Streaks of Purple Saga Volume Four - Heather Ray (little red riding hood ebook txt) 📗

a deep longing.

Puzzled, he focused on that aspect of her consciousness without even realizing it, and even more thoughts and feelings were exposed to him.

Her frustration with her service as the Yellow Ranger. A concern that she wasn't doing enough, that someone else could offer the Power Team more. An instinct that perhaps her future laid somewhere far, far away from Angel Grove.

Geneva.

Suddenly, Billy couldn't breathe. He began gasping, clutching the back of his chair.

Moments later, he felt a sensation similar to ice water thrown in his face. Startled, he opened his eyes again, and lost himself in Trini's dark, worried gaze.

"I shut it off," she told him, slowly pulling off the helmet, "You looked like you were in pain, and you had trouble breathing."

Billy swallowed to moisten his raw throat. "Alpha?"

"The helmet seems to have a phased activation," he responded, moving the scanning device over Billy's forehead. "At first, I picked up a spike in brain activity, though nothing I could determine dangerous. Then for some reason I couldn't pick up anything at all."

"THE HELMET MUST ALSO DEFLECT SCANNERS," Zordon realized. "THIS IS NOT SURPRISING, AS THE SHIELD YOU USED TO MODEL YOUR ADJUSTMENTS BLOCKS MAGICAL SCANNING AS WELL AS SPELLS. BILLY, CAN YOU ARTICULATE WHAT YOU EXPERIENCED?"

"At first? it felt like I could see too well," he answered, absently rubbing his eyes. "Then it went to hearing, augmenting my senses. Finally, I?" He felt the heat rise in his cheeks, yet he couldn't hide this important detail. "I heard Trini's thoughts."

"What?" Trini murmured.

"I apologize," he hastened to add, suddenly wishing he could sink into the floor, "I couldn't stop it! Suddenly I heard your voice in my head, but then? sensations followed. I think that was about the point you deactivated the helmet."

Billy looked at Trini, stricken by her thunderstruck expression.

Finally, she recovered her voice. "What? did you hear?"

"It was a jumble," he told her, "Too much to really process." It was only half true.

The Yellow Ranger searched Billy's gaze with her own. Finally, she squeezed his hand. "It's okay, Billy? there's no harm done."

The genius deflated at his best friend's forgiving gesture.

"ALPHA, WHAT ARE BILLY'S BRAIN READINGS NOW?" Zordon inquired.

"Everything's back to normal. No side effects."

"How long was I wearing the helmet?" Billy asked.

"Seven minutes before you began hyperventilating."

"Will that be enough time for the Rangers to destroy the Misfit?" Trini wondered.

"It'll have to be," Billy decided, "We can't risk damaging the victims, and we don't have time for adjustments."

Billy then moved to the med-unit, where Skull lay comatose. "We need to test it on him and see if the helmet will break the spell."

"I ADVISE YOU BOTH TO TELEPORT OUT OF THE COMMAND CENTER," Zordon spoke, "WE CANNOT RISK THAT SKULL WILL PICK UP ANY STRAY THOUGHTS. ALPHA CAN PERFORM THE TEST AND ADVISE YOU OF THE OUTCOME."

"Right," Trini consented, "We should go to the hospital and get the other victims ready."

Billy nodded his agreement, pulling out his Morpher. "Triceratops!"

"Saber-Tooth Tiger!"


Chapter Fifty-Two

If the sight of one Power Ranger was a rarity, seeing two Power Rangers materialize right before one's eyes is an experience reserved for a select few.

Dr. Johnson stared at the two brightly-colored heroes, her mouth hanging open in surprise. "How? do you do

that?"

"Matter teleportation," Yellow informed her.

Blue turned around, scanning the medical ward carefully. "Are all the victims right here?"

"No, we have three other rooms like this. We tried to keep them together, but they couldn't all fit comfortably in one room."

"Then they'll have to fit uncomfortably," Blue decided, "We need to move everyone

into this space."

Andrea knew better than to question a Power Ranger. Instead, she hurried to the nearest telephone. "This is Johnson. I need every orderly on site, on the double!"

The response to Andrea's order was immediate. Dozens of assistants pooled into the area, and the Blue and Yellow Rangers directed traffic. The last few gurneys were being wheeled into the decidedly cramped medical ward just as the Blue Ranger's communicator beeped.

"This is the Blue Ranger," he spoke into his wrist.

^POWER RANGERS,^ a booming voice related, startling the medical staff with its resonance, ^WE HAVE DETERMINED THAT THE HELMET SUCCESSFULLY RESTORES BRAIN FUNCTION. HOWEVER, WE NOTE THAT ONCE THE HELMET IS REMOVED, THE VICTIM'S BRAIN ACTIVITY SLOWLY RETURNS TO ITS LOWERED STATE.^

"Then the helmet doesn't break the spell," Yellow hypothesized, "it only temporarily blocks it."

