A Darker Shade of Red (Time Force/Power Rangers, T, Chapter 31: Secrets and Lies)
And the first official Bright Skies/A Darker Shade of Red crossover is about to begin!
Fandom/: Power Rangers Time Force, slight crossover with S.P.D. (In Bright Skies universe)
Characters/: Alex
Pairings/: Alex/Jen, Lucas/Trip, Katie/OC, Wes/Eric
Rating/: T
Disclaimer/: Saban/Disney/Whoever sure didn't write *this* into the series. The plot comes purely from my own warped little mind, and the characters are merely borrowed from them for my own amusement. Lucky you.
Summary/: The legacy of Wesley Collins and Eric Myers didn't just affect the past - it affected the future. One thousand years after they became Rangers, one person is still struggling against the corruption of Time Force and the heritage he never wanted.
Warnings/: People used for scientific experimentation, corrupted Time Force, character with self-image issues
Author's Notes/: Still don’t like it as much as the last chapter, but Alex and Blakemore amuse me. And hey, an even *better* cliffhanger!
"Time Force has always had records of history," Alex explained carefully, "Especially historical facts relating to the Power Rangers. There is a specific period of Earth history between 1993 and 2008 in which a new team of Rangers has appeared nearly every year in defense of Earth. One of those listed teams, is the Time Force Rangers in Silver Hills of 2001."
He heard the gasp, and knew without looking that it was Jen. Jen had always been quick to put facts together. He could only pray that this time, she would understand.
"My secondary mission as Red Ranger was to protect the four chosen Time Force operatives and ensure that they received the Red Chrono morpher, so that they would deliver it to the past and to Wesley Collins himself. At which point, history logs show that they would join with Collins and become the Pink, Blue, Yellow, and Green Rangers."
His gaze had returned to the wall at some point. He still didn't remember doing it. His wrist was starting to hurt though.
"After I awoke and recovered from Ransik's attack, I sent the Quantum Controller and the Q-Rex Zord into a Time Portal, to be eventually discovered by Eric Myers. From that point on I monitored the Rangers, maintaining their Zords and building them new equipment. Excluding a brief mission to join the other Rangers in 2001 for the express purpose of ensuring that they had not forgotten their own mission, I had very little direct contact with them until Ransik was recaptured, and they returned to the present permanently.
"Shortly after their return, I was presented with the Red Chrono morpher recently released from the vaults, and ordered to become the Red Ranger once again." He hesitated. "Due to my initial reluctance to work with the other Rangers, Commander Blakemore began to approach me in private, threatening to revive Subject B, and later threatening the families of the other Rangers to keep me isolated from them. Eventually the Rangers forced me to tell them the truth about the situation, and began protecting me from Blakemore's influence. In retaliation, he kept his promise to revive Subject B. He was put under three years worth of age progression to bring him to fifteen years of age, and given the Quantum Morpher."
He paused to gather his thoughts again, rubbing his wrist behind his back. "For seven months, Captain Scotts, Lieutenants Kendall and Walker, Squad Leader Regis, and myself began actively searching for information to implicate Commander Blakemore and his associates in illegal activities. Benjamin Myers, formerly known as Subject B, secretly worked inside Time Force as well, gathering information on his own.
"We received a mission from Time Force citing the escape of three unusual mutants who were not part of Ransik's original escape, and ordered to send one Ranger into the timeline after them. Our leader, Jennifer Scotts, volunteered herself and left the rest of us to continue our work to bring down Time Force. Shortly after we lost contact with her, we received a distress call from the year 2002, from Wesley Collins and Eric Myers. While investigating possible reasons for the escaped criminals to have come to that particular time, Squad Leader Regis made a discovery of hidden information inside a file on the Wild Force Rangers. It stated that in 2002, the Wild Force Rangers teamed up with six Time Force Rangers to defeat a trio of criminals known as 'Mutorgs'. In light of this discovery, Lieutenants Kendall and Walker went to Nadira, the daughter of Ransik, who has recently gone through a reform program and successfully integrated herself into society. They asked for her assistance in learning if her father had any information on the Mutorgs."
