Subduing Cell - Part 2

Cell's arrival caused an uproar at the base. Vegeta was the first to jump out in opposition. "Have you lost your mind? Letting that monster join us? He nearly killed everyone!" Goku was also hesitant. "Kashu, Cell has indeed done many evil things. Even if he might have turned over a new leaf, but..." "You don't trust him, but do you trust me?" Kashu asked. Goku and Vegeta exchanged a look. "We trust you," Goku said, "you saved our lives." "Then trust me this once," Kashu said, "give Cell a chance. If he makes any untoward moves, I will handle it myself." Vegeta wanted to say more, but Bulma tugged at his sleeve and whispered, "Kashu makes sense. Cell's strength is immense; if he can become an ally, it will only benefit us." Vegeta let out a cold snort and turned to leave. Piccolo's attitude was more neutral. "Kashu, are you sure Cell's core programming has really been wiped?" "I checked his cellular structure," Kashu said, "the command genes implanted by Dr. Gero have been deleted. The current Cell is a blank slate; what kind of person he becomes depends entirely on himself." Piccolo pondered for a moment and nodded. "Fine, I agree. But I will keep an eye on him." Android 17's attitude was unexpectedly gentle. "Cell, welcome to the team." Cell looked at him with some surprise. "You don't hate me?" "Why would I hate you?" Android 17 shrugged, "You aren't the Cell of this era. You come from the future, and the Androids of that time are already dead. There is no grudge between us."

Cell smiled. "Your heart is broader than I imagined." Android 18 remained vigilant, but she did not object. She trusted Kashu's judgment. Gohan walked up to Cell and extended his hand. "Cell, we are comrades from now on." Cell looked at Gohan's hand, stunned for a moment. He remembered how he had nearly killed Gohan's father, nearly absorbed Android 17 and 18, and nearly destroyed West City. Yet this boy, the one he had hurt the most, was willing to reach out. Cell grasped Gohan's hand. "Thank you," Cell said, the first time he had ever spoken the word. The first week after Cell joined, the atmosphere at the base was subtle. Cell spent most of his time in the training room, not interacting with anyone. His training method was unique—simultaneously utilizing the Saiyan's battle instincts, the Namekian's meditation techniques, and the Frieza clan's energy manipulation. He recovered quickly. A week later, his ki had returned to eighty percent of his peak. Goku and Vegeta often came to the training room to spar with Cell. At first, Cell could easily defeat them. But as Goku and Vegeta gradually mastered the compression technique, the battles began to reach a stalemate. "Cell's power is growing fast, but Goku's progress is faster," Piccolo said after observing, "the compression technique has increased Goku's power by at least three times. If given another month, he might catch up to Cell." Kashu nodded. "Goku's talent for training is truly astonishing. Although Vegeta's progress is slower, his tenacity is strong. He will eventually find his own path." Android 16 patrolled around the base every day, monitoring the Earth's energy fluctuations. He occasionally spoke with Cell, discussing topics of life and existence. Both were artificial life forms with similar confusions.

"Cell, what do you think is the meaning of life?" Android 16 asked one day. Cell was silent for a long time. "I don't know. I used to think the meaning of life was to become stronger and defeat all opponents. But now... that goal is gone, and I don't know what to do." "Perhaps the meaning of life is not in the goal, but in the process," Android 16 said, "the meaning of my existence is to protect life, but what I enjoy more is the process of protecting it—watching birds fly, listening to the wind through the leaves, and feeling the sun on my skin." Cell looked at Android 16. "You weren't like this before. You only knew how to fight." "I have changed," Android 16 said, "Kashu made me change. He let me know that I am not a tool; I am a being with feelings." Cell pondered, saying nothing. In the third week, an incident occurred that completely changed Cell. The base's energy system malfunctioned, and the backup power failed to start. If not repaired quickly, the life-support system would fail within hours, and the training room's gravity devices would shut down.

