"Lost Souls"
(Episode 8)
Production Notes
by Christopher Elam
© 2003-2010 Christopher Elam
These notes are based on material originally posted on July 22, 2003 on the now-defunct OWARI Message Board (formerly http://pub14.ezboard.com/bowari, currently http://owari.yuku.com/).
Episode 8 - "Lost Souls" wrapped principal writing on December 22, 2002. Upon reading it a couple of hours later, my sister Amy (ROJ's #1 fan) turned to me and said, "Chris, you're an ass." This gave me hope that this story accomplishes exactly what I want from it.
The working title for this story was "And One Shall Surely Die", which I ripped off from the comic book ALPHA FLIGHT. Obviously, I couldn't use that as the REAL title, as it was a dead giveaway of the twist ending. I later dubbed it "Island of Lost Souls", after the 1932 film version of H.G. Wells' ISLAND OF DOCTOR MOREAU. This was shortened to simply "Lost Souls", a title that refers to virtually every character in the story.
This story is pretty much entirely mine, from concept down to final product. It is the first to incorporate elements from my proposed UCHU SENTAI GALAXYMAN series (more on that later). It is also the story that takes the series off into several wild directions, none of which were part of the original ROJ plan long ago. And it all springs from a basic plot which was purposefully meant to not sound very promising.
The story itself might be a little convoluted, in that it has a lot of plot threads vying for attention. In a more proper context, each of these would have had space to grow and breathe on their own. But you have to play the hand you're dealt, and I felt I couldn't afford to spend too much time on any of my subplots. In a way, this might benefit the story. It is definitely quite the example of misdirection. All I can say is that I tried to have it unfold in a logical way.
"3:00 A.M." was a throwaway that was indeed inspired by the Matchbox 20 song of the same name. "The Black Condor Home Page" came from the fact that many sentai actors have launched their own websites, so why not a sentai character as well?
"Kitty Sugoi" and the nude modeling bit came from the fact that a LOT more Japanese superhero show actresses than I would have expected have posed nude. This is something that you could probably never explore tastefully on TV. Frankly, I expected to catch some heat over this subplot, but I never did. It's worth noting that this development was first hinted at in Ep. 2, then more strongly in Ep. 4 - including the "Kabuki-cho district" reference (because a lot of that sort of thing happens there).
The name "Kitty Sugoi" is just a silly little James Bond style pun. Sugoi means "awesome" and the "kitty" part - well, I think you can figure it out.
"Roku-san" and "Goro" are both based exactly on characters from the movie GODZILLA VS. MEGALON (1973). I was a little surprised that some readers didn't get the "put on the red light" gag. This was a reference to the song "Roxanne" (sounds like "Roku-san") by the Police. I admit that MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000 made this connection first, but I think mine is better!
On a completely trivial but amusing note, Ken's sarcastic term "Fun Fun Central" led me to name my late lamented Livejournal "Captain Satellite's Fun Fun Central".
Flash forward to 2002 and I'm trying to figure out what I want to do with ROJ if I'm going to revive it. I do know that I don't want to just tell a standard "good guys vs. bad guys" tale. I mean, why bother? Then, I thought back to GALAXYMAN.
Remember GALAXYMAN? The keys to this never-written proposal were a couple of aspects that I felt were rather remarkable :
1) a Caucasian member of the otherwise Japanese team. I obviously couldn't work this into the mix, but the idea was to do the KAKURANGER Ninja Black angle a bit more radically. I'm fairly positive it would have been "Galaxy Pink".
2) a member died midway through and was replaced. Of course, what I didn't know when I cooked this up was that this had been done in sentai as far back as the very first sentai series GORANGER! Ah, to be naive again...
But it didn't matter that it wasn't as mold-breaking as I'd thought in the 1990s. Number 2 was it. Someone would die. But who? The more I looked at the characters and how they related to each other, it became clear whose death would have the most profound effect on the story : Red Hawk Gai Tendo.
After all, members have died before. In SUN VULCAN, the leader was replaced. But a leader has never died - ever.
So I began work on the series with the idea in mind that Gai was eventually going to die. I wrote him with this thought always in the background, and you might be able to detect it in hindsight. At first, Gai was the least interesting character to me. As time went on, he grew on me more and more as I began to discover the human side of this upstanding hero type. When it came time to write his final scene (which I feel is quite poignant and bittersweet), I was genuinely sad to see him go. Part of me wanted to change things, but ultimately, there would have been little else to say without Gai's death. So Gai is gone and no one mourned him more than me.
I will say this much : I was very gratified by the reaction to the story. It was intentionally written to deceive the reader into thinking it was heading in one direction when in fact it was leading up to a cruel sucker punch of an ending. The fact that many readers expressed sadness or anger at this story meant that I may indeed have accomplished what I set out to do. I made them care about the characters on their own terms.
© Christopher Elam.
"Ashes To Ashes"
(Episode 13)
by Christopher Elam
(based on the work of Lewis Smith)
© 2003 Christopher Elam
Dr. Franz Gruber ran furiously along the rocky ground, even though he knew he was doomed. The German scientist had been part of the international scientific team brought in to investigate strange rumblings at Oshima Island's Mt. Mihara. Their findings had been largely routine until the discovery of a gleaming metal cylinder. They had gathered around it for a thorough examination when it cracked open.
The green-skinned creature that had been inside slew Conway and Hughes immediately. Then it had wrapped its claws around Dr. Ito as Dr. Yusuf tried his best to fight it off. Gruber had fled, hoping against hope that his colleagues would succeed in defending themselves. The blood-curdling screams that followed told the story. And then, the monster took off after Gruber.
Gruber ran for all he was worth because that was all he could do, short of just laying down and accepting his fate. As he ran, he wondered if any of the others would escape or if all of them would meet their end in the volcano that day.
Gruber felt the monster's extensive tail slap hard across his back, knocking him to the ground. Steel-like claws picked him up, preparing to rip out his throat. "Nein, nein," he weakly begged to no avail. Then unconsciousness mercifully took him before death had the chance.
