Power Rangers Turbo Drive Chapter 01 (Early Preview)

Power Rangers Turbo / Kamen Rider Drive

Summary:

After the destruction of the Machine Empire's royal family, a contingency was activated. Over the past year, a secret project was initiated with the assistance of Dr. Tenjuro Banno. The remaining generals begin activating the Roidmudes, advanced androids born from humanity’s darkest impulses. As Angel Grove reels from the Roidmudes’ first devastating “Slowdown” attack, the Zeo Rangers find themselves overwhelmed until a new ally arrives: Kamen Rider Drive. With their newfound ally, it was time to Shift into Turbo.

Chapter 01: Prologue

Earth’s Moon

Machine Empire

Within the fortress's throne room, King Mondo paced back and forth. "Those cowards!" King Mondo's voice bounced off the walls. "Where were Rita and Zedd during our final battle with the Rangers? Hiding, that's where!"

Queen Machina fanned herself. "Now, dear, perhaps they simply recognized their inferiority."

Prince Sprocket bounced. "Yeah! They were probably too scared to show their ugly faces!"

Klank and Orbus stood to the side. Klank leaned forward. "Your Majesty, our sensors indicate Rita and Zedd's spacecraft approaching."

"What?" Mondo whirled around. "The nerve of them to show themselves now!"

The massive doors to the throne room slid open. Lord Zedd strode in with Rita Repulsa following behind him.

Zedd spread his arms. "King Mondo! Royal House of Gadgetry! How fortunate to find you all in one place."

Mondo's optical sensors flashed. "You dare show yourselves after abandoning the fight? Your cowardice disgusts me."

"Cowardice?" Rita laughed. "We prefer to call it strategic withdrawal."

Zedd approached slowly. His staff tapped against the metal floor. "We come in peace, actually. To propose a truce."

"A truce?" Queen Machina scoffed. "After you left us to battle the Rangers alone?"

"We recognize when we're outmatched." Zedd bowed with exaggerated courtesy. "The Machine Empire is clearly the superior force. Rita and I simply aren't in your league."

Rita nodded with a false smile. "That's right. We know when we're beaten."

Mondo crossed his arms. "Your sudden humility is suspicious."

"To show our sincerity," Zedd continued, "we've brought a farewell gift." He gestured to Rita, who produced an ornate box wrapped in metallic paper.

"For Prince Sprocket." Rita held out the box. "A token of our... respect."

Sprocket jumped forward. "A present? For me?"

"Sprocket, wait." Mondo raised a cautionary hand, but his son had already snatched the box.

"We really must be going." Zedd backed toward the door. "Places to conquer, planets to subjugate."

Rita giggled. "Enjoy the gift! It's to die for!"

The pair retreated with suspicious haste, leaving the royal family to examine the package.

"What could those buffoons possibly give that would interest us?" Mondo stared at the box.

Sprocket tore at the wrapping. "Only one way to find out!"

The box's lid came free. A soft beeping emanated from inside, growing rapidly faster.

Klank's sensors whirred. "Your Majesty, I'm detecting..."

The explosion ripped through the throne room with devastating force. The blast wave tore through metal and machinery, sending pieces of the Royal Family flying across the chamber. Secondary explosions followed as power conduits ruptured. The ceiling collapsed in sections.

#

Outside, a safe distance away, Rita and Zedd watched from their RV spacecraft. The explosion bloomed. Chunks of the Machine Empire's base were scattered across the lunar surface.

Rita clapped her hands. "Look at that! Kaboom!"

"The oldest trick in the book." Zedd's visor glowed red. "And they fell for it completely."

"So long, King Mondo!" Rita twirled her staff. "The universe belongs to evil once again!"

Zedd raised his staff. "We're back!"

Their laughter filled the RV as they turned away from the Moon, setting course for Earth.

#

Among the smoking ruins of the throne room, scattered parts of the Royal Family lay sparking across the floor. A servo whirred weakly. King Mondo's head, separated from his body, rotated slightly. His optical sensors flickered with failing power.

"This... isn't... over," his voice crackled through damaged vocal processors. "The Machine Empire... will rise again. Vengeance... will be ours."

His optical sensors dimmed as emergency protocols shifted him into recovery stasis.

Weeks Later

Outer Space

In the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, was a space station. Unlike the gaudy lunar palace, this facility remained virtually invisible to Earth's monitoring systems. 

Inside, General Venjix surveyed the damage reports scrolling across multiple screens. Technicians worked at consoles while repair drones carried salvaged parts through the corridors.

"Status report," Venjix demanded.

A technician approached. His nervous gears clicked. "The Royal Family sustained catastrophic damage, General. King Mondo's central processor remains intact but severely damaged. Queen Machina's memory core is recoverable. Prince Sprocket will require extensive rebuilding."

