Premonition of Doom! Bulma Relates a Mystery

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Premonition of Doom! Bulma Relates a Mystery

Muten Roshi, Oolong, and Kame-chan help themselves to a nice meal at Kame House. Chaouzu stands in the kitchen, wearing an apron that with the word "COOK" printed across the front. He stares at the trio angrily. Kamesennin finishes and raises the bowl to his mouth to drink the rest out. Chaouzu gets more angry. Roshi, "This is great!" Chaouzu grins. "I love this ramen! Chaouzu, you're pretty good." Chaouzu laughs. "Really?" Oolong finishes his meal with a smile. "I especially like the soup. You could get a job as a cook with this. There's a world of difference between this and what Kuririn makes!" Kame-chan, "How come you're so good?" Chaouzu, "I always cook for Ten-san, so I guess that's what made me so good."

Tenshinhan lands outside Kame House, at the edge of the water. Roshi starts on a second helping. "Chaouzu, why don't you move here?" Chaouzu suddenly gets worried. "But..." Roshi, "There are advantages to living in Kame House." Oolong, "You're just trying to sweet talk him! You just want Chaouzu to cook for you!" Kamesennin, "Don't be foolish!" Chaouzu becomes happy again. "I wasn't even thinking that!" They go on arguing as the door swings open. They suddenly stop and all eyes are on the door when Tenshinhan walks in. Chaouzu, "Ten-san!!" Kamesennin, "It's Tenshinhan." Ten, "Chaouzu, we're going. We have to train." Chaouzu nods and starts to untie his apron. Roshi, "Stop, Tenshinhan! What about the Artificial Humans? Have they been defeated?" Ten shakes his head. "What?! Impossible! What about the others?! Is everyone okay?" Ten, "They're okay. No one has died yet. They'll be here soon, with Goku. They'll tell you the details." He walks out. Roshi, "Wha... what?" He lifts off and Chaouzu runs out. "Wait for me, Ten-san!" He follows Tenshinhan. Oolong, "What in the world happened?"

Son Goku lies unconscious. Kuririn, "They're acting like it's a game or something. But they're still planning on killing Goku." Gohan, "Are they really that strong?" Kuririn, "Yeah, even stronger than Trunks warned us about." Gohan and Yamucha look at the mysterious boy from the future. Kuririn leans against the wall, arms crossed, eyes closed in concentration. Chichi suddenly screams, and everyone looks over at her. "Oh no! I forgot all about the time! There's something that just can't wait!" Gohan crawls over to Chichi. "What's wrong, Mother?" Chichi drops a stack of books and a pencil in front of him. "Finish it all." He looks at the books, then at her. "Now?!" Chichi, "Study is always important!" Kuririn, "Chichi never fails to impress me..." Yamucha, "So what can we do?" Kuririn, "Don't ask me. How should I know?" Trunks, "How about this?" Everyone looks back to him, but Chichi forces Gohan back to his homework as soon as he strays. "If I go back in my time machine even further back in time and destroy them before they're activated? I know where Dr. Gero's lab is now." Yamucha, "That might work." Kuririn, "I thought your time machine wasn't that good. And according to Goku, it takes a lot of time to get enough energy for a round trip. So if you go further back, will you ever be able to make it back to your own time?" Trunks, "That's not important." Gohan, "I was thinking... If Trunks goes back in time and destroys the Artificial Humans, what will happen to the ones now? Will they just disappear?" Chichi grabs Gohan by the head and forces him back to his books. "Gohan, just keep studying!" Trunks, "I just realized..." And once again, all eyes are on Trunks. "If I go back in time and destroy the Artificial Humans before they're activated, I will save that world's future. But it won't have any effect on this timeline." Kuririn, "What are you talking about?" Trunks, "Well we saved Goku-san's life because of the medicine that I brought back from the future, but in my time, Goku is still a person that died of a heart disease." Gohan and Chichi ignore the studying for a moment now. "In other words, there's a future where Goku-san lived and another where he died. The littlest things will cause a multitude of futures." Kuririn, "So that means that if Goku manages to defeat the Artificial Humans, they'll still continue to exist in your future?" Trunks, "That's right." Yamucha, "So why did you come back? Your world won't change." Trunks stands up and walks over to the window, staring out at the scenery below. "Mother... Mother said that the Artificial Humans were so terrible that she wished that there was a world without them. But what I really hope is that I'll be able to find the Artificial Humans' weaknesses by watching them fight Goku-san." Mirai Bulma works on her time machine with Trunks as he speaks. "And if that doesn't work, I was going to bring Goku-san to my time in the time machine." Trunks walks through his bleak future. A young woman shields her child as she hides in some ruins. Trunks looks at them and cringes. Trunks starts running, and at the end of wherever he's running to, a door is flung open and Number 17 fires a gun at him. Trunks snaps out of his little daydream and gasps. He stares out the window in silence for a moment, then turns around, smiles, and apologizes. "But it looks like I came to a different past than the one I knew." He turns around and sits down on the floor. "The timing of Goku-san's heart disease has changed. And there are three Artificial Humans..." Number 16, Number 17, and Number 18 stand around in the picture Trunks visualizes of them. Number 16 turns around. "And they're even stronger..." He recalls his futile assault on Number 18 and his crushing defeat that quickly followed, and then Number 18 throwing Vegeta at him. Everyone sits in silence, watching Trunks, as the capsule plane continues to Kame House. Gohan, "Why have things changed so much?" Chichi once again pulls him back to the book. Trunks, "I don't understand. Things have changed so much... I wonder if it's because I've come back in the time machine." Chichi, "Don't let it bother you." Trunks looks at her and she sits down beside Goku. "If you hadn't come, Goku-san would be dead. I'm really grateful." She looks over at Son Goku. Trunks watches her, and an image of his mother flashes. Kuririn, "That's right. Something good is bound to turn up." Yamucha, "That's right." Kuririn chuckles. "It's all worked out up until now. So it's going to work out now, too...maybe." The plane's right wing dips for a brief moment.