***
Ken Tendo stood in the doorway to Skywatch's mecha hangar and craned his neck to look over the scaffolding's railway. There they were, just as he'd figured. His Jetman teammates Etsuko Oishi and Kei Mizuno were poring over another set of blueprints for the reconstructed Dragon Wyvern ship that now occupied a fair portion of the hangar.
Ken shook his head a little as he walked down the metal steps to the hangar floor. It was a good thing he'd had three months to get used to the idea of them being friends. Otherwise, he might've fainted dead away. They had never struck him as two people that would form a bond.
"Oh, hi Ken!" Etsuko called as she pulled off her protective goggles. "We just finished making all the modifications to Dragon Wyvern! Now we just need to test them out!"
"Very nice," Ken complimented as he gave the ship a quick glance as he walked up to the two young women. "Hey, Jet Phoenix scheduled a special meeting in an hour for some reason. He asked me to let you guys know so you'd be there on time."
Kei nodded. "We'll be there as soon as we...take care of a few things," she reassured as she gave Etsuko a swat on the behind. Etsuko's eyes bugged out and her mouth formed an "o" when Kei's hand made contact.
Ken chose to withhold comment on the little display he had seen. "I'll see you guys then," he said as he turned to leave.
When Ken was out of earshot, Etsuko turned to her friend in confusion. "Kei, why'd you do that? He's going to think..."
"I know."
"But we're not! Not at all!"
Kei smirked. "Well, you know that and I know that, but he doesn't know for sure."
Etsuko put her head in her hands and smiled. "Kei Mizuno, you are incorrigible."
Meanwhile, Ken had made his way back to his quarters to kill time before the meeting. He hadn't bought the idea that Kei and Etsuko were messing around for one second. He knew it was just Kei trying to screw with him again. And really, who could blame her after the rotten way he had treated her?
Through the walls, Ken could hear the latest antics of Gohan Oishi and Reiko Hayasaka in Reiko-chan's room. From the sound of it, Reiko had been trying to teach Gohan to sing and it had degenerated when Gohan insisted on only singing superhero theme songs.
"MOROBOSHI DAN NO..." Gohan warbled off-key before being muffled by what Ken assumed was a pillow wielded by Reiko. He loved them to death, but Ken didn't need to hear them having fun. He donned his headphones to drown out their laughter.
Ken laid on his bed, lost in thought. It was times like this that he really missed his brother. Gai had always been the target of his jokes, but he had been there when Ken had really needed him. Now Gai was gone, and Ken had all of his responsibilities on his head.
After a near-disastrous start, Ken had grown accustomed to the leadership role. He still didn't think he was very good at it, certainly not as good as Gai, but he could get the job done adequately. Yet Ken couldn't help but wish Gai were still at the helm. With Gai in charge, everyone had confidence that they would overcome Chaos. Since Gai's death, no one - especially Ken himself - was quite sure what was going to happen.
What made things worse for Ken was the feeling of isolation. Before, there had always been someone to listen when he had something to get off his chest. But Etsuko had broken up with him and, while they were friendly again, it didn't feel right to confide in her. Plus, she had become fast friends with Kei, and Kei only tolerated him. Gohan and Reiko were pretty open, but were understandably more interested in each other when the mission was over. Ken couldn't just waltz in and start dumping his problems on either of them.
As Ken stared at his ceiling, he toyed with the idea of dealing with his troubles by sharing them with the world on his webpage. He had more or less abandoned it after the mess it had caused with Etsuko. As ideas went, it wasn't a bad one, but Ken couldn't motivate himself to carry it through. In the long run, it probably would only cause more problems than it solved.
When he had been thrown into the superhero business months earlier, Ken Tendo had never imagined the day would come when he would be in charge...and totally alone.
***
Saigo Tachibana slung his bag over his shoulder as he surveyed the open road ahead. He hopped onto his motorcycle, but hesitated as Toru and Hidemi ran up to him.
"You don't have to go," Toru insisted. "There's no reason to run anymore. Stay with us until you get your life back on track."
"Please stay," Hidemi implored.
Tachibana exhaled slowly. "Both of you have been good friends - better friends than I deserve. But I've seen too much, done too much. I have to get away from the memories. I don't know how long that will take...if it ever happens."
Tachibana strapped on his helmet and revved his motorcycle. He waved to the two companions who had stood by him through thick and thin. "I'll never forget either of you! May you find peace!" he called to them before he roared away.
Toru and Hidemi watched with heavy hearts as their friend disappeared down that lonely road. Only time would tell if they would ever again see Saigo Tachibana - Dengeki Senshi Tiger Burai.
Gohan felt a sense of satisfaction as he wrote out "owari" in hiragana on the notepad page, signaling the conclusion of the saga of Tiger Burai. It had taken nine months, but he had finished his epic plot.
"Check it out Reiko!" he whispered excitedly. "Tiger Burai is done!"
"Awesome!" Reiko replied in a hushed tone. "Let me read it later. I think we're about to start."
Jet Phoenix stood before his charges seated around the conference table. "What do the five of you know about Mt. Mihara?"
"Didn't Godzilla fall in there once?" Gohan offered before Reiko lightly smacked him upside the head.
"I think what he's driving at is that there have been signs lately that it's becoming active yet again," Etsuko told her teammates.
"Correct," Jet Phoenix affirmed. "Concerns were so great that an international research team was sent in to investigate."
"Uh oh," Ken said. "If you're telling us about this, it must mean there was trouble."
Jet Phoenix rubbed his fist absently. "The worst kind. They were brutally attacked by something there. There was only one survivor - an African vulcanologist from the tiny nation of Wester Island."
Jet Phoenix punched up the monitor display. "What you're about to see is footage of an interview of sorts with the surviving scientist conducted by the Wester Island ambassador. I should warn you - it is a little disturbing."