"Upon gaining access to Ransik, they realized that his behavior was ... odd. Squad Leader Regis evoked his Ranger status to have Ransik released to their custody, and had him brought back to our headquarters at Time Force to be examined more closely. We discovered significant amounts of lorazepam, clonazepam, fluoxetine, ciprofloxacin, metoprolol, prednisone, phentermine, and codeine. The official lab results are part of the evidence I submitted at the beginning of this trial," he added in afterthought. "To protect Ransik, I ordered that he and Nadira be brought to the past with the other Rangers to find the Mutorgs, while I went to investigate Vanera Maximum Security Prison myself.
"Inside the prison, I found every inmate to be in the same state as Ransik." Keep going you can say it it's in the past now. "However, I was discovered and attacked by Benjamin Myers." He found himself faltering anyway. "I later learned that he was acting in my defense, to buy me time to escape. He managed to slip me information during our fight." He swallowed hard, and his eyes burned again. "Just before I shot him."
Another low murmur went through the crowd.
It was disrupted by a slight scuffling sound from the area where the Rangers were sitting. He dared at glance and found Ben struggling to get up. Katie had a hand over his mouth and was trying to pin him down. After another moment of struggling back and forth, she finally sat on him.
"I went back to Time Force and reported to Captain Logan, who ordered me to take a time ship and join the other Rangers in 2002." He hesitated. "I was later informed that I'd gone into shock."
A louder scuffle came from the Rangers' area, and was abruptly silenced.
He was still hesitating, and he knew it. While important, this wasn't exactly something he wanted to share. But there was no believable way around it, even if there had been a way to fool the monitors. "During my time in 2002, I spent time with Wesley Collins," he said finally. "We ... came to an understanding, of sorts."
He could see the monitor lights flashing 'uncertainty', but he wasn't going to clarify further without being asked. It *was* an understanding. Just a complicated one.
"But on the morning of our departure, something ... happened." He frowned. "It's complicated to explain. Collins and I share the same morpher, just from different time periods. I made the mistake of touching his left hand and ... " He reached down almost absently to rub his morpher. "Our morphers merged."
He saw a table light for one of the judges go off out of the corner of his eye, and turned his attention to him.
"Can you clarify that statement?" the man asked, frowning at him.
Alex hesitated. "I'm not sure, your honor," he admitted. "The best explanation I can give is that the two morphers merged into one - and merged Collins and I in the process."
"Merged *you*?" he repeated, looking incredulous even though his projected image.
He nodded. "We exchanged memories and information. It happened so fast everything was sort of ... thrown together," he explained, frowning deeper. "We were mostly only aware of surface information and a few very important memories. And then the morphers split, and we were ourselves again. But the information remained." He swallowed. "Which meant that Collins became aware that I am his genetic descendant."
"I love you, Alex. And I am very, *very* proud, to call you my son."
"He called me his son."
Was he smiling?
He shook his head slowly, but the smile wouldn't fade completely no matter how hard he tried. "He insisted that no matter how I was born, I was his son."
Reality reasserted itself as the rest of the moment returned, and his smile finally faded with a sigh. "I forced him to promise never to tell *anyone* the truth about who I was - not even Myers. He reluctantly agreed, and shortly after we returned to the present. That's when we learned that Admiral Logan and the Quantum Ranger had organized an effort to remove the old Time Force."
Another light at the judges' table went off. "And you automatically assumed that the Quantum Ranger was your ally?" the judge on the right asked skeptically.
Alex looked at his morpher for a moment. "When my brother and I were children, we made each other a promise," he explained softly. "'Brothers first, everything else second.' No matter what we do in front of other people, we are first and always, brothers." He glanced up finally, looking directly at the judge who'd asked. "I forgot that promise for awhile. But once I remembered it, I knew that no matter what Ben was doing, I could still trust him." He looked down again, frowning. "I just wish I'd remembered it sooner."
