Disclaimer: I do not own the Power Rangers; they belong to their respective copyright owners and are used here without permission. No money is being made from this fic.
Authors Note: This is an alternate universe from the television show with an alternate timeline. These events take place after the arrival of Gasket and Archerina; Louie Kaboom has been destroyed.
Robots in Disguise
APEX Facility Razar
The organisation known as APEX had been incorporated before the development of the atomic bomb, but had kept most of its activities a secret until just a few months after the appearance of Rita Repulsa. Since its creation, APEX had spoken frequently on the threat of alien invasion and the threat posed by aliens already walking around freely on Earth. Although whether it was referring to visitors from beyond the stars or those of other-dimensional origin was unclear. They had been firmly opposed to the research that had led to some of the Earth's greatest heroes.
"We cannot rely on aliens to protect our world from aliens," its founder had proclaimed during one heated debate. "The people of Earth are vulnerable, our military is ill-prepared to handle threats on the level we have seen in recent decades. It has only been due to the interference of non-terrestrials that we have no already been conquered. Humanity needs to be able to protect ourselves from these threats. We need to use their technology against them if necessary. I call upon the governments of the world to put aside their differences and national concerns and turn their attention to the real threats. They should declassify their communications with alien beings, reveal the unofficial we know that they have made to cover up alien activity on our world. They should stop hoarding alien technology and turn it over to those that will use it for the betterment of out people and the protection of our world."
Shortly after Rita had emerged as a threat, APEX had sent their forces into the city of Angel Grove, determined to seek out and recruit the Power Rangers. Their offer had been turned down as the Rangers had chosen instead to work alongside another organisation. In a show of force, APEX had tried to capture the Rangers and had been dealt a very public defeat.
But despite the setback, APEX had not disappeared from the world stage. They had instead used the opportunity to expose some of their secretive ventures and commence public recruitment. They had sought out contracts offered by governments around the world for new weapons, all the while concentrating on its goal of keeping aliens at bay. And with the backing of their undeclared stockholders, they maintained the financial resources to hire in the leaders in scientific advancement.
The on downside of exposing more of their company to public scrutiny and undertaking government projects, was the need to deal with interference from oversight committees and answer questions on activities they preferred not to talk about. Or in this case, ambitious military staff whose name had been attached to the project with too much free time and an eagerness to earn a promotion.
"Well this is clearly a world class facility," Major General Anthony Wicks said as he followed the group white clad scientists into the test bay. "I am very impressed with how far you have come in such a short time."
"As you can see General," Graham Belle answered, ignoring the compliment, "we have finished the prototype for the new Pulse Disruptor. The core unit is ready for use. By generating a low frequency energy wave, it interferes with the flow of electrical power. In short, after pushing the trigger, this machine could knock out just about every electronic device in a country the size of Australia. And, even after it's turned off the effects will remain until a counter wave is sent."
"And would such a wave cause collateral damage?" General Wicks queried.
"The wave itself disrupts electrical signals, but does not cause physical damage," Professor Belle told him. "Without the need to cause a nuclear explosion, large scale devastation would be a thing of the past. There is some risk of course that delicate components could be damaged and that there is a risk of permanent equipment failure of the pulse wave; that in turn could cause collateral damage. Unfortunately there is no way to eliminate that risk, but given this weapon was intended for use against threats hardened to resist such attacks and not civilian targets, I believe the risks are minimal."
"I see," General Wicks nodded, "And the intention is that this device should be used against threats from the likes of the Machine Empire. Do you believe it will work on such alien technology?"
"In theory this device would render any machine requiring electronics to malfunction. From my understanding the Machine Empire is more complicated than simple electronics so it might not be completely successful. And given the limited charge, this device can only fire a single burst and would need to be recovered before recharging."
"That would be a drawback in a large battle," the General agreed. "And for the cost of such a device, we would need it to be capable of more than one discharge. Retrieval is not always an option."
