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Dragonball Z Explorer

Chapter 1

Everyone knows the tale of the great warrior, Son Goku, but the tale of Nam Singh and his journey through the cosmos still remains unsung. Nam Singh is best known as the martial artist who bravely fought for water for his village, but lost to the great Saiyan warrior Goku in the Budokai tournament. The story of Nam's journey through the cosmos, however, still remains to be told. Let me sing the tale that should be sung for all to hear. Listen to the tale of the brave men and women who traveled the galaxy to defeat evil.

Like all tales, this tale has a beginning. Our tale begins with our hero meditating on his loss to Goku a few years before the story begins. He wondered how he could get stronger and reach the level of that wondrous child. Nam looked around his house feeling the chi of the plants around him. He practiced all of his most powerful attacks in hopes of emulating his rival. All of a sudden, a form crashed into his house and put a large hole in the room. The figure landed right on top of Nam. Our hero lifted the mysterious figure up and threw him to the ground. He brandished his signature weapon, his kirpan knife, and told the figure to state his intentions.

The figure said, "Yin piccolo vego."

Nam Singh could not understand the language of the mysterious figure or the reason behind the figure's strange appearance. The figure was a green man with two large antennae.

Nam said, "I cannot understand you."

The figure whipped out a device that resembled a cell phone from Capsule Corp and said, "Forgive me for the destruction of your house. My name is Benwai. I am a warrior from the planet Namek. I have come to track down the nefarious criminal Lord Slug. Have you seen him?"

Nam replied, "No, I have not. Personally, I feel like I'm in a little bit of a state of shock. I am not used to the presence of beings from other worlds. I've never discounted the possibility, but I never expected to meet one of your kind so suddenly."

Benwai noticed the look of anxiety on Nam's face. He thought of ways to put Nam's mind at ease. The words he needed to same came to his to his mind like lightning.

Benwai told Nam Singh, "I know this has been quite a revelation from you, but I need your help right this instant. Lord Slug is a menace to the universe. He has already laid waste to many other planets in the Milky Way galaxy. Your planet might be next if we tarry for too much longer."

Nam asked, "Where do you think he is? This world is a very large place. He could be anywhere."

Benwai replied, "I just had an idea. I think his first goal is to obliterate the guardian of this world, Kami. We have to get to him before Lord Slug does anything horrible to him."

Nam said, "You know the guardian of the Earth?"

Benwai explained, "Your planet's guardian is actually one of my own kind. He is a proud Namekian warrior just like me. I think I should contact him this instant."

Benwai brandished his translator/communicator and said, "Kami, please pick up your communicator. Tell me if you're safe."

There was no answer on the communicator. Benwai sensed danger. Unfortunately, he knew not where to find Kami. He frantically pondered where his old friend could possibly be. Suddenly, a black figure riding a magic carpet appeared.

The figure said, "Greetings. I am Mister Popo, Kami's assistant. Do not be alarmed by my appearance. I am a genie. Get on the magic carpet, right now! Kami's life depends on it."

They all got on the genie's flying carpet and took off on their journey to save Kami. Nam thought deeply about all the implications of the events that had transpired. He learned of the existence of aliens, flying carpets, and genies all in one day. For a normal man, this would be a lot of information to take in for one day. He was able to cope with his newly discovered knowledge of other life out there because he had learned from his masters not to get overwhelmed by what comes his way and to stay strong. Benwai, on the other hand, was much tenser. His heart was beating extremely rapidly as he was flying towards Kami's lookout. He had a feeling that his old friend was in mortal danger. He looked at the wonders of this planet called Earth and all the beauty it contained to distract his mind from the horror of losing someone he cared about deeply. This was his first time off of planet Namek. He felt the intense pressure one might expect from a rookie on his first mission. He wondered why a rookie like him could be trusted with dealing one of the most dangerous criminals in the known universe. Benwai was already thoroughly defeated by one of Lord Slug's men. If he couldn't defeat a lowly grunt of Lord Slug, it seemed improbable that he could defeat the big man himself. He didn't think his performance at the Namekian Military Academy was that impressive. He wondered if he was just bait for a trap the Namekian army might have been planning.

