Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction / Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction / Digimon Fan Fiction / Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction / Gundam Wing Fan Fiction / Sonic Series Fan Fiction / Fan Fiction ❯ Ultimatum 3: Trance Trauma ❯ Rise! Call of the Argetlahm ( Prologue )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

ULTIMATUM 3 - TRANCE TRAUMA

By Ultimanium





(A/N - This is just something I wanted to try... I'm not sure if I'm ready to make a full-blown sequel to the Ultimatum Saga, but I figured I'd give it a shot... let the readers decide! Oh, need I remind you, this one has NEW members!)

For future reference, the Ultimatum 3 occurs after the end of the Ultimatum Saga, Argetlahm Adventures... that should be about it. Well, go at it!)













< br>













< br>





I go there sometimes in my sleep.

To be perfectly honest with you, I have absolutely no clue how the images popped into my mind, but then again, I have been practically living on sugar and going to bed at midnight for the past little while. Still, I should have more common sense than to find myself here. Normally when I would wind up somewhere I didn't want to be, I'd just wake up startled. Common reaction, huh? Not in this case. I can't quite reason it, but this place intrigues me. I come here, and search the several square feet I can of the place before I wake up. I've even tried going to bed a bit earlier after that so I could extend the dream, and it prolonged the inevitable - for about 3 seconds, anyways.

I look around a bit - the place I'd woken up in this time was fairly dull. The metallic walls had obviously some sort of proud shine, that had since been overwhelmed with a thick layer of dust.

I'd already lost track of the time, so I fired out an estimate - 6 seconds? That was a bit long. Normally I would've accidently flung myself out of bed by now. I discarded the thought from my mind and checked my surroundings. The expansive hall that I was in didn't seem to house much, so I headed down and took a sharp left leading into another corridor. This one was a bit more interesting - a short ways down the hall there were a set of double doors with a small blackboard suspended over it with a chain. Next to it was some kind of senataf, with a glass case on top of it with assorted belongings in it. It, too, along with the rest of the enviroment, was sheeted with a musky haze of dirt. I cautiously approached the artifact and swept a handful of dust off the case. Cupping my hands to the glass, I peered inside. There was not much as far as valuables go contained in the glass prison - a couple watches, a kevlar helmet, a black belt, a couple of different-colored marble-sized orbs, and a small red card.

But what struck me the most was the pair of goggles.

Goggles, goggles that were a perfect carbon copy of the ones I had intended to purchase from a sporting goods store near my place, but never got the money in time. They were sold. I just sighed, and used some goggles I had managed to dig out of the recesses of my closet. I had them from a young age, though their origin exactly remained an enigma. I checked around myself, then reached forward and grasped the glass square with both hands and attempted to lift it off the platform. It was locked tight.

Swish, swish.

The sound was a gunshot through my mind. I quickly yanked open the doors beside me and threw myself inside, pulling them shut. I waited several minutes until the sound had echoed out of earshot then slowly shoved the doors back open. Aware of possible interruptions, I bent down and swept another load of dust off a small plaque that hung below the case. What I saw etched itself into my mind.



ARGETLAHM CREW

TOUR OF SERVICE

THE HEROES AND BRAVE SOLDIERS, FOUGHT AN EPIC BATTLE TO RESTORE PEACE TO THE THIRD DIMENSION. GOD BLESS THOSE THAT PUT THEIR LIFE ON THE LINE TO MAKE THE DREAM COME TRUE.

2001-10-19



What was going on? Was I on some sort of starship? Was this the memorial of people that had died fighting on it? The silence around me refused any sort of salvation, instead beckoning me to read further down the inscription.

Names. There were 27 names listed, a bit fewer than I was expecting. I didn't know a few of the personnel listed, but many names shocked me for a loop. What the hell were these people doing aboard the ship?

Now, I'm not a rabid otaku, but I know an all-star lineup when I see one. Son Goku. Vegeta Briefs. Heero Yuy. The familiarities went on.

"It's a real piece of work, isn't it."

The words echoing a short distance from me chilled me to the bone. I was busted. Slowly, I pivoted my head to see who my suspect was. A man sat leaning against a corner, dressed in a simple black t-shirt and some slacks. A short stretch of black hair stuck out in front of his forehead. His stubbled face didn't show any sort of disgust, instead focusing on the plaque. "I take it you know a couple of those people."

The words loosened me slightly. "...well... yeah."

He remained silent for a short second, then shrugged. "Well, read on, I'm not stopping you."

I grit my teeth, giving the stranger a worried stare before returning my gaze to the role call set in front of me.

"Before I forget," the man laughed, breaking my concentration yet again. "You can call me Ulty. Ultimanium."

"Am I supposed to be on a nickname basis with you?" I mumbled, starting down the list again.

"Well, you should be. At some point you're going to be on a list just like that."

I jumped back, landing in a defensive stance. "Listen, I don't know who you are, but one thing's for sure, you're not going to kill me like Goku and Vegeta!"

