Chapter 38

LETTIE

Goku started screaming in his sleep.

Everyone turned to him, startled. My brother was drenched in cold sweat, his black hair sticking to his damp forehead as he clenched his teeth and writhed in agony on the mat in the middle of the plane.

Gohan, who had just finished hugging my fiancé after calling him "Uncle Piccolo," shrank into his arms as if seeking some kind of comfort while witnessing his father's suffering. The three of us exchanged worried looks.

"Dad…" Gohan whimpered, his eyes brimming with tears.

"Goku, hang in there!" Krillin exclaimed.

"LET ME THROUGH!" Chi-Chi rushed in with the medicine, leaning over her husband and placing another dose into his mouth.

I don't know how many minutes we stood there, all tense, watching as my brother slowly began to relax, as if nothing had happened. It was only after some time that I realized I had been clenching my fists so tightly that my nails had nearly cut into my skin.

When everything finally seemed calmer, Piccolo and I locked eyes and let out a long sigh of relief. Gohan, thankfully, also looked less distressed as he sat down beside his father.

"Poor Goku…" Trunks murmured. "He can't even find peace. He's fighting even in his dreams."

"That's true…" My shoulders slumped as I watched him. "My brother's like this." I leaned forward, taking his hand in mine and squeezing it gently, silently wishing for his quick recovery.

"Hey, guys," Yamcha called from the cockpit. "We're almost at Master Roshi's house. Krillin, don't you think it'd be a good idea to call Bulma in case of an emergency? You can use the phone built into the panel here."

"Yeah, that might be a good idea." Krillin sat in the co-pilot's seat beside Yamcha. "But the thought of talking to Bulma scares me. With all due respect, Trunks, your mother has a… uh… very strong personality."

Trunks laughed. "She's exactly the same in the future!" He turned toward me and Piccolo. "Only Naíma's cooking can calm my mother's nerves. Just so you know, your daughter is an amazing cook."

It was comforting to hear that at least something good happened in Naíma's future. I could even picture her, Trunks, and Bulma eating together at Capsule Corporation after a long day of research. Even though her timeline was dark and terrifying, those small family moments were what brought light and hope.

Krillin dialed the Capsule Corporation's number and waited for the call to connect, holding the walkie-talkie linked to the device. It didn't take long before an employee answered and quickly transferred the call to Bulma's department. A waiting tune played as we held on, and then…

"KRILLIN!!! WHAT'S GOING ON??? IS EVERYONE OKAY?!?!"

Now I understood Krillin's fear. Bulma's stern and authoritative tone was just as intense as Chi-Chi's.

"Come on, tell me!" she continued. "I thought Gohan had gone back home! I called there, but no one answered! I'm so worried! By the way, is my son from the future there? I need to talk to him! It's urgent!"

"Y-Yes…" Krillin finally gathered the courage to respond. "Trunks is here. Go ahead, you're on speaker, we're all listening."

"Alright," Bulma continued. "Listen up, guys. Pay close attention because this is extremely important: our company was contacted by some people from the western countryside. They found a strange abandoned ship on their land and wanted to keep it for themselves, but they had no idea how to operate it and wanted us to teach them. Are you listening? Oh, good. Anyway, they tried to describe the ship to me over the phone, but I couldn't quite understand, so I told them it probably wasn't from our company. But they insisted that it was, saying it had the Capsule Corporation logo. So, I asked them to send me a picture, and they did. And, guys, when I saw the photo, I freaked out because it was Trunks' time machine—but completely wrecked! That's why I'm so desperate!"

"What?!" Trunks' eyes widened. "B-But how??" He pulled a small box from his jacket and checked its contents. "Look, my time machine is right here! I had to turn it into a capsule to bring it with me. There's no way another one exists!"

Wait a minute… so there were two time machines?

This was really strange.

"Well," Bulma continued, "if Trunks has his time machine in capsule form with him, then the one they found isn't the same one he traveled in, because this one is old and covered in moss. Listen, son, how many time machines did I make in your future?"

"What do you mean, how many?!" Trunks repeated in disbelief. "It was already hard enough to make just one!"

"Ugh, what a bizarre mystery!" Bulma responded. "Because I know it's a time machine. I saw the one you traveled in, so I have no doubt! Oh, you guys have a fax machine on the plane's control panel, right? I'll send you a picture so you can see I'm not making this up!"

"Wow!" Trunks raised an eyebrow. "You guys still use fax machines?"

"Don't you?" Gohan asked.

"No," Trunks replied. "They stopped existing a long time ago in my time."