On the screen, the stout scientist cowered in a corner. He was bandaged in several places and obviously in shock. The ambassador, a tall muscular man sporting a beard, knelt down by his countryman.
"Dr. Roland, this is Dorsey," the ambassador said softly. "You remember me, don't you? What happened on Mt. Mihara?"
"M-m-m-monster," Dr. Roland stammered. "Monster!"
Dr. Roland went wild with fright, desperate to escape. The ambassador did his best to restrain him and assure him he was safe. Dr. Roland continued to kick and scream and finally knocked over the camera.
The film continued, though the only image on it was the floor. In the background, Jetman could hear the scuffle continue as Dr. Roland repeated "Monster!" over and over. At last, the noise died down and the film ended.
Jet Phoenix turned back to face his charges. "I think you can see why our involvement was requested."
"So, what's the plan?" Ken questioned.
"We take the Jet Fighters to Mt. Mihara," Jet Phoenix said. "Take a look around and see if...if..."
Jet Phoenix paused as he became disoriented. The room began to spin and he lost his balance. He fell to the floor. Jetman quickly leapt from their seats to aid him.
"My God, what happened?" Reiko asked in horror.
"Nothing," Jet Phoenix reassured unconvincingly. "Just a touch of vertigo. I'll be fine."
"If that was us, you'd want a medical exam immediately," Kei observed.
"She's right," Etsuko added. "You need to see a doctor to get checked out."
Jet Phoenix looked around and knew that his team had him dead-to-rights. "Very well," he relented. "Take me to the Japan Astro Development Center. My doctor is stationed there."
***
Jet Phoenix stood at the window of Dr. Masaru Komyoji's office at the Japan Astro Development Center. Nearby was Mt. Fuji. Funny, he had never taken the time to admire its beauty before.
"Enjoying the view?" Dr. Komyoji asked as he entered the room. "The scenery around the JADC/FAFC complex is quite breathtaking."
"Is that why you wanted this assignment?" Jet Phoenix wondered as he turned to face the man that had built him. "I mean, using androids for space exploration wasn't a pressing concern the last time I checked."
Komyoji tossed the test results he carried on his desk. "Cute. Don't try to change the subject."
"What's the verdict?"
"Bad. That little spell was the beginning of the end. Your Birdonic Reactor leak has begun to decay the internal mechanisms. Soon the last of the shielding that's sustained you will be gone. Right now, your best case scenario gives you two weeks maximum."
Jet Phoenix sighed in resignation. "All for the sake of a meaningless fight scene."
"Not true," Komyoji corrected. "The diagnostic indicates there was a fatal flaw in the manufacturing of your Reactor. Eventually, it would have overloaded no matter what, without any warning. In a way, getting damaged in battle may have been a blessing since we were able to catch it in time."
"In time?" Jet Phoenix questioned incredulously. "You said yourself I only have two weeks at the most."
"It doesn't have to be that way," Komyoji emphasized. "As long as your brain is maintained, there's still a chance we can save you."
"Which involves taking me offline for at least three months," Jet Phoenix added. "Not an option with Chaos still out there."
"By God, man," Komyoji snapped in frustration. "Are you that focused on your duty? Don't you think Jetman can handle themselves at this point?"
Jet Phoenix stepped up to Dr. Komyoji. "Did it ever occur to you that this is as much about me as it is them? For twenty years, I waited for the day I was needed. It finally comes and then it's snatched from me! Yes, I'm devoted to my duty as Earth's protector because it's all I have! Or had you forgotten that I'm not really a 'man' at all?"
Komyoji placed a hand on Phoenix's shoulder. "That means nothing in the big picture. Jiro, Ichiro, Mari - they're all androids and yet they're more 'human' than most people. Don't let your origins cloud your thinking about what you are."
Jet Phoenix brushed Komyoji's hand aside. "What I am," he asserted flatly, "is a pale copy of Gai Yuki."
"Somehow, I anticipated this discussion," Komyoji said as he pressed the buzzer on his desk. "That's why I asked someone else to join us."
"Hello, Phoenix," Supreme Commander Odagiri greeted as she walked in the door.
***
"What an awful hole," Kei said as the team stared down into the heart of Mt. Mihara.
"For once, we're in complete agreement," Ken replied. "But we still have to go down in there. Watch out that you don't slip into the lava everybody."
"Man oh man, can't we change now?" Gohan asked impatiently.
"You know the rules," Etsuko reminded. "We wait until there's imminent danger. No sense in draining ourselves unnecessarily."
"Do-do you guys think Jet Phoenix will be all right?" Reiko inquired as she and her teammates ventured down into the crater.
"Yeah, don't worry about it," Ken reassured. "He was the one who told us to go ahead after we dropped him off in the Fighters."
The team looked around the crater for anything unusual. Nothing seemed amiss until Kei noticed a glint of metal around ten meters away. When the team investigated, they discovered it was more than just a shard. Gohan dug frantically until he had unearthed an entire metallic capsule.
"The search party didn't say anything about seeing this," Ken observed. "Someone deliberately buried it."
Etsuko scratched her head. "How'd it get here?"
"I arrived in it!" a guttural voice growled before the team was attacked.
***
"Commander, what a pleasant surprise," Jet Phoenix lied.
"No need to be so formal," Odagiri responded. "Why not call me Aya?"
"I-I'd really rather not."
Odagiri bit her lip. "Your choice. Doctor, may we be alone?"
"I was just going to discuss alien cellular structures with Dr. Ryusaki," Komyoji stated as he excused himself out the door.
"I already know what you're going to say, Commander," Jet Phoenix said, "and it's not going to work. My mind is made up and no order from you is changing that."
"As stubborn as always," Odagiri remarked as she walked up beside him to look out the window. "But I'm not here with any order. I just wanted to talk."
An uncomfortable silence fell over the room. Jet Phoenix looked over at the woman he had known for 25 years, groping for something...anything to break the tension. "So, did you get here by Skyforce transport?"
