Chapter 3: A Friendly Feud

A few hours later, Goku sat at the campfire he had built near the magnificent waterfall. The noise from the cascade helped his sense of focus. And indeed he found himself in deep contemplation as he slowly turned the spit that held the prepared carcass of a massive boar over a roaring campfire.

This time he had actually bothered to truss his meal up to a degree by salting and stuffing it with herbs. It smelled divine and had Goku's mouth watering long before the cooking process neared completion.

Goku laid waste to the whole carcass minus the bones, which he cracked open and sucked dry of tasty, fatty marrow. By the time Goku was done, he could hardly remember the last time he had been so full and satisfied. Certainly not since the last time he had eaten Chi Chi's cooking, that was for sure.

The fighting prodigy returned to his meditation once more after he had eaten, falling asleep soon thereafter in the cool mist from the cascades. He woke up after sunrise, having detected the slightest blip of activity from Vegeta in the same sector, but far south. The Z fighter hopped to his feet, snuffing out what remained of the campfire. Then he cupped his face with both hands. "Nimbus! Come to me!"

He felt a buzz in his pocket and pulled out his orange cell phone, noting a text he had received.

Bulma: Come to CC, I have stuff to help you find V

Goku blinked in curiosity. "Hmm," he thought, peering south. "Well, he's managed to evade me so far with the resources I have at hand. Maybe whatever Bulma has can make the difference between success and failure," he surmised. A whizzing sound was heard before the cloud itself appeared, stopping on a dime right in front of Goku. "Northwest, Nimbus! We're making a pitstop at Capsule Corp!"

WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 763

Mid morning had turned back into dawn by the time Goku arrived at the outer perimeter of the city. He flew over homes and businesses, the buildings gaining height and mass the further inward he came to the city center. About half a mile from the central business district, Goku began to recognize the streets, trees, and buildings just before he spotted Capsule Corp. He flew right to Bulma's bedroom window and knocked lightly, eager to see what she had to offer. Goku sensed activity from beyond the curtain.

The pretty young heiress threw back the drapes, still in her silky morning robe. Then she unlocked and raised the lower window pane. "Morning, Goku," she greeted, still looking slightly tired. "Please excuse my appearance, I haven't had my morning coffee yet. I'm so glad you could make it so soon. I sent that message last night thinking you probably wouldn't see it until halfway through the day."

"Good morning, Bulma!" Goku replied, grinning as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, I felt a flash of Vegeta's ki just before dawn and then I saw your message. I have another idea of where he might be, I just keep worrying that he might evade me if he senses me coming in time. He's good at that."

Bulma smiled. "No problem. Just let me throw on some clothes and meet you for breakfast in the kitchen. Then I'll take you to my lab and show you what I've got," she said, suppressing a yawn.

Goku nodded and licked his lips hungrily. "See you there."

Bulma closed the window and curtains as Goku flew over to the back lanai that led to the Briefs family living quarters. The lights were on and he could see Panchy milling about in the kitchen whilst humming a merry tune. He gently knocked on the sliding glass door. She looked up and spotted him. "Oh, Goku!" she spoke in greeting, shuffling over. She unlocked the door and slid it open, allowing him entrance. "My, you're an early bird. Come to get your worm?" she chirped happily, giggling.

"Yup! Bulma sent me a message to meet her for something important," Goku explained, taking a whiff. "Wow! That smells amazing! What are you cooking up, Mrs. Briefs?" he asked.

"Breakfast burritos, of course. I'll make extra!" she offered.

Goku's mouth watered. "Thanks! That'd be great," he replied, sitting down at the table.

Mrs. Briefs returned to her ministrations in the kitchen. Ten minutes later, Bulma appeared. She was freshly showered and dressed in her business best. "Big meeting today in the boardroom with Dad. We're going to discuss all the new candidates and make some final decisions about the new hires. Hey again, Goku! We'll go to my office right after breakfast. I think you'll like what I have in store."

"I'm looking forward to it," Goku said.

Mrs. Briefs glanced over her shoulder. "Oh, Goku dear," she spoke, interrupting their conversation momentarily. "Is Vegeta joining us? I want to make enough food for everyone."

Goku shook his head. "No, I haven't found him. It's why I'm here. Bulma's trying to help."

Bulma whistled. "Yeah, that spikey-haired dork is really making this hard for Goku. For some reason, he doesn't want to be found and we're trying to figure out why. It's hard when he won't communicate!"

"Well, he sort of did communicate, in a sense," Goku expressed, scratching the back of his head. "He left mean messages for me in the dirt telling me to go away and stuff. Hurt my feelings."

"Aw! I'm sorry to hear that, Goku dear. I'm sure it's nothing personal," Mrs. Briefs offered.

Bulma finished her coffee and got up to get another helping. "Yeah, I told Goku as much, but his feelings are still a bit hurt. That's okay, though. Everyone is entitled to their feelings," she said.

"That's right," Mrs. Briefs echoed in agreement as she brought in the first tray of breakfast burritos. "Careful now, these are very hot. I recommend cutting them open before you dig in."

Goku used tongs to load up his plate and used the knife to cut each one in half. Meanwhile, Bulma took one and cut it with a steak knife. "Thanks, Mom. These look delish. Egg, ham, and cheese?"

