章 2: Chapter 2: Awakening... in an Incubation Pod?!

Opening his eyes, Theo found that he had trouble moving his body. He found remembering anything difficult… his name, where he came from, where he was. It took him a few moments to come to his senses, finally remembering his death and going through the portal. More importantly he recalled his name.

'Theo… my name is Theo.'

This singular thought echoing through his mind, Theo began taking in his surroundings.

He was suspended in a golden-green fluid which was held in an egg shaped, glass dome. The dome looked to be mounted atop a dark-grey machine that was reminiscent of a metallic teacup. The room beyond the glass dome told him that he wasn't alone. He saw what appeared to be doctors and nurses roaming about. He could also make out other pods filled with their own occupants. Reaching down to scratch his right leg, Theo lost himself in thought.

While doing so, he happened to look down, noticing three things which concerned him. First, he noticed his hand. Particularly that it was much smaller than he remembered. In fact, his whole body felt smaller.

'Did I shrink?'

Secondly, he saw what at first, he thought was a tube of some sort, looking closer, he realized it was attached to his back. Theo soon realized that he could move it just by thinking.

'Is this… a tail? It is! It…it reminds me of a monkey's tail.'

Theo put it out of his mind, moving on instead to the last thing he had noticed.

'The tail can wait.'

A machine shaped like metallic underpants was attached around his waist. Connected to the machine was a mid-sized tube which was attached in turn to the back of the glass dome. The machine seemed to not only be absorbing his waste, but also injected something into his hip from time to time. Nutrients would be his guess, as there was no tube running to his mouth.

'Hmm… the needle hurts and I can breathe.'

Theo couldn't feel pain while in limbo, nor could he breathe. This revelation sparked a new series of questions.

'Am I not dead anymore…?'

'Was I reborn somehow…?'

'Was it the portal…?"

His thought's beginning to spiral, he found himself suddenly interrupted.

'Wait… what's happening?'

Almost as if the glass dome he was submerged in somehow sensed he was awake, the machine came alive with light and sound. Right before Theo's eyes images started to appear on the glass as if it were a television screen. Words, numbers, pictures, even sounds began to assail his senses. It somehow managed to reach his ears through the fluid around him. It didn't take him long to figure out it was an education system of some kind.

After an hour had passed, he now had a much greater understanding of his situation. He had indeed been reborn, as a Saiyan no less. His name in this world, was Arlic. He was now the son of a mid-class female Saiyan warrior named Luffa, while his father wasn't mentioned. He wasn't even that old, being born only six months ago on Planet Vegeta. During the rule of King Vegeta III, who had just welcomed the birth of his first son Vegeta IV.

'My name is Arlic in this world, huh? Ok… I can get used to that.'

Planet Vegeta itself, had already been annexed by the Planet Trade Organization a year before he was born and King Cold, the previous head of the P.T.O. had retired one month ago. Lord Frieza… Cold's heir apparent, took over and quickly began to transform Planet Vegeta along with the rest of his father's empire into something more to his own liking.

Saiyan's were now used to conquer worlds while wiping out their civilizations, all in an aggressive expansion effort. Even so, Theo was excited for his second chance at life. He embraced his new name along with his new situation. And unlike his old life, he swore that he would make the most of this one.

'If I am to live in this reality, I can't be as I was.'

Knowing that his personality would not help him here, he resolved to change and grow stronger. Strength was the only thing that would ensure his survival… especially if he was in the universe that Arlic thought he was in.

Frieza being here meant there was a high possibility he had been reborn in universe seven. That fact alone meant that he didn't have much time. Planet Vegeta would soon be destroyed. What he needed most, was more information. Of course, training and resources wouldn't hurt either. He could even start practicing [Ki Control] while he was in the dome.

'Right… I can start training… rig… he…'

The dome, which he'd identified as an [Incubation Pod] did not seem to care for his wants, however. A rush of medicine surged into his body through the injection needle in his hip. Suddenly finding himself exhausted, the newly named "Arlic" began to pass out.

'Stupid [Incubation Pod]!'

It was right there in the name, and he'd missed it. The pod didn't seem to work as DB's lore suggested.

'No, that's not right.'

Realistically speaking, Arlic shouldn't be awake at all. The pod shouldn't be giving him information either, or even capable of doing so for that matter.

'Ha-ha… am I the fool for expecting everything to be the same as the series? I…'

Unable to complete that last thought, Arlic finally lost consciousness. Four uneventful months passed by in the incubation pod, waking him only occasionally to teach him something new. He learned how to read, write, as well as various kind of mathematics.

He even learned two new languages, Saiyan and galactic common. He was now in the middle of learning Saiyan physiology, particularly how to use battle power or [Ki]. Saiyan's possessed a natural aptitude for the manipulation of energy, while not what he learned from the show or the manga, it was still valuable information.

Towards the end of his learning session, as he was learning about [Zenkai Boost] and [Great Ape Form], there was slight bit of conflict outside the pod. Peering through the glass, he noticed a… slightly familiar face.

'Wait… that's Paragus, isn't it?'

A tall, well-built, man with a mustache was shouting at one of the doctors outside his pod.

'What's he saying?'

Focusing past the pods attempt to educate him, he listened in on Paragus' shouting.

--- (Paragus POV) ---

Paragus was furious.

"What do you mean, King Vegeta had my son sent off world? Where is Broly?!"

Paragus ranted at the doctor who only seemed to be able to make excuses.

"Please Saiyan, control yourself. As I said, King Vegeta ordered your son to be sent off world as an infiltration baby."

Paragus still couldn't believe it.

"Broly isn't even a year old! Why would the king do something like that?!"

The pink skinned doctor only sneered before saying.

"Why don't you go and ask him Saiyan? I need to get back to work."

He walked away leaving Paragus standing there seething.

"Dammit!"

Paragus had served the king for many years. His son was born earlier that year with an astounding power level. Why would the king send him away while knowing his potential? No matter how hard he tried, Paragus still couldn't fathom it.

"It doesn't make sense!"

Thinking this Paragus decided to take the doctors smug advice, he would ask the king directly. As he walked away amid the shuffle of doctors and nurses, neither he nor anyone else in the large room seemed to notice the strange smile on one of the pod babies faces. A smile which suggested the child knew something that the adults did not.