"I realise that, General," Professor Belle answered. "Although I would point out that if unsuccessful on the first attempt, a second discharge is unlikely to change things."
He led the way to one of the side labs where a group of young students were working. These were interns working as part of APEX's 'Alphabet Soup' initiative. Alphabet Soup sought to seek out the brightest young minds and then sponsor their education in areas such as science and technology; in effect they were securing their future workforce. Most of those in the room ignored the new arrivals, knowing that if they were wanted, they would be summoned. The exception were Professor Belle's daughters, both of who had been made a part of the Alphabet Soup program early on.
At seventeen, Josie was held a Masters Degrees in Electronic Engineering. She was considered an expert on designing and hardening electrical circuits, a considerable feat given her age. Her sister, Jennifer, had not had the benefit of an accelerated education, but was an expert in computer programming and had even beaten her sister during a recent practical exam. Both girls were considered future project leads by APEX, so it was not a surprise that they were allowed to work with their parents.
"Ladies," the General acknowledged. During previous visits he had been introduced to APEX's younger workforce and while initially sceptical, he had been educated not to underestimate the passion of youth; Josie Belle had quite the temper.
The two girls mock-saluted before going back to work. For some, the idea of seventeen-year-olds being allowed anywhere near such advanced technology would seem ludicrous, but Alphabet Soup believed that early exposure to such projects helped with future development and work ethic. That and it allowed APEX to ensure their future recruits fully understood the guiding principles of their organisation.
"As you can see, this part of the operation is also nearing completion," Professor Belle said. "The design of a remote controller unit was complicated by the need to make certain it functioned after exposure to the pulse. We've accomplished that and tested a backup program in case communication is lost. We'll be handing off to the Akum site shortly; their working on a delivery system."
"That won't be necessary," the General said. "While I must congratulate you on your progress, I was sent here today with instructions to close this project down before it moves to the next phase. The United States Army will be overseeing the future development of this project."
"I... I don't understand," the scientist protested. "I haven't had any instructions regarding this. And this is not a military project. You can't just walk in here and shut us down!"
"Professor Belle, there have been a number of concerns about APEX and the language they have been using. I'm sure you can understand that there are some weapons that should never be used. The nuclear bomb was one such weapon; mustard gas was another. There are some people, myself included, that are very concerned about the dangers of allowing this sort of technology remain in the hands of private organisations."
"You can't do that," Professor Belle argued, surprised that he had not heard about this before and shocked that the military would consider such an action. "APEX enjoys full independence from national governments. I believe we answer to Geneva."
"That may be true, but you are currently based on American soil and undertaking work partially funded by the United States. And despite the arrangements APEX may have with Geneva, we have the right to put a stop to dangerous activities within our borders. This weapon poses a threat to our domestic welfare. This project will It shutdown until it has been fully reviewed and the device will be taken into secure custody."
So that was it then. Of course, he didn't believe the general. They weren't interested in taking the device away for security; they wanted to duplicate it as quickly as possible and improve it to make a more efficient weapon. He had no doubt that part of their time would be spent finding ways to shield from the pulse in case aggressors managed to create a similar weapon. But to men like General Wicks, the domestic good was an excuse, never a concern.
"You must admit Professor Belle that it makes sense to be cautious. APEX might claim to want to protect the world from invasion, but they are known to be fickle with their loyalties. The last thing we want is somebody selling this technology to a third party and triggering a disaster. Security is our greatest concern."
"You believe that there is somewhere more secure than a bunker intended to survive a full scale nuclear assault that is thirty miles underground?" Mrs Belle asked. She had been in on the early discussions and knew that Razar had been deemed the safest place for all such studies. It was unlikely that had changed. "And what do the other members of the committee think about that?"
