Power Rangers Zeo - Venusian Encounters by Heather Ray (mystery books to read txt) 📕

"We're coming up on Aquitar," said Rocky, the Blue Zeo Ranger, "We should be in orbit in about ten minutes."

"Good," said Tommy, "I just hope we're in time. Adam, bring us out of warp. I'll try to magnify the visual of Aquitar."

"You got it, Tommy," said Adam, turning to his console. Tommy typed a few commands, and watched as the screen image changed from bright stars streaking by to a large gray sphere hovering in space.

"Uh, are you sure that's Aquitar?" said Rocky, "I mean, it's supposed to be blue!"

"Well, according to all the star charts, that's Aquitar," said Tommy, "Its gray because of the increased cloud cover. The entire atmosphere is saturated by cumulonimbus."

"Storm clouds," said Katherine quietly, "That must be how Divatox dehydrates a planet!"

"According to our sensors, the planet's water supply is down to 8.2 kilometers in depth. Normally the average depth of the ocean is seventeen. So over half the ocean has been evaporated."

Suddenly, the rangers see a small bronze object come around the gray planet. Tanya squinted at it beneath her yellow helmet.

"Can you enlarge the middle-left edge of the planet?" she asked.

"Sure," said Tommy, zooming in on that section. The small bronze dot enlarged into a clearer shape. It appeared to be a bullet with wings.

"Divatox's ship," Adam said, "It has to be."

"Let's try to contact the Aquitians before we get any closer," suggested Katherine, "We should come up with a plan of attack."

"I'll send out another signal," Tanya offered, "I just hope they answer this time."

Once again, Tanya sent a beacon to Triton. After a few seconds of static, the leader of the Alien Rangers appeared on screen.

"Delphine," said Tommy, "is anything wrong? When we tried to contact you earlier, the message didn't go through."

^Unfortunately, the laboratory, where our only long-range communications relay is kept, was destroyed when Divatox sent a volley of torpedoes. The only other communicator is by far inferior.^

"My God," whispered Katherine, "Was anyone hurt?"

^I'm afraid so. Cestria was wounded, but she is alive.^

"Where are you now?" asked Rocky.

^The other Aquitian Rangers and I are inside our underground Battle Borg hangar. Cestro is leading the others in the repair of our Battle Borgs, which took serious damage when we battled Divatox a few hours ago.^

"How serious is the damage?" asked Adam.

^The White Borg sustained extremely serious damage, and the Blue Borg has suffered a loss of energy because of the water drain. The other three Borgs are operational, yet they too aren't quite up to par.^

"Try to get the Borgs ready to fight," said Tommy, "Send them up whenever you can. We're going after Divatox."

^Very well, but be careful,^

said Delphine, ^I shall send you the coordinates of the Borg hangar, in case you need to teleport here. There is plenty of room for your zords if need be.^

"Thank you Delphine. We'll see you soon."

Tanya de-activated the communicator, and turned to Tommy. "So, what do we do now?"

"We attack Divatox's ship."

"But, we can't escalate a battle!" Adam objected.

"I know," said Tommy, "but we can't sit here and wait. We'll send Divatox a warning."

"That last set of torpedoes completely destroyed the laboratory, Captain," said Rygog, "What should we do now?"

"I... I don't know," Divatox said angrily, "Porto still hasn't finished fixing my spell book, and his time's nearly up. Maybe we'll launch another set of torpedoes, just to keep the fish on their toes. Or whatever it is they have."

"Uh, Auntie D," said Elgar, "there's a bogie coming into scanner range, and its coming this way."

"Really?" said Divatox, sitting up in her chair, "Can you identify it?"

"I've never seen it before," Elgar said with a shrug, "but it kinda looks like a Battle Borg."

"It must be another team of Power Rangers," Divatox snarled, "The Aquitians managed to send for help."

"Captain, we're receiving a transmission," Rygog said.

"Well, patch it in!"

Rygog nodded, and Divatox focussed her attention onto the viewscreen. The image of outer space faded, and was replaced by an interior view of the cockpit. Five rangers in color-coded uniforms appeared, with the red one in the center.

^Divatox, we are the Zeo Rangers of Earth. If you don't leave orbit of Aquitar immediately, we will open fire. This is your only warning.^

Divatox turned off the screen, and her eyebrow rose. "A warning?! Well, I won't be quite so hospitable to give them such a warning. Porto!"

The white scientist turned from his computer screen. "Yes, Captain?"

