any more, how he would not even be alive if–and it was his fault–

He buried the anguish before it could slam him again. No, they must never know. Surely they would blame, or ostracize him, and, though he only admitted it to himself, he was not so sure he wanted that anymore.

*Friends?* his mind questioned. *Teammates, yes, but–are they my friends, too? They always stick together, and pull me into their silly rituals, but do they want me to be a–friend? And am I even capeable of it anymore?*

It was then the very real truth hit him, and he no longer had the strength to deny most of it. *Yes, if they want me to accept them, perhaps it is time to move on. But how can I? I don't even know where to begin, I don't even remember what having a real friend feels like anymore. They must think I am a cold, callous iceberg by now. And Ashley–*

He also no longer had the strength to deny that she affected him much more deeply than the others. Her eyes, her spirit, her demeanor, even her air of innocence in the face of battle attracted him to her, and it made him irritable when she managed to get herself into trouble, with the very real possibility of her being killed loomed in the air.

*Is that why she irritates me so?* the thought sprang to his mind unbidden. *Because I am–attracted to her?*

The thought was too new, too raw, to stay in his mind for more than an instant, but some inner part could not deny that she had caught his attention in a soul-wrenching way from the very first, and he just was denying it to himself.

Unfortunately, before he could contemplate the matter further, the Dark Fortress loomed ahead, halfway into the shadows, and as forbidding as he recalled. Moving himself into a position near the back escape hatch of the quantron's fighter, he prepared to open it. "Let's do it."


Though they had taken the edge off the fighting with the virus, the battle was still unpleasant.

"How much more of this can the zord take, Trey?" Cassie called over the comm system. "They have a lot of resources that I did not expect them to have, you know."

"Nor did I," he responded. "But the zord can last for a little longer. It is the Phantom Ranger I am concerned about. I am not sure how a small starship like his can handle this."

"I've seen him regenerate his ship instantly," put in TJ.

"Not with him inside it," answered Cassie. "I doubt if even *he* could withstand something like that."

Just then, Cassie felt her heart twist in her chest when she saw the scanners register another blast slam his starship, sending it whirling. Some inner sense leaped into the foreground with an astonishing strenght, and in a loud mental tone, began to scream at her.

"Phantom Ranger!" she cried. "TJ, I have to go over there, now! He needs me!"

"Cassie–"

"I must! We have taken out most of them, TJ, you and Trey can handle them, can't you?" though she was morphed, her posture was imploring as she faced him.

Trey, who had heard the whole thing, began, "Cassie, are you sure–"

"Yes!" her tone took on one of odd desperation. "Guys, I must do this!"

TJ no longer hesistated. "Then go, Cassie. And for heaven's sake, be careful!"

"Yes, go," echoed Trey. "And may the power protect you."

Cassie nodded and vanished in a flash of pink light. TJ sighed and transferred control to his station.

Trey's voice came over the system. "I have a feeling that there is more to this than meets the eyes, TJ. All I ask is that you tell me I am right."

"You are right, don't worry about that," answered TJ. "To put is mildly, Trey, she is in love with him, and neither heaven nor hell can stop her once she gets this determined to do something. I believe it is quite obvious she is unwilling to lose him to the grips of death."

Trey was silent for a long moment, and when he finally spoke again, TJ was much surprised to hear hidden, hurriedly-covered anguish in his tone. "Then may the power definetly protect her, and give her what her heart so desperately seeks," he whispered quietly.

TJ, struck dumb, said nothing further on the subject, returning his attention to navigation, only a small part of his mind wondering what was behind the sporadic hints of anguish in Trey's eyes and tone. He doubted if he would find out directly.


*They had pounced upon them, as quietly as they themselves had snuck aboard the station. Quick as a flash, all three rangers were demorphed, bound, and, just before they were rendered unconscious, heard Astronema's sharp, "Take them away, I'll deal with them later!" Then the world grew hazy, and that was the last they knew….*

Pain. A sharp throbbing in his temple brought Andros awake, and the suddenness of it also brought memory flooding back in a flash. Ambushed….

*Ashley!* he thought just as suddenly, his eyes snapping open and almost frantically looking around, trying to locate her. His heartrate did not slow when he did, for she was across from him, and though unbound, she was clearly not within the realms of consciousness.

He started to move, looking around for Carlos. The Hispanic boy was in another corner of the room, also out cold. They, like he discovered, did not have bonds restraining their movements any longer, but it did not matter, for he saw no visible opening in the room they were in, only various buttons on a wall console, buttons he had no doubt were guarded against unsupervised access.

His whole body aching, he stumbled to his feet and managed to make it across to Ashley. Gently shaking her, he called softly, "Hey, Ash, wake up, please. Don't do this to me, please wake up–"

*Am I dreaming?* her foggy brain wondered as it struggeled up from the shadowy depths of magic-spell-induced unconsciousness. *Andros actually sounds…concerned.*

"I'm okay," she whispered. "Where's Carlos?"

"Across the room. I'm going to try and wake him up. You be careful."

She nodded, still groggy, and he found it took an effort to turn from her to go to their other fallen teammate. Thankfully, Carlos awoke quickly, and they huddled together in a corner of the room.

"How are we going to get out of here?" Carlos asked. "I don't see a door."

"One of us could make a run for it," suggested Ashley. "Go get help."

"Not advisable, usually," said Andros. "I can't access my morpher, and the Dark Fortress is usually chock-full of quantrons. But we may have no choice."

"I'll go," Carlos volunteered immediately. "You and Ashley look worse for the wear. I could probably make it. I don't see a door, but if it does open, then I will jump whoever comes through, and get out of here. The whole station can't be sheilded like this."

"I doubt that also," said Andros. "It can take a lot of power to generate a regular force to block access to our powers, and that is why we are probably being held here. If you try this fool stunt, Carlos, be careful."

Carlos, a little startled by Andros's apperant trust in him, agreed. *Is he getting stranger by the minute, or what?*


They did not have long to wait. Astronema must have found out they were conscious, for she came into the room with Ecliptor at her left, and a quantron to her right. She did not seem to notice that Carlos had convienently placed himself close to the door, while still appearing hurt and groggy. So she paid him no attention, only stalked out of the unapparent doorway and fully into the room.

This proved to be a mistake. As soon as she had tossed her green hair and sauntered past, nose in the air, he bolted. He crashed headlong into the quantron, sending the poor fellow flying into Ecliptor. The way was now clear, and the doorway appeared unguarded….

Astronema whirled at the commotion, and angrily fired her spear at the black form, but missed, and cursed some interesting words as Carlos vainshed out the door, unscathed.

"Drat!" she said, in effect. "Oh, well, he won't get far. Too many quantrons patrol my halls for him to escape.I don't even need to send you two morons after him," she chided Ecliptor and the quantron, the latter whom sagged against the wall in an all-too-clear plea for mercy.

She ignored him. "Now," she turned a cat-like smile on the two remaining rangers. "You are just in time, rangers. Just in time to witness, and experience, the power of my new weapon."

She held up the device they had come to destroy.The smallish, clear sphere with a strange metal skull embedded in the top looked as forbidding as she made it sound. "It is called the Emotion Wrangler. Hold on tight, folks. It is going to be a wild ride."

Ashley's eyes met Andros's, and for once, his gaze reflected exactly what she felt–a tight, growing knot in the pit of her stomach, and her heart racing with fear.

~*~

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