The Storybook Dimension

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The Weakest Color

Chapter 16: The Genetic Accelerator (Part 2)

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When the pain came, it hurt far more than he thought it would, more than he could have possibly imagined.

It felt like he was being torn into pieces, cut apart by a thousand knives. Distantly, Bridge could hear someone screaming, and realized that it was himself.

And worse, it didn’t stop. Time had no meaning inside the genetic accelerator; his torture could have lasted seconds, hours, or even days. It continued until Bridge thought he would go mad, or die from the pain.

When the humming of the machine stopped, and the searing light faded away, the pain still remained. Bridge lay slumped against the wall of the device, his legs too weak to hold him.

He heard the door open, and felt rough hands drag him out, unceremoniously depositing him in the floor. For a while, Bridge simply lay there with his eyes closed, struggling to catch his breath.

“Did it work?” Gruumm asked, sounding a little annoyed.

Broodwing prodded him with a foot, prompting a pained groan from Bridge. “It seems so. Get up, ranger.” Unable to obey, Bridge rolled onto his side and curled up into a fetal position, shaking like a leaf.

“What’s wrong with him?” Mora asked, her voice shrill.

“I don’t know,” Broodwing replied. Their voices kept fading in and out, and Bridge struggled to remain conscious. He blacked out for a while, but when he woke they were still discussing him.

“Well, we can’t send him back like this,” Mora was saying. “And if he stays here too long, the other Rangers will begin to wonder where he’s gone.”

“It’s still night in Newtech City,” Broodwing replied. “Leave him with me, and I will make sure he returns to SPD safely.”

Bridge wanted to protest, but he didn’t have the strength. He felt Broodwing come to stand over him, and then the bat lifted him in his arms.

Gruumm said something he didn’t catch, and then the unlikely pair teleported away.

–

As they flew, Bridge felt strength returning to his body. The pain slowly faded away, only to be replaced by a numbing fatigue. “Where are you taking me?” Bridge asked tiredly, finally finding his voice.

“In little while,” Broodwing replied, “I will return you to SPD. But first, we have business to discuss.”

Broodwing set him down in front of what looked like a warehouse. Bridge leaned against the wall for support as Broodwing keyed in the password for the door.

He looked up a moment later to see Broodwing staring at him. The bat chuckled darkly at the apprehensive look on Bridge’s face. “I’m not going to kill you, ranger. Not yet, at least.”

Keeping a wary eye on Broodwing, Bridge staggered into the warehouse and collapsed on the nearest chair. “What do you want, Broodwing? I already told you that I wouldn’t help you against Gruumm, or against anyone else, for that matter.”

“I thought you were smarter than this, Ranger,” Broodwing replied. “Haven’t you realized the truth yet? Gruumm will destroy this world, no matter what you do.”

“But Gruumm wouldn’t need to destroy the Earth if the rangers were gone,” Bridge countered. “If there’s even the tiniest chance of saving the Earth, I have to take it.”

Broodwing laughed hollowly. “Gruumm has destroyed hundreds of worlds for entertainment alone. But you see, I’m different from Gruumm. This planet is more valuable to me in one piece, with it’s inhabitants alive.”

“So, I’ll give you one more chance. Join me, and together we can defeat Gruumm and Mora. And I will spare your pathetic planet… in the name of profit.”

His first instinct was to refuse outright. However, after a few moments of careful thought, Bridge came to an important realization. ‘I can probably trust Broodwing’s greed more than Gruumm’s word,’ he considered. ‘Broodwing may be sneaky and treacherous, but two can play at that game.’

“I’ll help you,” Bridge said. “But on one condition.”

“You’re not in any position to make demands.” Broodwing warned dangerously.

“And you can’t defeat Gruumm without my help.” Bridge countered, glaring at the mercenary.

“Hmph,” Broodwing said, with a rare hint of respect. “You’re getting better at this treachery game, Ranger.” He crossed his arms. “Let’s hear this condition.”

The next words were harder than he expected. “I… I know that Sky, I mean, the blue ranger, has to die.” Bridge forced himself to continue. “I won’t ask you to spare him, because I know you won’t. But in the end, during the final battle, nobody fights him.”

“Nobody but me.”

–

Since long before aliens were common on Earth, Piggy had eked out a living digging through the dumpsters of Newtech city. “One being’s trash is another being’s treasure,” Piggy said gleefully, pulling a particularly decomposed piece of meat out of the dumpster. “Now, this looks tasty!”

He took a long sniff, and put the meat in his bag. It would make a tasty meal, for those aliens with more refined tastes. Rummaging around a bit longer, he pulled a spatula from the trash. ‘I can use this at the restaurant,’ Piggy thought, stashing it away.

It was then he heard a noise from nearby.

Jumping out of the dumpster, he stealthily peeked around the corner, just in time to see Broodwing arrive with… was that the SPD green ranger?

‘Impossible!’ Piggy ducked back behind the dumpster. ‘No way!’

‘What am I going to do?’ Piggy thought, beginning to feel a little scared. ‘Oh, I’m way over my head this time.’ He put his head in his hands. ‘What am I going to do? I can’t tell the rangers… I mean, it’s none of my business, and Broodwing… Broodwing will kill me.’

‘Why does this always happen to me?’ Piggy lamented. ‘I was just digging through the trash, minding my own business, and look what happens.’

‘Well, I won’t tell anyone. They didn’t see me, and I never saw them.’ He decided, quietly backing away from the unlikely pair. Sometimes, it was best to mind one’s own business – especially when his own life was on the line.

–

“This is as close as I can get to SPD,” Broodwing said, setting him down in an empty alleyway. “You’ll have to make your own way back from here.”

Bridge looked up at the looming structure of SPD. A few stars remained, but the sky was already beginning to brighten. He’d have to walk quickly, if he wanted to return before dawn.

‘My powers are limited – I can’t see far enough into the future to know how everything ends. But I don’t think things will turn out quite the way you want, Broodwing,’ Bridge thought, turning away from the mercenary.

‘I can feel it.’

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To Be Continued

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