Streaks of Purple Saga/Spectrum Force - Heather Ray (best beach reads txt) 📗

Langstrum Alps

The Green Enforcer streaked through the air, leaving a trail of energy similar to a comet. Typically, he tried to restrain his energy, to keep from attracting undue attention from the people below. Only now, he didn't care.

With increased power came increased speed… and Jocelyn needed medical attention as soon as possible.

It only took a few minutes to reach the ship at the fastest speed he could travel with a passenger, but each second counted.

The hatch opened at his approach and he slipped right in, hurrying to the small area specified for emergency care.

"Matt?" Tamara gasped in surprise. She was still tracing a beam of energy over Keith's injured shoulder, mending the deep wound.

"What happened?" Keith demanded, his gaze fixed on the unconscious girl in Matt's arms.

"There was this… panel of energy in the cave," the Green Enforcer explained, laying her on an empty bed. "When Jocelyn got near it, it flashed with really bright energy, and she disappeared. Then, she reappeared, only she was out of uniform."

"Not only that," Tamara noted. "Her outfit's different. Jocelyn doesn't have any pink dresses."

Matt took a step back, willing the transformation to break. A flash of green light suffused him, reverting him back to normal. Wide green eyes stared at Tamara. "Maybe it's new?"

Tamara shook her head. "Trust me Matt, if she had a new outfit, I would've found out the minute she walked into the apartment."

Keith pushed passed the pain in his arm as he too stood up. He joined his friends, and stared closely at the girl.

"What does it mean?" he wondered.

Just then, the hangar door opened again, as the rest of the Force entered the ship.

"No luck at all," Craig groused. "The portal is gone, and there's no sign of her Spectrum Stone anywhere."

"And the place was in shambles to begin with," Rachel added. "No magic books or scrolls, or anything to give us any clue about what Celea did. Just a lot of broken rock."

"And the brand on the ground," Spectra corrected, lifting a thin panel of rock. On its surface was the very design they had found in the cave, congealed blood sticking to the stone to create a crimson stamp. "I will do what I can to research the origin of this spell. I'm not familiar with this kind of magic."

"First we need to figure out what happened to Jocelyn," Matt insisted.

"She's still unconscious," Rachel noted. "How's her body temperature? She was exposed to the arctic weather without her Spectrum Stone."

"She's fine," Matt assured her. "My ring kept her warm along the way."

"But something is definitely

wrong with her," Tamara insisted. "I've never seen her wear anything like this outfit. Plus, her hair's wrong. It's too dark."

Spectra's eyes widened. "Are you certain?"

"Absolutely."

"That's a weird watch," Keith noted, reaching over and lifting her hand.

Tamara grimaced. "Ugh… I never would've let Jocie out of the apartment with that

thing on."

"And we still have to figure out what this thing is," Craig reminded his friends, nodding to the strange machine with leather straps. "It was on her back when she reappeared."

The group exchanged looks of consternation and concern, each trying to figure out a feasible explanation for Jocelyn's change in appearance, and the strange machines she brought with her. Spectra stared intently at the girl for a few moments, and then pulled a metal ring from a drawer.

"What's that?" Tamara wondered, moving aside as Spectra set the ring around the girl's forehead.

"This device will keep her unconscious."

"For what?" Matt demanded.

Spectra then pulled a single strand of hair from the girl's head, and held it up to the light. "I refuse to take any chances. I will not let her regain consciousness until all our scans are complete and conclusive."

The team stared in confusion as Spectra moved to a computer station. She set the hair on a small glass bed, and pressed a button. A flare of light flashed from a bulb beneath the glass, and an image was displayed on the screen.

"Rachel," Spectra ordered, her eyes never leaving the screen, "return to your home. Bring me Jocelyn's hairbrush."

The Purple Enforcer glanced at the unconscious girl, and then her mentor. "I don't understand. Why do you think Jocelyn is a threat?"

Spectra turned, locking her eyes with each Enforcer in turn. "I do not believe this person is

Jocelyn."

Angel Grove

When she finally regained consciousness, she felt slime covering her body. Every inch of her, from head to toe, was completely immersed.

Her arms and legs began to wave slowly, but the viscous substance prevented too much movement.

Where am I? What's going on??