He shook himself again. "In the time since the arrests were made, I have discovered further proof that Time Force has hidden information about Earth's history, in addition to the charges already against them.
A light lit up a desk in the audience, and he turned to address the question.
"What sort of information has Time Force been hiding?" an older woman in a white uniform asked, frowning.
"I have evidence that Time Force originated on Earth as the organization Space Patrol Delta in the early twenty-first century," he answered. "In addition there was another Ranger team stationed on Earth during that time period that is not documented to exist."
Another light caught his attention, and he found himself staring at Blakemore again. "These accusations you've made are all well and good," Blakemore drawled, "But what do they have to do with the charges against *me*? Do you even have any evidence of my involvement? You said yourself the data 'linking' me to the original Morpher Project disappeared." He made quotations with his fingers, and smiled unpleasantly. "And after everything you've just said, do you honestly expect anyone to believe you?"
Slowly, Alex smiled. "No. I don't," he returned calmly. "But I expect they'll believe this."
He keyed his morpher.
"You *planned* to have Time Force investigated?"
Laughter. "Of course I did! What better way to regain control? Let the police come in and take out the 'old' Time Force, clean things up a bit. Take out the board of directors, the old staff, everyone involved in the old projects. Let the public think that we're 'new and improved'. And then ... That's when we start recruiting again. Remind people what Time Force is *really* about."
"And what's that?"
"Progress. Creating the world the way *we* want it. Time Force has shaped the public's opinion on the past and present. We've created their idea of right and wrong. Time Force is what keeps this planet in check."
"You honestly believe that? You - you're *torturing* people, hiding information about our history, and you think it's *right*?!"
"Torturing? Is that what you think it is we do? We're *curing* people, Alexander. Sure, there's going to be some suffering along the way - that's just part of the scientific process. But by working to eliminate mutated genes, we're protecting people, protecting their futures. And who cares about a bunch of criminals anyway? Better them than some poor, honest citizen, right?"
"And me? Ben, and Trip?"
"Isn't it obvious? You and Benjamin were necessary for maintaining the timeline. History has documented the existence of the Time Force and Quantum Rangers. We needed you to ensure that happened. As for the Xybrian, he *is* one of the last of his kind. How else were we supposed to learn about his species?"
"Why have you been hiding information about the past, then? Like the Time Force and Wild Force Rangers meeting?"
"Well, we couldn't just *tell* you everything, now could we? You have to work for things. Like that thing ... The death of the Red Time Force Ranger. You needed false information to figure out the best way to handle the situation."
"You mean you lied about Wes' death?"
"Well, he's going to die someday, isn't he?"
" ... What did you do to my brother?"
"Just a minor adjustment we placed in his morpher before he was revived. Produces an electric current when Benjamin needs ... reminding, of where his loyalties lie."
The expression on Blakemore's face made him hope there was a way to get a copy of the surveillance tapes.
"There's an interesting thing about the Chrono Morphers," Alex explained for the benefit of the courtroom. "They have the ability to record images and sounds for a brief period of time. I was never quite sure why that was when I was younger." He turned to smile directly at Blakemore.
The center holojudge cleared his throat. "Are there any further questions?"
Silence.
He nodded once, turning to Alex. "You are dismissed, Mr. Collins. Thank you for your cooperation."
He inclined his head, waiting for the chime that signaled he'd been disconnected from the system. When it came, he walked to find a place in the audience to sit, keeping his eyes straight and avoiding the stares around him.
He almost walked past the Rangers, but Jen caught his arm and dragged him into his original seat beside her. He looked at her in surprise and found her staring at him with a dark expression. Her hand squeezed his uncomfortably tight, and she leaned in to whisper in his ear. "This conversation is *far* from over," she hissed.