"Some are," Mrs. Briefs replied, sitting down at her own place at one end of the table. "I decided to mix it up this time. Some have bacon, others sausage. Thought I'd try something new, you know?"

"Oooh, nice," Goku remarked, smelling the fumes coming from the broiling hot open burritos. "Wow, they smell amazing! I can't wait until they cool down a bit. So where is Dr. Briefs right now?"

Panchy cut open her own burrito and started gently blowing on the steamy filling. "He had to go to the lab early to get something done before the board meeting. I sent one of the robots to bring him his breakfast a few minutes ago. Oh, that husband of mine is such a hard worker! So, Bulma dear, did you meet anyone yesterday that you plan to vouch for today?" she inquired, switching topics as she turned briefly to Goku. "Capsule Corp has a slot open for a new Systems Engineer. It's an important position!"

Goku nodded. "Hmm."

"There is actually one who caught my eye above all others," Bulma admitted. "Her name is Aloha Long of the Papaya Island Longs. There's something very different about her that I can't quite place."

"What a beautiful name!" Mrs. Briefs chimed.

Bulma chuckled. "Well, it's not her name that I'm impressed by. She's an eighteen-year-old prodigy with a doctorate and several masters', but she's oddly very shy and self-conscious. I don't know how someone so brilliant can grow up to be so timid and humble, but it does make her kind of an enigma. I just hope I can convince Dad and the board to hire her, then I'll be able to find out more about her and get to know her better. Without a well-paying job, I doubt she'll be able to afford to stay in West City."

Mrs. Briefs' smile widened. "Well then, I hope we all get the chance to meet her. Good luck at your board meeting, dear. Oh, Goku, would you like some hot sauce to go with that?" she inquired as Goku looked like he was about to dig into his mountain of breakfast burritos. He nodded and she handed him the bottle from across the table. "There you go, dear. Go light on the sauce now. It packs a punch."

Both Bulma and her mother were done eating by the time Dr. Briefs dropped by, having finished in his lab. "Good morning, my dears. Lovely breakfast you had sent to the lab, Panch. I couldn't be more stuffed. Well, I've got to go catch a shower and change before the board meeting. See you all soon!"

"I had your suit ironed and hung right outside the bathroom door," Mrs. Briefs told him.

"Thank you, sweetie. I'll get to it," Dr. Briefs replied just before he disappeared down the hall.

Mrs. Briefs turned to Goku and giggled. "I've been encouraging my schnookums to go the more professional route with his dress for business meetings lately. I thought it'd help break down those terrible rumors that he's just a nutty old scientist. Perception isn't everything, but it counts for a lot!"

"Good thinking, Mom," Bulma noted. She grabbed a last cup of coffee to go and added some creamer as she watched Goku work on what remained of his meal. By the time the cup was ready to drink, Goku's plate was licked clean and he was patting his full stomach and sighing in delight. "Looks like you're done, Goku. Come on, let's get down to my laboratory. I've got a few useful things that could help you get the drop on Vegeta. If it works out, he shouldn't be able to smell you coming at all."

Goku grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl in the center of the table as he rose, tossing it up into the air and eating it. He chewed, swallowed, and flexed his muscles. "Yup, I'm ready! Sounds interesting."

He followed Bulma down to her laboratory, waving to some Namekians on the way as they passed through the Atrium. When they arrived in Bulma's personal lab, the first thing Goku noticed and smelled was a rather odorous creature sitting in a cage in the middle of the room. "Whew! That stinks!"

"Exactly," Bulma pointed out, putting her coffee down so she could put on her white lab coat. She pinched her nose as she approached the cage while Goku stood back. "This creature right here is a male naked skunk rat, one of the smelliest rodents on the planet. Their ever-present scent serves both to attract mates and repel predators," she explained in a nasal-sounding voice. She popped open a drawer near the wall and pulled on a pair of latex gloves as well as a small cylindrical container of some kind. Then she approached Goku, twisted the top off the container, and handed it to him. "Smell."

Goku did. "I don't smell anything."

"Exactly," Bulma explained. She reached a gloved digit into the container and wiped up a dollop of the translucent paste therein onto her index finger. Then she approached the cage, opened the top with her spare hand, and reached in to gently rub the paste over the docile rodent's back. "Good boy," she uttered in a low voice. She picked him up and used her fingers to spread the paste over the naked skunk rat's whole body. Then she brought the animal over to Goku, who cringed backward holding his nose. She presented the creature to him. "Now, take a whiff. If this scent-masking paste can disguise the stink of something as smelly as a male naked skunk rat, then it can for sure disguise the scent of a saiyan."

Goku looked skeptical as he peered at the rodent before him. Then he timidly leaned over and sniffed, squeezing his eyes shut in fearful anticipation. Nothing… it smelled like nothing. "Wow!"

"I know right!" Bulma said. "I made a big batch of this stuff. All you have to do is rub it all over your body and then put on some freshly-laundered clothes. Then you'll be practically invisible in the olfactory sense. Vegeta won't be able to smell you at all, but you should still be able to smell him."

An honest look befell Goku's face. "Bulma, if I've ever failed to tell you how amazing you are, I apologize in retrospect," he replied, utterly stunned once again at his old friend's abilities.