Piccolo and I exchanged curious glances. I suddenly felt ancient—and I wasn't even thirty yet!

A few minutes later, a photo printed out in front of Krillin's seat. He handed it to Trunks, who gasped in horror.

"What is it??" I couldn't contain my curiosity and unbuckled my seatbelt to peek over his shoulder.

In his hands, he held a photo of a time machine identical to his own. However, just as Bulma had described, it looked incredibly old, covered in moss and overgrown vegetation, with its glass dome shattered at the top.

"It's…" Trunks murmured, eyes wide. "It's mine…"

Everyone turned to him.

"There's no doubt about it," Trunks confirmed. "This abandoned ship is the time machine I traveled in. But what does this mean?! Why does it look like this?! And who traveled in it?!"

"Bulma," Piccolo called from his seat, "do you know the exact location of this ship?"

"Not exactly…" she replied. "But it's in the west, near sector 1,050. Why? Do you want to go there?"

"Yes." Trunks clenched the photo in his hands. "I need to see this time machine with my own eyes."

"If that's the case," Bulma said, "I'm coming with you! It's not too far from here."

Everyone exchanged surprised glances at Bulma's self-invitation, but in the end, we agreed and ended the call. A heavy silence settled over us.

"Is that true, Trunks?" Yamcha asked. "There's only one time machine?"

"Yes. I have no doubt about it. My mother and Naíma only built a single prototype."

"Excuse me, Trunks." Gohan approached him. "I'd like to go explore this time machine with you. Can I come?"

"Well…" Trunks looked nervously at Chi-Chi. "I… uh…"

"I'll go too." I raised my hand. "I want to get to the bottom of this as well." I turned to my sister-in-law. "Don't worry, Chi-Chi, I'll take care of Gohan."

Chi-Chi crossed her arms, pursed her lips for a few seconds, then finally said, "Alright. Gohan can go. I don't really trust Bulma's recklessness, but I do trust Lettie and Trunks—after all, he can turn into a Super Saiyan if anything serious happens."

Phew. One obstacle down. Now, there was just… Piccolo.

I turned to my fiancé. He didn't look too happy about the idea of separating from me while three murderous Androids roamed freely outside. But after taking a deep breath, rubbing his hands over his thighs, he finally said, "I agree with Chi-Chi. I don't trust Bulma's recklessness either, but I do trust Gohan and Trunks." Then, Piccolo gave a faint, daring smirk. "Besides, my fiancée is an excellent warrior. She can handle herself."

If we weren't in public, I would have kissed him right then and there. Instead, I settled for smiling at him.

At last, Trunks, Gohan, and I stepped out of the plane through a side door, leaving our loved ones behind. Before launching into the sky, I glanced over my shoulder and gave Piccolo a bittersweet smile, which he returned.

I hope he'll be okay.

I hope Goku will be okay.

I hope everyone will be okay.

***

"Trunks…" Gohan called at one point during our flight. "Is it really true that your future is horrible because of those Androids?"

I cleared my throat, embarrassed. Like any child, Gohan didn't have much of a filter when asking such a direct question. Luckily, Trunks didn't seem to mind.

"Yes," he answered firmly. "The world's population has been reduced to only a few tens of thousands, all because those Androids control everything and everyone. West City was completely destroyed. People can only survive by hiding in underground passageways."

I listened to his account, utterly horrified. It sounded like the setting of a post-apocalyptic sci-fi movie, not the real-life world where my grown-up daughter was living.

I had so many questions… So many things I wanted to ask about Naíma. Oh, how I wished time could stop so I could talk to Trunks for as long as I wanted!

"I hope we find the Androids' weakness soon…" I said.

"I do too…" Trunks furrowed his brow. "Do you remember when the Androids turned on Dr. Gero back at the lab? That lunatic scientist was so desperate that his only option was to awaken those unfinished machines, but in the end, they killed him. However, despite that, Dr. Gero knew they could be extremely dangerous if given progressive testing." Trunks then looked between Gohan and me. "My conclusion is that he must have created some kind of emergency shutdown system for them. Otherwise, would he really have reactivated them?"

Interesting. Trunks had a point worth considering.

After flying for a few more minutes, he glanced at a watch on his wrist that beeped. It was only then that I noticed it—a sleek, futuristic touch-screen device, far more advanced than anything that existed in our current time.

What other kinds of technology existed in his future? I was intrigued.

"We're almost at sector 1,050," he announced.

