He's Dead, Jim (Almost): King Cold Wants You! Quest

It was around ten when it started to rain.

A lone woman stood outside of the local hospital, her face pressed up against the glass. There was nothing else that she could think about. She was completely removed from the world around her and was practically oblivious to the fact that she was getting drenched in the rain. When at last she acknowledged them, she thought to herself that perhaps the heavens were so moved by her plight that they were crying. But it was a childish whim...

After two long hours of standing in the rain, the double doors to the hospital slid open. Visiting hours had begun, and she only had a precious little amount of time.

This time around, she was wise enough to not pester the receptionist. The one from yesterday was still there, tapping her fingers against the keyboard as usual. She was a quiet, ineffectual woman, with no sympathy for those around her. Y'lerl had come to assume that this was just the norm for this unusual planet.

She practically flew up the five flights of steps needed to get to her ward and followed the same path she had taken the previous day, when the young intern named Kabba had stopped her in the middle of a mad dash. She wondered for a moment whether or not he would be around. From the way he put it, it seemed he was the only one who actually cared about his job.

Y'lerl found herself in the center of the ward once more, with several rooms sprawled out around her. It took only an instant for he to locate the one she sought, however. She could sense Nana's faint, but still distinct, ki. If nothing else, the child was still alive.

She tried to pull herself together, appear composed, despite the fact she was wearing nothing but soggy rags, and walked into the room. Two doctors were gathered around the child, and a lone, familiar intern sat in the corner, carefully taking notes. She thought it best not to disturb the doctors, and instead walked silently over to Kabba.

"How's he doing?" Y'lerl whispered.

"We managed to stabilize him, but he's in a coma," Kabba answered under his breath. He didn't look up. He was still busy scribbling things down on his clipboard.

"He's going to live, though, right?" Y'lerl asked.

"He'll live, yes, but that's not the problem. His brain suffered so much trauma that if he wakes up at some point, he'll probably be a vegetable -- and I'm not talking about Saiyans." Y'lerl's heart dropped at the comment. She found herself incapable of speaking any more, and stared breathlessly at the ground. "There's a procedure we could try, but it would be expensive and invasive. You won't be able to do anything further unless you can pay off your current hospital bill, though."

"Anything," she answered almost before the young man could finish her sentence. "I'll do anything necessary."

"And about the matter of your bill..." his voice trailed off as he flipped through papers on his clipboard, then stopped at one of them, apparently tallying up the costs that patients had yet to pay. Y'lerl had to stop and stare at it for a moment. She hadn't seen that many numbers back to back on any fee before.

Kabba shook her with a gloved hand to snap her back to reality. "Relax. I think I have an idea for how you can pay it off. You can do things like make force fields, right? With a power like that, it shouldn't be hard to get a good paying job in town. You could do some freelance work for some company. Just look around a little."

Y'lerl didn't answer. The intern was hopeful, she thought, perhaps too hopeful. A wide eyed idealist in the middle of a cynical world. What had happened that made him so different from everything around him? She thought to ask the question, but instead spent her time looking over at the comatose child, all two hours of it.

When at last the doctors left the room, she walked over to the child. Though she knew she couldn't hear her, she put a gentle hand on his forehead and bent over, whispering into his ear, "I won't let you stay like this. I promise." Silent tears rolled down her cheeks as she turned away and walked out of the ward.

---

Word Count: 742
Word Total: 742

Mud stuck between Y'lerl's bare toes as she trudged down the streets. She looked down at it once or twice to see the muck almost entirely covering the skin beneath her ankles. It had a slight green tint to it, and she had a feeling it wasn't what she assumed.

"No shirt, no shoes, no service."

The phrase ran through her mind as she stared down at her feet. How was she even going to get a job without a pair of shoes? She'd look rather unsightly walking into a store, tracking in gods only know what along with her. Her face down, she continued her aimless march, and as she looked up, about to round a corner into a nearby alley, she caught something out of the corner of his eye.

