[970713]
                                                                      [Preview]
In better preparation of the Astroranger's arrival, Pleadia sends Cyborg Arctic
to Neptune when Ginara searches the planet for the second solar sphere to
finish the Infinitum Genesis Ring.  It's up to SaturnAstro to stop him -- next!

                                                                  [Title Theme]

Artist Bros. Enterprises presents . . .

                        GALAXY TASK FORCE ASTRO RANGER
                        ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Starring...

         Sheratan Kasei, a.k.a., Dave Marcello.  MarsAstro!

         Australis Mokusei, a.k.a., Will Richards.  JupiterAstro!

         Nashiran Dosei, a.k.a., Tom Nevison.  SaturnAstro!

         Messuta Suisei, a.k.a., Ron Michaeli.  MercuryAstro!

         Lotia Kinsei, a.k.a., Amy Leven.  VenusAstro!

         Beverly Tenmei.  EarthAstro!

  and... Commander Leto, a.k.a., Dr. Aaron Hanson.

  Featuring...

         Detective Frank Mahoney and Detective Kathy Sanchez.

 with... Captain Tony Fleishman.



  ACT I:

     In the Hollywood hills where a two-story house was, a lawn surrounded it
with a small garage on the side.  Inside, Amy jogged down the stairs in jeans
and a body suit ready to go somewhere.  In the living room, Will was stacking
newspapers for recycling when she saw her put a cassette tape into her pocket.
  "Hey, Will, have you seen Dave?" Amy asked.  "He's was going to drive me
somewhere."
  "He told me he was going on a walk," Will answered.  "Dave seemed rather
upset."
  Amy shrugged.  "He usually does, Will.  (These days anyway.)"
  "Tom tells me that he's upset about losing that Solar Sphere on Uranus to
Tortan," Will replied.  "He just showed up and took it and he wasn't even ready
for him.  Tom also told me Dave said it happened way too fast for him."
  "Yeah, I guess Dave's too proud to admit even he can make a mistake," Amy
said with a sigh.  "Dave prides himself on being the best and for that to
happen so fast, which he thinks should've been easy for him to handle..."
  "...he let himself down," Will finished for her.  "Yeah."
  Amy looked around while thinking real quick.  "I'm going to go see if I can
find him.  Maybe I can talk to him."
  "I don't know, Amy, he seemed like he wanted to be alone," Will mentioned.
"But if you think it will help, I wont stop you."
  "Okay.  I'll be back later."

                                  Episode 30:
                               "The Deep Freeze"                              

     The gray ice planet Pluto received its dim light from the sun billions of
miles away while beneath the surface, the Nazitans maintained their outpost of
many chambers.  Inside this massive installation, Adol sat upon his iron throne
before his crystal ball upon a marble-like pedestal.  Before him stood Pleadia,
bowing his head, awaited his leader's orders.
  "I'd like to think this will be the last time I'm ever going to tell you
this, Pleadia," Adol started.  "You are on thin ice with me, but, since our
attempt last proved successful, I am feeling generous and even merciful..."
  Pleadia looked at Adol gratefully, "Thank you, my liege," he gasped.
  "I'm not done," Adol snapped.  "I don't trust that your miraculous stroke of
luck will hold so I am having a different strategy arranged."
  ``If it isn't broke, why fix it?'' Pleadia thought.
  "According to the map provided by Majute Sashai, another fragment of the
Infinitum Ring exists on Dimensional Level VII of Neptune," Adol continued.
  "I shall send my most resilient cyborg, Adol the Gr..." Pleadia interrupted.
  "Fool, I don't want your worthless, weak-willed whimp of a cyborg trying to
get this next Solar Sphere.  Ginara will search for it; I need you to send down
one of your cyborgs to keep the Astrorangers away from her."
  Pleadia blinked.  "But that's what we did the last time!  Only we had..."
  "Yes!  And it worked, didn't it, Pleadia?" Adol explained.  "Except since
Cyborg Hunter failed to get the Solar Sphere and Tortan didn't, I'm sending a
trusted warrior to get it and use one of your cyborgs to do what Hunter did."
  "The best one for the job is one that I actually started developing on the
Uranus station before you called me here," Pleadia reported.  Walking up to the
crystal globe, he touched the surface to generate a still image of his latest
creation.  "Cyborg Arctic:  Formed out of a human captured by Cyborg Chrono
Morodu, it's powered by hydro-electricity and uses many weapons."  Arctic was a
metal-armored humanoid with a fire extinguisher-like canister on the back with
hoses plugged into tubes on its forearms.  It had a pale white face wearing a
helmet with a thin black visor.  "It uses blizzard breath, freezing fog and its
armed with a liquid nitrogen spray gun.  Arctic also uses a shield and a
Glacier Sword made out of frozen liquid metal."
  "This monster certainly fits the bill, Pleadia; I must say I am somewhat
impressed," Adol remarked.  "I don't think even all six from the Astroranger
battle team will be able to quickly dispose of this amazing warrior."
  "As a bonus, Cyborg Arctic's eyes have heat rays that are to melt the blade
of its sword.  It becomes a whip and can draw objects into a freezer inside of
its chest," Pleadia added.  "Useful for capturing Astrorangers."
  "Gruesome!!  I am pleased!"  Adol had cheered.  "Ginara!  Come forth..."
Moments later, the ninja appeared from out of the shadows.  "You called, Sire?"
  "Indeed," Adol replied.  "Accompany Pleadia's latest and most hideous
creation to Neptune and look for the Solar Sphere.  You can find the estimated
approximate coordinates with Igan.  He has a scanned copy of the map."
  Ginara nodded.  "I assume you have a plan."
  "Indeed I do.  Just follow your orders and everything will play itself out,"
Adol directed.  "Pleadia, take personal control of Arctic--I want everything to
happen perfectly."

