Power Rangers: Quantum Odyssey - HQ Quest

The three Rangers look at the glowing archway. Beyond lies rows of some kind of plants. You're pretty sure that's a farm, though it barely resembles the greenhouses and hydroponics bays you're used to.

Nico shakes his head. "You two do realize just how crazy this is, right?"

Lewis smirks. "Feeling scared?"

"Hardly." Nico adjusts his jacket.

Talia's eyes don't leave the gateway. Something's alight in her gaze, as if she's already lightyears away. "On three."

On the third count, the Rangers pass through the curtain of energy. The sensation is indescribable, with no real pain, but a buzzing underneath the skin and a blinding light inside the skull.

And then they're there.

Talia's first thought is green. Plants! Some of the reclaimed areas back home are starting to grow grass, shrubs, things meant to help recondition the soil, but there's nothing like this lush life. Something like corn, maybe, growing in tall leafy stalks - weird greenish pods hanging off of them. Fruit? Nuts? She's eager to find out.

Lewis's eyes are drawn immediately to the sky. It's blue, he realizes. Not just the sky, but the sun itself. It's a shock, and indisputable proof that they're standing on a truly alien world. For a moment, it feels like he's falling.

It's the first time in Nico's life that he's breathed fresh air. It's full of scents, the grassy scent of plants, the pungent smell of some sort of fertilizer. He takes a deep breath, and immediately goes into a sneezing fit. Lewis pats his back and laughs as he recovers, rubbing at his nose.

Looking around, they realize they're in the middle of a large field, in between rows of the strange stalked plants. Talia touches one of the pods, running her hands over it. She goes to pluck it, but Nico grabs her hand.

"That's not yours."

"But they're just growing! In the dirt!"

Nico looks around. "It's a farm, Jordan. This isn't an accident. These things belong to someone. No one likes thieves. Trust me, I know."

Talia's meets his eyes, and nods, withdrawing her hand. "Thanks. I didn't think."

Nico nods. "Don't mention it."

---

Meanwhile, Grun moves, inspecting his crop. It's a few weeks to harvest, but all signs point to a good crop of arto pods. A sturdily built Varanian, he's dressed in a light brown robe, and his scaled, clawed hand points to each stalk as he counts them. "73… 74… 75… yes, this should be a good year. 76, 77…" His hand passes over the strange, oddly colored stalks that seem somehow out of place, "78, 79, 80…" Before he can pass them by entirely, his nicitating membranes flash and he turns around, before yelling and stumbling backwards and tossing his papers into the air. "Aaaaaah!"

The reaction from the Rangers upon finding themselves accosted by a 6 foot lizard-person in grey work overalls is hardly more restrained. After their own yells, Nico and Lewis drop into a fighting stance, and the lizardman takes off running.

Talia calls out, "Wait!" but the stranger is gone. She turns to the others. "Well, our first contact could have gone better."
---

Aside from the alien sun and plants, the farm isn't so different from a pastoral setting one might have found on Earth, before the world was ruined. The rows of stalks open out into a gently rolling landscape - more fields lie beyond, delineated by low stone walls and wooden fences.

"I feel like I'm going to fall up," Nico complained. "And that doesn't even make any sense."

"And it's so quiet." Lewis murmured.

"There's no machines. Nothing filtering the air. Nothing providing power. It all just… is." Talia spoke quietly as she held a hand up over her eyes, scanning the area. "Look, there's a building."

The farmhouse was a two story building of painted brick and mortar. As they approached, the strange lizard-like creature they saw earlier came out, holding a pitchfork. "Back! Back!"


The Rangers drop into a ready stance again, but Talia holds up her hands. "Hey, hold on! Don't worry! We're not here to hurt you!"

"Who are you?" The lizard-man brandished the pitchfork at them. "Where did you come from?"

The Rangers exchange glances, all shaking their heads. Talia speaks up. "We're the Odyssey Power Rangers. We come from Earth, on a mission of exploration. You're the first planet we've visited! We're so happy to meet you! I'm Talia, and this is Nico and Lewis." The other two give slightly awkward waves.

Grun lets the pitchfork lower a bit. "Explorers? Earth? I've never heard of it! It must be a long ways away."

"Many light-years."

Having gotten over his initial shock, Grun seems a little suspicious, but less overtly hostile, and raises pitchfork to sling it over his shoulder. "It's not polite to scare people like that, you know!"

Lewis nods. "We're sorry about that. We didn't know anything about the planet when we stepped through the Tunnel. We were just as scared as you."

