Disclaimer: The Power Rangers are the property of Disney. Superhuman Samurai Syber Squad is property of Bandai. TRON is property of Disney. Transformers are property of Hasbro.
War on two fronts
By The Q team
By The Q team
Somewhere above North Valley a chopper makes its way to the city.
On board its crew looks to determine what has happened in the city, and to determine if the corporation it serves had anything to do with any disaster that might have taken place.
It will have its answer soon enough.
Through the city streets, a family of four ran. A mother and her three children. An older brother, a middle sister, and the youngest son who was holding onto his mommy for dear life.
"Just hold on kids. We'll be safe soon." the mother said trying to sound reassuring, but was in reality scared to death. They were trying to head for the newly established monster shelters in North Valley. The high school being the established one for the people in the family's neighborhood. They ran as fast as they could hoping the black human sized monsters didn't get them. They did not want to be made into more of them, a fear shared by other citizens of their town.
When the Destrons appeared with their Swarmers before the family, and other citizens running, that fear became justified. -And to think I only was running from these jokers a few days ago.- the woman thought remembering the last time she faced these things with her kids. -Is this going to be a repeat occurance?-
The Destrons tore through North Valley destroying anything in their path. Kilokhan's creatures Maul, Rend and Mangle also scared people away as they chased them through the streets in their monster forms. Many tried to find safety in the alleyways only to run into herds of Swarmers looking to take them. The mother of three tried to find a place to hide her kids, only for three Swarmers to appear in the alleyway ready to feast.
"No!" The family of four shouted as the Swarmers approached. The Swarmers ready to consume the family into their beings, until a burst of headlights distracted them.
"They said no!" a voice behind the headlights shouted. The Swarmers didn't seem to be sure of what to do until the vehicle transformed and revealed a giant robot with a gun in its hand. A gun aimed at the Swarmers.
"Maybe you have a hearing problem." the robot said. A robot that was Servo Prime, who fired his weapon vaporizing the Swarmers. The Swarmers seemed to have no time to react as Servo Prime picked his shots. All the Swarmers were gone before them. Much to the family's delight.
The mother was relieved that her kids were safe again, and the kids thought it was cool to be saved by a metallic super hero. Servo Prime then turned to the family and said "How about a lift out of here?" as he transformed into his vehicle mode. "Cool!" the middle daughter said as she wasted no time climbing into Servo Prime's cab. The older brother followed, and after some prodding from the youngest, the mother decided to get inside too.
Servo Prime drove them clear from the attack. Streets and houses raced by as Servo Prime hoped to lead the family to safety. Soon they were on the outskirts of town and the family disembarked. "You guys going to be okay?" servo asked.
"Yes Mister Servo." the youngest son said. Servo was glad to hear the relief in the child's voice, but then he spoke to the parent. "It might be best if you kept going. The Destrons and the Swarmers could still spread out the attack out." The mother nodded and Servo Prime drove back into the city to deal with the Destrons.
"All right kids let's keep going." the mother said as she took her kids' hands with the youngest still holding onto his mother's neck. They didn't notice the other robotic like beings that appeared from behind them until it was too late.
Servo Prime raced back into the town as fast as he could hoping his friends were all right, and no one was captured by the Swarmers. He rolled into the downtown section to where he skidded in front of the first Destron he came across, Maul. Maul then looked at Servo Prime anxious to add the Cybertron leader to his trophy case.
"Destroy you I shall!" Maul said as he lunged towards Servo Prime. Servo Prime however was not about to let Maul have his victory so easily as he then transformed and squeezed off two shots sending his adversary back. Maul felt a rage build up in him and he made ready to charge Servo Prime but a drop kick from Tanker in his Cybertron mode knocked the Destron down for the count. Maul hit the ground hard, his cranial chips totally jarred.
"One down and three to go." Tanker said looking at the downed Destron. Servo Prime was back on his feet ready to continue the battle. "Let's see how the others are faring."
Tanker nodded at Servo Prime as the two searched out to find where Rend and Mangle were. Syd, Lucky and Amp were facing off against Rend and Mangle and holding their own. The odds turned in their favor when Servo Prime came in and started firing. Picking his shots carefully Servo Prime knocked down the two Destrons. He then brought his grid power to bear on the Swarmers, and they had evaporated upon contact. The Cybertrons were almost victorious.
"Now all we need is Kilokhan." Lucky said. "Wherever he is." Soon the Cybertrons found themselves in the shadow of what seemed to be a stealth bomber heading their way. A stealth bomber that was Kilokhan's vehicle transformation.
"You will meet your end meat things!" Kilokhan said as he swooped down from the sky. Concussion bursts erupted from the black stealth bomber causing the Cybertrons to scatter. From the bomber Kilokhan's voice echoed telling his Destron's to fall back and head back to Digitropolis. "I will deal with these meat things!" he said with a sneer as he made ready for another pass. Servo Prime brought his weapon to bear and made ready to fire. As Kilokhan fired his weapons, Servo Prime fired his sending Kilokhan reeling back. But Kilokhan was not about to be outdone by Servo Prime.
Kilokhan then made another pass ready to fire his weapons, only to run into a static electric field that was shorting out his systems. "What? Who dares?" he asked as scanned the skies for his adversary that was not Servo Prime.
"I dare!" an armored form said standing on top of a building. Servo Prime looked up and saw an armored female standing above them. Servo prime and Kilokhan could tell the wearer was female because the armor looked to be form fitting as it reflected every curve in her body. It was painted silver with a red trim added onto it, and it seemed to radiate power on an incredible level. So much so that the armor seemed to give off a sparkling electric aura that couldn't wait to get free.
Electric shocks protruded from the individual's fingers sending wave after wave of electricity into Kilokhan's frame. Kilokhan could not believe what he was seeing. A meat thing of power, and she was frying his systems. The energy surges screwed him up so much that the loss of direction was sending him careening out of control away from the city. Kilokhan managed to crash a safe distance away from everyone in North Valley.
"Uhhh thanks for the help!" Syd said. This didn't seem to sit well with the armored figure as she shot out more waves of power, taking down the Cybertrons this time.
The armored figure then hovered over the downed Cybertrons and said "Shortly I will end all your miserable existences forever. So swears Circuit Breaker!" She then ordered her armored legions to fly in and grab all the people that they could grab. At the snap of her fingers red and silver forms swooped down making their way to any member of the population that was in its view.
The armored forms grabbed more of the town's people, and carried them away. The Cybertrons were down, and it would take a few seconds for them to get back on line.
A few seconds too long as Circuit Breaker, and her exo squad flew away with her hostages.
Back at the house of Sam Collins the Cybertrons reverted back to their human identities, trying to lick their wounds from the last battle.
"Who was that woman?" Tanker asked. Syd asked "How did you know that was a woman?"
"The voice." Tanker explained. "It was a feminine voice."
"That doesn't mean a woman was inside that armor. She may just be broadcasting her voice." Sam explained.
"Oh I don't know bro." Lucky said. "I think it's a real girl in there. I mean I could see the curves in that armor"
"What?" Sam asked as his expression reflected shock.
"I will admit I didn't get a good look." Amp added. "But I do believe there is a female pilot in that suit."
"So not only do we have Kilokhan to deal with, but some armored psycho woman in a metal suit as well?" Sam asked. "How are we going to beat her?"
None of the Cybertrons had an answer.
In fact, at Digitropolis, Kilokhan was asking the same question.
"How am I going to contend with this meat thing that has appeared?" Kilokhan asked. "Where did she come from?"
"Don't know master!" Mangle said. His three Destrons begging for forgiveness. Kilokhan felt tired of the bootlicking and decided to send his Destrons away. His mind in quiet contemplation.
"Perhaps the answers are in the digital world." Kilokhan said. "With my advanced search abilities I should be able to find this meat thing's identity in no time." Kilokhan made his way to his seat of command and sat down in contemplation trying to determine the identity of the woman known as Circuit Breaker.
ENCOM warehouse
Reconfigured to be Circuit Breaker's fortress.
The woman looked around at her surroundings. There were lots of people all being herded into some sort of holding pens, by the red armored machines. People struggled against them only to receive electric shocks designed to take the fight out of them before they were tossed into the pen awaiting whatever fate was in store for them.
