Untamed: We're Not Alone in the Universe

The distant, muffled bellowing broke the peaceful silence which only the soft murmur of the ship devices dared to interrupt - until now. Within a matter of seconds, the bellowing grew stronger and stronger, turning into an enraged scream that seemed to cause the face of the walls to vibrate, even from the place they were seated. The scream was followed by a string of colorful curses mixed with what seemed like stuttering apologies in another voice. A new sound, like the clattering of pans, added to the din, while the stuttered excuses, in their turn, changed into yelps of pain. The two little warriors remained a few moments with their eyes closed, but, as much as they tried, it was clear that their concentration was lost. The bald one was the first to open his eyes, resignedly. He wasn't much taller than his five-year-old companion; at the first sight someone could easily mistake him for another child, but he was actually an adult man.

"It’s hopeless, Gohan," he sighed, as the black-haired boy opened his eyes, too. "We'll have to wait until they finish this new fight, before we can start to train again."

'And then we'll only have a few minutes to train before they´ll start to fight again,' he added in mentally, but didn't voice the thought.

Gohan was likewise frustrated, but his expression showed more confusion than annoyance.

"I wish they could fight in their minds like us," he said. "That would be much quieter. I can’t understand why Oolong so badly needs to see women without their clothes. Do you think that he wants to make sure that they’re really women, Mr. Krillin? I heard Master Roshi say that Daddy used to do that when he was young."

Five years old or not, Gohan was really Goku´s son. The serious, inquiring tone used by the boy just increased the hilarity of the question, and it was in vain that Krillin tried to suppress a laugh.

"Uh, no. Oolong doesn’t… well, he’s pretty aware who’s a woman and who’s not, no doubt about that," he managed to say, between giggles. The boy's round-wide, innocent eyes reminded Krillin of himself, and he struggled to regain some composure. "That's all I can tell you," he said, inhaling a few calming breaths. "Please don’t ask me more about that. You mother would kill me if I explained it to you further."

Gohan looked even more puzzled than before; however, any further questions he could ask were forgotten, because at the next second a small gray rabbit burst into the control room, his big ears flapping behind him. As he ran towards the boys, his soaked fur left a trail of small puddles. He screeched to a halt within mere inches of Gohan, the animal’s small body heaving at every breath he gave.

"H-help! Help me! Bulma´s having a tantrum!" he managed to articulate.

"And what have you done now to make her throw a tantrum?" Krillin asked cynically. In response, the rabbit scowled and shook himself, tossing the water off his body and over the two small warriors, who winced and yelped in protest. With a puff of smoke, the rabbit vanished to be replaced by a chubby pig clad in t-shirt and green pants with suspenders, but still with big, floppy ears. He gave a last shake as he glared towards Krillin.

"Nothing! Why do you always blame me for everything that happens in this ship?" his voice had a tone of outraged innocence.

Krillin ignored that.

"So why are you all wet?" he smirked, rubbing his arms to get them dry. "You were spying on Bulma in the shower again, that's obvious."

Oolong glanced nervously over his shoulder and toward the door he had entered.

“Details, guys, details! C´mon, are you going to help me or not?”

Just at that moment, they heard the sound of wet footsteps approaching. Without expecting any one's response, Oolong instantaneously turned into a fly and ran, err, flew off, so fast that the boys couldn't see the direction he had taken. A few seconds later, Bulma stormed into the room. Krillin and Gohan almost jumped out of their skins when they saw her.

Her body was still dripping wet from the shower, but it was decently covered by a knee-length pink robe, whose shoulders were already soaked with the water that fell from her damp, limp hair. Actually, she wouldn’t be a frightening vision by herself, if it wasn’t for the fact her blue eyes were sparkling in fury and that her right hand held a huge frying pan, which the crew suspected was probably a present from Chichi.

"Allright! Where is he? Don't try to cover him up, boys! I warned Oolong that I wouldn't let it go next time. Can't a lady take her shower in peace?"

“Lady?” Krillen echoed cynically. Bulma threw him a glare that caused both the boys to shrink.

“We don´t know where Oolong is now.” Gohan blurted out. “He turned into a fly and disappeared.”

Nodding understandingly, Bulma simply crossed her arms and smiled.

"That's allright. He has been transformed for a while, so his 15 minutes must be done now. And this is the only way out of this room, so he'll have to go through this door, sooner or later. I'll just have to stand here and wait..."

She was cut off at the end of her phrase by a low grunt. The trio turned their heads around to see smoke quickly appearing from under the control panel and a small red, scowling rocket flying toward the exit door, almost knocking Bulma out of the way. However, it had barely reached the threshold when the puff of smoke happened again to reveal Oolong hovering for a mid-second in the air with a frustrated expression before landing on the floor with a huff.

