The Z Factor - Chap 2

[Ranger Parsec]

The Z Factor
by Joy

NOTE: I've found that there are a several character parallels between Randall and Ty, so I'm going to emphasize that a little more as the story progresses. You'll easily be able to catch the similarities as they come up. I'll also get you more familiar with the backgrounds of the "new" characters, so that you'll have some idea of where I'm coming from here. And, of course, much more Randall!

So, enjoy!

*********************************

Chapter Two - A Human Friend

"Sweet mother of venus!! Ty, what is that thing??" Buzz exclaimed, upon laying eyes on Randall.

Ty placed his hands on his hips defensively. "That 'THING'. . .It. . .uh. . .well, I don't exactly know what it is," he replied. "But his name's Randall. He needs our help."

"Ty, you know I have a 'no pets' policy - it applies to anyone flying aboard 42," his captain reasoned. "We can't take this. . .whatever he is, on my ship."

"Darn it, Buzz, for the last time, he's NOT my pet!" he argued. "I swear, I heard him talk - in ENGLISH. You can't tell me that's not a sign of higher intelligence. It must be an alien from some other planet - and therefore it's our duty to help him."

"But, buddy, he's. . .well. . ." Buzz stammered, searching for the right words. His partner stared at him expectantly, as though challenging him to contradict his reasoning. "What if he's working for Zurg? Why else would he be the only one of his kind on this planet? We can't risk taking an enemy on our ship."

"Oh, and I'm sure the 'protect and serve all sentient beings' part of our job means nothing to you then," Ty shot back. "Oh, and that oath includes bad guys, by the way. So, whether or not he's on our side, we're still obliged to help him. Innocent until proven guilty, right?"

When he could find no feasable excuse, Buzz sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Fine. You can take him on my ship," he finally gave in. "But you're enitrely responsible for him. And getting that guy past Commander Nebula, once we get to Star Command, is going to be another matter entirely."

"I know," Ty replied, his voice lowering to a less confrontational tone. "But, Buzz, just look at him. Something tells me he needs alot of help."

Buzz glanced past his partner at the dozing reptilian figure. Ty had fixed him up pretty good, but he still showed obvious signs of abuse. Past scars and the bent tail were also a good indication that he needed their help more than they were led to believe. Finally, he nodded in understanding and turned to look at his partner.

"Need help carrying him to 42?" he asked, offering him a half-smile. "We could shift him to a tarp from one of our survival kits. You take one end, I'll take the other, and we'll get him onboard."

Ty grinned. "Sounds like a plan."

***********************************************

With a hiss, the side portal of Star Cruiser 42 opened, and the two Rangers hefted the lizard monster inside. Ty stepped inside and was able to drag the tarp carrying Randall the rest of the way inside.

"You got him?" Buzz panted, climbing inside the ship and shutting the door. "He's heavy."

Ty nodded. "Yeah, I think so," he said. "I just need to get him to one of the med-beds and we're ready."

"Alright," Buzz replied, leaving muddy footprints as he walked down the bridge to the c-o-c-k-p-i-t. "I'll start 'er up, drag us out of this muck, and we're off."

"Let me know if you need help, okay?" Ty prompted, dragging the lizard-monster into the small infirmary near the middle of the ship. Buzz simply nodded and shut the c-o-c-k-p-i-t door behind him, leaving Ty to himself.

The ranger managed to get Randall into the infirmary, but picking him up was another matter entirely. He must have weighed quite alot more than Ty - or even Buzz - did, which was a problem. Being a military man, he was pretty strong - but not THAT strong. Finally, Ty just resolved to leave him on the floor and hope he didn't slide around too much during take-off.

He plopped down in a chair nearby and reclined as he awaited orders.

The ship jolted forward, the movement awakening Randall and startling Ty. Randall's eyes shot open and he looked around, his eyes finally resting on the human who had helped him earlier. "What the - what's goin' on?? Where am I?" he asked.