     The moon, orbiting planet Earth, was followed by the cloaked Astroranger
SpaceBase--onboard the technologically advanced space station, Messuta walked
over to Nashiran sitting around doing practically nothing.
  "Oh, by the way, I didn't get to tell you this because I just now found out
but the yellow HydroCycle was brought on board the cloaked saucer 15,000-feet
above the Earth," Messuta reported.  "I can't believe that, that thing can also
drive on water too!  Oh, they also finished AstroMan's refit for docking with
the yellow AirShuttle.  Our shuttles were towed into the base today."
  "Umm, Messuta I knew that the yellow HydroCycle was here already, she used it
the day I was going to train Beverly," Nashiran said.  "And anyway, all of this
new technology of hers was all apart of the experimental development of a force
to succeed us."
  Messuta nodded but then shook his head.  "Wait a minute, why didn't anybody
tell me that we got the yellow HydroCycle?  I've been harassing the people at
Uton before you got here wondering where it was!"
  "How should I know, you're supposed to be in charge of these things," Nash
replied. "The Uton Defense people probably did it for us."  Messuta sighed.

     The seventh dimension of Neptune was a strange combination of a star and
moon filled night sky though the scenery was still illuminated by an unknown
source of light.  This region had many a gorge and canyon topped by rocks of
all shapes and sizes--from pebbles to stones to large boulders.  The sand on
the dirt land was kicked up by high winds but though this place looked hot, it
was sharply cool here.
  A silver steal foot stood on the ground and was joined by another as the
humanoid, in cold metal armor, walked lively through the desert.  Cyborg
Arctic's head was covered by a white steel helmet that left a portion of its
pale human face to show from nose to chin.  Its neck was covered in a black
rubber material that connected to the rest of its metal suit.
  From its point of view, a grid of light covered everything it saw while in a
separate box, a counter of two long numbers ticked rapidly.  A square moved
around the grid screen searching for the object it was programmed to locate.
  "Cyborg Arctic!"  Ginara shouted.  She walked down the side of a hill and had
approached the robot.  "Continue your search and let me know when you find
anything.  Should the Astroranger task force arrive, let me know and abort your
search.  While I look for the Solar Sphere, you will deal with them; is that
understood?"  Arctic nodded affirmatively.