"The Committee for the Development and Employment of Tactical Weapons has no authority once a project has commenced," he told her. "I have the authority to declare this a matter of national importance and assume command of this operation. I have done so and ordered this project shut down." His tone changed as he gave his next orders. "The device will be collected immediately. You are ordered not to leave this room or contact anyone until the convoy is underway. This is a code red situation. Personnel will be along shortly to supervise the disposal of sensitive information and to formally debrief you. This entire operation has been marked sanitised. I trust I do not need to tell you what that means."
~Of course not,~ Professor Belle thought as he pushed a button on a small signal device he had been given. ~It means that if he wants to, the general could have us locked up without trial... or worse.~
The convoy of four jeeps, two transportation lorries and a small tank remained motionless as its occupants were confronted by a team of six multicoloured fighters brandishing an array of weapons. More guards were rushing from the barracks located behind the warehouse as desperate civilian employees scrambled to escape what promised to be a bloody confrontation.
A large green car pulled up, the flags fluttering in the midday breeze. A soldier stepped from the driver's seat and opened the rear door. He opened the door and saluted as his superior officer moved into view.
<"Zeo Cannon!" five of the six strangers called. "Fire!"
A large weapon appeared on their shoulders and they aimed it at the ground next to the car, ignoring the guns that were now trained on them. A blast of multicoloured energy caused the ground to explode, taking the car and its driver with it. In a blur of action the costumed assailants attacked the other soldiers as the officer's protests were ignored. Of course it was overkill, but then Tommy had been allowed a free hand for this battle.
"It was a good plan," Red Zeo told the man who resembled General Wicks. "Dress up as our own military and steal the Pulse Generator before the government could sanction its use."
"Rangers, what are you talking about? You're delirious; my men are simply moving the bomb to a safer location. If King Mondo were to lay his hands on it now, it could be disastrous."
"King Mondo is destroyed," Tommy said softly as he pulled and armed his small weapon and pointed it at the General. "But you already knew that didn't you? Hold still, this won't hurt," he assured the officer as he aimed at the soldier before adding, "much."
Red Zeo fired off six low energy shots, drawing a gasp from the media who had gathered for the unveiling of the new super weapon designed and built by the Belle Organization. The man's uniform smoked as each discharge burned a little bit more of the fabric away. On the sixth shot the General's belt snapped, revealing a lack of underwear and a pair of smooth metal legs. In panic the officer managed to knock the rubber mask from his face, confirming what the six Rangers already suspected, he was one of Prince Gasket's machines; the Rangers had dispatched Mondo after a spectacular battle a couple of months before.
He fired off six low energy shots, drawing a gasp as the man's uniform smoked as each discharge burned a little bit more of the fabric away. On the sixth shot the General's belt snapped, revealing a lack of underwear and the smoothest pair of metallic legs anyone had ever seen. In panic the officer managed to knock the rubber mask from his face, confirming what Professor Bell and his security team already suspected. This General Wicks was an impostor.r.
"Did you really think you could walk into a military base and confiscate an expensive piece of equipment and nobody would check the orders?"
The real soldiers, who had been attracted by the noise, swiftly moved the shocked crowd away as the Rangers attacked the other Cogs, who had been exposed with their leader. Already several Cogs had been shut down, but at two to one the machines had the strength of numbers. The Rangers were not in the mood for fun and games; they beat on the mechanical terrors with all the aggression they could muster, and showed no reluctance to double or even triple team a single robot. It wasn't need that drove them to such unfair methods, they were just eager to finish the battle before anything went wrong; they were aware of the weapons kept within the base and didn't want Gasket's forces to steal any.
Things had changed since Jason had been the Red Ranger. Back then, the team had been reliant on Zordon for guidance and it had taken the arrival of the Green Ranger for them to actually think for themselves. That was probably a bit harsh, but the days of waiting for an enemy to make the first move were behind them. Now that the United Nations had made it clear that Rita, Zedd, their henchman and anyone else considering conquering Earth were unwelcome; their very appearance on Earth was an invitation to be attacked. Of course, UN forces could not attack in the first instance, since conquering the world was not considered a crime according to their mandate.