"Actually, I used the Jet Hawk," Odagiri admitted with a grin. "It was decommissioned in 2001 after the Rakushasa affair, so I had it earmarked for personal use. I figured I was entitled, since I did invent it."
"Jet Hawk, huh?" Phoenix noted as he thought back to his - to Gai Yuki's - days in the original Jetman. The Jet Hawk had been the anchor of their Jet Machine mecha squadron. He remembered the devastating Double Jet Beam attack delivered in tandem with Jet Condor. Those were the days.
"I came here because I wanted to break the news to you in person," Odagiri finally revealed.
"News? What news?"
Odagiri gazed intently at Mt. Fuji as she spoke. "You know, I was only 35 when I was named Supreme Commander - the youngest person ever to hold the post. It seems like a lifetime ago. In a way, I guess it is."
"That's true," Jet Phoenix said. "I sometimes forget we've been doing this longer than the current Jetman members have even been alive."
"Exactly," Odagiri agreed. "But I've been thinking about that a lot lately. I've been fighting the good fight for a long time and I'm not getting any younger. Nearly getting killed by my psychotic double Red Kestrel two months ago made my decision that much easier."
"What are you trying to say?"
"I want to enjoy a normal life now," Odagiri explained. "I've resigned as Supreme Commander."
Jet Phoenix was stunned. "I can't believe it!"
"There's more," Odagiri continued. "I've already recommended my replacement to the Supreme Council. I stay on duty for 90 days to ease him through the transition period."
Phoenix's eyes narrowed to slits. "Who is it?"
"Ryu Tendo."
***
Jetman ducked and rolled out of the way as a feral green-skinned being leapt at them. The beast's shock of red hair flew in all directions as he landed on the volcanic ground. His tail swung around, aimed squarely at the five youths.
"I am Chaos Manticore," the monster introduced, "and you five are meddling in my territory!"
"We'll be doing more than meddling!" Ken assured. "Everyone! Cross Changer!"
The five activated their henshin bracelets and their uniforms materialized around them. White Swan and Green Wyvern took off for an airborne assault while Black Condor led Yellow Owl and Blue Swallow on the ground. Swan and Wyvern were the first to arrive and attempted a double sky kick at Chaos Manticore. The Chaos Myth Beast caught the girls' feet before they could make contact and tossed each of the heroines away.
Undaunted, Yellow Owl and Blue Swallow took on the monster toe-to-toe. Owl hammered away with his Wing Gauntlet while Swallow used hers to blast the creature with Wing Beams. Chaos Manticore shrugged off the assaults, slapping Yellow Owl away and kicking Blue Swallow down.
Just then, Chaos Manticore felt something strike across his back. He turned but there was nothing. Adjusting his senses, the monster could hear the sound of the wind as the invisible Black Condor sought to strike him again with the flat of his Wing Sword. Chaos Manticore grabbed where he sensed the weapon would be and was rewarded as his metallic claws wrapped around it. He flipped Black Condor over his head.
Green Wyvern, having recovered from her setback, blasted Chaos Manticore with her costume's glove lasers. The monster absorbed the energy with his tail. Green Wyvern gritted her teeth and flung the Wyvern Boomerang. Realizing the opportunity simultaneously, White Swan, Yellow Owl, and Blue Swallow fired their Jet Weapons as well.
Chaos Manticore fired an orange ray from his tail that struck the Jet Weapons as they hurtled toward him. The Wyvern Boomerang, Swan Mace, Owl Axe, and Swallow Bow arrows fell harmlessly to the ground. Black Condor, having pulled himself up, generated his Condor Lance and attacked the Myth Beast. The monster blasted the Lance with his tail as well and headbutted Black Condor back.
"Poor fools!" Chaos Manticore exclaimed. "Now you'll know my true power!"
The Beast levelled its tail and fired its ray at Black Condor. Condor screamed in pain as the beam enveloped him. The rest of Jetman rushed to their leader's aid, but each was in turn hit by the same ray in succession. They blacked out for a few seconds, and when they recovered their senses, all five Jetmen discovered themselves in their normal forms.
"That hurt pretty bad," Ken said, "but we're still alive! Cross Changer!"
Nothing happened. Ken tried again. "Cross Changer!" Nothing.
"It's not working!" Ken exclaimed.
"Mine either!" Gohan added.
"None of our bracelets work!" Reiko cried. "What's going on?"
"I think I'm to blame," Chaos Manticore admitted smugly as he held his tail. "My tail shoots an Anti-Birdonic Wave Ray. Those beams have dampened your powers and made them useless to you! You're helpless!"
"You may have stolen our powers," Etsuko said, "but we're still Jetman!"
"And we'll still beat you to death!" Kei threatened as the five powerless heroes charged.
Sadly, Jetman could not live up to Kei's bravado in their human state. Chaos Manticore thrashed them easily, leaving them lying in defeat in less than a minute.
"Now I can continue my work!" Chaos Manticore rejoiced. "But first, I will summon my mistress! She wanted to know when Jetman was beaten!"
Only Ken was still conscious, and then only barely so, when Red Kestrel teleported down to the battlefield moments later. He wondered to himself why she had come before slipping completely into unconsciousness. He couldn't have dreamed her true purpose.
***
"Dammit Aya, you can't do this to me! It's blackmail!"
Jet Phoenix stormed away from Commander Odagiri, angrier than she could ever recall seeing him. She had known he wouldn't take the news well. Still, it wasn't as if he couldn't see something like this coming.
"Why don't you stop and think a minute?" she asked loudly. "This is a lot bigger than even you! Ryu Tendo has worked hard and he's earned this job! It would have been his five years ago if I'd stepped down then!"
"But...but...he'll have access to my files," Phoenix softly protested. "He'll know who - what - I am. And Kaori..."
Odagiri cut him off. "Don't bring Kaori into this. The two of you brought that to a close long ago. If you're still pining away for her, it's not because you're still in love with her. It's because you miss the life she represents to you - the life that was cut short."
