Number: 03

-No Title-

Type: Fanfiction crossover - DBZ and "The Matrix"

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Synopsis:
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A terrifyingly powerful warrior named Trunks arrives in the world of the
Z fighters just as they detect Frieza making his way back to
Earth. After handily (and quickly) saving them from certain doom, he
announces that Goku is on his way and will be landing nearby
shortly. After a quick flight to the landing spot, Trunks tells them he
has something important to explain, but they had better wait until Goku
shows up.

Goku lands shortly, wearing the latest from planet Korindoth. A strange
meeting of sorts ensues, and Trunks reveals his identity.

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Scenes:
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   "Goku, you have no idea how long I've been waiting for this moment."

   "I've never seen you before in my life, so it must have been quite a
while."

   Trunks chuckled, the sound faint over the wind. "Clever."

   Goku grinned broadly, winking. "I _have_ been training."

   "Good." Trunks said, his face turning serious as a knife wound in the
back. "I've heard you're one Hell of a fighter. I'm going to need your
help, and I have a feeling you're also going to need mine."

   "Goku's help? For what?" Asked Krirran. "You're both so strong, with
you two there's little we can't do."

   "I'm afraid you're wrong there, Krirran. There is _very_ little we
can do. Well, I guess I'd better lay my cards on the table."

   "Yes," Vegeta said, his voice grating on the young warrior's nerves.
"I'd say it's _way_ past that time."

   The young man rolled his shoulders as if brushing off an unpleasant
chill, and looked over the group in front of him. His calm, steel-blue
eyes locked on each person in turn, measuring them one at a time. At
length, he sighed deeply. "Goku. How did you feel when you fought Frieza
on Namek?"

   "How do you mean?"

   "Did it feel at all like a battle? Did it feel like fighting, as you
know it?"

   Goku hemmed and hawed while Vegeta crossed his arms. Finally, Goku
shrugged. "Well... aside from the obvious..."

   "How to put this..." Trunks muttered to himself. "How does it feel to
be home?"

   "Oh, PLEASE!" Vegeta burst in. "Is that the best you can come up
with?! We aren't conducting a news interview here, get to the point!"

   "Well, Mr. Saiyjin warrior," Trunks fired back, "it's about the MI."

   "The MI what?"

   "Machine Intelligence." Trunks said calmly. "Computers. AI systems.
Specifically, the Hunter-Killer programs the Earth matrix calls
'Agents.' They're here, and there going to kill us all if we don't learn
how to fight back and stop them."

   "Well, what's at stake here? Why do they want to kill us?" Asked
Krirrin.

   "Machine Intelligence?" Bulma said to herself.

   "Robots. Hmph!" Vegeta declaired, sitting on a nearby rock and
pointedly ignoring the purple-haired youth.

   "Our future is at stake, Goku. Our lives. I know a terrible secret
about them, about this world, and they'll kill to keep us from exposing
them and freeing the people here."

   "What are you talking about?" Goku said, becoming alarmed.

   "We aren't really standing here, Goku." Said Trunks. "This world
around us is just an extensive virtual reality construct used to rob us
of our will and freedom. I want to bring it down, end the rein of the
machines, tell people the truth, and judging from the way you people are
looking at me, you think I'm completely crazy."

   "Not... completely." Said Vegeta as he took to his feet and started
to crack his knuckles noisily.

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Additional Synopsis:
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The long and the short of it is that there are three Matrices that the
machines maintain. Trunks is from one of them, the Z fighters are from
another, and the third contains more "normal-powered" people. Trunks has
discovered a doorway between his world and Goku's and seeks the help of
the Z fighters in their quest to keep the machines from capturing/
killing the rebels which are trying to free them all.

There is some lengthy discussions about how the realities are linked,
and why the Matrix holds many diverse species in addition to the humans
that inhabit it. This discussion applies to insects, cats and dogs, and
extends to the various aliens that the Z fighters come accross.