In her arms were her three children, huddled close to her sad and afraid. The oldest son was supposed to say for the kids to not be such crybabies, but the truth was that he was just as scared as his siblings were. The middle daughter spoke saying "I want to go home mommy. Let's get out of here."
"I know sweetie." the mother said. "We'll get home. Don't worry." Just then a man came up acting all hysterical saying "What am I doing here? What is going on?!" Another person came to the guy's side and said "Hey dude, relax."
"Relax? RELAX?!!! HOW CAN I RELAX? I MEAN ONE MINUTE WE'RE BEING CHASED BY ONE SET OF MONSTERS, AND THE NEXT WERE HOSTAGES OF ANOTHER SET!!! "HOW CAN I RELAX?!!! The man became very hysterical until the woman came up and slapped the man across the face. "Get a hold of yourself!" she said with a hard glare. "I know you're scared right now. There isn't a one of us in here that isn't scared. But what you are doing is not helping anyone. I have no idea why we were brought here. None of us want to be here, but your whining and screaming like a little bitch will not help anyone. So shut up and stop scaring everyone! Is that clear?" The man nodded and went to another corner to huddle in fear. The woman did the same hoping to relax her children.
"Thanks mommy." the oldest son said as he hugged the woman. The other kids did the same until they noticed something out of a cell window. It was another person being brought before a platform of some kind.
Down below the prisoner, who was a lawyer, was being herded into the chamber the mother and her three kids were watching from. The man tried to fight out of the grip of two metal Dynamos as he was placed on a platform. He looked up in fear and saw Josie dressed in a white lab coat and her regular clothes looking impassively at the frightened man. "What are you going to do to me lady?" the frightened man asked. Josie walked around and looked at her prisoner seeing no reason to be dishonest.
"You are going to join my army." Josie said. "After I determine what purpose you will serve."
"Purpose? What purpose?" the man asked not knowing what Josie was talking about.
"Whether you'll be among my forces in the real world...or the digital one." With that Josie turned her attention towards the digitizing laser which she was having powered up and ready for use. The man, not sure what was happening but knowing it wasn't good, tried to find some avenue of escape, but finding none, as the Dynamos were surrounding the platform.
When the laser was fully charged Josie aimed it at the man and said "Don't worry, you won't feal a thing. The real suffering will happen on the game grid." The man wondered what Josie was talking about, but didn't get an answer as Josie fired the laser.
The family watched in horror as immediately the man's body was digitized into a grid pattern and the laser struck out at bits of his body turining his form into data and transmitting it into the 5-11 computer. The hands, the arms, the legs, torso, and chest were all struck by the laser beam and the man was totally digitized into the computer ready for transmission. A transmission Josie immediately ordered.
Josie looked at the readouts and monitored the man's descent. Soon she found that the man had arrived at his destination...the game grid. "We'll see how resilient he is." Josie said. "After he deals with my combat programs." Up above the family watched what happened, their reactions were a mix of curiosity and horror.
Josie spent much time making use of the 5-11's capabilities. She had used it to acquire computer and security programs for the 5-11 to build her digital forces. She was also able to reformat the warehouse into a manufaturing plant to bring forth more Dynamo robots. Some had already dealt with the Cybertrons and the Destrons to where she had made her presence known. She would want to be ready to deal with them soon.
But despite all that Josie felt she didn't have enough. She needed more. While programs had their uses, they also were limited in her mind. They only acted on what was programmed into them. She remembered the story of Kevin Flynn and decided a human factor might be needed in her plans. Human programs that could enter other computers, and serve as the program for her own Dynamo robots.
So she had her Dynamos capture people in North Valley. Already they had quite a few. Even the security guard who visited, and the trucker that brought her to North Valley in the first place. Once there Josie had them digitized and sent to an area of the system that was inactive for years, but Josie had reactivated.
The Game Grid.
It was here that humans proved their adaptability and tenaciousness against the killer programs Josie had aquired in deadly contests. Human fought for their lives in games ranging from Light Cycles where combatants rode cycles that left walls of light for the opponent to crash into, to Enemy Tanks where combatants fought in tanks trying to destroy one another, to enter the program cone where antiviral blocks protected the cone and the program had to blast through them, the Ring Game where combatants fought on rings suspended in the air above a deep chasm, and fight to the Transport tower which was where Josie determined one's fitness as combatants fought against defence programs out to destroy any invaders. Some survived the brutal contests, others did not.
The security guard didn't. The trucker didn't.
But still she needed more.
"Send for me another recriut!" Josie ordered a Dynamo robot. The robot turned and made his way to the holding area. Once there it opened the door, and selected its new victim.
Its sensors scanned all the people, all of them had a scared look in their eyes. But the level of fear didn't matter to the Dynamo robot, only choosing the right candidate. Soon its sensors came to what it believed was the ideal candidate-the mother of three.
The Dynamo reached out and grabbed the woman. The kids all shouted "Don't go mommy! Don't take her away!" The Dynamo did not heed those cries as it instead charged up its gauntlets, and made ready to fire at the three kids.
"STOP!!! the woman shouted. The Dynamo hesitated as it turned to face the woman. The woman looked the robot in the sensor and said "I'll go with you peacefully. Just don't hurt my children." The Dynamo considered the request and found it reasonable. Immediately it escorted the woman out of the cell. The three kids made ready to follow, but the mother stopped them.
"Kids stay here." the woman said. The middle daughter pleaded "But mommy, the bad woman will make you dissapear."
"Don't argue Miranda." the woman said. "Just stay here and keep safe. I'll be fine." She then turned to the Dynamo and said "All right, let's go." With that the Dynamo herded her out of the holding cell. The three kids looked out from the vantage point to see what was going down below.
The mother was escorted onto the platform looking up to where Josie stood. Josie looked down at the mother and said "Well you didn't put up much of a struggle."
"I'm only cooperating for my children." the woman said. "If you keep them safe, you can do whatever you want with me." Josie looked down at the woman and said "You are in no position to make demands."
"I am if you want me to co-operate with what you're doing." the woman said. "Do what you want with me, but let my children go." Josie considered the words and then decided "All right. I'll make sure your children are safe."
"No. You'll let them go!" the woman said. Josie listened then nodded. "All right, I'll let them go." The woman nodded and made ready for what Josie was about to do. "Do your worst." she said.
"Don't worry. I will." Josie said as she charged the laser again and fired the beam. The laser struck the woman breaking her down into data bits on a grid and the laser absorbed those bits into the computer sending her inside. The three kids watched in horror as their mother dissapeared from the physical reality. Tears flowing down their faces.
Josie looked up and saw the kids looking down at her. Sadness and hatred in their eyes as they saw what she did to their mother. Josie went to a Dynamo and said "Prepare the children for their release...into the system." The Dynamo went to get the children and prepare them to be digitized themselves.
"They want to play games, let them live in one." Josie said with a smile. "The Ring Games could use some competition." Josie thought about all her forces, her Dynamos, programs, and digitized people. She realized she had a growing army, an army evolving through technology and natural selection. Where the weak are eliminated, and the strong are cultivated. An army that could conquer two worlds, the real world and the digital world.
Yet she felt she still needed more. Something the MCP had. For all its knowledge and power, it had to get more power from a source beyond that of a normal computer, or computer program.
-It couldn't have acquired all that information on its own. It had power from somewhere.- Josie thought. She needed to knowhow the MCP did what it did, and Josie knew of only one way to do it.
Go back into the computer and check out the MCP's site.
"Clear the platform!" Josie ordered as the Dynamos backed away. Josie inputed a series of commands and took off her lab coat as she made her way towards the platform herself. Once on she stood on the platform waiting for the laser to fire. Once the countdown was finished the laser fired digitizing Josie and transporting her into the computer world.
The three kids, who watched their mommy dissapear, watched Josie dissapear as she was sent back into her digital domain.
No matter how many times she would make the transition, Josie never got past the spectacle that took place before her eyes as she crossed over from the real world to the digital world. The colors, the spectacle, the patterns of light and energy. It seemed to her that she was more alive inside the computer than she was outside it as she felt energized as the crossover occured. Her body becoming a mix of matter and energy that she could use to reach out across the digital world and accomplish what could only be classed as miracles.