We split up to search more efficiently. The area was lush and green, filled with rolling hills and small mounds, eerily similar to the region where we trained that year against the Saiyans, stirring a deep sense of nostalgia within me.

"FOUND IT!!!" I heard Gohan shout from somewhere in the distance after some time.

We landed in an open clearing, and right in front of us, a massive ship loomed—almost as tall as my house, worn down by time.

Yes, it was Trunks' time machine.

"Well done, Gohan," Trunks praised.

My nephew beamed, and I ruffled his hair. Then, we heard the sound of turbines cutting through the sky nearby.

"It must be Bulma!" Gohan said, taking off. "I'll go guide her here and help her land! Be right back!"

I found myself smiling as I watched him fly away, and I also noticed a gleam in Trunks' eyes. A gleam filled with deep admiration and respect.

"Gohan's a good kid, isn't he?" Trunks said.

"The best."

"You know, Mrs. Lettie…" Trunks sighed. "He was my Master in my timeline. Unfortunately, he died in a terrible way. Far too soon."

My heart clenched, and it hurt even more when Trunks lowered his head, trying to hold back a sob—but failing.

If just hearing about his future was painful for me, imagine him, living through all of it every single day, without end. How was his emotional and mental state holding up?

I couldn't hold back. I pulled him into my arms, resting his head against my chest so he could cry freely and let out all the pain he had been suppressing.

"N-Naíma and I m-miss him so m-much!" Trunks sobbed, clutching my uniform tightly, his shoulders trembling.

I didn't know whether to cry with him or just stay there, trying to console him over something that could never be consoled. With a heavy heart, I looked up at the sky and wished—from the depths of my soul—for some miracle to happen, for all the people he loved to somehow be brought back to life in his timeline. 

Oh, how I wished…

But for now, all I could do was hold him close, as if he were my own flesh and blood, pouring all the motherly warmth and love I felt for him into that embrace. For a moment, I even imagined Naíma in his place. I bet she needed a hug like this too, my dear daughter…

After some time, Trunks' sobs ended. He lifted his head, wiping his nose on the sleeve of his jacket.

"Th-Thank you, Mrs. Lettie…" He sniffled and tried to smile. "I really wish I had met you in my timeline."

In response, I cupped his face as if he were a small child, smiled back, and said, "Never lose hope."

His swollen blue eyes shimmered, and for a moment, I thought I saw a flicker of that hope.

Soon, Gohan appeared in the sky, accompanied by Bulma, who was piloting a small, white, flattened aircraft. She waved excitedly from the compact cockpit. 

"Hey, Trunks! Your pretty mom has arrived!" Bulma jumped out of the aircraft after landing it nearby, dressed in an orange tracksuit and a cap. Was it just me, or was she acting like she was on a casual park stroll rather than a mission that could change the future of Earth?

Trunks looked incredibly embarrassed by his mother's flamboyant behavior. Maybe the Bulma from his timeline was different, more mature—I wasn't sure.

To make things even worse for him, she asked, "So? How does it feel to meet the young version of your mother?"

He blushed. "A-Actually, you haven't changed much."

"Really?" Bulma tilted her head. "Wow, so I'll still be gorgeous for decades?! Oh, what a tragedy it is to be this perfect! HOHOHO!"

Trunks gave me a desperate look, as if silently pleading for help, while Gohan looked completely lost. So, I cleared my throat and stepped in. "Uh… Bulma, there's something we need you to see. Trunks, can you show her, please?"

"Y-Yes, of course!" Trunks looked immensely relieved at the change of topic and pulled a small box from his pocket. From inside, he took out a capsule and tossed it into an open area beside the old time machine.

His pristine, fully intact time machine appeared next to it, gleaming like a brand-new car straight from the dealership.

Trunks walked over and placed a hand on one of the ship's legs. "This is the time machine I traveled in. It was stored as a capsule, as you just saw."

"I see," Bulma said, placing her hands on her hips as she analyzed both time machines. "So, there's no way this old, worn-out ship could be yours, right?"

"Wrong!" Trunks answered. "In my future, you and Naíma were only able to build one time machine because it was incredibly difficult."

"What?!" Bulma exclaimed. "Wait—me and Naíma?! Are you talking about Lettie's daughter?"

"Yes," Trunks confirmed. "I don't have much time to explain now, but since Mrs. Lettie didn't survive in my future, you took her in as your daughter, and the two of you worked together to build the time machine."

For about five seconds, Bulma stared at me, wide-eyed. And for the first time, I felt a real connection with her—a connection from one mother to another. I believe she felt it too.

