Chapter Twenty
"Hello, Nossoreg," Vegeta said.
"You...you're...not a clone!" Nossoreg accused, visibly shaking.
"You're right. I'm not." Vegeta ignored the sounds of surprise behind him and concentrated solely on Nossoreg. "You put far too much faith in technology. What are you going to do..." he sent a multitude of small blasts from his finger that completely destroyed the computer terminal, "...when it's gone?"
Goku, Gohan, and Trunks immediately felt their strength returning as the draining ceased with the computer's destruction. They smiled confidently at each other, their hands flexing in anticipation of a fight.
Nossoreg's eyes were filled with panic and he cowered against the wall. "But...but the computer showed you were dead! I double-checked it myself!"
Vegeta laughed and held out his palm. On it was the tiny transmitter. He powered up a small energy ball in his hand. When it dissipated, the transmitter had burned down to ashes. Vegeta tipped his hand and let the dust fall from his glove.
"How?" Nossoreg asked.
"You relied on your computer too much. Your only security on this ship were those transmitters. After I took it out, I was free to roam where I pleased. I saw quite a few interesting things, Nossoreg."
Nossoreg did not miss the threatening tone in Vegeta's voice. Slowly, he edged along the wall toward the doorway, keeping his eyes on the Saiyans. Goku moved to block his way, but Vegeta held out his hand.
"Let him go, Kakarot. There's nothing left for him. I made sure of that," Vegeta added to Nossoreg.
"He may have some sort of weapons hidden somewhere," Gohan worried.
"He did," Vegeta said. "Impressive ones, too. I've seen some of them in action, but that was a long time ago. Luckily, the timing mechanisms on them still work the same. The entire ship will be destroyed in a couple of minutes...along with the dragonballs."
Nossoreg's mouth fell open and his eyes grew wide. He attempted to speak, but no sound would come out. Suddenly, he regained his composure and a smile spread across his face.
"I don't believe you, Vegeta," he said. "I don't believe you would do anything to harm the dragonballs."
"Better that no one be able to use them than someone like you," Vegeta answered. "No one should be allowed to conquer the entire universe. Not even me," he added.
"Vegeta," Goku interrupted. "Is the ship really going to be destroyed?"
"Yes. I've set explosives all over the ship." He looked pointedly at Nossoreg. "Especially in the clone room and around the base of the main computer."
"No!" Nossoreg roared. "You didn't!"
"I did. So I suggest we exit right away unless we want to be blown up with the ship."
"Gohan! Trunks! Get out of here!" Goku ordered. "Make sure everything is a safe distance away from the ship!"
The boys blasted holes in the ceiling and quickly flew out of the room. Fresh air and sunlight filtered down from the holes, brightening the room. Nossoreg looked nervously from one Saiyan to the other. Uncertainty shown in his eyes as he tried to decide what he should do next.
"Kakarot," Vegeta said without taking his eyes off Nossoreg. "Get out and help the boys. There isn't much time left."
"What about Nossoreg?" Goku asked. He knew Vegeta had little tolerance or forgiveness for anyone who crossed him, but he was now a weak, unarmed man.
"What about him?"
"I'm just as upset as you with what Nossoreg put all of us through," Goku began, "but I still can't just let you kill him."
"I didn't say anything about killing him, did I?" Vegeta said, finally looking Goku in the eyes. Goku looked closely at Vegeta before nodding his understanding and flying out of the ship.
"What are you going to do?" Nossoreg asked, his voice shaking nervously.
"First, I'm going to tell you the truth," he said, walking slowly toward him. "You were right. I did lie. There are only two bombs; the one on the main computer and the one in the clone room. They'll both go off in one minute. So you have a choice. You can either come with me and give up everything you worked so hard to build, or you can try and save your precious technology and risk getting blown up with it."
Nossoreg's eyes flitted back and forth as he tried to make up his mind.