The man displayed a mild concern in his eyes as he waved his hands with a 'who pissed in your cornflakes' gesture. "Geez, geez, I didn't kill Goku and Vegeta! Are you nuts? They'd kick my ass! They just helped with the fight, and I gave them a plaque along with the remainder of the crew! Geez!"

"...fight?"

"Are you actually READING the thing?" Ultimanium laughed. "Read with me. They helped to save the third dimension. Along with several other mentionables - Hikari Yagami, Takeru Takaishi, Iori Hida..."

"Hey, hey, I'm not down there ye..." the shock slammed into me right about then. "...say what?"

"...Hikari Yagami, Takeru Takaishi, Iori Hida."

I backed up and leant against a wall. "Are you serious?! The Digidestined were here?!"

"Well, hey, I wrote the thing. Daisuke Motomiya..."

"...D...D-DAISUKE WAS HERE?!" I swung my hands down at the goggles. "Are you saying.."

"Uh-huh."

"THE Daisuke?"

Ultimanium was visibally confused. "...yeah."

"I NEED THOSE GOGGLES!!!"

"...um... whatever." Ultimanium sighed. He dug in his jean pockets for a ring of keys, and placed one into a slot on the top of the case and twisted it. He reached forward with both hands and lifted the case off carefully with both hands, placing it gently on the floor. He reached out and swiped up the eyewear, stuffing it in his other pocket. "Come with me. There's things you need to know."

I expected to wake up, right there and then. Still, however, nothing happened. Ultimanium began to make his way down the hall, and I had little choice but to follow.



********



"What you see here is the Argetlahm," Ultimanium explained. It had been a good 15 minutes and we were still plodding along through the catacombs of the ship. "The plaque explained that 27 people were aboard this ship saving the third dimension. It was about 9 years ago, when everybody was aboard the ship, fighting the dictator of the third dimension, a Super-Saiyan named Ultramagnus."

This surely was a dream. Was it?

"Anyways, Ultramagnus was fighting for control of a dimensionsplitter machine - a small probe that could jump between abeforementioned dimensions, each representing a progressive plane of reality."

I just blinked. "What do you mean?"

"You can check the Argetlahm's database after," Ultimanium said, gesturing into a sideroom. "It's where we keep all the mission algorithims and theorum."

(A/N - That means you, too! For a full explanation on dimensionjumping, refer to the first chapter of the Argetlahm Adventures!)

"O...kay. Remind me after. Anyways, what's the deal with the place? It's pretty shoddy..."

Ultimanium nodded. "Yeah, it's been that way lately. After the successful assault on the third dimension, control of the ship was handed over to one of my second men, the previous ruler of the third dimension, the original Magnus Power. However, he has since then went on his own adventures and the Argetlahm has been out of duty since then. I've only started it up recently.. so it reeeeeeeeally needs cleaning. I mean, it's been sitting here 9 years accumulating dust. Hopefully we don't get any people here with allergies..."

"So why am I here?"

"Ultimanium's Battalion, my regiment dedicated to the blitzing of the third dimension, has all but lost contact with the Argetlahm about 3 years ago. I haven't heard from some of them since then. I've taken the oppritunity to gather up a new fighting force to take the place of those I couldn't consult - Ultimanium's Second Battalion. You are the first of many people to board the Argetlahm. I intend to tell everybody what's going on when they get here..."

"More people are coming? Like who?"

"You'll figure out when they get here. A shuttle should be bringing them in about a day from now."

"So you lost track of everybody, huh," I sighed. I glared at Ultimanium's pocket. "So I guess Davis probably ain't comin' back for his goggles."

"God, fine, take them," Ultimanium muttered. He took the goggles out and tossed them to me, with I took with open hands. "They're less annoying than the goggles you have now, anyways. Those were full swimming goggles, you know that? With all due respect, you looked stupid as hell wearing them."

I nodded, grinning. "I know."

Ultimanium paused, checking around him. "Say, did you happen to see a janitor around here?"

"I think I heard him a while back. Who's the janitor?"

"To tell you the truth, I'm not really sure myself," Ultimanium sighed. "I was just aboard the Argetlahm the other day, and I heard some guy pushing a broom... but no matter where I go following the sound, I never see him."

I rubbed my head. "Whoa, freaky."

As Ultimanium turned to leave, he turned his head back. "Well, I've been boring you for enough now, maybe you should get some sleep."

"So this ISN'T a dream." I gasped.

"Haven't you figured it out yet? Anyways, you can take the turbolifts at the end of the hall down a floor to get to the male bunks. There's a bed and a computer down there, so you can get a hold of your friends and tell them you're alright. In the morning, two floors up is the mess hall. I'll be up there with breakfast."

"Sure thing."

Ultimanium turned again to leave, but stopped. "...I don't think I caught your name."



"Just call me Takato. Matsuda."





********





I was finally able to make my way down to the bunks situated near the bottom floors of the ship, and was pleasantly surprised by its contents - a mattressed double bunk, with an iron drawer in the corner and a small computer embedded in the desk next to it. Many of my personal belongings were already covering most of the available space on top of the drawer... including the D-Arc.