Bulma smiled and patted Goku on the shoulder. "Not to worry, Goku. You've always been pretty darn good about giving credit where it's due, which is more than I can say for many people. Anyway, that's not all." She paced to her main computer station and grabbed what looked like a headset of some kind. Its design appeared to have been inspired by the old saiyan scouters, except it had lenses that went over both eyes and headgear that wrapped sleekly around the back of the head. Bulma motioned for Goku to approach her. When he did, she gestured for him to sit down in her spinning desk chair. Again, he obeyed. She placed the headset lightly on his head, gently adjusting the fit to sit comfortably.

Bulma then hit a button on her computer keyboard, killing the overhead lights all over the lab. She then took Goku's left hand and directed his index finger to click the button on the left side of the headset. For Goku, the visor lit up the dark space with glowing night vision. "Cool!" Goku exclaimed.

"I call it an augmented-vision scouter, or AV scouter for short," Bulma declared. "The left side button turns the night vision on or off and the dial adjusts the brightness. Just be careful not to turn it too high and I'd advise against turning the night vision capacity on at all during the day. If you do, it might blind you temporarily like a solar flare. It shouldn't cause permanent damage to your eyes though."

"Ooh!"

"Yeah!" Bulma echoed. "And that's not all. Check this out," she said, directing his right hand up to the adjacent side of the headset. "This button and dial here turn on and adjust the infrared vision, which allows you to visually detect thermal imaging. That means you can 'see' any living being or thing that puts off heat, like warm-blooded animals and fire, in contrast to the cool surrounding environment. It can even see through walls and stone. So if you're in a dark cave and you see a Vegeta-shaped red blotch, you know where to go and you'll have your man. He shouldn't be able to slip away."

"Wow, you're a total whiz, Bulma!"

Bulma turned the headset off and then turned the lights back on. "Well, the technology already existed. I just put it all together in a convenient form. I hope that this AV scouter in combination with the paste will give you an edge against our mischievous refugee. Oh, and as a side note, this scouter also detects energy signals with the smaller button on the back, but I doubt you'll be needing that function."

Goku nodded as he stood up and turned back around to face her. "Got it! Well, hmm…" he spoke, a thoughtful look befalling his face as he peered down at her. "Did… Did you make all of this just to help me find Vegeta?" he inquired, scratching the back of his head lightly as he looked at her.

Bulma gave him a sideways glance. "Well, uh… I mean, not entirely. The paste is a project I started in college but never finished. I was trying to create a long-lasting non carcinogenic deodorant, but other work was a bigger priority at the time, so I only just perfected it the other day. As for the AV scouter, as I said, the technology already existed so it was a piece of cake to put together. Took me an hour or two at most. Why do you ask anyway, Goku?" replied the young genius, eyeing him up and down carefully.

Goku blinked and then shrugged. "Oh, no reason. I guess I was just curious about why you were so eager to get Vegeta back to Capsule Corp, especially since he doesn't seem to get along with the Nameks that are residing here. I thought, uh, hey! Maybe it would be better if he came to live with me until the Nameks leave Earth. Then there wouldn't be any unnecessary clashes, you know what I mean? And I could have a conveniently-located training partner! Yeah, I think that sounds like the best plan!"

Bulma blinked. "Um, Goku. I think you're forgetting something rather important."

Goku paused. "What's that?"

"You're married! And to a woman who hates Vegeta's guts for good reason! What makes you think Chi Chi will allow the man who beat up her young child on camera for the world to see to live in a house with her peacefully? I mean, come on! Chi Chi is far more contentious than any of the Nameks are. You darn well know that!" Bulma pointed out, shaking a chiding finger at Goku for the silly proposal.

Goku's face flushed slightly. He started poking his fingers together and glanced down at the ground, embarrassed. "Um, yeah… a-about that," he uttered, trying to work up the courage to share the news.

Bulma raised a brow, looking up at Goku's face with concern in her eyes. "What is it, Goku? What's wrong? You know you can tell me anything," she said, her face suddenly softening.

Goku shook his head. "It… I just thought maybe Vegeta could live close to me, you know? Like maybe we can bring the Gravitron to Mount Paozu. It has living quarters, right? He could live nearby, but not in the same house exactly. Yeah! That could work. Then we can avoid any Chi Chi-Vegeta clashes."

Bulma resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Goku. I love you to death, buddy, but let me tell you. Vegeta is one destructive little bastard. When he was living here, the Gravitron needed constant repair and you know darn well my father and I are the only two people on Earth qualified to do those repairs. I'm talking every other day. Do you really want to have to make a trip to the city every other day with a broken-down spaceship? Plus, the encapsulation ability is impaired when certain parts get damaged, so you wouldn't even be able to shrink it. You'd have to lug the whole thing hundreds of miles by hand."

Goku's face fell. "Aw, darn! Well, gosh, I guess that shouldn't surprise me."

Then Bulma beamed a smile. "Don't sweat it, Goku. It should be easy for you to travel back and forth every day if you aren't carrying that thing. Why not just come to meet Vegeta in the morning and then go home in the evening? Is Chi Chi really that strict about you sticking around all the time?"

The Z fighter started to rub the back of his neck. "I… I'd just rather he was near Mount Paozu."