He swallowed and nodded.
But he noticed that her hand didn't separate from his, and felt marginally better.
"The court recognizes Commander Blakemore," one of the judges announced, and Alex forcibly pulled his attention back to the rest of the room.
Blakemore stood. "I request permission to bring in my commissioned witness."
The center judge nodded. "Your request is granted. Bring in the witness!"
Alex frowned. A commissioned witness was a person usually brought to the trial through Time Travel, to prove or disprove a point. They only needed to be cleared with the court, so there was no reason anyone else would have known about it. But who could Blakemore possibly have commissioned in his defense?
The man the bailiffs escorted into the room was somewhat tall, with graying blond hair in a cut that could almost be considered military - if a bit insubordinate. He was dressed in a gray and red tracksuit, and walked with a dog at his side. His gaze moved around the room suspiciously, but his hand stayed firmly on the dog's leash as he was led to the witness' podium. There was something uncannily familiar about him, but Alex couldn't quite place it.
"Please state your full name and occupation for the court," the center judge commanded.
The man raised his eyebrows, folding his arms. "Why should I?" he countered. "The last thing I knew, I was taking my dog for a walk when I was *ambushed* and kidnapped without the chance to even get word to my family. Give me one good reason why I should cooperate with you."
Alex sucked in a breath at the sound of the man's voice. Beside him, Jen let out a strangled cry.
The judge sighed. "I apologize for your abrupt arrival. You have been brought to the year 3002 to participate in the trial of The People versus Jonathan Blakemore. Once your testimony has finished, you will be returned to your appropriate time and place with no memory of what has taken place."
"I doubt that," the man muttered darkly. His dog whined, and he ruffled its ears reassuringly.
"Now. Please state your full name and occupation for the court."
He looked up and sighed. "Sergeant Commander Wesley Alan Collins of S.P.D. Earth, Newtech City Base, and Red Time Force Ranger of the Newtech Rangers. Escorted by Jen," he added in afterthought, reaching down to give the dog another pat.
The courtroom went still.
Fandom/: Power Rangers Time Force, slight crossover with S.P.D. (In Bright Skies universe)
Characters/: Alex
Pairings/: Alex/Jen, Lucas/Trip, Katie/OC, Wes/Eric
Rating/: T
Disclaimer/: Saban/Disney/Whoever sure didn't write *this* into the series. The plot comes purely from my own warped little mind, and the characters are merely borrowed from them for my own amusement. Lucky you.
Summary/: The legacy of Wesley Collins and Eric Myers didn't just affect the past - it affected the future. One thousand years after they became Rangers, one person is still struggling against the corruption of Time Force and the heritage he never wanted.
Warnings/: People used for scientific experimentation, corrupted Time Force, character with self-image issues
Author's Notes/: Still don’t like it as much as the last chapter, but Alex and Blakemore amuse me. And hey, an even *better* cliffhanger!
"Time Force has always had records of history," Alex explained carefully, "Especially historical facts relating to the Power Rangers. There is a specific period of Earth history between 1993 and 2008 in which a new team of Rangers has appeared nearly every year in defense of Earth. One of those listed teams, is the Time Force Rangers in Silver Hills of 2001."
He heard the gasp, and knew without looking that it was Jen. Jen had always been quick to put facts together. He could only pray that this time, she would understand.
"My secondary mission as Red Ranger was to protect the four chosen Time Force operatives and ensure that they received the Red Chrono morpher, so that they would deliver it to the past and to Wesley Collins himself. At which point, history logs show that they would join with Collins and become the Pink, Blue, Yellow, and Green Rangers."
His gaze had returned to the wall at some point. He still didn't remember doing it. His wrist was starting to hurt though.