Jet Phoenix said nothing as he stood with his back to Odagiri.
Odagiri came up behind him. "There's one way to keep your secret. Resign from Skyforce today and I'll order your records placed under permanent seal. Then you can be repaired and maybe find a new life instead of holding on to faded memories."
Jet Phoenix considered Commander Odagiri's words and what she was proposing carefully. He turned around slowly and took her hand in his. "Tell me what I have to do."
And so, minutes later, Jet Phoenix was doing something he'd never imagined - signing the document that tendered his resignation from Skyforce. He lingered over it after the final penstroke. It was really over.
Odagiri gave the document the once-over. "Now that we have this, the rest will be easy. I can take it from here and get everything done."
A brief but massive earthquake rocked the area and sent the Commander tumbling into Jet Phoenix's arms. Odagiri pulled out her communicator as she got up and demanded an update from Skyforce base.
The report came back. "Energy surge and localized tremor. Location : Oshima Island, off Izu Peninsula. Epicenter : Mt. Mihara vicinity."
Jet Phoenix's head popped up when he heard the report. He pushed away from the desk and walked toward the door.
"Where do you think you're going?" Odagiri questioned. "You're not a Skyforce agent anymore!"
"That's right," Jet Phoenix concurred, "and I don't have to follow orders either."
"Don't go!"
"They need me, Aya. I can't turn my back on them - even if it costs me my life."
Now, it was Odagiri's turn to be speechless.
Jet Phoenix stopped in the doorway. "I'd like to borrow Jet Hawk, if you don't mind."
"Go ahead," Odagiri consented. "Please...come back."
"I'll try to get it back to you in one piece," Jet Phoenix joked as he raced off to his date with destiny.
***
As Ken Tendo slowly regained consciousness, he became acutely aware of the fact that he was suspended above the ground. He looked around at his teammates flanking him on both sides and discovered that each of them were fastened to tall metal crosses. It didn't take him long to learn the culprit - as if there had been any doubt in his mind.
"Red Kestrel," he said grimly to his captor. "I don't know what your game is, but it's not going to work."
Red Kestrel ignored her prisoner's threat. "Did Chaos Manticore's test run rouse you? No matter - I'd prefer all of you to be awake for what I'm doing!"
"Why are you here at Mt. Mihara? What test run?" Etsuko asked.
"Chaos Manticore was testing the charges he is planting to turn this already active volcano into a super megaton reactor of destruction," Red Kestrel casually informed the powerless Jetman. "As for me, I need you five for a little project of my own."
Red Kestrel gestured over to a large piece of machinery manned by a battalion of Garo. "That is the Chaos Myth Beast Actualizer - the device used to create monsters like Chaos Manticore. I have brought it here to Earth because I need you five simpletons for my plan to succeed!"
"Let us down from here," Kei hissed, "and we'll see who's a 'simpleton'!"
"Hush child," Red Kestrel scolded. "Now then, I have fed the image input into the machine from my own mind, but it is too large-scale for the machine to create on its own. That's where you five come in. You will help me create this!"
Red Kestrel generated a scale model of an airship of some kind. It looked curiously familiar to four of the Jetmen.
"So - are you trying to tell us you're in league with a toy company?" Ken inquired sarcastically.
"Not Bandai, I hope!" Gohan chimed in, with absolutely no irony.
Red Kestrel continued her explanation, seemingly oblivious to anything Jetman said. "Those crosses are actually Lifeforce Conductors created by Toranza for his ill-fated scheme to create a super robot. Even with your powers dormant, your lifeforces remain supercharged - the perfect power source to push the Actualizer into overdrive!"
"...And it kills us in the process," Reiko finished.
"Yes. Yes, it probably will." Red Kestrel mused.
"No!" Gohan shouted as he tugged at his bonds to no avail. "There must be a way out of this!"
"Hardly," Red Kestrel dismissed. "Chaos Manticore has rendered all of you little more than normal human beings. Your Birdonic powers are buried too far down to be of any use."
Chaos Manticore bounded towards Red Kestrel. "Enemy craft!" he warned. "It looks like a Jetman ship!"
"Impossible!" Red Kestrel exclaimed. "We have them...no, wait. I had forgotten about that commander of theirs. Let's welcome him in proper Chaos Coalition style!"
Jet Phoenix programmed the Jet Hawk's controls so that it would return by autopilot to the JADC. He didn't figure he would be needing it anymore. He lifted the hatch and flew down to Mt. Mihara as the Jet Hawk banked sharply on its way back to its rightful owner.
Chaos Manticore pulled Jet Phoenix from the air as the hero neared his landing. Phoenix landed with a thud and Chaos Manticore slashed at him with steely claws, shredding the uniform of Jetman's commander.
"Ha ha!" Red Kestrel cackled derisively. "So much for the cavalry! Now it begins!"
Red Kestrel pushed Garo away from the Actualizer so she could personally throw the switch. Jetman screamed in agony as the Lifeforce Conductors crackled to life. The Actualizer glowed ominously as it drew energy from the helpless heroes.
"It's working already!" Red Kestrel realized with glee as a dark mass formed over Mt. Mihara. It began to coalesce into a solid body as Jetman writhed on their prisons.
"I've done it!" Red Kestrel exulted as the thing formed by the Actualizer became reality. "My mind has recreated my ultimate weapon, the flying fortress of Kurokaze Sentai Jetman - Daedalus Kenjo!"
Jet Phoenix would have been filled with dread if he hadn't been on the losing end of his battle with Chaos Manticore. Every punch he threw seemed to only bounce off the Chaos Myth Beast, while his opponent inflicted damage on him with every strike. He was getting weaker by the second.
Chaos Manticore ripped across Jet Phoenix's chest, tearing open his synthetic flesh and exposing the delicate mechanisms that gave the hero life. Jet Phoenix did not back down, even as he felt his body begin to fall apart. Chaos Manticore picked him up and hurled him away. Jet Phoenix impacted the ground awkwardly, his head taking most of the brunt.