"KING COLD WANTS YOU!"

The figure of a tall Iceling stood fast above the bold letters, pointing at its viewer. The image looked a bit like a piece of propaganda. She had seen similar fliers on the planet Tarvnav, instructing people to join the military. She plucked it off the wall and gave it a good look through, but as she leafed through the fine print, she realized that it seemed to be something for mercenaries as opposed to formal troops, something called the "Planet Trade Organization." The poster skimped on details.

"Planet Trade Organization..." she mumbled under her breath. "Greatest company in the galaxy... hiring new recruits... skill requirements include...

"Fighting."

Well, that and a high "battle power", a form of measurement that others used to calculate someone's physical prowess using Scouters. She wasn't an expert fighter, but she felt confident that she could at least pass whatever sort of test they were bound to throw at her.

She scanned the poster for the address -- 206 East Frost Street. Without a Galactic Positioning System, she'd probably be running around in circles for a while before finding it. Of course, she could always ask for directions again from that man by the gutter...

She shook her head and flipped the poster over. By a stroke of luck, there was a map covering the back of it, albeit the only landmark she recognized was the hospital. That alone should be enough to find it, though she wished she had a Galactic Positioning System with her. It was a short distance away, only two blocks from the Frozen City Hospital. She could take her time getting there.

---

Word Count: 408
Word Total: 1,150

Y'lerl looked up at the building. It was an ominous structure -- no signs, no name, no anything. It seemed to be some sort of warehouse, likely repurposed for this "Planet Trade Organization". In fact, the only markings on it were a handful of small, circular windows, and the street number on the side: 206. Despite its drab appearance, this was definitely the place.

She wondered for a second if she should knock, but then remembered it was a business, not a house. Would she knock if she were putting in a job application anywhere else?

Y'lerl grabbed the handle and attempted to pull it, but it stuck fast. She poked her nose in the crack opposite the hinge and noticed that it was locked. Now, she thought, might be the time to knock, but before she could, she heard a scratching sound -- metal on metal.

She turned her head up to see a small, rectangular window sliding open in the door. She hadn't noticed it there before -- it was likely well-hidden. Two beady red eyes stared at her from behind the door, and she straightened up to look back. One of the eyes was hidden behind the blue glass of a Scouter.

"You a new r'cruit?" came a voice.

"I guess I am," Y'lerl replied.

She could hear a beeping sound from behind the door, no doubt the Scouter discerning her strength. The noise continued on for a few seconds before stopping with three distinct bleeps. "Hrm... 1,300. Not bad. You could give a Saibaiman a run for his money." He -- she assumed the person was male -- chucked at his own comment. A moment later, Y'lerl heard a metallic clanking sound, no doubt the lock being undone. She grabbed the handle once more and was able to open it this time.

As she walked through the doorway, she took in the new environment. They were in a small rectangular room with a single arch in the back that she thought must lead to the rest of the building. To her right was the man who had just opened the door. He was a large fellow with a somewhat reptilian appearance. His skin was jagged and crossed with scales and scars, a testament to the battles he had surely seen. Over to her left was a small desk, apparently metal, with a computer and an accountant behind it.

"Hoo boy," she said under her breath. "Not this shit again..." was what ran through her thoughts.

The person behind the desk this time wasn't a person, though. It was some sort of robot, with a large mechanical eye that followed her everywhere she went. She looked hesitantly over to the doorman who pointed at the robot with his thumb.

"Uh, should I--"

"PLEASE PROCEED OVER TO THE DESK," the mechanical voice said. Despite the please, it was not a request.

Y'lerl did as she was told and looked the machine in the eye, seeing nothing in return. It made her feel unnerved -- she couldn't even sense its ki.

"NAME AND OCCUPATION," it barked.

