Trip stared at the Quantum Morpher on Wes’s wrist. “Look,” he said to the others. They all looked, shock and alarm sweeping over their faces.

“Is Eric dead?” Lucas asked.

“No. At least, he wasn’t the last time I saw him. He took a blaster shot that would have gotten me and my father. Then he gave me the morpher, so I’d have a better chance. He really is a good guy.” He looked around at their faces, seeing relief. “I thought you didn’t like him.”

“Well… I don’t,” Lucas said uncomfortably. “Doesn’t mean I want him dead.”

“I hope you’ll have the chance to get to know him better.”

“We’ll have to check on him as soon as we can, he could still die from that blaster burn.”

“We should go now,” Wes said in alarm.

“There’s no time. According to Alex’s history we only have about an hour before the Dragon comes back,” Jen said. “Was he hit by just one shot?” Wes nodded. “The cyclobots’ blasters aren’t powerful enough to kill fast. He should survive at least a day.”

“Okay,” Wes said reluctantly. “Anyway, we’ll have the Q-Rex on our side as soon as it repairs itself.”

“I can use some of the equipment we brought to modify the Defender,” Trip said. “Make it a little more powerful.”

“Every little bit helps.” Wes used the morpher to materialize the Defender and handed it to Trip. “The clock tower’s been destroyed. I want to see if there’s anything left.”

“We’ll have to make it fast. Then we’ll get back to the ship,” Jen said. “We still have to make sure we know all the ship’s systems.”

“Frax! I want you out there again, now! Finish the job, you lazy, incompetent robot!” Ransik paced back and forth in front of the damaged Dragon flyer, bursting out periodically in what Nadira could only think of as ranting. She considered trying to stop him, get him to let the Dragon finish its repairs, then decided against it. If the flyer went out still damaged, so much the better. Maybe the Rangers could defeat it this time. If any of them were still alive.

Still… “Daddy, isn’t this enough? Can’t we go back now? Silver Hills will never recover from the damage you’ve already done.”

“I’ve just begun! Bio-Lab must still be destroyed! And this time, I’ll see to it personally!” Ransik roared. “You’ve gone soft on me, little girl,” he continued, turning on her. “I never thought I’d hear my daughter whining about the poor humans.”

Nadira turned her back. Ransik went back to the Dragon flyer and resumed his impatient shouting.

Jen went through the timeship controls for what felt like the hundredth time. Wes knew Lucas would do the actual piloting, while Jen, Katie, and Trip would operate the weapons. Wes would not even be on board; he would fly in the TF Eagle and be in command of the Q-Rex, which the Quantum morpher told him was ready to fight again. But Jen insisted he learn everything he could absorb about the ship, just in case. And of course she was right.

Trip sat in the back of the ship. The only thing they had retrieved from the burned-out clock tower was a heavily damaged Circuit. Trip had moped over the computer as if he had lost his best friend, and was determined to try to repair it. And he had already modified the Quantum Defender, adding another level of power to it.

The ship’s computer buzzed softly as Jen finished her lecture. “Computer, report,” Lucas said.

“Scans detect a large, non-standard battle flyer approaching the Bio-Lab area from the northwest. Coordinates are being displayed.”

“The Dragon. We have to intercept it before it reaches the city. We’ll try to stop it over Argent beach,” Jen said. “Okay. We all know what to do. Let’s do it!”

Wes nodded and left the ship at a run. Outside he turned and watched long enough to see the timeship lift off and speed away before summoning the Eagle. He had also spent some time getting familiar with the Eagle’s controls and followed the ship swiftly after instructing the Q-Rex to join them.

Minutes later he was flying high over the beach at the edge of Bio-Lab property, looking down as the Dragon and the timeship began to fire at each other. Alex had been as good as his word, the ship was a powerful opponent; it took several direct hits without noticeable damage, and returned a stream of fire that turned the Dragon flyer from its course. But it managed to evade the timeship and streaked on over Bio-Lab grounds, with the Rangers in pursuit.

The Q-Rex appeared directly in the Dragon’s path, driving it back with a series of blasts, as the timeship looped to catch it in a crossfire. Together the Q-Rex and timeship poured destruction into the Dragon, the Rangers determined to stop it here, before it could reach the main buildings. The Q-Rex was the more vulnerable and the Dragon seemed to know it, concentrating its return fire on the previously damaged flyer. All Wes could do was circle out of reach of the blasts, loop in when he could to fire on the enemy with the Defender, and watch.