"Did you finish the spell restoration yet?"

"I... I need more time --"

"Well, put it on hold for now," she said, standing up and approaching him, "we've got bigger fish to fry. The Zeo Rangers are arguably the most powerful team of Power Rangers in this galaxy, and we need to destroy them. Prepare one of those experimental drill torpedos for me, and step on it!"

"Yes ma'am," said Porto, hurrying out of the bridge, "I'll load one immediately!"

"Excellent," said Divatox with a grin, "Rygog! Send a transmission to that Megazord."

"Aye," he replied, and the Zeo Rangers once again appeared on the viewscreen. Divatox smiled at them.

"Well, hello Zeo Rangers," she said, "Welcome to the little party. Unfortunately, I'm not about to pack up and leave, just because a team of humans have decided to stick their noses where they don't belong. Now, because you have interfered, you can share the fate of your fish-tailed allies below. Rygog!"

Rygog turned off the communicator, and the screen returned to a view of outer space, with both the planet Aquitar and the Megazord appearing on screen. Divatox sat back in her throne, and clasped her hands on her lap.

"Let's give them an appetizer, and the drill torpedo will be the main course. Fire a set of explosive torpedos."

"Locked... and firing!" said Rygog, obeying his mistress's command.

"Well, so much for avoiding a conflict," sighed Rocky.

"Everyone, get ready," said Adam, "She's got something planned."

Just then, the alarms started sounding.

"She's firing at us!" yelled Tanya, "Two torpedos heading straight for us!"

"I'm on it," said Katherine, "Taking evasive action."

The Megazord swerved to the right seconds before the two torpedos streaked by them. Suddenly, the torpedos turned around, once again heading for the rangers.

"Its been programmed!" said Rocky, "It's not gonna quit until it hits us!"

"Then we'd better destroy them," said Tommy, "Let's give 'em an energy blast of our own!"

A blast of powerful energy shot forth from the fist of the Megazord, instantly reducing one torpedo to dust. The Megazord quickly moved to the side to avoid the second torpedo, and then fired another energy bolt to destroy the final one.

"That's it?" said Rocky in surprise, "That's all Divatox has for us?"

"I somehow doubt it," said Tanya, "Sensors show another torpedo is launching."

A rather large silver torpedo appeared from the submarine, and streaked towards the rangers. Once again, the rangers tried to side-step the torpedo, but this one was substantially faster than the others, and also more maneuvreable. Once it got close, the bullet tip opened, revealing shining razor sharp blades.

"What... what kind of torpedo is this?!" cried Tanya.

"We can't dodge it," said Katherine, "Its gonna hit!"

"Brace for impact!" Tommy ordered, as the Megazord jolted when the torpedo struck its abdomen.

"Why didn't it explode?" Adam wondered aloud, "Don't torpedos usually explode?"

Suddenly, the entire Megazord began shaking violently, and all the lights blinked on and off.

"What's happening?" Katherine cried.

"It's... drilling through the abdomen of the Megazord!" Tanya said in alarm, "Its actually making a hole through the midsection!"

"We're in trouble," Tommy said quietly, "The torpedo must've hit the weapon relay. We're a sitting duck!"

The rangers watched helplessly as the drill completely cut through the Megazord, and came out the other end. Then, the submarine came closer, and fired beams of white energy.

"We can't move fast enough to dodge!" Adam said frustratedly.

"The Megazord has no chance," said Tommy, "but its only damaged in the mid-section-- Super Zeozord V. Our only chance is to disengage Megazord, and have the four operational zords take on Divatox."

"Let's just pray the stabilizers weren't damaged," said Tanya quietly.

"Guys, get back to your individual cockpits," Tommy ordered.

"Right," the four other rangers responded, as they all vanished from their seats. Tommy then activated the separation sequence, and Super Zeozords I-IV separated from the torso, and took their android forms. The red zord, however, was completely powerless. As soon as the other zords separated, the lights went out in Tommy's cockpit.

"Damn," he muttered, "the main power relay was hit. The only thing keeping Megazord functioning was the energy siphoned from the four other zords. I'm dead in the water!"

Meanwhile, in Super Zeozord I, Katherine gets her bearings. She quickly sees the three other zords prepared for battle, as well as Tommy's zord remaining in the shape of the Megazord torso, with cut wires sparking in the darkness of space.

"Tommy?" she said into her communicator, "Tommy, do you read?"

There was nothing but silence. Katherine jerked her head when she saw more white energy lasers