     Just west of the 405 Freeway, Dave's red Pontiac Trans AM was parked off
Mulholland Drive.  In the park, Dave sat on the ground overlooking the city and
a view of downtown Los Angeles.  Down the dirt trail of the unpaved road came
Amy riding her bicycle from out of the Santa Monica Mountains where they were.
  Dave sighed as he knew he had company--familiar company.  "Back to work?"
  "No," she answered. Amy took off her helmet, letting her hair down around her
shoulders and got off her bike.  "Don't ask me how I found you, it was just a
feeling."
  "Heh," Dave chuckled.  "You seem to know me rather well."  Amy nodded.
  "I'd rather be alone but it's always been hard to get rid of you," Dave said.
"You're good company, Amy."
  "I'm glad you think so, Dave," she said sitting down next to him.  "Would you
like to talk about what the problem is?"
  "Did you hear about what happened on Uranus?" Dave asked.  Amy nodded.
  "Yeah, well, I'm not too happy that they got that Solar Sphere; I betcha that
one of their goons are already up to figuring out how to power up one of their
mutants with it," Dave remarked.  "It's just so stupid how I let that happen.
Tortan was right there.  It was easy: all I had to do was shoot his hands and
get the sphere but I froze.  I don't know why; it's just that for a second
there, my mind didn't believe that he was really there."
  "I see," Amy responded.
  Dave continued.  "I don't think that's how someone of our expertise with a
mission so vital as ours should react.  I let a lot of people down and didn't
want to feel any worse by being around."
  "Nobody feels bad about what happened, Dave.  A saying here on Earth is Crap
Happens, I think it is."
  Dave chuckled even more.  "Yeah; something like that, Amy."
  Amy looked down to build up the courage to get to what she wanted to talk
about.  "Dave, I...  I've noticed that since the day Beverly took me to the
mall, you've been more upset than normal."
  "Well, getting shot and all can really mess up your day," Dave said with a
slight grin.  "Or--year, rather."
  "I know," Amy acknowledged, "but, I think that it's got more to do with your
feelings about Beverly."  Dave looked down and slowly nodded in agreement.
  "I really don't think you're quite over all that, are you?" Amy asked.  "I'd
like to know what you're going through."
  Dave let out a big sigh.  "Well, Amy, I don't know what's worse.  First she's
more interested in my hero alter-ego than me and then find out she is already
in love with someone else.  Now I discover she is half-way who we are.  That is
probably what I have the most problem with."
  Amy wrinkled her forehead in confusion.  "Why would that be a problem?  I
thought that her being partially one of us would make you happy."
  "It makes Beverly all the more perfect.  I mean, it's not every day you run
into someone who you think is perfect in a place that you think is, without a
doubt, doomed to self-destruction.  In a world without hope, I found hope; and
she is even more perfect than I'd hoped," Dave explained.  "Basically, by her
being more of what I want, yet, being out of reach, it's that much worse."
  "I'm sure you know Beverly never intended for this to happen--that's
obvious," Amy mentioned.  "I just wish there was something that I could do to
help."
  Dave frowned and shrugged.  "It's not just something that's happened with
Beverly.  This is only a different version of something that has been happening
to me my whole life."  Dave sighed again and looked up to keep his eyes from
dripping.  "As far back as I can remember, I've always had trouble trying to
find anybody that could understand me.  It's depressing to think that, apart
from family, nobody has ever let me know that they--love me."  Dave sniffed and
looked away.  "Aheh...  (This sounds so lame.)"
  "No, Dave," Amy immediately interjected.  "I'm glad you told me this.  Come
with me," she said extending her arm.  Dave looked at Amy and took her hand.
Both of them stood up and walked over to their car.
  Dave opened the passenger door for Amy and Dave walked around to the other
side to enter on the driver side.  "Okay, so what are..."
  Amy interrupted, "Just listen and relax."  Amy removed the cassette from her
pocket and inserted it into Dave's car stereo system.  Music began to play that
Tom had composed.  "I've been working on this since the end of July."  When the
introduction finished, Amy began to sing:
   You have reached, your darkest hours before.
   And you know that I feel your pain.  I will be there for you.
   Never feel, that you're out in the cold alone.
   I will do what it takes to help.  I am here for you.

   Even though--your heart was given pain.
   Don't be sad--please know that you are loved.
   Understand, we're much Closer Than just Friends.
   I will never let--you--down...

   I have grown, to understand your mind.
   And I've learned to love your smile, it takes--my breath away...
   Time has passed, I've denied my heart too long.
   I can't resist--your warmth, love isn't blind.

   Even though--your heart was given pain.
   Don't be sad--please know that you are loved.
   Understand, we're much Closer Than just Friends.
   I will never let--you--down!
The recording came to a conclusion and Amy pressed the eject button and then
looked at Dave with a warm smile.
  Dave was dumfounded as he looked around without a clue of what to do or say
next.  "Uh...  Uh; how long...  How long have you--felt, you know, like this?"
  "Three days after we met in the Task Force Academy, Dave.  You're the only
one who could accept me for who I am and know who I am.  Dave, your dedication
has made you more than a friend to me," Amy explained.  "Anyway, that's not
what is important."  She lifted herself off the seat and moved towards the
center of the car and took a deep breath.  Amy waited most of her life to do
this and was almost too nervous to indulge a fantasy she wanted so much to come
true.
  Dave closed his eyes and Amy turned her head and sealed his lips with hers.
Amy's hands held onto his shoulders while her tongue started to enter his
mouth; Dave began to realize that this was his first kiss.
  Taking one last peck off of his bottom lip, Amy looked closely into his eyes.
"I love you."  Dave looked back into her eyes with great seriousness; already
missing the feeling, he put his arms around Amy and started to kiss her again.