Of course attackers were still offered the chance to leave, but the Rangers were able to take some pro-active measures against their opponents.s.
It was, Jason reasoned, a sign that the team was facing a more serious threat than they had against Rita and Zedd. Back when he had been the leader the attacks had been almost weekly due to the time taken for Finster to build Putties and think up a new monster, not to mention that her migraines seemed to consume a lot of Rita's time. Gasket however, was a machine, just like his father. He rarely got tired and already had a near inexhaustible supply of parts. His monsters could be easily mass-produced if they showed signs of success. And with his wife Archerina to help him, not to mention Queen Machina and Prince Sprocket, Gasket was able to send attacks every couple of days. If he didn't send an attack for more than a few days, then the Rangers knew they were in real trouble, like the time Gasket had kidnapped and brainwashed Tommy.
"You know," the Gold Ranger called to his red teammate, "We need to buy Gasket a diary because he has lousy timing."
Tommy grinned under his mask, knowing full well why Jason was annoyed. The message from Zordon had come at an inconvenient time for the Gold Ranger. To be caught in class or during training was one thing, but to have to teleport from the men's showers at the Youth Center wearing only a towel had proven especially embarrassing. 'For one thing,' the Red Zeo Ranger smirked, 'Every time he tried to morph he almost dropped the towel.' The look on Kat and Tanya's faces would have been worth a fortune if that had happened, not to mention that Jason would have been the red ranger once more.
"You so didn't want to do that," they heard Yellow Zeo say from not too far to their left.
They looked over in time to see Tanya rubbing the base of her helmet where one of the Cogs had landed a powerful right hand. He imagined that she would have a nasty bruise there for a couple of days.
"Zeo II Power Punch!" she called.
Her Zeonisers drew more power from the Zeo Crystal as they usually did when calling on Zeo Zord II. The difference was that instead of diverting the excess power into the battle machine, it was focussed into her fist.
"I'll teach ya not to hit a lady," she promised the Cogs as her fist connected with the side of its metallic jaw.
The head was transformed as it flew from the shoulders into a ball of shrapnel that tore a neighbouring robot.
Adam turned from where he was easily holding off two Cogs to give his girlfriend the thumbs up, while Rocky ploughed through his own opponents with a Zeo Power Kick.
Tommy did the quick math and discovered there were at most six Cogs excluding the General, whom Kat had chosen as a guinea pig for her own frustration at being called away from dance class.
"Switch off," Red Zeo called.
His Pink friend nodded and moved alongside Jason while Tommy handled the now dented general.
"Golden Power Staff!" Gold Ranger called.
"Zeo I Power Disk!" Kat cried. "Hi-yah!"
The Zeo Power Disk sliced through each of the Cogs, separating their heads from the robotic bodies.
"Time for a Gold Rush!" Jason cried as he raced forward.
Despite what the public believed, the Gold Ranger was not a Zeo Ranger. His powers bore a similarity to those of the Zeo Rangers and the Golden Power Staff shared a similar history to the Zeo Crystal, but there was no other connection.
The Golden Power Staff contained a piece of crafted crystal shaped by the Master Carvers of Crystal. The crystal drew energy from the vast pool of magic that seeped into the universe. Unlike most magic, the energy was not affected by Iron and could even be used by Iron-based life forms such as the Machine Empire. Hence the reason Mondo had put a lot of time into capturing the weapon.
As the heads that Kat had sliced off with surgical precision fell to the ground, the raw heat of the Gold Rush erased the metal bodies. All of which left only the Cog General to be dealt with.
"I am Garrison," the robot revealed, as several panels opened to expose an array of weaponry. "Prince Gasket's finest creation."
"Yeah and Rito Revolto is a member of MENSA," Rocky snapped back.
"Why not try my twenty-one gun salute?" Garrison suggested.