Bulma gazed at him for an extended moment and then snorted. "Goku, come on! Are we really arguing about who gets custody of Vegeta? He's a grown man, for Pete's sake! Hell, you know what? We can both offer to host him, but ultimately it's going to be his decision. And if I'm being honest, I think we both know that a spoiled prince is naturally going to prefer the amenities that Capsule Corp has to offer. He doesn't have to cook or clean. All he has to do is eat, sleep, and train. That's all he cares about."

Goku drew his eyebrows together. "I think you're underestimating how independent Vegeta is, Bulma. When he worked for Frieza, he would spend months at a time in space with just a partner or two for company, with no amenities, and no room service. From what I can tell, he lived more like a slave than a prince. Heck, just the journey from wherever he was when Radditz arrived on Earth to get to Earth himself took him a whole Earth year to complete. In my opinion, he's very much self-sufficient."

"Yes. Of course, he's capable of taking care of himself. That's not the question. The question is what he prefers. Does he prefer having to look after his own needs or does he prefer the royal treatment?"

"Well, if Vegeta liked it here so much, then why did he leave, Bulma?" Goku charged.

Bulma stepped back at the sudden sharp tone. "Well… I… I don't know. I mean, that's what we're trying to find out, right? I'm sorry, Goku. I didn't mean to make this sound like a competition. I just think he's better off at Capsule Corp than he is out in the wilderness or mountains or wherever."

"And what I'm saying is that I think that's for him to decide. That's all. I'm not going to force Vegeta to live near me if he doesn't want to. I just thought I'd throw it out there as an option," Goku finished.

Bulma paused, then shook her head. "You know what? There's no point in us arguing over this theoretical scenario. Let's just find Vegeta and have a talk with him about what he wants. I think we can agree to that, right? Man, how did we even get into that silly tiff? Maybe I need a vacation. I may be to blame here. Sorry, Goku. There's been a lot of pressure lately from Dad about my eventual takeover of all his duties as CEO of Capsule Corp. I have been feeling overwhelmed. Anyway, moving on. Is there anything else you think I can do for you to help you find the guy? If only I'd implanted a GPS chip in him while he was sleeping! Then he'd be easy to find. Kidding, I would never do something like that without informed consent. Right, so… You ready to continue? You can reach me at any time today except between 9:30 and 11:30 local time when I'll be in the board meeting with my father. Otherwise, consider me on call. So yeah, in the meantime, anything else you think you might need, Goku?"

Goku shook his head. "You do seem a little tense, but I think I'm good. If I need any more help later, I'll let you know as soon as it occurs to me. I can always send a text, right?" he asked.

Bulma picked up her cup of coffee, now much cooler, and took a big swallow. "That's right," she said, handing him a full tub of the paste and the AV scouter. "Here you go. Good luck, Goku!"

"Thanks! I'll let you know when I catch up to him. Later, Bulma!" Goku declared, looking excited just before he left the laboratory and ran off down the hall at superhuman speeds. He whizzed by a few bots on the way out. Suddenly, he stopped, turned around, and went back the way he had come. He stuck his head in the laboratory door. "Oh, Bulma. I'm going to chill outside here for a bit in Super Saiyan form. My meditations have helped me hone in on his location before, so don't be surprised if you see me at lunch or whatever. As soon as I sense where he is, I'll be off. Just letting you know! Byeeee!"

Bulma nodded and then Goku was gone again.

…

Dr. Briefs and Bulma arrived at the board meeting together at 9:30 in the morning. The top executives from each major Capsule Corporation engineering division had already convened and had been patiently awaiting the arrival of the CEO and Vice CEO. They stopped talking and straightened up in preparation for the proceedings as soon as the Briefs entered the chamber, both fresh-faced and smiling.

Dr. Briefs cleared his throat and greeted his team, a robotic butler taking his briefcase from him and opening it to organize the contents for the meeting. "Welcome, my friends. Thank you for being nice and early," Dr. Briefs greeted. He acknowledged each high-ranking executive in turn, nodding his head to the Executive Manager of Innovation, his closest colleague, as well as the Executive Manager of DynoCaps Design and Distribution. "Dr. Fizz. You're looking well, sir. Dr. Pill, thank you for coming." He nodded to the rest of them, ending at the Executive Manager of Robotics. "Dr. Mech, I loved the upgrade your team came up with for the new line of cleaning and home maintenance bots. Well done, my good fellow. Housewives the globe over won't have to lift a finger soon for such frivolous matters."

Each individual that the CEO addressed then nodded and smiled in response, keeping up professional and polished demeanors. Meanwhile, Bulma took her seat on her dad's right hand side, placing her briefcase down on the tabletop before her. Dr. Briefs took his place at the head of the elongated table, threading his fingers together in front of him and puffing his pipe. "Well, ladies and gentlemen, we all know why we've convened this meeting today. Recently, the company has undergone some structural and staffing changes needing to be addressed. As a result, we have three job openings. There is a new position in the Computer Sciences Division for a Systems Engineer, a role we hope will make all the growing company operations more streamlined going forward. The candidate for this position must be top-of-the-line. In addition, and I regret to say, Dr. Stein of the Biotechnology Division recently lost his longtime partner due to a terminal cancer diagnosis," Dr. Briefs spoke with a solemn look on his countenance and a hand placed over his heart. "We all mourn the loss of good Dr. Jackle. Deciding on which candidate will fill his shoes going forward is one of our primary objectives this morning."