 ACT II:

    Onboard the SpaceBase--Commander Leto sat at one of the workstations on the
right wall confirming coordinates for AstroRobo transformation sequence are all
mathematically correct.  Messuta finished checking all five remote shuttle 
stations along the left side of the wall.  "Okay perfect; now the RescueShuttle
terminal can be re-configured into the AirShuttle remote station if needed."
  "Good work, Messuta," Leto replied.  "I think you should return to Earth to
see if Beverly will be ready for duty if we need her."
  Messuta nodded.  "I'm on my way.  See you later, guys."  He walked out the
door just as Nashiran waved to him.  Leto was nodding with a smile.  "Yellow
LightningDaggers can now combine powers with the other Celestial Weapons with
the Cosmic Missile sequence."
  "I hope we can pull this off," Nashiran warned.
  Leto looked at him.  "After that mess with the TriRangers, we will need every
advantage that comes our way.  And this is much faster than waiting on the Uton
Govern..."  All the stations suddenly started flashing red bars along the black
panels as a siren had sounded.  Leto got up and walked over to another station
to get data.
  "A new sound for every occasion," Nashiran quipped.
  "This is a different alarm for extraterrestrial activity occurring on other
planets," Leto told him.  "It was programmed now that it is assumed the
Nazitans are now invading other planets in the system."
  Nashiran stood up and looked over his shoulder.  "So where are they now?"
  "Dimensional Level VII of planet Neptune," Leto answered.  "Hm, in the third
dimension, I'm picking up engine thrust in that planet's orbit but no source."
  "Sounds like a cloaked vehicle," Nashiran figured.  "Perhaps this is a
Nazitan space station or their headquarters?"
  "I don't think so--their absolute headquarters could not be found so easily,"
Commander Leto disagreed.  "Anyway, cyborg control signals are being received
by the object the computer suspected as a possible cyborg.  Time for action,
Nash.  The coordinates have been uploaded into SolarShuttle's memory."
  "Disengage MagnoAnchors on SolarShuttle, I'm out of here as soon as I
ChangeForm," Nashiran said; he brought up his right fist with the onyx GeneGem
on his golden ring and shouted, "AstroCharge!"  When forcing it out again, the
stone flashed brilliantly.
  Zooming around the south side of the moon came the black SolarShuttle which
straightened out its course and energized its long-range engines, taking it out
of sight.

   In Dimension VII of Neptune--Ginara walked and looked around when suddenly a
double-beep sound emanated from a device on her.  She removed a hand-held video
display from her waist and saw various glyphs display in columns.  Nodding with
satisfaction, she knew that SaturnAstro would be arriving shortly.  Ginara then
resumed her search.
  Cyborg Arctic was also aware of the SolarShuttle's entrance into the seventh
dimension and moved towards a boulder to hide.  In the sky, the rocket ship had
made its descent onto the ground to land.
  Later, SaturnAstro walked through the desert terrain of the distant planet in
this dimension.  "This place looks bad; I'm just gonna get this thing and get
out of here."  He walked by and Cyborg Arctic stepped out from behind the
boulder the black Astroranger passed.  Its thin black visor started to glow two
thin red beams of light where the eyes would be.  Arctic started to follow him.
  "I've got this feeling somebody's watching me," SaturnAstro said to himself.
The winds calmed down but the sound of Arctic breathing as if it were in a cup
alerted SaturnAstro's sensitive hearing.
  In the backlit night sky, spinning ice-shards shaped as razor rings rained
down and the black Astroranger turned around.  Leaping away, he rolled over and
stood up to see the heavy-armored cyborg which closed its freezer chest from
where those came from.
  "Uh oh!"  SaturnAstro exclaimed.  Cyborg Arctic put forth its left arm as a
bar of ice fanned out to become a shield; it held out its right fist holding a
handle and guard which formed the ice blade completing its Glacier Sword.
  "He doesn't look too friendly!"  SaturnAstro commented.  "Molec--no, forget
that...  Celestial Weapon!"  Lightning formed arcs of light within the black
Astroranger's fist. "BattleScythe!"  His black weapon of two blades
materialized as he assumed his battle position.  Arctic charged ahead and
SaturnAstro also ran towards the cyborg.
     Cyborg Arctic's shield stopped SaturnAstro's blade when he turned
around to swing into it.  Arctic knocked his blade upwards with his
Glacier Sword and and cut down.
  SaturnAstro blocked with his weapon and roundhouse kicked his sword away.
Thrusting down, the black Astroranger's scythe sparked off Arctic's armor.
  It was as if the cyborg felt nothing when it blocked a horizontal
strike with its shield.  Using the sword's blade, Arctic knocked
SaturnAstro's weapon high again then cut down against his uniform.
The glacier sword sparked off his suit and he was knocked off his feet.
  Hitting the ground, the black Astroranger rolled over and over again
then stopping to see Arctic stepping forth.  "This isn't gonna get better."
  Cyborg Arctic fired two fine red beams of laser light that hit the dirt.
SaturnAstro leaped away from two towers of sparks blasting from the ground.
Rolling away again, he got up on one knee.  Turning his BattleScythe upside
down into his left hand, he drew the weapon from his belt's holster
"Moleculatom Weapon...  Fire!"  A thick beam of electric blue electricity
caused a spark to shoot out of Arctic's armor but no effect was detected. 
  SaturnAstro stood up in shock.  "Oh hell."  Cyborg Arctic's eyes emitted the
red razor thin beam from its eyes again causing sparks to blow from the black
Astroranger's shiny uniform, knocking him onto his back.
  Cyborg Arctic's shield and sword shrank into bars of ice and ran after
SaturnAstro.  He stood up and stopped its hands from choking him.  The black
Astroranger knocked Arctic's arms up, double punched its metal abdomen with
no effect.  Swinging a final punch, Cyborg Arctic caught SaturnAstro's fist,
upper cut his abs but he managed to knock the cyborg's arm away.
  Arctic kicked back and then swung its fist at SaturnAstro.  Ducking, he low
spin kicked under Arctic.  SaturnAstro saw the cyborg jump over his feet and
front kick to him so he back flipped and came into punch ahead.  Arctic's fast
computerized mind enabled it to catch his fist and roll him into tumbling over.
  "Looks like you're a lot tougher than I thought!"  SaturnAstro bellowed while
standing up.  "You're not gonna last, though."  Cyborg Arctic took a deep
breath and exhaled a flow of white fog.  SaturnAstro fought hard to stay
standing straight while he waved his arms through the air.  "Too cold!"  Soon,
the black Astroranger was lifted off his feet and flew backwards.
  Using this blast of frigid wind to his advantage, SaturnAstro flipped
backward and used his feet to push off the side of the canyon wall.
  In the backlit night sky, he was coasting through the air with his fists
ready while Arctic re-activated its sword.  Sparks broke out of the black
Astroranger's uniform when the ice blade swung into his abs flipping him over
into falling onto his back into the ground.
  Cyborg Arctic turned around and held up his sword; the ice blade melted down
into a silver metal chain link.  SaturnAstro looked at Arctic with that chain
whip and held his wrist.  "Now what?!"
  Cyborg Arctic lashed its chain whip down sparking off SaturnAstro's uniform.
Arctic snapped its whip again and instantly, the black Astroranger's neck was
wrapped up tight by the ice metal chain.  Resisting, Arctic's super strength
was even too much for SaturnAstro as he pulled back in this tug of war.
  Holding the whip with its left hand, Cyborg Arctic held up its right arm with
a cannon tube.  The tube mounted on its arm was connected to the cylinder on
the cyborg's back by a thick black rubber hose.
  SaturnAstro grunted while trying to break free.  "Moleculatom Dagger!" he
shouted while using it against the ice metal but after sparks blew from the
attempt at chopping the link, the chain was unbroken.
  Cyborg Arctic began a stream of liquid nitrogen that began to cover the black
Astroranger in freezing liquid.  "Gotta--get loose!!  Need to call for help!"
His legs were frozen as the jet stream continued further up his body.  Arctic
sprayed from side to side and stopped to withdraw its chain link.
  It was done.  Here stood SaturnAstro, completely frozen solid like a statue.