"After I awoke and recovered from Ransik's attack, I sent the Quantum Controller and the Q-Rex Zord into a Time Portal, to be eventually discovered by Eric Myers. From that point on I monitored the Rangers, maintaining their Zords and building them new equipment. Excluding a brief mission to join the other Rangers in 2001 for the express purpose of ensuring that they had not forgotten their own mission, I had very little direct contact with them until Ransik was recaptured, and they returned to the present permanently.
"Shortly after their return, I was presented with the Red Chrono morpher recently released from the vaults, and ordered to become the Red Ranger once again." He hesitated. "Due to my initial reluctance to work with the other Rangers, Commander Blakemore began to approach me in private, threatening to revive Subject B, and later threatening the families of the other Rangers to keep me isolated from them. Eventually the Rangers forced me to tell them the truth about the situation, and began protecting me from Blakemore's influence. In retaliation, he kept his promise to revive Subject B. He was put under three years worth of age progression to bring him to fifteen years of age, and given the Quantum Morpher."
He paused to gather his thoughts again, rubbing his wrist behind his back. "For seven months, Captain Scotts, Lieutenants Kendall and Walker, Squad Leader Regis, and myself began actively searching for information to implicate Commander Blakemore and his associates in illegal activities. Benjamin Myers, formerly known as Subject B, secretly worked inside Time Force as well, gathering information on his own.
"We received a mission from Time Force citing the escape of three unusual mutants who were not part of Ransik's original escape, and ordered to send one Ranger into the timeline after them. Our leader, Jennifer Scotts, volunteered herself and left the rest of us to continue our work to bring down Time Force. Shortly after we lost contact with her, we received a distress call from the year 2002, from Wesley Collins and Eric Myers. While investigating possible reasons for the escaped criminals to have come to that particular time, Squad Leader Regis made a discovery of hidden information inside a file on the Wild Force Rangers. It stated that in 2002, the Wild Force Rangers teamed up with six Time Force Rangers to defeat a trio of criminals known as 'Mutorgs'. In light of this discovery, Lieutenants Kendall and Walker went to Nadira, the daughter of Ransik, who has recently gone through a reform program and successfully integrated herself into society. They asked for her assistance in learning if her father had any information on the Mutorgs."
"Upon gaining access to Ransik, they realized that his behavior was ... odd. Squad Leader Regis evoked his Ranger status to have Ransik released to their custody, and had him brought back to our headquarters at Time Force to be examined more closely. We discovered significant amounts of lorazepam, clonazepam, fluoxetine, ciprofloxacin, metoprolol, prednisone, phentermine, and codeine. The official lab results are part of the evidence I submitted at the beginning of this trial," he added in afterthought. "To protect Ransik, I ordered that he and Nadira be brought to the past with the other Rangers to find the Mutorgs, while I went to investigate Vanera Maximum Security Prison myself.
"Inside the prison, I found every inmate to be in the same state as Ransik." Keep going you can say it it's in the past now. "However, I was discovered and attacked by Benjamin Myers." He found himself faltering anyway. "I later learned that he was acting in my defense, to buy me time to escape. He managed to slip me information during our fight." He swallowed hard, and his eyes burned again. "Just before I shot him."
Another low murmur went through the crowd.
It was disrupted by a slight scuffling sound from the area where the Rangers were sitting. He dared at glance and found Ben struggling to get up. Katie had a hand over his mouth and was trying to pin him down. After another moment of struggling back and forth, she finally sat on him.
"I went back to Time Force and reported to Captain Logan, who ordered me to take a time ship and join the other Rangers in 2002." He hesitated. "I was later informed that I'd gone into shock."
A louder scuffle came from the Rangers' area, and was abruptly silenced.
He was still hesitating, and he knew it. While important, this wasn't exactly something he wanted to share. But there was no believable way around it, even if there had been a way to fool the monitors. "During my time in 2002, I spent time with Wesley Collins," he said finally. "We ... came to an understanding, of sorts."
He could see the monitor lights flashing 'uncertainty', but he wasn't going to clarify further without being asked. It *was* an understanding. Just a complicated one.