He cleared his throat again. "Lastly and on a lighter note, just the other day, Dr. Dink of Nanotech lost an important subordinate of hers indefinitely to maternity leave. It is unclear if or when our own Dr. Itty will return, so we are looking for a temporary replacement for her with the potential to become a permanent position if necessary. That said, I think we all owe Dr. Itty a round of applause for surviving a difficult pregnancy and childbirth process. The most recent update that we've received has indicated that mother and son are now thriving and doing much better. We must extend our congratulations to Dr. Itty, her husband, and the little tyke. Now, in light of these changes, we've been accepting thousands of resumes over the last couple months from brilliant scientists the world over. Each qualified candidate has been handpicked from the pile and given a personal interview by either myself, my daughter, or one of you, our top executives. Each of us was given the assignment to find and vouch for three of our top interviewees, one for each position. Once we've presented our top contenders, we'll hold a debate over who to pick and then a final vote. Are we ready? Dr. Fizz, would you kick off the proceedings?"

The aforementioned executive nodded and organized her papers. "Thank you for the honor, Dr. Briefs," she said as she handed a flash drive to the butler bot. "Page one, if you please." The robot went to plug it into the computer attached to the projector. "Dear friends and business colleagues, I've had the privilege of meeting a great many new talents the other day. Of all the brilliant minds that I've interviewed, I'm convinced there is none more qualified for the new Systems Engineer position than Mr. Zeal Louse of Central City. Not only was he a top graduate of the prestigious Green Star University of Computer Science and Engineering, but he himself has been a star contributor to the area of systems analytics for well over a decade now. For those of you familiar with the major publications, I'm sure that you will recognize his name, Mr. Z Louse. His most important contribution by far has been…"

Bulma listened to her colleague's presentation with rapt attention and scanned the projected image of the aforementioned scientist. Something about the black-haired forty-something's visage did not sit right with her. The man was a leader in his profession, but his skill set was so narrow. In Bulma's mind and understanding, a computer system as complex as the one at Capsule Corp required someone with a broader range of expertise. She knew it would be hard to get the board to vote for her young, relatively unaccomplished candidate, but Aloha Long was the right choice. Fortunately, only a majority vote was needed on a given prospect to keep the peace in the company. Her father had the ultimate say as CEO, but he refrained from abusing his power lest it stir dissent. There was no quicker route to a great corporation's ruin than a growing number of disgruntled employees. The blue-haired scientist listened with half an ear to the rest of Dr. Fizz's presentation about the other two positions. She was not impressed by the candidates for either, but she knew it would all come down to the competition.

Once Dr. Fizz finished, the executive to her left went next. Each manager took a turn to present, moving counterclockwise around the table. Some of the candidates were very impressive and Bulma knew they would be hard to beat, but she still felt in her heart that Aloha Long was the best one.

Dr. Briefs was the second to last to present. Though he liked some of his own picks, he lauded several of the others as well. The other positions were pretty straightforward. The only real debate took place over the prestigious position of Systems Engineer. It was Bulma's turn to present last, right after her father. She shuffled her papers and placed them down neatly before her. "Computer, present page 36," she instructed. Aloha Long's headshot came up on the projector, the bright smiling teen genius, followed by a list of bullet points. "Ladies and gentlemen, the young lady you see before you is an intellectual prodigy with an IQ and creative drive to rival the founders of this company. Though young and green, I believe her potential to exceed that of all other candidates by a long shot. Listed are her many accomplishments, all achieved before she reached the age of majority. Her areas of expertise are far-reaching enough to not only meet the needs of our company but to launch us into a more prestigious future the world over. Please, keep an open mind as you listen to what I have to say."

By the time Bulma finished her presentation, she thought she heard a few subtle whistles coming from the audience. Keeping things professional, she passed the spotlight back to her father. Dr. Briefs smiled. "Well spoken, Bulma." He turned his attention to the team at large. "All right, friends and colleagues," he said, glancing at the clock on the back wall, "we have only thirty minutes remaining until we break for lunch. Time to hold a vote for each slot. Hopefully, we'll reach a majority consensus quickly and avoid too much debate. Then we'll be able to enjoy an early lunch! Are we all ready? Let's start with the temp position. Show of hands in favor of Dr. Dharma Ohm?" His eyes panned the room. No hands. He then proceeded to go down the list, one by one, until a new hire was agreed upon by a large majority.

Bulma kept her fingers and toes crossed under the table as the final vote was determined. It ended up being a three-way split between the three best candidates. Although Aloha Long did receive more votes than the other two, it was not a majority consensus yet. Thus, a debate was called for.

Dr. Chat Rumens of Communications made his case first for a veteran in the computer sciences field, a young-looking fifty-something engineer from North City named Rose Coral. The proud redhead had worked for many prestigious companies over the course of her long career, including competitors. For that reason, Dr. Briefs' mustache took on a shape that bespoke subtle skepticism.