"You're on our space ship," Ty explained. "We're taking you to our headquarters, Star Command. There, we should be able to get you some medical help." He paused for a moment. "You're not from this planet, are you?"

Randall quirked a brow, confused. "Planet?"

"Yeah, this one. Krnozia," he clarified.

The lizard-monster blinked.

"Uh, well, let's start with something simpler," Ty said, changing the subject to something more familiar. "What planet ARE you from, in the first place?"

Randall debated on whether to tell this human or not, but he seemed trustworthy enough. "I come from the Monster World," he said.

Now, it was Ty's turn to look confused. "Come again?"

"What are ya, deaf? I said the Monster World," Randall repeated, saying the word more slowly this time. "That's where I'm from."

"Woah. Wait a minute here. I knew you were a little. . .misplaced, but this is a little unbelievable," Ty replied, looking amused. "You mean to tell me there's some other dimension out there filled with 'monsters'? The kind that scares little kids at night?"

"Ya got it," Randall agreed.

Ty was silent for a moment. "Hmm, I guess that might explain why I've never seen anything like you before. And, trust me, I've been all over the universe," he deducted, trying to make sense of the information he was just given. "If that is so, then how'd you get here, anyways? Dimensional gateway? Wormhole?"

Randall sat up, resting his back against the infirmary wall and looked away. "Actually, I had help," he said, his voice dropping to a saddened tone. "I didn't want to come here in the first place. Monsters who didn't like me just. . .threw me into your world. Permanently. They wanted t' get rid of me." He had to pause to collect himself. "And now. . .Now, it seems, I can't ever go back. Not that anyone's going to want to look for me anyhow. In fact, they're probably celebrating. . .the jerks."

The Ranger studied his expression for a moment, but didn't push him to go further with his story. It was clear that it was difficult, emotionally, for him to recall it. He just nodded solemnly. "I'm sorry," he said softly, glancing out the window at the stars. "I can't imagine why anyone could be that cruel. Then again, throughout my career, I've seen 'em all. . ."

[Ranger Parsec]

Randall glanced up at his human travelling companion. "It's not hard for me to imagine. Everyone dislikes me."

"That seems a little farfetched," Ty replied, meeting his eyes again. "You haven't exactly met 'everyone' have you? In my opinion, you seem decent enough. Surely, someone you don't know yet would like you."

"You don't really know me," Randall replied defensively. "If ya really knew me, y'know, you probably wouldn't like me."

Ty chuckled. "Try me," he replied. "You can't possibly be worse than my pal, Buzz. His ego spans the galaxy and talking to him sometimes is like talking to a brick wall. Not to mention, the other pet peeves of his that drive me insane. . .But I won't get into that."

Randall cracked a smile. "Brick wall, eh? Reminds me of some monsters I know."

"So, if you don't mind me asking, who exactly sent you here to get rid of you?" he asked. "It's alright if you'd rather not answer. I'm just curious."

"Sullivan and Wazowski," the lizard-monster said with distaste. He frowned with the memory.

Ty quirked a brow, as though waiting for more, and Randall obliged. Although he didn't intend on saying much, he found himself explaining everything, from the corporate scam idea started by Waternoose to his struggles in the door vault. Finally, it felt good to be able to confide his problems with someone - even if that someone was a human. It was such a weight off his shoulders to be able to share his burdens, yet the memory of it still left him somewhat depressed.

"That's quite a story, Randall - and quite a predicament you got stuck in," Ty said, once he had finished. "But I understand why you did what you did. I'll put it this way, my commander is like my boss, right? In the military, you're expected to follow orders and do as you're told by your commander, no questions asked. If you don't, then you're at risk of being accused of things like 'refusal to follow orders' and perhaps discharge and things like that. As, a Ranger, my job and reputation is at the mercy of my commander. He has final say in everything. Bosses of big companies are like that too. So, you were just trying to make a living and keep your job."

The Ranger kept it at that, however. He didn't exactly want to condemn or blame Randall for some of the things he did. It wasn't his place to do so; the lizard-monster would just have to realize that on his own time. So, he just decided to give him some encouragement. Obviously, it wasn't entirely his fault for what had happened, before he was banished.

