Chapter 053 - Unexpected Discovery
The engines of the jet were on full power as the ship slowly made its way over the continent below. Krillin was explaining to Chichi, Gohan and Yamcha what had happened for most of the day; the appearance of the androids, how Vegeta and Piccolo had dominated them, how one had turned out to be Dr. Gero, what had happened at his lab, and finally the battle with the new, stronger trio. It was a lot of information to take in and none of them seemed to be able to hide their shock at the day's events.
"... So they think killing Goku is some kind of game," Krillin finished.
"They're really that strong?" Gohan asked peering up from his book; Chichi had made him study on the way to Master Roshi's.
"Gohan, eyes on your book," Chichi ordered; Gohan obediently listening to his mother, though Corset was convinced he was feigning his studying judging by how much attention he was paying to the conversation.
"Yeah, they're unbelievably strong," She nodded grimly, "not even my dad, Piccolo or Trunks could stand up to them for long. Dad's gone missing somewhere and Piccolo's at Kami's place. Trunks said these androids are a lot stronger than the androids in his time too."
"So what are we going to do?" Yamcha asked, looking back from the pilot's seat.
"Who knows what we should do?" Krillin replied. "It's crazy..."
A brief lull came over the ship as everyone was left to their devices. Only the gentle hum of the ship and Gohan pretending to turn the page was heard.
"... How about this..." Trunks spoke out after a while, "... I go back further into the past with my time machine and destroy the androids before they're activated. We know where Dr. Gero's lab is now."
"Yeah," Yamcha smiled, "Why wouldn't it work?"
"Wait..." Krillin pondered a little, "... Didn't you say the time machine isn't perfect? I remember Goku telling me it takes a long time to charge up too. What if you get sent to the wrong time and are trapped there?"
Corset felt a wave of worry come over her; getting trapped in a different time sounded terrifying! "... If you did that, would you be able to get to the past and then back to the future again?"
"... I don't know..." Trunks frowned looking down to the floor.
"I was thinking," Gohan spoke, "even if Trunks went back in time and destroyed the androids, would it have an effect on the ones here in our time? Would they disappear?"
Chichi glared and grabbed her son's head, tilting it back to his book.
"That's right!" Trunks gasped. "The future of that time would be saved from the androids but it wouldn't change this timeline where the androids already exist!"
"What do you mean?" Krillin was confused.
"Well, in your time Goku's been saved by the medicine I gave you," Trunks explained, "but in my time Goku died from the heart virus. In other words there's a future where Goku has died and another future where he's survived. Each change in the past creates new futures."
"Alright then... answer me this," Krillin spoke, "If Goku defeats the androids here, won't the androids in your time still exist?"
"That's right," Trunks nodded.
"Then why'd you come back to the past if it won't change your time?" Yamcha asked perplexed.
Trunks didn't immediately answer, "... Mother said it was horrible what the androids did to us in our time, she said there deserves to be a peaceful future where they were destroyed. So she sent me here for that, but also to see if by watching Goku fight, I could somehow find the androids' weaknesses. If that didn't work, I was to bring Goku to our future with the time machine..."
"Mama really is smart to have made a time machine and to think of all these different plans," Corset smiled.
"Yeah, it would have worked but I've come to a past that's slightly different from the one I knew," Trunks frowned. "The timing of Goku's illness was different, there are three androids and they're much, much stronger."
"I wonder why it's so different," Gohan mumbled, not looking up from his book in fear he would incur his mother's wrath.
"I really don't know," Trunks answered, "What changed? Was it me coming into the past once before that did it?"
"Don't worry yourself about it." Chichi smiled settling down on Goku's makeshift bed. "Goku would have died if you hadn't come along so for that I'm grateful."
"Things will work out," Krillin leaned off the wall of the plane and unfolded his arms.
"I hope so," Trunks nodded.
"We'll be at Master Roshi's house soon," Yamcha announced.
Corset rose to her feet listening to the conversation behind her as she wandered over to the nearest window, peering down at the earth below. The land was leaving them as the deep blue began to loom down below. So they were crossing the coast now; she wondered just how much longer it would be until they'd arrive.
Krillin had been nominated to give Bulma a call to let her know what had gone on, now the bald headed fighter was making his way to the co-pilot's seat. "Why do I have to be the one to call her?" He groaned.
"I'll call Mama if you want, Krillin?" Corset offered, feeling eager to get to speak to her mother again.
"Nah, don't worry about it..." Krillin sighed. "... No offence to you two but your mum always bites people's heads off!"
"She's still the same in the future," Trunks chuckled; Corset giggling beside him at Krillin's comment. Her mother wasn't always the politest and patient of people.
The line was set up and Krillin had to pass his way through the receptionist of Capsule Corp before he could reach Bulma. "... Hey Bulma, it's Krillin."
"Krillin! So you finally decided to call!" Her mother's voice literally shouted through the speakers, making several of the plane's passengers jump! "Where are you calling from?" Bulma asked. "I just tried to ring Chichi and Goku's house but no one answered! Oh, is my future son there?"
"Y-Yeah, he's here," Krillin nodded confused.
