Gravity Machine

Holy hell, ten times gravity is nothing to laugh at.

I just activated the room and instantly I'm brought to my hands and knees as the sudden pressure threatens to overwhelm me. Barely a minute in and I'm panting for breath, not even budging from my place in my attempt to stand up. When Bulma had told me that she had completed the gravity process as well as built a whole room I can train in, I was more than just happy. For one I didn't think she would do this so quickly as I had only asked her to help me make a small device - not unlike the zero-g sphere she had - I had not expected a room-sized gravity machine within a few days. I don't think it's been a week yet and she has already done something this amazing. What's even more ridiculous is the fact that she did all of this simply because she felt like it. She felt like doing all of this so she did it within a couple of days. If only I could just make something this incredible simply because I wanted to. Does she even realize how amazing this is? I'm being crushed by gravity right now but, damn it, I couldn't be happier. This will make for great training from now on, I can grow at incredible speed with this machine. Just getting used to the gravity and being able to walk around normally would do wonders for me. I could only imagine how much faster and stronger I will be when I overcome this.

It's exhilarating as much as it's frightening right now.

Sweat is already falling from my body by the time I manage to lift a single knee, panting with the drudgery that one action took. I'll take this slowly and carefully for one wrong move could leave me in terrible pain. Grabbing unto the panel at my side, I use it to pull myself to my feet, grinding and gritting my teeth at the effort until finally, I'm standing, though hunkered to try and take the overwhelming pressure. With deep breaths I'm attempting to walk, lifting my right foot off the ground as much as I can and taking a step forward. I barely manage to get my foot three inches off the ground before the pressure is too much and I drop my leg. Nevertheless, I took a step and that's something achieved already. A few seconds pass before I attempt another, muscles straining with the effort and chest heaving with the breaths I take. This is difficult, far more than I had imagined, and getting used to such gravity is going to take me a few days maybe. Another step, progress.

There's a month remaining before the dragon balls are active again, when that time comes I'm getting Kakarot so we can collect them. Being the person he is Kakarot will definitely have grown incredibly stronger by then, strong enough to visit god I'm sure. I'll be strong too, that goes without a doubt, especially since I have this machine. Hopefully, Kami accepts us and doesn't decide to strike us down for having the audacity to approach him. I have questions I would like to ask, a single thing I would like to confirm. I shouldn't have to, after all, everything Master Lao has told me has proven to be true so far, so why would I have to question a single thing? It's very likely that the dragon truly can't resurrect those who have passed through natural causes. It would only make sense that he could not do such a thing. Still, a part of me wants that info to be false. I want the old man to be wrong for once so that I can bring them back. It's stupid, so very stupid because I would be getting my hopes up with this ridiculous thought. I never get my hopes up so I best just accept things as they are and save myself the unnecessary pain. Mom, dad, and the old man are dead and nothing shall change that. I should not attempt to change it and disappoint myself. It's a useless venture and useless desire.

Accept and move on, it's been years.

Accept and move on.

Another step, a grunt as I struggle to take another.

Things are the way they are and sometimes it's best not to change them. Right now things are good, I'm not alone, I have friends and I go on these fun little adventures with them. Things are better than they have been over the years and I'm happy about it. Live and enjoy the now while looking toward the future, do not let the past torment you. It's better that way, healthier if I let it go and accept.

Six steps in over four minutes, not something that would be worth praise but it still brings a swell of pride.

Step by step.

This endeavor will take a great amount of time if I'm to be used to this incredible gravity. It just might crush me if my body is too exhausted and weak so I best not overwork myself. When I start to feel the strain, when it becomes unbearable, I'll stop. I doubt I'll make much progress today, or tomorrow or the day after, I'll need more time, but hopefully, I'll be able to walk somewhat normally within a couple of weeks.