"But on the morning of our departure, something ... happened." He frowned. "It's complicated to explain. Collins and I share the same morpher, just from different time periods. I made the mistake of touching his left hand and ... " He reached down almost absently to rub his morpher. "Our morphers merged."
He saw a table light for one of the judges go off out of the corner of his eye, and turned his attention to him.
"Can you clarify that statement?" the man asked, frowning at him.
Alex hesitated. "I'm not sure, your honor," he admitted. "The best explanation I can give is that the two morphers merged into one - and merged Collins and I in the process."
"Merged *you*?" he repeated, looking incredulous even though his projected image.
He nodded. "We exchanged memories and information. It happened so fast everything was sort of ... thrown together," he explained, frowning deeper. "We were mostly only aware of surface information and a few very important memories. And then the morphers split, and we were ourselves again. But the information remained." He swallowed. "Which meant that Collins became aware that I am his genetic descendant."
"I love you, Alex. And I am very, *very* proud, to call you my son."
"He called me his son."
Was he smiling?
He shook his head slowly, but the smile wouldn't fade completely no matter how hard he tried. "He insisted that no matter how I was born, I was his son."
Reality reasserted itself as the rest of the moment returned, and his smile finally faded with a sigh. "I forced him to promise never to tell *anyone* the truth about who I was - not even Myers. He reluctantly agreed, and shortly after we returned to the present. That's when we learned that Admiral Logan and the Quantum Ranger had organized an effort to remove the old Time Force."
Another light at the judges' table went off. "And you automatically assumed that the Quantum Ranger was your ally?" the judge on the right asked skeptically.
Alex looked at his morpher for a moment. "When my brother and I were children, we made each other a promise," he explained softly. "'Brothers first, everything else second.' No matter what we do in front of other people, we are first and always, brothers." He glanced up finally, looking directly at the judge who'd asked. "I forgot that promise for awhile. But once I remembered it, I knew that no matter what Ben was doing, I could still trust him." He looked down again, frowning. "I just wish I'd remembered it sooner."
He shook himself again. "In the time since the arrests were made, I have discovered further proof that Time Force has hidden information about Earth's history, in addition to the charges already against them.
A light lit up a desk in the audience, and he turned to address the question.
"What sort of information has Time Force been hiding?" an older woman in a white uniform asked, frowning.
"I have evidence that Time Force originated on Earth as the organization Space Patrol Delta in the early twenty-first century," he answered. "In addition there was another Ranger team stationed on Earth during that time period that is not documented to exist."
Another light caught his attention, and he found himself staring at Blakemore again. "These accusations you've made are all well and good," Blakemore drawled, "But what do they have to do with the charges against *me*? Do you even have any evidence of my involvement? You said yourself the data 'linking' me to the original Morpher Project disappeared." He made quotations with his fingers, and smiled unpleasantly. "And after everything you've just said, do you honestly expect anyone to believe you?"
Slowly, Alex smiled. "No. I don't," he returned calmly. "But I expect they'll believe this."
He keyed his morpher.
"You *planned* to have Time Force investigated?"
Laughter. "Of course I did! What better way to regain control? Let the police come in and take out the 'old' Time Force, clean things up a bit. Take out the board of directors, the old staff, everyone involved in the old projects. Let the public think that we're 'new and improved'. And then ... That's when we start recruiting again. Remind people what Time Force is *really* about."
"And what's that?"
"Progress. Creating the world the way *we* want it. Time Force has shaped the public's opinion on the past and present. We've created their idea of right and wrong. Time Force is what keeps this planet in check."
"You honestly believe that? You - you're *torturing* people, hiding information about our history, and you think it's *right*?!"
"Torturing? Is that what you think it is we do? We're *curing* people, Alexander. Sure, there's going to be some suffering along the way - that's just part of the scientific process. But by working to eliminate mutated genes, we're protecting people, protecting their futures. And who cares about a bunch of criminals anyway? Better them than some poor, honest citizen, right?"