If anyone, Ty would put most of the blame on Waternoose and the overall handling of the situation. Not to mention, he saw no need for Sulley and Mike to stoop to such levels and just dispose of someone they didn't like. It wasn't right.

"Yeah, y'know, I tried to do my best, but it wasn't good enough," Randall replied. "I worked my tail off at times, but no one seemed t' notice. It was always Sullivan that got the recognition and the glory. He was the favorite." His voice turned sarcastic. "'Employee of the Month' almost every month!"

Ty sighed and nodded, just gazing out the window again. "In a way, I know how that feels. . ."

Intrigued, Randall turned his attention back to him, his fronds raised. "How?"

"Eh, well, you know my pal, Buzz Lightyear?" Ty began, his voice now lacking much emotion. "Ever since we graduated from the Academy together, well, my commander has had a liking for him. More of a preference, really. He treats him like a son. Even though we've both been in the force for ten years running, Buzz has been promoted to captain, recieved all sorts of awards, and stuff like that. I, on the other hand, have been mostly ignored." He paused. "I've done all sorts of heroic things, but did I ever get commendation for it? No. Heck, they barely even give me pat me on the back, all the while turning around and awarding Buzz with some sort of medal for doing the same thing."

Randall pondered this for a moment. "Then why are ya even friends with him?"

"For awhile, I wasn't," Ty replied. "I was just completely fed up with him - and the world, I guess. He had just gotten a whole new team, so we hadn't talked in so long that we just drifted further and further apart. He just didn't seem interested in me anymore, now that he had new friends. At that point, I just wanted to stay far, far away from him. During that time, I was assigned to a lame first-year-rookie type mission; patrol duty on a small deserted planet called Canis Lunis. I had to protect the Galactic Alliance's new power plant, which was made to collect energy from the planet's radioactive green moon. It was such a lame job, that after awhile I figured Nebula just sent me there to get rid of me. He probably did. Mainly because nothing lived on that planet. It seemed silly to even have someone patrolling it in the first place."

Randall folded his arms. "Sounds a little like Waternoose," he muttered. "He never gives me credit for anythin' I do. And I think he helps Sulley cheat. . .somehow. I can't figure out how he always gets ahead of me in the ranks, but I know it's no coincidence. He trained the fur rug and everything. It seems like he gave him all the best stuff. I had to get along by myself."

"Heh. I figured you'd understand where I was coming from there," the ranger said, lopsidedly grinning. "But, anyhow, to make a long story short, I actually ran into a villian and reported it to Star Command. I told them I could handle it, but Nebula must have gotten involved and sent Buzz and his team to assist 'poor, helpless me' on Canis Lunis. By then, I'd reached the end of my rope, as they say. I'd rather not get into the little 'situation' I got stuck in along the way, but everything got to me. I was dog-tired from being overworked on shifts there - I was the only ranger on duty, mind you - and anyone whose missed too much sleep knows how cranky and stressed-out you can get. Anything more and you just lose it."

"Boy, do I know how THAT feels!" Randall agreed. "Waternoose had me up building that lousy Scream Extractor and working normal hours for weeks on end. I was starting to forget what sleep WAS after awhile."

Ty had to laugh. "Sounds just like me. You could probably describe me at that time as sarcastic, irritable, grouchy, and generally not a great guy to be around," he replied.

"Well, it's good t' hear it's not just me," he said, feeling a tad more relieved.

"Yeah, which is why I don't blame you much for what happened," Ty shrugged, standing from his chair. "I've had to go through alot of the same things myself, so I have some understanding of what you had to go through. If you told Buzz the same thing, he probably wouldn't understand, because I don't think he's ever had to deal with much of what you or I have had to. He's an only child, so I suspect his parents spoiled him a bit and things really haven't changed much since. Also, I'd doubt Sulley is able - or willing - to understand your side of things either. Both Buzz and Sulley are prone to insensitivity and not paying attention to other's feelings, so they act before they ever think most of the time. At least, that's what I can make of it. I could be wrong, but it sure seems that way."

