The Terran Ranger Saga Volume 5 by Heather Ray (novel24 .txt) 📖

Adam, and the two leaned towards Billy's wrist.

"Billy here," he whispered.

^Billy, it's Jason. Kat's safe and sound, but we think something's going on here. We're going to the CAC. Can you meet us there?^

"I'm on my way," said Billy, turning off the communicator. He then rose to his feet, and Adam followed.

"Let's get Lex and Rocky, and get going," he said, as the two begin walking to the rink, where Rocky and Alexis were both sailing along the ice like pros.

"Wow," said Adam, "I can't believe Rocky's doing so well! Look at him!"

"I'm impressed," Billy confessed, "I didn't think Rocky was even capable of standing on the skates. But we'd better get going. Come on."

Billy walked over to the edge of the rink, and waved at the pair. But they were so busy chatting and laughing, they didn't notice. Frowning, he whistled at them. Alexis and Rocky looked up in surprise, and skated to the edge.

"What's up?" asked Rocky.

"Trouble," Billy responded, "Kat was attacked by Viper Putties."

"By what?" asked Alexis.

"Zedd's newest breed of Putty," Adam answered. "The Terran Rangers are waiting at the CAC. We'd better go."

Alexis looked around, and to her surprise, she noticed all her friends were gone. "When did they leave?"

"About twenty minutes ago," answered Billy. Rocky blinked.

"Wow, I didn't even realize they left."

"Me neither," said Alexis quietly. "Why didn't they come get me? I could've helped."

"They were only fighting a group of Putties," said Adam. "It's no big deal."

"You didn't receive the page from Kat?" asked Billy.

"No," she said, glancing at her communicator, "it didn't make a sound."

Billy frowned. "I guess I'll need to make some adjustments to it, to patch it back into the network. Since you've been gone so long, all the new systems installed since the inception of the Terran Rangers are incompatible with your communicator. But first, let's go to the Central Access Complex."

"The what?" asked Alexis, glancing at Rocky. He grinned.

"Trust me," he said, "you just have to see it."

With that, Alexis and Rocky exchanged their skates for shoes, and the group hurried to the coat closet. In one streak of purple light and three streaks of white, the four heroes vanished from the skating rink.

Chapter Twelve

"This...this is incredible

!!"

Everyone smiled as Alexis gazed around the huge underground Central Access Complex. It was by far superior to the Command Center she was familiar with, with dozens of computer consoles, a huge Viewing Globe, computer screen almost large enough to be a movie screen, an entire section devoted to medical equipment, and number of doors in the back.

"What's back there?" she queried.

"The door with the symbol of Earth is the entrance to the Terra Zord hangar. The other doors lead to lower levels of the CAC -- storage depot, living quarters --"

"There are living quarters down here?" Rocky asked in surprise, "I didn't know that!"

Billy laughed. "Well, I didn't want you guys to know too soon, because you shouldn't stay here so long as to require accommodations."

"The same could be said about you, Billy," said Zack, "I'd bet you've spent many a night in those quarters."

Billy shrugged. "You'd win that bet. But sometimes extra work is a necessity."

Billy then turned from his friends, and sat down at the controls to the main computer, located on what appeared to be a desk. "Okay, the meteorological scan is almost complete. There is indeed an unnatural storm front covering the whole of Angel Grove, as well as parts of Stone Canyon, and other neighboring cities."

"Can you give us a satellite view?" Katherine asked, turning to the Viewing Globe.

"Affirmative," Billy responded, typing in the commands. On the globe, an image of the earth took form, and there was an especially pronounced cloud cover over a small section of southern California.

"Is there any way you can determine the cause of the storm front?" asked Tommy.

"Not directly, but I am reading a strange energy emanating from the exact center point of the area affected by abnormal weather. It appears to be...magical

in nature. But the magic is of an unfamiliar pattern."

"How do you mean?" asked Aisha.

"Magical patterns vary according to who cast the spell. The computer can distinguish from the magic of, say, Lord Zedd and Ivan Ooze. But the pattern of this spell hasn't yet been identified. It'll take some time for me to be able to tell you exactly what's happening down there."