"PHOENIX!" Jetman screamed in unison even as Red Kestrel continued the process that would surely kill them.
"Even your Jet Phoenix cannot save you now!" Red Kestrel gloated. "Oh, how I've dreamed of this day since you took my world from me! Now, I will take yours! Osore Formation!"
Red Kestrel used her mind to convert Daedalus Kenjo into its robot mode instantaneously. A burst of light and Daedalus Kenjo had become Jet Daedalus. The robot slowly made its way towards Jetman.
Ken Tendo watched Jet Daedalus as it approached. With each footstep, he grew more and more enraged. It was not going to end this way. They had fought too hard to just quit. He strained against his bonds, refusing to acknowledge the futility of his efforts. He pulled and pulled until suddenly, he heard the metal manacles snap.
Ken's eyes widened as he realized his arms were free. "We can do it!" he urged his teammates. "They can't take our power away! It's part of us!"
Seeing Ken's success gave his comrades strength. Each of them found reserves they had not known they had minutes earlier. Sinew struggled valiantly against steel. Kei was the first to break free, then, one by one, each Jetman broke loose from bondage.
The sudden break in the connection to the Lifeforce Conductors was too much for the Chaos Myth Beast Actualizer. Garo scattered as it overheated and blew up. Jet Daedalus stopped in its tracks as Red Kestrel became otherwise occupied.
"I don't know how you did that," she spat, "but it will do you no good! Jet Daedalus is still real and you're still powerless!"
"That's where you're wrong!" Ken countered defiantly. "As long as we fight for the Earth, we have all the power in the world!"
The five youths assumed their heroic poses. "Chojin Sentai Jetman!"
"We'll soon see!" Red Kestrel exclaimed. "Garo - ATTACK!"
Jetman fearlessly dove into the fray, in spite of the lack of their powers. Gohan hefted his sister into the air and Etsuko assumed one of her dance poses. Gohan twirled Etsuko round and round, her punches and kicks laying out any Garo that got near them. At the same time, Reiko was confronted with a mass of Garo headed for her alone. She jumped into the air, turned a cartwheel, and landed on the shoulders of the Garo at the front of the pack. As his fellows lunged for Reiko, they knocked him out while she switched over to another Garo. On and on the game went, Reiko running across the Garo as they knocked each other out. Finally, there was only one left and he was stumbling after the huge melee. Reiko jumped off his shoulders and cocked her head as he flailed aimlessly. She walked up to him and pushed him over with one finger.
"Yeah!" she celebrated excitedly as she gave herself two thumbs up.
Kei flipped Garo over her shoulder and delivered kicks with fierce abandon. Ken watched her intently as he punched the Garo that attacked him away. Damn, she was like a whirling dervish. Ken didn't notice the Garo that snuck up behind him and wrapped its arm around his throat.
"Urrgh, get OFF!" he shouted as he grabbed the Garo's arm and twisted the henchman off of him. He flung the Garo right into the path of two more Garo that Kei had sent flying. All three fell into a pile.
"Thanks for the assist," Ken called to Kei. She looked at him oddly, then finally gave him a curt nod. Oh well, at least he was trying.
Red Kestrel had seen enough. She pulled her Chaos Cutter sword out of thin air and joined the battle. She took a swing at Ken, who barely evaded the weapon. Then she kicked him down.
"This is for your brother that took away what was mine!" Red Kestrel said as she raised her sword high. "You will die in his place!"
Kei grabbed Red Kestrel's hand from behind and held it tightly. "NO! No one dies in Gai's name! Not now, not ever!"
The other Jetmen, having dispatched the Garo, witnessed the scene as it unfolded. "Ken's in trouble!" Etsuko cried. "We have to help them!"
The other three Jetmen joined the struggle as Ken regained his footing. The powerless team surrounded Red Kestrel and pummeled her with all their strength. Under normal circumstances, Red Kestrel could have killed all of them. But Jetman had turned the fight into anything but normal.
"ENOUGH!" Red Kestrel yelled indignantly. "I will crush all of you!"
"Then why haven't you already?" Ken chided.
Meanwhile, Jet Phoenix had pulled himself off the ground and resumed his fight with Chaos Manticore. The two pushed each other further and further up Mt. Mihara. Jet Phoenix desperately wanted to get as far from everyone as he could when the time came. No tears for the old soldier. Just let him go quietly.
"I see now you are pseudo-life like me," Chaos Manticore taunted as Birdonic energy began to eat away at Jet Phoenix's body, exposing more and more of his internal workings. "Tell me, was it fun deceiving the humans?"
"Shut up! We're nothing alike!"
"You can think that, robot!" Chaos Manticore sneered. "At least your dupes won't have long to worry about it before we destroy this world!"
Jet Phoenix stopped short. "Destroy? But I thought Chaos planned to colonize Earth!"
Chaos Manticore whipped his tail around, smashing into Jet Phoenix's head and cracking his helmet. "The plans have changed! My mission is to turn your planet's volcanoes into cauldrons of fiery death! We will decimate this speck you call your planet!"
Chaos Manticore's hideous countenance twisted into a devilish grin. "And there's nothing any of you can do to stop us!" the monster declared as he went to strike down Jet Phoenix for good.
"FINAL FLARE!"
Jet Phoenix channeled a portion of the massive energy building in his body and directed it at Chaos Manticore. The monster had no time to react before it was immolated.
Ken looked up at Mt. Mihara as soon as he saw the flash of flame and spied Chaos Manticore being reduced to a smoldering heap. He and the other Jetmen could feel the force of the Anti-Birdonic Wave Ray leaving their bodies as the monster was destroyed. Ken smiled because he knew it was time for action.
"Red Kestrel!" he declared. "Let's see what happens now that it's a fair fight! Cross Changer!"
All five members activated their henshin bracelets. Their uniforms materialized around them. Where five seemingly ordinary humans had once stood were now, without question, the five members of Jetman.
