Time Machine and Eggshell

Stating their own names signified that Android 17 and Android 18 had completely let go of the past.

From this moment on, there would be no more Android 17 or Android 18.

There were only twin siblings: the older sister, Lazuli, and the younger brother, Lapis.

Although they had let go of the past, it did not mean they had no intention of seeking out Son Goku.

Dr. Gero had transformed them into androids for the sole purpose of killing Son Goku.

Therefore, they still harbored some resentment toward him.

Even if they didn't kill Son Goku, they at least had to give him a good beating.

That was what Lazuli and Lapis were thinking.

While they were driving leisurely toward Son Goku's house, Krillin and Trunks arrived at the residence by plane.

They picked up the sick Son Goku and Chi-Chi, preparing to take them to Master Roshi's place.

They wanted to prevent the ailing Son Goku from being killed by the androids.

Son Goku was like a calming agent for all of them.

As long as Son Goku was alive, they felt filled with hope.

Even Bulma from the future timeline felt the same way.

After all, compared to Vegeta, Son Goku was far more reliable.

On the plane, Krillin called Bulma to update her on what had happened today.

However, he learned from Bulma that someone in the western suburbs had discovered an abandoned Time Machine.

Upon seeing the photo Bulma faxed over, Trunks was shocked.

The machine in the photo, overgrown with weeds, was none other than the Time Machine he had traveled in.

But his own Time Machine was clearly shrunk down inside a capsule, still on his person.

Furthermore, it was absolutely impossible for the future timeline to have produced two Time Machines; under the wanton destruction of the androids, merely building one had exhausted all their resources.

Yet, the Time Machine in the photo was undeniably the one he had ridden in.

He could never mistake it.

Trunks suddenly felt that this timeline might be completely different from the history he knew.

From the strength of the androids to the appearance of Android 16, and then the emergence of the androids from the underground laboratory, there were too many unknowns in this timeline.

These variables weighed on his chest like heavy boulders, making it almost impossible for him to breathe.

He decided to go and see the machine for himself.

After asking for the exact location of the Time Machine, Trunks, Gohan, and Bulma agreed to meet there.

Ten minutes later, they arrived at the western suburbs to rendezvous.

Looking at the Time Machine before him, Trunks could basically confirm that this machine was the very same one he had with him.

Because on this Time Machine, there was the word "HOPE!" written by his own hand.

Both the placement and the handwriting were identical to the Time Machine he possessed.

However, judging by its appearance, this machine had clearly been abandoned for a very long time to have become like this.

If there was only one Time Machine in the future timeline where Trunks originated, then there was only one possibility for this machine...

Another timeline!

Then, what about the version of himself from that other timeline?

Trunks suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.

Moreover, the hole in the top of the Time Machine was definitely not something he would have caused.

This machine was the hope of their timeline; he would feel distressed for a long time even if he scratched it, so he would never have damaged it.

So, who was the person who traveled to this timeline in this machine?

An android?

Or perhaps someone else?

The more he thought, the more terrified he became, and Trunks's body couldn't help but tremble.

To confirm his hypothesis.

Trunks opened the machine.

Inside the machine were two purple, hemispherical objects; it was unclear what they were.

"What is this? It doesn't look like a coconut shell."

Gohan looked at the two items, feeling puzzled.

"What is it? Let me see!" Bulma was also very curious.

Gohan picked up the two items and handed them to Bulma, saying:

"Take a look."

Bulma held the items, turning them over and examining them carefully.

"I've got it. These must be the eggshells of some kind of animal."

"Eggshells? But I've never seen eggshells like these before."

Having grown up on Mount Paozu, Gohan could be said to have seen all sorts of strange and oddly shaped animal eggs.

Yet, he had never seen an eggshell that looked like this.

Suddenly, they seemed to realize something.

They looked in unison at the jagged hole in the Time Machine.

The edges of the hole were stained with traces of purple.

The color matched the eggshells exactly.

Gohan's expression turned grave: "That's right. Perhaps whatever made that hole is some creature that hatched from this egg."

Trunks hurriedly checked the machine to see if he could find any useful information.

"The residual energy is almost zero."

The entire Time Machine was nearly out of power, barely able to display the time.

"The arrival time is..."

After waiting a moment, the machine finally displayed the date.

"The year is 788? That's three years later than my own future."

How could that be?

Trunks stared at the time displayed on the machine in disbelief.

This was a future three years after he had left.

If this were true, then his previous hypothesis was correct.

There really was an intruder from a third timeline.

Trunks checked the machine again to see when it had arrived in this timeline.

Upon seeing the time displayed on the Time Machine, Trunks began to feel a sense of dread.

"It arrived about four years ago—this guy got here a year earlier than I did last time."

"Who... who exactly is this guy? Why did he come here?"

"Could it be that all these historical changes were caused by his meddling?"

Furthermore, why hadn't he shown himself after all this time?

What had happened in that third timeline? What had become of his counterpart in that world?

Would he face the same fate three years from now in his own timeline?

Fear stems from the unknown.

It felt as if darkness were closing in on Trunks.

Suddenly, Gohan noticed something strange behind a rock not far away.

"What is it?" Bulma asked.

"It's nothing! I was just wondering what that thing could be..."

Gohan walked toward the strange object.

"What thing? Where?"

Upon seeing the object, Gohan was instantly startled.

He shouted to Trunks and Bulma: "You two need to come see this!"

"What did you find, Gohan?"

"Look at that."

Gohan pointed at the strange object.

Trunks and Bulma looked in the direction Gohan was pointing, and they too were startled, unable to hold back a gasp.

It was an object two or three meters long, appearing in the shape of some kind of insect.

At first, they thought it was the carcass of some insect.

But upon closer inspection, they realized it wasn't a corpse.

It was the shed skin of some creature.

"An empty shell? Where would you find a cicada this big in this area?"

Bulma was taken aback; let alone this area, you wouldn't find a cicada this large anywhere on Earth.

"There's no such thing as a cicada this big! This is probably..."

Trunks nodded, picking up where Gohan left off: "It's likely the shed skin of the creature that crawled out of the Time Machine's egg shell!"

Gohan added, "Right, the creature probably shed this skin after it grew."

"What is going on here? What kind of thing shed this skin, anyway?" Bulma asked.

Gohan replied, "No one knows, because no one has ever seen it."

"Where on earth did this come from?"

"Could it be that someone in the future put the egg in the Time Machine and sent it here? Or did someone come along with the egg?"

"I really don't get it. Which one is it?" Trunks stared at the shell, deeply confused.

He reached his hand inside the shell.

A slimy sensation greeted his touch.

Trunks quickly pulled his hand back.

His hand was covered in purple slime.

"This empty shell was shed not long ago..."

Watching everything unfold on the ground below, Kami finally understood the source of the unease he had felt for the past four years.

He finally made up his mind to merge with Piccolo.