Dr. Calculus of Computer Sciences favored Dr. Sun Reyes, a family man from East City with a pleasant disposition who was a decade-long world leader in the advancement of artificial intelligence. His hair was a dark evergreen, his eyes medium gold, and he looked to be in his early-to-mid 30s.

It was Bulma's turn to speak next. "Friends and colleagues," she began, "while I agree that it would be a mistake to overlook Dr. Reyes' superb qualifications, I still support Dr. Aloha Long for Systems Engineer for the simple reason that her accomplishments massively overshadow those that all other candidates achieved by their own respective 18th birthdays. She has far more potential to advance our company. Perhaps some of you have befriended other candidates, but I ask you to look beyond personal favoritism and make the right choice for Capsule Corporation. That said, I understand that Dr. Along's youth makes some of you nervous. For that reason, I am willing to become her personal mentor until she has not only adjusted to the position but begun to excel at it. This is not something I'm willing to do for any other candidate because, in my heart, I believe Dr. Along to be the most qualified by far."

Once Bulma finished speaking, Dr. Briefs glanced around the table, finding the room to be full of thoughtful expressions. The clock on the wall indicated it was two minutes until lunch. "Great! Thanks again, Bulma. All right, my friends. It is time for us to cast our final votes."

…

Goku meditated above a cloud overlooking the city. The Capsule Corporation was a mile or two directly below his present location. Hours had passed and the sun was well above the horizon, though Goku did not bother to break his concentration long enough to even check the time. He did not realize that it was lunchtime until his stomach growled at noon precisely. When he cracked an eye open, he saw the sun directly overhead. The Super Saiyan decided to join the Briefs for lunch. He hopped off his nimbus and allowed himself to enjoy a nice, long free fall from the heavens, only using his ki at the end to slow his descent for the landing. He powered down to his normal state and trod to the back of the main building, jumping up to the balcony where the oversized grill was stored under cover. He approached the sliding glass doors to the interior, finding them unlocked at midday, so he let himself in quietly. No one was at the table yet, though it had been set. Goku heard the telltale humming and clanking of pots from the kitchen, indicating that Mrs. Briefs was working busily over the stove.

"Hey, Mrs. Briefs," Goku greeted, peering into the kitchen. "Do you all mind if I join you for lunch?"

Mrs. Briefs spun around, only mildly startled but more pleased to see him than anything. "Oh, Goku dear! I had hoped you and your sweet friend might join us, so I've been preparing extra just in case."

"Great!" Goku replied excitedly, then he paused. "Oh, wait. What sweet friend? You mean my Flying Nimbus? I don't think Nimbus needs to eat," Goku expressed in confusion, scratching his head.

Mrs. Briefs giggled. "Oh, Goku, you're silly. No, not the funny yellow cloud. I mean Vegeta, your little friend with the upside-down hair. You have found him now, haven't you?" she inquired hopefully.

Goku frowned and shook his head. "No, not yet. Still working on it."

Mrs. Briefs snapped her fingers. "Well, I hope you find him soon. Bulma's getting really antsy."

Goku took a place at the table and sat down as he chatted with Mrs. Briefs. "Antsy? Why?"

Mrs. Briefs turned her attention away from food preparation and faced Goku, intertwining her fingers and pressing them to her heart. "Well, isn't it obvious? My Bulma has a huge crush on that man. When he was here, she was like a lovesick puppy following him around and yapping at him. It was adorable, but our little prince always played hard to get. I don't know about you, but I think they would make a perfect couple, just like you and Chi Chi," Mrs. Briefs expressed, a dreamy look on her face. Then she giggled. "I've been trying to train Bulma, more or less. My little girl's always had such a temper. If only she would be a little sweeter to Vegeta, I'm sure he would fall for her in a heartbeat. I think it's about time for her to grow up and learn that the right way to get a boy's attention is through gifts and compliments, not throwing spitballs at him in class, so to speak. Only naughty little girls think they need to pick on a handsome fella to get him to notice them. Bulma's a little spoiled. My silly husband's to blame for that if you ask me. He's always loved his girls to pieces, especially our youngest." Goku froze as he listened to Mrs. Briefs' words and fell over right at the end of her speech. Panchy knelt down when she noticed and peered at him from under the table. "Goku dear, are you alright?"

Goku dragged his jaw up off the floor and he met eyes with the blonde again. "I… I'm f-fine."

She smiled. "Oh, good. Would you like some iced tea while we're waiting for the others to arrive?"

Goku jumped up, frantic. "Mrs. Briefs, how do you know that Bulma likes Vegeta? Did she tell you?!"

Mrs. Briefs chuckled, returning her visual attention to the oven. She opened it to check on her casserole. "Oh, Goku dear. I know you didn't get the chance to grow up with a mother's love, but a mama knows these things. We make it our business to know what our babies are feeling deep down."

A door closed with a thud. Goku froze. "I'm back, Mom! Dad's on the way. We've got great news!"

Goku's hair stood on end and he made a frantic lip-zipping gesture to Mrs. Briefs. Then he straightened up in his seat. The blonde gave him a look of cluelessness as he cleared his throat and called to Bulma just before she appeared in the dining room doorway. "Hey, Bulma! Welcome back. I decided to stop by again for lunch since I haven't sensed anything yet today. So how did your meeting go?"