The room has tinted red with the activation of the machine, giving it quite the gloomy look. I'm not sure why the light changes from white to red with the increased gravity, if there is perhaps a reason for it or simply there to indicate the change in pressure. Hopefully, Bulma will actually teach me how to build such a device this time, as that had been what I had requested. Still, I can't complain about the work she's done. She was pretty smug about it when I wouldn't shut up about how amazing it was, pretty much soaking up my praise like a sponge. I have perhaps boosted her ego a great deal today. Though my bootlicking was cut short when she told me I'm free to use it whenever and if I don't get crushed to death I can continue to grovel at her feet for the creation. She seems to enjoy my praise, obviously enough, a boost of ego maybe, or just plain joy at being admired in such a way, I'm not sure.

With the way I'm moving, I'm stuck in a walking lunch position as I cannot correct my posture any better. Still, it puts pressure on my entire body as I cannot move without using every part of me to push my legs forward. Hopefully, I won't die in my attempt to get stronger as it would be quite laughable. Terrible way to go, in my opinion.

Kami should know if there are other gods outside our mortal plane of existence as Master Lao had said. Though I do question if this Kami truly is a God, for why would such a being reside in the world of the living, much less on this little planet we dwell. Could he just be considered god because of the things he can do, because of the creation of the dragon balls? I wonder if one can be taught to make those things or if they are simply something that only he can do. And if Kami truly is a God, what distinguishes such a being from the weak creatures that are mortals?

There are many types of gods out there, I've heard, though they remain in two basic categories, if all Master said could be considered the truth. There are those who create and those who destroy the things that make up the universe I'm sure. Would the destroyers be considered bad or evil for causing destruction? It wouldn't make sense to view them as such, would it? Things that are created will eventually be destroyed, sometimes it must be destroyed, it's only natural. If there is light there must be darkness and if there is life there must be death. So in that very sense, if there is creation, destruction must naturally oppose this. Hence the gods that bring destruction should not be viewed any differently than those who create. It bothers me when there are assumptions in place based on certain factors and it bothers me even more so when those assumptions are proven to be correct. If I ever meet a god of destruction and they behave in an "evil" manner, well, I'll be greatly disappointed.

But some would automatically call them evil for practically being killers, wouldn't they? Because with the destruction of planets there's the death of an uncountable amount of the living.

Oh well, that's just how things go.

If only that old man were still around for me to question him on his insane knowledge. How does one come to know such things?

Of course, he had to go and die, taking his knowledge with him

~~~~~~

Five hours later and my body had come close to collapsing so I swiftly turned off the machine and left, downing an entire bottle of water on my way back to the capsule corp building. As sweaty as I am I need a good shower, a well-deserved cleaning that has me smelling like flowers. I quite like the smell of certain flowers it's the reason I admire the garden Panchy so carefully takes care of. I shall help one day if she allows me, I always liked to plant with my mother.

When I step into the building I'm immediately hit with the mouth-watering smell of food, the scent almost has me deviating from my set path as I register a sudden hunger. As yes, I haven't eaten properly for the five hours I spent in that contraption, only drinking water and snacking on these little protein bars. A true meal always did a far better job. Shower first, food later. I would not want to sit at table smelling and feeling the way I did. The way my pants stuck to my body is very uncomfortable. Fortunately, I had not worn a shirt today, simply my bindings, a good thing because it saved me further discomfort of having my shirt stick to my sweat-riddled body. It is a terrible feeling, one that even after years, I cannot get fully used to.

"You stink"

As blunt as ever, Bulma tosses me a towel when we meet in the hallway, something I'm thankful for as it saves me a trip to my room.

"Tragic" taking the towel I trudge right past her, my legs feeling like jelly now that I'm out of that hell of a machine. "Your genius invention is perfect"

"Back to bootlicking?" She snickers.

"Why yes, since I had been interrupted the first time"

"You'd think a fighter like yourself would not have an appreciation for such things," she says, perhaps saying what she has been thinking since she learned I greatly enjoy the things she and her father do.

"I'll ignore your insinuation in favor of taking this as somewhat of a compliment," I say in return, smiling when she rolls her eyes. "Besides, I knew of engineering and science way before I got into fighting, that came later, so it's only natural I admire cognitive ability as much as - if not more than - I do physical"

"Does this thing hurt?" A tug at the bandages around my chest relays her question as she changes the topic. A change in topic happens quite often with Bulma, as there's always something that has her attention. "It looks tight"

"Ah no, it doesn't hurt" though my chest does hurt, but that's only natural considering I'm at that age. It's quite a bother, however. "It's kinda comfortable"

"Why bandages?"

"It's what I'm used to using? I haven't found anything that works as well as bandages"

"But they don't protect you very much, do they?" She observes, poking between my shoulder blades. "It would be better if you used a strong fiber-based cloth or something"

"I don't have that Bulma, it's not something I've been able to find so very casually"

She nods, seeming to understand before waving goodbye as she turns down the nearest hall.

"Good talk" I mumble, finding the bathroom, finally.

