26: Mr. Popo And The Hyperbolic Time Chamber
Gohan and Basil touched down on the smooth flooring of Kami's Lookout. The ancient platform, in a geostationary orbit in the skies of Earth, was quite a sight to behold. It sat directly above Korin Tower, with a curved bottom like a ball, but was rather large with impressive architecture on the top. Tall trees sat around the edges of the large platform, with large buildings that looked like something out of Egypt. A large structure of grand proportions, with gold roofs and large pillars, sat a few feet in front of them. Basil guessed it was the main building, since it was the biggest and had a little fat thing standing in front of it.
Gohan walked along the white ground, his shoes clicking loudly as if they were in a cave. Basil hurried after him, staring in awe at the trees that lined their walkway. Thin towers leading to round lookout posts loomed above her, making her feel like they stepped into the realm of giants. She was unsure how to act or if she should speak at all, for the whole place seemed far too fancy.
The small black thing that stood in front of the large room bowed slightly to Gohan, but gave Basil a strange look. "Brought a friend this time, Gohan? A girlfriend, perhaps?"
Gohan chuckled and shook his head. "Uh, no. Mr. Popo, this is Basil. She's a new Saiyan and Earth's new future hero."
"Ah, yes." Mr. Popo nodded. "Dende told me about her. How she's reckless and easily distracted and weak."
"She'll get stronger." Gohan said, placing a hand on Basil's shoulder. "That's why we're here, actually. Is it alright if we use the Hyperbolic Time Chamber for a little while?"
Mr. Popo sighed. "I see no way of stopping you. But be warned, Gohan, that if any of you destroy it, you'll be banned."
Gohan nodded. "Understood."
Basil crouched down low, creeping towards Mr. Popo like a lion stalking its prey. Her tail stuck straight up like the pillars that surrounded her. She trained her eyes onto him and didn't look away, and she didn't blink, either. She slowly, as slow as a snail, made her way towards Popo, crawling like a cat. Gohan watched her with wide, confused eyes, unsure if he should do something or let her do her own thing. Popo was equally nervous, as Basil crept up until they were face to face.
Her eyes wide and unblinking and unwavering, she gave him a single sniff. "You look weird."
Popo slowly looked up at Gohan, eyebrows raised. "You really think she can fight...anyone?"
"She shows promise...sometimes." Gohan said, pulling her back. "Basil, Mr. Popo is the deity attendant to Dende. He's on our side."
"What does 'deity attendant' mean?" She asked, hooking her fingers in the top of her Gi.
"I work for Dende." Popo said flatly. "I'm a gardener here. I also run the Hyberbolic Time Chamber"
"Do you have any powers?" Basil asked, picking up the squat figure. Popo shrieked and started kicking his legs, wriggling around. "You look super small. Like that Krillin guy."
"Whoa, put him down!" Gohan quickly wedged Popo from Basil's grip and placed him gently on the ground. "Sorry about that, Mr. Popo. She's new to everything."
Popo was breathing heavily, then glared up at the two. "You get one day. That should be enough for you."
"Wait, we're gonna stay in the time chamber for one day?" Basil asked, looking up at the large structure before them.
"Actually, one day of real world time is equivalent to one year inside the Chamber." Gohan explained. "So, technically, we'll be staying one year in the Chamber while one day passes here."
"What?" Basil's eyes widened. "That's weird. It sounds so strange. How does it work?"
"That's a story for another time." Gohan said, then started towards the large doors of the building before them.
Basil followed, though her and Popo glared at each other as she passed.
"The Time Chamber has a heavy gravity system, which makes it hard to move around. That's good for training, as it makes you stronger physically. We'll work on your attacks and mindset when it comes to fighting." Gohan explained. They walked up to the large brown doors, which Basil had to crane her neck up to see all of. "I won't go too hard on you at first. I'll let you get used to throwing some punches in the Chamber. I'll teach you some of my super moves, and maybe we can help you get your own."