Number 18 stares out the window. "By the way, do you know where Son Goku is?" She turns and looks over at Number 17. "We'll find out soon enough." Number 18, "You don't know. You're so immature. This could take a while." Number 16, "Son Goku's house is at 439-9 in the Eastern sector." Number 17, "How do you know? Did Dr. Gero tell you that?" Number 16, "That's right. We could fly there in a couple minutes." Number 18 looks back at him. "That's right! I agree completely! It's a waste of time to go there by car." Number 17, "I already told you. That 'waste' is what makes this fun." The van speeds on toward Son Goku's home.

Goku lies asleep, a lantern beside him lighting the room. It's dark outside as a pair of headlights shine on the house. A pink van pulls up outside the door. The driver side door opens and a figure jumps out. The lantern dies. The door is broken down and the silhouettes of Number 17 and Number 18 stand in the blaring headlights. Son Goku awakens and rises to a sitting position. Number 17, "So this is where you were, Son Goku." Number 18, "We've looked hard for you." Goku, "Are you the Artificial Humans?" Number 18, "That's right. We killed Dr. Gero." Number 17, "It's your turn to die next." Goku, "Damn it!" Kuririn and Gohan run out and jump in front of Goku. Kuririn, "Stop!" Gohan, "I won't let you take another step towards my father!!" Goku, "Gohan...Kuririn..." Number 18, "Do you want to get in our way?" Number 17, "It looks like they want to die." Goku, "Stop!" Kuririn and Gohan each jump at the Artificial Humans, Kuririn at Number 17 and Gohan at Number 18. Each meets a knee to the stomach. They collapse. Kuririn gasps, then his head rolls to one side and he dies. Gohan met the same fate before even landing. Son Goku stands up. "Damn you!" Number 17, "That's the spirit. It's no fun if you don't fight." Number 18 laughs. Goku attacks, but flies right through them. He turns around and sees Chichi standing in front of the Artificial Humans. "Stop it!" Goku, "Chichi!" Number 18, "Move out of the way." Number 18 grabs her by the neck. Chichi struggles futily. "I told you to get out of our way." Goku, "Stop it!" He attacks Number 18 and again flies right through her, landing on the bed. Number 18 snaps Chichi's neck and her head falls back, her dead eyes staring straight at Son Goku. Number 18 drops the third corpse of the evening. Goku runs up to her. "Chichi!" Finding her dead, Goku stares up at Number 18. He attacks and she vanishes. He tries to attack Number 17, but his hits go straight through the Artificial Human. Number 17 looks toward the doorway. Trunks looks back, an expression of hatred on his face, his sword gleaming in the car headlights. Goku, "Trunks?" Number 18, "Do you want us to beat you again?" Trunks goes to attack, but Goku jumps in front of him. "Trunks, stop it!" Trunks flies straight through Son Goku. Number 17 catches the sword by the handle, turns it around, and drives it into Trunks. The sword pierces all the way through, the bloody tip pointing back at Goku. Goku screams as if he's about to turn Super Saiya-jin. "Damn you!" Number 17 and Number 18 turn to Son Goku, lying unconscious on the bed. Number 17, "Let's get started." Goku tries to attack Number 18, but goes through her again. He tries once more on Number 17 with the same result. Goku, "Stop!" Number 17 laughs and lifts his arm, fingers out, pointing at Goku. "STOP!" His yelling does no good, though. The hand pierces Son Goku's body.