~~~~~~~~

The sun is dipping below the horizon when I sit down to eat, happy with the food that Panchy so kindly offers me and thanking her as I always do when she remembers to feed me. I've been eating more of her cooking than my own and she's quick to adjust to what I like, even when I don't tell her what I prefer. She has an eye for it as any mother does, and it's very much appreciated. My body feels incredibly light now I'm out of that machine, a feeling I'm grateful for. My hair is still wet from the shower, small droplets rolling down my neck and into the towel I wrapped around my collarbone to protect my fresh clothes. I'm enjoying a bowl of vegies when Bulma appears, wordlessly taking place next to me and gathering some food herself. She had disappeared after our very short conversation earlier today and I have been curious as to what she had been so busy with.

She has a bowl of noodles, glancing at the two empty bowls in front of me with little surprise.

"You have an appetite today" she mutters, blowing on her noodles carefully after she almost burnt her tongue the first time.

"I haven't eaten properly in five hours" I should not do that again. Next time I'm taking breaks in between to supply myself with food, lest I pass out in there. "And I'm always especially hungry after some good training. Though it was more struggling to stay on my feet than training, it took a lot out of me"

"Your strength baffles me" she has been saying this for some time now.

"Same thing I said to Master Lao when he showed off his power the first time" I recall. "He lifted this huge boulder to show off, I think I was maybe eight or seven. It was the coolest thing I had ever seen. It was unbelievable that such an old man could pull such a stunt"

"Is that what got you into fighting?"

"No" I mean that was cool but it hadn't been the turning point. "What got me into the martial arts scene is the first time I saw him fight. It looked all kinds of cool and I wondered if I could do that. Plus he never fought like the men I saw on TV, he wasn't focused entirely on strength. His style is more speed and redirection, using the enemies own moves against them"

"Oh, I think I remember Chichi doing something like that with Kakarot" Bulma recalls suddenly.

"Yup, it's perfect when your opponent is stronger than you"

"You're the fastest, I've heard"

"Technically master Roshi is the fastest, but I'll overcome that soon enough" a few days in that machine should do just that.

"And how much faster is he?"

"I think about .4 seconds now"

"I would say that it makes you the same speed, but I know better than anyone that milliseconds can change a lot"

"Truly" four milliseconds could be all it takes for me to be killed.

"Okay, so I have a question" Bulma turns her body more in my direction, her full attention on me. "You train to meet this Kami person so he can change the restrictions set on the dragon"

"Yes"

"And you'll likely go to him within the next month as it will be an entire year since the dragon balls had been used"

"Yup"

"So you'll be needing the radar to collect them all"

"Yup"

"And once you do all of this, gather the balls, meet Kami and have him change the rules, what then?" She asks curiously.

A very valid question Bulma, leave it up to you, huh?

"I don't know," I say shrugging. "We'll see how things go"

"You don't think ahead, do you?" She says blankly.

"Ah yeah, I'm an impulsive person" I admit. "I mean it should have been obvious since the day you met me"

Buoma snorts and almost chokes on her food in the process. Still, she seems rather amused.

