Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Variations of Fate ❯ Stigma ( Chapter 19 )

Crystal by multihued crystal, the netting of blue hair slowly came undone; wavy strands of blue hair messily joined others. Bulma sat the crystals -- each with a dull tink -- in a glass dish to the side of her vanity, a dour expression marring and withering otherwise svelte features. The expression surpassed simple annoyance at her grooming task; nay, annoyance with hair accoutrements could never ignite such a poisonous and disgusted expression.

Savoya's figure slowly appeared and grew larger in the mirror as the Saiyan female meandered towards her room mate. Bulma noted Savoya with a momentary flicker of cerulean eyes over the other woman's reflection. Savoya pursed her lips, the mirror transmitting the action to Bulma's line of vision.

"Wasn't it your mother who said something about ugly expressions sticking if they're on your face too long?" though the question was as it presented itself on the surface, the dynamic between the two room mates made so simple a question hold a great weight.

Simultaneously, Bulma's eyebrows drew down to the bridge of her nose and her nose wrinkled with distaste. Her lips opened as she ran her tongue over her teeth, mouth still parted as her tongue regained its normal place and the woman considered her words. Finally, she managed a terse "Yes," opting for semi polite rather than outright sarcastic. The single word gave way to a lengthy silence and that to a long-suffering sigh. She answered the unspoken question, "But I'm fine."

Savoya pulled over a chair and plopped down into it behind Bulma. "No, you most assuredly aren't," said the Saiyan, carefully toneless as she artfully continued Bulma's work, plucking crystal after crystal out of aquamarine waves without so much as yanking the wrong way on a single hair. Bulma leaned back towards her companion and closed her eyes. Savoya considered her friend's reflection, her own expression taut and stern as she gauged the other girl's frame of mind.

"Bulma, as much as I want to sympathize with you, I can't," began Savoya slowly. Blue eyes snapped open, glare reflecting towards her in the mirror. "What you did...it could have gotten you killed! You may not value your life, but there are plenty of people who do. I'm one of them and -- selfishly enough -- I'd rather you not outright die on me for a stupid reason. I can't sympathize with someone who blatantly insults my Prince to his face, either, deserved though your reply was."

Savoya's expression remained somewhat bland and stern, but her eyebrows evened out in relief, overall expression softening, as Bulma cracked the barest of wry smiles. Savoya leaned forward and dropped the crystals in the glass dish on Bulma's vanity. She reached for the brush and began to run it through her friend's hair, gently brushing the tangles out of Bulma's usually smooth hair. Bulma let out a silent sigh, indicative to Savoya only through the gentle heave and release of her

"You're awfully silent, Bulma."

"I'm tired. I'm worn out. I have a long day ahead of me tomorrow."

Savoya pursed her lips and paused, "Technically, it's today."

"It's today right now, but it'll be tomorrow when I wake up," said Bulma, eyes snapping open to consider her friend's reflection. Savoya took the hint and continued brushing the girl's hair.

The Saiyan cleared her throat. "What do you have to do?"

"Show His Royal Highness my research," she said bitterly with a snort.

Savoya pressed delicately onward for information, "Some of it…the gravitational stuff…that was your dad's research right?"

"Some of it, yes," Bulma replied slowly, allowing her eyes to close again as Savoya continued brushing through her hair. "Papa's research and simulations could reach up to 100 times Earth's gravity with the programming and materials that could be found, refined and utilized on Earth." She stopped for a moment and breathed a gentle sigh.

"But...there's more to be used and chosen from here?"

Bulma nodded slowly; Savoya ceased brushing the woman's hair for the moment. "A far greater abundance of resources exists. The materials are better and more capable of withstanding gravitational forces. The programming language used to control Saiyan technology allows for more complexities and a variety of algorithms."

"Ah. But...that was just adapting your father's research, right?" Savoya asked as she resumed brushing Bulma's hair. Her eyebrows were drawn in a curious expression.

"Mmm," intoned Bulma, eyes flickering open and over the other woman's reflection before locking eyes with her. "Yes, I just had to figure out how to translate the programming and do a bit of book research on materials that would hold up better than what was available on earth. The Saiyans have a variety of alloys, polymers, ceramics and other materials that can withstand high levels of grav--"

"But there's more than that, right?" pressed Savoya.