Before the Rangers could decline several bursts of energy exploded from the machine's chest. The Rangers were thrown back; the military vehicles behind them were not so fortunate.
"Zordon, emergency teleport," Green Zeo yelled.
The truck containing the Pulse Generator was transported to a safer part of the military base where Alpha had set up equipment to block any further teleport attempts. Although the bomb exploding would solve the problem of it being stolen and eliminate Garrison, it would also wipe out every mechanical device in Angel Grove. That was something they could not allow.
"Man, we really need a plan," Tommy commented as they all ducked for cover. "Adam?"
The normally quiet Green Zeo Ranger also acted as the team's strategist, drawing on the things his father had taught him growing up to devise workable plans. Tommy tended to defer to Adam's judgement almost as much as he had Billy's.
"Hold still," Adam warned the others as he unclipped his Zeo Pistol and fired at the ground.
The soil beneath them gave way to form a small trench. At the same time the jeep they had been crouched behind tipped to provide more cover.
"Now teleport," he told them. The others did as they were told, leaving Adam behind. He dared to glance around the edge of the jeep and ducked back as a plasma burst almost took his head off. "Zordon, I need all the teleport systems tuned to my frequency."
The teleportation system had always been separate from the Power. When morphed they had been able to use the Power Coins or Zeo Crystal to teleport, but when demorphed the ability required a direct link to the Morphin Grid. Complex machinery in the old Command Center and now the Power Chamber allowed them more control over the function. It also allowed the Zeo Rangers to control their journeys when morphed. That was what Adam planned now.
By altering the device so it listened for the signal from his communicator he hoped the system would respond faster than the Zeo Crystal would. At least it had better respond faster or he would be in serious trouble.
"Yes Adam," Zordon's voice responded.
The Green Zeo Ranger did not bother replying; instead he was using the scanning apparatus in his helmet to pinpoint targets. He checked the grip on his Zeo Pistol and then jumped into the air, hoping that Garrison would not take the opportunity to shoot him down. As he moved higher, he squeezed off a shot from his weapon, marking the ground where it hit. He repeated the step several times as he marked different distances on the ground. Then he teleported just as Garrison locked on.
He reappeared next to the first mark he had placed on the ground and waited. The machine turned and fired, but not before Adam had moved to his next location. Each time he vanished, Adam moved further away, testing the monster's ability to fire from a distance and predict his next move. When he collected all, he needed to know for those tasks he started randomly appearing to test the speed of response. All went well until a lucky shot clipped his leg.
"Now I have you..."
The tip of Blue Zeo's Power Weapon remained embedded in Garrison's skull as the other Rangers rescued their friend. Zordon had worked out what the Green Zeo Ranger was planning, and had adapted the teleport system so they could all move short distances like Tommy had done in his days as the Green Ranger. Of course Rocky's first instinct was to stop the machine from hurting his friend.
"Hard and fast," Adam told Red Zeo. "His range is half a mile."
"You have a plan?" Tommy asked.
Under his helmet Adam smiled. "Oh yes." He started to tell them his idea.
"Hey ugly!" Tanya called as she moved into sight. "Your momma was a snow blower!"
It was a shame that trash talking was not part of the Ranger power, but they made do with what they had. The effort had the desired effect regardless of quality; Garrison turned and fired on Tanya, who teleported away.
"Hah, you wouldn't hit us if we were the size of King Mondo's butt!" Rocky called.
The machine reset its targeting device quickly and locked in on Rocky. The Blue Zeo Ranger moved before Garrison could fire, reappearing just a few feet away. He teleported again as Jason took his place.
"Watch the birdie," the Gold Ranger whispered as he lifted the Golden Power Staff. "Gold Flash!"
A ball of golden energy exploded from the end of the Power Staff and blinded Garrison long enough for Jason to escape.
Kat was next up, using a few dance techniques she learnt in ballet to confuse the robot until she was ready. Then she whipped out her Zeo Pistol and took a few shots at its head.