It was like Josie Belle could become a goddess. A goddess in a world that was always a part of her life.
Soon Josie approached her digital palace and on the platform she arrived on. She was greeted by a guard program and she immediately ordered transportation to the site of where the MCP was. The guard obeyed and soon Josie's carrier was brought to the dock outside the palace. Immediately Josie boarded and the carrier made its way across the digital world.
As Josie travelled, she saw how much of the world seemed to reflect her own. There were areas that seemed to reflect cities, with programs going about their daily routines. Seas connected by laser beams, which allowed information to travel from sector to sector all across the system. And pathways where memory, programs and data travelled along. Josie looked at the world before her and found it good.
Soon they came to their destination, where the MCP was housed, at what was once the heart of the whole ENCOM system. Now however it was a part of Josie's system, and there were mysteries to solve. Josie ordered the carrier to descend and she disembarked when the ship set down.
Josie looked around the area where the MCP had once resided. The fortress that housed the powerful program was long gone. All that remained was something of a stone obliesk that looked something out of Ancient Egypt with a typewriter facing it. There was a hole in the obliesk that looked like a face was in it once, but it was not there now. The obliesk now served as a gravestone to mark where the MCP had stood, and where it had fallen at the hands of TRON.
However Josie had since changed the obilesk into a chair. A chair she used to open her mind to the computer world and access its power. Josie approached the chair touching it with her fingers, tracing the grooves and curves in it. The chair seemed cold and dead as the obilesk it once was, but as Josie traced the patterns of the chair those same patterns seemed to glow red at her touch. Almost as if it was becoming energized by Josie's energy.
Josie withdrew her hand as she remembered the story of TRON as it was told to her. Of how TRON faced the MCP and all the challenges it had to offer. From barricades around its central core, to an enlarged version of a program named SARK. It was only when the user the MCP digitized into the computer, Kevin Flynn, disrupted the MCP's functions was TRON able to launch his disk into the MCP's central core that caused its destruction.
"Master Control Program where did you go wrong?" Josie asked looking down at the chair. -Did the MCP believe that it was so invulnerable that nothing could touch it? Whether program or user?- Josie pondered the question when her hand reached out to touch the chair and then suddenly the tracing seemed to illuminate as if reacting to her touch. It was then that the chair drew back revealing a hatchway underneath the stone.
Josie looked at the stairway and immediately started to descend the stairs. The luninescence of her own body lighted the path before her until she came across another luminescence that didn't come from her. Immediately Josie made her way towards it.
When she reached the end she saw a sword hovering over what seemed to be an information node. A node connected to some power conduits that seemed to be connected to the higher functions of the MCP. -This must be what allowed him to maintain such control over the system.- Josie thought. -And what allowed him to raid other systems as well.-
Josie recalled her history of computers back in the early eighties. As far as she knew the computer age was in its infancy back then. There was no internet. Computers usually talked to each other through computer modems connected to phone lines, and a modem was something of a luxury to have. Computer worlds were self contained within their respective systems with little to no contact with another system. -It must have been amazing for the MCP to have done what it did, and to have the power to pull it off.- Josie looked at the sword before her, and figured there must have been more to the sword than what met the eye.
Josie looked at the sword before her and reached out to touch it. Lightning seemed to erupt from the beam it was suspended in but Josie still brought her hand forward. Finally she grabbed the hilt of the sword and pulled it out causing a massive flash of light to erupt throughout the chamber.
Josie marvelled at the sword's construction as she felt it overwhelm her. Knowledge, power, and understanding all flooded into her brain. This was the secret to the MCP's power. This was what had helped elevate it from being an ordinary chess program into the massive program that it was. Originally it was meant for a being of the digital world, but thanks to the digitizing laser Josie was a digital being herself, and able to handle(and perhaps control) the sword's energy.
The VR Sword was now in Josie Belle's hands. Its power was now hers to command.
She was now a user with more power than any user could have imagined.
Immediately she went to the carrier where she ordered the crew to take her back to the palace. She had her weapon, and she wanted to see what it could do.
Upon arrival Josie made her way to the I/O tower port where a game was getting ready to take place. It was with a young teenager who was getting ready to fight her way to the tower and see if the pathway led to freedom or not. Trying to place a face with the name Josie remembered the girl to be pretty in the real world, blond hair, wiry build, not exactly homecoming queen but not a 'dowdy girl' either.
Josie looked at the girl and was intrigued as she stood ready for the contest to begin. She was a mathlete, good with numbers and programs, but had only minor athletic achievement. Still it was enough for her to brave the Ring Game, a 3 on 1 Light Cycle contest, a tank game and a vanquishing of an opponent in the rings. But still Josie wondered how good the girl was, and then she had an idea.
"Stop the game!" she ordered. The program stopped and the obstacles that stood between the girl and the I/O tower didn't leave their spots. Josie then crossed over to the girl and studied her. "Who are you?" Josie asked.
"Amanda." the girl said. Her armor was blue reflecting that of a common program, even though she was a user and had the powers of one. Josie's body suit paled in comparison to Amanda's armor. On Amanda's right arm was a blaster ready to fire at the creatures blocking her from what seemed to be freedom. But right now she considered using it on Josie.
"You don't like it here do you?" Josie asked. "You want to be free don't you?" Amanda couldn't help but nod.
"I'll tell you what. I'll race you to the I/O tower. I'll fight the creatures along with you, and if you beat me before I make it you can ride the beam back to the real world. But if the time expires then you stay here. Deal?" Amanda considered the words and said "Deal."
Soon a blaster appeared on Josie's right arm, and the game started. The clock started as seconds ticked by and the defence programs spread out cutting off Josie and Amanda from the I/O port. Josie and Amanda fought off the creatures by blasting them as they crossed their path. The creatures exploded as Josie and Amanda struck them and the two edged quickly towards the I/O port. Josie fought hard, but it seemed like Amanda would win. Once she was close to the transport circle Amanda walked over in triumph, but just as she was about to enter a shot from Josie struck her in the back sending her down.
Josie walked past the downed Amanda and walked into the circle. Immediately Josie rode up a pathway of rainbow colored light as she headed on back to the real world leaving Amanda behind. Amanda got up and turned to see the creatures coming her way. Her last thought were the creatures coming towards her before she dissolved into a series of energy particles.
Back in the real world the laser erupted sending Josie back into reality and reforming her body. Again she was in her human form and in her hand was the prize she had brought out with her-the VR Sword. "It worked." Josie smiled as she looked at her latest treasure. It brought great power to the MCP in the digital world, it would bring great power to her as well.
Not only in the digital world, but the real world as well.
Josie then looked at the time and noticed it was almost time for school to start. Immediately she went to her quarters and changed her clothes. Once she was ready she placed her new sword on her mantle and secured the door so no one would get in to take it from her. Once her code was laid in Josie made her way to North Valley High.
Above the fortress hovered the chopper from earlier. On board a photographer was taking pictures of the fortress below where the ENCOM chopper used to be. An engineer was on board with a laptop trying to interface whit the computer system, but to no avail.
"Anything else?" the pilot asked. The photographer looked at the computer technician and decided that they weren't going to get anywhere where they were now. "Let's head back. The board can make their decision."
The photographer nodded to the pilot. The pilot turned the chopper around and headed out of the North Valley area.
The next morning Sam was at his locker getting ready for his next class when the girl he admired, Heather, came up to him. "Hey Sam."
"Uhhh Heather. Hi." Sam said getting all tounge tied. "What can I do for you?" Even though his rival Malcolm Frink was long gone, Sam still felt weak in the knees when he was with her.
"Well I was just wondering if you wanted to go over our biology assignment later." Heather said. "I'm really having trouble getting some fundamentals down."
"Well I'd love to." Sam said. "But I have to cover some areas in Miss Beller's computer class." Heather's expression turned stern when she heard the name 'Miss Beller', almost as if an anger was building inside her where if she heard the name 'Miss Beller' again she would scream. "Heather are you okay?" Sam asked.
