Sylan technology never ceased to impress. From the lack of any seam or weld line in their automatons to the material perfection of their manufacturing process. There were no doubts in Kelly’s mind that the Sylan had access to advanced replication technology. Unfortunately, neither of the recovered wrecks that Sinclair Industries had access to were equipped with such marvels. No, all she had access to were a handful of trinkets from a crashed scout ship that happened to be manned by two xenoforms and a single stunt fighter that was downed in the One Day War.

  The only stunt fighter downed on that day.

  Pity the pilot of the F-35 that managed it hadn’t survived the battle, just like every other pilot to take to the skies on that fateful day. Observations of the enemy’s air capabilities were sadly few and far between, which made it difficult to anticipate just what they needed to achieve to have even the most remote of fighting chances once the Sylan stopped playing Monsters and Rangers with humanity and resumed the conquest.

  That was the joke of it all, the Sylan Empire weren’t actually invading them, humanity was nothing more than an experiment, one that was reaching a conclusion if the Minneapolis team was anything to go by. How the Sylan managed to form that team in the first place was something she hadn’t cracked just yet.

  The year prior they had made a breakthrough, and the hope was that they could circumvent the creation of Ranger teams that were under the thumb of the Sylan Empire. They needed warriors that wouldn’t falter if their technology held a hidden kill switch. Xavier was almost certain that it did, not that they had any idea how to actually confirm that theory.

  All they had was a roadmap of theorized steps that they would take if running a similar experiment. The things they came up with were horrifying, and Kelly knew they were simply playing for time at this point, especially after Nicole’s stunt against the enemy leadership. Bartran was maimed, but the General Recovery Device they developed was proof that the Sylan had far more advanced healing technology available.

  That Guiana was mobile at all after her last injury was further proof that they were simply playing for time before the Commander took the field once again. Worse, Guiana’s injury was a complete fluke. She had come after their recovery team, and Yellow managed a lucky hit when Maria took over for Anita. That misstep in reading her opponent had cost her dearly, yet there she was, back on her feet like nothing had happened.

  Humanity needed more options, and Nicole might have inadvertently supplied it. The readings on the Source Storage Device were astronomical. More energy pulsed within than they had ever theorized possible, and that had come from one Ranger’s abnormal connection to the mysterious exotic effect.

  Having seen the recording from Yellow’s bodycam, Kelly took no small measure of delight in the look of complete surprise on Maraline’s face when she saw humanity’s own results in harnessing and controlling the Source. Humanity had managed something that even the Sylan hadn’t, Kelly was certain of it.

  Now they just needed to figure out what to do with it.

  She had several projects that might benefit from a ready Source battery, yet only one could see it to fruition. Frank had his robotics projects, the ultimate goal being the recreation of the vehicles seen in the visions of those that spoke to the echoes of the Progenitor Rangers. She had little hope that anything would be accomplished on that front. No, the far more interesting project was the one she was working on in the deepest sub-basement.

  If that saw completion, then there were good odds that humanity would be able to mount an effective resistance when the time came to fight back in truth, when the games ended and death came for their civilization. They needed soldiers, not resource sinks that would drain their budget dry with nothing to show for it.

  They also needed researchers, and finding promising people was always a challenge. Thankfully they had feelers at most colleges that offered courses that could lead to understanding of exotic effects like the Source. One such candidate was interviewing today, and Kelly was to meet with her.

  She stepped into a room overlooking the second floor balcony of the Sinclair Industries building, far above the hidden labs below that appeared on no blueprints. A young girl sat nervously at a chair behind the table, though she straightened herself the moment the door actually opened. She smiled brightly in greeting and Kelly felt just a touch of guilt for what she was about to do.

  Linking Nicole Hayes to the Black Ranger hadn’t come from any discovery on their part, but instead from a background check on one of those promising recruits.

  “Rebecca Mills?” Kelly asked, already knowing the answer. Formalities needed to be observed, even when they appeared to be a waste of time.

  “I am,” she said, her voice firm and focused as she held out her hand in greeting. “A pleasure to meet you, Miss?”

  A good sign as far as Kelly was concerned. She quickly returned the offered handshake. “I am Kelly Rivers, Chief of Research for Sinclair industries. You came highly recommended by a guest lecturer that visited two weeks past.”

  “Doctor Frederick,” Rebecca said, taking her seat as Kelly did the same. “I remember his theories on the energy the Rangers harnessed. They were flawed.”

  Very bold indeed.

  “Quite the statement, and from what he’s told me, you had the background theory to put proof to that statement.”

  Rebecca nodded, producing a folder from her bag. She slid it across and Kelly opened it casually, all to hide her interest in what she might soon discover. Scanning the document took a few moments, her eidetic memory only did so much for the consumption of data. She still needed to read it, even if she could recall the page at a glance.