     In the Santa Monica Mountains in Los Angeles, Dave's red car was parked
off Mulholland Drive--inside, Dave caressed Amy's body while they continued to
kiss.  Slowing to a pause in their embrace, Amy looked at Dave with a pleased
smile.  Dave was still overwhelmed but managed to think a little more.  "Amy, I
don't know what to say.  This is all so sudden."
  Amy shook her head.  "Don't try to figure it out.  Just know that I do love
you, Dave."
  "I'd hate to ask you this but, this isn't pity, is it?" Dave asked.  "I'm
sure that you're not just taking mercy."
  "Of course not, Dave.  I have always cared about you but I've never wanted to
tell you because it's never been appropriate but after all that you've been
through," Amy explained, "I felt like we needed this to happen.  For both our
sakes."  She paused and looked slightly away.  "Can I ask you something?"
  "Sure."
  Amy looked into his eyes.  "Do you feel the same way about me?"
  Dave had no idea but tried to prepare his response.  "Amy, I have always felt
you were special and sometimes I think..."  His cellular telephone interrupted
by ringing and he frowned.  "It's gotta be Aaron."  Amy nodded.
  "Let me handle this," Dave said while pulling up his phone's antenna. "Yeah?"
Amy heard Dave's annoyed tone but discarded that as she leaned close and put
her arm around him.
  "Oh crap!" Dave exclaimed.  Amy listened to him while rubbing is stomach and
lightly kissing his cheek.
  "Damn--that's serious.  We're outta here," Dave pushed the talk button to
hang up and put the phone back in the car.  "Oh I don't believe this."
  "What is it, Dave?"
  "That was Beverly, she called because she's taking the yellow HydroCycle
onboard the AirShuttle to go get SaturnAstro and bring him back to the
SpaceBase," Dave reported.  "Ron was teaching her how to use the PortaSensor
when he was paged by Aaron with the message 'SaturnAstro needs help on
Neptune-4D.'  The forth dimension, Amy."
  "We'll take care of him, don't worry about it," Amy assured.
  Dave nodded.  "We need to ChangeForm."
  Amy looked around, "The coast is clear, Dave."
  "Good," Dave said while bringing up his right fist with Amy following.
"Astro-Charge!" they shouted causing their rings to glow brilliantly.

