1st April 1995
22:27 GMT
"Giant steps are what you take…
"
The Power Rangers teleported up in their zords, which is something that Zordon doesn't like to do because it drains the power reserves. But under the circumstances…
Pink overflies the giant crater of molten glass where Casa Rita used to be. "Are we safe? Being this close?"
The Triceratops Dinozord is noticeably ahead of the rest of the pack as it approaches the edge of the crater. "The armor on the exterior of our zords is more than thick enough to block the alpha, beta and gamma radiation, and the air filtration system will keep out radioactive particulates. In four years someone in a regular space suit could walk through the crater without any consequences for their health."
"Huh. I thought it was, like, hundreds of years?"
"It's about a hundred for
salted nuclear weapons, where they're deliberately designed to spread as much highly radioactive material as possible. But Earth's nuclear powers don't actually have those. I checked.
"
Yellow pings me. "Why did you check that?"
"Well, if I'd used a salted nuke, it would have motivated you more and blowing up Rita's base would have been even more emphatic. It's not like anyone is actually
using the moon for anything.
"
The Tyrannosaurus Dinozord looks over the crater rim, its head turning left and right.
"And you're sure this isn't a trick?"
"I didn't use five nuclear bombs because I wanted recoverable body parts, but these warheads were designed to incinerate hardened bunkers and anyone standing within a mile of them. Rita's facility wasn't actually all that big, and the protective spells appear to have mostly been designed to deal with attacks from the outside.
"
"Pterodactyl Dinozord's sensors show nothing. I mean, other than the glass bowl. And dust. And radiation. B-blue, are you
sure this isn't dangerous?"
"I am as sure as modern human science allows me to be that the radiation isn't dangerous to us. It wouldn't be dangerous through our armor either, I just thought this was a reasonable precaution in case Rita was storing something dangerous."
Ring, scan.
Compliance.
"Did you know that mildly elevated radiation exposure is actually good for you?
"
"I don't believe that's true. Every chart I've seen shows an almost completely straight line correlation between radiation levels and cancer rates."
"Yes, above a certain point that's true. The problem is that
because it was such a straight line at higher levels the researchers just assumed that it would carry on at lower levels and didn't check. Partly because people who had received lower levels of exposure were harder to find. Low but elevated levels appears to trigger the human body's radiation countermeasures, causing-.
"
"Well
I'm not getting out." The Pterodactyl Dinozord wheels around. "She's gone, good riddance."
"Did you..?" Zack sound uncertain. "Plan all this?"
"I didn't think Red would use the zords like that. Good work there, genuinely impressed.
"
"Thanks."
"But aside from that-. Yellow, did Squatt even turn up for your fight?
"
"Yes. And then he left."
"About what I was expecting.
"
"I still had to fight the
putties."
"And now you'll never have to fight them again.
"
"But…" Something's giving Zack difficulty. "Even the nuke? And where you put them, you knew where they could go to wreck the planet."
"Of course I did. Back in the comic, we used to keep an eye on places like that so we could be there in time to stop someone doing what I pretended to do. You can't guard your vulnerable spots if you don't know where they are.
"
"And you knew they'd do what they did?"
"There was a chance that Goldar would demand to stay behind. Him surviving on his own wouldn't be much of a problem. And there was a
small chance that they'd find the bombs and disarm them or teleport them away… It was a calculated risk. But it paid off. Any plans for your new free time?
"
"There's a new hair and nails salon that just opened in the mall-." I hear four quiet sighs. "I need to de-stress, okay? I'm not used to
nuclear explosions."
"Wait." The Tyrannosaurus Dinozord's head turns towards me. "All those wars you said we could stop. Is that what this is about?"
"No-. Well, sort of. It's never about any
one thing. I'm not sure exactly what Zordon authorises you to use your Power Ranger equipment for, but I'm aware that you
might start using it for forceful interventions against human war criminals. Or you might not.
"
"He could just take it back. With Rita dead, he might not need Power Rangers any more."
"No, because Lord Zed is probably going to send someone else in a few years, and-.
"
"Who's that?"
"Lord Zed? Rita's employer, and the one who sent her to Earth in the first place?
"
The communications systems go quiet for a moment.
"You didn't know about him, did you.
"
"No, but it makes sense." William sounds phlegmatic about it. "Rita was already a highly capable magician when she came to Earth. There's no obvious reason why Earth would be the first planet she conquered."
"So the added field training will be useful. Oh! Good news! With Rita's base completely destroyed, there's no more green candle. Green Ranger can return to active duty. I'll.. get the Dragonzord valeted.
"
"Forget the salon, I'll go tell him as soon we we're done!" … "Are we done, Red Ranger?"
"We're done. Zordon, we're at the site. There's nothing here. Are you picking up anything that we're not picking up?"
"No. The detonation appears to have been completely successful. I will return you to Earth now. Orange Lantern, I wish to speak with you upon your return.
"
"Certainly. I'll transport myself back.
"
Now that I'm paying close attention, I can feel the difference between my old transitioning and what I'm doing now. I scan the Command Centre and… It's like I'm literally jumping at faster-than-light speed. I appear at the entrance a moment later and then jog inside, a
lightness in my heart. Yes, alright, everyone I know and love never existed-.
And it's gone.
1st April 1995
15:30 GMT -7
"Orange Lantern.
" Zordon doesn't
look annoyed, so I suppose that someone of his experience can take things like this in his stride.
"Congratulations on killing Rita Repulsa.
"
"Glad to help.
"
"The governments of Earth are in uproar. This will make my work of protecting the Earth much more difficult if someone does not explain things to them.
"
No rest for the wicked…
"I'll get right on that.
"
