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

maybe whatever blocked her powers had passed…?

She pressed her back against one wall, maximizing the space before her, and thrust out her Morpher at nearly arm's length. But before she could release her Morphin' call, she heard voices outside.

"Ray, you sealed her up in there

? Damn, that's cruel!"

It was a voice she didn't recognize… a fifth member of the group.

"Only for a few seconds," Purple's voice defended. "She doesn't need to know how to get here."

Suddenly, the rectangle vanished. Kim fell helplessly onto her backside once the wall she'd been leaning on disappeared, and the Morpher clattered to the floor beside her.

A sterile, white tiled floor, that stretched into the distance. Though since everything was white on all sides, it was practically impossible to see where the floor ended, and the wall began.

The only signs of color where the four monochromatic figures standing in a row in front of her.

"You okay, Kim?"

Kim whirled around, and was shocked when her gaze met a pair of friendly blue eyes.

"How'd you know my name?"

He smiled, and Kim got the sudden impression that this young man was definitely a charmer. "I listened in while you talked with my friends." He offered his hand. "My name's Keith. I'm Red."

Kim accepted his hand, and then he carefully lifted her to her feet. Kim stepped back, her eyes scanning the ground for her Morpher.

"Looking for this?" Blue asked, holding up the device. "Mind if I hold onto it? Just until we figure out what the hell's going on."

"Do I have a choice?" Kim answered.

"Well… not really, no," Blue admitted. "We have to make sure you're not a threat to us. If this thingamajig gives you super powers, then it's something we don't want you to have in here."

"Fine," Kim sighed. Her patience with this interrogation was running thin.

Keith kept his eyes on her, noting her building frustration. "I'm sorry we're putting you through this. I know it's tough to imagine, but the security of the entire planet

is on our shoulders. We have to make sure you can be trusted."

There was a sincerity in his tone that helped ease Kimberly's tension. She could imagine the burden of responsibility. She could relate.

"I understand," she said finally. "That's what the Power Rangers do, too. We protect Earth from threats. We fight evil; well… particularly the evil space alien variety."

Kim then mustered a smile. Judging from the surprise on Keith's face, she figured she must've said something right.

"That's what we were doing in the North Pole," she continued, maximizing the opportunity to get her point of view across. "My teammate and I were investigating a strange energy field we picked up. That's what brought us to the cave, where we saw the screen. And then the thing sucked me into it."

"Seems we have a lot in common," Blue stated.

"Right," Green scoffed. "Too

much in common, if you ask me."

Kim opened her mouth to respond, but the click of heels approaching drew her attention. She squinted into the whiteness, trying to make out what approached, to no avail.

Then, the figure was close enough to be seen. Incredibly, she was white from head to toe, blending almost seamlessly with the whitewashed walls. White catsuit, white hair pulled in a tight braid, and ghostly skin. The only splash of vibrant color was her eyes, a peculiar shade of pink.

The white figure paused near her team, and nodded to Kimberly in some sort of greeting. "I am Spectra, guide to the Spectrum Force." Her voice was rich, and heavily accented.

"Kim Hart, Pink Power Ranger," Kim introduced automatically.

"Did you figure anything out, Spectra?" Yellow wondered.

"Progress has been made, but it is slow," Spectra admitted. She then held her hand to Blue.

No words were exchanged, but Blue set Kim's Morpher into the pale palm nonetheless. Spectra stared at the device, studying it carefully.

"What is this image on the medallion?"

"A Pterodactyl. It's a dinosaur."

"And this 'dinosaur' is the source of your powers?"

Kim paused, considering. "Not really, no. The Coin is powered by an energy matrix in our Command Center."

Spectra nodded, as if she'd expected that sort of answer. "That is why your coin does not summon your powers. The source of power behind your coin is in another dimension, and it cannot reach you here."

Kim's eyes widened. For the first time since she arrived, she felt true horror. "Then… as long as I'm here, I'm completely powerless?"

Spectra's grip tightened on the Morpher. "I do feel a residual energy, similar to the energy in your body. But it is very, very faint. It isn't enough power to transform you. I'm afraid this device is useless to you."

She then handed the Morpher back to Kim. "Keep this with you at all times. It will not serve you here, but when you return to your realm your powers will be restored."

Kim's face lit up in a brilliant smile. "You know how to send me back to Angel Grove?"

