The Terran Rangers/Final Fantasy VII, Heather Ray [desktop ebook reader txt] 📗

the Zeo crystal shards. A consequence of having such a power source inside you is a stronger body, in all senses of the word. The crystals enhance you, especially your immune system. Haven't you noticed that none of you have been sick since you became Terran Rangers? You also manage to function with a lot less sleep."

"Yeah," said Alexis, "and me?"

"Mighty Morphin Power Rangers also have enhanced healing and immune systems, but not as much as the Terran Rangers. So, the virus is affecting you to a greater degree, but I don't think its something to worry too much about. Still, we'd better wait it out, to make sure the fevers don't get worse."

"What do we do in the meantime?" asked Tommy.

"Well, if you like, you can take two Tylenol."




Chapter Six

Meanwhile, in the Youth Center, the Green Ranger continued to scan the area, looking for signs of Contagion.

"There's nothing here," she sighed. "Not even a trace of him!"

Aisha knelt, to get a better look at the spot where Contagion disintegrated, but still saw nothing. She gave up, and then stood up. But, she felt a wave of dizziness come upon her, and she steadied herself by leaning on a nearby chair. She touched her helmet, and shook her head.

"What's wrong with me?" she asked herself. "And why is it so...hot

in here?"

Aisha tried to shrug off the wave of dizziness, but it only got worse. She sat down on the chair, and turned on her communicator.

"Green Ranger to CAC," she said, "Billy, do you read?"

^Affirmative,^

came Billy's voice. ^Have you found anything?^

"Maybe. Its really hot in here all of the sudden. And the room is like spinning. Do you think there's some kind of gas in the air, or something?"

^If there were, it wouldn't affect you. You are wearing your helmet, right?^

"Of course I -- oooooh

..."

Suddenly, Aisha fainted, and collapsed onto the Youth Center floor.

^Aisha? Aisha, do you read me?!^

There was no response.

^I'm bringing you back here, now!^

With that, the Green Ranger vanished from the Youth Center, along with the scanner she was using.

Chapter Seven

Billy Mitchell looked up from the computer screen he was focused on, and pressed the bridge of his nose wearily. He then turned around in his swivel chair, and scanned the Central Access Complex quickly.

In the corner of the vast underground headquarters of the Power Rangers, Aisha Campbell lay still, her body covered by a transparent force field, placing her in stasis and at the same time encasing her in a separate environment from the rest of the chamber.

On a table not far from the cot was the green Zeo shard, increased to its full size of nearly a foot long, hovering just off the surface.

At the smaller computers attached to the med-unit, where Aisha's life signs were being recorded, Adam Park and Tanya Sloan stood vigil, watching as the computer continued to process information about the virus affecting the Green Terran Ranger.

In the center of the complex, Rocky DeSantos and Alexis Darling stared into the Viewing Globe, watching as the battle between the Terran Rangers and Contagion replayed before them.

The remaining teens all stood at separate stations, scanning intently through the CAC's computer files for information about the mysterious disease that threatened the life of their friend. Despite all the activity in the complex, it was as quiet as a graveyard.

With a heavy, frustrated sigh, Zack turned away from his computer station, and glanced in Aisha's direction. Silently, he rose from his chair, and walked across the CAC. He stopped beside the med-unit, and watched Aisha's face for a few moments. It unsettled him to see his close friend so flushed and lifeless, especially considering how vibrant and energetic she was. In his ears, he could hear her cheerful laugh, the one she always laughed when he told a joke, or performed a trick. His eyes began to sting when he realized that he may never hear her laugh again.

"Anything yet?" he asked Tanya and Adam.

"Billy was right -- the med-unit just isn't helping her," Adam muttered, his face grim, "We even discovered some other scars, from the fight against Holocaust last week. They should've healed by now."

"So, what's wrong with her, exactly?"

"Lots of things," Tanya whispered. "For whatever reason, the med-unit is proving ineffective in healing any of Aisha's injuries. No matter what we do, her fever is still increasing. She's already up to 105.6 degrees, and we can't do a thing to stop it. This virus she's infected with is really running rampant, to a much more serious degree than the rest of you."

"Does anyone know why?" Zack asked.

"I believe I have a clue," Billy said, looking directly at Zack. Everyone in the room turned to Billy, waiting for one of his ingenious solutions.