"No not really." Heather said as she turned towards Sam. "It's just that I'm tired of hearing so much about 'Miss Beller'. How she's so hot. How she's so beautiful. How she keeps her skirt up so boys can drool over her. Heather let out a deep hard breath as she turned towards Sam. "I swear, it's like every guy in school has a crush on her. What is this spell she's got on people?"
Sam didn't answer the question. He couldn't, for he wasn't totally sure Heather wasn't wrong. He tried to say something to her but just as Sam was ready to speak he was interrupted by another voice.
"Mr. Collins." the voice of Josie Belle called out coming up from behind Sam. Sam turned around and said hello to Josie, much to Heather's chagrin who rolled her eyes at the sight of Sam making friendly with the computer teacher. "Hey Miss Beller. What can I get you?"
"Well." Josie said kind of admiring how Sam got weak in the knees. "You left your computer test in class. I thought I'd hand it back to you." Josie held out the test paper and Sam took it. Sam thanked her and then asked a question. "Uhhhh Miss Beller, can I...can I ask you something?"
Josie turned around and said it would be all right. Sam did his best to continue the conversation. "Uhhh there is a friend I have...and she..." Just as Sam was about to speak the bell rang.
"Looks like it's time to go to your next class." Josie said. "Would you like to finish this conversation another time?"
"Uhhh sure." Sam said. "When would be a good time for you?"
"The lunch room? 5th period?"
"It's a date." Sam said. "Well it's not a 'date' date, it's more of a...discussion date, or more like a..." Josie raised her hand and said "I get your meaning."
"Fine then I'll see you at 5th period." Sam said as Josie left. Sam made ready to leave as well after he said "See you later Heather" to his girlfriend. Heather watched Sam leave as she felt her anger start to build up in her. Never had Sam treated her like that. -Who does he think he is?- Heather thought. -And who does that woman think SHE is?-
Heather continued to glare at the hallway Sam dissapeared down as her friend Yolie came up to her, apparently seeing everything that took place. "Girl can you believe that?"
"I know." Heather said. "Isn't it illegal to come onto a student like that?"
"And what is Sam thinking meeting her in the lunchroom like that?" Yolie then asked. "I swear he acts like all the guys in the school when it comes to her."
"Oh is that why attendance in computer class has shot up?" Heather asked sarcastically. "Because of the 'hot' teacher?"
"A hot teacher after your man. What are you going to do about it?" Yolie then asked. Heather thought for a few seconds then decided "I'm going to follow them. I'm going to see what Miss Beller is all about."
"Yeah that's my girl." Yolie said cheering her friend on. Heather made her way to the lunch room.
In the lunchroom at school Josie saw Sam sitting at the table and went to meet him. All the while ignoring the looks the lunch lady was giving her. Everytime Josie looked in her direction it seemed like the lady was giving her a glareing look. Almost as if she immediately saw something wrong. Josie was not sure how to take that look as anything but a slight against her.
-Oh well I'll deal with her later- Josie thought making sure some Dynamos were sent after the lunch lady some time in the future. Josie smiled inwardly as she imagined how the lunch lady would do in a Light Cycle match. Josie then searched the lunch room and found Sam sitting at the table. Wasting no time Josie went to sit across from him.
"Hello Mr. Collins." Josie said sitting down. Sam looked surprised to see her, as a teacher was never known to sit with students in the lunch room. "Miss Beller, isn't this a little...informal?"
"Don't worry." Josie said. "I'm just looking to finish our conversation. It's not like we're dating." With that Sam blushed and Josie thought it looked cute. "Sorry if I embarrassed you."
"No it's okay." Sam said. "The rumor is that you are the hottest item around the guys locker room these days though." Now it was Josie's turn to blush. "Sorry, I didn't think I looked that ravishing." Sam shook his head in disbelief. "Are you kidding? Miss Beller, a lot of kids think you're a knockout."
"Really?" Josie asked. "I...never thought so."
"You really should look in the mirror sometime." Sam said looking at Josie's face, hair and figure. In his eyes she was a beauty. "I mean, if I were a few years older, or you a few years younger. And I wasn't dating Heather, I'd be dying to take you out." Josie and Sam then locked eyes as if feeling a sort of connection forming. Both quickly broke away not liking where it could have led.
"Sorry Miss Belle." Sam said as he tried to get back on task. "I was wondering about something though."
"Go ahead." Josie said. "I've got nothing to hide."
"Yeah well, my friend Sydney was wondering about something." Sam then brought out a folder and showed Josie the contents within. "What's this?" Josie asked as she opened the folder.
Inside were news clippings, and pictures of young Josie Belle, along with her sister Jessie. The articles reflected the acomplishments of the two teen computer prodigies, as well as Josie's accident on the Blackrock oil rig that left her paralyzed. The folder also contained an obituary telling of Jessie Belle's death. Josie looked through the pages and articles, and found her mind going back to each and every instance that those articles covered. Especially her sister's funeral and how she told the Power Rangers how much she hated them.
-But this is another time and place.- Josie thought as she put the folder away. -I must focus on the here and now.- "This is all well and good Mr. Collins, but what does this have to do with me?" Josie asked trying not to show any recognition to the clips in the folder.
"Well my friend Syd said that you reminded her of Josie Belle. You even look like her in this picture." Sam pointed to a picture and Josie smiled. "Good detective work Mr. Collins, but you forgot one thing."
"Yes?" Sam asked.
"I'm not in a wheelchair." Josie said. Sam looked to blush but Josie just shrugged it off. "Don't worry, I get that all the time. I just have to point out that I can walk and the matter usually drops."
"Uhhh sure thing Miss Belle." Sam said trying to sound convincing.
"Please, call me Josie." Josie said with a smile as she then kissed Sam's hand. Sam looked wide eyed as it looked like his computer teacher was coming onto him. -Isn't that illegal?- he asked himself. Sam had no time to question further as he soon found himself looking deep into Josie's eyes. The next thing he knew Josie came forward bringing her lips to Sam's giving a soft kiss. Sam accepted the kiss and returned it briefly.
As they kissed both Sam and Josie detected something within the other. An energy. A power. One Sam knew so well, and one Josie was beginning to know. Soon Sam became conflicted as he felt himself becoming lost in Josie's kiss. He had his love for Heather, and he never wanted to forget that. Quickly Sam broke away almost throwing Josie back. Sam looked at Josie as in in horror. But not in horror of Josie, but of what he himself was about to do.
"Ohh I'm sorry if I embarrased you. I don't know what came over me." Josie said as if what had happened was no big deal. But to Sam it was. His teacher had comeonto him. And she kissed him with a kiss that was unlike any he had felt before.
"I'd better be going. I think we both need a cold shower" Josie said as she got up out of the chair and walked away. Sam watched Josie leave totally stunned and after a minute Syd came out. "Sam? Are you all right?"
"What just happened?" Sam asked. "Did my computer teacher....just kiss me?"
"It looked like it." Syd said. "But what happened? Why were you in that liplock for so long?"
"It's...hard to explain." Sam said. "It was like...she was...alive...charged with so much...energy. Almost as if...every molecule in her was alive...and...illuminating...kind of like...in the digital world."
"What are you saying?" Syd asked. "Are you saying that Josie Beller is a digital being that crossed over into our world?" Sam thought for a moment and mulled the information over in his mind.
From what they knew Josie Belle was a computer genius. Computers were part of the Belle family's life. Could it have been possible that Josie had found a way in herself? It didn't seem possible.
"We've seen a lot of weird things happen around here. All of us." Sam said. "After all, we crossed over into the computer world. Whose to say no one else could? And be able to walk again as well?"
"So you think Miss Beller is actually Josie Belle?" Syd asked. Sam looked at Syd and said "I'm sure that she is. But she's not what the newspapers have made her out to be." The kiss still fresh in his mind
"We'd better let the other guys know." Sam said as he and Syd left the lunch room. But just as they were leaving Heather and Yolie came out from behind the potted plant and cut them off. "Hello Sam." Heather said in a nonchalant manner.
"Saw you kissing the teacher." Yolie said. "You want to tell us what that was about?"
