Power Rangers Chronic Storm 2: The Shifting Tides

Chapter 31: Delegation

The next morning, Carter walked through the crowded streets of Central Terra Venture while looking through some of the busy store windows. Then, he came across a blue colored shop that stood out from the others. He walked closer upon seeing all manner of historical memorabilia. He went in and took a look inside the poorly spaced out store featuring cramped shelves and tight aisles. His relatively tall frame didn't help matters either.

Near the back of the store, a monitor caught his eye. It seemed to be playing footage of Mirinoian history. The video explained the background of Mirinoi's second Civil War nearly a millennium ago. After the first ended, not every naturally born Mirinoian was thrilled about the newfound accord with the settlers. One such Mirinoian, Queen Keyora, once ruled an area to the East of Terra Venture. She fought both human and natural alike to defend the lifestyle Mirinoi had known for centuries. In the end, Keyora lost a most brutal war to the forces led by former Commander Jodie Stanton.

A third Civil War flared up much later, about 200 years prior to the present day, but the video ended after that minor tease. It then informed the viewer to purchase the full five-part series to learn more. The quick history lesson forced Carter to consider Queen's Diane's words; her talk of ramifications. He began to wonder if the Rangers' good deeds had yet to be punished.

Carter returned to the housing complex the team stayed in overnight. Passing by one of the rooms, he found Taylor and Ethan fiercely competing at a video game. Upon closer inspection, it looked to be some type of virtual reality aerial combat game. Walking in behind them, he could tell the pair had no clue of his return.

Taylor tightly gripped the black controls while beads of sweat dripped down from the VR helmet affixed to her head. Every movement of her virtual plane mimicked the movements of her body, leaning left and right, forward and back, despite such movement not making much practical difference.

Ethan, on the other hand, leaned back in his chair, relaxed and unphased by the heat of the moment. Despite that, his hands and fingers moved just as quickly as Taylor's. But then, he stood up from his chair, suddenly, as the battle came to a close.

Taylor could finally let out a sigh of relief and undo her VR helmet when she recognized her victory. "See that?" She pointed to the results screen while smirking at Ethan. "That's what experience looks like."

Ethan passively shook his head. "Yeah, sure, after experiencing me kicking your butt for five straight rounds. You got lucky."

"Good to see you two getting along." Carter's voice startled the pair before they turned around. "Sorry, but the next round will have to wait. We need to talk."

Taylor quickly rose from her chair. "Is there a situation?"

"Not yet, but there will be if we don't handle the fallout from Queen Diane in just the right way. But I don't know what the right way is."

"I thought we had a solution," Ethan replied. "If Jason becomes king, no worries, right? He's kind of young, sure. But compared to 'mother dearest,' he'd be the second coming."

Taylor shook her head. "It's not that simple. Chances are, there will be people who want to tear the whole thing down after they learn the truth. Earth could be without stable leadership for who knows how long. It's a recipe for disaster."

"You seem to know the most about this," added Carter.

"I studied a little history and political science in college, nothing major."

"Enough to give us some much-needed insight?"

"Maybe," Taylor thought fairly far back to her university days. "Either of you two heard of the Glorious Revolution?"