"Remember when the Command Center was destroyed, and Zordon asked us to find the shards of the Zeo Crystal?"

"Of course," said Tommy. "We had to look in the ruins of the Command Center for the colored shards."

"Exactly. Well, if you recall, Zordon told us that not just anyone could be a Terran Ranger. Only those 'destined'

for that role can safely harbor the Power."

"Wait," said Tanya, "I thought we established that he meant only those who were Mighty Morphin Power Rangers could be Terran Power Rangers, because of the molecular changes that are necessary to accept the Power."

"That wasn't established," Billy said quietly. "It was merely my hypothesis. And I was wrong."

Everyone in the CAC was startled to hear those words. In fact, no one could remember the last time Billy had admitted that.

"How were you wrong?" Kim asked gently.

"There's more necessary than simply being a former Power Ranger. Apparently, the Terra power is so vast, that only ones with very specific bio-chemical changes can safely use each gem. Everyone's bio-chemistry is slightly different. Any former holder of a Power Coin can become a Terran Ranger, but there are dangerous side-effects that aren't suffered by the 'chosen'

rangers."

"Side effects?" Katherine repeated. "Do you know exactly what they are?"

"Well, I know that they include an increased likelihood of injury, overall exhaustion, and a weakened immune system and other bodily defenses."

"The exact opposite of the rest of us," Jason said, shaking his head. "That explains why Aisha is so sick!"

"Exactly," Billy said. "That's why I removed the green Zeo Shard from Aisha's heart. Hopefully, it will help strengthen her immune system, allowing her body to defend against the virus."

"Then I take it there's no cure," Rocky said quietly.

Billy shook his head. "There's no way of knowing until Adam and Tanya identify the virus. Did the computer finish processing the information in the scanner Aisha was using in the Youth Center right before she fainted?"

"It just did," Tanya said, reading off a screen. "It identified the virus. Its called a Space Virus."

"Then let's run it through the system, and see what we get," Billy said, turning back to the computer. The rest of the team gathered around him as he typed in the search command, and waited. Soon, a screen full of information appeared.

"Apparently, Space Viruses affect different species in different ways, ranging from something as minor as a headache to seriously fatal symptoms. They cannot exist in Earth's atmosphere, which is why no human being is recorded as being exposed to the virus."

"Well, Zedd and Rita managed to find a way to bring it to Earth," Zack muttered bitterly, folding his arms. "What does it say about treatment, Billy?"

"There...there is no known treatment," Billy said, taking a deep breath. "Space Viruses must be allowed to run its course. There is no medicine for it."

"What do you mean, 'run its course'

?!" Zack hollered. "At this rate, Aisha'll be dead in a couple of hours!"

"There is no panacea, or something?" Kat asked Billy.

"Not on this record," Billy said. "The computer's searched through all the plant life on file, and nothing's come up. No one in the universe apparently knows how to cure this especially tenacious virus."

"I don't buy it," Tommy said, stepping away from the group and pacing across the floor, "Maybe the key isn't a plant. Is there any other method of killing viruses? How about healing magic?"

Billy shook his head. "Healing magic tends to work only in cases of magical injury, or even wounds. It won't affect disease patients. However, there are environmental factors that can affect whether or not a virus can thrive. Certain areas of the world have certain diseases, and apparently certain planets have their own."

"That's true," said Adam, "after all, the Space Virus can't survive here on Earth. There must be something that can kill it."

"But its already in her bloodstream," said Tanya, "and it's raging. What help can environmental factors be?"

"Wait," said Billy, turning back to his computer. He typed in another search command, and glanced back at his friends. "Remember when I told you I was reading about all the different inhabited planets?"

"Yeah," Rocky said, grasping Billy's shoulder. "What've ya got?"

"Well, I found an inhabited planet, in the Ebole system, that is especially interesting. This planet, called Midgar, is a great deal like Earth, with humanoid, animal, and plant life. However, it has a high magic content, which is the likely cause of a high monster population. Also, it is known for having no harmful microorganisms."

"What?!" said Kat. "But, that's impossible! How can life exist without microorganisms?"

"Its been a mystery for centuries," Billy said, "but it's hypothesized that the immense amounts of a certain kind of energy is what instantly destroys all potentially harmful bacterial or viral organisms that enter the atmosphere. And that energy is harmless to the humanoid life -- in small doses."

"And this energy is portable?" Kim asked