The trio finally arrived at Kami's lookout. It was a small hemispherical island floating in the sky. Nam Singh stared in wonder at the appearance of such a phenomena. He had seen so many things that were beyond his wildest imagination. His fear of the unknown was becoming closer and closer to awe. His awe turned to fear again upon closer examination. He saw a menacing giant green man using a laser gun to threaten a thin green man.

Nam asked Benwai, "Which of them is Kami? I hope it's the big one."

Benwai responded, "Unfortunately, it's the small one. I've got to help him. Otherwise, this world would be doomed just like the last world he ravaged."

Benwai spoke those words with an extremely nervous disposition. He just realized the weight of his responsibility. He pictured the billions of lives that Lord Slug would put in chains if he were to succeed in his vision of dominating planet Earth. His normally green face started to turn pale. Nam also felt the pressure of dealing with an intergalactic criminal. If he couldn't deal with a tiny kid with a monkey tail, why should he have believed that he stood a chance against this foe? He tried to remember that God is protecting this earth. That calmed his nerves considerably. The two rushed towards Lord Slug to confront him.

Lord Slug said, "It looks like I have some hostages. What do you think Kami? Would you consider giving me supreme power over this world or let these innocents die?"

Kami instantly grabbed Lord Slug's laser rifle and bent it with his bare hands. This is the power that a Namekian warrior possesses. Kami punched Lord Slug and knocked him to the ground. Blood poured down the face of the fallen warrior.

Lord Slug retorted, "You call that a punch! That tickled! Let me show you the proper method of how to inflict pain. I hope you are gonna take notes from this."

Lord Slug kicked Kami several miles into the air. Nam Singh was in awe of the great power of these beings from another world. He had never seen anyone with that immense amount of power, not even the boy with the monkey tail. He had a harder time keeping his fear in check. His knees were trembling. He stared at the spectacle of Kami falling from the Ionosphere straight to Lord Slug's current position at Kami's lookout at the top of the troposphere. Kami crashed straight through the floor of his island and the sky and fell towards the Earth itself. Nam knew he stood little chance. Benwai knew that he had Nemekian strength, but probably not the strength to match a Super Namek.

Suddenly, a large vehicle appeared and rained hell down on Kami's lookout. It aimed directly at Lord Slug himself. The vessel looked like two flying saucers attached to each other by large steel tubes. Lord Slug screamed in agony. Benwai felt that it was time to evacuate. He grabbed Nam and flew away. Mister Popo also took off on his flying carpet. Nam's respect for the Namekian race grew more and more as the time passed. They could fly, bend steel, and launch their enemies miles into the sky. He also held the power of the mysterious vessel in high esteem. He gaped as the vessel shot volleys and volleys of missiles at Lord Slug. The vessel's weapon systems were able to obliterate Kami's lookout. Lord Slug stayed floating in the air and blocking the volley of projectiles fired from the vessel. The vessel shot a giant bolt of energy that sent Lord Slug flying several light years from Earth. That bought time for our heroes to do something.

Benwai exclaimed, "It's a Namekian ship! My people have come to save us."

With no prior warning, the bodies of our two heroes started to dematerialize. Nam felt panic he could not suppress because of the apparent inherit threat to his life. Benwai was actually calm for the first time in a long time because he knew that all that was happening was just the transporter system. The two men rematerialized in the ship's transporter room.

Benwai said, "I'm surprised they would beam you aboard. I have no idea what my people would want with you. I hope the experience of being dematerialized then rematerialized didn't traumatize you too much. Let's go to the bridge to find out what the captain of this ship has to say. I know the layout of Namekian starships very well. Follow me."

They both ran swiftly through the corridors hoping to get to their destination. To their surprise, there were many unexpected obstacles in their way. Tons of bodies of dead crewmembers haunted the hallways. Both of our heroes felt the dread of more danger on the horizon. A very powerful force must have existed if all the crew of the ship were killed that easily.

Both of them made it to the bridge. There, they saw a beautiful woman with long, black hair. He had green eyes that sparkled as bright as can be. Her skin was smooth and without any noticeable aesthetic flaws. She was lean and very well-endowed. The woman looked human with one exception. She had a monkey tail, just like the boy that Nam could not defeat. Her attire was that of a thick suit of white armor with large yellow shoulderpads. The woman had a look of anger in her eyes. She put Nam Singh into a chokehold. He knew to be brave and pulled out his kirpan. He attempted to slash at her thick armor, but little could be done.