"How long did you test the helmet?" Blue asked of his associate.

^THE SUBJECT DID NOT SHOW OVERT SIGNS OF DISTRESS UNTIL TWELVE MINUTES HAD PASSED. THEN HIS HEART RATE AND BREATHING SURPASSED ACCEPTABLE LEVELS.^

"Did he ever regain consciousness?"

^NOT COMPLETELY. I SURMISE THAT, GIVEN MORE TIME, HE WOULD HAVE. NOW HE HAS SLIPPED FULLY INTO A COMA.^

"Please teleport him and the requisite equipment to our location," Blue requested. "We will try to restore the victims now."

^I AM SENDING ALPHA 5 TO ASSIST YOU.^

Before the medical staff could begin to contemplate the conversation they had overheard, a wave of light drew their attention to the center of the room. All eyes lingered on the short metallic form that had materialized, carrying a young man in his arms and accompanied by a tray covered with mechanical devices.

"Alpha," Yellow greeted, relieving the new arrival of its burden, "We'll need you to activate the helmet when we're ready."

"You got it!" it chirped in response. The Blue Ranger helped him set up the machinery, as the Yellow Ranger laid Skull on the single empty cot.

Finally, Dr. Johnson regained the ability to speak. "What is that?"

Alpha giggled at the question. "I'm a robot from the planet Edenoi. I help the Power Rangers monitor and protect the Earth."

He then returned to his work, heedless of the several dozen stunned hospital employees.

"We're ready," Yellow reported, "The amplifier should cover this entire room, and block out Zedd's magic."

"We'll only have twelve minutes at most before the device will have to be disabled," Blue noted. "Alpha, don't activate it until you receive my signal."

"You got it!"

Then, the Blue Ranger addressed the head physician. "Doctor Johnson, we have determined that these teenagers are under a spell."

Andrea blinked. "A spell?"

"Yes, a spell from the moon forces that siphons off their brain functions in order to feed the monster our teammates are currently battling. We can only hope that this blocking device will interrupt the link and weaken the monster long enough for us to destroy it. Then, hopefully the destruction of the monster will release the victims from this enchantment."

Andrea fixed the Blue Ranger with a steady gaze. "There were a lot of 'hopes' in that plan."

Blue nodded. "Yet it's our best option."

Slowly, the head doctor nodded, approving the action plan.

"We need to rejoin our teammates and prepare an all-out assault," Yellow informed her, "You must all clear out of this room. Alpha will take it from here."

The staff needed no more direction. They immediately began dispersing the crowded room, leaving only the Rangers, Alpha 5, and Andrea.

"Good luck, Rangers," she murmured, shaking their hands in turn. She then glanced at the small robot, and offered an unaffected smile. "And thanks for your help."

Chapter Fifty-Three

Typically, it took Aisha Campbell a good fifteen minutes to wake up from a deep sleep. However, when she finally roused from her restorative slumber, the sterile chill of the room drew her to full awareness.

The first oddity she noticed was the surprising lack of pain. Her confrontation with the mutated creatures outside the Youth Center had been burned into her memory, and the agony of their assault on her wounded arm made her shiver. Yet incredibly, her arm was as good as new.

Wide-eyed, Aisha stared at the unmarred flesh. The sleeve of her Yellow Ranger costume had been cut from the shoulder, exposing the length of her arm. Spots of red stained her torso and leg near the injury site served as evidence of the brutal beating.

"This is impossible," she murmured, flexing her arm experimentally. Other than stiffness and vague soreness, it was perfect.

Shaken, Aisha found the strength to step off the bed. The room was small and stifling, with no windows or decorations to offer a hint of personality. Yet she found what she was looking for with little difficulty, and relief flooded her when she turned the doorknob and discovered it was unlocked.

The wary teen left the sterile room to enter a sterile hallway, coated in black tile that tapped beneath her heels. Doors similar to the one she had just exited lined the wall, yet she continued down the hall, following the voices that vibrated from that direction.

"NOW HE HAS SLIPPED FULLY INTO A COMA."

The voice rumbled like an earthquake, causing Aisha to freeze in place. No man could produce such a sound!

^Please teleport him and the requisite equipment to our location. We will try to restore the victims now.^

The second voice did sound human? and oddly enough, almost familiar. Finally resolving to take her fate in her hands, she continued walking.

"I AM SENDING ALPHA 5 TO ASSIST YOU."

She had arrived in the heart of the Command Center just in time to witness the vibrant white light that carried away the only visible life form in the room.

"Hello?" she called, slowly stepping out of the hallway. She stared openly at the machines beeping and flashing all around, and the neon blue tube of light standing at the tip of a ring of computers that vaguely looked like the bridge on Star Trek.

"HELLO."

She yelped, turning full circle but seeing no one. The booming voice seemed to emanate from near the blue column? which, Aisha just noticed, seemed to