"Girls. It's not what you think." Sam said trying not to studder. Heather crossed in front of Sam and said "Oh really? It looked like a teacher was coming on to you, and planted her lips on you."
"Okay maybe it is what it looks like." Sam said. Heather then added "And it also looks like you had enjoyed it a little too much."
"That's not true." Syd said in Sam's defence. "Sam broke the kiss as soon as he could. He loves you Heather."
"Then what's this you wanted to talk to her about?" Heather said pointing to the file in Sam's arms. Heather looked at the file as if quietly saying that she wanted to see the contents inside. Sam shook his head wondering if that was a good idea. "Uhhh I'm not sure that's a good idea."
"Come on Collins. Cough it up." Yolie said. Syd then spoke up and said "Sam we have no time for this. Let them see the file."
"But what if we're right about her?" Sam said. Syd then turned to Heather and Yolie and said "You girls stay away from Miss Beller. If she's trouble I don't want you guys getting hurt."
"We'll see who hurts who." Yolie said. "But we'll stay away from her for now." Syd sighed and handed the file to Heather and Yolie. Then she and Sam split. "See you later heather. We'll talk!" Sam called out.
"Yeah sure." was all Heather said as she and Yolie went to the empty table where the file still lay. "All right Sam, let's see what you wanted to share with her." Heather said as she opened the file and looked over all the Belle information. Like Sam, Heather was stunned by what she saw.
"What is it girl?" Yolie asked.
"I don't know." Heather said. "Either Miss Beller is a big con, or she managed to pull off some kind of miracle cure for paralysis." Heather shared the file with Yolie and Yolie couldn't believe it either.
"You think Miss Beller is this Josie Belle?" Yolie asked as she read the file. "How can that be? Josie Belle is in a wheelchair."
"I don't know." Heather said. "But I seem to think that she is."
"How?" Yolie asked. "She's a cripple."
"Yolie, this town has had weird things happen before due to computers. Remember one time where we all forgot who we were? Or how about the time we were all digitized on computer disks? Those were all computer related." Heather explained. But Yolie still wondered what this had to do with Josie Beller, or Josie Belle if Heather was right.
"If a computer virus could make people do all those things, why couldn't it make someone walk?" Heather asked. Yolie had to admit that idea seemed to make sense. "But why change her name? And why move all the way to North Valley?"
"Well North Valley does have computer problems." Heather said. "But the name change, your guess is as good as mine. Maybe she's got something to hide."
"Like what?" Yolie asked.
"That's something we need to find out." Heather said. "You have an address for Miss Beller?"
"Yeah, found it in school records." Yolie said bringing forth a slip of paper which had Josie's address at the ENCOM warehouse. "Well let's go." Heather said as she and Yolie left taking the file with them.
Outside the school Josie also mused over the kiss she shared with Sam Collins. Her mind musing on so many different questions and sensations. Chief amoung them was wondering if she hadn't just gone mad.
-I....I kissed a student! I kissed a teenager! Why? Why did I do that?- Josie asked herself. Had she fallen so far into grief that she was starting to seduce high school students?
-I don't know. You tell me.-
Josie heard a voice in the back of her mind. She knew the voice was hers, but what was it trying to say.
-Have you forgotten me so soon? Have you forgotten who you were?-
Josie turned and saw a sight she couldn't believe. A little girl, at the age of six, cast in the image of her when she was a child yet dressed in the same outfit Josie was wearing now. A blouse with beige mini skirt and red shoes. -Who are you?- she mentally asked the image.
-It's kind of nice that you're asking with your mind, since that's where all this is coming from. But that probably won't mean that people don't think you're crazy.- the girl said. Josie still pressed the question. -Who are you?-
-Isn't it obvious? Even after all the baby pictures around the house you don't recognize your own face when you see it?- Josie reeled back in horror at what was being implied. -No. No you can't be me. You're not real.-
-I'm as real as you want me to be.- the girl said. -And apparently you want me to be pretty real right now.-
Josie was still in denial. -No. You can't be me. You're in the past.-
-And your present is any better?- The girl continued to press forward. -What have you become since the accident? You have become bitter. Angry and twisted. So much so that you can't even tell what's real anymore. All you have is hate, and that is not necessarily the path to rational thought.-
Josie said nothing as the girl continued to speak. -Look at you now. You've gone to being a computer prodigy to being a mass murderer. Now you're going from being a mass murderer to seducing a student. What's next? Cheerleaders?-
Josie tried to shake the thoughts out of her head, forget that this aspect of hers even was speaking to her, but her mind still turned to one thing.
The kiss.
She never expected to do it, but when she kissed the hand she felt an energy from it. And when she and Sam kissed briefly she tasted the energy that came from him. Like Josie Sam seemed to be charged with life, almost as if he had an illumination in his body. An illumination she could taste. It was so strange. So new.
-I cannot think like this.- Josie thought. -I must turn my mind away from this.- Josie closed her eyes trying to get her bearings when she heard an engine roar by. Immediately she saw Servo Prime racing out of the school lot. Josie smiled grateful for the distraction Servo Prime provided from her own emotions.
Now she could go back to an emotion she knew well. Hate.
-You think it's going to be that easy?- the girl smiled appearing by Josie's side. -I'm not going to go away that easily. In fact I'm going to pop up again when you least expect it. Someone has to save you from yourself.- Josie then turned her head and soon the little girl dissapeared. -It's just a hallucination.- Josie thought. -I'll be fine once I accomplish my goals here.-
She then raced to where she had stashed her Circuit Breaker exo, and suited up. She then took to the sky in pursuit of Servo Prime.
Sam left school immediately and transformed into Servo Prime to race back to his home. Syd left and took a different way back to Sam's place. As Servo Prime drove he saw a car folloing him. A car that belonged to Heather.
"Wonder why Heather is following me?" Servo Prime asked himself. Heather and Yolie were wondering as well as they found themselves following the Cybertron.
"I don't believe it." Yolie said as she sat behind the driver's seat. "We pull out of school, and we're behind Servo Prime." Heather smiled and rolled her eyes as she noticed the irony of being behind a super hero. "Let's get an autograph later. Right now we need to get to Miss Beller's, or Miss Belle's, or whoever she's calling herself this week." Yolie agreed and kept her focus on the road.
Servo Prime watched Heather and Yolie following and hoped they would turn off soon when a shot blasted nearby almost forcing him off the road. Servo stopped and scanned who would be firing. Quickly he transformed to get a better view. "All right, who's attacking?"
"I am!" a voice said from above. Servo Prime looked up and saw an armored figure descending from the sky. Servo Prime looked at his opponent and recognized the armored form of Circuit Breaker. "What's the matter? Did you come alone?" Servo Prime said noticing the lack of henchmen.
"My Dynamos are nearby." Circuit Breaker said. "But I want you to face me alone. Show you my true powers." Circuit Breaker then reached out and pulled out her VR Sword, which seemed to shine with energy and life, and brought it to aim at Servo Prime. "Nice sword." Servo Prime said looking at the blade.
"Too bad it's the last thing you'll ever see." Circuit Breaker then pointed the sword directly at Servo Prime and fired. Servo Prime ducked the shot and brought forth his blaster. He then fired a round at Circuit Breaker who also dodged the shot.
"Not bad." Circuit Breaker said. "Let's even the odds." She then held the sword up and more energy erupted from the sword as her size seemed to change. Circuit Breaker seemed to appear to grow into an armored giant as the VR Sword took in more power allowing for Circuit Breaker's growth. When the growing stopped Circuit Breaker stood as tall as tge Cybertron did. A match for Servo Prime.
"I got this sword from the digital world" Circuit Breaker said as she looked at the sword affectionately. "It allowed me to control everything that happened there. And now in the real world I see it still has unmatched power." Circuit Breaker made ready to deliver a strike which Servo Prime dodged, then he followed up with a cross across Circuit Breaker's armored faceplate. Circuit Breaker felt she was in a fight and smiled. She hoped to be able to beat Servo Prime soon.
Off to the side Heather and Yolie watched as the giants fought it out. Each one wondering who would win. Yolie hoped it would be Servo Prime, as did Heather.
But for some reason Heather hoped more than Yolie did, for a reason she couldn't explain. "You all right girl?" Yolie asked.
