DBZ
"Goku!" Dr. Brief exclaimed as multiple alarms blared from his workstation. The display screens monitoring Capsule Corp.'s debut spaceship suddenly blinked off while the comlink's signal dropped. Such an abrupt disconnection—not to mention the alarms—did not bode well, and Dr. Brief anxiously whipped his head around to analyze his deep-space scanner.
The massive star, Alpha H-Z, took center stage, uncompromising and unaffected by Goku's desperate attempt to escape its gravitational pull.
Heart pounding, Dr. Brief searched for any trace of the spaceship in the star's vicinity… but it was gone.
Goku was gone.
"This can't be happening," Oolong muttered from behind Dr. Brief, where he and Puar cowered in disbelief. "This can't be happening."
"Goku…?" Puar whimpered.
The ship had been en route to Namek, where Goku planned to rendezvous with Bulma, Gohan, and Krillin… but the journey had been disrupted when an asteroid knocked the ship off course, propelling it toward Alpha H-Z.
Unfortunately, Dr. Brief could do little to help Goku from his lab on Earth, but still, he tried walking his friend through the repairs needed to correct the ship's trajectory. By some miracle, Goku accomplished the task… and then proceeded to "glue himself to the ship."
Stuck on the exterior hull, Goku could not reach the ship's navigation panel. Of course, he was technically strong enough to free himself from the adhesive, but considering his strength, brute force might jeopardize the hull's integrity. With little time to weigh his options, Goku powered up and unleashed a Kamehameha wave at the rapidly encroaching star.
In the moments that followed, both the ship and Goku himself seemed to vanish… lost in the endless void of outer space.
Perhaps Alpha H-Z had instantly incinerated them.
Or perhaps the Kamehameha wave had launched them even farther off course, out of the range of Dr. Brief's primitive technology.
He could only speculate.
Regardless, Goku was gone, and Dr. Brief could do nothing to rescue him—which meant he couldn't rescue Bulma, Gohan, and Krillin.
Bulma… His own daughter. Dr. Brief had promised her that Goku would arrive in less than a week, but now…
Would he ever see her again?
Stunned, helpless, and terrified, Dr. Brief stared at his impotent workstation in silence.
As with any new frontier, the potential hazards of deep space could never be fully anticipated. Bulma understood that better than most. She understood the risks. So did Goku and Krillin.
But what about Gohan? The kid might be a prodigy, but he was still only five years old. By all rights, he should never have joined the Namek expedition. He was simply too young. He might have the power needed to face the evils of the universe, but did he have the emotional maturity to cope with such a responsibility?
Sure, he was Goku's son, but even Goku had been 12 when Bulma found him all those years ago. Such an age gap made a huge difference.
Would Gohan be enough to fulfill their mission to acquire the Namekian dragon balls, wish their friends back to life, and get them home again? Could he do it all on his own, with only Krillin to provide backup against their hostile enemies?
How could they expect so much from a young child barely out of kindergarten? It wasn't fair.
But the fact was they had no other options. For better or for worse, Gohan was their sole remaining hope.
DBZ
Author's Note: What happens when you take a silly scene from a silly filler episode and change the ending? The consequences will be devastating!
I've had this idea in my head for at least 15 years. I tried writing it a while ago, but life got in the way, so this is my second attempt. Please excuse any inconsistencies. I never watched beyond the Buu saga, and I'm writing most of this from memory. If I get some of the details wrong, let's just attribute them to the alternate reality.
Enjoy!