"Not yet, but it must be done." Spectra then turned to Yellow. "Tamara, please escort Kimberly to your apartment. Keith, accompany them. Be discreet. And while you are there, collect as much information as you can about Kimberly's dimension."

Purple stiffened, and Green gasped aloud. "Spectra, are you-"

She held up her hand, and he remained silent.

Kimberly stared in confusion as everyone stood silently. Then, Yellow approached, and reached out her hand. "How 'bout we get some pizza, Kim? Do you have pizza in your world?"

Kim smirked at the question. The strange silences certainly didn't help ease her suspicions, but she couldn't deny the grumbling of her stomach. She never even got

to Alexis' barbecue, and she was famished!

"We definitely have pizza in my world."

Chapter Twenty-Four

Matthew watched Tamara guide the stranger into the main ship. She didn't even bother to cover her eyes; she just walked right out the door.

The doppelganger was free as a bird, and no one knew for certain

what she was capable of.

"I don't like this," Rachel said aloud, folding her arms, "We have no reason to trust Kim. We don't know if she's telling the truth about anything

."

Matt's severe frown eased. At least he wasn't the only one concerned.

"We know that she is human, and we now know that she was forced into our dimension," Spectra revealed. "I performed a detailed analysis on the brand Celea used. I have not yet found its precise match, but I have determined its class. It is an aggressive portal spell, designed to breech dimensional walls."

Craig's eyebrow quirked. "Aggressive?"

"It forces inter-dimensional transit. Some portals are passive, meaning they open doorways, but an individual would still need to actively step through. This one gave neither Jocelyn or Kimberly the option."

"Any theories why the portal only allowed Jocelyn and her mirror image to trade places?" Matt wondered. "None of us were able to follow."

"It must be a property of this specific portal," Spectra decided. "But this goes well beyond the scope of my knowledge. I must travel to Lumina City to consult the High Father. He is the only person I know with intimate knowledge of other dimensions, and he may be able to help me ascertain what Celea has done, and how to safely undo it."

Spectra then turned to Rachel. "I will take the Glider, leaving the main ship here. While I am away, you must be vigilant guardians of Earth. I cannot fathom what Celea was trying to accomplish, but this portal may be the first phase in a larger scheme."

"Then we'll take turns monitoring Earth from here," Rachel decided.

"What about Kimberly?" Craig wondered.

"You must keep a careful eye on her as well. I prefer her to remain on Earth; if she does reveal herself to be a spy, she cannot sabotage our equipment from there. My instinct is that she is as much a victim as Jocelyn, but we cannot be certain."

Chapter Twenty-Five

Angel Grove

At Alpha's insistence, Jocelyn submitted to a detailed analysis to prove once and for all that she had recovered fully from her hypothermia, while the Power Rangers reported back to their mentor with an update. Her body temperature was still less than normal, but under the circumstances, it was nothing some warm fluid wouldn't cure.

So Alpha took the only appropriate course of action. "Would you like some tea, Jocelyn?"

She startled at the inquiry. "Excuse me?"

"You should drink something warm," he explained, pressing a few keys and pointing to a monitor. "Look. You're out of the danger zone, but your temperature is still below normal, and you haven't ingested anything in hours."

"Oh."

Alpha pulled a folded blanket from a drawer, and draped it over Jocelyn's shoulders. "Follow me."

She slowly climbed off the cot she was seated on, and followed the diminutive droid out of the wrecked infirmary into the hallway. They walked away from the sound of voices, but Jocelyn could still make out some of what was said.

"…still need to figure out what happened to Kim. Where did Jocelyn come from?"

"Maybe she's some alternate dimension's version of Kim? I mean, Jeez… she looks exactly

like her. It's kinda spooky!"

Jocelyn bit her lip. "Alpha? Who is this 'Kim' everyone keeps talking about?"

"Kimberly Hart is the Pink Power Ranger."

An image of a figure in a pink costume similar to the other Rangers surfaced in Jocelyn's mind. "I saw her in that portal at the North Pole."

Alpha nodded. "She and Tommy, the White Ranger, were sent to the North Pole to investigate an energy reading. What they found was the portal that apparently you saw as well from your dimension."

Jocelyn glanced back down the hall in the direction from which the Rangers' voices emanated. "And… I resemble Kim, don't I?"

"It's more than