Trunks and Corset quickly exchanged puzzled looks before turning back to face Krillin.
"Great, put him on." Bulma's voice instructed.
"It's on loud-speaker," Krillin replied, "just go ahead."
Bulma began to go into detail about how someone far off in the west of the continent had found a strange capsule and had wanted to keep it, yet hadn't known what to do with it. Upon getting in contact with Capsule Corp, no one knew what model the strange vehicle was, so the man had sent them a picture of it. What it turned out to be baffled everyone.
"... It was Trunks' time machine and it was wrecked!" Bulma exclaimed.
Corset double-took bewildered! Her eyes quickly darted to her brother who seemed stunned and had reached into his jacket pocket. "It can't be... I have it in capsule form right here!"
'... Then what the heck is this other thing?' Corset was clueless.
"Yeah? That's what I thought," Bulma spoke down the phone. "I thought it was weird because moss and stuff is growing on it and it looks really old... How many time machines did I build in the future?"
"You were barely able to build one," Trunks answered.
"Well this is definitely the same thing; I've seen you in it before when you went back to the past! Do you guys have a fax machine; I can send the picture straight to you."
Seconds later a picture came through the built-in fax machine inside the ship, Corset leaning around Krillin's seat to get a better view of it, unable to see as Trunks brought it closer to his face. She stood up on her toes and barely managed to get a decent glimpse. From what she saw it was her brother's time machine; it looked as if it had been sitting in that spot for ages! What was even more confusing was that Trunks had his time machine on him, so where had this one come from?
"... There's no mistake; this is my time machine." Trunks mumbled. "I don't understand... Does Mum know where this is located?"
"Bulma, do you know exactly where this time machine is?" Krillin asked down the speaker.
"Not its exact location," Bulma answered. "I think it's in the western ten-fifty district. Are you planning to go there then?"
"Yes," Trunks nodded, "I have to see this with my own eyes!"
"Alright, I'll leave Capsule Corp and meet you there." Bulma shut the call off.
"Are you really sure there's only one time machine?" Yamcha asked as Trunks started preparing to leave.
"Yes, I'm positive," Trunks nodded.
"This is just getting more and more bizarre..." Krillin muttered.
"Hey Trunks," Gohan rose to his feet, "maybe I could help. Can I go with you?"
"H-Hey if Gohan's going then I wanna go too!" Corset quickly added.
"Alright, you can both come along," Trunks smiled.
"G-Gohan!" Chichi rushed to her feet, "What about your studying? I'm not letting you go off and miss out on any more-"
"Mother, it's alright," Gohan smiled. "We won't be gone for long and it's not like we're going anywhere dangerous."
Yamcha opened the side door and the trio quickly departed, heading west once Trunks had set the co-ordinates into his watch.
Conversation was brief during the flight, Trunks telling the eager duo about his future time and the devastation they lived in. Quickly it died off, each fighter left to their own thoughts. It still dwelled on her mind how awful Trunks' life must have been during his time, Corset feeling a little saddened by the thought. Her own death at the androids' hands played on her mind; part of her wanted to avoid coming into contact anymore with the androids yet she also felt her resolve refreshed and was determined not to let it happen. She had to become a stronger fighter somehow, she just had to!
"... To think those three years we spent training weren't enough..." She mumbled quietly to herself.
"Huh?" Gohan asked, apparently he'd heard her.
"Oh, nothing." Corset sheepishly rubbed her hair. "It's nothing; I was just talking to myself."
"I was thinking," Trunks butted in. "The androids defied Dr. Gero's orders. Surely he must have already known how dangerous they were during the testing stages... So how did he stop them at that point?"
"... What are you getting at Trunks?" Corset asked. "You think there's something that can stop the androids?"
"Yeah," Trunks nodded. "I think maybe there's some kind of off-switch Dr. Gero used. I can't see why he'd have activated them again without one..."
"Yeah!" Corset gasped. "Don't you remember? Dr. Gero – before he was killed – he mentioned something about a deactivator! He said he could build another one!"
"So then that is the answer!" Gohan realised. "Trunks, you were right!"
"I just hope that it's possible there still might be a controller..." Trunks smiled.
Eventually the three half-Saiyans made it to West District ten-fifty and began their search for Trunks' time machine. It didn't take long until Gohan spotted it and the trio landed. Indeed it looked just like the picture Bulma'd faxed them earlier. There was a large hole in the glass dome; it looked as if it had been melted away. Corset keenly examined the machine taking in as much detail as she could.
The sound of an aircraft approaching caught their ears.
"That must be Bulma," Gohan smiled. "I'll go flag her down." He trotted off and leapt up towards the plane, leaving Corset and Trunks to continue their examination.
"This really looks like it's been here for ages..." Corset mumbled. "You're definitely, definitely sure this isn't the one you came in?"
"I'll show you," Trunks took his capsule case from his pocket and tossed a capsule out into an open space near to the rusting time machine. In a flash of smoke his time machine appeared, completely intact and looking brand new! Indeed it matched the other model, save for the moss and damage the other model had taken.