Randall pondered that for a moment as he sat on the tarp. "That's still no excuse to do this to me."

Ty typed some commands into a wall keyboard by the door as he listened. "I wasn't saying it was," he replied calmly. "I'm just saying they're -"

"Ty," Buzz announced over the intercom. "We're almost at Star Command. Better get ready."

[Ranger Parsec]

The ranger held down the intercom button on a table. "Roger that, Buzz. Thanks for the update," he replied. "Just let me know if you need any assistance. Over and out."

"Sure thing, buddy," Buzz replied. "But everything looks fine here. Just keep an eye on Randall."

"No prob," Ty said. "Meet you in the launch bay after touchdown."

"Roger," Buzz finished.

With that, Ty turned to look at Randall. "We're almost there," he said. "Hang onto something, so you don't get jostled around too much. Take-offs and landings can be pretty rough."

Within moments, the ship had entered a circular portal on the rim of the humongous Star Command headquarters. From a distance, it's shape reminded one of a toy flying saucer, with all kinds of windows, spires, and solar panels attached to it. Up close, however, it looked so large that a whole city could fit inside! Best of all - at least to Randall - it was colored in shades of purple, green, and white! The purples and greens he found especially appealing.

As the sound of the massive, crystallic fusion engines died out, 42 came to rest on its platform among all the other Star Cruisers stationed around the space station. Ty unbuckled himself and approached his reptilian companion.

"Do you think you'll need help getting around?" he asked. "If not, just follow me."

"Naw," Randall replied, unsecuring his suctioned feet from the metal floor. "I think I can manage. By the way, I'd like to see this place of yers. Looks pretty big."

"It is," the ranger agreed, leading his new friend onto the bridge (middle) of the ship. "My biggest obstacle now is convincing my Commander to house you here for awhile, at least, until we can figure out what to do. I'm sorry to say this, but I'm pretty sure nobody around here knows how to get into your world."

"I didn't think so," Randall sighed, following him. "But. . .well. . .um. . .thanks. Y'know. . .fer helping me and all."

Ty opened the door for him and smiled. "Hey, no problem," he replied. "Like I said, it's what we're here for - to help people. . .and, well, whatever else we come across."

The lizard-monster nodded and made his way onto a platform. It turned out to be an elevator that took them to the base platform of the cruiser. A long pathway led from the ship platform to the middle of the room. All sorts of other Star Cruisers were lined up on seperate platforms to the right and left of them, forming a circle around the entire outer rim of the space station. Buzz stood, waiting for them, at the start of the walkway.

"Hey Buzz," Ty called, stepping down from the platform with Randall at his side.

Buzz waved, eyeing Randall warily for a moment as he approached. "Hello buddy," he said in a chipper fashion. "I'm gonna head off to meet up with my team and see how traffic duty went. How about you?"

Ty sighed. "I'm going to have to tell Commander Nebula about Randall," he replied, as though dreading the very prospect of such a thing. "Oh, and by the way, Randall, this is Buzz Lightyear. Buzz, Randall." He motioned to each as he introduced them.

"Nice to, uh, meet you Randall," Buzz said cautiously, extending a hand. It appeared he was still wary about the prospect of a strange creature residing at Star Command.

Randall just nodded, shaking his hand. "Yeah, sure," he replied simply, sensing Buzz's mistrust.

Ty glanced from one to the other and could sense their mutual uneasiness. He cleared his throat. "So, um, anyways," he said, leading Randall down the walkway towards a circular door. "I'll see you later, Buzz. I'm going to show Randall around a bit."

Ty placed a hand on the scanner beside the door and, upon recognising the ranger, it parted automatically with a hiss. It closed behind them as they entered the brightly-lit hallways of the inner core of the station. The walls were made up of mostly white and a metallic silver, with some accents of gold, purple, blue, and green. Randall guessed they were theme colors of the organization.