"Anyway," Trunks continued, "what I'm saying is that this old, battered time machine is the exact same one I traveled to the past in."

"But how is that possible?" Bulma asked.

"Look at this." Trunks walked over to one of the fuel tanks and wiped away the moss with his hand, revealing the word "Hope" written in black ink. "Naíma was the one who wrote this before I traveled," Trunks then turned to me, locking eyes with a deep gaze. "She said she wrote it down so we would never forget what her mother told us—that there is still hope. And do know that it's that hope we've been holding on to, Mrs. Lettie."

I gasped as if I had taken a hit. My eyes burned.

I… I did say that to Naíma, back when I reconciled with Piccolo at Kami's Temple. So, I had told her the same thing in her timeline? And she remembered my words after all these years, when she was still just a little girl? Did they still echo in her mind?

And to think that I had just told Trunks practically the same thing now…

I had to wipe away a tear that escaped my eyes, and I was surprised when Bulma stepped closer and squeezed my hand affectionately.

"Well…" Trunks continued. "As you can see on the new time machine, the word 'Hope' is also written on that fuel tank, see?"

"I don't understand…" Bulma rested a hand on her chin. "What does this mean? At first glance, it looks like this machine has been abandoned here for a long time."

"Why don't we check inside the cockpit?" I suggested.

The boys agreed, and we floated up to the shattered glass dome at the top of the ship.

"This hole is really strange…" Gohan analyzed the broken section of the glass. "It looks like the edges were melted by some kind of heat source. And it was made from the inside out."

"That can only mean someone was piloting this ship," I said. "But what's this red goo on the glass? It doesn't look like blood, and it seems as old as the ship itself."

"We should open it," Trunks decided. He pressed a button on the side of the ship, and the glass dome slowly creaked open, the gears grinding sluggishly. He stepped inside the cockpit, carefully scanning the interior.

"What's that over there?" I pointed to two halves of a small, round, pinkish structure covered in several bumps, lying beside the pilot's seat.

Trunks picked them up, one half in each hand. Over his shoulder, Gohan and I examined the… uh… thing.

"What is this?" my nephew asked. "It doesn't look like a fruit shell."

I tapped lightly on the rigid surface. "It's pretty tough."

"Hey!" Bulma called from the ground. "Can I see it?"

We handed it down to her. She inspected the inside of the halves before fitting them together.

"Oh!" Bulma exclaimed. "Without a doubt, this is some kind of eggshell."

"An egg?!" Gohan repeated, surprised.

"An egg from some kind of creature?!" I stared at Bulma.

We exchanged suspicious glances. Then, almost in unison, we all turned to look at the large hole in the glass dome, still covered in that red goo.

No one needed to say anything—the obvious answer loomed over us: that hole had been made by the creature that hatched from that eggshell.

Trunks looked devastated. With a heavy sigh, he slumped into the dusty pilot's seat, exhaling all his frustration, and started pressing the buttons on the control panel. The ship beeped in response.

"The machine's energy is practically depleted," he informed us. "But what era did it come from, huh?"

He kept fiddling with the controls, then suddenly gasped. "What?! How is this possible??"

"What is it, Trunks?!" I called up to him from below, feeling anxious.

"You're worrying us!" Bulma added.

"According to the system," he continued, "this machine arrived here nearly four years ago—about a year before I defeated Frieza! I-I don't understand! Why did it come to this time period?? And more than that, has History changed that much because of this??"

A cold wind blew past us, a sinister whisper rustling through the tree branches surrounding us. We exchanged uneasy glances, shaken by Trunks' revelation.

What did this mean?

At last, Trunks powered down the ancient time machine and descended to meet us. Together, we gazed at both ships.

"Well, there's no denying it." Bulma pouted smugly. "I really am a genius. I built a time machine in the future! Wow!" She laughed to herself.

The rest of us exchanged nervous glances. Bulma clearly hadn't grasped the seriousness of the situation yet.

"Trunks," I called him, "either way, I don't think it's a good idea to leave the time machine abandoned here. Who knows what someone might do if they find it again."

"I agree, Mrs. Lettie. I'll store it in capsule form." He walked over to one of the machine's legs and pressed a button, instantly transforming it into a small capsule.

Gohan suggested doing the same with the new time machine, and Trunks approved. Within seconds, both ships were safely stored inside the tiny case in Trunks' pocket.

Then, Bulma said she would take the eggshell back home to examine it in her lab. Gohan took the opportunity to fill her in on everything: three Androids had been activated, and they were planning to take Goku's life. However, since he was still sick, we had decided to take him to Master Roshi's island until he recovered.