"Really?" Basil asked, feeling her chest swell with happiness and nervous bundles of energy. She had never seen Gohan fight, nor did she know any of his super moves, but he was the son of Goku, as Piccolo had told her. She figured he was super strong like his father, but if he was only half Saiyan, did that make him weaker? A deep interest bloomed in her chest.
Gohan is so nice! Offering to train me? Sure, Goku and Vegeta are supposed to train me, but for some reason, Gohan seems like he might be a better teacher. I wonder what kind of super moves he'll teach me. Oh, what if he shows me how to go Super Saiyan? I can't wait. I wonder what I'll look like in Super Saiyan. Will my hair spike like Goku's? Will it stay the same? Ugh, I'm so excited!
"You have one Earth day in the Time Chamber, Gohan." Mr. Popo said, walking towards them with his hands behind his back. "No sooner, no later. I'll let you out once the time is up."
"We're staying for a whole year?" Basil asked, running her hand along the front of the door. Her fingers glided over the grooves and bumps in the intricate wood, and she found it felt strange under her hand. "And no time will pass on Earth?"
"Not exactly," Gohan said, taking his phone out of his pocket and handing it to Popo. "One day will pass on Earth, and a year will pass in the Chamber. Sounds complicated, but it's really pretty simple."
"It sounds weird." She said, then tilted her head to the side. "But...if I train in here with you, I'll get stronger, right?" She turned to face him, and her eyes shone with a child-like innocence. Gohan felt his heart throb with the look she gave him. Basil didn't know anything about him other than the fact that he was Goku's son. She had just met him barely a week ago, but here she was putting all her trust in him like they were old friends from high school. Gohan wondered if Goku had been this trusting and naive when he first came to Earth. Basil was pure-hearted and innocent and loved everything, from the grass to the bugs. Gohan admired her determination, and her eagerness that pushed her forward. Ever since she arrived, she was bent on achieving Super Saiyan, but she didn't understand what achieving Super Saiyan meant. She just saw it as a cool form. There was another side to it. Increased strength was one, but the form needed to be accessed through a need, not a desire. She desires the form, but she needs it as well.
Gohan remembered when his father had taught him the trials and tribulations of attaining the form. It had been hard, and Gohan hadn't thought he was going to do it. Fear of letting his father down had been a heavy weight over him. But, with his dad right beside him the whole time, he pushed through his fears and self-doubt, realizing that he was one of the strongest fighters the Earth had.
I can do for Basil what my father did for me, Gohan thought to himself. Repay him for his faith in me. Even when I was just a scrawny kid with a Dragon Ball on my head, he never gave up on me. So I won't give up on Basil. She's the last hope of fully defeating Turles. And maybe Frieza, too.
He smiled and took Basil's hand. "I'll make sure you go Super Saiyan."
Basil smiled equally as wide, her cheeks lightly flushed. "Okay."
Turning to Popo, Gohan nodded. "Let's begin. We don't have a lot of time."
...
"Okay, so let me get this straight," Valese said, holding up her hands. "You mean to tell me that your both part of an elite team of fighters who go into space and fight aliens, and you guys are half alien as well?"
Goten and Trunks looked at each other, then nodded.
Valese let out a long breath, a hand placed flat on her chest. "Holy cow."
They stood in the middle of the kitchen in the beloved Kame House, which held the ever-present sounds of the ocean hitting the shore, and the shouts of seagulls flying past. A few scattered palm trees stood like guardians of the home, as if protecting it from the birds. A white lawn chair that had seen better days held up a snoring Master Roshi, while a large sea turtle made the slow trek back to the ocean. The screen door tapped against the side of the house in the light wind that the ocean brought. On the front of the structure, above the porch, were the words Kame House in large red letters.
Valese ran a hand through her hair, her brown eyes wide as she processed everything. "You're super heroes?"
"Technically, yes." Trunks said, running a white cloth over the length of his sword. "We've been fighting since we were...what, seven?"
"That sounds about right." Goten nodded. "Valese, I know it's a lot to take in, but-"
"Oh, no, this is a piece of cake!" Valese said, throwing her hands in the air. "Giant aliens attack the city and you guys fuse together and your parents are alien good guys from some planet that apparently exploded hundreds of years ago and you can fly. What's complicated about that?"