     In the bizarre display of outer space in the backlit night sky of Neptune,
Cyborg Arctic stood before the black Astroranger, whom was frozen as solid as
ice in this frigid desert.  Arctic had the opportunity of crushing SaturnAstro
due to saturating him in liquid nitrogen and thus walked forth while activating
its Glacier Sword. Raising his sword to the air, it was about to chop down when
Arctic stopped and jumped back in surprise after looking upwards into the sky.
  Yellow, pink and red Astrorangers somersaulted overhead and out of sight in
opposite directions.
  Both VenusAstro and EarthAstro were already jumping up into a flying
side-kick.  Two white boots punched back Cyborg Arctic's chest.
  Arctic was tumbled onto the ground and rolled away.  Both of them back
flipped onto their feet and then turned to run away.
  MarsAstro looked at SaturnAstro and felt that his hard, cold and wet body was
stiff as an ice cube.  He was joined by the other two Astrorangers and
EarthAstro had stepped closer to him to examine his condition.
  "Let me try the PortaSensor," she said removing the gray scanner from the
holster on the right side of her belt.  Holding it up, she opened the flip and
the screen started as well as many back-lit buttons.  VenusAstro watched her
press several buttons on the flip to begin bio scanning.
  "His core temperature is 99.5 degrees fahrenheit but his surface temperature
is 31 degrees because of the AstroSuit's thermal protection," EarthAstro
calculated.  Her instrument was recalibrated in order to display English text.
"However, his body temperature is dropping one degree Celsius every 100
seconds.  Hypothermia will start in just minutes if we don't unthaw him." 
  "Put him in the SolarShuttle and throw it into auto-pilot mode for a course
to the SpaceBase," MarsAstro ordered.  "And be careful with him, he'll break
apart if you drop him."  VenusAstro nodded and tried to pick up SaturnAstro;
EarthAstro closed the flap on her PortaSensor and put it away to help her.
     Meanwhile, above the canyon, Ginara continued her search on the planet.
She thought she saw the Solar Sphere in the distance so she started running
towards the gorge.  "This will be too easy!  Haha!" she laughed to herself.
Her foot had crushed something gooey which stopped her.  The snapping sound
made Ginara look down at her metal boot to see she ran into an egg.  "Argh!
This isn't too pleasant."  Ginara leaned down, removed a bandana from her thigh
and started to clean up. 
  Meanwhile, behind a large boulder a claw of three digits stepped out to show
a strange creature that had the body of what could be a scorpion but had wings,
a neck and head like a vulture.  This hideous beast with reptile-like skin
lurched forth to find out what had crushed the egg she just layed.
  Knelt down in the distance, Ginara finished with her foot and stood up.
Suddenly, the alien beast let out a horrible cry as it smelled her unborn one's
remains in Ginara's rag.  Ginara popped up and turned around to see the 12-foot
alien rant and rave over the death of her offspring.  "Oh great! Exactly what I
don't need right now."  Ginara jumped up and somersaulted backwards onto her
hands and knees to put some distance between herself and that thing. "Nothing's
easy as it's supposed to be."  She watched as its tail of two hooks started
forming an arc of energy that sent lightning her way.  Ginara leaped out of the
way of a fire filled explosion.  It changed positions and prepared to fire
again--except it's now using its two upper arms, with claws of eight digits, to
form an even more power stream of electricity.
  "I've got to find the sphere and get out of here!"  Ginara exclaimed.  "This 
thing is crazy!"  It fired again and she leaped over the explosion to fire a
beam from her tiara's jewel.  The alien creature was zapped and the sparks
exploding from its body left a burnt spot causing it to scream again.
  "What a hideous creature!"  Ginara complained.  "This thing could wake the
dead with that awful noise!"  It opened its beak and its tongue started
unraveling.  It's form of the death crunch.  Ginara's legs were wrapped up by
its tongue as she went flying upside down as if she stepped into a snare trap.
  "Woah!!"  Ginara yelled.  "You're gonna regret this, you ugly monster!  You
hear me?!"