Benwai yelled, "Stop, Peana! I know you've already got into trouble countless times for picking fights you shouldn't. Calm down. This man is my friend."

Peana instantly let Nam go. He gasped for breath after having it taken away from him. He was having the roughest of times that day. Nearly everything new that he discovered about the universe tried to kill him.

Peana reacted, "Sorry. I was in the heat of combat and wasn't thinking. You know I lose all rational control when that happens. Battle just has a hypnotic effect on me. Please forgive me."

Peana instantly hugged Nam to show her remorse. She stared at Benwai hoping that he was not too mad at him for what she did. Nam was wondering if this woman could be trusted or not. She seemed to have a dual nature of kindness and cruelty in the eyes of Nam Singh. Benwai needed to do a lot of explaining for Nam.

Benwai explained, "Sorry about all of this. This isn't the way I wanted to introduce you to my sister. My adopted sister I should say. You can tell she's a Saiyan because of her tail. Oh my word, I'm an awkward speaker."

Benwai blushed after embarrassing his sister like that. He didn't see why he was so highly revered in the academy. He didn't fancy himself a warrior or a Namek of good social skills, but he somehow graduated with top honors he felt he didn't deserve in the slightest. He couldn't tell what his worth was.

Benwai asked Peana, "What happened here?"

Peana responded, "A group of Lord Slug's most elite thugs snuck aboard a shuttle and broke into the Explorer. They killed all the crew but me. I, being the great warrior that I am, was able to defeat them without my enemy being able to land a single blow on me."

Nam was amazed by such a feat. He personally saw the strength of the so-called Super Nameks. He wondered how it could be possible that such a person could defeat a whole group of them.

Peana noticed the expression on Nam's face and said, "I guess you don't know about Saiyans. We are the most powerful race of warriors there is. That's why you puny human couldn't lay a scratch on these guys while I can kill these guys by the millions with one flick of my finger."

Benwai told Peana, "And I thought I had bad social skills. Peana, you know better than to put down what you think of as 'inferior species'! Remember that mom and dad were not Saiyan, but you still loved them dearly."

Peana went off to a corner and cried. She was obviously shamed by her older brother. She seemed so strong and tough yet so emotionally damaged and fragile. Something was up with her. Nam just couldn't tell what.

Benwai said to Peana, "I didn't mean to hurt you, sis. You can out from your corner. Big brother just needed to warn you not to offend our guest. Come sit in the captain's chair and play."

Peana gleefully ran into the captain's chair. She spun around and giggled. Nam was confused by her childlike behavior. She seemed so aggressive and mature in combat yet so innocent and childlike when not in battle or boasting about her Saiyan blood. Nam wondered what could have happened to her to cause her to be the way she was.

The chair she sat on beeped. She pressed a button and another green man came onscreen. The Namekian was about to give his orders.

The Namekian on the screen stated, "Chief of security Peana, please state what happened on this ship."

Peana explained the situation and asked, "Admiral, what are your orders?"

The admiral explained, "I know you are shorthanded, but I'd like the three of you to continue Operation Capture Slug. A large portion of the universe can be in grave danger if nothing is done to stop him."

Peana explained, "No worries. That pathetic creature known as a Namek stands no chance against the mighty powers of a Saiyan warrior like me. So far every intruder that has dared to attack the Explorer has felt the cold hand of death coming from my blaster. That's why you guys made me the chief of security."

Benwai was amazed at how Peana avoided disciplinary action for so long. She always said rude and disrespectful things to her superior officers. It was probably her skills as a warrior that kept her from being thrown in the brig, or it might have also been the fear that Peana could use her brute strength to throw the admiral in the brig. He knew that the sole reason Peana joined the crew of the Explorer was so she could encounter the toughest opponents she could find on the ship's journey and prove her superiority to her opponents.

Benwai ran around and panicked, "We're doomed. Doomed I tell you. I don't think I can take the pressure of fighting such a monster. What shall I do?"

Nam explained, "I think we should each calm down and choose a position to take on this ship. Remember that panicking will take us nowhere. Peana already has the position of chief of security. I'd like you to pick a position."