"Uh, Cherri..." she paused for a moment. Though she'd already thought of a false name, the occupation thing was something she hadn't considered. "I'm an... a..." she stared down at her feet, the mud covering them and the tracks she had left behind. "Martial artist. I practice tai... ji-do... jutsu. Taijidojutsu."

"I ain't nev'r heard of 'Taijidojutsu'. Do they do that with muddy feet?" the doorman snarked.

"That's because it's a very ancient style," Y'lerl replied. "I picked it up from a Kana... a Namekian. A Namekian on Kanassa. They practice it with bare feet."

"Whatev'r floats yer ship, kid..."

"ADDRESS AND DATE OF BIRTH," the machine demanded again.

"Hey, uh, can we do this registration thing later?" Y'lerl asked the doorman. "You know, when I have time to make this stuff up," she thought. "I mean, I'm really anxious to get to whatever sort of test you're gonna put me through and I didn't come here to talk to some computer all day."

"You sound like a damned Saiyan," the bouncer replied. "I ain't nev'r seen 'n' with green skin b'fore, though. I guess if you're ready to get yer ass beaten, there'll be someone waitin' for you b'hind that door. Just do yerself a favor and don't get killed."

"Gee, what an optimist," she said walking toward the door.

"What'd you say about me!?" the guard shouted.

"Nuthin'."

---

Word Count: 748
Word Total: 1,898

"Taijidojutsu, hunh?" A deep voice greeted her before she could even enter the room. To her utter surprise, however, it came from a rather minuscule figure. The speaker hardly reached up to her chest, and she wasn't exactly the tallest in her nonexistent graduating class.

The person was obviously an Iceling, male judging by his tone, and he had a displeased expression on his face. His garments were fancier than what she expected from a mercenary, decorated with bold colors and a large insignia on the right side of his breastplate. There wasn't a scratch on them, but his face told another story. There was a smooth, thin cut running diagonally across his chin, the telltale sign that he was an experienced warrior.

"I swear, they always send me the nuttiest recruits..." he mumbled. "Taijidojutsu my ass. You haven't fought a day in your life, have you? Probably some mutant with a freak battle power looking for a quick buck." He looked her square in the eye after he finished his sentence. He was short compared to her that he couldn't take him seriously. She had to hold her breath to avoid laughing.

He backed away and turned around, hands folded across his back. "Well, let's see how long you last..."

She thought, for a moment, that he was going to attack, but realized it made no sense for him to turn around. Her attention shifted to the rest of the room. Perhaps this room was booby trapped. What if she were standing on something right now? But as she turned around, she saw what he was talking about out of the corner of her eye. There was a set of horizontal metal bars looming down from the left wall. She saw them slowly rising up, but could hear the same thing from across the room.

Y'lerl took a step back to see that the same structure was on the opposite end of the room. She squinted and could make out two small sets of eyes. Something was there, and it was short -- shorter than her trainer. As the bars were more than halfway open, she thought she could see it move forward. The instant she thought to get closer, it bolted for her.

A yellow-green mass streaked forward, but she had been keen enough to narrowly avoid its trajectory and bounded to the left. By a stroke of luck, she also avoided a torrent of what appeared to be acid and watched as it seemed to digest the metallic floor. Caught up in the moment, she failed to realize the creature from earlier sneak up from behind. Its claws dug into the soft flesh on her back.

She looked behind to see a strange, plant-like entity. Judging by its demeanor, it was only semi-sentient, a cross between an animal and a plant. Its head was split by a crack and veins dotted every inch of its forehead. But before she could examine it further, the creature bit her shoulder.

She thought to cry out in pain, but bit her tongue. This was a test, and if she screamed, she was going to get good marks. She spread her arms out and a bubble of ki began to form around her, edging the plant-man off of her. The other creature, apparently of the same species, slammed into the bubble as it tried to assault her.

She turned around to face both of them head on and the force field dissipated, leaving her vulnerable once more. She lashed against them both at once with a two bolts of energy fired from her palms in quick succession. Both of them managed to take the blasts, albeit with large, clear bruises on their faces. It looked more like a bruise on a peach than a person, though.

