By StarbearerTM aka Trynia Merin
Disclaimer:
I don't own Dragon Ball Z or Full metal alchemist. Funimation
brings us these master works of anime on DVD. Toriyama
created DBZ, and Full Metal Alchemist belongs to its own creators. I can only
claim responsibility for the plot and the character of Atomique,
Parsnip, Fermi, Bohr, Merlot, Cabernet and other fan characters here. The only
pay I get is your reviews so please keep them coming! And my thanks to those
who have already reviewed! Kudos and hugs to you!
***
Soon Atomique
felt that buoyant sensation. Sights and
sounds gelled in the blue fluid. For a
moment she wondered why there was such horrendous pain in every bone in her
body. Yet the gentle undulation of the
fluid tingled and soothed her body.
Under the pressure of the world around her everything had become blocked
out.
Now all she felt was a dull
ache in her bones. She blinked to peer
around her at the laboratory, which appeared to be more like a series of
vertical tanks. It dawned on her she was
in a regeneration tank with electrodes hooked up to her body. A nasty hot poker seemed to have rammed
itself up her very spine, for it jolted from the base of her spine up to her
back.
"What the hell, is my spine crushed from the
gravity?" she wondered. Anxiously she tried moving her arms. To her delight she could turn her head back
and forth. Then she twitched her
fingers. Next came the shifting of her
legs.
In a tank nearby she saw
another figure floating. Bluish green
hair drifted around the face, obscuring it from her view so she couldn't
identify its owner. Nevertheless it was
nude, save the electrodes that partly covered all the essentials. Around the waist coiled the only item of
clothing, something that looked like a belt.
To her shock the body in the
tank near hers twitched. Suddenly the
belt unlatched, drifting down to move of its own accord. Then she realized it wasn't a belt but a
furry tail. Whoever it was had to be
Saiyan, she groaned. As she attempted to
move her body, another ramrod of sheer white agony raced up her spine, causing
her to hug her body.
Up and down her arms the body
hair seemed as thick and dark as she remembered. Had Raditz brought her here to make sure she
was in the tank? Atomique last recalled Bardock and Raditz arguing while he dragged her here. Now she saw the armored figures of several
Saiyans in scouters and lab smocks moving back and forth with their critical
glances. One she even recognized as
Cellulose, for he peered towards the female figure in the next tank over with a
strange lascivious leer.
"Sicko,"
thought Atomique. Glancing down she saw
that she was completely nude, except for something about her waist. In a panic she thought she saw fur. Thick dark hair fluttered past her face, not
looking much like her own hair.
It became impossible to
breathe. Cellulose moved over to look at
her with those dark bottomless eyes, making her skin crawl. Angrily she yelled into the mask, thrashing
arms and legs despite the pain. If only
she could transmute something, rearrange molecular bonds to generate a
HOLE. Unfortunately she saw a crackling
of ki in her fingers that fizzled to nothingness. Energy drained momentarily in her body.
She blinked up into
Cellulose's sneering face. Anger filled
her being manifesting in her choking throat.
Although breathing through the mask was possible, respiration
temporarily seemed impossible. Instead
she formed virulent thoughts to spit into his mind like sparks,
::You
bastard what the HELL did you do to me?::
Cellulose glanced right at
her, smiling. Thoughts not her own
formed in her mind ::Temper temper. Such hash
judgement to one that has done you a favor.::
::What FAVOR?:: she reprimanded, forming her thoughts into coherent
words. ::Why am I in here?::
::You'll see
soon enough female,:: Cellulose
nodded at her, licking his lips.
::Get bent,:: Atomique shot towards him.
Into her immediate view
through the blue goo appeared the tall figure with white cloak. He sniffed, staring up at her, then the other
tanks next to her on left and right.
Voice muffled through the liquid, she discerned him saying, "Take
them out."
A female she recalled being
"Cabernet, I present to
you… what were the names given?"
"Commander Turles
requested that they be given the names of the donors," said
Cellulose. "That's my
suggestion."
"Let me see, Zucchini,
Marrow, Pepper, Tomakt, Lessyra," he recited, staring at the small
electronic slate handed to him by Cellulose.
"Where is Sgt. Bardock?"
"In
his lab sir."