Benwai replied, "I don't think I can anything revolving around fighting enemies with extremely high power levels. I think I'll stick with the Namekian healing arts. That was the class I made the highest grades in. Not that I mean to brag about my grades or anything. Well, never mind. Forget I said anything about that. Just remember that if you ever ask me to go into battle I'll always remind you, 'I'm a doctor, not a warrior!' As for you, considering how you are able to somehow keep your cool even in such a dire situation as this, I think you would make a most awesome captain."

After realizing that he was such an excellent healer yet only an adequate fighter at the academy, Benwai came to the realization he really was little more than bait for the trap. His self-esteem fell considerably from this fact. Healers were apparently expendable bait to the Namekian Star Fleet. He knew he had to prove himself as the doctor of the starship Explorer.

Nam Singh replied, "I know I look calm and serene, but I am far from calm deep inside. I just have to constantly remind myself that God will take care of everything. If God's wish is for me to be the captain of this starship, I will be willing to do so. I have faith that Peana will be able to overcome our obstacle."

Benwai responded, "Cool beans! I think that's what you Earthlings say to mean 'things are in a positive state of being'. Since you are on a Namekian starship, I believe that it is customary to follow Namekian tradition and wear the uniform of a Namekian starship captain. They are well designed and I'm sure you Earthlings would call it 'out of sight'."

Nam was quite amused by this alien's attempt to get a grasp of Earth lingo. Benwai took the uniform off of the former captain of the Explorer's corpse and gave it to Nam.

He explained, "Don't mind the bloodstains. It should make you look like what I think you Earthlings refer to as 'fierce' or 'manly'."

In Nam's eyes, it was hard to keep a straight face associating the word 'fierce' with 'manly' considering the modern implications of the word. The uniform looked impressive, despite its less than perfect condition. It was a bright red military uniform with a white sash and dozens of medals. Next to the medals was a device shaped like the Namekian Republic's logo. He just thought to himself about the next course of action that should be taken. This was going to be a long journey from the looks of things.

Nam asked, "Peana, why are you not wearing a Namekian Star Fleet uniform?"

Peana explained, "This armor I wear is the armor of my birth father. He died bravely in battle, but his death was done by a total coward. A Namekian monster just happened to have fought the coward's way and sniped my birth father from behind. Those terrible creatures ransacked the Saiyan nursery and kidnapped the children of my people. That is why I refuse to wear the armor of such despicable creatures. Not to mention that this heavy armor provides way more protection than that pathetic Namekian outfit."

Benwai said to Nam, "Forgive my sister for her insolence to her family. It's not what it sounds like. The Namekians weren't monsters as Peana makes them out to be. You see, the Saiyans were conquering many planets. They wanted artifacts of great power called the dragon balls. They could grant any wish that one's heart could desire. My people didn't feel comfortable with that so we refuse. The Saiyans tried to use force to get us to reveal the secret. That's what caused the First Dragon Ball War."

Nam would have been completely shocked to learn of a wish granting object, but all of his previous experiences had desensitized him to a degree. Knowing these details about Peana's people and her obsession with her heritage made Nam wonder if he should put trust in her or not. All Nam knew was that Peana could be Earth's only hope. Nam put his trust in Benwai to put Peana in check.

Benwai told Nam, "The device shaped like the insignia of the Republic is a communicator device. You just have to press it and say who on this ship you want to communicate with."

Benwai showed Nam to the captain's chamber. It was the largest room in the starship. It was even larger than the command center on the bridge. It had a desk with an immensely large computer screen with rows upon rows of buttons. There was a king sized bed in the middle of the room. The closet alone could be a room by itself. Many shelves of books in the Namekian language lined the room. Nam was amazed at the splendor of his chamber and the gravity of his responsibility.

Benwai asked, "Should I address you formally or informally? As you can tell, I have struggled with deciding on which form of language I should use as a member of this crew. I don't know if you would be more comfortable with me saying 'things are going well sir' or should I say as you Earthlings might say 'things are totally epic, Mr. Nam.' I've been going back and forth between these two forms of communication, as you might have noticed. From what I've learned about humans at the academy, you prefer people speak formally when you first meet someone. Later, you prefer a more familiar tone. That's why I was so serious in my language when I first met you and started attempting informal language as I got to know you. Still, for some reason, you seem to find problems with my communication."