Also, everything seemed to be impeccably clean and well-cared for. It was a little like Monsters Inc, in a way, Randall thought. Yet, this place seemed to fit a more military-like atmosphere, as opposed to a large energy company.

"I don't think yer friend likes me," Randall finally said, once they were a distance from the launch bay.

Ty shrugged. "He doesn't exactly trust you, actually," he replied. "Buzz doesn't take kindly to anyone who even REMOTELY looks like he could be on Zurg's side. It's just the way he is."

"I don't even know who this 'Zurg' guy is," he pointed out.

The ranger nodded. "Yeah, I figured as much. But I'm sure, once Buzz gets to understand you're no threat, he'll be a little more friendly."

Randall nodded thoughtfully. "Eh, well, we'll see," he replied. "So, you really think yer Commander will let me stay for awhile?"

"To tell you the truth. . .no," Ty said with a slight wince. "He dislikes me. I've never figured out why, but he just does. But I have no choice. I need to tell him about you being here or I'm in for a some real trouble."

He approached a large door with the words "Commander's Office" above the keyboard beside his door. Along with the name was a Star Command ensignia that Randall noticed was also on the front of Ty's space suit. It looked like a blue circle with large wings spayed out, like a perfect mirror image, on both sides.

Ty knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" came a gruff, impatient voice inside.

"Ranger Ty Parsec, sir," he said promptly. "I have some news to tell you. May I come in?"

"Parsec? Well, come in then."

The door hissed open and Ty motioned for Randall to stay out in the hall while he went inside. Randall folded all four of his arms to show his displeasure about not being a part of the conversation. Nonetheless, he stayed right where he was. He did get a glimpse of the short, peg-legged man with grey mustache. He looked disapprovingly at Randall as he spotted him. Ty quickly blocked his line of vision and the door slid closed behind him.

Randall pressed his ear to the door, trying to listen in a bit.

"What in the name of the Galactic Alliance was THAT, Ranger?" Nebula demanded.

Ty paused for a moment. "Uh, well, sir. Buzz and I. . .well, rather, I. . .found him on Krnozia," he said, sounding rather uneasy. "He was severly injured and needed our help. He's not from our dimension, sir, so he needs a place to stay until he's recovered completely. So, I. . ." He paused again. ". . .brought him to Star Command."

"Without notifying me first??" Nebula went on, still sounding aggitated. "Parsec, you know our policies. Notify me first BEFORE bringing a stranger onto the station."

"I'm sorry, sir, but - "

"I don't want to hear any excuses, Parsec," Nebula interrupted. "I want it out of Star Command now, period. I can't have you risking your fellow Rangers' lives again. After that Wirewolf incident, I would have thought you'd learned your lesson."

[Ranger Parsec]

Randall's fronds jolted upwards a bit and frowned at the door. He was just itching to get in on the conversation himself and give the commander a piece of his mind, but the door was already closed and it would take him awhile to figure out how to open it again. He knew alot about technology and it probably wouldn't be hard to figure out how they made it work, but it seemed the conversation was over before it even began.

He just continued to listen in.

"But, sir! With all due respect, we can't just leave him on some planet! He wouldn't make it, in his current state," he replied. "Our policy also says that we are to come to the aid of -"

"I KNOW what our policies say, Parsec!" Nebula stated firmly. "I want you to put him back where you found him and leave it at that. Understood?"

Randall pressed his ear onto the door tighter to hear Ty's argument to that, but nothing came. Finally, he could hear a sigh. "Understood. I'm sorry to have wasted your time, Commander," he said, his voice sounding much more subdued.

"Good. I don't want to see it around here again," Nebula said. "You're dismissed."

Randall quickly stepped away from the door, just before it hissed open. Then Ty stormed into the hallway, the door shutting swiftly behind him. "Of all the. . .!" Ty said, catching himself before he said something he'd regret. "ARGH!! He didn't even pay any attention to my side - as usual!"

The lizard-monster followed him to a bench nearby, and sat next to him. His brows were knit with concern and his fronds lay back against his head uncertainly. "What are you goin' to do with me now?"