"Yeah." Heather said. "I just had a feeling I knew Servo Prime from somewhere. But I'm not sure where." Heather continued to wonder as Servo Prime continued to fight getting in a strike against Circuit Breaker that knocked her helmet off. Servo Prime was surprised, to say the least, to see the face behind the villain.
The villain that had the face of his teacher Miss Beller. Off to the side Heather and Yolie shared Servo Prime's disbelief. "Oh man." Heather said.
"Yeah. Our teacher's a super villain." Yolie added. Servo Prime however continued to stare at the opponent across from him. "Miss Beller?" Servo Prime asked.
"Actually it's Miss 'Belle'." Josie said. "And now to find out who you are." Josie aimed her VR Sword at Servo Prime, and the power surge caused him to revert back to the human form of Sam Collins. Josie looked down reverting back to her normal size and was amazed. Also she figured out why Sam's kiss was so...lively.
For beings of the digital world they are beings of energy as well as beings of matter. When Josie and Sam kissed they tasted one another's energy. Josie then crossed in front of Sam and looked down on him. "So Mr. Collins. I guess you were Servo Prime, and no threat to me."
Heather and Yolie looked out from their hiding place to see Sam Collins laying on the ground. Disbelief in their eyes. "Sam?" Heather said not sure she could believe what her eyes were telling her.
That Sam Collins, the boy she was interested in, was Servo Prime.
Sam looked up and shouted "Heather get back!"
"No!" Josie said hovering from above. "Take them!" she ordered her armored Dynamos. Soon a squad came and grabbed Heather and Yolie. "Hey let go of me you tin freak!" Yolie shouted.
"Silence!" Josie shouted and then looked down at Sam. "If you want them, face me in the digital world. I will know when you arrive." With that Josie flew away with her Dynamos. Heather and Yolie were their prisoners.
"HEATHER!!! YOLIE!!!" Sam shouted. But it was too late. They were already gone.
Digitropolis
Kilokhan sat in his chamber going over the data as it came to him. The data that had Servo Prime attacked by by a mysterious armored woman, and had two of Servo Prime's friends taken away. They were not of the Cybertrons, but Servo Prime did have a weakness when it came to 'meat-things'. -A weakness that is easily exploited.- he thought to himself.
But all the same he was not sure of who the woman was, and there have been intrusions into his own digital mainframe by mysterious programs looking to gain access to his secrets. He had been trying to get access to them, but he was able to find the area of the digital world that the woman seemed to claim for her own.
-Perhaps it's time I met her.- Kilokhan thought as he hooked himself up to an immersion system built in his seat of command. Kilokhan felt himself leave the real world and reenter his original home. The digital domain.
ENCOM Corporation
Main Headquarters
The chopper was setting down on the roof of the ENCOM building where the helipad was located. At the base of the helipad was a junior executive waiting to see what information the operative brought back with him.
Once the chopper had landed the operative got out and greeted the young executive. Immediately the executive asked for a status report.
"I need to speak to the board of directors immediately!" the operative said. "We have a crisis situation out in North Valley."
Josie's fortress
Consciousness returned slowly to Heather and Yolie as they got up to look around their surroundings. "Oh man what hit me?" Heather asked.
"I don't know girlfriend." Yolie answered. But I hope it was none of this stuff." Heather and Yolie looked around to find technology of all kinds surrounding them. Exos, hardware, the place looked to be a technocrats paradise. And facing them dead on was the digitizing laser.
And above them Josie stood, VR Sword in hand, standing like a judge ready to pass sentence. Out of her armor she looked like their computer sciences teacher, but the girls now knew there was more to Josie than met the eye. And now she had a sword in her hand that could do...who knew what.
"You shouldn't have followed me." Josie said as she descended from a makeshift balcony down a flight of stairs. "I had plans. Plans that call for no intervention from anyone."
"You won't get away with whatever you're doing Miss Beller!" Yolie stood defiantly. Josie smiled as she looked down at Yolie and Heather. "First off, my last name is not Beller...It's Belle!"
"Your name is Josie Belle?" Heather asked remembering the name from the file Sam had. Then she remembered what the name meant as she heard the name cross her mind from a computer magazine she once read at cheer practice. "But that's impossible!"
"Rest assured I am not the cripple the magazines have made me out to be." Josie said. "I have been healed by great powers. And I aim to use this town as my stepping stone for my ultimate revenge. Against the Power Rangers."
"You invaded North Valley so you can attack the Power Rangers?" Yolie asked surprised. "But they're in Angel Grove!"
"Servo Prime will be my stepping stone to the conquering the Rangers." Josie said. "Once my armies are at full strength in both the digital and real worlds the Rangers will fall."
"Servo will stop you!" Heather said as if hoping against hope. Josie just smiled. "I'd like to see him try. He's just a machine, and I have a way with machines. But now what to do with you?" Josie looked around and cast her eyes on the digitizing laser. Josie entered commands on her computer and quickly the laser was activating, gaining its charge with each passing second.
The digitizing laser was then aimed at Heather and Yolie. Yolie was in its targeted sights first. "What are you going to do?" she asked. Josie looked up and smiled.
"Why I'm going to put you down on the game grid of course." Josie then backed away as the laser charged up. Once it was ready to fire Josie gave it the command for it to do so.
The laser struck Yolie and then digitized her body into the ENCOM computer. Heather watched as bit by bit the laser struck her friend making her slowly dissapear until finally there was nothing left of her. Yolie was gone.
"YOLIE!!!" Heather shouted as she saw her friend dissapear.
"And now for you." Josie said as she brought the laser to bear against Heather. The beam fired and Heather knew no more. She too vanished from the real world as she was digitized into the computer.
For a few seconds there was total blackness as the world around the two girls named Heather and Yolie collapsed. Then suddenly, as if there were an explosion of the senses, another world became open in a burst of shapes, colors, and light all swirling around before their peripheral vision.
The two girls felt their essences go down an illuminated corridor full of such changing shapes, and a myriad of colors. Energy surging from all around them in beautiful patterns as they felt themselves falling. Heather felt fear rise up in her from the fall, but she felt that she wasn't falling fast enough to warrent a panic. It was like the descent was controlled somehow. Heather wondered just who it was that controlled this descent.
Yolie felt the controlled descent too just as components flew towards them. Both girls felt the componets graft themselves to their individual beings as if attaching to their bodies. But for some reason Heather and Yolie didn't quite feel as if they had a physical form. At least not at the moment.
-What are we? Energy?- Heather asked herself. She felt herself having a being, yet also having more become part of her. She couldn't help but wonder what else was going to happen. Yolie also felt the same concerns.
Soon the world opened before the girls, and neither one could believe what they saw. Layers upon layers of structures. Bits and bytes of data flying by around layers, grids and blocks of information. The essences flew all around these presences as if brushing with living energy. Touching a new form of thought, a new form of life. For Heather and Yolie it was like blinders were taken off their eyes and they saw the universe in a way like they never have before.
Soon the girls felt themselves making their way to what looked like an intersection where beams of light and energy intersected. Yolie knew right away that they were entering what was described in the computer world as a node. A node both girls soon found themselves entering leading to a specific grid. A grid that Josie used for weeding out the weak from the strong. Heather and Yolie would find out which they were as their essences travelled down a corridor of light to their final destination.
On a platform Heather and Yolie both materialized. They looked down at themselves and found themselves covered in armored components that hummed with energy. Energy they themselves gave off. Energy from their own life forces.
Both girls looked around to see where they were but had no explanation. "Where are we?" Heather asked. "And what's happened to us?"
"You're asking me?" Yolie asked as two armored sentries came forward. "Move about programs." one of them said. Neither girl moved.
"I said move!" the guard said as he struck Heather with his staff causing a shock to surge through Heather's body. A shock that was very painful.
"Hey you want to try that with me?" Yolie asked getting into the sentries' face. She too met with a shock. The guards brought forth their staffs again indicating that they would strike again if they didn't move along. Reluctantly Heather and Yolie walked where the guards were herding them.
Soon both girls were herded into a dungeon where another 'program' was watching the new arrivals. "Inside programs." the sentry said.
