His father looked up having just glanced at one of the qualifications "Dr Cranston I presume!" he said lightly and laughed. Billy flushed with embarrassment and his father embraced him.

"I'm proud of you...I'd always hoped you'd get a doctorate but at this age?"

"Actually..." Skye interrupted "Two, the other one should arrive soon."No one loves you, Cassie," Andros continued, stepping out of the shadows. "I wouldn't even have made you a Ranger, but you were lucky enough to be around when I needed a new Pink Ranger. You're nothing but a pathetic little wannabe. No one loves you, Cassie. Especially not me." "Want me to go too?" Ashley asked, looking from him to Zhane. She didn't look at all surprised by Zhane's reaction, and he wondered if she had guessed before or if she was just writing it off as a dimensional difference.

"No," Andros said, knowing it would be better for Zhane to get it over with. "We'll go. Ready?" he asked. He stepped through the hatch without waiting for an answer, counting on his friend to follow as he had so many times before. Sandy was at the top as promised, her flashlight illuminating the narrow passage perfectly well.

When a second flashlight lit the tunnel from below, he knew Zhane had joined him. He made the mistake of looking down, and his eyes widened as it occurred to him exactly how far down these maintenance shafts must go. His fingers clenched on the rungs, but he managed to keep moving. The last thing Zhane needed was for him to freeze right now. He kept his eyes straight ahead, knowing that looking up would give him an even harsher sense of vertigo.

          Cassie bit her lip against the sudden pain inside her. Suddenly, almost as if it were a dream, she heard Andros' voice. As your friend, I am NOT going to stand by and let you ruin your life. And again. You'll always have the four of us as friends.
          Her head snapped up, and her eyes began to blaze. "You're wrong," she confidently told the illusions before her. "The Rangers DO love me. They risked everything to save me when Ciaran had me under his control. They've watched my back in every fight we've ever had with Dark Specter. Maybe my parents really don't love me, or maybe they just don't know how to show it. But whichever it is, that's THEIR problem. I'm pretty enough and smart enough for ME, and that's what counts."

" Hank shrugged "a doctorate is a doctorate is a doctorate...." . He looked slightly dazed at the news and Skye doubted that is had really sunk in.

"Do you have any objections to Billy going into space" Zordon inquired seriously.

Billy's father shook his head "There is nothing I could say, he's obviously more qualified than most....I can't deny that. If it is that important...then no., no objections."

Billy smiled. For once it was nice to know that he was doing this with his fathers approval, and that in itself strengthened his resolve that what he was doing was right, regardless of the cost to himself.