"Pink Zeo Fire cloud!" she called, as Garrison was engulfed in a cloud of hot gases.
Garrison fired his weapons and the gases exploded. He was consumed in a ball of flame. And when the flame cleared he saw Red Zeo move in with the final blow.
"Defender Whe -- Sphere!" Tommy called. He had forgotten that the name had changed.
The cage-like ball that Billy had designed to replace the original design dropped from Zeo Zord V. As Tommy's hands touched the metal frame, the power of the Zeo Crystal was transferred into the cage. Inside Tommy momentarily demorphed, but was quite safe, unlike those outside the sphere. As he moved his legs so the ball started to move and as he increased speed, the sphere glowed brightly.
"Please Red Ranger, let's discuss this," Garrison begged.
"Too late," Tommy answered. "See ya!"
Garrison fired his entire magnificent arsenal in a vain attempt to stop the inbound Red Ranger, but only managed to slow him down. Nevertheless it was enough to save the machine from total destruction as the Defender Sphere bounced away.
"You will have to do better than... Uh oh!" Garrison started.
"Fire!" The Rangers called as the Zeo Power Blaster held by Gold Ranger and the Zeo Cannon fired at the same time.
On the Moon, Gasket was less than pleased at the way the battle was going. Garrison had been designed as a stealth robot not a combatant. It was surprising the machine had lasted this long. Still, Gasket was not about to let an opportunity to defeat the Power Rangers slip through his fingers.
"Klank..."
"...And away ye go!" Klank cried as he released Orbus.
"Here you go buddy," Orbus said as he triggered Garrison's growth mechanism.
"Now I will show you some real fire power!" Garrison said.
Large cannons appeared on each shoulder as the leg mass increased to provide extra support. A rocket pack on its back allowed it to leap while enlarged sensor arrays gave it an excellent aim. Most surprisingly, the full-grown version in no way resembled Garrison. This was a different machine.
"We need Super Zeo Megazord power," the Rangers called. "Now!"
The Zord was fired from the Power Chamber's launch tube without the need to join later.
"Jason, take control for a moment," Tommy said. "Alpha, send in the Zeo Zords, from the far side of the base."
"You have an idea?" Green Zeo commented.
Tommy grinned; Zord battles were definitely more fun.
The ground rumbled as Zeo Zord III and Zeo Zord IV raced towards the Rangers' position, pulled Zeo Zord II and I behind them. After inserting their Zeonisers Crystals in their respective slots, the Rangers felt the familiar power boost that signalled the conversion to Megazord mode.
"All right guys, logon!" Red Zeo ordered as he watched the power reading reach the required level. "Let's put them together."
Zeo Zords VI and III quickly released their pulling chains, which allowed the constantly pulling winch mounted on the fronts of Zeo I and II to haul them back inside. At the same time the weapons mounted on the Pink and Yellow Zords retracted inside as Zeo Zord V flew overhead. As the tops of the two Zords detached, the legs were ready to receive the rest of the Megazord. By that time Zeo Zord III and IV had launched into the air and merged to form the arms and body of the Zord. The Phoenix Zord once again swooped down from on high and the computer beeped as it pinpointed the connection and the wings started to fold out of the way. Then Tanya selected the Zeo II Battle Helmet to allow them Zeo rocket power.
"Okay guys, Kat and Adam take the Super Zeo Megazord, Tanya and Rocky will control the Zeo Megazord. Red Battlezord is mine."
<"Rangers, Pyramidas is at your disposal," they heard Trey tell them.
Tommy smiled again. The final part of his plan had just fallen into place.
Garrison wasn't the most sophisticated machine they had ever fought, but he was the one with the most weapons. Unfortunately that meant that neither of the Megazords could get close, something they needed to do if Tommy's plan was to succeed.
Red Battlezord flew towards Garrison and plough through him at full speed. That was enough for the Super Zeo Megazord to grab hold of him and the Zeo Megazord to use its fists.