Grun regards the Rangers closely for several more moments. It's not clear exactly what changes his mind, but eventually he ducks his head and seems to no longer be afraid. ""Well, if you've really come a long way, you must be hungry. I guess I should invite you inside. Oh, and I'm Grun. Nice to meet you." He gestures for them to come inside, and with another exchange of glances and raised eyebrows, they do so.
----
"How do you like the verunia grub pie?" Grun hovers over the table as the Rangers pick at something… well… like a pie with grubs in it.

"It's… wonderful! I just don't want to eat too much!" Talia grimaces as she tries to take a bite that doesn't have any of the worms in it.

Lewis closes his eyes and swallows the smallest bite possible. "Mmm!"

Nico sits back. "I'm not going to eat this -" he straightens up as Lewis kicks him under the table. "I'm… not feeling well. Sorry, I think the Quantum Tunnel interfered with my stomach."

"Quantum Tunnel?" Grun is busying himself with small tasks around the kitchen, seeking comfort in normalcy amidst this bizarre situation.

"It's how we travel." Talia says. "A device that can open portals all over the galaxy."

"Oh, that sounds very dangerous." Grun wrings his hand slightly. "You know, I think I should bring you in to speak to one of our Elders. Maybe they'd know what to tell you. I'm just a humble farmer."

"That sounds like a good idea." Talia says.

"I was planning on going to market today to pick up some supplies. Would you like me to give you a ride?"
---
The ride on Farmer Grun's cart is a journey through a literally alien landscape for the Rangers. The cart is sturdy enough, pulled by a pair of furry animals that look more like oversized llamas than horses, and the Rangers are covered by a tarp, with just enough space that they can snatch glimpses of the outside without also being seen and attracting too much attention.

The group passes through fields of more strange plants - some bear the same podded stalks, others seem to bear something akin to grain, others some sort of vegetables growing in the ground. Grun keeps up a running commentary as he steers the cart down the road, feeding the Rangers gossip about the various neighbors they pass, the state of the weather and growing season, and more. Occasionally, the group passes by another cart, but they avoid being spotted.

Talia speaks briefly to the Commander back on base - outlining strategies for how to handle this first contact. It's clear that this world might be Earthlike enough, but it's also occupied - Grun has mentioned larger cities in addition to the town he's taking the Rangers to. Maybe some sort of trading agreement can be worked out, especially if some of the bugs in the Quantum Tunnel can be improved upon. That said, that depends on getting a meeting with some local authority figures… which means you're headed in the right direction.

Entering the town eventually brings more strangeness. More reptile-men bustling around on business, more buildings, with colors and shapes that are just off.

From the front of the cart, they hear Grun make a "Hmm" sound, and Nico risks speaking up. "Something wrong?"

"Hmm… I don't know. It seems like something's going on in the market square. I'm not sure…"

Then there's a scream. It's strange - the Varanian voicebox isn't like a human's, and they're gruffer, heavier, more sibilant.

But it's still a scream.

"The heck was that?" Nico asks, as the three huddle under the tarp.

"Trouble." Talia says.

Soon, they hear the sound of people running.

More shouts.

More screams.

"I… think we should go home." Grun says. "I can make more pie…

"Anything but that…" moans Nico.

"Maybe we can help." Lewis says.

Talia has a distant look. "We're explorers, aren't we?"

Nico shakes his head. "You don't mean…"

Talia's voice firms. "We didn't come all this way to run. Let's find out what's happening."

She stands up, tossing the tarp aside.

Varanians run past the cart, clearly too distracted to notice the human, though she attracts a few looks. Dropping off the side of the cart, she stalks to walk.

Nico and Lewis nod to each other, and follow.

The Rangers find themselves at the entrance arch to a market square, stalls set up and produce and wares on display. Some are recognizable, some are not.

In the center of the square, a group of Varanians are surrounded. Their tormentors - the Rangers have never seen anything like them. Human-like in shape, perhaps, but with horribly distorted features, seemingly entirely encased in something thick and black and shiny and almost viscous - and their hands end in claws that swipe at the encircled lizard-people. They make almost no noise, just a sort of dry hissing.

But another draws the eye even more. A head taller than the strange creatures around it, it wears a strange mask - white, black and spotted, like a jester. Wearing a horrible motley from which protrude tentacles and tufts of fur. It waves one of those tentacles and brings it down on an older Varanian, eliciting another cry of pain as it strikes him. Two of the black-encased creatures holding him still as he writhes in agony.

The masked creature lets out a manic laugh. "That will teach you to mess with Harlequin! I hope that taught you some manners! Now, hand over all your valuables and maybe I'll let you live!"

What do the Rangers do?

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