"But…" Bulma argued. "If all of you join forces, you should be able to defeat those Androids!"

"No, that's impossible!" Trunks shot back, determined. "My father, Mr. Piccolo, Mrs. Lettie, Tien, and I all fought the Androids, but we couldn't land a single hit on them!!!"

"Seriously?!" Bulma's eyes widened. "S-So they're that strong! And Vegeta? Is he okay? Is he safe at Master Roshi's house too?"

"We gave him a Senzu Bean," Trunks replied. "So he's fine."

"Well…" I said cautiously. "'Fine' might not be the best word after getting thrashed by Android 18…"

"Yeah…" Trunks sighed, shrugging. "Let's just say my father is physically fine, but he didn't stick with the group. He went somewhere else, and we don't know where."

"That's so like Vegeta." Bulma pursed her lips.

Suddenly, Gohan squeezed between us, trying to get through.

"Huh? What is it, Gohan?" I asked, watching him walk toward a cluster of bushes.

"It's nothing, Aunt Lettie…" Gohan seemed very focused. "I just want to check what this is…"

Bulma, Trunks, and I watched as he pushed through the bushes, completely clueless about what had caught his attention—until he suddenly gasped in shock.

"HEY!!! COME LOOK AT WHAT I FOUND!!!"

We ran over to him. For some reason, my heart pounded with unease. Whatever Gohan had discovered gave me a sickening feeling. And when we finally peeked behind the bushes, we all screamed in pure disgust.

A massive animal husk lay there.

"W-WHAT IS THAT?!?!" Bulma shrieked, hiding behind Trunks in horror.

Having spent most of my life in rundown shelters—and having lived an entire year in the wilderness during our training against the Saiyans—I was used to insects, even the most revolting ones. But staring at the brown husk of that repugnant creature, which looked like a giant cockroach with red eyes, sent a shiver down my spine.

"It's huge!" Trunks observed.

"What kind of creature is this?" I asked.

Gohan, brave as ever, touched the husk, inspecting it closely. "I've never seen an animal like this before."

"Are there animals this big around here?" Bulma asked.

"Well…" I said. "I wouldn't doubt anything anymore after seeing a dinosaur where Piccolo took us to train."

"Excuse me?!?" Trunks spun toward me abruptly. "A dinosaur???"

"Long story, sweetheart."

"But I can say for certain that no animal like this exists," Gohan declared again.

"Then it's probably the creature that was inside the egg from the time machine!" Trunks replied.

"Yes," Gohan confirmed. "And as it grew, it must have shed its outer shell."

"Do you think that… THING is still around here??" I asked, glancing around nervously, terrified that the creature might suddenly attack us.

"I don't know…" Gohan examined what appeared to be the creature's wing. "I've never seen anything like this before."

"But how did it end up HERE??" Trunks questioned. "Someone from the future must have sent it, programming the time machine. And maybe this unknown person came along with the egg. Dang it! I'm so confused! I have no idea what's going on!"

He then climbed onto the husk to examine it more closely, running his hands along its hollow interior—until he suddenly let out a shout, "UGH, THAT'S DISGUSTING!!!"

His hand was covered in a slimy red substance. The same goo that had been on the glass of the old time machine.

"It's fresh!" He stared at his hand. "That means it hasn't been long since it left the shell!"

"So the thing really might still be around here!" I didn't even try to hide my disgust at the thought of encountering that monstrous creature.

Everyone remained on high alert for several long seconds. Then, something rustled in the bushes. Bulma screamed and bolted, flailing her arms above her head—only for a family of squirrels to scurry out.

Phew.

We decided to get out of there as quickly as possible. The old time machine had already been secured, so there was nothing left for us to do.

Bulma climbed into her small aircraft. "Trunks, be honest," she asked. "What do you think of this situation? Do you have a bad feeling about it?"

"I do," he answered darkly.

Bulma paled. "W-Well, in that case, I'd better go. You guys are at Master Roshi's house, right? If I discover anything, I'll call you there. And Trunks, my son, come visit me if you can. Your grandparents will be so happy to see you."

"I will, if possible," he nodded.

And with that, Bulma was gone. I turned to Gohan and Trunks and said, "Come on, boys. Let's head to Master Roshi's house."

We took off in silence, each of us lost in our own thoughts.

What was happening?

What kind of creature had emerged from that egg and that husk?

Was there something even worse to worry about besides the Androids?