"Unfortunately, time is something we don't have," said Jason, a serious expression on his face. "The Viper Putties attacked Kat, and that usually is a precursor for whatever Rita and Zedd have in store. We need to throw a wrench in their plans!"

"I think their plans are already taking shape," said Kimberly, glancing up from the data screen she was looking at. "The snowfall has already accumulated to approximately seventeen inches! The flurries have built into a full-fledged blizzard!"

"Then that's it," said Tommy stepping forward. "The seven of us will check out the source of the alien energy readings. Lex, are you up to it?"

"Am I ever!" she replied, holding her morpher.

"Then its Morphin Time! TERRA FIRE POWER!!

"

"TERRA WIND POWER!!"

shouted Aisha.

"TERRA WATER POWER!!"

called Katherine.

"TERRA EARTH POWER!!"

bellowed Jason.

"X-Ranger One!" yelled Zack.

"X-Ranger Two!" cried Kimberly.

"Purple Ranger Power!" finished Alexis.

Chapter Thirteen

At the very center of the city of Angel Grove there was a vacant lot, where a traveling carnival had set up for a few weeks. Obviously, since the inclement weather had pretty much forced the inhabitants of the city to remain at home, the carnival had been shut down. But that didn't mean it was abandoned. Rather, there were numerous Viper Putties patrolling throughout the area, hiding in rides, concession stands, and even snow banks. In the very center was a mirror maze, where Rito Revolto had placed the Weather Warp on top of a stone pillar. He then marched around the orb, just in case someone arrived.

"Oh boy!" he said, "I can't believe Rita let me guard this present from Dad! This time, Goldar's the one who has to keep an eye out for the Power Rangers! I'll make sure those rangers don't get the crystal ball! No one gets past Rito Revolto!"

About fifty yards from the mirror maze, right beside the large Ferris wheel, seven columns of light land in the deep snow. The seven Power Rangers peer through the heavy snowfall, searching for any signs of trouble.

"This is insane!" Zack muttered, trudging through the deep snow. "There's like two feet of snow on the ground!"

"It'll be hard maneuvering," said Tommy, turning to the Gold Ranger, "Kim, do you think you could construct a TK field around the area? It'll keep the snow from falling any more."

"I can try," she answered, "but it'll take a lot of concentration to keep it up."

"Okay then, Kim'll stay here and maintain the force field. Alexis and I will stay with her, in case something comes out to get us. The rest of you, split into teams of two and cover the carnival area. Um, how about Jason with Aisha, and Kat with Zack?"

"What do we look for?" asked the Silver Ranger.

"Anything that could be a focus of magical energy," Tommy responded. "Okay Kim, now!"

The Gold X-Ranger nodded, and a dome of translucent gold energy formed around the carnival. The snow immediately stopped falling within the dome, and the two pairs of rangers ran in opposite directions -- one to the left, and one to the right. Alexis stood beside Tommy, watching their friends leave. She then glanced at Kimberly, who was trembling slightly from the exertion.

"How long can Kimberly hold the field?" she asked Tommy.

"Hopefully, as long as we'll need it."

Chapter Fourteen

By the bumper car track, the Silver and Blue Rangers continued their search. Finally, Kat stopped, and threw her hands on her hips in frustration.

"This is ridiculous!" she moaned, "I can't get anywhere in all this snow!"

"Well, there's nothing we can do about it," Zack replied. "Here, if you want, I can levitate both of us above the snow magnetically."

"Don't bother," said Kat, stretching her hands out in front of her, "I'm going to try something."

After a few seconds of concentration, the snow took on a faint aqua-blue glow, and suddenly, all the snow in front of Kat slid into large mounds on either side, creating a canyon of grass between two huge cliffs of snow. Zack gawked as Katherine walked between the mounds.

"I guess you're the next Moses?" Zack asked. Katherine giggled.

"I doubt I can part an entire sea, but as the Terran Ranger of Water, I can command water in a limited extent. All forms of water."

Zack nodded, and the two proceeded towards the bumper car track. Since the track was beneath a large canopy, the black raceway was pretty much free from snow. The two rangers leaped over the iron fence and looked around the arena.

"I don't see anything," Zack said. "Of course, we have no idea what we're looking for."

"Yeah, I think you're --" Kat