"Oh yeah, I can't believe you just agreed to go with strangers"

"Hey, you were very much looking forward to it" I retort and swiftly scoot away when I feel she might strike me. "You had this goofy smile and this blush on your face"

"Huh? And you remember that very clearly" she replies with a smirk. "Why do you remember that so clearly Durian?"

I could scoff if my mouth wasn't stuffed. She's smirking as if she has won some competition. It's endearing really, so I'm not very much annoyed at her for it.

"Think what you want, Bunny girl"

"I thought you stopped calling me that!" She swats my arm with surprising strength.

"Never"

"Well stop, it's embarrassing" truly is if she's getting red in the face.

Why was she wearing that incendiary bunny suit in the first place?

"Stupid Oolong" she mumbles when I ask and I won't pry any further than that.

"So no more Bunny girl?" I wonder.

"No, not at all"

"Oh" well, that's disappointing. "How about Bunny? Isn't that better than bunny girl?"

Maybe not considering she looks at me as if I'm the worst of fools. Bulma doesn't like nicknames I'm assuming. Either that or she just doesn't like the nickname I have chosen for her. Or maybe she thinks it's unfair that she has none for me.

"Why do you insist on the bunny nickname?" She asks, exasperated.

"It's endearing and quite adorable and it is the first thing I started calling you, so.." Honesty has always worked in my favor when it comes to Bulma, so might as well. "You can give me a nickname if you want to make things fair. Or I'll just not use nicknames anymore if you really don't like it. I don't use it that much anyway, but still"

We share a moment of silence as Bulma slurps up some noodles and I focus on chewing my food carefully while I await her response. Her responses always prove to be a bit more entertaining than the questions and conversation themselves.

"What is with your honesty?" She blurts out once there is no more food in her mouth. The expression on her face is one of complete confusion. "I don't think you've ever lied to me"

"Being honest has shown to bring the best results when I'm with you, so I shall always be honest" as simple as that.

"Really?" She's in disbelief and that is somewhat insulting.

"Yes, truly, but you still haven't given me permission for nickname use" I circle back to the main topic because we are bound to stray from the original conversation.

"Yeah, sure call me whatever you want" she's quick to dismiss the topic now she found something else to focus on, apparently. "Now, will you answer any and all questions honestly?"

"Yes, why do you doubt me?"

"It's not like you wouldn't be doubtful too"

Good point

"Now then, do you prefer men or women"

Bulma, why is this your first question? You could have asked anything and everything else, but this is what you go with?

"Are you hoping to shoot your shot, bunny?" I wonder suddenly. "I mean I'm perfectly fine with it if that is truly your intention, but still, you could've just asked, you know"

A swift punch to the chest lets me know that my words are not appreciated and I resist a laugh.

"Would you stop with your jokes"

"Sorry, sorry" best not anger her further. "As for your question, well, I don't know. I've been alone for years and have just started to interact with people again you know"

She nods and seems very content.

"So you really are honest with me," she says almost happily. "Good to know"

"How does my answer prove my honesty?" I'm going to ignore that she was still doubting me for the moment.

"Because you are Durian and such an answer is what I have come to expect from you, what with your complete lack of care for the unspoken gender rules and the way actually seem to forget you cannot just strip in front of people," she says as if it were the most obvious thing to know. "You've also admitted your lack of physical attraction, which could just mean that you're more emotionally inclined, and emotion doesn't include just one gender"

Of course, she has taken the time to fully analyze my behavior and possible sexuality. I won't even be surprised and just give in to the entire thing.

"And you're entirely se-" she hits me before I can finish my sentence, apparently knowing exactly what I was about to say.

"Shut up please"

"I didn't even get to finish"

I see the way she tries to fight the smile on her face, only proving my unspoken point. She doesn't hit me this time, only glares for a moment, but it's not something I can take seriously when she's still trying not to laugh at my words. Very perverted humor she has there.

"Sooo"

"Please don't talk to me"