The thought of being sent back to that swampy planet - Krnozia, they called it - horrified him. He certainly did NOT want to live there the rest of his life. Worst of all, who knew if there were any stone-person kids around? That made his prospects of coming home even slimmer - as though his chances weren't almost nonexistant already. He got a chill just thinking about the cold night winds and stone creatures stalking him at every turn.

Ty rested his head in his hands as he thought, the hesitation making Randall feel even more anxious. "Well, I'm not sending you back to the planet, that's for sure," he said.

This brought a wave of relief upon the lizard-monster, but he waited expectantly to hear more.

"I don't know how well this will play out, but how would you like staying in my cabin for awhile?" Ty asked. "The only alternative I can find, is to keep you a secret until we can figure out what to do with you."

Randall thought this over. It sure beat living alone on some barren planet with dangerous creatures and adverse weather. "I can deal," he replied. "Better than that horrible planet, I'd say. And keeping me a secret should be easy. Watch this. . ." Before the human's eyes, he vanished completely from sight.

Ty's eyes widened in astonishment. "Wow! That's incredible!" he said. "I'm not even going to ask how you did that."

He then reappeared and smirked. "See? Easy," he remarked. "So, if anyone looks for me, I'll be gone."

"Perfect!" the ranger grinned. "Well then, I guess it'll make this easier than I thought. . .Okay, here's what I'll do for you, Randall. I'll do everything I can to help you find out what to do, whether it be helping you back to your world or finding a place for you in our world. Whatever works out, I'll do my best. Ranger's oath. You just need to assist me and make your presence - shall we say - 'invisible' around here." He held out his hand. "So, do we have a deal?"

For the first time, Randall felt he could genuinely trust someone. He grinned and gave his new friend's hand a shake. "It's a deal," he agreed. He smirked jokingly. "But you humans need some knowledge about the Monster World and how this door thing works, first. Or you're not going to be able to help me."

"Alright, in that case you can fill me in later," Ty replied, chuckling. "First, though, I need to get you to the medic - I don't think he'll tell on us - and then I'll pick up something for the both of us to eat in the cafeteria. Afterwards, I'll show you to my cabin. There we can talk without anyone else listening in."

Randall nodded in agreement, his stomach rumbling as he heard the word 'eat'. Through all of this, he had almost forgotten how hungry he was! Then he vanished from sight and followed Ty as he led them down the long hallway.

**************************************

ZZZOTTZZ!! ZAAP!! ZAP!!

The Evil Emperor Zurg stood on his elevated purple throne in his grand throne room, high in his large Z Palace on Planet Z. Planet Z was, naturally, located in the darkest, farthest reaches of the galaxy. It was his haven, his own personal planet. The tall, bucket-headed, purple-and-black robed villian used his Zurgatronic Ion Blaster to conduct target practice. A random prisoner he had snatched from some planet was the target. He ran around the lower level, dodging and running for his life as Zurg practiced his aim.

ZAP!! ZZOTTZZ!!

Finally, Zurg yawned and motioned for his minions - foot-tall, blue, bug-like creatures named "Grubs" - to put the prisoner back in his cell. The bewildered prisoner stopped running and looked around, wondering what had happened. Then he fell into a trapdoor and was gone.

"So much time and not enough evil schemes," he muttered to himself as the lackeys took his ion blaster. He plopped down onto his purple throne. "Let's see. What shall I do today?"

He tapped his metallic claw-like fingers on the armrest of his throne as he tried to think of something delightfully evil for him to do. However, over some time, he could think of nothing he hadn't already tried before. It was hard work being evil emperor. One Grub was cleaning his black cape as he sat in silence. Finally, he pointed his finger into the air.

"I know! I shall turn the Galactic Alliance's precious, life-giving sun into a black hole! Then, without sunlight, all the crops will perish and they'll have nothing to eat!" he exclaimed delightfully.

"Actually," said one Grub meekly. "You tried that before."