  “Fascinating,” Kelly said.

  The further she read into the dissertation, because that was exactly what she was looking at, the more her eyebrows rose. Looking up, Kelly hadn’t realized how wide her eyes had grown. This girl had completely turned her own theories on their head and brought order to the chaos that Kelly had been unable to tame despite her best efforts.

  All without any proper testing or experimentations.

  “You do realize we’ll need to confirm these theories of yours through a proper experiment,” Kelly said rather carefully.

  The last thing she needed was for the girl to realize how desperate Kelly was to dive into her mind. There was one concern, and that was how Rebecca hadn’t demonstrated any interest in the Source until Nicole had been chosen. That she came up with this theory inside of two weeks was astonishing and the potential she represented was far too lofty to pass up.

  “You have something prepared,” Rebecca said.

  Interesting how it wasn’t framed as a question. “I do indeed. A simple experiment involving something minor. If your theories are proven, there will be considerable advancement opportunities for yourself, as well as humanity.”

  Rebecca stood, her eyes hard. “I’m not doing this for humanity, I’m doing this for Nicole. You helped save her, and that is the only reason I’m entertaining your offer. I want to help restore her morpher, that’s my condition for any assistance I give.”

  Kelly smiled. It was always cute when new hires made demands that they already intended to provide. If Rebecca could repair Nicole’s morpher, then she could repair Xavier’s as well, not to mention what it would mean for her own project. Still, no need to signal that the demand was unneeded.

  “That can be arranged,” Kelly said. “Would you be willing to follow me? The experiment site is in a secure lab, you’ll need my clearance to access it.”

  Rebecca’s cold expression didn’t waver as she nodded. “Lead the way, then.”

  Kelly tried to keep her eye from twitching at the choice of words. Every Ranger knew them, either through the words spoken by White and Pink, and later Gold. Black hadn’t been active long enough to make an impact with any statements, and now she wouldn’t be recognized without her ability to morph.

  “Does Nicole know you’re here?” Kelly asked casually as she led Rebecca to the elevator that would take them to the labs.

  Rebecca shook her head. “Not yet, but I did leave a note with several people in the event something happened.”

  Prudent, but ultimately ineffective when they knew her entire social structure and could easily find out if she visited a lawyer. People underestimated the reach of the surveillance state these days and the level of infiltration that the government had, never mind corporations. She knew Rebecca’s entire life history, from the first time she questioned her gender all the way up to what she likely had for breakfast that morning.

  Cornflakes with fresh banana.

  So many asinine laws were passed in the wake of the invasion, and aside from a few holdouts nationwide, America had completely turned into a proper police state. Minnesota was one such holdout, if just barely. That was enough for Xavier to select it for his headquarters from the few options without a Ranger team present.

  The elevator ride went without a word spoken, though when the door opened, Kelly was not surprised when Rebecca gasped. They had traveled hundreds of feet down, far deeper than any infrastructure beneath the city proper. The research levels were nothing like the hospital level that Nicole had resided upon.

  Here, the floor plan was open, with a high ceiling and many pieces of advanced technology in use throughout. The walls projected scenes from nature, appearing as though they were windows into a wider world, with depth that couldn’t be replicated with consumer goods. Several engineers operated holographic interfaces throughout, managing projects on floors far deeper into the facility where they needed the isolation in the event of disaster.

  Like the device that had exploded in the demonstration office above. It was a one in a billion accident, and was likely caused by the fluctuations in the Source brought about by the selection of a new Ranger team. It was something that should have been anticipated, but everyone had missed it in the flurry of activity brought about by the failure of a separate experiment.

  They should have gained a second recovery team from that event, but something surged through the fabric of the Source and prevented it, the distortions still lingering even months later. Further proof that there was more to the phantoms that brought the visions to chosen Rangers. The idea that their intelligence was preserved for tens of thousands of years was something that Kelly was extremely eager to delve into. Immortality was a long sought goal of humanity, and many sought religion as a false panacea for the fear of death. The Sylan had brought proof that biological longevity was possible, and the Source was beginning to show signs that immortality might be obtainable after all.

  The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  “Impressed?” Kelly asked with a knowing smirk.

  Rebecca’s mouth hung open slightly before it snapped closed. “You’re far more advanced than you let on.”

  “An understatement,” Kelly confirmed. “Though your own theories should help us with several bottlenecks we’ve run into.”

  That was the crux of this entire gamble. Rebecca’s theories were invaluable for further research, the experiment was mostly a formality at this point, but Kelly wanted to see the results in person. The risk was that if they alienated Rebecca, they did the same with Nicole. That was half the reason she insisted that Anita work with the Rangers to assist in the wake of Nicole’s own lost abilities.

  Every ounce of good will would be vital.