Three loud bangs echoed throughout the whole ship, and it probably would have been heard outside, if it wasn't the vacuum of outer space. Krillin and Gohan stood still, both feeling a mixture of fear and amusement on their faces as they watched Oolong rub the bumps on his aching head.

"Next time you try replacing my bath sponge I'll throw you in the toilet bowl and flush you down! I'm not kidding." Bulma threatened as she turned around and strode regally toward the door, one hand modestly clutching shut her robe and the other still holding the now misshapen frying pan.

"I was just trying to make you feel better!" the pig bellowed at her retreating figure."You should be glad that at least I still see you as a beautiful woman, since the rest of universe doesn´t!"

Krillen and Gohan giggled at this. Very recently, they had visited Sheezoo, a very primitive planet, in search of the one-star dragonball. The precious item, however, happened to be among the most precious adornments of one prominent and brawny golden-skinned warrior - a great type of man, actually, despite of his baldness. Bulma had tried to flirt with him in order to get the sphere - that’s what she had said- but the man had reacted with horror, at the 'pale, hairy, two-breasted scarecrow' - as their electronic translators had registered. In the end, Gohan had won the dragon ball by defeating the warrior in a duel, but Bulma had spent three days moping around and mumbling about stupid blind aliens.

At Oolong's words, she immediately stopped dead in her tracks, turning on her heels to tap angrily a bare, humid foot.

"I am a beautiful girl!" she bellowed. "And the Sheezojins are not the entire universe. Only because the few members of a small planet have some twisted notions of beauty, that doesn't mean that all the aliens we'll met will think like that," she paused, then barreled on with a smile. "Besides, remember that there are lots of different cultures spread throughout the universe, many of which we have no idea about. So it's no wonder that some alien races have a different way of thinking about what is beautiful and what is not."

Oolong's smirk grew wider.

"Yeah, that must be quite a comfort. You didn't seem to think like this when those people thought that even Krillin was prettier than you. Those amazons even wanted to fight for the privilege of having him for their harems!"

“HEY!” Krillin blushed slightly at that, but smirked. “Not my fault if someone finally notices my “beaute male”…”

He didn´t finish speaking however, for their attention was diverted by a scratching noise coming from Bulma´s side. She had given them her back and was perusing through a box of capsules. The trio gasped as they stood paralyzed in anticipated horror.

"Easy, Bulma, you don’t need to do this… we were just kidding!” Krillin stuttered.

"Not fair! I can't transform yet!" said the pig in terror as Bulma tossed a capsule down. However, instead of the bombs, bazooka or whatever weapons they had figured out, it revealed a bucket filled with water, a scrubber and a few rags. Calmly, Bulma picked up the cleaning supplies before turning again and walking towards her friends.

"Allright," the angry scientist snapped as she handed each of them one of the contents of the capsule. "If you have time enough to invent pranks and no-fun jokes, you have enough time to clean all this mess." She gave a stern nod towards the puddles created by Oolong and herself, which were spread throughout the control room and the hallways. Regally, Bulma turned again on her heels and marched towards the door. Before leaving the room, she halted on the threshold and turned her head to look at the trio over her shoulder ,"When I come back, it'll be better if everything is shining." And with this, she finally left.

"We have nothing to do with that!" Krillin bellowed after her, before grudgingly grabbing the scrubber. “I hope you're happy now,” he interjected at the culprit of their situation. Oolong, however, looked revolted, rather than showing any sign of shame or guilt.

"The only thing that’ll make me happy is to go back to Earth!” he sputtered. "Bulma didn't have to be so cross; she’s supposed to be grateful to me for having paid her some attention. I have nothing to do with this mission of yours, and I wasn't even allowed to bring a few 'innocent' magazines to distract myself."

"You can borrow my books, if you like," offered Gohan as he knelt to dry the puddles with a cloth.

Oolong shrugged off the offering with a wrinkled nose.

"No, thanks. The only book that could actually interest me would be one of female anatomy, and very specifically. After all these weeks seeing nothing but butt-faced aliens, I'm starting to forget what a girl's body looks like. When we'll become to Earth, I'll probably fall for the ugliest witch that'll appear in front of me, and I'll think she's a goddess!"

Krillin shook his head. Oolong was definitely hopeless. In at least one thing he was right, however _he never should have joined them in the trip. After the Saiyans' attack, when Mr. Popo showed Bulma the spaceship that had taken Kami-Sama to Earth, they had discussed about who should go to save their planet from the grim destiny traced by Turles.