"He'll be informed his
concubine has successfully undergone the process. And inform Sgt. Raditz,
"Okay, shall I start
now?" Cabernet asked.
"Might as well. I'll inform my son that things have gone most
well," Kaulif smirked. He strode
out, leaving Cellulose to stand with Cabernet.
"Get them out,"
said Cabernet. Cellulose barked orders
to someone, then disappeared. Cabernet whistled, motioning towards the
door. She barked out a series of names, then returned her gaze towards the tanks.
"All right whelps. I know you can hear me in your thoughts. Get used to it. Today is the first day of the rest of your
existence. Your lives before now are
irrelevant. You are now among the
privileged few to ascend to the rank of Third Class. Because of your physical and battle power
levels being sufficiently rated, you've undergone a process that the best of
the concubines are selected for."
"You'll be disoriented
when you're taken out of the tanks. For
the next two months you are going to eat, sleep, breath and shit Saiyan
culture. There's a lifetime to make up
for, and your mates are off on another mission. This means we've lots of work
to do. You'll obey me without question,
or suffer disciplinary action. Once
you're out of those tanks, you'll be assigned a drill instructor. You'll also obey her without question. Now, prepare yourselves!" Cabernet said
aloud.
Bubbles cascaded upwards past
Atomique's face, blocking her view of the world around her. Fluid gurgled and sloshed as the fluid level
in her tank dropped. Within seconds she
felt the crushing pressure of ten times earth gravity pressing all around. The tank slid open to disgorge her forwards
so her cheek and side bashed against a cold flat surface. Around her spilled the remainder of the
nutrient fluid. All she could do was
quiver spasmodically from the pain shooting up her back.
"
"Don't struggle,"
Lyssra whispered. "It's done. Just do as they say."
"Did you know this would
happen?" Atomique coughed, bringing up a steady stream of fluid from her
lungs.
"Yes. It was the only way that you could
survive. You and the
others."
"Where's Raditz,"
she gasped.
"easy
now, slowly," urged Fasha as she slung her arm around Atomique's
shoulders. Celipa moved close, assisting
Lyssra while the other females assisted the remaining three. From what Atomique could tell, two others
appeared humanoid while the other was Idsarjin.
All of them had long brown or black hair. Those of Idsarjin persuasion had purple or
blue streaks, and faint red stripes.
"So cold, and I ache all
over," Atomique stammered.
"C'mon, try and take a
few steps. It gets easier," Fasha
grunted in her ear. She turned to look
at the shorthaired female Saiyan that was one of the third classes from
Bardock's team.
"Damn it,
can't get my balance," Atomique commented.
Each step felt like wearing lead boots, but was possible. From around her waist something sticky
dropped, swirling against her ankles. She
reached down to finger the slick sticky fur on a tail flickering of its own
accord.
"Don't touch it, you'll
hurt yourself," Fasha barked.
"Come on, just come with me. Let's get you cleaned up."
"Damn it, why,"
Atomique babbled over and over. IN shock
she stumbled alongside Fasha, following Cabernet.
"Get them cleaned up and
outfitted. I want them in the dining
hall in two dreems. We'll start with
basic exercises in the graviton chamber shortly after that," said Cabernet. "C'mon move it you slugs!"
***
Sludge sloughed off her body,
spiraling down a drain. Atomique felt
cold liquids blasting her, followed by a sandblast cycle and hot oil spreading
over her skin. They shared a common
shower in the spare barracks they were hustled into. Atomique saw her body
rounding with hard muscle tone far greater than before. Her entire body felt heavier. Slowly she got the hang of walking with
additional force, feet stamping with unusual violence into the ground.
Even her hair seemed
different. It was its usual black but
much stiffer like horsehair or brush bristles.
Although it plastered to her head when wet, it was two shades darker
then the fur on her swishing tail. The
first few minutes was spent in teaching them how to coordinate wrapping the
appendages around their waists out of harms way.
"Why?" she
whispered to Lyssra.
"Because they want as
many full blooded Saiyans as possible," said Lyssra.
"Where did the tail come
from?"
"Donated
by warriors from before. Surgically attached to the
base of your spine. There's two other humans among us," said Lysrra,
pointing to Pepper and Zucchini.
"They could have told
me."