  “Through here,” Kelly said, directing Rebecca into one of the smaller labs.

  Inside was a basic control console that would allow observation of the work being done in a room far below them. A single spark arced through the space between two prongs, appearing as if it was mere feet away. It was an unstable reaction, one wrong manipulation would cause it to explode. Kelly knew that from experience, and it was one of the core reasons their tech hadn’t advanced further.

  “That’s a screen, right?” Rebecca asked, almost sounding fearful.

  Kelly chuckled, pulling up some information on her tablet, holographic readings floating off of it now that she was in a secure space. “Of course it is. If it weren’t and this turned catastrophic, the entire research level would be at risk.”

  Well, this level. There were several others that were kept distinct from one another in the event of disaster. One held the Source battery that had been extracted from Nicole, another worked on her morpher, attempting to learn all they could from the defunct device. Her team was busy with that project and had yet to turn over the full findings just yet.

  “What do you need me to do?” Rebecca asked.

  Kelly flicked a particular tab, sending it into the air as a projection.

  Rebecca blinked, looking over the floating display. “Seriously? If this goes wrong…”

  “I am aware,” Kelly said softly. “Yet if it goes right…”

  “Yeah,” Rebecca said, stepping forward despite how her voice had trembled. She eyed the floating display, then the keyboard that hovered right below it. She reached a hand up, then paused. “Do I just enter the equation here?”

  Kelly nodded, not speaking for fear she might push Rebecca into a mistake. The girl looked everything over, then found the adjustment for the harmonics of the energy field. She seemed to hesitate for a moment, then began to enter her adjustments. The readings sprung up all around Kelly, keeping to the corners of her vision like a game HUD. She watched as the barely stable field spiked and sparked, threatening to breach the containment field as it flexed under the strain. It was all too similar to the start of a sci-fi horror story where extra dimensional threats tore free.

  That didn’t seem to concern Rebecca as she continued to adjust the containment field with every spike that hit, keeping ahead of any cascade event before it could truly settle in. It was artistry in motion, and Rebecca appeared to be learning the interface as she went, which admittedly might have been a bit of a miscalculation on Kelly’s part. She was about to call it off when the most remarkable thing happened.

  The small spark shifted and fell stable.

  Rebecca let out a shaking breath, taking a step back that almost turned into a stumble. Kelly barely had the mental capacity to catch her, not that she was all that heavy to someone like her, and helped her back to her feet. In truth, Kelly was already adjusting a dozen projects in her mind. This was the advancement she needed to ensure their Hail Mary was even possible.

  Humanity would have a way to stand on her own two feet in the face of oblivion, to be more than cavemen with sticks and a crate of pilfered machine guns in the face of GPS guided missiles.

  “Rebecca Mills, I think this is the beginning of a very fruitful arrangement,” Kelly said, her eyes gleaming with possibility. “Now, shall we discuss numbers?”

  ***

  Kelly entered the executive office with trembling anticipation. She had little doubt that Xavier hadn’t been watching the entire proceedings, but that didn’t excuse the formalities. Rebecca Mills was now signed on with a seven figure opening contract that would grow to eight figures once results came in. Hardly an investment considering Sinclair Industries were worth billions through defense contracts alone.

  Not that they had much in the way of liquid assets. Given the race against the clock, Xavier kept as much money as he could moving. Sure, new inventions often sold for hefty dividends, but for each of those there were a dozen failures. Thanks to Rebecca, several of those failures might see new life.

  Speaking of, Franklin Fredrick, head of the robotics division was already present, which was a good thing. It meant that she could take care of that aspect as well all in one meeting. He smiled at her as she stepped inside, taking her usual seat at the table. Unlike other CEOs, Sinclair didn’t have a desk for these meetings, they kept a round table.

  It was the seat of humanity’s resistance after all.

  Their final member was Anita, their former head of security and now leader of their own private Ranger team. That experiment already paid for itself in dividends now that they needn’t rely on randomly assorted Rangers burned by their teams or lone survivors cast adrift. The Sylan were rather careful about avoiding that outcome when it came to planning their attacks against already established teams.

  “Kelly, I see the experiment was a success,” Xavier said, still looking out the window.

  It wasn’t a true window, as the actual office was in a secure bunker underground, but it resembled the false office above them. The sight of the city being shown in real time was certainly something, a testament to humanity’s ability to leave their mark upon the world. Their entire purpose was to ensure that human civilization didn’t fall into the dustbins of history.

  “It will take a few days to sort the data, but yes,” Kelly said. There was no need to pull up the files, all parties present already had them. “I’m expecting results in a matter of weeks, with new products ready to submit within the month.”

  “Excellent,” Xavier said, finally turning to face them. “I’ve already approved funding for the Toy Soldier project as that should prove to be an easy seller. In addition, I’m giving the Morpher division priority. I want Black’s morpher repaired, it will be crucial to getting my own functional.”