Zurg paused in his jubilation and looked down at him. "I did?"

"Yes," the Grub nodded. "You swiped Star Command's trash compactor device and used it to turn the sun into a black hole. Buzz Lightyear flew into the black hole and reversed it with some sort of device. Then he saved the universe."

The Evil Emperor slammed a fist down on his armrest. "Craters!! He always does that!" he exclaimed angrilly. He sat back on his throne. "Well, there's got to be SOME evil plan that he can't stop. . ."

"Well, technically, there was ONE that he didn't stop," the Grub said, looking at his notepad.

Zurg quirked an eyebrow. "Tell me more."

"Technically, it was. . .er. . .Ranger Ty Par-sock. . .uh. . .Par-seek. . ."

"Parsec?!?" Zurg exclaimed. "You mean Lightyear's shrimpy little friend?"

The Grub nodded, reading from his notes. "Your invention, NOS-4-A2, took over Planet Z and almost turned the whole universe into robots. . ." he read. "Lightyear couldn't fight the Wirewolves, remember? Our studies say they're the only thing he's terrified of."

"Ah yes, I remember," he said fondly. "Although, of all times to act like a ninny! He should have saved my planet from NOS, then I wouldn't of had to clean up all that mess. . ."

"The Wirewolves were the reason," one of the Grubs said. "Ranger Parsec was the one who got rid of NOS-4-A2 for good, saved Lightyear, and stopped the Wirewolf ray. Lightyear wasn't able to help much, except to release him."

"So, THAT'S what happened. . ." Zurg said thoughtfully, rubbing his chin. "He's more of pain than I had originally expected, that one. But perhaps I should pay more attention to this. It has evil potential to be a full-blown scheme! Just think of it, Grub, if we know the one thing that Lightyear cannot fight, then we have the keys to the universe! No one else can stop me!"

[Ranger Parsec]

The Grub nodded again. "That's correct, your evilness," he said. "We've calculated that, should Lightyear be taken out of the picture, our odds are quite good."

Zurg smirked evilly. "Well then, Grub, I should look into this further!" he exclaimed in jubilation. "Get my lackeys working! Quickly! A universe isn't taken over in a day, you know, so we'd better get started."

"Ohh, yes, right away, Evil Emperor!" he replied, scampering off as fast as his legs would take him.

Just as that Grub left, another came in with a clipboard. He came up to Zurg's throne and waited expectantly. Zurg noticed him and motioned for him to speak. "What is it, Grub?"

"Uh, well, your evilness, our spies have detected something you may be interested in," the Grub said, holding up a photo of Randall, so that he could see.

Zurg squinted at it and snatched it from his hands to get a closer look. "What is it?"

"It's called a 'monster', Evil Emperor," the Grub explained. "It's from another dimension. We dropped in on some conversations aboard Star Cruiser 42 between this creature and one of the rangers."

"Monster? Hmm, interesting. . .go on," Zurg prompted, raising a brow.

"Yes, it's a whole new species," he said, reading from notes on occassion. "It possesses special, unique powers. Spy bots around Star Command have reported that it can disappear completely, climb up walls, and do all kinds of strange things. Nobody has ever seen anything like it. If only we could do some scans on this monster, I'm sure we could find many new things."

Zurg rubbed his hands together. "Intriguing, very intriguing," he said. "I'm getting some evil ideas here already. Any more information you have for me about this monster?"

"Um. . .more information. Uh. . .well. . .The monster seems to have developed an attachment to Ranger Parsec," the Grub announced. "He's hiding it at Star Command. And the monster calls himself 'Randall'. . .Other than that, we haven't found anything else that could be useful."

Zurg sat there in silence for a moment, looking at the picture he was holding. The entire creature seemed to be well-built and tough. It was like THE ultimate reptilian creature. Perhaps, he thought, this 'Randall' would fit into his plans of world domination after all. He would fit in quite comfortably with his current plans, in fact. And, upon further examination of this monster, he might be able to find a very prominent role for this creature in his evil plans.