     Onboard the Astroranger SpaceBase, EarthAstro, MarsAstro and VenusAstro
walked into the white chamber that was on the top deck where Messuta, Australis
and Commander Leto were.  When Messuta saw the female Astrorangers bring in the
frozen black Astroranger, SaturnAstro--he jumped out of his seat at the remote
SolarShuttle terminal.  "I just got here; what in the hell happened to him??"
  "The cyborg on Neptune has frozen him," MarsAstro answered.  "The last either
you or Commander Leto heard from him was probably the last thing he said."
  EarthAstro took the back panel of her PortaSensor off and gave it Messuta.
"Upload this data into the computer--it's a scan of his body.  Maybe you can
find out a way to unthaw him."
  "I'm going to need to do so quickly," Messuta agreed.  "According to your
scan, he's not already dead because of the AstroSuit."
  "Bad news guys," Australis started. "As it turns out, Ginara was up there all
this time; I think that cyborg was a decoy to keep us away from her so that she
can get the Solar Sphere."
  "We can't deal with Ginara missing a team member," MarsAstro replied.
  Australis shook his head.  "I can certainly stall her.  I'm going to take the
CommandShuttle to Neptune and make sure she's occupied until Messuta can unthaw
Nashiran."
  "I'm going with you," VenusAstro told him.  "In case that cyborg shows up, I
want to be able to pull you out of there in case you get into trouble."
  "It's risky but having Ginara take a second Solar Sphere is two too many,"
Commander Leto warned.  "I will allow it, but I'll need the rest of you back
here in case something goes wrong on Earth."
  "You can count on us, Commander" EarthAstro replied.  "I will be on Earth."

     Meanwhile inside of Pluto...
     "Adol the Great, I have bad news," Pleadia reported at the Nazitan
Outpost.  "Cyborg Arctic was unable to complete termination of the black
Astroranger."
  Adol sneered.  "Heh.  Who cares?  He was just about finished.  Now that I
know your creation is worth my time, all we have to do is take Arctic to Earth
and energize it into a titan," Adol stood up and looked at his crystal ball.
"It will freeze AstroMan and dismember it with the team inside.  This will take
the focus off Neptune as they will never let Earth fall pray to your cyborg."
  Pleadia bowed and looked at his leader.  "I will transport Cyborg Arctic to
Earth at once."
  "Good."