Smoke began to erupt from the Q-Rex. It faltered and lost altitude, but continued to attack. Wes commanded it to land and convert to walker mode, and keep firing. There was a blaze of energy around the Dragon flyer, and a blackened hole appeared in its hull. The timeship didn’t let up, it moved closer and targeted the hole. In another moment it was over. The Dragon fired a last, hard burst at the Q-Rex, bringing it down in clouds of flame and smoke. Then it exploded, parts of it blowing away in a fireball, leaving the main body to plunge to the ground in a warehouse parking lot.

The timeship flew low over their enemy, and then landed in the nearest clear area they could find. Wes landed nearby and met them. Slowly they walked around the downed Dragon flyer, Trip scanning it with his equipment.

“It’s destroyed. Nothing’s going to get this thing operating again,” Trip announced. Walking closer he said, “Look. Frax was inside it. He’s destroyed too.” They could see the broken golden form of their robot enemy lying in the wreckage.

“Good. Let’s check on the Q-Rex,” Wes said, heading for the place where the Quantasaurus had fallen. When they reached it, he could see at once that it was not in much better shape than the Dragon.

“Sorry, Wes. It’s very heavily damaged. Probably unrepairable,” Trip told him.

Wes sighed, looking at the machine that had saved their lives more than once. “Crap. Eric’ll kill me. The first time he lets me use the Q-Rex, and I totaled it.”

Lucas laughed and slapped his shoulder. “We did it, Wes. We defeated Ransik’s doomsday weapon.”

“And we’re still alive,” Katie added.

“Hold on, guys. We’re not done yet.” Trip was watching his scanner. “I’m picking up mutant DNA, back toward where the Dragon flyer went down. Two signs. It must be Ransik and Nadira.”

“All right guys,” Jen said. “This is our chance to finish it. Let’s go.”

“Useless robot!” Ransik was shouting at his former ally again. He and Nadira had picked their way though the rubble of their destroyed weapon to where Frax lay, his metal body dented and broken. “Frax!” he shouted again as Nadira stared in horror. “Look what you’ve done now! You’ve failed!”

There was some spark of animation left in Frax. He stirred, raised one arm and made a ghastly whirring sound. His body twitched convulsively and then collapsed, some of the pieces that made up his metal face falling away.

“Frax!” This time Nadira screamed his name, as she stepped forward and knelt over him. “Frax! Dr. Fericks!” She began to cry in grief, horror, and fear.

A rough hand on her arm yanked her up. “Are you crying over that ridiculous robot?” Ransik demanded. “He was nothing but a traitor!”

“Daddy, he was once human! Until you destroyed him! How can you be so cruel?” she shouted back.

“Humans despise me! I have nothing but hatred for them.”

“Someone has to stop hating! Or none of us has any future!”

For a moment she thought he was going to hit her. “Stop your babbling!” he growled, roughly pushed her to the ground, and walked away.

Five forms stepped into his path. As Nadira saw the Rangers confront her father she pushed herself to her feet and fled, running into the nearest building, a Bio-Lab storage warehouse.

“Rangers! Still alive?” Ransik shouted.

The Pink Ranger stepped forward and held up her Time Force badge. “That’s right, Ransik. We’re Time Force. And you’re under arrest.”

The Blue Ranger stepped to her side. “This time you’ve got no one to do your dirty work.”

Ransik chuckled. “I don’t need anyone else to take care of you.”

Jen felt all the old hatred and fury she felt for this man boil up. She was first to attack, running forward to hit Ransik with a kick. He seemed not to feel it. When she kicked again, he caught her leg and swung her through the air to crash into a car.

The others were on him next, but Ransik displayed the mutant strength and speed that made him so dangerous. Wes grabbed him and was also thrown through the air. Ransik went on to hit Lucas, Katie, and Trip hard enough to send them flying.

As she picked herself up, Jen summoned her blaster and fired, striking Ransik. He snarled, pulled his own weapon and shot her. As she fell, feeling the electric-shock sensation that meant her suit was overloading, she saw him aiming and firing at the others.

When Jen could see again, she was demorphed and helpless. She saw Lucas, Trip, and Katie in the same condition. Wes was still morphed, and had pulled out the Quantum Defender. He leaped closer to Ransik, who saw him and aimed his own weapon with inhuman speed. They both fired, and disappeared in a burst of radiant energy.

“Wes!” Jen screamed, hearing her teammates cry out too. As the light faded, she saw the Red Ranger lying on the ground, his form warping and shimmering as he demorphed. With relief she saw him moving. But so was Ransik. He stood up to face her as she climbed to her feet.

“I’ve been waiting for this,” he said.