He smirked gleefully and handed the picture back to his lackey. "Perfect. Get my bounty hunter, Shiv Kitall, on the phone," he told the lackey. "I have plans for this monster and his friend. BIG plans."

"Right away, your evilness!" the Grub said, scrambling off to do his boss' bidding.

"Oh, and Grub?" Zurg said, causing the lackey to pause. "I want you to get as much information about them as possible and report it to me."

The Grub nodded and disappeared out the door.

[Ranger Parsec]

*cracks up!!!* I must have missed this censor notification. But everytime I write "W-a-t-e-r-n-o-o-s-e", it turns into Waternoose. *laughs more* Made my story sound pretty funny in places.

[RandallBoggs]

THE ultimate is right heh heh ^_^

I like the comparisions you made Joy. Ty and Randall really do have allot in common. And this whole secrecy thing is turning out to be GREAT.
I'm starting to think Randall's going to take a liking to each member of the group till Buzz is outnumbered in the department ^_^

Heh heh. I wonder what Zurg's planning. A complete clone of Randall to terrorize Star Command.
Hmmm.....maybe.....

[Ranger Parsec]

RandallBoggs said:

THE ultimate is right heh heh ^_^

No doubts there. Lol.

RandallBoggs said:

I like the comparisions you made Joy. Ty and Randall really do have allot in common. And this whole secrecy thing is turning out to be GREAT.

Yeah, I guess that's why I ended up liking him so much. He and Randall have alot of common ground. ^_^

Thanks!

RandallBoggs said:

I'm starting to think Randall's going to take a liking to each member of the group till Buzz is outnumbered in the department ^_^

LOL. Then he'd probably have to reconsider his views on Randall, I reckon.

RandallBoggs said:

Heh heh. I wonder what Zurg's planning. A complete clone of Randall to terrorize Star Command.
Hmmm.....maybe.....

All I can say is. . .stay tuned and you'll find out. ;D

[RandallBoggs]

^_^

Yeah. I wonder what similarites and some differences they have really are. I mean....Randall's going to be living with the Ranger ^_^.
Kinda reminds him living with me hmm...
That is if Buzz doesn't have trouble with Zurg first ^_^

OH my....if that's not your plot, I'll take it ^_^

[Mirage]

Ranger said:

*cracks up!!!* I must have missed this censor notification. But everytime I write "W-a-t-e-r-n-o-o-s-e", it turns into annoying crabby dude who refused to take the blame for everything that happened at MI. *laughs more* Made my story sound pretty funny in places.

Those parts were really hilarious. ;D

'Specially where Randall muttered, "Sounds a little like W a t e r n o o s e." Because it was supposed to be this brief utterance and it turned into this long description of him that nobody would mutter..!! ;D

[RandallBoggs]

Told you.....

[lizardgirl]

Firstly, Joy, what a brilliant chapter! Ty and Randall are getting on really well, and it's nice to see Ran getting along with someone after his misfortune in the Monster World.

Secondly, the whole W a t e r n o o s e thing? The sensor? My idea. *bows*

[Mirage]

*claps* Brilliant idea, brilliant.

[pitbulllady]

That was really great how you explained, through Ty, WHY Randall would have gone along with his Boss's plan, even though he knew it was wrong. Ty, being a military person, would totally understand how someone is bound to follow orders from a superior, whether or not you agree(though he doesn't always do so, does he?). It's nice to see that Randall has finally found someone who relates to him and his situation, and is willing to stick up for him. I just hope Ty doesn't get in too much trouble for it later.

pitbulllady

[Ranger Parsec]

pitbulllady1 said:

That was really great how you explained, through Ty, WHY Randall would have gone along with his Boss's plan, even though he knew it was wrong. Ty, being a military person, would totally understand how someone is bound to follow orders from a superior, whether or not you agree(though he doesn't always do so, does he?).

Thanks!

Lol. Yes, Ty tends to deviate from the rules every once and awhile. He's not a solid stickler of rules like Buzz is, so he tends to bend them when he feels he needs to.