Bulma Briefs, still wearing her business best, looked slightly surprised as she spotted Goku seated at the table. She placed her briefcase down by the door. "Oh! Hey again, Goku. No worries, I know you're giving it your best just like you always do. You'll find him tonight, I'm sure of it. I think the meeting went great. I got the board to vote for my girl! I'm going to give her a personal call right after lunch to let her know that she's been hired. I'm pretty darn excited to start work with her, to be honest."

Goku plastered a big, dopey grin to his face, reaching back with his right hand to rub the rear of his neck. "That's great! I'm so happy for you. I hope you all get a chance to celebrate."

Bulma chuckled. "Oh, Capsule Corp always throws welcoming parties for new mid- to high-level employees, as well as promotion parties for current employees. Mom always takes care of the planning and does a great job. Isn't that right, Mom?" the blue-haired genius proudly pointed out.

Mrs. Briefs emerged from the kitchen bearing a platter of finger sandwiches. "It sure is!" she confirmed just as the thud of a closing door indicated that her husband had arrived.

"Hello, my dears!" Dr. Briefs greeted them all as he entered the dining area.

"Hey, Dad! I just wanted to say… thanks for the vote of confidence back there," Bulma said with a smile as she removed her overcoat and placed it on the back of her chosen dining chair. She took her place with a relaxed sigh, brushing her lap off, as Mrs. Briefs placed the appetizers down in the center of the table. Goku immediately started helping himself to the sandwiches, stuffing his face.

"Meat casserole, coming right up!" Mrs. Briefs announced, turning on a heel.

"It looks and smells amazing, sweetie," Dr. Briefs told his wife as he, too, put down his briefcase and unbuttoned his overcoat in preparation for the midday family meal.

Once everyone was situated, Mrs. Briefs dug the huge casserole out of the oven and went around serving everyone, including herself, before she took her place at her husband's right hand side. "Dig in, everyone," she offered, even though Goku had already begun when the food touched his plate.

Goku had to eat a little slower than usual because the delicious repast was fresh from the hot oven. He paused long enough to glance over at Bulma, who was blowing on her first relatively small fork-full. "Hey, Bulma... what are you doing right after lunch?" he suddenly inquired.

Bulma blinked and lowered the fork momentarily. "Why, I told you, Goku. I'm going to go call Aloha Long to let her know she's been hired," she replied, returning her attention to the food.

"Oh, right..." Goku uttered, scratching his head. "Um, I was wondering if I could talk to you in your lab." Bulma glanced up again, meeting his eye. "About the AV scouter. I j-just have a question about how to use it and might need a demonstration. Thought your lab would be the best place. Is that okay?"

Bulma nodded. "Sure, Goku," she said before shoving half a golfball-sized meatball into her mouth. "Mm," she murmured, chewing and swallowing. "Amazing, Mom. You gotta make this regularly."

Mrs. Briefs grinned. "Certainly! I'm glad you like how the new recipe turned out. I got it from one of the nice older ladies in my gardening group. She wants to publish her own cookbook, you know!" She leaned toward her husband. "Little investment opportunity for you there, dearest…"

Dr. Briefs had to swallow a big mouthful before he could reply. "Try out a few more of her recipes on us. If they're anywhere near this good, you can tell her it's a go!" he replied with a thumbs up.

Though salivating, Goku ate slowly at first, speeding up as the meal cooled to a tongue-tolerable temperature. He listened to the Briefs discussing frivolous matters with only half an ear. For the most part, his mind was preoccupied with what Mrs. Briefs had told him prior to her family's arrival. She said mothers know these things, Goku thought. I'm not sure what to believe. Chi Chi likes to think she knows everything about Gohan, but she sure doesn't seem very aware of his saiyan side at all. Maybe Mrs. Briefs is wrong. I must find out. If Bulma likes Vegeta... Wait a minute, what am I thinking? I should be happy for her. For them. Assuming Vegeta likes her, too. Then why did I not feel excited when Mrs. Briefs brought this up? I should've been happy. Instead, I acted like a buffoon.

Goku glanced up at Bulma, watching her across the table as she ate slowly while chatting with her parents. She appeared to be unaware of his interest, thankfully. He shoveled food into his mouth, refilling his plate from the heaping casserole dish in the middle of the table every now and again. The action was automatic as his brain tried to process his feelings about the new information he had learned. But wait... what about Yamcha? he thought. I know he's dead right now, but everyone is saying he'll be back in a few months. They've been together so long, but... they still aren't married. Ah, I'll bet that's it. Mrs. Briefs is getting impatient for grandkids. Yeah, I've heard her badger Bulma about that once or twice before. Maybe she's hoping Vegeta will take things more seriously than Yamcha does.

Goku chuckled to himself. And she loves it when people eat her food. I'll bet she likes Vegeta so much because of his big saiyan appetite. She's always been so sweet to me because of it. Still, I got a yucky feeling in the pit of my stomach that I can't shake. I wish I knew why. I wish there was someone I could talk to about this. It used to be so easy with my grandpa, just to say whatever was on my mind at the time. He never judged me. But ever since I first met Bulma and other humans, I've been getting whacked and yelled at just for being myself. Most of the time, people wouldn't even explain to me what I did wrong. They would just act like I was stupid for not knowing automatically, but how are you supposed to know what you've never been told? Goku thought, growling to himself in frustration.