“Our mission is to bring you in. And I promise you, I’m going to do it!” Jen shouted defiantly.

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep.” He started for her.

Jen looked around. Her team was still helpless, unable to get up. She needed to get the fight away from them, preferably some place where she could find cover.

“Come and get me!” she shouted, and ran as fast she could into the storage warehouse behind her. She could hear her friends call her name and, more importantly, she heard Ransik following her.

It was dark inside by comparison with the bright winter sun outdoors. But Jen had no time to let her eyes adjust. She quickly found a hiding place behind a row of crates and crouched down, staying as quiet as possible. Ransik moved past her, limping. With a soldier’s eye she noted that he was injured, and wondered how badly. He seemed to have no fear, tromping around noisily, in the open. Jen eased from behind the crates and started to work her way closer. She drew her Time Force blaster, holding it ready.

Ransik moved in a circle in the middle of the warehouse, slowly surveying the building, blaster ready. Suddenly Jen saw a slight movement a few yards away from her, behind some scattered boxes. Ransik saw it too. He aimed and fired at it. Something -- or someone -- fell to the floor with a cry. Ransik moved closer, smiling, blaster held out.

Jen saw her opportunity and took it. She straightened and stepped out from behind a concealing box, firing her blaster directly at Ransik. He was unprepared and took the blast in the back, falling from the impact. She moved closer, ready to fire again. But after a quick glance, Ransik wasn’t even looking at her.

He pulled himself closer to whoever it was he had shot, while Jen tensely held the blaster on him. Risking a quick look, she saw Nadira lying on the dusty floor, her pink hair fanned over her face. She was motionless.

“Nadira!” Ransik gasped. Ignoring Jen, he got up and limped to her, kneeling to cradle her in his arms. Jen hesitated, but she couldn’t shoot him now. She heard footsteps, and shot a glance over her shoulder to see her friends running toward them. In another moment they were standing next to her, Lucas, Trip, and Katie covering Ransik with their Time Force blasters.

“Nadira, what have I done?” Ransik said softly.

“I’ll tell you what you’ve done,” Jen said heartlessly. “You’ve attacked your own daughter. Just like you’ve destroyed your own people along with the humans of our time! You succeeded in changing history, but all you did was create a world no one can live in!”

Ransik looked up, “What are you talking about?”

“She’s right,” Trip said. “If you prevent Time Force from existing, you’ll be hurting your own people as much as humans. We know it’s true.”

“We’ve gotten information from an alternate reality that it happened in. There was a war so bad most of the people on Earth died. And we saw another reality, with mutants executed or rounded up and put in detention centers. Those are the worlds you created,” Katie added bitterly.

“That’s what Frax told Nadira. Could it be true?” Ransik murmured. “Could I have been working against my own people? Destroyed innocent lives here, all for nothing?”

“Why would we lie about something like that? That’s exactly what you’ve done,” Jen said.

“It’s true. I’m a mutant, like you. I’m telling you the truth. You have to stop this.” Trip met Ransik’s eyes for a long moment.

“I guess I’m a mutant, too. You can believe us.” Katie stepped next to Trip and put her arm around his shoulders.

Ransik looked down again as Nadira’s head moved slightly, and she opened her eyes. She looked up into his face. “Daddy? Are you all right?”

“Yes, Sweetheart. How badly are you hurt?”

“Not too bad, I think…. Daddy, can’t we go home now?”

“Yes. Yes, we’ll go home.” Ransik looked down at his daughter’s face. “I’ve seen nothing but hate for so long, it’s made me blind. It’s made me do unforgivable things. And it may have cost me the one person I truly love.”

Nadira smiled. “Do you really love me, Daddy?”

“Of course I do. More than anything.” Gently he lifted her and propped her against the crate she had been hiding behind. He stood up. Warily, the Rangers moved back a little. Ransik faced them and held out his hands, wrists together. “I’ve committed terrible crimes, here and in our time. I’m ready to pay for them.”

Jen looked around at her teammates’ faces, seeing amazement and uncertainty to match her own. As Wes kept Ransik covered she slowly holstered her blaster and pulled a pair of small handcuffs from her equipment belt. At the touch of a control, they expanded to full size. Cautiously, she stepped forward and snapped them on Ransik’s wrists. He watched her steadily.

“What can you do to help Nadira?” he asked.

“We’ll take both of you back to our ship. We can treat her there. Then we’ll have to put both of you in cryogenic miniaturized confinement until we get you back to our time.”

“I understand.” Ransik looked down at Nadira, sitting at his feet. She smiled and reached up to take one of his manacled hands.