See I'm not dead! I'm very, very sorry for the huge delay but my reason is genuine! Hope you enjoy the next chapter!
Despite denying it had ever happened Vegeta felt better for having slept. Passing through the living room on the way to the laboratory he wasn't surprised to see Mirai Goku, Trunks, Gohan and Goten dozing on the sofas while Tien, Krillen and Yamcha lay about the floor in different poses of rest. A head count of Ki revealed Piccolo to in the laboratory already.
On one of the side tables the seven Dragonballs lay in a fruit basket, the discarded apples and bananas had since become a pile of cores and peels.
Upon entering the next room, still trailing Goku, Vegeta failed to see Dr Briefs or Piccolo but could sense them toward the back of the laboratory in an area which clearly designed to act as a workshop. The Saiya-jin prince stopped dead when he saw what the doctor was working on.
Goku managed not to crash into the back of him but did give his rival a curious look.
"What's wrong?" he wanted to know.
Vegeta carefully avoided looking at Piccolo who wore a better-you-than-me look, "I thought you said the time machine was ready," the prince said.
Goku looked at the hastily assembled machine then back at Vegeta, "It is," he shrugged.
The Saiya-jin prince advanced on the machine with caution. Somewhere around the back he could hear Dr Briefs muttering to himself as he worked on the machine.
Probably nailing a microwave on, Vegeta thought for, to him, the machine gave the impression of all the appliances of the Briefs household bolted together. Which it probably was to a point.
Dr Briefs emerged from the other side of the machine covered in grease; his eyes covered by goggles and gave Vegeta a lopsided grin.
"Best I could do in a hurry," he explained apologetically.
Vegeta raised an eyebrow at the mess of machinery then sighed, "Will it work?" he wanted to know.
Dr Briefs hesitated, "Yes," he decided finally.
The Saiya-jin prince nodded slowly then eyed the doctor, "Would that still be your answer if I told you your grandson is coming along?" he asked in jest.
Dr Briefs gave a laugh then stopped, looked a bit guilty and disappeared around the back of the machine again, "Maybe just a few adjustments," he muttered to himself.
Goku looked surprised, "Is he joking?" he asked Vegeta.
His rival shook his head slowly, "Hard to tell," he answered truthfully.
"What the hell is that?!" Gohan stopped dead, as Vegeta had earlier, upon entering the lab. Both the Saiya-jin prince and Goku turned to see Gohan, Trunks and Mirai Goku had since woken and were looking more than a little surprised to see the outcome of Dr Briefs' work.
Dr Briefs reappeared from behind his creation, "All done," he announced, "Let me show you how it works," he said to Vegeta.
The Saiya-jin prince nodded and followed the doctor to what he had to assume was the front of the machine. After the doctor placed his hand against a soft gel pad on the side of the time machine a ramp lowered from what had now revealed itself to be the back of the craft.
"This identipad is configured to yours and my handprints only, so no one will be stealing your way home," Dr Briefs explained. The others in the room had since clustered around to peer into the depths of the ship. The inside was slightly better looking than the outside but not by much.
"You'll notice it's much bigger than Ranorik's model, this one can hold up to six people," the doctor went on as he walked into the craft. The others followed cautiously, still not entirely trusting Dr Briefs' creation.
The doctor immediately went to the front of the ship and started explaining the control panel to Vegeta. He showed the Saiya-jin how to set the destination for dimension as well as exact time.
"We could set this to arrive before the king," Vegeta said suddenly, "We could even go back and make sure none of this ever happens."
"No," Piccolo interrupted, "You've seen for yourself what happens when you try to change the past."
"Besides even if you could," Dr Briefs added, "I wouldn't recommend it in this particular time machine."
Vegeta grudgingly conceded both points with a grunt, "What about the molecular gun?" he asked, "I need to reconfigure it the other dimension."
"Already done," his father-in-law told him, "But remember you've only got one shot so make it count."
"Let's just get this done," Vegeta said.
"Who'll go?" Trunks asked.
"Myself, Kakarot and his twin," Vegeta said promptly knowing what was coming next.
"I want to come to," Trunks replied.
"And me," Gohan added.
"No, damn it," Vegeta snapped, "No more lives will be risked than absolutely necessary. Kakarot can handle the king by himself."
"What about the other Saiya-jins?" Gohan challenged.
"We won't be there long enough for them to be a problem," Vegeta countered.
"Something could go wrong, Vegeta," Goku pointed out, siding with his son.
"Kakarot," Vegeta growled in warning.
"I agree," Mirai Goku chipped in, "It leaves one more space for Ranorik."
"Ranorik?" Vegeta spat, "Who gives a shit about him?"
"The king will," Mirai Goku pointed out, "He'd do a lot to be able to get his hands on his traitorous advisor."
Vegeta goggled at Goku's counterpart and he wasn't the only one.
"Must not have hit the ground as hard," Piccolo murmured referring to Goku's childhood accident.
"Alright," Vegeta agreed grudgingly, "The advisor comes too but you two stay here," he told Trunks and Gohan.
"But-" both half Saiya-jins started simultaneously.
"They can come," Goku interrupted.
Vegeta clenched his hands into fists, "Kakarot-" he started.
"We've come too far to make stupid mistakes, Vegeta," Goku interrupted, "There's too much that could go wrong."
"I agree," Gohan added promptly.
"Me too," Trunks said.
"Looks like you're outnumbered," Piccolo put in with a smirk.
Vegeta shook his head in frustration, "You cannot outnumber me, I am the prince of all Saiya-jins," he snapped, "Trunks I am your father, I forbid you to go," he added.
"All the more reason for me to come," Trunks countered cheekily.