"You're lucky,"
said Pepper, glaring at her with dragon green eyes. "The others were stuck in a chamber at
one tenth G. Now we'll have some
clout."
"As Saiyans?" asked
Atomique.
"Half Saiyans,"
corrected Lysrra.
"I'm a chimera
then."
"A what?" asked Lyssra.
"On my world of origin
one of the schools of alchemy was dedicated to developing creatures that were
combinations of existing animals. You
would take a dog and an eagle and come up with a winged canine. Or combine a lion and an eagle to get a
griffin. The cells of one being were
blended with another to create a being that was a combination of two in
one," Atomique said numbly.
"Saiyan cells are being
grown in our bodies yes. You comprehend
well, Tomakt," said Zucchini.
"Atomique," she
said.
"Now you have a new
name," Pepper said. "A Saiyan one.
Didn't you hear Cabernet?"
"You're so eager to
accept this," said Zucchini.
"I like being
powerful," said Pepper.
"Better then being drekked on the rest of our natural lives."
"As breeding
stock?" ranted Marrow. "Damn
it!"
"Get your tails OUT
here! NOW!" barked Chablis, poking
her head into the shower area.
"C'mon, move it!"
Pepper shouted.
"You're not the boss of
me," Zucchini growled at her.
"Just go," said
Lysrra. "Easy
now."
"You're not my boss
either," Zucchini turned on her.
"Just
MOVE!" Marrow glared at
her. All of them strode out, still
hanging on the walls for balance.
"Since when did we speak
Saiyan so well?" muttered Marrow.
"Since the regen
tanks," Pepper answered her.
"Shut up. Stop asking stupid
questions and listen. I won't have you
be the cause of me missing something, M."
"Screw you," Marrow
snarled back.
"What a wonderful
feeling of togetherness," Zucchini quipped.
"Terrific,"
Atomique mumbled, last in line after Lyssra.
Bardock's concubine remained close at her side, helping her to walk
while Marrow and Zucchini hung on each other. Pepper led the way, striding
easily with her tail swishing behind her.
Five warriors set down various bundles of armor.
"Get them
outfitted. Pepper, you come with
me," Chablis indicated, motioning with her finger. "Celipa, Fasha, you take the scientists.
"Lucky bitch,"
Zucchini snapped at Pepper. "Why
does SHE get special treatment? That's
second class trainee armor."
"Some of you are more
promising then others. Shut your mouth
and get dressed," Cabernet snapped at her.
"Pepper's battle power was the best out of all of you whelps. You two should be glad you're even allowed to
be third class. Both you are warriors,
so it's extra time in the basic for you.
Get the scientists out of here and introduce 'em to your team
girls."
"Good, at least I don't
have to listen to their whining," Fasha mumbled as she watched the two
upper class thirds move the rest out.
Chablis, a first class elite took Pepper with her to another area while Lyssra
and Tomakt were led out carrying their bundles.
"It's not much but it's
ours," Celipa said, looking at her sister.
Fasha nodded, showing them two bunks in the common area that would be
theirs.
"You can bunk there
during training. Just keep clear of the
prima donnas and you'll be fine. It'll
all go by like that," Celipa snapped her fingers.
"You guys are older, so
you don't get the worst of it. But we'll
still have a lot of work to do bringing you up to speed," said Fasha,
glancing at Atomique.
"What makes THEM more
privileged?" Atomique asked.
"They're going to be
purgers. You two are scientists and
scouters like us. But you're not under
the pressure they'll be."
"And where's Raditz
again? Some trip?" asked Atomique.
"They'll be back soon
enough," said Fasha. "You miss
that loudmouth?"
"Yes," Atomique
said with a slight laugh.
"You'll have so much
training you won't have time to miss him," said Fasha.
Atomique quickly slipped into the leggings and chestplate of
the black third class armor. Still she
saw the arm ring on her upper left arm and on her thigh. She rolled one cuff up so she could display
it, her knees bare between the boots and cuffs of her
shorts. None of them possessed the
epaulettes that she had seen on Raditz or the other two trainee's armor. Epaulettes must designate purgers. Interestingly enough Lysrra's breastplate was
green like Bardock's, while hers was plain black like Fasha's. She would ponder the differences later.