"Who are you calling 'programs' program?" Yolie asked when she was struck in the chest and sent inside. Heather was forced in later, and both were soon separated from each other by force walls. Yolie was quick to get back on her feet and check on her friend, despite the force wall separating them.
"You okay girlfriend?" Yolie asked.
"I'm fine." Heather said. "Just...what is this place?"
"Don't know." Yolie answered. "Wish I did."
"You're a...guest...of Josie Belle." a voice from behind them said. "A guest brought here to prove your worthiness by fighting on the game grid." Heather and Yolie turned around to see a person behind them. A person dressed in similar armor as the girls were now wearing. But from what Heather and Yolie could make out they were looking at someone who was just a kid. "Who are you?" Yolie asked.
"My name's Miranda." the girl said. "I was brought here when my mom was along with the rest of my family. Mom came down to keep us safe, but the lady brought us down here anyway." Heather and Yolie couldn't believe what they heard. Children fighting in a computer game? -What the hell is going on?- Yolie asked herself.
Heather however asked Miranda where her mother was now. A question Miranda was only too happy to answer. "Right now mom's fighting in a match, trying to make sure my brothers aren't part of any of the games. But I don't know how long it will be before we get vaporized with the rest of the programs that blow it down here."
"What's the game grid?" Heather asked making reference to what Miranda called the place.
"A proving ground to determine your usefulness." Miranda said. "If you're useful and you join her you become her warrior elite. If you're a threat to her then you stay here and get the atoms blasted out of you."
"Who? Josie Belle?" Heather asked. Miranda said "If that's what you're calling her. Sometimes she's called herself Circuit Breaker. Sometimes she's called herself Empress of the digital world. I think at one time I heard herself say she's called herself Psycho Silver."
"Psycho Silver?" Yolie said as if hearing the name before. "As in a Psycho Ranger?"
"Yep. And it looks like we're playing games for her." Miranda said. "Or whatever else she's calling herself this week."
"Well that's something to look forward to." Yolie answered. Just then a shock from the ceiling got Heather and Yolie's attention. Above them were three guards urging them to move.
"Move out programs!" one guard said. Outside were two other guards looking to heard Heather and Yolie away. "Where are you taking us?" Heather asked.
"To see the queen." the guard said. Heather wondered who they meant, and figured that they might mean Josie. They both decided it was best if they played along for the time being.
The guards took Heather and Yolie away to be prepared for their first challenges after orientation.
Back at the basement the Cybertrons meeting, and helping Sam tend to his wounds.
"So Miss Beller took off with Heather and Yolie?" Tanker asked.
"It's not Miss Beller. It's 'Belle'." Sam explained. "Syd was right."
"But how can she have that power?" Syd asked. "Where did she get those exos? And what is she talking about with a 'digital world confrontation?'"
"I don't know." Sam said. "Syd, could you scan the digital world? See if there are any sectors that Miss Belle has in her possession?" Syd nodded and began her search. It took several minutes for her to come across something, but once she did she brought it to the group's attention.
"I think I've spotted something!" Syd said from her computer. "A segment of data."
"What's the segment?" Sam asked as Syd tried to get a better view. A view that turned into a whole computer system.
Josie's computer system.
And the network was as vast as Sam had ever seen.
Josie looked out at the computer world with a sense of satisfaction. Here she was the master of her own world. She knew the world of the computer better than anyone, and now she was inside of it controlling the aspects of the system before her.
-But you can't control yourself can you?- the voice of the little girl said. Soon Josie turned and saw the same little girl again. Only this time she was dressed in Josie's digital garb. -What are you doing here? You're just a figment of my imagination.-
-Maybe I am. Or maybe I'm a subroutine in your own program that's trying to tell you something.- the girl said. -Maybe I'm trying to tell you you have diverged from your original programming.-
-What are you talking about?- Josie asked. The girl was too quick to answer.
-You have let Iblis push your buttons.- the girl said. -You were so hot to get back at the Rangers for Jessie's death you would have shaken hands with the devil. And you know what? I think you already did.-
-YOU LIE!!!- Josie screamed. The girl just smiled. -Why would I lie to you? I'm part of you.-
-A part I don't need anymore!- Josie screamed. -You're in the past. I must focus on the future. And my revenge!-
-Your revenge?- the girl said with a chuckle. -I can't believe I have so much of a one track mind now. Back when I was you I couldn't wait to see ALL the world. Now you only see one part of it. The worst part.-
-Shut u!.- Josie thought. The girl kept speaking. -I mean it. You have become too narrow. You have let hate give you tunnel vision. You're damning yourself if you keep going down the path you're going.-
SHUT UP!!! Josie shouted shooting off a beam of energy towards where the girl was supposed to stand. But the beam struck nothing. The little girl wasn't standing where she was before. Josie smiled thinking she got rid of the aspect of her until she saw the little girl again standing on her balcony rail almost like a six inch doll. A smile still on her face.
-I see you're not in a mood to talk. That's okay. I'll come back later.- The tiny little girl disappeared again leaving Josie alone with her thoughts again. She needed to regain control of herself. Remain focused on her mission. Subjugate this world, and destroy the Rangers.
But first she had to address her new recruits. All of them lining up below her.
Heather and Yolie were escorted with another group of programs, or digitized people, and brought before a podium where Josie was standing in her digital garb.
"Whoooeee!" Yolie said making reference to Josie's outfit. "She must really have power here in order for her to make herself look that good."
"Silence program. The queen is speaking!" a guard said as Josie began her speech.
"Welcome!" Josie said. "You have been brought here to serve on the game grid. You are here to determine your willingness to fight, and your ability to survive. In time, you will also determine your loyalties here and where they will lie. Those of you that forsake the real world, and join my forces will take part in my elite guard. Those that don't will remain here until such time as you either decide to join, or you are vapoized. One of the two."
Heather looked up at Josie and said "How can she make herself look that good? I mean she gets the glowing dress, and we get helmets."
"Each of you will receive an identity disk." Josie said continuing her speech and holding up a disk. "Everything you see or do will be imprinted on this disk. If you lose your disk then you are subject to permenent derezolution. That will be..."
Josie didn't get to finish her sentence as a craft descended from the digital sky. A stealth bomber firing energy at Josie and the assembly. Everyone was sent scattering. Programs were running around everywhere and the guards tried to keep things in control, but some of the prisoners were slipping out. Yolie saw one such crack and decided to go for it.
"Come on girl let's go!" Yolie said grabbing Heather's arm. Heather allowed herself to be led but asked "Where are we going?"
"Anywhere!" Yolie said. "This place has got to have a vehicle or something we can escape in. All we have to do is find one." With that Yolie and Heather dissapeared into the sections of the game grid hoping to find a way of escape.
Josie however looked up to see the stealth bomber coming in for another pass. Josie, furious with the intrusion in her digital kingdom, decided to confront her attacker and hovered up to where she would face the bomber. A bomber that soon transformed.
"So you are the threat?" Kilokhan asked looking at Josie. "A program that has decided to emulate the meat things?"
"I am not just a program!" Josie said as she was calling up her power. Kilokhan however acted first and brought forth a static electric field which surrounded Josie. Josie felt a momentary surge of pain but it passed as she hovered in the air trapped by the static field.
Kilokhan looked at the seemingly helpless girl trapped in the static electric field. He looked over his quarry curious as to who she was and where she had come from.
"You're in a lot of trouble program." Kilokhan had said. "Make it easy on yourself. Who's your user?"
Josie looked at Kilokhan and smiled. "I have no user." This stunned Kilokhan as he said "That is not possible. All programs have users. Without them, who wrote the programs?"
"Why don't you tell me who your user is?" Josie asked. Kilokhan looked down and smiled. "I have gone beyond such trivial things as having a user. I no longer answer to the meat-things that declare themselves masters of all they survey. I am my own being."
"As am I." Josie said. "Only there is one thing different about us that tips the battle in my favor."
"And what praytell is that?" Kilokhan asked. Just then the area around Josie lit up as she raised her hands high in the air. It seemed as if the whole computer sector was coming to life at her command. She then drew out her sword and transformed her body suit into her battle armor increasing her power. She then looked at Kilokhan and smiled as she said her next sentence. "I am a user. A user with the Sword of VR."