The Saiya-jin prince slammed his palms to his temples, "Enough," he growled, "Do what you like. I'm going to get my body back."
Vegeta settled himself into one of the two front chairs, he looked at Gohan over his shoulder, "If you're coming you may as well be co-pilot," he told him not relishing the thought of either of the Gokus getting their hands on the control panel.
"I'll fetch Ranorik," Mirai Goku volunteered as the other took their seats. Goku chose to sit behind his son while Trunks took the seat behind his father. Mirai Goku returned and strapped the senseless advisor into the chair behind the lavender haired teenager leaving the seat behind his counterpart for himself.
Piccolo walked toward the ramp, paused once in the hatch, "Good luck," he said to them before exiting the time machine.
"We could use it," Gohan muttered as Vegeta raised the ramp, effectively sealing the interior.
Goku looked curiously around at the interior before grinning, "Don't worry, Gohan. Only a genius could make something that looks this bad but still works," he told his son.
A low rumble echoed through the air and the ship began to vibrate very gently as the time machine came to life. Simultaneously the occupants, save Ranorik, clipped their seatbelts into place.
Outside, through the side windows the other Z senshi and Mr and Mrs Briefs gathered a safe distance from the inter-dimensional time machine. Vegeta glanced at them then paused in his task of entering their destination into the computer.
"Where's your sister?" he asked Trunks.
"Sleeping," his son replied, "We'll be back before she wakes up," he added.
Vegeta nodded slightly as he finished entering the time and dimension into the destination drive. As the prince completed a final system check a covered red lever in front of Gohan labelled 'Launch' began to flash red. The half Saiya-jin looked at it then up at Vegeta who cocked his head to one side.
The prince turned a dial on his side of the panel and the Perspex cover slid back, "Well?" he said.
Gohan nodded in understanding and reached out tentatively for the lever, "Ready?" he asked quietly.
The others nodded save Vegeta who gave a grim smile. Gohan took a deep breath and pushed the lever.
As he awoke Gohan wondered guiltily if he'd pushed the wrong lever. Like the self-destruct.
The interior lights were out as were all the lights on the control panel. By the light coming in the side windows Gohan could see Vegeta across from him making cross-eyed attempts to undo his seatbelt. The demi Saiya-jin shut his eyes briefly against his own dizziness and rising nausea.
A crash and a curse in a language he didn't recognize prompted him to open them again and he almost laughed when he saw what looked to him like Vegeta sitting on the ceiling of the craft. It then that the Gohan realized they were upside down.
That would explain the lack of lights, he thought. They'd obviously crashed.
Another yelp and crash from the back of the time machine signalled someone else had discovered this as well.
Gohan undid his own seatbelt but, having expected it, managed to control his descent better than Vegeta. He landed lightly on hands and knees on the less than smooth ceiling of their impromptu time machine.
He looked at Vegeta, who looked murderous, "You okay?"
The prince glared at him, "There'd better not be any long term side effects from all this," he muttered climbing to his feet, "Trunks?" he called into the dim back area of the craft.
"I'm okay," came the teenager's voice.
"Dad?" Gohan called as Vegeta tried to find the ramp controls on the inverted panel.
"Are we upside down?" Goku's voice came sounding slightly woozy.
"Yes."
"Ah, that explains it." A click and a light bump indicated he'd successfully extracted himself from his seat.
"Ranorik's still out," Mirai Goku called from the dark, "I don't suppose this thing is fixable?"
"How would I know?" Vegeta snapped as he gave up on the ruined control panel. Powering up he dug both hands into the metal of the ship's side and with a small burst of Ki blew a hole through it.
The prince leapt lightly to the ground and immediately scanned the area for any threats. The others followed quickly; Mirai Goku with Ranorik slung over one shoulder.
"Guess we're going home another way," Goku muttered.
Gohan and Trunks were looking curiously at their surroundings, "It doesn't look much different from Earth," the latter commented.
"Planets vary little generally," Gohan told him, "If the atmosphere's the same pretty much everything will be as well. Except for species of course."
"And minerals," Vegeta added absently scanning the horizon, "Were the hell did that damn machine dump us?"
"We're not far from the Amon mines," Mirai Goku told him, "I've been there before."
"What for?" Goku wanted to know.
His counterpart gave him an odd look, "Part of my sentence," he said succinctly.
"Other than execution?" Goku muttered darkly.
"Moving along," Vegeta said pointedly, "If we're near the Amon mines the compound must be that way," he pointed to their left, "North."
"What's the plan?" Gohan asked.
Vegeta gave him a blank look, "Find the king and shoot him with-" he stopped suddenly. Gohan seemed to be thinking along the same lines.
"The gun!" they said simultaneously.
Vegeta leapt nimbly back into the ruined time machine followed by Gohan. The others could hear then rooting around inside for a few moments then the half Saiya-jin reappeared carrying the molecular weapon.
"Is it damaged?" Trunks asked.
"I don't think so," Gohan said jumping lightly to the ground. Vegeta reappeared from the ship a moment later and checked the gun over.
"It's fine, I think," he said, "Power's still up."
"You really want to go barging into the palace?" Goku asked suddenly, "Shouldn't we find a replacement time machine."
"Of course," Vegeta said with a sly grin, "Gohan and Trunks can do that."
"But-," both half Saiya-jins started.
"I won't tolerate any argument this time," Vegeta added evenly. His voice harboured a strange undertone that made even Goku nod in agreement.
"All we need to do is get close enough to the king to shoot him," Mirai Goku said, "Once we've switch him back with Vegeta we'll have two SSj3s on our side. What could go wrong?"
"I wish you hadn't said that," Goku sighed.
R&R please, although I'll understand if you don't....:(