At Bulma's dismay, she was the first one to be chosen, because nobody else would be able to fix the ship if it happened to break during the trip. But then, she protested she couldn't go alone and pointed to Krillin, one of the few survivors of the terrible battle. Goku and Yamcha were terribly injured and the rest of the Earth warriors were dead. However, Kameroshi butted in that only one warrior wouldn't be enough to protect her against the dangers they would probably find in space, and volunteered to go with them. His leering eyes fixed on Bulma through his black glasses clearly showed that his real intentions weren't as noble as his words. In despair, Bulma had glanced around until she spotted Oolong. Probably she had thought the little pig was the lesser of two evils, for at least she could bully him in order to keep his hands off her. With Kameroshi, that would be more difficult. In Krillin's opinion, however, that was trading the kettle for the bottle. When Gohan begged to go with them, instead, both Bulma and the shapeshifter breathed a sigh of relief, but then, Chichi was revolted that the pig was low enough to allow a innocent, 'helpless' child to go in his place, and there had been no way except for Oolong to go, too. A decision that didn't make anybody happy.

The choice of the crew reminded Krillin´s of the reason for their trip.

“One thing I must agree with you,” he sighed. It´ll be a great relief when everything is finished. I don´t even want to figure out what´ll happen if we won´t be able to gather the black star dragonballs before the time is over.”

At this, a saddened look appeared in Gohan´s chubby baby-face.

“Pity that those Namek dragonballs were used months ago. They had three wishes, instead of one, like the Earth balls. We could have used the second wish to bring Mr.Piccolo, Mr. Tenshinhan and Chauzou back.”

Krillin turned his head to look at him. During the short time they had fought the Saiyans together, he had grown attached to Goku´s son, and he knew how much the boy missed his stern sensei. Gohan´s face had lit up when the Ancient told them about the two wishes… just to have his smile fall in, when he learned the two wishes had already made five months ago. Touched by the gang´s disappointment and despaired by that news, the Namekians had told them about the black star dragonballs. It was their only hope of saving Earth. However, those spheres granted only one wish.

“Yeah, but remember what Guru said… they promised that, within four months they will bring our friends back. So you will see Piccolo again, anyway!”

”It´s true!” Gohan laughed, his face lighting up.

“Eww, I don´t know why you like that green ugly guy so much,” Oolong shuddered. “You should have asked them to use the second wish to make Yamcha´s face back, too.”

A guilty silence fell over the control room. They had forgotten the worst victim of the Saiyan battle.

“Hate to admit it, but that´s true. I had forgotten that,” Krillin said as he looked down at the metal floor. And I am the one who, of all people, should have remembered that, in the first place! he thought guiltily. He would never forget those terrible moments after they landed with Bulma´s airplane to retrieve the corpses of their friends killed by Nappa, the giant Saiyan. Krillin had been the first one to get close to Yamcha. To his surprise, when he touched the body of his friend, the little monk felt a slight movement. Yamcha was still alive! Krillen let out a happy squeal that drew everyone´s attention. And then, as Bulma flew towards them with Mutenroshi and Master Karin on her toes, Krillen turned the body upwards. The trio froze instantaneously and let out horrified gasps. For minutes that seemed like a lifetime, nobody said or did anything. Then, Bulma´s face went white and she fell forward before anybody could say anything, without a yell or word.

Apparently, Yamcha had managed to struggle free from the saibaman's embrace and had backed away from it a few seconds before the vegetable monster exploded. However, he was still too close to not be affected by the explosion. Half of part of his face had been torn apart. He was now in a coma, in the same hospital as Goku, but nobody was sure if he would live. Master Karin had promised that everything would be all right as soon as he could get senzus for the two injured men. That had seemed to lift Bulma´s spirit a little, and throughout the next few days she apparently had returned to her cheerful usual self, but now, thinking back, she seemed to avoid the matter. A wave of guilt washed over him. During the entire trip, he had lamented several times mentally that they had to take Bulma with them. The young scientist managed to be even worse of a burden than Oolong, with her constant whining and bitching. She was always getting in trouble and needing to be rescued. Nothing of this was new, but honestly, she was managing to be worse than her usual self.

“But… Master Karin promised that Yamcha-san´s face will be good as new when he´ll eat the senzu!” Gohan said.

"Oh come on kid, get real. There's LIMITS to everything! I was looking at the cat as he said that… his forehead was dripping with sweat! How can we be sure that the sensu would even work for..."

“Don´t listen to him, Gohan!” Krillin cut off the pig´s rambling. “I believe in Master Karin´s abilities. It´s natural that we´re all nervous _ especially Bulma. And if the senzu won´t work, we may ask Shen-long when we´ll come back to Earth. Everything will be allright, you´ll see,” he forced a smile.