"Time is running out," Vegeta reminded, stopping directly in front of him. "So what are you going to choose? Your life...or your laboratory?"
Nossoreg looked at Vegeta for just a second more before dashing out the door and down the hallway toward the main computer. Vegeta shook his head and called after him.
"You're not going to make it, Nossoreg! Come back and I'll get you out! It's not worth it!"
When Nossoreg didn't turn back, Vegeta sighed and flew out one of the holes in the ceiling. The fresh air felt heavenly as he sped away from the ship and toward his son and friends.
"That was quite an explosion!" Krillen commented as they all flew toward Master Korin's. They were anxious to see their loved ones again and let them know the ordeal was over.
"It had to have destroyed Nossoreg," Goten said.
"Not necessarily," Vegeta warned. "He could've had a bomb-safe room somewhere deep in the ship. That would explain why he didn't choose to escape when he had the chance."
"I guess we'll just have to wait and see," Goku sighed. "After all, Dr. Gero came back when we thought he was dead."
"Dad..." Trunks began. "We all thought you were dead, too. How did you do it?"
"The Sensu bean sitting in my mouth gave me just enough energy to regain consciousness," Vegeta explained. "I was just about to chew it when I felt the transmitter moving along the inside of my arm. I cut it out with a piece of broken glass from the chamber. Then I chewed the bean and healed myself."
"But how did you get out of the room with the shield on?" Gohan asked.
"Nossoreg put too much faith in that shield. He was so sure no one could go through it, that he didn't dream anyone would go under it."
"The computer!" Trunks exclaimed. "You got out under the computer terminal!"
Vegeta nodded. "I followed the cables down to the main computer. Nossoreg didn't even have sensors to pick up on the blasting I had to do. I was able to do a bit of sight-seeing, completely unnoticed. I was just taking care of our other counterparts when Nossoreg called the clones back to the ship."
"But if Nossoreg did survive, he could still use the dragonballs," Yamcha suggested. "They wouldn't have been destroyed that far away from the blasts."
"The dragonballs are safe," Vegeta said. "That was one of the first things I took care of. They are scattered throughout a forest a few miles back. And I have the only dragonradar left." He pulled Bulma's radar from inside his armor.
"It was lucky the ship went down in the desert," Goku commented with a sidelong glance at Vegeta.
Vegeta didn't respond, but gave half a smile that confirmed what Goku suspected. Vegeta had planned it that way all along.
When they arrived at Master Korin's, the ancient cat was the only one there.
"Bulma wasn't feeling well, so Videl flew her up to see Dende," he explained. "Then she came back for Chi Chi. I would've given her a Sensu bean, but I already gave my last ones to Goku."
"Thanks, Master Korin," Goku said as Vegeta took off at top speed. The rest of them continued to fly straight up to The Lookout, the home of the earth's guardian.
Vegeta landed and ran toward Dende and his assistant, Mr. Popo. They gave him startled looks because of his armor, but didn't comment on it as he stormed up to them.
"Where's Bulma?! What's wrong with her?!" he demanded.
"There's nothing wrong, Vegeta," Dende said, trying to calm the agitated Saiyan down. "The baby just decided to join us a little earlier than expected."
It took a few seconds for Vegeta to process what the Namek had told him. When it did, his eyes flew open wide and his jaw dropped. "Where is she?" he asked.
Mr. Popo took Vegeta inside to where Bulma was resting, Videl and Chi Chi hovering nearby. Chi Chi tried to explain that everything was all right, but he wouldn't listen. He had to hear it from Bulma herself.
"I'm fine," she told him when she woke up from the commotion. He was concerned about the paleness of her face, but she just dismissed it with a weak wave of her hand. "You're the one I was worried about. What happened down there?"
Vegeta told her all that had transpired since Goku had taken her to safety, trying to keep her mind off the pain that came and went harder and faster. Chi Chi tried her hardest to kick him out of the room, but he wouldn't budge. She finally gave up and worked around him instead.