The Storybook Dimension

See disclaimer.

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The Weakest Color

Chapter 11: The Power of a Deadline

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Dinner in the mess hall was a tense, awkward affair. Bridge, lost in dark thoughts, said nothing to his teammates and long-time friends. Instead, he stared at his food, pushing it around on his plate.

Sky was also silent. Every once in a while he would look at the others, like there was something he needed to say, but just as quickly he would change his mind and continue mechanically shoveling food into his mouth.

Jack also seemed determined to eat his food and leave as quickly as possible. The only sound at their table came from Z and Syd, who were half-heartedly arguing over Peanuts, who seemed to have gone missing once more.

“I looked everywhere!” Syd exclaimed. “I just know he’s in that junkyard that you call a closet.”

“Why would Peanuts be in my closet, Syd?” Z argued. “R.I.C probably hid him somewhere again.”

“I don’t know why he’d be there. I just know that the last time I saw him, he was on my bed, and when I returned he was missing!”

“I didn’t take him, Syd!”

“But…”

Whatever Syd had been about to say was interrupted by Sky, who slammed his cup down on the table, silencing the two instantly. The blue ranger scowled at them, irritated. “How can you be arguing over Peanuts at a time like this?”

“Give it a rest, will you Sky?” Z snapped back. “You’re not the only one who’s worried. But there’s nothing we can do about it right now.”

“Calm down, everyone.” Jack said, taking control. “Look, I’m sure it’ll work out. We’re Power Rangers. We’re not going to be beaten by one Troobian spy.” Spearing a pea on the end of his fork, he popped it into his mouth. “Right, Bridge?”

“Right.” Bridge replied unhappily. Feeling a sudden surge of nausea, he shoved the plate aside, and hastily excused himself.

He didn’t care what they thought about his strange behavior. ‘How am I supposed to pretend like everything’s fine and nothing is wrong?’ Bridge wondered. He never was the best at hiding his feelings – that dubious honor went to Sky.

Of course, Sky couldn’t hide his true feelings from Bridge. Really, when he thought about it, no one could – if he had his gloves off. ‘And now, even sometimes when I have my gloves on.’ He thought, with a slight twinge of fear.

As he rounded the corner, he heard two familiar voices, coming towards him. Looking around for someplace to hide, he ducked into an empty room, and strained his ears to hear their conversation.

“Doggie, I think we should increase security on the labs.” Kat was saying. “There’s too much sensitive technology and data there – if Troobians were to gain access, it could be disastrous.”

“Good idea, Kat.” Replied the commander. “However, our first priority must be securing the megazord.”

Bridge felt, rather than saw, Kat’s nod. “I’ll continue my diagnostic of the megazord, and start working on the labs tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?” Bridge thought, panicked. “But if she does that, I might not be able to complete my mission for Gruumm!” He paced across the empty room, agitated. This was happening too fast. It seemed like his entire life was spinning out of control. ‘It’s too soon! I can’t…’

But somehow, he doubted that Gruumm would be willing to hear his excuses. The warlord was certainly not beyond hurting innocents to manipulate him, and he dreaded to see what the price would be for his failure.

‘Whatever I’m going to do,’ He realized. ‘I’m going to have to do it quickly.’

–

It took several handstands and a few minutes of aimless wandering around base for Bridge to remember that he was, indeed, supposed to be somewhere after dinner – namely, Kat’s lab. “Bridge!” Boom exclaimed, cheerfully greeting the green ranger as he entered the room. “You’re here. I…”

A loud beeping noise interrupted Boom, and he flashed Bridge an apologetic look as he pulled a phone from his pocket. “Hi, mom.” Boom answered, in resigned tones. “Yes, mom. No, mom. I know how to do laundry, mom.”

“Sorry!” He whispered to Bridge, before hurrying from the room. “I’ll be right back.”

Knowing that it would be a while before Boom returned, Bridge took a seat in a nearby chair, and stared at the computer panels in front of him.

‘Let’s think about this rationally, Bridge.’ He told himself, returning his thoughts to the dark task assigned to him. ‘Gruumm told me that my badge acts as a transmitter. But I can’t just attach my badge to the main computers – every SPD badge is unique, and they might be able to trace me.’

‘So I need something untraceable, that could belong to anyone.’ He concluded. Looking around the room for something suitable, he finally noticed a datapad, abandoned on a table.

‘An empty datapad should be easy to get.” Bridge thought, pleased with his solution. ‘And that means that all I need is the password.’

