Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Strength ❯ I Need a Guinea Pig ( Chapter 2 )

 

Part 2

 

 

Gohan and Videl watched patiently as the others were given appointments. Their names however were not called. Finally, a third man (SODA Three Years of Service) approached the two of them. “Miss Satan, Mr. Son? My name is Soda, would you please follow me?”

 

“Where are we going?” Videl demanded to know.

 

“Our Program Head would like to meet with you. He looked over your applications and wondered if you would be interested in a special program he is offering. He will explain in more detail when you meet him.”

 

Soda proceeded to lead them down the one hall they hadn't visited during the tour. As they entered this previously neglected area of the facility, Gohan seemed to feel the energy signature he had detected earlier, but it still was mostly hidden from him. However, the uneasy feeling which had troubled him before was certainly increasing. As much as he wanted to leave, as long as Videl remained, wild horses couldn't drag him away.

 

Inside was an office where a man in a white lab coat was seated behind a large desk with nothing on it but two file folders. Soda bowed and addressed the man. “Doctor, I brought the ones who would fit into the program.”

 

The man nodded which Soda seemed to take as an order to leave. Once they were alone, the man Soda had referred to as Doctor looked over at the two young people sitting rather uncomfortably in the chairs in front of his desk. He steepled his bony fingers in front of him and began, “I'm pleased to meet the two of you. You may call me Doctor Pepper. I'm sure you're dying to hear more about this program. Besides the normal regime, we have something a little different for special cases like yourselves.” His gaze seemed just a bit predatory as he said that.

 

“Miss Videl, as the daughter of Satan Hercule, of course gets special consideration to entering the program. And you,” checking the papers on his desk,” Son Gohan are just a prime candidate for it.” The toothy smile he gave Gohan did little to comfort the Saiyan.

 

Videl noticing a small bit of unease in Gohan and the doctor's interest in him, tried to shift his focus. “What's so different about this program?” The doctor smiled back at her. “Ah, a very good question. Unlike the regular program, which revolves on slowly building muscles through diet and an exercise program, this is based on a scientific procedure.”

 

At this, Gohan cringed and couldn't help but ask, “Procedure?!”

 

“Now, now young man, I know what you're thinking, but there are no needles or anything of that sort. In fact, it's completely painless, no discomfort whatsoever.”

 

At the doubtful looks the two teens were giving him, he simply smiled and pressed an intercom button on his desk, “Why don't I just show you what the program entails rather than just trying to explain it? Soda, would you and Cola set up the equipment to show our potentials?”

 

Videl instantly agreed, sure that this was the evidence they had come looking for. Gohan just wanted to get away from the man. He knew it was ridiculous for him to be feeling so much fear. Its not like the man could really do anything to him, but no matter what he told himself, he couldn't shake the dread overtaking his mind.

 

They were led back into the hallway and down it through another door. The room beyond had a definite ”Mad Scientist” look to it. There were two platforms in the center of the room. The far side of each platform had a wall which reached to the ceiling. Two bars were embedded in the wall about shoulder width apart. On the platform, opposite the wall was a strange array of mirror like objects atop posts set into the floor of the platform. There were cords and peculiar attachments connected to the objects which Soda and Cola were arranging and calibrating. Gohan realized immediately that this room held the strange energy.

 

The doctor led them to the platform on the right. “Would one of you like to step on the platform to help me demonstrate our program?” Videl turned to Gohan and gave him a nod. She felt that whatever was going on, they were in a better position if she was free to stop anything. The thought of just saying “no thanks” to the doctor and being on her way to get the police never even crossed her mind. Besides, she really was curious to see what this doctor was trying to do.

 

Gohan, in no way comfortable with this, kept telling himself that they couldn't do anything to him, and if they tried, he could easily stop them. Soda led him to stand against the wall on the backside of the platform, then instructed him to grab the handgrips. “What are they for?” Gohan asked.

 

“To make sure you are standing in place,” Soda responded. Gohan stood there as instructed and smiled weakly, almost sickly at Videl.

 

“There that's not so bad is it? All you have to do is stand there like you are,” the doctor said to Gohan, almost oozing false compassion. He turned to Videl, “Now these parts here,” he showed Videl the mirror parts, “focus the beam on Gohan like this,” and with that flipped on a switch. A series of green beams landed on Gohan.

 

“Um, Sir? What are you doing to me?” Gohan asked nervously hoping that the fear he felt wasn`t totally obvious in his voice.

 

“I told you, completely painless. Just stand there so Miss Satan can get a good demonstration, unless you would like to take part in the demo instead Miss Videl?”

 

Whatever this guy was trying to do, the last thing Gohan wanted was the doctor to touch Videl in any way, so he shouted back to the doctor, “NO! Um, I mean no, I want to do it, I just wanted you to continue your explanation.” After all, he couldn't feel any effects from the beams, they were probably being diffused by his tough Saiyan skin anyway, or would have no effect on him because of his unique biological make-up.

 

“Moving along, we simply flood the body with these beams. Everyone has a pool of energy to draw from, some however are not very adept at it. These beams are specially designed to help a person access their pool of power therefore making them stronger. If a situation occurs where a person needs to use their strength, they will find it easier to do so.”

 

Gohan thought to himself that he already knew how to tap into his energy just fine without the hokey doctor's help so surely this machine would do nothing to him. However, this definitely could cause problems with the average human taking part in the program. The thought of people like the Red Shark Gang, who were somewhat strong already, getting an added boost from this machine and then Videl having to take them on terrified Gohan. He knew Videl in comparison to most humans wasn't weak, but versus those who were affected by this “program”, well, that could be dangerous.

 

Videl had just turned to the doctor to ask him another question when the beam machine powered down. “If you would like to wait to see the rest of the demonstration, Miss Satan, it will begin in about an hour.”

 

“An hour?” Videl questioned.

 

“Yes. Mr. Son, would you like to take a seat?” he asked, patting on the back of a chair he pushed out for Gohan, “while we wait for the beams to do their magic?”

 

The smile he gave Gohan sent a chill down Videl's spine. She watched Gohan walk towards her and suddenly felt a bit of trepidation about Gohan being a guinea pig for the doctor. Heck she wasn't sure that this was really what the police had wanted them to do and it certainly wasn't Gohan's place to play lab rat. Feeling guilty for even asking him to help her with this, she tried to look Gohan over to see how he was doing. He didn't seem much different than from before they came into the room. So she continued with her interrogation. “What's the second platform for?”

 

“That is for collecting extra energy,” Doctor Pepper said bubbly. “You see, when one is not used to accessing one's energy, one doesn't know what to do with it at first and could hurt oneself or others with it, so we siphon it away so a person can get used to it in smaller measures until better control is established.”

 

While this conversation continued, Gohan was in his own thoughts. As he first sat in the chair, he felt a small twitch in his own ki. Dismissing it as nerves, he continued to listen to the doctor's explanation until he felt the twitch again. A third spike soon followed. He proceeded to ignore the conversation, instead concentrating on his ki level. Slowly but surely he felt it going up.

 

Videl studied Gohan, she was surprised to see him with a frown of concentration on his face. His hands had clenched tightly on the arms of his chair. “How are you feeling Gohan?” she asked. So caught up in what was going on, he missed Videl's second examination and her query.

 

The doctor noticing her concern waved Soda forward who had a device that he pointed towards Gohan. He gasped at the reading it gave him and turned to the scientist. “Sir this is amazing. Not only is the process starting already, but look at his power, it's rising almost exponentially!”

 

“Quick, prepare the collector,” the doctor ordered Cola, who had been watching silently from the doorway.