One of them burst forward again, but caught onto her ankle this time instead of her back. As it grabbed the other leg, she realized what it was doing -- trying to hold her steady. She glanced at the other being and saw its forehead split open along the crack. A steady stream of acid gushed at her. Quickly, she flipped backwards, landing on the palms of her hands and kicked her legs into the air. She could feel a burning sensation her thighs, but the thing on her ankles had taken most of the heat for her. She kicked her legs forward, sending the critter flying into the wall behind her before she flipped back onto her feet again.

The other was pulling itself together -- literally. Its head folded itself back into its proper position. But as she watched, she failed to notice that the one from moments ago had flipped over before hitting the wall and pushed off it again. It streaked toward her like a bullet and landed on her back, gripping her by the shoulders this time. Suddenly, she could see a bright light behind her and the beginning of what sounded like an explosion.

Then, everything just stopped.

There was no sound, no motion. Just Y'lerl standing upright, the plant monster still attached to her back. She turned around to see that it was frozen in time, like a single frame from a movie. Its head had ruptured and it was beginning to blow up. It was some sort of defense mechanism she presumed. The other creature was behind her and it was backing up, trying to avoid the blast, and it gave her an idea.

She tentatively removed the claws from her back, letting out short, pain-filled breaths as she did. Y'lerl turned around and circled around it, examining it more carefully. Its stubby little body was swelling up. It looked distorted, bloated. As she reached its rear, she jumped up and spiraled counterclockwise into a kick, aiming for the being's body. The instand it made contact, time resumed its normal flow.

The exploding creature took the hit to its back and rocketed forward, albeit Y'lerl's leg was caught in the action. It was struck so hard that it flew across the room like a baseball during a home run, plummeting into the other plant-thing, engulfing it in the explosion.

Y'lerl fell to the ground and closed her eyes, seeing only a bright flash from behind their lids. She brought an arm up to her face to shield her from any resulting debris, but there was only a fine layer of dust that resulted. The room was probably reinforced. As she pulled her arm away, she could see the damage. What remained of her attackers was little more than rotten vegetables. She looked for her "instructor", who was standing in the back corner of the room. His jaw looked like it was about to hit the floor.

"See? Taijidojutsu."

---

Word Count: 1,131
Word Total: 3,029

"I don't believe a lick of what I just saw," the Iceling remarked. He pulled his jaw up in the action. "But that doesn't change the fact that it happened, I suppose." He grabbed his chin between his thumb and his forefinger and looked around, inspecting the damage. "Well, kid, I guess you got the job. At least, after you get your information sorted out anyway. I need to send the video of this to someone. It's been ages since we had a new recruit that passed the test, even if you are a little scuffed up."

Y'lerl looked down at her leg. Shock had prevented her from feeling it moments ago, but pain now coursed through it. Six holes from where the plant monster had grabbed her dotted her ankles, and that was beneath the burns from the acid and the explosions. It looked like she would be paying her own hospital bill soon enough.

"Taijidojutsu..." she could hear the Iceling mutter under his breath. "Don't worry about that. We can't have a good employee looking like you for long. We'll put you in a rejuvenation tank in a few and get you your new uniform tomorrow. Some things need to be sorted out with the higher ups before then..."

"How are you going to--"

"Contact you? Catch." He tossed her something. She could barely see it as it flew toward her and it landed on the ground to her left. It sounded like it was made of cheap plastic. She looked over to see a small device with a blue lens on the ground -- a Scouter -- probably made of cheap plastic.

"We'll contact you through that. Put it on your face and don't take it off. It's your lifeline from here on out. Now, do you need a stretcher, or can you walk?"

"Well, I can probably walk," Y'lerl replied with a halfhearted grin. "But a stretcher would be nice..."

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Word Count: 325
Word Total: 3,354