Bridge sighed. That was easier said than done. Those passwords were closely guarded secrets – they were distributed on a need to know basis, and even the rangers didn’t have full access.

Well, at least there was one thing he could try. Moving closer to the computer, Bridge removed a glove, and scanned the machine. There were so many images of people hurrying, typing, images flashing across the screen. The images were jumbled… there were just too many people, and too many auras. There was no way he could find out the password from that.

‘Who am I kidding?’ Bridge thought angrily, pulling back on his gloves. ‘What am I doing here? I don’t even know where to start!’ It was one thing, after all, to agree to betray the power rangers, and quite another to actually do it.

Outside the door, he could hear Boom on the phone. “No, I don’t want to come home and work in Aunt Mildred’s grocery shop!” Boom was saying. “I like working at SPD, mom.”

Despite the seriousness of his situation, Bridge smiled and shook his head. Boom’s parents had been trying to get him to leave SPD ever since they found out that he wasn’t the orange ranger.

‘If only I could read his mind.’ Bridge thought wistfully. ‘I bet he knows the password.’ Boom could sometimes be spacey, and didn’t have the best luck with machines, but he knew everything that went on in Kat’s labs.

‘Maybe I can.’ Bridge realized suddenly, wondering why the idea hadn’t occurred to him before. Hurrying across the room, Bridge placed his hands against the wall, opening his mind to the flood of thoughts and emotions that surrounded him.

The images came in a jumble, flashing through his mind. Forcing himself to concentrate, Bridge began to sift through Boom’s memories.

Grandma’s cookies. Kat explaining some sort of device. Countless megazord battles, and memories of the rangers. Scattered amongst those were memories of himself, his life at SPD seen through Boom’s mind.

‘Lab password.’ Bridge inserted the thought, hoping that Boom’s subconscious would provide the answer.

The images around him swirled and changed, and then he finally glimpsed what he had been searching for. There, hidden behind a final mental wall, was the password, the secret he had been searching for. He could feel Boom’s mind fighting him, trying to force him away but he had gone too far to back out now.

He didn’t know how to take the information gently. Somewhere in the distance, he heard Boom suddenly cry out in pain, and the sound of a phone dropping. And then he knew the answer, knew what the password was.

But as he tried to disentangle himself from Boom’s mind, something changed. Instead of pulling away, Bridge felt himself suddenly being drawn deeper. ‘No!’ Bridge thought, terrified. ‘I won’t be trapped here!’

Resisting with all his strength, Bridge yanked himself free from Boom’s mind, shoving himself away from the wall. Steadying himself on a chair, Bridge clumsily replaced his gloves and hurried outside, dreading what he might see.

Bridge’s heart nearly broke to see Boom slumped against the wall, whimpering softly in pain. “Boom?” He said softly, longing to reach out, but afraid to harm his friend more. “Are you alright?”

“My head… it hurts…” Boom whispered.

“I… I’ll get help.” Bridge promised, not knowing whether Boom could still hear him. He tapped on his communicator. “Kat? Something’s wrong with Boom.”

–

He watched as the medical team arrived, and as Kat fussed over her assistant. “Will he be alright?” Bridge asked anxiously, pulling one of the medics aside.

“What?” She said, distracted. “Yes, He’ll be fine. See, he’s feeling better already.” And indeed, color was already beginning to return to Boom’s face.

Bridge turned and left before anyone could question him. He didn’t wait around to speak to Boom. He didn’t think he could bear it.

‘I could have killed him.’ The green ranger thought guiltily. ‘I didn’t know it would hurt him…’

Bridge suddenly realized how much danger he had put both Boom and himself in. ‘I don’t know anything about these new powers! I could have killed us both… I could have been trapped in his mind, and never been able to escape!’ He thought back to that terrible moment, when he felt Boom’s mind drawing him in and the darkness closing around him.

Bridge wondered for a moment what it would have been like if he had just let go, let himself slip away. “Maybe I would have become Boom. Or Boom would have been me. Or maybe I’d be both Boom and myself at the same time.” Bridge resolved never to find out. Being trapped in Boom wouldn’t be so bad, but to be Mora, or Broodwing? That would be a fate worse than death.

‘I’m never going to use that power, ever again.’ Bridge promised. He had no desire to suddenly become privy to other people’s memories or their deepest secrets, much less be trapped inside their mind. It was hard enough knowing their feelings.

Bridge unconsciously rubbed his hands together. For the millionth time in his life, he wished that he was normal, and that his parents had never met the brilliant scientist known as Kat Manx.

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To Be Continued

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