Everyone at the table stopped what they were doing and looked up at him. Goku froze when he noticed their stares and his chewing paused. Even Mrs. Briefs' eyes were wide open, a rare sight. Bulma blinked, raising a brow. "Uh, Goku? Are you okay?" the blue-haired genius inquired.

Goku's eyes panned the table. He forced his current mouthful down his gullet without even fully chewing it first and wiped his mouth. "I, um... Yeah, I'm good," he lied. "Totally fine, yeah…"

Bulma narrowed her eyes only slightly, but then shrugged. "Okay, good. I guess I just thought you might be choking or something, but if you can speak, you're fine. Anyway," she said, turning back to her mother, "what was I saying? Oh, yeah. I feel Aloha is the closest I'm going to get in this life to a true intellectual equal outside of the immediate family. And also, she said that she has a…"

Goku tuned out again. Phew, good thing humans can't hear my thoughts. He downed the rest of his glass of water and patted his stomach, sitting back in his chair with a feeling of bliss happily occupying his belly. Mmhmm, that was delish. Darn, with Chi Chi gone, I kind of wish I could live at Capsule Corp. Mrs. Briefs would keep me well fed for sure. He glanced at the humans surrounding him and their plates. Everyone except Mrs. Briefs was done with their meal. They were only still sitting because they were caught up in conversation with each other. Goku checked the time on his GPS watch. Locally, it was 1:15 PM. "Woo, time flies," he interjected between all the chatter with a smile. "It's well past noon now. Good thing you guys get to take such long lunch breaks around here, am I right?"

Bulma, Dr. Briefs, and Mrs. Briefs looked up at him again and blinked. Then Bulma looked up at the clock on the wall and immediately jumped to her feet. "Uh, oh! I only have fifteen minutes before I have to meet with the representative from Central City about the new metropolitan power project. Darn! I might have to put off my phone call to Aloha until my next break. Goku, come on. Let's hurry to my lab so I can help you and send you on your way," Bulma blared, grabbing her coat.

Goku jumped up, pleased that things were moving along now. "Sure thing, Bulma. I'm right behind you," he confirmed, grabbing the AV scouter and following her out the door.

Once they arrived at the lab, Goku made damn sure the door was shut and they were alone before he turned to Bulma and poked his fingers together. She gave him a smile and took the AV scouter from his head. "Alright, Goku, what's your question? Hurry, we don't have a lot of time."

Goku paused and then sighed. "Actually, Bulma… I wanted to talk to you about something other than the AV scouter. I just didn't want to mention it with your parents there. I…" he began, but then stopped and his shoulders fell. "I j-just want you to be honest with me about something."

Bulma's lips straightened and she raised a brow. "Uh, sure… Are you mad at me about something?"

Goku shook his head. "It's about Vegeta."

Bulma stepped back slightly. Goku thought he detected the barest hint of glistening fresh sweat on her forehead. "Honest about something relating to Vegeta? Well, wh-why wouldn't I be?"

Goku brushed it off. "Remember that conversation we had about where Vegeta's going to live?" he asked. "I got the feeling that there was something you weren't telling me. Not that you're obligated to tell me everything, per se, but I'm curious if you're willing to share. Bulma, do you… like Vegeta?"

Bulma was taken aback, but regained control of her demeanor, almost taking a defensive stance. She crossed her arms and averted her gaze. "Well, sure. I mean. He's a jerk and all, but he's useful to have around. He helps me test new inventions and his knowledge of exoplanetary technology is helpful."

"Bulma, that's not what I mean. Like…" Goku began, picking his words carefully, "are you attracted to him romantically? Your mom thinks you have a crush on Vegeta, or at least hopes you do." Bulma went very pale all of a sudden. Goku raised a brow. "Well, do you?" he asked, almost urgently. An awkward silence befell the laboratory as Goku anxiously awaited an answer. When Bulma's brain finally flooded itself with antifreeze, a look of pure rage overtook her beautiful visage. Goku cowered back. "Whoa there, Bulma. It was an honest question. I didn't mean to make you mad! Please, calm down…"

"Not… mad," Bulma forced through clenched teeth. "Fffff-ucking… furious. Please… excuse… me…" she hissed, a demonic look on her otherwise lovely face. She shoved the AV scouter back into Goku's hands and then stomped out of the lab, leaving Goku standing there in shock.

Goku had to pick his jaw up off the floor. She had not even answered his question, but he was afraid to go after her now lest he get chewed out. A sweat drop descended his forehead. Maybe confronting Bulma was a bad move… he thought, his face flushing. I've seen her mad before, but this mad? Yikes! He stood there trying to decide on his next move when something grabbed his attention.

Vegeta was on the move. Goku closed his eyes and focused his attention on Vegeta's ki. The saiyan prince was located in the southern mountain range where Goku had last sensed him, but he was flying rapidly northward. Goku's eyes snapped open and he took off down the hall, leaving out the back door of the Capsule Corporation main building. "Flying Nimbus, come to me!" he called into the sky, gaining the attention of a few Nameks nearby. He paid them no mind as his cloud rushed down from the heavens to greet him. He hopped on and pointed the way eastward. "That way, Nimbus. Hurry!"