"And me? Ben, and Trip?"
"Isn't it obvious? You and Benjamin were necessary for maintaining the timeline. History has documented the existence of the Time Force and Quantum Rangers. We needed you to ensure that happened. As for the Xybrian, he *is* one of the last of his kind. How else were we supposed to learn about his species?"
"Why have you been hiding information about the past, then? Like the Time Force and Wild Force Rangers meeting?"
"Well, we couldn't just *tell* you everything, now could we? You have to work for things. Like that thing ... The death of the Red Time Force Ranger. You needed false information to figure out the best way to handle the situation."
"You mean you lied about Wes' death?"
"Well, he's going to die someday, isn't he?"
" ... What did you do to my brother?"
"Just a minor adjustment we placed in his morpher before he was revived. Produces an electric current when Benjamin needs ... reminding, of where his loyalties lie."
The expression on Blakemore's face made him hope there was a way to get a copy of the surveillance tapes.
"There's an interesting thing about the Chrono Morphers," Alex explained for the benefit of the courtroom. "They have the ability to record images and sounds for a brief period of time. I was never quite sure why that was when I was younger." He turned to smile directly at Blakemore.
The center holojudge cleared his throat. "Are there any further questions?"
Silence.
He nodded once, turning to Alex. "You are dismissed, Mr. Collins. Thank you for your cooperation."
He inclined his head, waiting for the chime that signaled he'd been disconnected from the system. When it came, he walked to find a place in the audience to sit, keeping his eyes straight and avoiding the stares around him.
He almost walked past the Rangers, but Jen caught his arm and dragged him into his original seat beside her. He looked at her in surprise and found her staring at him with a dark expression. Her hand squeezed his uncomfortably tight, and she leaned in to whisper in his ear. "This conversation is *far* from over," she hissed.
He swallowed and nodded.
But he noticed that her hand didn't separate from his, and felt marginally better.
"The court recognizes Commander Blakemore," one of the judges announced, and Alex forcibly pulled his attention back to the rest of the room.
Blakemore stood. "I request permission to bring in my commissioned witness."
The center judge nodded. "Your request is granted. Bring in the witness!"
Alex frowned. A commissioned witness was a person usually brought to the trial through Time Travel, to prove or disprove a point. They only needed to be cleared with the court, so there was no reason anyone else would have known about it. But who could Blakemore possibly have commissioned in his defense?
The man the bailiffs escorted into the room was somewhat tall, with graying blond hair in a cut that could almost be considered military - if a bit insubordinate. He was dressed in a gray and red tracksuit, and walked with a dog at his side. His gaze moved around the room suspiciously, but his hand stayed firmly on the dog's leash as he was led to the witness' podium. There was something uncannily familiar about him, but Alex couldn't quite place it.
"Please state your full name and occupation for the court," the center judge commanded.
The man raised his eyebrows, folding his arms. "Why should I?" he countered. "The last thing I knew, I was taking my dog for a walk when I was *ambushed* and kidnapped without the chance to even get word to my family. Give me one good reason why I should cooperate with you."
Alex sucked in a breath at the sound of the man's voice. Beside him, Jen let out a strangled cry.
The judge sighed. "I apologize for your abrupt arrival. You have been brought to the year 3002 to participate in the trial of The People versus Jonathan Blakemore. Once your testimony has finished, you will be returned to your appropriate time and place with no memory of what has taken place."
"I doubt that," the man muttered darkly. His dog whined, and he ruffled its ears reassuringly.
"Now. Please state your full name and occupation for the court."
He looked up and sighed. "Sergeant Commander Wesley Alan Collins of S.P.D. Earth, Newtech City Base, and Red Time Force Ranger of the Newtech Rangers. Escorted by Jen," he added in afterthought, reaching down to give the dog another pat.
The courtroom went still.