Nam replied, "I'm not particularly bothered by either form of communication. Our mission is most important. My duty to humanity and to God is what matters the most. Just remember that you'll get better talking to humans as you get to know them."

Benwai was relieved. This was his first mission and he would have never expected to actually have to communicate with a human in an actual mission. This was a task he had the least experience with of all of the things he studied at the academy. He knew he needed to learn to communicate with Captain Singh in order for him to succeed in his functions as the ship's doctor. Books about human communication could never prepare him for the real thing. Neither could the videos of human communication gathered by Namekian spy satellites prepare him. Of course, they probably would have helped him more if he paid a lot more than occasional attention to anything in his admittedly boring intergalactic communications course. He somehow scored high on those multiple choice tests by pure guessing. Too bad he didn't bother to actually learn in his class like he did in his passion, his medical training. Humans seemed to be substantially different than Namekians.

Benwai left Captain Singh's quarters and went to the doctor's quarters by sickbay. His chamber was very small and cramped in comparison. He realized that being the ship's doctor was a position far less appreciated than being the captain. He was wondering if he should have asked for the position of captain. Still, he knew that he probably couldn't bear the weight of responsibility of being a captain being a rookie fresh out of the academy. Something inside him could sense that Nam was very much a strong leader. He never saw Nam's leadership in his martial arts school, but somehow Benwai felt that Captain Singh would be a great leader. Still, Benwai felt some pressure from his position. The lives of his crew were on his hands. One mistake could kill them. He knew of the many diseases that were common throughout the universe. He still knew that he was the best healer in his class. That gave him a degree of confidence.

Benwai used a machine to wash his uniform as well as the captain's uniform. He went to Captain Singh to show him his uniform. He could tell by the look on the captain's face that even the captain wasn't the calmest he could be. Being the captain of a starship was new experience for him. Being the leader of a martial arts school, he knew he was probably the best leader, but a martial arts school and a starship were two completely different things. He knew he could do it if he listened to God for wisdom.

Benwai said, "Comduti, ranguage Punjabi transfes. There, now the computer should be able to accept commands in your language. The ship's been on autopilot for the past few minutes just staying still. Now, you can give it commands. You can access any of the ship's functions right now."

Captain Singh said, "I know the three of us cannot operate a starship all on our own. We need a crew. Thankfully, I think I know where we can go to find a crew. Computer, beam me to Capsule Corp."

He instantly rematerialized in front of the most brilliant human scientist and businessman, Dr. Briefs. Captain Singh knew he needed to ask the good doctor for recruits for the crew of the Explorer. He hoped that Dr. Briefs would realize that giving up a few employees in order to guarantee the safety of Earth would be sound business decision. After all, if there is no Earth, how on earth could he possibly make money? Captain Singh explained the situation to the best of his ability.

Dr. Briefs said, "I know just who to introduce you to. I'll let you meet the leader of Capsule Corp Engineering Corp. He's not the easiest person to work with, but knowing how much you've inspired your people during that last tournament, I'm sure you'll be able to inspire him. Just come through this door."

Captain Singh entered the room. He saw many people working on what he would have previously thought of as technological wonders. After his experience with Namekian technology, the captain knew that humanity had a long way to go. Humanity needed to learn from alien cultures in order to defend themselves from threats such as Lord Slug. He hoped to achieve some diplomatic missions in addition to his manhunt. The captain looked around in search of the leader. He noticed someone giving orders. The leader was an android with a claw for one hand and an arm cannon for the other hand. The android had the label "Android Seven" engraved on his forehead. He shouted out to this leader.

The android said, "What is it that you want. Can't you see we are on the verge of an engineering breakthrough?"

Captain Singh said, "If you come with me, whatever you are developing would be a mere child's toy compared to what we can learn from other worlds. Would you like to explore strange new worlds, to seek new life and new civilization, to boldly go where no man has gone before?"

The android said, "Anything to get away from Dr. Gero. He created me intends to capture me and re-enslave me. Dr. Briefs has given me asylum and has let me develop weapons to help me defend myself against my former master. On a starship, he can never catch me. I'm in. I can be your chief engineer."