"Yes, of course. I found materials that can hold or block ki energy, consuming it or reflecting it. So...it can be utilized in ki training." Bulma began, and then swivelled towards her friend. This earned her a surprised expression, Savoya still holding the brush as if to stroke through Bulma's hair once more. Bulma grabbed the brush from her friend and sat it carelessly onto the vanity. "That's plenty of brushing, thank you. Now, the only problem is that these materials can only be used in plates, so they have to be plated along the walls and floors in panels. But if the tiles are small enough, different modes can be used for training and the vital hardware and controls can be protected beneath retractable panels of the ki-consuming material. Does that answer any other questions you might have?"

Despite the edge to Bulma's tone, Savoya didn't even flinch. Instead, a smile actually spread across the Saiyan female's lips. "That's all you need to talk about when you take the prince on the tour of your office. That's all. Just get through all of that and his questions, and you'll be fine. Don't worry about him wanting to kill you. Though stronger than the king, he still fears him. He wants his approval whether or not he shows it. At least, that's what my grandfather tells me. I don't know how he can judge that so quickly, but he was one of Vegeta's original tutors."

"Mm. I hope Director Suhyo is right."

"Come on, both you and I need sleep. I'd much rather have to deal with the prince than his self-designated consort."

"Ugh."

"See?"

"Yeah..." Bulma said, stiffling a yawn. Savoya guided her friend to the bed and held the covers back for her. The blue-haired female climbed in and Savoya covered her and tucked her.

"Good night, Bulma," the Saiyan whispered. Bulma, however, was already asleep.

Bulma woke with a start, glancing over at her clock and shouting "SHIT" as she hopped up.

"You've got plenty of time, Bulma." Savoya called drolly from the other room. Bulma didn't look particularly comforted.

"I still need to shower and get ready and...well."

"You've got plenty of time, Bulma," came Savoya's rejoinder for the second time.

"Damn it! Not as much as I'd like, though, Savoya! I'm going to be rushed and I wanted time to review everything before that bastard showed up and just because he's ornery he'll probably show up thirty minutes early! Damn it!"

"You've got the time, or you'd have it if you weren't busy complaining." came Savoya's shout.

"You have no idea how little time I have!" Bulma shouted as she darted for the shower.

Savoya's laughter could be heard in the living area, but thankfully for her Bulma couldn't hear it. A severe verbal thrashing would have been granted the Saiyan. While Savoya continued chopping meet and vegetables in the kitchen, Bulma quickly washed herself. As Savoya was placing the food items into a pot and began cooking it, Bulma was quickly throwing on her laboratory clothing.

Thud!

Bulma managed to fall flat on her backside while hurriedly attempting to put her socks on -- while standing, it ought to be noted.

"You alright?" Savoya called from the kitchen.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," Bulma said as she put on her socks and shoes while still seated in the place she'd fallen to. The earthling stood and brushed her backside off, and then hurriedly combed through her hair. She braided it and tossed it behind her without a second thought.

"Savoya! I'm off. I'll be back after I show his royal highness just how valuable I am."

With those words, Bulma rushed out of the door, a perplexed Savoya -- still in the kitchen with her pot of soup -- blinking profusely.

Bulma hurried down the corridor to the elevator; she wasn't about to risk several running down several flights when she was this flustered. The wait, though only a few minutes, was interminable. Low and behold when the elevator opened, an unexpected site awaited the beautiful earthling: the prince, looking ever-so-impatient, with his arms crossed over his chest. The prince's expression couldn't have gotten any sourer -- until he saw Bulma and greeted her with a "Humph!"

Head bowed and cheeks afire, the scientist quickly stepped onto the elevator. The doors swished closed and the automated voice counted the floors on which others might potentially be getting on. Bulma heaved a sigh. The prince looked her over with a sneer on his face, noting the wet hair and the still shower-pink skin.

"You running a little late?"

"You like being early?" Bulma shot back as she reached for the control panel on the elevator, tapping in a variety of codes and numbers. The automated voice announced that there were no floors in need of picking anyone up any longer.

"Do you always cheat on your way to work?" Vegeta quipped snidely as he leaned back against the elevator wall.

"Always ask far too many questions?" came Bulma's rejoinder.