Her heart pounded as her terror rose. Memories flooded her mind, of the black ochre that had swallowed her on the planet Edenia, covering her flesh, choking her screams, invading her mind…

She opened her eyes, yet the moisture submersing her stung, forcing her to close them. Her mouth opened, but a mask over her lips muffled her scream.

NO! LET ME OUT!!!

On the verge of panic, she reached to the warmth of the Spectrum Stone, and the power that yielded to her command.

Spectrum Sync!

"…but nothing I can think of explains why she looks so different," Tommy sighed, rubbing the back of his head.

"What did the portal look like?" Jason asked. "Anything like Billy's Portal-com?"

"It looked like a movie screen. We could see people on the other side, and they could see us."

"But why did it suck in Kimberly, and not you?" Zack wondered.

"Maybe I was too far away?" Tommy suggested. "I don't know… I just don't get why I couldn't go in after her!"

Billy rubbed his chin. "Where is Kim now?"

Tommy jerked his thumb to the corridor behind them. "Alpha set her up in some kind of gel to treat hypothermia. When she reappeared, she wasn't morphed, and I couldn't keep her warm enough. By the time we reached the Firebird Zord, she was a little blue."

Trini turned to Zordon. "Have we gotten anywhere with the analysis of Tommy's scanner recording?"

"NOT AT PRESENT. THE CURRENT PRIORITY IS DETERMINING KIMBERLY'S HEALTH. PERHAPS SHE CAN EXPLAIN WHAT HAPPENED TO HER."

"I'll take a look at the scanner readings," Billy volunteered. "Maybe we can figure out where the portal led, and what made it manifest."

"I'll help you," Trini offered, and the pair proceeded to download the information gathered by the scanner.

"That part is really

bothering me," Tommy confessed. "We have no idea who created that portal. There wasn't a sign of Zedd anywhere. No Putties, no Goldar, no monster. Unless he set a trap for us to fall into."

"WE CANNOT DISCOUNT THAT POSSIBILITY," Zordon admitted. "HOWEVER, THERE ARE ALTERNATIVE EXPLANATIONS. FOR INSTANCE, SOME PORTALS MANIFEST AT RANDOM, WITH NO ONE CAUSING THEM."

Alexis' eyes widened. "Really? Wow… that's scary."

"RANDOM TIME HOLES ARE EXTREMELY RARE, BUT THEY ARE KNOWN TO OCCUR."

"But how'd she come back so suddenly?" Jason wondered.

"IF SHE WAS SENT TO ANOTHER TIME OR DIMENSION, SHE MIGHT HAVE BEEN STRANDED THERE FOR SOME TIME, ONLY TO LATER DISCOVER A MEANS TO REOPEN THE PORTAL AND RETURN TO THE PRECISE MOMENT SHE LEFT."

"That would explain why she looks so different!" Alexis realized. "Only a few seconds passed for us, but maybe Kim was really gone for months!"

A severe frown darkened Tommy's face. "The portal didn't disappear until after she came back. It's not like it vanished and then reappeared. I saw the portal, and I tried to follow her, but I couldn't pass through."

"Then we have to-"

Jason's words were overwhelmed by a loud explosion that shook the Command Center, tossing the Rangers to the ground.

"Something happened to Kim," Tommy muttered, standing up and reaching for his Morpher. "It's Morphin' Time!"

Langstrum Alps

It was strange. One minute, Kimberly Hart was dead to the world. Then, a heartbeat later, she woke with a start, as if an internal light switch had been flipped. She moved her hand to her forehead to rub a sore spot, only her fingers traced a thin metal band that bound her head like a crown. Puzzled, she pulled off the band slowly.

The first thing she noticed was the sun gleaming overhead, brighter than she ever remembered seeing it. Only then did she realize that she wasn't looking exactly at the sun. Rather, there was a translucent dome overhead, consisting of vibrant colors elaborately swirled together. She stared at the tie-dyed dome, watching the waves of color flow into each other like a lava lamp.

Then, as she lifted her head to get a better view, she realized she was lying on something warm, firm, and curved.

She stared downward, and released a startled scream.

The vibrantly colored dome was in fact a sphere, encasing her in its warm glow. And the colored sphere was hanging in mid air, with puffy clouds floating beneath

it.

She was miles

from the ground!

"Zordon? Zordon, do you read me?"

Her communicator was silent.

Kim's breaths quickened as she