"And repair time?" Venjix's optical sensors narrowed.

"Months, possibly a year for complete restoration." The technician's voice modulator wavered. "We lack certain materials."

Venjix slammed a mechanical fist against the console. "Unacceptable! The Rangers will believe us defeated. This is the perfect opportunity to strike!"

"Without the Royal Family's leadership..."

"Activate Contingency Protocol Sigma-9." Venjix turned toward a sealed doorway at the far end of the command center.

The technicians froze. One brave unit stepped forward. "General, those units are untested. Dr. Banno's creations are unpredictable."

"They are superior to our current forces." Venjix gestured toward the door. "The Royal Family approved their development for precisely this scenario."

The general approached a control panel and inserted a specialized key into the lock. "The Machine Empire will not fall because of Rita and Zedd's treachery."

The door slid open to a chamber built in the past year. Emergency lighting activated as Venjix proceeded forward. The general approached a massive vault door at the corridor's end.

"Security override Venjix-Alpha-108," the general announced.

The vault scanned Venjix's optical signature. "OVERRIDE ACCEPTED. WARNING: ACTIVATION OF EXPERIMENTAL UNITS REQUIRES ROYAL AUTHORIZATION."

"Emergency protocol engaged. Royal Family incapacitated. Chain of command defaulted."

A pause. "AUTHORIZATION ACCEPTED."

The massive door slid open, revealing a chamber. Row upon row of cylindrical tanks lined the walls, each containing a humanoid figure. Unlike the bulky mechanical bodies of the Machine Empire's standard forces, these creations appeared almost organic in design.

Venjix approached the central control console. "Initiate awakening sequence."

The chamber hummed to life. Lights activated along the rows of tanks. Fluid drained from the containers as monitoring equipment displayed vital statistics for each unit.

"Sir." A technician looked up from a secondary console. "We're registering unusual energy patterns. These units are different from standard automatons."

"Of course they are." Venjix tapped commands into the system. "These are the future of the Machine Empire. Dr. Banno called them Roidmudes."

The technician's optical sensors widened. "Roidmudes?"

Venjix watched as the tanks opened. Steam billowed outward. "The Machine Empire has always been limited by our purely mechanical nature. These units represent further evolution."

The steam cleared, revealing humanoid figures stepping from their containment units. Each bore a number emblazoned on their chest. Their movements were fluid compared to the jerky motions of standard cogs.

"The Royal Family recognized we needed to adapt," Venjix continued. "Dr. Banno provided the solution."

One of the Roidmudes approached. Its face was featureless save for glowing eyes. It moved with predatory grace. "Designation: Roidmude 029. Awaiting instructions."

Venjix nodded. "The time has come to continue our mission. Earth will fall to the Machine Empire."

#

Alarms blared throughout the activation chamber. Technicians scrambled to stabilize power fluctuations as more units emerged from stasis.

Commander Automon monitored the proceedings from a control platform. "The power draw is enormous. These units consume energy at ten times the rate of standard cogs."

"They require it," Venjix replied. "Their capabilities justify the consumption."

A screen activated, displaying schematics of the Roidmude design. Complex circuitry intertwined with components that appeared almost biological in nature.

"Unlike our forces, Roidmudes can evolve," Automon explained to the gathered officers. "They growing stronger with emotion."

"Emotions as fuel." Venjix studied the diagrams. "Ingenious."

Automon tapped a control panel. "The Machine Empire provided resources, but Banno's genius made them possible. His understanding of the human condition allowed him to create such immaculate machines."

"And his current status?"

"In storage. He is still of use to us. The rest of our forces need to be upgraded if they are to be useful during this… Heavy Acceleration."

Venjix turned to observe the Roidmudes assembling in formation.

"Will we encounter opposition other than the rangers?"

Automon hesitated. "It’s complicated. Banno's colleague, Dr. Steinbelt, discovered certain aspects of the project. Their partnership dissolved when Steinbelt learned of Banno's methods."

"Is this a problem?"

"Potentially. Steinbelt was developing countermeasures before his death."

Venjix processed this information. "The Rangers have proven adaptable."

The Roidmude approached the commanders. "Your orders, General?"

Venjix studied the creation. "Earth remains our target. The Rangers believe the Machine Empire is crippled. We will use this misconception."

"The Rangers have changed their power source before," Automon cautioned. "What if they do it again."

"Then we strike during their moment of vulnerability." Venjix addressed all the assembled Roidmudes. "You represent the evolution of machine life. Through you, the Royal Family's vision continues."

The Roidmude bowed. "Understood. We shall not fail."

"Prepare for deployment," Venjix commanded. "The war against humanity continues."