"Damn!" Red Kestrel cursed. "Try and withstand Jet Daedalus, punks!"
Red Kestrel beamed aboard her robot and appeared in the control seat. She shifted the levers and Jet Daedalus began walking once again.
"Jet Fighters Scramble!" Black Condor ordered into his Wing Gauntlet.
"Ken, wait!" Blue Swallow shouted. "What about Phoenix?"
"There's no time!" he answered. "He can take care of himself better than we can!"
The Jet Fighters jetted in from their hiding place on Oshima. Jetman beamed aboard their craft and immediately activated their robot conversion mode.
"Icarus Gattai!" they said as one as their ships locked together. "Jet Icarus!"
Unimpressed by Jetman's less-imposing robot, Red Kestrel smirked as she flipped a switch on her control panel. "Megasonic Screamer!"
On that command, Jet Daedalus' bird face chestplate emitted a devastating sonic beam. The vents on each side of it amplified the sound further as it buffeted Jet Icarus.
Jetman held their hands to their ears, but it did them little good. They surrendered control of Jet Icarus as the barrage of the Megasonic Screamer threatened to destroy them.
Red Kestrel saw her opening and moved in for the kill. "Birdonic Blade!" she cried and Jet Daedalus' sword appeared in its hand. The robot moved to smite Jet Icarus completely.
Reacting almost instinctively, Black Condor moved Jet Icarus aside and kicked Jet Daedalus down. The Megasonic Screamer was silenced.
The still woozy Jetman returned to their controls, more determind than ever to stop Red Kestrel. "Jet Punch!" they called as Jet Icarus shot its fists at the prone Jet Daedalus.
"Daedalus Beam!" Red Kestrel countered as the green jewel atop Jet Daedalus' crown blasted Jet Icarus back. Red Kestrel abandoned her Birdonic Blade and returned it to its otherdimensional storing place as she raised Jet Daedalus.
Suddenly, Red Kestrel realized she had a weapon that Jetman couldn't possibly combat. "Daedalus Tector!" she commanded as Jet Daedalus' red crown jewel generated an energy barrier.
Jet Icarus' fists locked back into place and the robot tried to punch its opponent, but the haymaker bounced off the barrier. Jetman moved Jet Icarus around and attempted to tackle Jet Daedalus from behind, but were rebuffed as the barrier followed them.
"How is that possible!?!" Green Wyvern complained as she slammed her fist into the Jet Icarus control panel.
"Don't know, but we need backup!" Black Condor stated as he opened channels to Skyforce's Poseidon Base. "Launch Jet Cruiser!"
Immediately, the Jet Cruiser carrier ship broke through the waters of the Pacific Ocean on its way to the battlefield. Flying at supersonic speed, it was hovering over its destination in no time at all.
"Switch Jet Icarus to auto mode and beam aboard Victory Fighter!" Black Condor ordered.
In a twinkling, Jetman sat in their seats in the cockpit of Victory Fighter. Black Condor activated the electric eye to open Jet Cruiser's landing bay doors and issued his directive.
"Victory Fighter - TAKE OFF!"
Victory Fighter jetted into battle, firing its laser cannons at Jet Daedalus as Jet Icarus continued its assault. Jetman was heartened as their blasts made contact. The Daedalus Tector was a formidable weapon, but it couldn't deal with more than one foe.
Black Condor wasn't satisfied with just pinpoint strikes. "Victory Transform!"
The Victory Fighter reshaped itself on that signal until it too had assumed its robot mode. The robot landed on the opposite side of Jet Daedalus as its "brother" and assumed a defensive posture.
"Victory Icarus!" Jetman proclaimed.
Red Kestrel worked furiously to rotate the Daedalus Tector between her two adversaries, but had no luck. On one side, the stiff fighting Jet Icarus continued to pound away. On the other, the streamlined Victory Icarus fluidly delivered martial arts punishment.
"Jet Scepter!" rang out from Jet Daedalus' control booth as Red Kestrel called forth another weapon. She thrust it at Victory Icarus, sending the robot reeling, then flipped it back at Jet Icarus.
"She's definitely persistent," noted White Swan as Jetman used their Birdonic Beacons to steady Victory Icarus.
"Let's see if we can do a little mecha teamwork," Black Condor said as he typed in a command to Jet Icarus.
Jet Icarus' circuits processed the request and the robot drove a shoulder into Jet Daedalus. Red Kestrel's robot stumbled towards Victory Icarus.
"Everybody concentrate!" Black Condor urged and, as they did, Victory Icarus' hands began to glow white-hot. As Jet Daedalus approached, Victory Icarus threw back its arms then brought its superheated hands across its enemy.
"Victory Blazing Slash!" Jetman pronounced as the impact scarred Jet Daedalus' outer casing. Red Kestrel was stunned. Jet Daedalus had never been defeated in her reality. Now, it had already been damaged and faced two potentially relentless opponents.
Red Kestrel might have been evil, but she wasn't stupid. She converted Jet Daedalus back to Daedalus Kenjo and rocketed away to Helldevil. At least she had something to show for her troubles.
"She's...leaving?" Blue Swallow questioned.
"We won!" Yellow Owl shouted.
Black Condor turned to his comrades. "Yeah. Yeah, I guess we did. Now we need to find Jet Phoenix. He might be hurt."
On Mt. Mihara, Jet Phoenix smiled weakly as he watched Daedalus Kenjo disappear into the stratosphere. He had trained those kids well. They'd be able to manage without him.
As he felt the burnout overtaking him, Jet Phoenix fell to his knees and threw his helmet aside, not caring as it rolled down the mountainside. If this really was the end, he wanted a chance to look at it with his own eyes. He reflected on the triumphs and failings of two lifetimes. As he did, one person came to the forefront of his memory. A single tear rolled down his cheek as he thought of her.
"Michiru, I'm so sorry," he quietly said.