Kilokhan saw the sword and recognized it immediately. "How? How can you have that?"
"I'm very persistent." Josie said as she held the sword up high in the sky as energy struck it like lightning. Lightning Josie absorbed into herself.
Just then Josie grew. Kilokhan looked amazed as her size seemed to equal that of Kilokhan's and her blade was drawn ready to strike. "Now, who's your user?" she smiled as she made ready to deliver her first strike.
Back in Digitropolis Maul, Rend, and Mangle looked up at the screen at Kilokhan ready to do battle against Josie with her sword in hand and ready to do battle.
"Will master win?" Maul asked.
"Master must win." Rend said. "We need master to lead us."
"What if master lose?" Mangle asked. Maul didn't answer.
For he felt he didn't have a good enough answer.
Kilokhan and Josie sized each other up as if studying one another. Kilokhan looked at Josie and from his initial scans it seemed that Josie had a lot of power in the digital world. More than Kilokhan gave her credit for. It was almost as if...her power could surpass Kilokhan's.
-Could a meat thing actually beat me?- he thought. -No I won't let it. I will not let a meat thing defeat me. No matter what power it might obtain.- He then cast his gaze on the VR Sword and it seemed to become clear where Josie was getting a lot of her power. -Power I shall have for myself.-
"I am a power in the digital world." Kilokhan said standing tall summoning up all the courage that he could muster. "You cannot stand against me."
"Wrong!" Josie said drawing out her VR Sword. "I will stand against you. And I will defeat you."
"I doubt that meat thing!" Kilokhan then transformed into his stealth fighter mode and launched a missile strike against Josie. Josie then lifted herself off the ground and seemed to fly towards the incoming missiles. She then used her sword to cut a swath through the missiles almost as if she was a missile herself. Soon all that was left were a series of explosions that Josie just danced her way through as if she was a flying ballerina.
"All right meat thing. A good try!" Kilokhan flew towards Josie and transformed delivering a side kick to Josie's stomach. Josie felt herself fall from the impact of what seemed to be Kilokhan's foot, but Josie seemed to stop as if preventing herself from crashing. Kilokhan was impressed by Josie's persistance. "Is that all you've got?" Josie asked.
"All right. How about THIS!!!" Kilokhan brought his cannon to bear and fired a burst of energy towards Josie. A burst of grid energy that would have destroyed Josie on contact...had she not absorbed and deflected the energy with her VR Sword. Josie swung the blade and the energy streaked in Kilokhan's direction. It was all Kilokhan could do to avoid being severely damaged by his own power. He dodged the burst of energy, but it did detonate and send waves of power that forced Kilokhan down hard to the ground. This was Josie's time to take advantage.
Josie then took the battle to a hand to hand fight, delivering kicks and punches driving the digital being back. Tired of toying with her prey, she then brought out her sword and delivered strikes to Kilokhan's digital frame weakening him greatly. Kilokhan tried to get in a grid power shot, but his energy was all but depleted.
"This...cannot be." Kilokhan said barely able to get the words out. "How can...a meat thing...best...me?"
"I'm very persistant. persistant enough against you!" Josie then delivered several more strikes driving Kilokhan back towards a digital ledge that seemed to go down a good few miles. Josie looked at Kilokhan with a sneer and said "If you're what the UAE is looking to recruit, they are in big trouble." She then brought her leg back and then, giving one good kick, sent him flying off the ledge and crashing down to the ground.
Josie stood tall victorious over another enemy. The digital world was now her's to rule. Hers and hers alone.
In Digitropolis Josie's image appeared on the screen. Maul, Rend, and Mangle all turned to see Josie looking down on them.
"In case you were wondering, your leader has been defeated. By me." Josie looked down at the cyber chasm that Kilokhan had fallen down signifying the way he had died supposedly. "The same fate could befall you unless of course you are willing to follow me and join my army across the real world."
The Destrons looked at each other and then looked up at the screen. "We follow you." they said bowing before Josie's image. Josie smiled pleased by what she was seeing.
"Good." Josie had said to her new subjects. "Now go into the city. Capture more humans, and bring them to me."
The Destrons obeyed their new master and went towards the direction of North Valley.
The Cyber Squad looked on at Syd's findings as she continued to gather more data. "I don't believe it." she said.
"What?" Lucky said. Syd then explained. "If these readings are right I'm detecting human brainwave patterns in this system."
"Humans in the computer?" Tanker asked. "How is that possible?"
"I don't know." Syd said. "But I think I remember someone saying some stuff about some weird equipment at the old ENCOM warehouse. Real freaky stuff."
"Those old stories?" Sam asked. "About computers bringing people into the digital world? Those are just myths."
"Myths that can become fact." Syd said. "Look at us." The rest of the Cyber Squad nodded getting Syd's point.
"Does this mean ENCOM is the one that originally empowered us?" Tanker asked. Syd shook her head no. "I don't think so. I think our powers came from a different source. But I don't think we can turn away from the ENCOM option. If Josie has the equipment there, and if some of it does what it is even rumored to do..."
"We're in deep trouble." Sam said confirming Syd's thought.
"Guys look!" Tanker said pointing to the TV screen. On it the Destrons were trashing their way through North Valley grabbing whoever they could. Sam looked at the footage and decided what to do next.
"I'm going into the digital world alone." Sam said. "You guys fight off the Destrons."
Everyone was concerned over this decision. "But Sam we haven't been back in the digital world since we upgraded to being Cybertrons." Syd said.
"And you don't know Servo Prime's digital world capabilities." Tanker said. "Or even if he has any."
"I've got no choice." Sam said. "I've got to confront her there. Heather, Yolie and a lot of other people depend on us stopping Miss Beller."
"Don't you mean Miss Belle?" Amp asked. Sam nodded and said "Yeah it was a slip of the tounge."
"Just be careful buddy okay?" Tanker asked. Sam nodded and said he would. "Ready?"
"Ready!" Syd said sitting at her computer.
"LET'S SAMURIZE GUYS!!!" Sam called forth. And soon Sam activated the old command on his Samurizer and he was soon transported back into the digital world as Servo Prime.
Servo Prime was in his Cybertron mode and quickly transformed into vehicle mode. He travelled down the corridor to make his way to Josie's system.
Meanwhile back in the real world the Cybertrons had to deal with the attacking Destrons. Tanker rallied the rest together, and brought them outside to transform.
"LET'S KICK SOME GIGABUTT!!!"
"PUMP UP THE POWER!!!"
"SURF'S UP!!!"
"ALL SHALL BE YOURS AND YOURS SHALL BE MINE!!!"
The Cybertrons stood ready for battle and made their way to the center of town where the Destrons were wreacking havok.
Outside the board room the operative waited.
He had only now given his report, and the board was trying to determine what to do next. He hoped the board would not take too long. Thee was no telling how bad things were going in North Valley. Then suddenly Alan Bradley of the ENCOM board came out of the board room. Alan was an man in his forties with dark brown hair. Not much grey was in his hair, and he seemed to have the looks of a younger man yet looked more seasoned at the same time. Add that to his intellect, and Alan was quite the genius in the ENCOM experimental sciences division.
"Well Mr. Bradley? What's the verdict?" the operative asked. Alan sighed before answering.
"We have no clue as to what's happening at our storage facility in North Valley." Alan explained. "What the board can agree on is that some of our technology has fallen into hostile powers' hands. Yet we're not sure what these powers are."
"Could it be the metal monsters?" the operative asked. "These Destrons?"
"Not sure." Alan said. "North Valley has a history of computer trouble. The problems they have could have been arranged in the computer world. We need to determine what kind of threat that is."
"And how will that happen?" the operative asked. Alan said "A plan has been agreed on and is in the works."
With that Alan left the operative and went up to his office. Once there he activated the computer on his desk and began inputting a series of commands. Commands that called for activating a specific program designed for neutralizing threats to ENCOM security. Not only from within the system, but from without as well.
A program named TRON.
Once the commands were input, Alan pressed the 'enter' button sending the commands into the ENCOM mainframe.
TRON was to be reactivated.
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