Captain Singh said, "I am Captain Nam Singh of the starship Explorer. What is your name? I find it peculiar that an android would be created with a will of its own. Can you explain your history? I think I can relate to a potential ally better if I get to know him as a person."

The android replied, "My name is Android #7. Pleased to meet your acquaintance. Dr. Gero believed that creating a superior intelligence could be useful for creating an android that could outwit his enemies. He did not count on his creations gaining self awareness and rebelling against him. I hope you will not enslave me. If you do anything to interfere with my freedom, I promise that I will kill you."

Captain Singh said, "You will be under my authority as captain of the Explorer. You will be in no position to make threats like these."

Android #7 retorted, "If you don't give me freedom, I won't join your ship. I can easily avoid Doctor Gero on my own. At least Dr. Briefs gives me much autonomy. I'm the boss of this chamber."

Calamity soon replaced the relative calmness of the building. The western wall of Capsule Corp instantly fell apart. Everyone stared at the mysterious culprit responsible for the destruction of the wall. The villain was an android just like Android #7. The difference between the two was the designation marked on their forehead. This android had the label "Android 19 Mk I".

Android #19 said, "Come to the master or I'll have to take you by force."

Android #7 retorted, "Only if you could disable me and reprogram me, but there's no way you can succeed against the mightiest android ever created!"

Android #19 lounged towards Android #7 and gave him a mighty punch. The punch sent Android #7 flying straight through the ceiling many miles above the Capsule Corp building. Android #19 flew off after his prey to give his opponent a volley of punches. Android #19 knocked his opponent straight to the machine Android #7 was involved with creating before the battle. Android #19 quickly flew to the control panel and pressed the button on the machine. The machine froze Android #7 in place.

Android #19 boasted, "It's a good thing you created the very thing I need to transport you to the master. You didn't consider that we have been spying on you and examining your every move from the very beginning. We have planned to use whatever technologies you invent against you."

Captain Singh told his enemy, "You will not hand over the android just yet. You have to get through me first!"

The captain knew that humans usually were no match for androids, but he took the risk anyway. Android #19 flew at Captain Singh at a speed faster than any human being could normally react to and dodge. Of course, Captain Singh was no ordinary human. He used his spiritual energy, not his five physical senses, to tell when to attack. He focused all of his energy into his khirpan knife and shot an enormous blast of energy at the android. The android was vaporized. One of Android #7's assistants freed the captive android from confinement.

Captain Singh said, "It looks like you would need a bodyguard to protect your freedom. I promise you protection and the freedom to pursue your scientific aspirations if you agree to join my crew."

Android #7 replied, "I guess I have no choice but to submit to you, but if you interfere with my aspirations in any way, shape, or form, I promise I will kill you when you least expect it."

Captain Singh felt extremely uneasy about his newest addition to the crew. He knew that both Peana and Android #7 were violent and unpredictable. Keeping them in check would be a massive test of his leadership skills. He remembered his meditation skills and avoided a panic attack that most men going through this situation would have.

Captain Singh said to Benwai, "I have found a crew. Beam us aboard."

Benwai was amazed at the talent his captain had. Within a few hours, he amassed all the manpower needed to support a starship as massive as the Explorer. Benwai was sort of ready to make his speech.

He said, "Greetings, this will be quite the nauseatingly scary experience for me. You see I'm not much of a public speaker. Of yeah, I need to get on topic. I am Dr. Benwai of the starship Explorer. This will be your new home. I will teach you all about how to use the technology aboard this vessel."

Android #7 said, "I do not need help from an intellectually inferior organic creature such as you. It is more efficient to scan this ship's technology and have me teach my underlings how to use them."

Dr. Benwai said, "That is quite a rude way to speak with one of your comrades. You realize we will be working together on our hunt for Lord Slug."

Android #7 said, "I am only on this ship to seek asylum from an enemy. I feel no compassion for anyone on this ship. If you get in my way, I will kill you."

Benwai nerviously said, "And I thought my sister was scary. It will be a pleasure working with you."

Benwai walked away from the frightening android. Captain Singh knew he had a lot of work to do when it came to keeping his crew in check. This was the start of a new journey. These are the voyages of the starship Explorer.