  Kelly nodded. “Of course. I’m assigning Rebecca to the Morpher division, and allowing her full access to the Black morpher. She will be personally motivated to see it to fruition.”

  “Agreed,” Xavier said. “Full priority, any resource she needs. We need every soldier we can in the field, and this is the stepping stone forward.”

  “That it will also pave the way for Project Legion is a bonus, right?” Anita said with a casual grin. “I can’t wait, because I’m tired of doing the grunt work.”

  “Already disliking your temporary team?” Franklin asked.

  Anita waved a dismissive hand. “Nah, I like them just fine. They don’t like me all that much.”

  “Understandable given we did force you on them,” Xavier said. “Hopefully Black is back in action before that resentfulness festers too much. With Rebecca Mills now in our employ as a protected asset, we need to keep them happy.”

  Hardly the worst compromise they’ve had to make over the years.

  “Think Maraline will make another appearance?” Anita asked after a moment.

  No, Maria was up front now.

  Xavier grimaced. “There is little doubt that she will continue to coddle Nicole. I expect her to make contact again within the month.”

  “Rules of engagement?”

  Xavier sighed. “If she is vulnerable to attack, end her. Regardless of any perceived sympathies, removing an enemy General always takes priority.”

  “Well shit, that’s heavy,” Anita said, her telltale irreverence making it clear she was back out front. “I sorta feel bad for the bitch, she looked rather genuine about Nicole’s health back there.”

  “We can’t rely on hopes or dreams here,” Xavier said firmly. “This is war.”

  “We’ll lose Nicole and Rebecca by extension the moment the shot is taken,” Kelly warned, not that it needed to be said. Everyone understood that, but the statement was still necessary so they kept everything in perspective. “It may be prudent to delay things if we’re on the cusp of something big.”

  “All we can do is play it by ear,” Xavier said with a sigh. “Maraline is a potential asset, there is a chance we could flip her. There is also a chance that she brings Nicole and her team to their way of thinking. We can’t risk that, even if it alienates them.”

  “True,” Anita said. “Pertinent points have been raised and addressed. If the order comes down, I’ll follow it no matter how much it sucks.”

  “Noted,” Xavier said. “Fredrick, be realistic. How viable is Project Titan?”

  The man grimaced. “The Source Battery could power it, but I lack the manufacturing means to make it reality. We need to crack their replication technology, but none has been recovered as of yet.”

  Xavier took that setback in stride. “Total funding will remain on hold, then. Continue your research but focus on Toy Soldier for now.”

  Fredrick nodded, already adjusting things on his own tablet. Kelly looked down at her project files, already working through what she would need to do to make each of them reality. Legion was on the cusp of a breakthrough, and she had just the girl to make it happen.

  “Another matter to consider,” Anita said, fingers drumming along the table. “Nicole still shows promise despite lacking the ability to morph. Would it be possible to commission some armor and headgear for her to use in the field?”

  Kelly paused in her considerations, her eyes turning towards Frederick. “That would be your purview, I believe.”

  Frederick hummed, no doubt checking his own files for something suitable. Kelly caught herself and barely avoided an audible groan. Thankfully Anita wasn’t able to read minds, because that woman would have jumped on that pun voraciously.

  “I have some things that were too expensive for the Pentagon’s tastes that might work,” he said after several moments. “I’ll see what I can manage.”

  Xavier nodded. “Then I would say this meeting is concluded. Keep me up to date on any advancements. I’ll update our sponsors about possible new products on the horizon, maybe wrangle a few billion extra in funding for it.”

  If only.

  Anita and Frederick left without much fanfare, leaving Kelly alone with Xavier for the first time in days. She set her tablet aside and swept forward, pulling the man into a hug. He gripped her tightly, then pulled her into a searing kiss that made her knees weak.

  “I missed you,” Xavier said, hand cradling her face ever so carefully. “My darling Cassie.”

  She trembled upon hearing her true name, the one she had forsaken for the sake of the world. Xavier was the only one that knew who she was, her husband once and always, no matter what their legal status might be. She hated that she had to keep up appearances, hide who she once was, but they needed the trump card.

  Humanity had little hope, just that thin glimmer that they were grasping futilely for. Even if they managed to repel this current invasion, an entire fleet awaited out in the stars, ready to crush them utterly. Kelly was one of many secrets held close, they couldn’t afford for anyone else to know the truth. The surgical team that performed the work were all killed in an accident within hours of departing. Yet another stain on her soul in the quest for humanity’s future.

  We lost. There is no sugar coating things. We only hope that where we failed, you might assist in changing the fate that has befallen your world. Stand, hold the line, and lead the way as the light through the coming dark.

  A pocket anomaly all of their own.

  Season One End

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