"We're ready Tommy," Rocky's voice said from inside the Zeo Megazord.
"All right, let's do this," Tommy said.
The Super Zeo Megazord and Zeo Megazord took off; dragging the machine with them while Jason waited inside Pyramidas.
"Hey, you can't do this," Garrison protested. "No..."
"Now what?" Kat asked. Knowledge poured into her mind the subconscious link the Rangers had established long ago.
"Zeo Ultrazord, Carrier mode!" the Rangers called.
The Carrier Zord teleported the Zords aboard, slaving their powers to its own massive generators, which it then used to blast Garrison to pieces.
Prince Gasket was irate. To see his creation, his perfect machines lose in battle was one thing, but to see them lose battle after battle to inferior organic-made machines was a slap in the face for the heir to the Machine Empire. In the past he had made allowances for such losses, associating the failures as by-products of his father's malfunctioning logic server. Since his arrival on the Machine Sky Base and later the Moon, his diagnostic programming had tried to troubleshoot the failure of both his creations and his father's robots.
This was not the way the Machine Empire operated; Gasket knew that. He was programmed with the detailed manual compiled by King Mondo himself. Under normal circumstance, the machines would find a new planet to invade and attack with sufficient force to gain control of sites around the globe. Then, once in control of materials and fuel supplies, they would move towards areas of political power and gain surrender. It was a tried and tested method that usually generated victory within the first month.
Sadly, the Machine Empire had failed to use this method when approaching Earth and it annoyed Gasket to discover the reason for the lack of protocol was due to the perceived need to remove Rita and Zedd from the lunar surface.
"Father was a fool," he stated. "Rita and Zedd cannot harm the Machine Empire. We are immune to magic!" Those valuable hours had given Zordon time to create his team of Zeo Rangers.
The Zeo Rangers were the second problem he had discovered. Normally Ranger teams were insignificant to the robotic conquerors. The magic that made them Rangers was useless against the Cold Iron construction of the Royal House of Gadgetry and its followers. Zeo was different though; the energy was indirect and therefore very effective against the machines.
But even so, Gasket's machines had been developed over thousands of years and his father's designs had been perfected before that. He had ruled out design failure since he himself had been deemed to be operating at peak efficiency even if his father was suffering from rust on the circuit board. ~Making Sprocket his heir, what was he thinking? ~The problem was that the Rangers possessed superior machines. This was something that could and should have been rectified when the Machine Empire had first attacked. Their enjoyment of a technological advantage could not be allowed to continue.
"How dare those Rangers defy me?" he toned as he gesticulated out of the view port with his staff. "I am Gasket, son of Mondo and rightful ruler of the Machine Empire. They should be kneeling before me. Klank!"
"How may I be of service, Sire?" Klank asked.
"Those impertinent humans dare to possess powerful machines as their weapons," Gasket stated. "Why have you not built similar machines for our forces?"
"Forgive me Sire," Klank answered. "I did try, but designing a machine on that scale without plans is impossible."
"I don't want excuses Klank, find me the blueprints for those Zords. By using their own machines to destroy them I will prove to father that I deserve to be his heir. Then I shall take over the Empire."
"Yes Sire," Klank said. He hurried off to begin his new task.
Later
"And while the Power Rangers did prevent the theft of the Pulse Generator, our stance towards them cannot change. Today they demonstrated the power at their disposal and that they have the ability to spy on us. In future APEX will not tolerate such interventions. We are here to protect humanity from alien invaders... not assist them. I will expect details of new security arrangements to be on my desk by morning."
"Yes sir," the underlings agreed.
"We will not allow this attack by the Machine Empire to go unpunished. Perfecting and completing the Pulse Generator will remain our priority, but continued research into the APEX Support System is to receive increased funding. Next time we will not need Power Rangers to protect us; we defend ourselves."
End
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