Goten sighed. "Yeah, it's confusing. But if Frieza gets Basil, the Earth is done for."
"Who is Basil?" Valese asked, crossing her arms.
"Another Saiyan." Trunks replied. "She needs to get stronger so she can fight Frieza and Turles."
Valese slowly walked into the living room and sat down on the old, torn couch. Her mind ran marathons in her head. None of it made sense. The more she tried to piece the things she'd be told together, the more it confused her. She drew her knees up to her chest and sighed heavily, staring at the black TV screen before her. Seeing her reflection, she realized that she was most likely stuck in a bad dream.
Yes, that's it! She thought, feeling a relieved swelling in her chest. I'm just in a dream! She reached over and pinched her arm as hard as she could, then yelped.
Goten and Trunks jumped from the kitchen, staring at her with wide eyes.
Valese looked around, then groaned. "Dammit."
"Should we take her home?" Trunks asked, sliding his sword in its sheath.
"It might be a little dangerous. Besides, police and government officials are still all over the place." Goten said, hopping up to sit on the edge of the counter. "It might be safer for her to stay here."
"With Master Roshi?" Trunks pointed a thumb over his shoulder, where Master Roshi slept peacefully with a naked lady magazine over his face.
Goten slouched. "Good point."
"This is insane." Valese stood, gripping handfuls of her hair. "This can't really be happening."
Trunks leaned towards Goten, his voice a hushed whisper. "I think we broke her."
Goten pushed Trunks away and hurried over to Valese, removing her hands from her hair. "Okay, I'll explain some things. My dad comes from a planet called Planet Vegeta. Same with Trunks's dad. They met our moms, and had us. This guy named Turles is also from that same planet, and he took Trunks's little sister in search of Basil. We need to get her back, and kill him. The only thing is we don't know where he is."
Valese listened to everything he said without blinking, her arms limp at her sides. Other planets. Some guy named Turles, whatever that means. A girl named after a garnish. It all sounds like something out of a fairy tale. Is this really real?
Goten took a step back, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "I can't let my dad do all the work and get himself hurt. I wanna help, but the only way I can do that is by finding out where the hell Turles is."
Valese saw the desperate look on his face, and the sadness that Trunks showed. Wow. This really IS real. "I...I might have an idea."
The two boys perked up.
"Well...my dad owns this big tech company...and we might be able to get in and use the computers to hack into a satellite, which we can then hack into the ship from." She said, looking between them. "I don't know if it'll work, but...it's worth a shot, right?"
Goten smiled wide. "You know...that actually sounds like a good idea."
"Really?" Valese asked, tilting her head to the side.
"Yeah," Trunks said, tapping his chin. "Hacking the ship...yeah, we can do that! We'd be able to hear their conversations and find out where they're taking Bulla!"
"Our moms would be pretty pissed, though." Goten said, pacing back and forth. "But, we'd be helping the planet, so it can't be that bad."
"Yeah. Technically, it's an extracurricular activity." Trunks said with a big smile. "You mom is always going on about how we should do stuff for the planet."
"I'm still so confused," Valese said, then cleared her throat. "But...if you guys need help saving the entire planet, then I'm in."
"Really?" Goten asked. He felt bad for ripping her from school and throwing all this confusing alien knowledge at her, but she seemed to be taking it well. At least she didn't faint. He expected her to scream and run away, but she stayed. She put herself in their battle, ready to help. That was something to admire. While she was one of those girls who hated getting dirt underneath their fingernails, Valese also seemed like the type to protect what they loved. Which involved the Earth.
She's beautiful AND brave, Goten thought, feeling his heart beat faster.
"Alright!" Trunks draped an arm around each of them, grinning wide. "I guess we're gonna go break into a tech company and hack a satellite."
"Or we can just go to Capsule Corp and use the satellites your mom already has. It's a little less illegal." Goten pointed out.
"Oh, yeah, that sounds better." Valese nodded, and Goten blushed.
Trunks sighed. "Fine. Suck the joy out of everything, Goten. Let's go to Capsule Corp."