In the distance, Jet Phoenix noticed a lone figure walking towards him. He assumed at first it was one of the Jetmen, but he was wrong. As the man grew closer, Jet Phoenix squinted and shook his head. It couldn't be. The man stopped in front of him and pulled a cigarette and lighter from his jacket. The man nonchalantly put the cigarette in his mouth and lit it, surveying the surroundings.
Jet Phoenix looked up at the man in astonishment. "Gai Yuki?"
The man casually blew a smoke ring. "You got that right."
"But I thought..."
"What? You said yourself that you weren't me. Don't act so surprised."
"Why are you here?" Jet Phoenix asked.
Yuki crouched down in front of Phoenix. "You're not finished here yet. Not by a longshot."
"But I'm dying."
Yuki pulled the cigarette from his lips and shook it at Phoenix. "You can't give up now!" he reprimanded. "Not when you're so close! Besides, who'll warn those kids of the danger?"
Jet Phoenix silently bowed his head as his artificial body continued to deteriorate.
Gai Yuki stood up and smoothed himself out. "If you won't listen to me," he said as he returned the cigarette to his mouth, "maybe you'll listen to him."
Yuki gestured over his right shoulder and Phoenix's eyes followed in that direction. There stood another man, a younger one this time. Gai Tendo.
"Hang in there, Phoenix!" Gai exhorted. "Make the most of your life!"
"Don't forget this," Yuki added. "You're getting a second chance at the life the two of us were denied. Take advantage of it and don't disappoint me."
Yuki flicked his cigarette away. "Abaiyo," he bade farewell. "Until we meet again."
Yuki turned and walked away without a glance backward. He put his arm around the also departing Gai Tendo in a fatherly way as the two of them faded away.
"I won't!" Jet Phoenix called out as he struggled to his feet. "I won't fail you, Yuki-san!"
Jet Phoenix tried to follow the spectral images, but was too weakened to go on. He collapsed...right into the waiting arms of Black Condor.
"Yuki?" Condor wondered aloud. "But I thought Phoenix was Yuki!"
***
Jet Phoenix's damaged body was securely fastened to the wide observation table in the Japan Astro Development Center laboratory. Dr. Komyoji and Commander Odagiri stood over him with grave concern.
"Will he make it?" Odagiri asked desperately.
"Remarkably enough, I think so," Komyoji answered in surprise. "I don't see how though. The damage is so severe that his functions should have shut down completely. It's as if he's been keeping himself alive by sheer willpower."
Now in their civilian identities, Jetman huddled over in a corner. They couldn't quite believe the truth about their commander - that he was an android and not a human being. Ken Tendo picked up the cracked helmet that had always been the face that Jet Phoenix had presented them. As he looked over at the android tenaciously hanging on to life, he realized what Jet Phoenix had come to mean to him. He had been hard on Ken all along, but, in his heart, Ken knew that was the way it had to be. He had seen the potential for greatness in Ken that no one else saw - not even Ken himself. Though he could never admit it to anyone, Ken had grown to respect Jet Phoenix. In a way, without really trying, Jet Phoenix had become his mentor.
He had been a mentor to all of them, driving them to become the best they could be. It didn't matter who or what had been Jet Phoenix. They only knew that they loved him. To see him in such dire condition tore them up inside.
"Jet...man," Jet Phoenix gasped.
"He's awake!" Odagiri exclaimed. "I thought you'd put his systems into hibernation!"
"I-I didn't think it would be necessary," Komyoji replied. "Starting process now."
"Jetman!" Jet Phoenix cried out again.
Jetman gathered around the examination table quickly. Phoenix studied the five youths that had meant so much to him. "Listen - not much time. Chaos...changed tactics. Going to...destroy Earth. Stop them."
"System hibernation complete," Komyoji reported.
Jetman looked down at the face of Jet Phoenix, smiling contentedly as he slept, then at each other.
Later than evening, back at Skywatch, Ken Tendo sat on the roof of the headquarters. Staring into the star-filled night sky, Ken focused on one star in particular. A massive malignant red star that hung in the heavens, threatening everything he held dear. The Chaos Coalition's starship Helldevil.
"Finally found you," Etsuko said as she walked up the stairs from the main building, followed by Kei, Gohan, and Reiko. "We were looking everywhere."
"Three days," Ken stated simply.
"Three days?" Gohan repeated. "Three days what?"
Ken turned to face his teammates, the roof's observation lights making it almost a patch of daytime surrounded by night. "Phoenix said that Chaos was trying to destroy the entire Earth now. I say we don't give them the chance."
Reiko's mouth fell open. "You mean...?"
"In three days, we take Jet Cruiser up there," Ken explained as he pointed to the sky. "Instead of waiting for Chaos' next move, we take the fight right to them."
Kei looked up at the stars herself. "Best idea I've heard in a long time."
"I can't guarantee we'll all make it back...or even beat them," Ken said candidly, "but I don't think we have any other choice."
No one said another word as the team gathered in a circle. Ken extended his arm to the center. Etsuko added her hand on his. Then Gohan put his hand on his sister's. Reiko placed her hand on that of her boyfriend. Then finally, even Kei, the consumate outsider, placed her hand at the top. The five of them silently resolved to do what they had to do. They looked up at the red dot in the night sky that was Helldevil.
The final battle was at hand.
TO BE CONTINUED
Jetman journeys into space to battle the Chaos Coalition on its home ground! The heroes of Earth face overwhelming odds in this last showdown! Can they rise to the challenge or is our planet doomed to destruction? Expect the unexpected as the series draws to a thrilling conclusion in RETURN OF JETMAN Episode 14 - "Old Endings, New Beginnings"!
Story © Christopher Elam, based on the TV series CHOJIN SENTAI JETMAN and the original "Return of Jetman" stories by Lewis Smith. JETMAN and all characters from the CHOJIN SENTAI JETMAN series © TV Asahi/Toei/Toei Agency. Masaru Komyoji © Ishimori Pro./Toei. Original characters © Christopher Elam & Lewis Smith.
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