Without skipping a beat, Vegeta returned: "Ready for the questions I'm going to ask you?"

"Ready for the answers?" Bulma's hands went to her hips.

Vegeta snorted: "Always this rude to royalty?"

"Always change the subject when you're losing the game?" Bulma jutted out her chin.

Vegeta's eyebrows twitched slightly at the scientists comments, "Didn't YOU just change the subject?"

Bulma looked aghast, her mouth open "I most certainly did not! There was no subject to change from!"

"Always this good at losing?" Vegeta shot back snidely.

"Oooh..." simmered Bulma just as the elevator announced their arrival at the laboratory level. Vegeta pushed out of the door faster than Bulma could make it and then entered the laboratory through the proper security scans and codes. Bulma followed as quickly as she could, following Vegeta to her own office.

With a stuffy heaving of her breath, Bulma plopped down into her chair and glared up at the Prince.

"I was here before you, therefore, you're late. Now show me what you're supposed to show me. And convince me that you aren't a complete idiot as I suspect you are. You're the kind of creature to be used for pleasure, not for research."

"I am NOT a pleasure woman, thank you kindly," grumbled Bulma as she typed out something on the Saiyan version of a keyboard.

"You have that brainless air about you," came the dry rejoinder.

"I most certainly do NOT!"

"Trust me, you do. Now show me what you need to show me. If your presentation is satisfactory enough, I may possibly change my opinion of you. However, I will warn you that hope, I feel, does not exist for you."

"Fine," Bulma said as she ignored the full extent of the prince's monologue. She touched the screen of her monitor, quickly running through a variety of files until the one she need to show Vegeta was on the screen. She swiveled the monitor towards the Saiyan prince.

"These are the basic schematics for the gravitational device that I have been developing. I've modified it from the original schemes my father created on Chikyuu."

"You father was that insurgent, was he not?"

"Yes, that was him," Bulma said, grinding her teeth as she averted her attention from Vegeta to her screen. "Now, originally, the schemes multiplied Chikyuu's gravity. However, the gravity of Vegetasei is about .05% greater than Chikyuu's and so had to be adjusted for that scale. Furthermore, the schematics and coding had to be translated to the --"

"--programming language used by the Saiyan Empire," came the prince's derisive tones, "Yes, yes, I realize this and all the other useless facts you have spouted out. Now, how can this really help my training?"

"Well, the Saiyans also have a variety of other materials at their disposal...although they'd have to be purchased from Lord Freeza."

"How can this help my training?"

"Well, these materials absorb and reflect ki blasts, your highness," Bulma said, although the last part came out as something of a growl.

Prince Vegeta considered her a moment, but his expression remained bland. "Very well then. How will this help me?"

"Well, in the updated schematics--" Bulma pressed the screen to show another set of schematics, "--you can switch between ki reflection and absorbtion. A ki blast far too strong might destroy the entire chamber, but it could theoretically be upgraded to a point where it could contain and sustain any amount of energy."

"Ah. And how will combining this and the gravity chamber be of help to my training?"

"Well, the gravity by itself is a force--"

"--I'm well versed in physics."

"Okay, well, since gravity is a force, training in higher gravities would theoretically bulster your own strength and abilities and possibly cause it to proceed at an increased rate. Your strength would grow higher over a shorter period of time than it would under lower gravity. The only problem would be in monitoring vitals to make sure the user hasn't stressed himself or herself beyond their capacity."

"This will be useful, then."

"I hope so, sire."

"You may have changed my opinion of you. MAY have. Now, show me more of your inventions. I want to know how to work with this security and monitoring system, though I'll remind you that I hardly need security to defend myself."

"Oh, I doubt you need security, either. But...people do some odd things when they don't realize there's a camera watching them."

One of Vegeta's eyebrows lifted quizzically. "Oh really?"

"Yes. Our first stop will be the control room then."

"Where is that?"

"The room beside your father's audience chamber."

"Ah."

"It's more a monitoring system than a security system. I mean, it isn't like it launches an attack on an intruder. It just alerts you when someone enters who doesn't belong. So, it's kind of --"

"Enough, woman. Let us go to the control room and have you show me the way this 'innovative' technology works."

"Alright then, lead the way, your majesty."

"I expect no sarcasm from you."

"Yes, Prince Vegeta."