“You must have caught Goku´s optimistic virus, all of you,” Oolong shook his head, then shrugged. “Well, how much longer till the next dragonball?”

”We must be close, by now, since the last time I checked. Gohan, may I see the dragon radar?” the monk asked, only to receive silence as a response. Krillin turned around to see Goku´s son staring absently at outer space through the window.

“What´s wrong? Did you see something funny?” the little man asked with concern.

“No… It´s just that I feel… I feel funny… like if we´re not alone.”

***

Vegeta frowned and shut his eyes even tighter as he shrank and embraced himself in a fetal position, searching for any last remnants of his corporal heat. That blasted Freeza, he had locked him naked into one of his ice cellars again! The last time that had happened, he had been taken out of there just in time before he risked losing his members, but his tail had to be cut off. However, this time, he didn´t believe he would be so lucky. Vegeta squeezed his eyes even more tightly shut, not wanting to look at his hands or feet. In his mind, he already could see his fingers and toes growing dark with gangrene…

His face was leaning against a rough, irregular surface, which was nothing like the floor of the ice cellar. His eyes snapped open just to blink instantaneously because of the water that didn´t stop entering into them. Slowly, he sat, brushing his face with one hand, feeling the weight of something clammy that stuck onto his back - his own hair, soaked and heavy with water. He took one breath then another, and blinked again, as his thoughts slowly reorganized themselves in his mind. Gathering courage, he raised his hands towards his face, to stare at them, as raindrops incessantly drummed against their healthy, rosy skin. He glanced hurriedly at his feet, though in the back of his mind he already knew it was unnecessary: he wasn't in Freeza's cage, but on the same, abandoned planet he had been for the last number of years!

Vegeta raised his head, feeling the rain against his face, his eyes almost closed and no smile on his lips, despite his great relief. He was naked, yes, and cold, too, but that was because of the rain, and not because of the tortures of the insane half-lizard. He was in an open space, stuck forever on this planet, yet somehow free, for since the beginning of his long exile he never had seen the surroundings of a cellar again. Well, at least there was something good in this wretched situation. But... what use that could have for him?

Lightenings flashed through the sky, making him blink for a few moments. How long had he remained up there, at the top of the waterfall, after having allowed himself to drown in despair and exhaustion? As he slowly stood up, a wave of shame and self-disdain swept his mind. How could he have allowed himself to break down like that? Even if he had lost everything, he was still Vegeta. Even if he had to spend one million years in this forsaken place, no one or nothing could take that from him.

The thought, however, reminded him of his lost hope of ever leaving, and he felt his stomach sinking. Perhaps, the former prince thought absently as he looked at the landscape below, he should try to see what was behind those mountains. Nothing guaranteed that he was the only intelligent form of life living in this world… anyway, to sit here forever wouldn´t take him anywhere.

Suddenly, he sneezed. That wasn´t the best moment for existential thoughts. He could make his plans later, in a dry place.

He had started his way down the valley, when his sensitive ears caught something above the rumble of the thunder and the hissing of the rain. A sound that was initially weak, but was gradually and ominously growing stronger with each passing second. Oh no.

Vegeta gave a quick glance above his shoulder a split second before starting to run, as fast as the wretched wind allowed him. Because of the blasted rain, the river had been growing thicker, until its waters could no longer be restrained by its banks and invaded the shores, smashing down everything in the way. Vegeta had seen lots of floods like that. Usually that didn’t worry him, because his cave was in a higher place and out of reach from the hungry waters. He had even taken advantage of the floods to get his meat. However, that was the first time he was directly in the way of the danger. Damn it! Why he hadn´t stayed up there?

A group of trees was getting closer . His only way was to climb one of the trees, and hope that it would be strong enough to resist the force of the water. His chances were minimal, the flood was too close, but like always, he was confident. Vegeta could run faster than most of the animals. Frequently, he had caught small saurians in the run, before pulling them by their tails.

But he wasn't fast enough.

A wave of muddy water hit his back with the crushing impact of a dinosaur's tail, taking the air of his lungs and throwing him face-down. In a matter of seconds, the brown water surrounded him before Vegeta had time enough to jump on his feet again. Gulping water, he still braced, in order to try and keep his head out of the waters, but the waves balanced him back and forth.

Then something hit him on his head.

However, even if he wasn't unconscious, he wouldn't have noticed another thing coming; maybe the thunder and the roar of the flood didn't let him hear. The fact was, he didn't notice the sound announcing the arrival of something that would change the destiny of this small, forsaken planet. Something that he had given up on relying for hope several hours ago.

The sound of a spaceship.