"... I don't get this at all..." Corset folded her arms. "Your time machine looks like it's in perfect condition where as this one looks like it's been sitting here for years!"
The sound of engines drew closer and closer and Bulma's craft landed, Gohan landing beside it. In seconds Bulma had gotten out of the craft and slammed the door. "Hey you two!" She rushed over. "Well, what do you think Trunks? Your mama looks beautiful in her youth, doesn't she?"
"Uh..." Trunks flushed bright red, "... actually you didn't really change that much..."
"I didn't? Well that's good news!" Bulma giggled.
"Mama, Trunks really does have his time machine with him," Corset frowned. "How come there's another one here? I think it's been sitting here for ages since it has moss on it..."
"Oh... So it really wasn't your time machine then?" Bulma asked with a little hint of surprise in her voice.
"No, it is. You only made one time machine in the future and this one is also mine," Trunks answered. He wandered over to the side of the broken ship and wiped some of the moss from it; black lines began to appear. "... Look, I wrote this just before I left to head into the past." He stood aside.
The lines were in fact letters spelling out the word hope.
"I don't understand, this looks like it's been here a long time..." Bulma began to ponder.
Trunks levitated above the damaged time machine and continued to examine it. Corset wandered over and peered under the bottom of the time machine; there were no noticeable damaged sections of the machine like on the glass dome; just wear-and-tear from having sat dormant for a while. She stood back up straight and hovered up beside her brother and Gohan, peering into the machine as Trunks activated the dome door; the machine slowly reacting and creaking a lot under the strain.
"It's weird how this hole is here..." Gohan mumbled examining the dome, "it almost looks like the glass melted away from inside the time machine."
"So you think something was inside the time machine when it came back? I guess that would make sense..." Corset contemplated. "Maybe whoever it was wasn't able to open the hatch so they blasted their way through."
"Hey... what's this?"
The two peered down to see what Trunks had found; he'd picked up a pair of purple hollow cases – or at least that's what Corset thought they looked like! She'd never seen anything like these before…
"... What are they?" Gohan asked. "It's not a coconut shell, that's for sure."
"Let me see," Bulma held out her hands; Trunks passing the strange objects down to her. She seemed to closely examine them, experimenting with them and clapping them together. "... Yeah... This defiantly has to be some sort of egg or shell."
"An egg?" Gohan repeated. "I've never seen an egg like that before."
Corset looked at the strange egg before turning back to look at the hole in the dome, adding them together. "... So whatever was in the egg is caused the hole?"
"Yeah, I was thinking the same thing," Gohan agreed.
Trunks had begun to fidget with something inside the time machine; on closer inspection it was the buttons on the dashboard.
"What are you doing?" Corset asked.
"I'm trying to see when the time machine set off and how long it's been here for," Trunks answered as he tapped away. "It's barely got any power left so hopefully I can get the answers before the battery dies."
Corset and Gohan both patiently watched as Trunks continued to hit buttons.
"... Age 788?" Trunks gasped. "That's three years further into the future from my time... It came here about four years ago."
"Three years after you?" Corset repeated. "... So what, has something from another timeline come back to the past as well?"
"Yeah," Trunks nodded grimly. "It was here a whole year before I came back the first time to warn you guys! What came from the future... and why? Is this the reason why history's changed so much?"
Corset assumed these were rhetorical questions as without another word he jumped back down from the time machine and stood for a moment. Corset landed beside her mother, "Any ideas what it might be, mama?" She asked. "What could have come from an egg like this anyway?"
"I have no idea; I've never seen anything like it," Bulma replied. "It's almost alien to me..."
A small bang made Corset turn around; Trunks had put the old time machine back into its capsule form and was walking over to the other.
"I'm gonna take these egg shells with me," Bulma decided. "I'll see if I can find out what species they come from." She changed the subject; "So where were you guys all heading off to in Yamcha's plane? Fill me in!"
"We're all staying at Master Roshi's place," Gohan explained. "The three androids are on the move and are after dad's life. Dad's sick in bed at the moment so we had to move him to safety."
"He came down with that heart virus Trunks told us about," Corset added.
"Yeah, I remember you guys saying something like that before..." Bulma mused. "So why did you move him? Why didn't you just beat those androids up?"
Corset frowned and looked at the floor a little ashamed. "We tried to but... It didn't go too well."
"Dad, Piccolo, Tenshinhan, Corset and I all tried but we couldn't do anything," Trunks answered.
"Wow... they're that tough?" Bulma mumbled amazed. "So was Vegeta alright? Did he go to Kame house too?"
"Dad was saved by the senzu beans but he wouldn't go along with everyone else," Trunks replied.
"He really gave it his all against the androids but they were just too strong," Corset added. "Even Piccolo didn't last very long! I got a couple of hits in but it didn't do anything to them at all..."
"... What's wrong Gohan?" Bulma noticed the boy wasn't paying too much attention to the conversation and was looking off to the left.
Corset looked around to see Gohan staring off into space. "You ok?" She asked.
"... Just wondering what that is..." Gohan replied walking forwards to whatever had caught his attention. He wandered over to a small but elevated slab of rock and peered over it.
"Hey, come over here!"