"...so he knows..." I took the device into my hands, giving the room another lookover. Indeed, several cards laid in a neat stack directly underneath the card scanner, ones I soon identified as my own. A small outstretch of card caught my eye, wedged between the lower half of the dresser and the wall behind it. "Hmm..." I reached down and gave a tug on the card, getting no response. I tried to move the dresser but found out in a hurry it was bolted directly to the wall. I then noticed scratchy writing etched into the section of wall next to it. For emergency use only. A small keyhole was right above it.

I wasted no more time on the card, instead turning myself to the computer and sitting myself down on the accompanying swivel chair, and after dusting a great deal of aging residue off the screen, got right to work throwing out e-mails to my friends to let them know I was okay. After finishing my duties, my eyes rose to the wall clock directly above the machine, as I shut it down. Wherever I was, it was already 11:34. Seeing little else to do in the situation, I flung myself into the bottom bunk and under the covers. I was about to rise again out of bed, having forgotten to shut off the light, when the lights instantly blanked out, dumping the room into darkness. I didn't have any motive left to think about what conveiniences the Argetlahm could possibly use, so I just buried my head in my pillow.

The distant, gentle humming of the Argetlahm's thrust boosters started putting me to sleep. It was obvious the Argetlahm was headed somewhere, but I wasn't even going to bother to guess where exactly.

All my exhausted mind ruminated about was exactly WHO I was going to be travelling with. All would be answered in the morning. I kept replaying Ultimanium's message in my head until I finally fell asleep. Tomorrow was going to be a big day.



********



I found myself awake what seemed like a short time later. Okay, I'd fallen asleep, this was SURELY not a dream. But the funny thing about it was that I was woken up by Metallica blaring over the intercom. Not the way I had intended, but it did manage to make me throw myself out of bed and onto the floor facefirst. It was already 8:53. In a tired stupor, I made my way over to the dressers and found much of my old clothes there. I slid on something comfortable, and made my way out to the turbolift, several strides away from my bunk door.

Swish, swish.

I flung myself around, staring down the darkened hallway, darkness that was pierced occaisionally by the red lamps fixated in the celing. It was that damn janitor... and I wish he would go away. Or, in this case, come out. Neither occured. Half shaken, half disgruntled, I stepped into the turbolift and hammered the button taking me to the floor below the bridge. I walked out into the same hall I'd come from the night before, with the double doors shoved open and held in their place by doorstops. The atmosphere itself was a bit cleaner than the mess I'd encountered before - the floor was swept, and a mop and bucket was leaning against a nearby wall. The smell of cooked breakfast was already wafting through the opening, so I entered and seated myself down in front of a mountain of hash browns. Ultimanium was sitting a distance down the table. Throughout the meal we didn't share words, though Ultimanium was apparently thinking about something.

I jumped when a klaxon in the corner of the room blared once. On cue, Ultimanium rose out of his seat and placed down his fork, and gestured me toward the door.

"We've got company."

"Huzzah?" My question would never be answered, especially in a situation like this. Ultimanium was already out of the mess hall, his half-finished eggs lying on his plate. I muttered illegibly to myself and slumped out of the cafeteria, leaving my hash browns unattended as well. I rounded the corner and out of the hall, spotting Ultimanium some distance ahead. "Hey, what's the deal?"

He didn't even bother turning to me, instead continuing at a quicker pace. "We've got company. What more can be said? Dropship Sigma's docking several floors down. It should be our reinforcements."

"Reinforcements? The Second Battalion?"

"Yes. Our new recruits are coming on the dropship, what's available of our senior Argetlahm team will be warping aboard later this day."

Warping aboard. Again, I confined query to my head and continued down the hall. Ultimanium ushered me into the turbolift and tapped the button lowest on the control panel, launching the pod down the shaft. It soon lurched to a halt at its destination, distant whirring, clanking and screeching of heavy machinery acting as testament to the various robotic vehicles fixing landing equipment and tidying up the surface of the hangar. The hangar itself was made up of a wide open space, with a polished black marble floor except for the three main runways, aspault, about 200 feet in length, at various points in the bay. The walls were polished white metal, with the occaisional open window for observation and supervision of the work being done on the grounds below it. The far side of the dock was completely missing, instead sealed off with a translucent forcefield that allowed sight into the abyss of space beyond it. At the center of the left runway, a small white shuttle with a sideways-W painted on it was parked. The back door of the shuttle was lowering slowly, until it hit the ground with an echoing clunk.

"C'mon out!" Ultimanium laughed.

Various muffled grunts and snickers could be heard from within the craft.

Several figures emerged.









not the end...



(A/N - Do you think I'd leave you with less than a cliffhanger? Well... BLEH!! Anyways, who are these new people aboard the Argetlahm? You'll have to wait for another chapter, or at least until I PLAN a chapter... ugh... oh, well, Ulty signing off!)