Goku screams. Kuririn and Gohan rush to his side. "Father!" Kuririn, "Snap out of it, Goku!" Chichi runs to him. "Out of my way!" She brings him the medicine, but he stops screaming. The capsule plane continues toward its destination and Goku sleeps soundly once more. Trunks, "I think Goku-san is even fighting in his dreams." Kuririn, "You're right. That's just like Goku."

Torrents of rain pour down on the Earth. Vegeta stands alone, out in the middle of nowhere, staring up at the sky. He replays different lines spoken by the Artificial Humans. Number 18, "Do you mean that the man, Son Goku, is even stronger? Neither one is very strong, then." He raises his fists and turns Super Saiya-jin. He screams and the rocks around him begin to rise into the air. The surge of power from him pushes the clouds above him apart, revealing the sun. The clouds rotate around the hole through which sunlight is now pouring. Vegeta stares up at the sky, breathing heavily. "Wasn't the Super Saiya-jin invincible? What were they doing?! I let them beat me like I was nothing! I'm the super-elite Prince of the Saiya-jin! Therefore, once I became a Super Saiya-jin, I should have been the strongest being in the universe! Was it because I was fighting Artificial Humans? Is this as strong as I can get?! That's not right!" His ki flares up in an aura around him. "It can't be! I'm Vegeta! No matter how strong my opponent is, I will overcome him! I'll show them. I'll be stronger than them! That goes for you, too, Kakkarotto. You're next, after I beat the Artificial Humans!"

"We'll be at Muten Roshi's island pretty soon. Kuririn, hadn't you better tell Bulma about what's happened?" Kuririn, "I guess so. But do I really have to call her? I don't want to call her." Yamucha, "You know more than anyone about what's happening. Take care of it." Kuririn, "Oh well..." He walks up to the other seat and turns around to Trunks. "It's really hard to talk to your mom." Trunks laughs. "She doesn't change in the future." Kuririn dials her up and the phone rings. Someone picks up. "This is Kuririn. Is Bulma there?" Voice, "Okay, you want to speak to Miss Bulma. Please wait a minute." He waits a few seconds before a new voice replaces the first one. "Kuririn! Are you okay? Where are you calling from? I figured Gohan would be about home by now, but when I called, no one answered the phone. By the way, is my handsome son from the future, Trunks, there?" Kuririn, "Huh? Oh, yes, he's right here." Bulma, "He is? Great! Put him on!" Kuririn, "You can just keep talking. He can hear you over the speaker phone." Bulma, "Okay. I just got the strangest question from a hick in the western sector about one of my company's products. He found a weird, abandoned vehicle and decided to keep it. But he couldn't figure out how to make it move, so he asked me about it." Kuririn, "Okay..." Bulma, "But I couldn't figure out what kind of vehicle it was from his description over the phone. So I said it's probably not one of my company's products. But then he said it had the Capsule Corporation mark on the side. So I asked him to send me a picture, and I just got it. When I saw this picture, I was really surprised. It was a picture of the time machine you rode, Trunks. And worse than that, it was broken!" Trunks, "That's impossible!" He pulls a small box out of his jacket pocket. "I returned it to a capsule and I have it right here." Kuririn, "He says he still has it." Bulma, "Really? Maybe it's a different one. It was covered in moss and rust and looks really old, so I thought something funny was going on. How many time machines did I make in the future?" Trunks, "'How many'?! It was all you could do to make one." Bulma, "That's funny. I'm sure this is a time machine. I saw it the last time you came, so there's no way I could be mistaken. Do you have a fax machine? Take a look at this picture." The fax machine spits out Bulma's picture and Kuririn picks it up. "Here you go, Trunks." Trunks stares at it and gasps in amazement. "It's no mistake, this is the time machine I rode on. What can this mean?"