Kashu took Android 17, Android 18, and Cell to the underground energy room for repairs. The energy room was in the deepest part of the underground, a massive spherical space. Floating in the center was a glowing orb—a simulation of a planet's core that Kashu had brought back from an alien ruin. "The energy output of the energy core is unstable," Kashu said after checking the readings, "the energy pathways inside the core have become blocked. Someone needs to enter the core to clear them." "Enter the core?" Android 17 frowned, "The energy density inside the core is hundreds of times higher than outside; an ordinary person would be vaporized instantly." "That is why we need someone extraordinary," Kashu looked at Cell, "Cell, your body can withstand the energy density inside the core. You have the cells of the Frieza clan, allowing you to survive in extreme environments." Cell hesitated. The interior of the core was no ordinary environment. The energy density there was extremely high, equivalent to the core of a miniature star. Even for him, entering it would mean enduring immense pain. "I will go with you," Cell said. "No need," Kashu shook his head, "you go in alone. I will monitor your vital signs from the outside and cut off the core's energy output if necessary." Cell took a deep breath and walked toward the energy core. The surface of the core rippled like water, and Cell's body slowly submerged into it.

The interior of the core was a space of pure white. There was no up or down, no sense of direction, only endless energy. The energy washed over Cell's body like a tide, and every second felt like being pricked by countless needles. Cell gritted his teeth, searching for the blockage in the energy pathway. His perception was severely interfered with inside the core, and he could only rely on instinct. Finally, he found the blockage deep within the core—a clump of solidified energy, blocking the pathway like a stone. Cell reached out, trying to crush the energy clump. But the hardness of the clump far exceeded his expectations; it took all his strength to create a single crack. The energy clump shattered, and the energy pathway returned to normal.

But just then, the core suddenly shook violently, and the energy output surged instantly. Cell felt a massive suction force pulling him deeper into the core. "Cell!" Kashu's voice rang out in his consciousness, "The core is out of control! I'm trying to cut the energy output, but it will take a few seconds!" "I don't have a few seconds!" Cell shouted. The suction grew stronger, and Cell's body began to tear. His carapace shattered under the energy impact, his muscles began to decompose, and the excruciating pain nearly caused him to lose consciousness. In the moment before his consciousness faded, Cell saw an image. It was a little girl, about five or six years old, wearing a white dress, running in a garden. Behind her followed a man, who laughed and called her name—Cell. "Cell" was not the man's name, but the girl's. Cell suddenly remembered memories he had never possessed before. Those memories were not implanted by Dr. Gero, but came from the depths of the energy core—from the memories of the planet. The little girl was an ancient Earthling who lived tens of thousands of years ago. Her name was Cell, meaning "a child born in spring." She was an ordinary Earthling, without special abilities, but she was happy and kind. The energy core had preserved her memories because she was the first human to perceive the planet's consciousness.

Cell's eyes grew moist. He had never imagined that his name—Cell—was not chosen at random by Dr. Gero, but came from this kind little girl. Dr. Gero had discovered the name while excavating alien ruins and, thinking it suited his perfect life form, had stolen it. "I am not a mistake," Cell whispered to himself, "I am a... legacy." His body suddenly erupted with dazzling light. The energy of the core no longer tore his body apart but began to repair him. His carapace regrew, becoming thicker and harder; his muscles rewove, becoming stronger and more resilient; his bones rearranged, becoming denser and tougher. Cell's ki was soaring. It was not a recovery, but a transcendence. His body adapted to the energy density inside the core, evolving a new cellular structure. This structure allowed him to survive in any extreme environment—the surface of a star, the edge of a black hole, or even the cracks in time. Kashu cut off the energy output of the core, and Cell emerged from it, slowly landing on the floor of the energy room. His appearance had changed. The color of his carapace had turned into a dark gold, his horns had become more slender, and his wing membranes had become translucent, shimmering with iridescent colors. His eyes were no longer dark gold but had turned a deep purple, with nebulae seemingly rotating within his pupils. "Cell?" Android 17 looked at him in surprise. Cell looked down at his own hands, feeling the power surging within him. "I have evolved," he said, "not into a perfect form, but a form that transcends perfection." "Call me... Ultimate Cell."

Kashu looked at him and nodded with satisfaction. "Welcome to the team, officially, Cell." Cell looked at Kashu, a sincere smile appearing on his lips. "Thank you." Three things for the new book! Please read, please add to library, please tip!