    In Dimension VII of Neptune, JupiterAstro ran down the side of a steep hill
in a quarry with VenusAstro following him.  "Cover me, Lotia--I'm gonna try and
find the Solar Sphere."
  "RescueShuttle detected an object with high energy output in this area,"
VenusAstro mentioned.  "It's the same gravomagnetic power detected on Neptune."
The two of them continue to run when they heard a shriek echo in the distance.
  VenusAstro stopped and looked around.  "Did you here that, Australis?"
  "Yeah, I did," JupiterAstro answered.  "I don't even want to know what that
was.  Let's just hope we miss it and get going."  They both continued to move.
  Meanwhile, Ginara held her saber and cut off the pink muscle that was trying
to squeeze her.  It started bleeding chunky golden liquid into the ground.
  Ginara frowned.  "Yech!  Disgusting!"  The alien beast turned around and
swung its tail at Ginara; she rolled over and brought up her saber when it
dropped its arm on her.  Ginara was knocked down and tumbled over.
  "This thing needs a distraction," Ginara said when standing up.  "Where are
those irritating Astrorangers when you need them?  It probably will think we're
all invading its territory and kill them instead!"  The Astrorangers came
running around the side of the mountain.  VenusAstro jumped back.
  "Oh no," JupiterAstro moaned.  "What do you suppose _that_ is!?"
  VenusAstro shook her head.  "Who knows.  But it doesn't seem to be getting
along with Ginara."
  "Heh--I wonder if it's a cyborg that's gone out of control," JupiterAstro
commented.  "I don't think this'd be the first time.  How close are we, Lotia?"
  "It's down the hill past that creature," VenusAstro answered.  "Think we can
take it?"
  JupiterAstro nodded.  "We're gonna have to.  Come on..."
  Ginara kicked away the alien's arm and then used her saber to slice down and
across.  Both blasts of sparks scarred the the alien.  Ginara saw the green and
pink Astrorangers in the corner of her eye and then looked up at the beast.
"I'll draw its fire!"  She started running towards the Astrorangers while it
started shooting green bolts of light from its eyes.  The dirt was blown up by
exploding towers of sparks though Ginara easily outran the shots.
  VenusAstro saw Ginara running towards them.  "Hey, wait up!   Aus!"
  JupiterAstro stopped and saw Ginara running by.  "What the hell?"  Ginara is
not one to run from anything, unless that alien was truly powerful, he thought.
JupiterAstro was only half right; she was leading them to that monster.
VenusAstro stopped running when JupiterAstro did when suddenly multiple blasts
of sparks surrounded them.  They weren't hit but they did find the 12'-tall
alien lurching closer to them.
  "It's the only way to the Solar Spheres," reminded JupiterAstro.  "We've got
to get rid this thing and fast."
  VenusAstro nodded.  "Moleculatom Weapon!"  Both of them drew them from their
belt's holsters.  "Setting to 40 volts," she announced while pressing a toggle
button on her weapon.
  "Ready," JupiterAstro acknowledged.  "Fire!"  Two beams of yellow light
ionized the creature which attracted the electric blue beam of power that
zapped it.  Sparks snapped off its reptile skin and it screamed again but it
didn't stun the beast like they had intended.
  "Uh oh!" VenusAstro cried.  "It didn't go to sleep!"
The alien swung its claws at JupiterAstro and the green Astroranger back
flipped away.  "Far from it, Lotia!" JupiterAstro replied.  "You try to find
the Solar Sphere, I'll take care of this thing."
  "Aus, I don't think that's such a good idea!"  VenusAstro replied while
ducking its claws.  "That other cyborg is still around here somewhere!"
  "Just go!" he ordered.  The pink Astroranger nodded and ran away.
     Ginara was already close to the bottom of the ravine.  "Hehe, that thing
is probably munching on those Astrorangers right now.  Good thing I ran into
that ridiculous monster."  Reaching the bottom, sparks blasted her backwards
onto her back.  "What the hell?"  VenusAstro put her weapon away and ran
through the ravine towards Ginara where she stood again.
  "I'm getting sick of you and your friends," Ginara complained.
  VenusAstro stopped to assume her battle position.  "Get used to it.  We'll
be around until you give up."
  "Tortan and I will never give up!" Ginara announced.  "Now, fall!  And stay
fallen!"  Ginara ran after VenusAstro and so did she.
     Both attempting to knock each other down with each others ankles
in a walkover, they miss but Ginara turned around and front kicked at
VenusAstro; the pink Astroranger blocked Ginara's foot with her hands.
  VenusAstro spun around to swing her open hand at Ginara's head but
she caught her wrist and switched places with her.  VenusAstro pushed
Ginara's hand off of her wrist and roundhouse kicked Ginara.
  She tumbled pass her high kick; VenusAstro turned around and chopped
down as Ginara came up again.  Blocking it with her arms, Ginara bent
down to low spinning kick down the pink Astroranger which tripped VenusAstro
over onto her back.
     Meanwhile further up--JupiterAstro slices back and forth keeping the
alien's arms back from clawing him.  It turned around to swing its tail at
JupiterAstro which knocked his arm away.  It swings down one of its massive
arms but the green Astroranger used his Moleculatom Dagger to slice against its
arm again and then struck its chest scarring it again with another blast of
sparks.  "I don't believe that didn't work!!"
  JupiterAstro hop-kicked it back after it wouldn't budge from that strike.
Thrusting ahead, the green Astroranger attempted to stab the monster but it
knocked his arm away.  JupiterAstro tried striking again from another angle and
the alien managed to block the swipe; this time it struck down with its claws
knocking JupiterAstro off of his feet with a blast of sparks.
  Back in the ravine, the Neptune Solar Sphere was stuck in the corner where
the wall met the ground.  Meanwhile, Ginara and VenusAstro continued to fight.
     In the sky, both Ginara and VenusAstro coasted through the air
holding their weapons.  "Moleculatom Dagger!"
  In midair, sparks broke out of each others armor when striking each other.
     Landing on their feet smoking when Ginara drove her sword towards
VenusAstro.  "Uh oh!"
  She roundhouse kicked the saber and both put blades to each others
shoulders.  Drawing back sparks exploded from both blows.
     VenusAstro tornado kicked Ginara's saber off target and tried
punching into her but her hurricane kick knocked VenusAstro into
turning around.  "Woah!  What the..."
  When VenusAstro came around, Ginara slashed her uniform with a blast of
sparks by the cut of her saber's blade.  "AAGH!" she shouted on the way down.
     VenusAstro hit the muddy dirt and rolled over and over to a stop.  "Ow my
ribs."  When she pulled herself up, the pink Astroranger witnessed Ginara form
a ball of light between her palms.  "A lot more than that is going to hurt!"
Ginara pushed out the lightning ball with her wrists together.
  A mighty explosion blew VenusAstro off her feet--hitting the wall, she
dropped to the ground and rolled onto her back.

                                                           TO BE CONTINUED    


Next week on Galaxy Task Force Astroranger. . .

Los Angeles will witness its first blizzard ever if the Astrorangers are unable
to stop Titan-Cyborg Arctic!  Meanwhile, it's up to JupiterAstro to get the
Neptune Solar Sphere, IF he can escape the clutches of an alien angry over the
death of her offspring in Episode #31, "Team Spirit. Is It Platonic?"

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Unauthorized duplication,  distribution  or  exhibition  may  result  in  civil
liability and criminal prosecution. Copyright (c)1997 Artist Bros. Enterprises,
Artist Bros. Music and Dairenn Lombard.  All Rights Reserved.  Country Of First
Publication: United States of America.  Artist Brothers and Dairenn Lombard are
the author of the preceding text.  The characters and events depicted  in  this
story are fictional.  Any  similarity to  actual  persons,  living or dead,  is
purely coincidental and unintentional.  This copyright notice does  not  extend
to infringe upon the  existing  copyrights for `Super-Sentai' titles maintained
by  Toei Company LTD., Toei Agency, Toei International, Asahi-TV, Marvel Comics
and Ishimori Productions.                                               [TV-PG]
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